A Way to Reclaim a Name

Delving deep into someone’s soul was a new experience for Zhang Ye as well.

This was completely different from Carolina’s dream before. That had only been a clash on the spiritual level, but here, in this new universe, astral projection could not directly manifest within Dick’s body.

Zhang Ye knew exactly how powerful the energy he carried was. Dick was merely an ordinary person, and his soul was still rather fragile. If he used astral projection, Dick’s soul realm would instantly be burst apart by his energy. By then, unless reality itself was rewritten, even the gods would be unable to save Dick.

So, to ensure the success of his actions, Zhang Ye settled for the next best option. He injected part of his soul into Dick’s soul world and used it to search for a way to remove the contamination from him.

Doing this was no easy task. The soul was immensely important to every living being. What Zhang Ye was doing was no different from entering a world full of blades naked; one careless misstep would lead to utter ruin.

Of course, Zhang Ye had already prepared himself mentally. After all, this was a world he had never set foot in before. If anything truly went wrong, Miss Minutes would immediately open a portal from outside and pull Zhang Ye’s soul out.

However, after being here for so long, Zhang Ye had not sensed any threat.

There was no strange energy, no corrosion from dark power. He did not even need to cast magic. With only the most basic Black Umbrella, Zhang Ye could keep the inky rain outside.

Yet Zhang Ye did not relax because of that. Instead, he became even more cautious.

"Don’t just stand there. It’s time to go." Calling out to Dick beside him, Zhang Ye turned and headed across the street.

Hearing Zhang Ye’s voice, Dick immediately followed. After learning how dangerous the raindrops were, he had no intention whatsoever of stepping beyond the umbrella’s shelter.

"Where are we going?" Dick looked at Zhang Ye and asked cautiously.

He still held Zhang Ye, this man, in awe. The other man seemed to know this bizarre world very well, and he was the only one who could help Dick recover his memories.

"To find your name."

Zhang Ye answered calmly. Beneath the mask, beyond Dick’s sight, Zhang Ye’s pupils had turned completely black, radiating a sinister and terrifying power.

Amid darkness and contamination, there was no power more suited to Zhang Ye than that of the demons of original sin. The demonic power of the Seven Deadly Sins surged forth, and in an instant, much of the rain mist dispersed, making everything around them clearer.

The two hurried down the street. Zhang Ye had already located their destination through demonic power, while Dick was like a headless fly, with no choice but to follow Zhang Ye.

"Hey, um, Mr. Zhang Ye, look at those things."

Along the way, Dick saw those strange beings melting continuously in the rain again. But now that he had no memories at all, this was his "first" time witnessing such a Shocker scene.

"Don’t mind them. Stay close to me." Zhang Ye had no intention of explaining and merely quickened his pace.

"What are those things? Are they people like me? If I come into contact with those raindrops like they did, will I end up like them too?" Dick hurried after Zhang Ye, still badly shaken.

"They’re just a group of creatures corrupted and fallen into darkness. Pretend they don’t exist. Don’t concern yourself with things that have nothing to do with you. You can’t save them."

Zhang Ye glanced at those bizarre beings imitating normal people. Those things stitched together from deformed flesh and blood could not be considered complete souls at all. They were merely phantoms created by the surrounding dark power.

All of them had been humans soaked in the Lazarus Pit. But they lacked the willpower to control that power and ultimately yielded to darkness. After their souls were completely contaminated, they became remnants of souls stripped of all will.

The rain was filth, and it was also the greatest culprit behind spiritual contamination.

Through observation, Zhang Ye could tell that Dick had retained his complete memories at the beginning. But in this torrential rain, the time he could remain active was limited. If he could not find a way to regain consciousness in time, he would melt like the other "people."

With every death, part of Dick’s memories would be erased by the contamination.

At the same time, although the place where he awoke appeared to be the same each time, every awakening in that alley meant Dick’s soul had fallen into a deeper level of darkness.

He had now lost most of his memories. This was already an extremely dangerous state and proved that he had sunk particularly deep.

If he eventually forgot how to speak and how to think, then by that point, he would truly be no different from the other things here.

Leading Dick in a frantic run, Zhang Ye soon noticed a change in the street ahead. In the distance, a massive circus building appeared before them.

"Th-that is…"

Dick stared blankly at the circus. For some reason, he suddenly felt suffocated, and his body even began trembling on reflex.

"That is where you’ll reclaim your name. Go on."

Zhang Ye smiled faintly beneath his mask, then led Dick across the road to the circus entrance.

Perhaps Dick no longer remembered this place, but Zhang Ye knew that this circus was where Dick’s story began.

When he was only eight years old, he became an acrobat at the circus. He had also been the youngest member of the Flying Graysons family.

Likewise, it was here that Dick Grayson witnessed his parents’ murder, was adopted by Batman Bruce Wayne, and ultimately embarked on the path of becoming Gotham’s protector.

"You’re not coming in with me?" Dick turned around in surprise.

"That is your battle. Or rather, it is a place only you can enter." Zhang Ye patted Dick on the shoulder, then placed the Black Umbrella in Dick’s hand. "Take this. Whether you can reclaim your name depends on your own willpower."

"This looks important, and it’s raining outside. Isn’t the rain dangerous? If you give it to me, then what about you…" Dick hesitated.

"The rain won’t stop," Zhang Ye said gravely. "And there is nowhere here where you can take shelter from it. Even inside those buildings, it is still raining."

Seeing that Dick wanted to say something else, Zhang Ye raised a hand to stop him.

"Enough. Go in."

After pausing briefly, Dick’s gaze gradually turned resolute. He nodded heavily and said earnestly, "I’ll definitely recover my memories. Wait for me!"

With that, he held up the umbrella, turned, and charged straight into the circus.

Watching his determined back, Zhang Ye nodded with some satisfaction. It seemed that no matter how many memories Dick lost, his true nature would not change. Somewhere even Dick himself had not noticed, another version of himself was still guiding him onward.

Only after Dick disappeared from Zhang Ye’s sight did he slowly turn around to face the street behind him.

At that moment, the street that had been empty was now packed with deformed monsters.

They were completely different from the way they had mimicked living people earlier. Their eyes were now vacant as they slowly rose from the rainwater and wriggled toward Zhang Ye from every direction.

Zhang Ye merely smiled at this, showing no intention of taking them seriously.

Several hideous tentacles emerged from beneath his black trench coat, baring their fangs and claws at the monsters closing in around him.

"Dick’s battle has begun. Next—"

(My lord, there is a communication from the wasteland world. Shall I use 1% battery power to initiate the call?)

Before Zhang Ye could finish, Miss Minutes’ voice came through.

"Can’t you see that I’m busy?"

(I can see that, my lord, but the other side seems quite urgent. Clint Barton sent word that Star-Lord Peter Quill has descended upon Earth!)

Hearing that, Zhang Ye froze.

"What did you say!?"