Starting from scratch, Batman crushed my dream of getting rich

Chapter 72 Pain-fearing Santa Claus
"Special reminder: Explosion is about to occur, durability is depleting - Protective Cross (0/9)"

"Special note: The item is invalid and the remaining times cannot offset the damage judgment."

"Special Tip: Activate the special judgment of shattering - 5% chance to eliminate this damage judgment."

"Special reminder: Judging. Judgement passed, canceling this damage judgment."

"The item is damaged."

Ma Zhaodi didn't have much time to congratulate himself on his good luck, as he had already become friends with the clown.

How good is the Joker in close combat?
This is a controversial question. Since the Joker has so many works and so many versions of him, the consensus reached by everyone is that this is not his greatest strength, but it is definitely not one of his fatal weaknesses.

In some versions, the Joker's fighting skills are even slightly better than Batman's.

Ma Zhaodi was certain that anyone between 1.8 and 1.9 meters tall would definitely have a certain advantage in a fight, and if it was a bare-handed fight against a weapon, he would definitely have an absolute advantage.

Through systematic analysis, Ma Zhaodi determined that the clown in front of him was at the master level in close combat, which surprised him. He had never expected that the opponent's close combat ability was so terrifying.

Fortunately, the Joker is now facing a limited-time task, and Ma Zhaodi happens to be a strong enough shield.

"Why! Why are there no fireworks!"

The clown laughed wildly, waving the dagger and crowbar in his hands and making a sharp sound: "Hahaha, I get it, you are the Grinch, you hate Christmas the most! You ruined all the surprises tonight! Come, let me see if you can bleed!"

"Chila-clang!"

The sharp dagger cut and stabbed the red cotton coat, leaving bloody wounds. This cotton coat was a system item specially bought by Ma Zhaodi. It was bulletproof, but its cut-proof performance was slightly poor. The main reason was that he did not expect that the Joker's oversized revolver could actually penetrate the cotton coat and kill with one shot. As a result, the cotton coat did not play the expected bulletproof effect in gun battles.

The crowbar was even heavier, and it specifically hit Ma Zhaodi's joints. Even through the thick cotton clothes, the parts that were hit still felt severe pain. The strength of his legs, feet and wrists was severely restricted, and he was unable to make a powerful counterattack or dodge quickly.

Intense pain came from all over his body. Ma Zhaodi, who had never participated in such a battle in his life, felt the pain brought by cold weapon fighting for the first time. He retreated step by step, while the clown laughed wildly and pressed forward step by step, carving blood flowers on his body with the crowbar and dagger in his hands.

"Hahaha! The Grinch is a bad boy, but fortunately, he is easy to teach a lesson! Come on! Let me see what other fun Christmas gifts you have, hehehe!"

Ma Zhaodi did not answer, but used his remaining sanity to hold the fruit candy tightly in his mouth.

The candy made from fruits produced by the Horn of Plenty continuously turned into juice in the mouth, continuously providing life recovery for Ma Zhaodi. Fortunately, the clown's dagger did not carry nitrous oxide toxins today, otherwise he might not have time to drink milk.

"Hahaha! The neck is showing!"

When Ma Zhaodi was hit on the knee by a crowbar and almost lost his balance, the clown laughed and slashed at him with a dagger. With a crackling sound, blood immediately spurted out from his carotid artery.

"Hehehehe—huh?"

When the clown cut Ma Zhaodi's throat, he watched the flesh and blood on the wound heal quickly after a few seconds, only to find that all the wounds on his body seemed to have stopped bleeding at this time.

"Whoo, whoo, whoo"

Ma Zhaodi gasped for breath, barely standing in front of the clown. He was nearly delirious from the wave after wave of torture-like pain. The fruit candies healed his physical injuries, but the immense psychological pressure and pain were still etched in his mind. "Haha! So strong, so strong, Santa Claus—or should I say, the Grinch? You must not normally participate in battles, right?"

Want to use that?
"It's so touching that the hero who protects Christmas faces the madman with a knife and a gun alone."

No, Batman must be almost there, and that one costs a full 20,000 points, and it's a one-time use. I can't just use it up casually because I'm afraid of the pain.

But it really hurts.

Ma Zhaodi gritted his teeth with a ferocious expression and looked at the laughing clown, but tears flowed unconsciously from his eyes. This was the first time he showed such an expression since he came to Gotham.

Fighting for justice feels really painful. Even if it's just physical pain, it's enough to make this novice who has never fought in hand-to-hand combat want to give up.

But doesn't Batman experience this kind of pain every night? Catwoman, Gordon, Harvey Dent... aren't these people accustomed to the dual suffering of mind and body?

Or, give up?

Do you want to save the asset point and your own life and throw Harvey Dent into his destiny?
Or reload the game? Think of another plan? But could I be so lucky again? On how many times would the cross's judgment take effect?
"Hehehe, you're really brave—I know a lot of people who are not afraid of pain, and you're one of them."

I'm scared, really scared.

"But you would never guess that I'm actually an old dog - I'm used to chasing hard bones to chew, hehehe -"

"I know best how to chew a hard bone! Hahahaha!"

The clown laughed and turned into a purple wind, easily dodging Ma Zhaodi and swinging the weapon in his hand again, but this time, his target was not Ma Zhaodi.

But it was Clinton who still held his gun and was unwilling to give up Ma Zhaodi.

Clinton's pupils contracted, and he drew his gun and fired rapidly. However, the Joker's figure was unpredictable. Bullet after bullet hit the wall and floor, but could not hit the Joker. He watched as the madman rushed in front of him, raising the dagger and crowbar in his hands.

"Haha! You don't stand a chance!"

One stick, two daggers.

Three lightning-fast strikes left Clinton's two hands and one leg unable to move. Before he could even cry out in pain, the sharp, bloody dagger had already pierced his eye socket.

"Merry Christmas! Hehehehe——"

clang!
Following the sound of metal clashing, the clown looked up in astonishment and saw a sword gleaming with cold light firmly holding his dagger.

The man holding the sword was wearing a fat red Christmas coat and a funny Christmas hat. Drops of blood kept dripping from the hem of the coat, and the cotton wool exposed inside was already stained blood red. Perhaps the coat had already been soaked.

His neck seemed to have not fully recovered yet, his voice was broken and hoarse, and his face was covered with tear marks from crying just now. Only the sword in his hand was as steady as a rock.

"I won't let my friends die trying to help me—where are you going, bad boy?"

　Master Swordsmanship Experience Card (10 minutes)
　　Price: $20,000 USD
　　Notes: A young man of chivalrous spirit, making friends with heroes from all five cities. He is open-minded and courageous. His hair stands on end. He is in a conversation. He shares life and death. A promise is worth a thousand gold.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)