Tim Drake, Batman’s Robin, aspired to become the world’s greatest detective.

From the moment he encountered Vivi, he realized she had likely already discovered him—more precisely, she had noticed him. After spending time patrolling with Nightwing and partnering with her, Tim had pieced together a detailed understanding of Vivi’s abilities.

Her pipe could adhere to any surface.

She weighed less than 30 kilograms, including her clothing, yet her strength was immense, and her speed incredible. Theoretically, such a lightweight frame combined with her power should make her movements unstable, but as long as she was on the ground, she was as steady as a tower.

—It seemed as though the force allowing her to lift 300 kilograms wasn’t her body weight, but something else entirely.

She appeared to have spatial equipment, enabling her to summon objects out of thin air.

Her horse wasn’t a typical pony either—it, too, could appear out of nowhere.

She was aware of her own differences from others. She could heal and resurrect herself, never ate or slept, and yet wasn’t mechanical in nature. It was as if she could perceive indicators or things invisible to others. Yet, when Tim examined her pupils, they reflected no images.

For instance, Vivi always seemed to know Tim’s mood and how others “perceived” her in their minds, as though she had access to a “game map.”

When police pursued criminals, they often tried to put themselves in the criminals’ mindset to solve the case. Tim applied this same method—but to Mr. C and a “game-based logic.”

If Mr. C was the game player, then Vivi was the character he controlled. No—Mr. C was more akin to the game designer, and Vivi seemed like a program written to test the game.

Tim didn’t truly believe their world was a video game. After all, humans didn’t think of themselves as mere dogs under the gaze of beings in another dimension.

Even if Vivi’s perspective of the world was warped, it was likely a result of her own altered cognition—a perception deliberately crafted by someone.

Some entity had turned Gotham City into a “save Gotham” game for a little girl. However, that entity’s power couldn’t fundamentally distort reality—only someone’s perception of it.

This was comforting to the vigilantes.

Humans fear the unknown, but when the unknown becomes known, fear diminishes. Once humanity understands what they fear, they progress—just as early humans mastered fire.

Except for resurrection.

Delving into the logic of resurrection frequently led Tim to overturn his prior assumptions, forcing him to craft new theories. Ultimately, he reached a chilling conclusion:

Vivi wasn’t human.

Initially, they suspected Vivi had been saved—or deceived—by Mr. C.

But as they got to know her better and gathered more data, Tim uncovered something unsettling: Vivi lacked “personal habits.”

“Accent, skin tone, scars—these are unique markers shaped by our past. Even if someone loses their memory, they retain their pre-amnesia habits and instincts. For instance, a germaphobe who forgets their past would still recoil at dirt on instinct,” Tim had said once in the Batcave, his face illuminated by the glow of the Batcomputer. “But Vivi has none of that—unless her past was completely erased.”

While she lacked a past, she was relentlessly learning.

Her combat skills could be copied after a single observation, her replication speed was frightening. Under others’ guidance, she developed her own unique fighting style. Vivi was becoming more and more human-like a precision instrument mimicking humanity.

An evolution.

This deeply unsettled Tim, though he kept silent. A true detective doesn’t speak without solid evidence.

As gargoyles soared through the skies, glowing trees dotted the cityscape, cars stopped racing recklessly, and crimes were illuminated in the daylight. Thieves and brawlers were punished, to the point where vigilantes rarely needed to intervene in such minor cases anymore. Yet Tim’s paranoia and need for control began to resurface.

It felt almost superstitious, but Tim couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching Gotham—perhaps even those “strange objects” were observing the world around them.

When Doctor Strange appeared at Vivi’s side, Tim naturally recognized him as a fellow hero. To his relief, the sorcerer hadn’t summoned the Avengers to Gotham but instead quietly worked for Vivi. The Bat-family, skeptical at first, relaxed a little at this arrangement.

Later, Tim found himself in a period of existential unease. Sure, he often handled logistics and support, but that didn’t mean he didn’t patrol at night. His new Robin uniform wasn’t the old short-shorts version, after all. Thankfully, modern crime often hid in the shadows, where patrols alone couldn’t uncover it. Instead, technology became a vital tool.

After an extended investigation, the identity of a certain “assassin” was finally uncovered. Bruce had clashed with the killer and managed to knock off his mask, retrieving a blood sample in the process.

Through extensive data analysis, the Batcomputer finally identified the assassin: Ross Keene, a man tied to Gotham’s historic circus. If he were still alive, he would now be 83 years old.

