Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics-Chapter 4433 - 3520: Research on Cats and Dogs (31)

After Shiller gained the ability to use traits from other personalities, his skill in arrogance naturally improved. For example, during the banquet, he managed to swipe Jonathan's fear venom while the latter was unaware.

This is the skill of an agent, typically used to steal law enforcement officers' guns during chaos. The alertness of law enforcement officers is, of course, far greater than Jonathan's. If one can take a gun, grabbing a small bottle of fear venom is naturally no challenge.

After acquiring the new batch of fear venom, Shiller placed it in the safe in his office. On one hand, the substance isn't ready to use just by opening the cap; if mishandled, it could poison oneself. On the other hand, Batman from another world must have encountered this substance before, and using it would inevitably evoke associations with Scarecrow, which wouldn't be ideal.

As expected by Shiller, Batman showed up at the office not long after.

Sitting leisurely, Shiller readied himself. Although he still didn't know which universe this Batman hailed from, from his analysis, the opponent was formidable—even if he wasn't as strong as the Prime Universe Batman or the Arkham Universe Batman, he likely fall into the second tier, not someone easy to fool.

"Is there something you need?" Shiller asked as he stood up from his chair and walked to the nearby tea station. Batman sat down in the guest area, watching Shiller bring over the tea set and place it on the table.

"Thank you, Professor," he said.

Shiller sat down across from him with a smile and replied, "You're welcome. How's the investigation going?"

"No significant progress," Batman said. "I may have to go to the Gotham Police Department later to review the banquet footage again."

"You haven't slept all night. Shouldn't you get some rest?"

Batman gently shook his head and replied, "I went to bed very early last night, so I'm not tired yet. Besides, there are still many faculty members receiving treatment in the hospital, and under such circumstances, I simply can't sleep."

"Did you come to me seeking more information?"

"Yes and no." Batman picked up the teacup Shiller placed in front of him, took a sip, and said, "From my perspective, this isn't a particularly heinous case. Based on the methods involved, it's not a large-scale fatal terror attack, but seems more likely driven by personal vendetta and revenge."

"In any case, the case didn't result in serious consequences, though its impact was substantial, which means it needs to be promptly resolved. However, if the authorities were to explain it away as food poisoning, it wouldn't be unreasonable. My focus isn't really there."

"Then what do you seek?"

"What's your opinion on the Justice League?"

"The new superhero organization, you mean?" Shiller drank a sip of tea and said, "I don't know much about superheroes, but if they're genuinely doing things for the benefit of ordinary people, then I'm inclined to support them."

Batman nodded and continued, "If they encounter trouble and you happen to be able to help them, would you do so?"

"I don't believe I could offer them much help." Shiller rubbed the handle of the teacup with his fingers and said, "That's not to say I am unduly humble; it's just that I'm a theoretical psychologist—not a licensed psychiatrist nor do I have prescription authority. Should they want me to treat them, I could only refer them to my friends; I couldn't actually resolve the psychological issues myself, else it would constitute illegal practice."

"You don't have a license?"

"Correct. My primary research concerns theories related to psychoanalysis. If you have some knowledge of this, you might be aware that it doesn't fall under clinical psychology, nor is it particularly useful for addressing most people's mental illnesses."

"I know very little about this," Batman said. "May I ask what this theory is typically applied to?"

"As the name suggests, psychoanalysis examines human spirit. You might categorize this under philosophy, as it's a discipline focused on exploring the essence of humanity. However, psychoanalysis has its applications—otherwise, it wouldn't have earned me such a pivotal standing in the industry."

"Could you elaborate?"

"Generally speaking, psychoanalysis can be applied in criminal psychology to empathize with a criminal's mindset, helping to deduce their motives or predict their next moves."

Batman leaned forward slightly, clearly intrigued. "Is that really possible? Can psychoanalysis predict a criminal's actions?" he asked.

But Shiller shook his head and said, "If it were truly omnipotent, you would have encountered it in professional circles long ago. The reality is, the mainstream methods now adopted are behavioral analysis because it relies on logic and traces."

"Psychoanalysis demands extraordinary empathy from its user. Thinking from another's perspective itself requires a certain talent, and its stability and accuracy are far inferior to behavioral analysis. Moreover, over-indulgence in empathy can easily destabilize one's own mental state."

"That's surprising," Batman remarked. "Given your status as a leading authority in the field, I imagine you must have exceptional talent in this regard?"

Shiller smiled and replied, "That's not quite the case. I only study the theory; I've never truly applied it in criminal investigations. While I've considered doing so, it's clear that James Gordon would never agree to such involvement."

"Is that why you came to Gotham?" Batman asked.

"Not exactly. Though crime used to be rampant here, there haven't been any particularly infamous serial killers. Most crimes of passion don't require psychoanalysis for tracing, nor do they hold research value."

