Heavy “bang” and “thud” sounds echoed around Vivi—evidence of the intense fight between Red Hood and Mr. Freeze.

From the looks of it, Red Hood had gotten the information he wanted and decided to leave. Oddly enough, despite being known as a drug lord himself, he seemed to be investigating the drug trade here. Mr. Freeze, on the other hand, could not possibly let someone who had threatened his wife walk away unscathed. He’d brought up the mines to distract Red Hood, using it as an opportunity to exact punishment.

While Mr. Freeze didn’t kill unnecessarily, he wouldn’t hesitate when his bottom line was crossed. That was part of what made him one of Gotham’s most infamous criminals.

Vivi, however, stayed out of it. To her, both men were criminals. Let them fight it out—it wasn’t her problem. She wasn’t Batman.

She forwarded the “mines” lead to Tal and then settled next to Mr. Freeze’s wife’s cryogenic pod to draw her cards. Ten virtual cards shimmered into view, their glow reflected in Vivi’s eager eyes.

“One gold, nice! Four silver, one white, and four bronze cards…” Vivi mumbled excitedly. The “mini horse” was usually a bronze card, and the “three-second shrink” was a white card. While card strength in this game wasn’t strictly tied to rarity, pulling a gold card always thrilled her.

As the two men fought on the other side of the room, avoiding the area where Mr. Freeze’s wife lay, Vivi’s attention was solely on the cards. She appreciated that Red Hood hadn’t tried to exploit the situation further—something that surprised her.

The card edges shimmered with different hues, yet none had flipped over. This time, Vivi decided to reveal them from gold to bronze.

She swiped open the gold card first and let out a curious “huh.”

It wasn’t a blueprint, tool, scene, or costume. Nor was it a rare pair of glasses she’d been hoping for. Instead:

[Gold: Character – The Doctor]

[A genuinely kind doctor who fell on hard times after an unfortunate incident. He now struggles to make ends meet through side jobs. Perhaps you can help him.]

[In transit: This character will arrive in Gotham within three days.]

“So the system hired me an employee from out of town?” Vivi mused.

Her main quests had largely revolved around urban infrastructure, from underground construction to greening the city and building roads and bridges. She knew that for a city to thrive, its economy, politics, education, and healthcare needed to excel. Her ultimate goal was to raise Gotham’s negative rating to a solid 10. That’s why she supported seemingly unrelated proposals like building schools in the East District—she knew it would improve the city’s overall evaluation.

In Gotham, when someone mentioned doctors, Vivi’s mind jumped to the likes of Harley Quinn, Hugo Strange, or other deranged individuals. If the system guaranteed this one was a good person, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t lose his mind in this city.

Vivi moved on to her silver cards while the warehouse grew colder and gunshots echoed through the space. Frost crept across the floor, reflecting her focused expression.

[Silver: Costume – The Magician]

[A suit in silver and purple hues with a magician’s flair. Wearing this will teach you magic tricks. After three failed tricks, your fourth attempt is guaranteed to succeed.]

[Silver: Tool – One-Time Cognition Adjustment]

[Human minds struggle with anomalies. Use this tool to completely correct someone’s perception.]

[Silver: Magic Glyph – Copy (30 Minutes)]

[A chaotic series of lines forming a pattern. When inscribed on a non-game item, it allows you to duplicate that item for up to 30 minutes.]

[Note: The magic glyph system is not yet active. Tip: Believe in its existence, and it will exist.]

No wonder these were silver cards. The magician’s costume wasn’t particularly powerful but had interesting cause-and-effect properties. The cognition tool would allow her to freely experiment in Gotham without driving residents away out of fear—a huge win for population retention. The glyph, though puzzling, reminded her of her earlier experiments with mercury to activate glyphs. She wondered if the belief itself had been the real trigger all along.

“Games usually rely on stats, not… existential faith, right?” Vivi muttered, confused but dismissive.

What truly excited her was the final silver card:

[Silver: Blueprint – Adaptive Bridge]

[A bridge blueprint that accepts any system or non-system items. The bridge will integrate these items, transforming based on their properties.]

[The bridge can be reverted into its original card form, but any integrated items will be lost.]

“This is perfect for my main quests involving No Man’s Island and Blackgate Island!” Vivi exclaimed. With system-generated blueprints, as long as she had the materials, the bridge could be built overnight, and her main quest would yield immediate rewards. “But… where should I build it?”

Meanwhile, Mr. Freeze coldly observed his frosted warehouse, his breath visible in the icy air. Red Hood had disappeared into the shadows, but his leg had been hit by Freeze’s gun. Even if he found a way to thaw the ice, the frostbite would linger as a painful reminder.

“This entire town works for the drug trade,” Freeze sneered, glaring at his frozen surroundings. “When the mines ran dry, South Hinckley turned into a den of vice. Even if you escape me, you won’t escape this place. That’s the price you pay for threatening my wife.”

Freeze’s icy gun aimed steadily, his voice echoing through the frigid air. Not far from him, Vivi calmly flipped over her white card.