The information wasn’t derived from the blood analysis alone—there were no online records of blood samples from 80 years ago. Instead, Tim traced the assassin’s lineage through facial recognition, identifying potential family members. By comparing their DNA, he confirmed that the Ross family had been circus performers for generations. However, the assassin’s parents had left the circus lifestyle after having another child, blending into ordinary society.

After triple-checking with Bruce to ensure there had been no mistake in the blood sample, Tim had no choice but to accept the reality: an 80-year-old ghost had resurfaced, now an immortal assassin seemingly loyal to someone.

Gotham’s darkness cracked open just enough to show Tim that his world wasn’t as simple as he thought. There were deeper, more terrifying conspiracies he hadn’t yet uncovered.

The investigation eventually hit a dead end. The forces behind the assassin seemed to have gone dormant. After two days of frustration, Tim shifted his focus back to the blood analysis. The sample contained a unique metal that appeared to enable self-healing—a connection he couldn’t ignore when comparing it to Vivi’s similar ability.

Tim recalled that Vivi never seemed to bleed.

—Her healing was faster than the assassins’, but she’d admitted that a hit to her vital organs, such as her heart or brain, could still kill her.

Redirecting his efforts, Tim combined both lines of inquiry and started investigating Vivi White. Naturally, this led him to her closest associates: the mayor, the warden, and Millie White.

Through a deeper investigation into the mayor, Tim unearthed someone lurking in the shadows—Lady Rothschild, a member of the Gotham City Council and a noblewoman. Lady Rothschild’s husband and younger relatives had all died one after another under suspicious circumstances, which caught Tim’s attention.

Yet after days of surveillance, he discovered little direct interaction between Lady Rothschild and the mayor. Apart from her extravagant lifestyle and occasional socializing with peers, she rarely attended council meetings, even though her late husband’s family had granted her significant influence there.

With the investigation stalled again, Tim decided it was time to act in person.

He planned to infiltrate the Rothschild estate in disguise.

That’s when he spotted two individuals who couldn’t have cared less about subtlety blatantly breaking in.

Detective Timothy Drake suddenly felt that this was not the day for stealth. Unfortunately, his “map-reading” partner had already spotted him.

Unlucky.

“What would it take for you to wear a maid outfit?” Vivi asked, poking Red Hood in the side.

“Nothing. That’s never happening,” Red Hood replied firmly. “Now back off—we’re making too much noise sitting here together.”

“Oh,” Vivi said with a mock air of understanding. “In that case, I’ll go on ahead. Good luck.”

She activated a title skill, stood up boldly, and strolled past the patrolling guards. One guard blinked in confusion but didn’t stop her as she walked past.

Vivi had enabled a temporary party mode with Red Hood, marking him as a bright blue dot on her system’s map. The party link would last only for the duration of this mission.

After climbing into the Rothschild estate, Vivi triggered a side quest.

[Side Quest: The Truth About “Rothschild”]

Description: The mayor frequently receives help from Lady Rothschild, yet the two have never met. Perhaps you should investigate this from your mother’s perspective, as the truth is closer than it seems.

Rewards: 0 to [???] gold coins, 100 diamonds.

Based on her experience, a reward of 100 diamonds usually came with at least a million gold coins. The potential payout surprised her—was this side quest particularly important?

Long ago, the system had hinted that she should investigate the mayor’s surname. Vivi had discovered that the mayor’s last name was Alek, but it wasn’t uncommon. Moreover, further clues were tied to New York City, an inaccessible map area. Finding anything about New York online had been fruitless, and sending subordinates there to dig into the mayor’s past would’ve been… suspicious. So, she had shelved the matter.

As for “Rothschild,” Vivi had confirmed Lady Rothschild’s connection to the Court of Owls through Winston. However, high-society networking was always tiresome. Even when invited to events, Vivi had only ever attended Wayne Manor’s gala. She hadn’t sought out the noblewoman directly.

Crossing the garden, Vivi found the estate’s main doors locked. Without hesitation, she climbed up to the third floor using her pipe and made her way through a long corridor until she encountered Robin in disguise.

Timothy Drake, dressed as a maid, had done a remarkable job with his disguise. Somehow, his facial features appeared softer, his blue eyes hidden behind black-rimmed glasses, and his maid uniform effectively concealed his physique.

However, his darting gaze betrayed his nerves as he scanned his surroundings. Vivi pulled out her phone from her inventory and quickly took a series of photos.

Tim’s sharp eyes caught her subtle movements, and he gave her a wry smile.

At that moment, Lady Rothschild’s voice rang out from the study, summoning her “maid.”

Robin opened the study door, and Vivi slipped in behind him, seizing the opportunity.

For the first time, she laid eyes on Lady Rothschild.