Batman nodded. "Then why did you choose to come here? Someone as renowned as you might be better suited for Harvard's Psychology Department or Metropolitan Medical College."

"To be honest," Shiller paused before continuing, "I used to live in Metropolis, but I ran into some trouble there and had to take refuge in Gotham."

"I see. Do you know much about Metropolis then?"

"I fear my social circle is far narrower than you might imagine. I hardly ever leave campus and don't associate with acquaintances from economic or political fields. Other than living there, I don't have deeper insights about it."

"I suppose it's been similar after coming to Gotham?"

Shiller nodded. After drinking a sip of tea, he replied, "My friends here mostly consist of colleagues and a few alumni who've graduated. I'm not particularly keen on extensively socializing, and I'm quite satisfied with my current situation."

"Speaking of which, Professor, Bruce Wayne is both a member and financier of the Justice League. He studied psychology in college. You must have taught him, correct?"

"Yes, he was my student. However, as I mentioned, he wasn't overly concerned about grades or a diploma. I wouldn't devote excessive attention to students like him."

"That said, Gotham's significant improvement owes a lot to Wayne Enterprises. While he hasn't made academic contributions, he's undoubtedly a rare kindhearted individual."

"Is that your belief?" Batman asked.

Shiller nodded and said, "When he first enrolled, I noticed his emotions and state weren't great. I'd heard about the Wayne family case, which I imagine had a certain impact on him."

"Later, however, there was a remarkable change. He seemed to emerge from the shadows of the past, focusing more energy on real life and making this city better. That's why I hold positive sentiments towards the Justice League—I think many Gothamites feel the same way."

"Do you know what catalyzed this change?"

Shiller placed his teacup down and said, "Time is the best medicine for healing wounds. People grow as their life stages evolve. While such a significant transformation in just a few years likely involved some external factors, most of it comes from internal resilience."

Batman fell momentarily silent.

"It seems you hold Bruce Wayne in high regard. Considering his accomplishments, perhaps there is reason for that."

Batman placed his teacup down, stood up, and said, "Perhaps you're right. It wasn't external forces that shaped Bruce Wayne, but his own determination to escape his plight. Some individuals or groups may have had an influence, but at the core, it was his own resolve and will to fight for change."

"Thank you for patiently discussing this with me, Professor. This was not an obligation on your part. Regardless, it's been immensely helpful. I have other matters to attend today. I look forward to speaking again in the future."

Then he left... left!

Shiller watched Batman's retreating figure, his feelings caught between profound shock and disbelief. How could he simply leave?!

I set up all this groundwork, aiming to steer the conversation towards external factors influencing Bruce's transformation, and yet you readily accepted the conclusion that Bruce's change was purely self-driven, then left?!

Where's your paranoia? Your need for control? Your dogged determination to reach your goals? Your obsessive pursuit for answers, your efficiency-driven compulsions?!

Did you come here today just to chat?

Shiller stood there, speechless for a long time.

To him, today's conversation was anything but casual. He had meticulously planned it.

First, he would establish his identity as a theoretical psychologist skilled in psychoanalysis. This fact couldn't be falsified—it was public information, easily searchable.

While concepts like empathizing with criminals might easily evoke associations with super villains, his standing in the field also demonstrated that he was a prominent figure, proficient in judging people's emotional states.

After elevating his own status, he would then casually bring up Gotham's transformation and the catalyst behind it—Bruce Wayne.

Based on other universes' Batmans failing to grasp this reality, this Batman would naturally start pondering what allowed Bruce to shed his past shadows and undergo such a radical change.

At this point, mentioning "external factors" would cause Batman to suspect that someone played a pivotal role in Bruce's transformation. The prime suspect, of course, would be "the Professor."

Coupled with the prior foreshadowing about Jonathan's identity and Jonathan's inherently enigmatic and unpredictable movements, Batman would naturally suspect Jonathan as the mysterious "Professor."

Knowing Batman's personality, he would undoubtedly conduct an in-depth investigation into Jonathan afterward.

Being targeted by Batman meant that in both Gotham and in the future Battleworld, all eyes that tracked Gotham would align themselves with Batman's goals. Jonathan would become the perfect scapegoat, completing Shiller's plan to redirect the trouble.

Yet what Shiller never anticipated was that in the pride-and-prejudice formula of arrogance 2.0, this time there was no prejudice.

Batman genuinely believed that the local Bruce Wayne overcame his shadows through inner strength, speaking with words full of admiration and appreciation, even tinged with a slight self-critical reflection of "not doing well enough."

Shiller couldn't help but ask, Batman, are you truly sober? Or rather, being this sober—are you still Batman?

If you are this clear-headed, then why even remain Batman?

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