What bad thoughts can Batman have?

Chapter 982 Dr. Manhattan, do you think you'll always be omniscient and omnipotent?
The Void Hand is completely finished, at least for Chen Tao.

Dr. Manhattan has bound him to the Watchers universe. According to the story's ending, the Void Hand is to remain forever within the Watchers universe, acting as the lord of this castle. This is clearly not the Void Hand's original intended ending. Although Dr. Manhattan cannot create stories, it can influence and modify the Void Hand's established narrative through numerical manipulation. Chen Tao believes that the Void Hand, given its abilities, won't be so easily trapped by Dr. Manhattan, but by the time the Void Hand escapes, it's uncertain when.

But Chen Tao had also achieved part of his goal. Beside him, a brand-new Ultimate Watcher was reforming. The Void Hand had greatly depleted Perpetua's power. Throughout the direct battle, although the Void Hand was unwilling to give up and still managed to bring Chen Tao and the World Forgers into the story to act as its henchmen, it was ultimately the Void Hand that forcibly wrote a story ending in Perpetua's defeat. So, this main force hadn't actually escaped and had a real head-on clash with Perpetua.

Papetua still appears to be in no weakening phase, but with the ebb and flow of power, the balance of power has begun to tilt.

However, Chen Tao still didn't believe that the current Ultimate Monitor could defeat Perpetua. Previously, the Ultimate Monitor had barely held its own against Perpetua, and even now, with Perpetua expending his power, the Ultimate Monitor would ultimately only be evenly matched. The Black Death Emperor had taken away most of the life forms in the DC multiverse; Chen Tao simply couldn't afford to waste any more time.

Damn it, why did things have to come to this? Actually, the best outcome wasn't that the Void Hand was suppressed by Dr. Manhattan, but that the Void Hand successfully merged the Watchers universe with the DC multiverse, just as Chen Tao had requested, before Dr. Manhattan could even stop it.

What does this mean? It's like giving a person who was originally skin and bones a huge amount of muscle.

It's not about taking medicine or supplements; it's about directly transplanting muscle into the DC multiverse, a patient who's become emaciated due to overexertion. This fundamentally increases the immunity of the entire multiverse, a qualitative change, rather than Chen Tao patching things up and robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Once the Watchmen universe is fully integrated into, rather than attached to, the power of the entire universe will increase, just as it once absorbed the Wildstorm universe and the Mass comic universe.

The history of the US-Soviet rivalry in the Watchmen universe will be directly copied into the main universe, and the experiences of Rorschach, Odysseus, and others will also appear directly in the history of the main universe, just like Blue Beetle and Shazam.

Rorschach, Ozymandias, and others will become the older generation of heroes, just like the Justice Society. History will be fully integrated with the DC multiverse, while the Watchmen universe of the past will remain upstream in the hyperchronic flow, possessing its own timeline that will eventually come to an end.

This is true integration, unlike the current Watchers universe, which hangs on the DC multiverse like a sloth, only adding burdens without contributing anything to the DC multiverse.

The more Chen Tao thought about it, the more he felt that a huge gap had suddenly appeared in the plan. The further he progressed, the bigger the gap became. Why did he leave such a large gap when he set up the plan? Did he not consider how he would deal with Papetua if the Void Hand failed to provide him with the opportunity to merge the Watchers universe and the DC multiverse?
And now the Void Hand has indeed failed; Dr. Manhattan stopped him! So, was my previous plan simply to give up and continue relying on the Ultimate Monitor to fight Perpetua until the plan completely failed, and the entire DC multiverse fell into death or was completely ruled by Perpetua? That doesn't seem right; I must have some follow-up preparations, right?

Chen Tao clutched his head, but felt he couldn't remember anything at all. It was as if he had set up some kind of mental barrier for himself, preventing him from ever considering this issue before.

He clutched his head, then a look of horror and shock appeared on his face.

He seemed to remember something.

Yes, he is Chen Tao, he is Batman Dragon, and his plan is indeed not that simple.

In this whole scheme, Chen Tao was merely a supporting character. He and his ultimate monitor drew everyone's attention, preventing anyone from realizing...

A story, as long as it has an audience, will inevitably have a sequel; this is a truth.

The seeds of a sequel have already been sown: my friend, the Void Hand entered the Watchmen universe carrying the essence of N52 Superman, meaning it's now part of the DC multiverse's core...

It is currently within the Watchers universe.

And Dr. Manhattan, if he is omniscient, he cannot be omnipotent—if he is omnipotent, he cannot be omniscient!

……

……

……

The Hand of the Void sat expressionlessly on his throne, his sharp horns piercing the sky.

This is the Watchmen universe, but his story has been used by Doctor Manhattan, turning it into a prison that binds him here.

How long could this cage hold the Void Hand? The Void Hand didn't know. But everything was terrible. He had gone from a wolf hunting for food to prey caught in a trap, now locked in a woodshed, his fate unknown.

He tried to struggle, to escape the cage that bound him, but the story was one he had created himself; he had simply lost all control. He needed an external force to help him break the logic of the story and create an opportunity for him to escape, but there was none.

Yes, Dr. Manhattan did not completely block any possibility of communication between any living being and the Void Hand. It was only after the Void Hand lingered in the Watchers universe that it discovered what an outrageous monster Dr. Manhattan was. He was a quantum ghost, meaning that Dr. Manhattan existed in the Watchers universe, but in another sense, he did not exist.

This sounds convoluted and abstract, and in fact it is indeed convoluted and abstract.

