hotmtlnovel Chapter 3790 The School Doctor's "Daily Life" (5)
Chapter 3790 The School Doctor's "Daily Life" (5)
Chapter 3790 The School Doctor's "Daily Life" (Part 5)
Schiller knew he couldn't escape this ordeal, so he didn't try to deny it. He simply looked at the two of them and said, "I won't hide it from you. In my universe, I have indeed made some small contributions to the development of humanity. But this is not limited to technology or magic, and I am not the leader of the magical side. You will probably have to ask the Sorcerer Supreme about some of your questions."
“I heard you two get along well,” said the main universe Batman.
“We are friends, but you are also friends with the other Batmen,” Schiller said tactfully. “Besides, whatever happens in the wizarding world is the responsibility of the Sorcerer Supreme, and only he has the authority to decide how the wizarding world should proceed. I can offer some suggestions, but that’s all.”
“We have no intention of interfering with the magical world of your universe; I just want to know a few things.”
"for example?"
"How did you obtain so much magical energy?"
“That’s a long story.” Schiller leaned back, as if he were about to explain in detail, but only said, “The key is the Sorcerer Supreme, so you can only ask him.”
The main universe's Batman could sense that Schiller wasn't lying. In fact, what Schiller said was true; the abundant magical energy in their universe did indeed originate from the Sorcerer Supreme—but not from Strange, but from the Ancient One.
The Ancient One was the kind of person who never suffered, and she was invincible against all the demons in the universe. Kamar-Taj at that time, although not as rich as it is now, was not very poor either, at least much richer than the wizards in DC.
In the original comics, after the Ancient One's death and Strange's succession, Kamar-Taj's situation actually worsened. This is because Strange's fighting prowess was inferior to the Ancient One's, and his approach to matters differed greatly. He was a recluse, and his attitude towards both Earthly and cosmic affairs was that "the Sorcerer Supreme should not meddle in worldly matters." This attitude extended to his actions within the Illuminati, thus significantly diminishing the prestige of the Sorcerer Supreme's title.
Schiller simply continued the Ancient One's methods into the Strange generation, preventing the title of Sorcerer Supreme from fading away after a strong start. In essence, the Ancient One laid a better foundation.
Without the Ancient One's name, those demons wouldn't have cooperated so readily. Therefore, saying that everything originated with the Sorcerer Supreme is not wrong, nor is it a lie.
The main universe Batman and the Arkham Batman exchanged a glance; both of them clearly felt that Schiller was telling the truth. Even if one Batman's intuition might be wrong, if both of them felt that Schiller wasn't lying, then he was probably telling the truth.
When the main universe's Batman and Stark shared a body, the Batman had also spoken with Strange and already had a preconceived notion that Strange was a difficult opponent. At this point, when Schiller said that everything was thanks to the Sorcerer Supreme, the main universe's Batman accepted this explanation.
"What kind of person do you think he is?" the main universe Batman asked.
“Stephen’s personality isn’t exactly kind,” Schiller said, tapping his teacup with his fingertip. “This is probably related to his childhood experiences. He was a small-town youth who, through his own efforts, established himself in New York and became the world-famous Hand of God. I don’t need to elaborate on the hardships he endured. Such experiences both tempered him and shaped his character.”
Schiller wouldn't utter a single lie to Batman, because lying to him would be too easily exposed. Besides, the platitudes he used to use on Robin or other characters from other worlds weren't very effective; Batman always got straight to the point and wouldn't give up until he got a satisfactory answer. Without some real substance, he'd be stuck here all night.
The main universe's Batman knew perfectly well that Schiller's assessment was exactly the same as his initial profile of Strange.
In his eyes, Stephen Strange was a detached, self-serving individual. His underlying personality was indifferent, yet this indifference towards everything brought with it a peculiar focus. It was precisely this focus that gave him his unique talent in magic.
Targeted interests, on the other hand, indicate that he is a stubborn and extreme person. When he invests in a certain field, he will use his inherent focus to become obsessed with that aspect, pursuing only the benefits in that field, regardless of whether it reduces or destroys the benefits he could obtain in other areas. He is not the kind of person who wants to gain everything; no matter how tempting the benefits he doesn't want, they won't sway him.
Those who prioritize spiritual fulfillment over material enjoyment are those who find the greatest spiritual satisfaction in areas where their interests are aligned with their goals. This is also the easiest way to win them over.
His psychological profile reveals that Strange is not a contradictory person. His personality and psychology are intricately linked; his detachment and focused dedication to a particular field allows him to achieve success and gain spiritual satisfaction, enabling him to maintain self-consistency without relying on external factors or the help of others to stabilize his mind. This is something that is extremely difficult for many people to do.