[Iron: Tool – Love is Patient (One-Time Use)]

[A transformative tool that converts physical pain into healing energy for a loved one. The user must endure the pain until their love fades.]

Vivi’s gaze lingered on the card in her hand before slowly lifting her eyes toward Mr. Freeze.

Dusting off her sleeves, she stood up, realizing the frost accumulating on her shoes from the room’s unnaturally low temperature. Freeze still hadn’t located the Red Hood, but Vivi knew exactly where he was—above them, hiding in the rafters.

Seeing the standoff cooling down for a moment, Vivi decided to flip the last four bronze cards.

[Bronze: Tool – The Helpless Wind]

[Summon a faint breeze that encircles you. If anyone harboring malice approaches, the wind intensifies, shifting from ruffling hair to billowing clothing.]

As the name suggested, this “helpless wind” wasn’t much help. Identifying malice was one thing, but discerning subtle differences in gusts of wind was quite another.

[Bronze: Scene – Whispers]

[Summon an eerie whispering sound that no one can comprehend. The harder someone tries to listen, the more intense their fear becomes.]

A perfect addition to “Silent Night’s” creepy ambiance!

[Bronze: Tool – Compress (Single-Use)]

[Convert a non-system object into a system-generated card. You must be able to lift the object.]

[Bronze: Tool – Decompress (Single-Use)]

[Transform a system-generated concept card into a tangible, physical object.]

Though seemingly redundant with the system’s core mechanics, Vivi knew even low-tier cards could prove invaluable with creative application.

Suddenly, Red Hood dropped from above, landing a punch on Mr. Freeze. It was clear he aimed to crack the icy dome helmet, but Freeze’s armor—having undergone years of upgrades—was no easy target. Red Hood, visibly limping from his earlier injuries, staggered as he moved.

“Worry less about me and more about yourself, Victor,” Red Hood sneered coldly. He didn’t draw his gun, and Vivi suspected he might be out of bullets. “You’re in for it now.”

Meanwhile, Vivi hammered the final nail into the warehouse’s inner chamber walls, sealing the space shut. The moment the last nail was in, alarms began blaring—from both Freeze’s suit and the cryogenic pod keeping his wife alive.

Mr. Freeze required subzero temperatures to survive, and his suit consumed massive amounts of power. Meanwhile, his wife’s life-support system was a relentless energy drain. Both relied on electricity supplied by the warehouse generator—outside the now-sealed chamber.

Freeze’s face twisted in panic. Without hesitating, he leapt to the wall, clawing at the sealed door to reach the generator below. He could endure, but his wife couldn’t.

Behind him, Red Hood smirked, finally drawing his gun—a bluff earlier. But before he could shoot, something kicked him hard from behind, slamming him to the ground. His weapon slid away as a weighty object pinned him down.

“Good boy,” Vivi’s voice chimed. “My little horse.”

Her summoned steed had ambushed Red Hood, immobilizing him. Vivi casually stepped on his fallen gun, dragging it in slow circles across the frosty floor. Ten glowing cards materialized around her, and she immediately activated [Decompress].

She revealed herself beside the cryo-pod, holding her Desert Eagle trained on its occupant.

“I don’t want to do this,” she said, her voice calm yet cutting. “But this is the only way to make you listen, Mr. Freeze—Victor.”

Two sharp knives spun between her fingers. One bore faint glowing runes, etched in light, while the other was ordinary. Vivi hadn’t expected the concept item [Love is Patient] to manifest as… a razor-sharp skinning knife.

“Care to make a deal?” she asked, twirling the blade. “You work for me, and I cure your wife.”

If Batman or Robin were present, they might’ve questioned everything they thought they knew about Vivi. But they weren’t here.

Victor’s icy stare was filled with rage. “Liar.”

He had heard too many false promises from supposed healers. His wife’s frozen state was his only constant, and no words could convince him otherwise.

“Well,” Vivi mused, spinning the knife in contemplation. “I don’t mean I’ll do it. You’ll heal her yourself.”

The reflective blade caught Victor’s pale, furious face. Though seething, he restrained his frustration. “I don’t know how you cut the power, but if we keep wasting time, neither I nor Nora will be able to help you.”

His grip tightened on his gun.

“Just a verbal agreement,” Vivi said, feigning nonchalance. “We don’t harm each other, I help your wife, and you work for me. Agree, and I’ll lower my weapon.”

Pinned beneath her horse, Red Hood thought, Magic. He didn’t know how long this so-called vigilante had been here, but it was impossible she’d intervene without a concrete plan.

Victor seemed to share this thought. He inhaled deeply. “Fine. But you swear not to harm me or Nora.”

“Deal,” Vivi snapped her fingers. “The contract is sealed.”

She lowered her gun, and without warning, a silver gleam sliced through the air. The seemingly mundane knife pierced Mr. Freeze’s armor—something even bullets struggled to penetrate—striking directly at his forehead.

Victor collapsed without a sound, hitting the floor like a felled statue.

No blood dripped from the wound.