Schrödinger's Dr. Manhattan deduced that everything the Void Hand did was within his knowledge. As long as it existed within the Watchers universe, the Void Hand had no secrets from Dr. Manhattan. Dr. Manhattan was present in every corner of the Watchers universe, like a spider web tightly binding the Void Hand, making escape impossible. The Void Hand attempted to construct a story of an accident, a new story, but a story needs a vessel, even if it's just an insect. Stories can't be told from thin air, especially since the Void Hand couldn't even access air.

Therefore, the Hand of the Void could only construct the beginning of a story as best it could.

In the long and tedious life of a lord, the Voidhead prayed for an opportunity for adventure, one that would allow him to abandon his tedious paperwork and rush into adventure. Even though he had become a lord, the Voidhead was first and foremost a warrior, and a warrior's heart would always belong to great adventures, not to guarding a territory.

And then the story continues...

It's over, it was abandoned.

This was the only resistance the Void Hand could mount.

He never stopped, constantly writing the same story beginnings, trying to find a way out of the predicament, and in fact, he did find one.

"It worked, we succeeded!"

The Watchers universe. In a universe outside of Earth, a spatial portal suddenly opened, and the Void Hand immediately intervened, incorporating this portal into the story's narrative, preventing Dr. Manhattan from discovering it immediately.

You see, the story goes like this: as the warrior reminisced about his adventurous life, a call to adventure appeared before him, illuminating his future with dazzling brilliance...

“Great! I just checked and there is no supernatural power in this multiverse. Everyone is just a mortal.”

After the Essence Society's Ganther checked the state of the Watchers universe, he announced to everyone: "Our planet will become a hidden satellite next to Earth in this universe. There is no threat to this multiverse, and we can live here safely."

His voice, transmitted through telepathic magic, reached the ears of every villainous hero or Olympian god on the massive planetary warship they were on. After a brief silence, thunderous applause erupted across the entire planet.

"Hahahaha, no one can stop us now!" The wild roars rose and fell like thunder, but in the middle of this jubilant ocean, Ganther turned his head and saw the face of the Void Hand, which made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

A new story begins.

Time slipped away silently, like golden sand flowing between the gears of the Watcher's Castle. The Hand of the Void had been lord for some time now. He had learned to sign documents written in moonlight ink, mediate minor disputes between the Time Elves and the Gear Dwarves, and attend one magnificent yet somewhat repetitive star banquet after another. He governed the castle with great efficiency; the people loved him, and the king regarded him as a capable advisor and a close friend despite their age difference.

Everyone on the vast planet began to look bewildered. No one realized what this strange story appearing in their minds meant.

The Phantom Stranger sensed danger and screamed, trying to warn others... but the story continued as it was, regardless of his will.

However, on a night so quiet you could hear the stars twinkling, the Hand of the Void stood alone on the high balcony of his lord's chamber. He wore the newly mended, deep blue velvet cloak that symbolized his lordship, but his gaze passed over the castle's shimmering spires, reaching into the distant, boundless depths of the multiverse, a place where darkness and starlight intertwined.

He began to feel nostalgic. He missed the magical, dangerous scent of the Whispering Forest, the thrill of casting spells alongside Batman Dragon, and even the tension of being wary of each other yet forced to cooperate with Papetua. Managing the castle brought order and satisfaction, but the adventurous spirit of exploring the unknown and conquering challenges seemed to be gradually cooling in the daily tranquility.

"Is my legend about to slowly come to an end in this small space on the balcony?" he murmured to himself, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cold jade railing of the balcony.

Just then, the night sky in front of him began to ripple violently, like a piece of silk crumpled by invisible fingers! A dazzling, ever-rotating rainbow vortex appeared out of thin air. Unlike the stable portal of the castle, it was full of wild and boundless power.

Immediately afterwards, a strange legion stepped out from the center of the vortex!

Leading the procession were three towering crystal giants, their bodies composed of pure crystal that reflected the castle's light, like walking mountains of jewels. Close behind them were a group of harpy warriors clad in steel feathers, their sharp eyes gleaming with cold light from the edges of their wings. Also present were knights riding fire-riding mechanical horses and wielding pulse spears, as well as magical creatures floating in the air like living shadows.

Ganser looked down at his own appearance, his face showing an expression of utter disbelief.

This legion was disciplined and silent, yet exuded a fierce aura forged in countless battles. They stood in neat rows in the void before the balcony, and the leading crystalline giant stepped forward. A deep, resonant sound, like a resounding bell, echoed through the night sky from the core within his chest:
"Homage to you, great righteous warrior, Void Hand! We are the 'Essence Order,' from the shattered DC multiverse. We follow in the footsteps of the strong, traversing countless universes, seeking only a true master to lead us to conquer the unknown and establish unparalleled achievements! Your legend—outwitting the witch, awakening the king, and taking control of the castle—has spread like wildfire throughout the realms. Allow us to dedicate our strength and loyalty to you! Lead us to conquer those worlds that have not yet submitted, and let your name resound in every corner of the omnipotent universe!"

Ganther was forced to say these words, and the Father beside him was contorted with rage. Everyone was screaming and struggling frantically: Help! This is not what we are supposed to say! This is not what we are supposed to say! What is this?
But no one could stop the story from continuing. Amidst the twists and wails, the tale of the Void Hand was forcibly written with their blood and power.

These words struck like a thunderbolt, igniting the deepest, long-suppressed desire within the Void Hand. Conquest! Adventure! Planting his banner in one new world after another! This was a thousand times more exciting than reviewing documents and appeasing the people every day! Looking at the powerful legion that had willingly come to surrender before him, his blood surged instantly, and a long-dormant, ambitious flame ignited in his eyes.

"Very well!" the Void Hand responded loudly, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. "Since fate has brought you before me, I, the Void Hand, will lead you to conquer a wider territory that belongs to us!"

(End of this chapter)