Viktor looked at the cheerful Dick Grayson in front of him, and his left hand, which was tucked in his pocket, instinctively brushed the gold apple inside.

  The cool sensation reminded him that his primary goal right now was indeed to find a magician who could help him.

  The neon lights of the city reflected in the puddles, and every corner of this city seemed to be buzzing with hidden chaos.

  Gotham City was certainly not a pce where an outsider like him could easily figure out.

  "Thank you for offering to help, Mr. Grayson."

  Viktor's tone was perfectly polite.

  He understood that relying on others' strength was an efficient strategy for achieving goals.

  Since this man was one of Batman's most trusted allies … and he grew up here. He knew every street and secret spot in Gotham like the back of his hand.

  Dick waved his hand, hanging his motorcycle helmet on the handlebars, and leaned against the bike with a smile.

  "Just call me Dick. 'Mr. Grayson sounds too formal. Since Batman sent me to help you, feel free to share the information with me. There's almost no dark alley or dead corner in Gotham that I don't know about."

  Viktor nodded and slowly began to describe the brief information Batman had provided.

  Dick raised an eyebrow when he heard the term "Gray-Robed Person," and after Viktor added some additional details, a look of understanding crossed his face.

  He tapped his fingers on the motorcycle seat.

  "I know her. She is indeed an anomaly in Gotham."

  Dick looked up at him, his voice sounding a bit pyful.

  "Batman's been keeping an eye on her for almost a year, but he hasn't even gotten a single clear photo of her."

  "You should know that even someone like Catwoman, who can circle around the Batcave's entrance and leave without a scratch, is easy for Batman to track. However, this person... she seems to have completely merged with the shadows of Gotham and her trail is almost impossible to follow."

  He paused, his tone softening slightly as his eyes scanned a homeless man huddled next to a trash bin on the street corner.

  "But honestly, I don't think she's worth the trouble."

  "Gotham City is like a smelly puddle of dirty water, filled with all sorts of criminals, burning, killing, and robbing. She's just stealing some bread and milk to fill her stomach, and she even gives food to those starving homeless people..."

  He spoke with honesty, without the extreme vigince and control of Batman, and instead sounded open, street-smart, and easy to talk to.

  Viktor could tell that Dick understood him.

  "I'm not looking for her for any other reason. I'm currently caught up in some trouble, and she might be able to help me."

  "I see. Don't worry, leave it to me."

  Dick patted his chest confidently, and his expression became sharper. The earlier cheerful attitude faded, repced by the professionalism unique to Nightwing.

  "Since she often helps the homeless, she's probably hanging around the old district."

  "Gotham's homeless have their own little circles. We can start from there, but she only comes out at night, so we'll have to be ready to wait."

  For the next three days, Gotham's nightfall became the perfect cover for the two of them. He led Viktor through the dark alleys and rooftops of the old district.

  He also used his connections from when he lived on the streets and managed to get the test whereabouts of the person in a robe from an old homeless man.

  She usually appeared around midnight, preferring to operate near bakeries and supermarkets. After grabbing what she needed, she would quickly disappear into the deeper alleys.

  Of course, she would also leave half a loaf of bread for the old beggar at the street corner.

  On the first day of their stakeout, they hid on the roof of the bakery until dawn, but all they saw were a few rats running around and police sirens in the distance.

  The second day, they changed their hiding spot to behind a container next to a supermarket, but all they saw was a suspicious-looking thief whom Dick easily subdued and dumped himin front of the GCPD.

  It wasn't until the third night, just after the clock struck midnight, that a faint wave of magical energy drifted through the wind.

  Perhaps due to the continuous exposure around powerful sorcerers like Eris and Doctor Fate, Viktor's body had started to recognize the distinct fluctuations of magic.

  "This should be her."

  Viktor's senses immediately pinpoint the source of the disturbance. Not far from the alley entrance, a slender figure in a gray robe was tiptoeing out of a broken window of the supermarket.

  She was holding a few bags of pin cookies and milk cartons tight against her chest. She moved so lightly and quietly, like a feather floating on the breeze.

  "Steady, take it slow."

  He lowered his voice, raising his hand to signal Viktor not to act rashly. He quietly moved toward the other side of the alley, trying to surround her.

  Dick's movements were smooth and quick like someone who had been sneaking around in the dark for years. He even did a few flips and twists to get past trash cans and boxes without making a single sound.

  However, the person they were looking for seemed to sense something was off. She abruptly stopped, instinctively clutching the food in her arms tighter.

  She didn't turn around, but a faint purple magical aura began to emanate around her, and the ground beneath her feet began to show complex symbols, clearly preparing to use magic to escape.

  "Don't let her get away!"

  Dick shouted and instantly sped up, rushing toward her, but his speed fell just short. The moment the purple glow expanded and her whole body became transparent… she disappeared completely!

  Dick tripped and fell hard, groaning as he got back up.

  "Teleportation Magic! Now I understand why even Batman can't catch her."

  Viktor, however, stood frozen for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if he were feeling the air around him.

  "No, this isn't teleportation."

  The next second, Viktor suddenly turned around and stared straight into the darkest part of the alley.

  "It's just invisibility with short-range teleportation. I can still sense her position!"

  Viktor abruptly left the bewildered Dick behind, and an explosion of energy surged inside him. Viktor's figure became a blurred afterimage as he broke the sound barrier.

  Viktor's speed was far beyond Dick's expectations, and in the blink of an eye, he had already caught up to the woman who had disappeared into the darkness hundreds of meters ahead.

  Dick gaped in disbelief. He knew that Viltrumites had superhuman abilities as Batman's files had mentioned.

  However, Viktor hadn't shown any of this in front of him over the past three days. Second, Dick had never imagined he could be this powerful.

  After feeling the deyed gust of wind as he shot past him, Dick muttered to himself.

  "Is Viltrum… like a distant cousin of Krypton or something?"

  He watched as Viktor's figure grew farther and farther away in the dark. He tried to chase after him for just a couple of steps… but then he lost sight of both the woman and Viktor at the same time.

  "Superpowers—this is so unfair."

  In the darkness, Viktor quickly caught up. He reached out and grabbed the corner of her cloak.

  The fabric was rough, damp with the night's rain, but the moment his fingers made contact, a strong magical backsh shot up his fingertips. The strange pain he felt made him instinctively grip harder.

  The person's teleportation was interrupted by the pull, and as she stumbled, most of the hood of her cloak was torn off.

  As the fabric slipped away, Viktor immediately recognized the girl. Unlike Dick, this one… was all too familiar.

  She had short silver-blue hair that stuck to her pale cheeks, and her skin was so pale it was almost translucent… but it also had a faint dark-purple glow, and right in the middle of her forehead was a small red diamond-shaped gem.

  Raven.

  Right now, she was struggling to survive alone in Gotham's darkness, stealing food just to get by, while also helping those homeless people who, like her, had no pce to call home.

  But as soon as Raven saw him, her previously calm gaze suddenly became sharp with her pupils surging with intense anger and wariness, and her voice sounded young and clear like a teenager with a cold voice.

  "You're one of Trigon's servants! How dare you chase me all the way to the human world!"

  Viktor froze for a moment with confusion on his face.

  'Who is this Trigon again?'