This means he is virtually invincible in spirit, and it is difficult for others to move him. Even if there are things that attract him in the fields he is engaged in, he can acquire them himself through his exceptional talent. Or rather, only what he acquires himself will satisfy him; he doesn't want anything given to him by others.
That's why, in Batman's view, Strange is an extremely difficult person to deal with. He possesses powerful magical abilities, making him almost impossible to subdue by force; mentally, he has virtually no weaknesses, more like a flawless dragon egg. Even a saber-toothed tiger couldn't leave a mark on him, let alone a fly; he's incredibly troublesome.
But Batman is Batman; he's tackled the toughest challenges before, the only difference being whether he took a swift, decisive bite or a more gradual approach. Batman knew that to acquire magical powers or establish the League of Humanity, he had to overcome Strange. Therefore, he chose to take it slow.
“Mr. Strange’s experience is very admirable and reminds me of my friend Clark Kent. He also came from a small-town background. Do you think they would have anything in common?”
Schiller's alarm went off. Nick Fury was already furious with a bunch of Batmen; if they brought in a bunch of Supermen, the entire Capitol would explode. Even though Capitol wasn't very useful, nobody wanted the septic tank to explode, right?
Schiller believed that Batman's words were a blatant threat. If he didn't say something today, Batman would call in Superman to stir up trouble.
He sighed inwardly, then said, "Although they grew up in similar environments, their family backgrounds and personal qualities are different, which naturally leads to vastly different personalities. If you ask me, Stephen probably wouldn't have much in common with your friend. The two of them are similar yet completely different."
The main universe's Batman understood Schiller's implication. While Batman didn't know Strange particularly well, he knew Superman very well. If Strange and Superman shared similarities yet were also diametrically opposed, then many things could be inferred from this.
Batman probably knows Superman better than Superman himself. In the main universe, Batman begins to carefully consider the similarities and differences between Superman and Strange.
This is actually not a difficult question, because it is obvious that the overlap in their personality traits comes from the same environment in which they were raised: the countryside and the small town.
Batman is certainly not the type to discriminate based on region, but he understands very well that rural areas and small towns are inherently more isolated from information than big cities. The slower flow of information has its advantages and disadvantages, but the personality traits shaped by such environments are unique.
For example, because there are few channels for obtaining information and few ways to verify its value, people from smaller towns tend to place more faith in "self-assessment." They are more willing to use their own established values and methodologies to judge whether information is true or false, or whether it is useful.
In contrast, people in big cities are more inclined to "verify information with others," that is, to verify the accuracy of the information they already know by obtaining other information. This is a more objective way of judging, but it cannot be said to be necessarily superior to the former.
Superman and Batman represent these two approaches. Superman prefers to act based on his own sense of good and evil; if he believes someone is doing something wrong, he will stop them. Batman, on the other hand, is more concerned with the law and evidence; he arrests someone only if they have broken the law and there is evidence to support his claim.
Superman may seem more decisive and less apprehensive, but this is simply because he received an excellent education in the Kent family. His sense of right and wrong aligns perfectly with popular ethics, and if someone were to mislead him and distort his sense of right and wrong, it would be a disaster—just like Homelander.
Batman's approach may seem indecisive and could lead to missed opportunities to stop evil, but as long as he believes in the law and rules, he is essentially adhering to public ethics and is less likely to make a big mistake.
A common personality trait between Strange and Superman is their willingness to act on their own judgment. Strange also acts based on his own sense of good and evil, rather than necessarily adhering to laws and rules.
So, what kind of concept of good and evil does Strange hold?
Batman believes this is precisely what makes him so different from Superman. Superman's sense of good and evil stems from his happy family, while Batman can guess Strange's family situation without even investigating.
But the real opposite is not their definition of good and evil—it's not that Strange thinks it's normal for someone to commit heinous crimes, like burning, killing, and looting; he knows it's abnormal, but he doesn't care.
Superman is fiercely opposed to evil, while Strange is indifferent; Superman strives for the common good, while Strange is self-centered. He lacks empathy; he only cares about what he wants to care about. Laws and morals condemn this indifference, but Strange prefers to follow his heart, disregarding external rules.
Superman received so much unconditional love from his parents that he wished he could shower that love upon everyone in the world; Strange, on the other hand, almost never received unconditional love from anyone. Their praise, flattery, and affection stemmed from his talent and strength. He accepted it all, but didn't take it seriously, and naturally had nothing to share with others.
If Superman's inner world is a vibrant rainforest, then Strange's is probably a desolate desert. As for who's better or worse, no one but themselves has the right to judge. If one had to find some pattern, it would probably be that "they treat the world the way it treats them."
Having figured all this out, the Batman of the main universe had a better understanding of things. He finished the last sip of tea in his cup, wondering if he should take advantage of tonight's nighttime stroll to make contact with the renowned Sorcerer Supreme.