Chapter 92: The Tanky Tree

While Fana was busy with her reunion, Chu Cheng had already controlled Batman to leave.

But it wasn't because he was running away or trying to skip the classic villain speech. He was actually scanning the surrounding area in detective mode and made some interesting discoveries.

First, before entering the cave, he noticed a group of infected people hiding in the shadows. They all seemed to be in the same state as the Yoshimura couple. These infected people had one thing in common: they all viewed Raya as their own child and would attack anyone they thought might take her away.

At first, it seemed like Raya might be the source of the infection, but after thinking about it, Chu Cheng realized there was more to it.

The infection had been spreading through food, and people had to eat specific things to become infected. Chu Cheng had been taking it easy since joining the Service, but he had still read a lot of reports to understand his job better.

So, he quickly concluded that this was likely a media-type infection source, similar to the statue he blew up in the crane building during Batman's first mission.

What confirmed his theory was what he saw in detective mode. He noticed root systems spreading all over the cave walls, similar to what he'd seen in the drain at the Yoshimura's pool.

But this time, the infected area was much larger and more intense. The vines and roots all pointed in the same direction, deeper into the cave, leading to something beyond it.

Chu Cheng couldn't let that happen. He was the one who usually sneaked up on others, not the other way around. So, he had Batman silently exit the cave and follow the root system deeper in area.

Soon, he found the source—a giant tree.

This tree was massive, towering over the malnourished trees around it like a skyscraper. But it wasn't just big; it was strange. The vines weren't just vines; they were sticky, soft tentacles. To make itself look more like a regular tree, it had even hung leaves on the tentacles as decoration.

The tree was also covered in black, gooey fruits that looked sinister and evil. But when Chu Cheng first saw it on his screen, it looked completely different.

At first, the vines and fruits appeared normal—green, lush, and tempting. But that was just an illusion, meant to deceive the senses and induce desire. People who saw it would be tempted to eat the fruit, which would then infect them. The tentacles and fluids in the milk tea shop all came from this tree.

Of course, this trick didn't work on Chu Cheng. He wasn't physically present and couldn't be affected by the tree's mental influence. At most, he could feel the visual temptation through Batman's perspective.

As for Batman himself, he was equipped to handle this. Not only did he have his own strong willpower, but his suit also had built-in defenses against mental attacks.

One of these defenses was a system called "Firework."

Inspired by games and TV shows with intense visual effects that could cause seizures, the Firework system quickly switched patterns in Batman's helmet display. It used high-contrast colors and flashing patterns to overwhelm his senses and reset his short-term memory. This helped Batman stay in control, even when faced with psychic attacks.

Of course, doing this would irritate his eyes and might slow him down, but it was great for keeping his mind sharp. It could help Batman shake off hallucinations and stay focused.

So, after getting hit by the "Fireworks" system, the juicy fruit on the screen vanished, revealing the ugly, black, slimy lake underneath.

That's why Chu Cheng thought this tree was shady. It dangled tempting fruit like the poor lady begging for help scam where the moment you approached to help, a bunch of thugs hiding nearby attacked you.

The tree seemed to realize that Batman had shaken off its trick, and its leafy tentacles started moving toward him.

Chu Cheng quickly made Batman toss a batarang, which hit the tree with a solid thunk. The red light on the Batarang blinked twice, and then it exploded with a loud boom.

A normal tree would've been split in two by that blast, but this one was tough. It only had a small gap in its trunk, which started healing right before Batman's eyes.

Two tentacles lashed out at Batman. He dodged with a roll and threw an electric batarang this time. It hit the tree, but even the jolt of electricity didn't seem to do much. All it did was burn some wood and make the tree smell like charcoal.

Just then, one of the tentacles wrapped around Batman's ankle.

Luckily, both Batman and Chu Cheng were quick to react. As soon as Batman was lifted off the ground, a quick-time event button lit up on the screen. Chu Cheng, a pro gamer, reacted instantly.

Batman whipped out an electrified Batarang and sliced through the tentacle holding his ankle.

As soon as he hit the ground, Chu Cheng made Batman roll to avoid getting grabbed by more tentacles.

Chu Cheng realized that this tree had crazy defense and could heal itself. Batman's usual gadgets weren't doing much damage. The vine tentacles were fast and strong, and there were so many of them that it was hard to avoid getting caught.

The tree wasn't just some mindless plant; it seemed to have its own consciousness. When it got hit, its branches would shake in a mocking way, like it was laughing at the idea that a mere human could beat it.

Then things got even crazier. Some of the ugly fruits hanging from the tree started shaking and detached, flying toward Batman like black grenades.

On the screen, red arcs showed the paths of these grenades, and there were circles on the ground marking where they'd land—probably thanks to Batman's equipment or experience, helping Chu Cheng dodge them.

Chu Cheng made Batman roll and dodge with perfect timing, but the explosions were powerful. Even though he dodged the direct hits, the blast knocked Batman back.

The suit absorbed most of the impact, but the screen showed red around the edges—a warning that Batman was hurt. The more intense the red, the worse the injury.

More tentacles and grenades were coming. But Chu Cheng didn't hesitate. As soon as Batman hit the ground, he fired his grappling gun in the direction he came from.

Before the next grenade could explode, the grappling hook yanked Batman away, avoiding the blast.

Chu Cheng realized this tree was like a fortress. It had thick defenses, could heal itself, and could attack from a distance with those tentacles and grenades.

Maybe he should call in Captain America?

Both of them were powerhouses, but they were more suited for close combat. This tree, with its long-range attacks and rapid healing, would be a tough opponent for them.

Even though Captain America once had the unique idea of "choking a robot to try and suffocate it," using that move against a tree might not work so well.

Chu Cheng had a better idea forming in his mind.