Chapter 64: Sudden Lake Ambush

Using Batman's tech, Chu Cheng got a clearer picture of what happened.

Here's the rundown: Agent Luo got into a fight out in the wild. There were signs of a struggle, maybe a shootout or a hand-to-hand fight. You could see scuffles and falls on the ground. Eventually, someone threw the other to the ground, then dragged them away, leaving marks on the ground.

Agent Luo's off-road vehicle and the two enemy vehicles vanished as the fight came to an end. The tire tracks split, with one set going east and the other west.

Chu Cheng used the Batmobile to follow the off-road vehicle's tracks. It looked like, after the fight, the flipped vehicle was moved and driven away.

The deeper Chu Cheng went, the stronger the scent of life became. Eventually, the tire tracks ended at a lake.

"The tracks stop here," Batman noted. "There must be something under the water."

Since the Batmobile couldn't dive, Chu Cheng hopped out and jumped into the lake. He made sure to lock the Batmobile before he left—after all, even the Batmobile needed to be secured.

Underwater, Batman used small thrusters on his boots to dive quickly. The lake wasn't too deep, and soon he found the off-road vehicle at the bottom. The door was missing, and no one was inside. It looked like the vehicle was sunk to hide any evidence.

From what Batman's tech showed, Agent Luo didn't win the fight. He was captured, and his vehicle was sunk to cover up the incident.

Chu Cheng took a quick look and then swam back to shore. He removed his respirator and prepared to track the second vehicle that probably kidnapped Agent Luo.

But just as he surfaced and was about to head back, something unexpected appeared on the screen.

Batman had just surfaced and was scanning the shore when a ghostly figure appeared. It was almost invisible, blending with the surroundings like a chameleon. The figure seemed to be holding an ax-like object, ready to strike.

Before he could think, Chu Cheng instinctively right-clicked his mouse. Batman immediately took a defensive stance, crossing his arms above his head.

A transparent axe came crashing down on Batman's raised arms. The alloy in his gloves managed to block the sharp blade, but the sheer force of the blow knocked him back.

Batman rolled halfway through the shallow water near the shore but quickly got up and adjusted back to his fighting stance, only to find no one in front of him.

Chu Cheng was surprised.

Usually, he was the one pulling tricks on others, so it was rare for someone to turn the tables on him, especially in a game he was so skilled at.

Even though he didn't catch a clear glimpse of the figure on the screen, Chu Cheng could easily imagine the classic horror movie butcher from the burly outline and the way they held the axe.

Staying calm, he guided Batman, who had just gotten up, to survey the area. A gust of wind blew across the lake, stirring up ripples, and Batman's cape fluttered slightly.

He was alone by the huge lake.

An ability to go invisible?

Chu Cheng remembered the briefings from Secret Service Nine. They had told him that if someone's infection level goes over 100%, they might develop superpowers. Maybe this was one of those cases.

So, he hit the X button, activating Detective Sight.

Detective Sight utilized the various functions in Batman's helmet, like target recognition, visual enhancement, and infrared imaging. In theory, it should be able to see through stealth.

But even in Detective Sight mode, Batman seemed to be alone.

Chu Cheng frowned.

Could the attacker have already left?

A hit-and-run? Could the infected be so cautious even with the power of invisibility?

Just as he was thinking this, a warning flashed on the side of the screen. A translucent figure suddenly appeared beside Batman, swinging the axe toward his head.

Fortunately, Chu Cheng was ready this time and rolled Batman out of the way. As Batman got up, he quickly threw a batarang toward the figure, but it just embedded itself into a tree trunk.

The figure vanished again.

Now Chu Cheng got it. The enemy hadn't left; their stealth ability was just unusually tricky, somehow fooling even the advanced visual sensors in Detective Sight.

Although there were counterattack prompts before, these last two happened so fast that only Chu Cheng's quick reflexes saved him. Anyone else might have been too slow to react.

But this was exactly the kind of challenge he was ready for.

Batman raised his hand, holding a small metal ball, and smashed it to the ground. The ball exploded, filling the area with thick smoke that engulfed Batman entirely...