The Player Has Wings, but Bludhaven's City-Building System Rules the World

Dick: When I started using the Bludhaven City-Building System, there was no quest saying it was all groundwork for vampires to rule the world someday.

Yeah, who could have guessed? A System where you have to lay your own power lines, where you have to save up Justice League commemorative coins just to expand your basic storage, where you can't even trade items until you unlock a safe house in your own city through the main quest, and where you can handcraft all kinds of high-tech materials but only sell them for 70 Justice League commemorative coins, was ultimately meant to let vampires rule the world.

[System]: Why do you think I had you raise everyone's trust? So one day you could ambush them and make them your subordinates!

Dick: Don't you dare slander the bonds I built by grinding through dungeons and giving everyone eight hundred gifts!

[System]: Why do you think I had you upgrade hospitals and other buildings? So one day, at your command as the Vampire King, all of Bludhaven would be working for you!

Dick: Bull! I can't even get more than a handful of people in the BPD to listen to me, and you think I can give one order and have them all obey? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get over twenty jobs at once through the communicator? I even have to fix the plumbing! What kind of legendary Vampire King fixes people's pipes himself?

[System]: Why do you think the villains never speak plainly and only hint that they have a special relationship with you? Because you're their future king!

Dick: Get lost, get lost, get lost! I cleared those dungeons on my own merits! Do you know how hard it was for a player with terrible controls? I only made it through by dodging from a distance!

Dick got mad, then got mad about being mad. Unfortunately, betraying everyone and taking over the world was the main quest. If he didn't accept it, he couldn't unlock the hidden map or collect new materials to craft weapons.

Dick could only prepare to betray them, but as a player, he just couldn't bring himself to do it--

Holy crap, I can't bite Green Lantern. If I do, I'll lose my 30% expedition bonus!

Holy crap, I can't kill the Flash. If I do, I'll lose my 30% power generation speed boost!

Holy crap, I can't turn Wonder Woman. Who'll make up for the 20% boost to my trade profits if I do?

Holy crap, Batman... No! I can't do that to him!!

Dick was so distraught that he hit the villains a little harder when he fought them. But it wasn't a big deal. The villains' health bars were really stamina bars, and according to the setting, none of them had died...

Looking at the screen saying he'd completed the main quest, Dick: ???

[System]: You just beat your great-grandfather to death, so the game counted it as a successful betrayal.

[System]: By that logic, you don't need to betray the superheroes. You can rule the world with someone else. The end result should be that there are no superheroes or supervillains left, just vampires and humans fighting each other until a few leaders sign a peace treaty.

Looking at the quest screen, Dick couldn't stop himself from getting excited: What, I can make it so Batman only has eyes for me, and I'm the most important thing in his life? How is that even possible?

[System]: Yep! You'll be his beloved child whom he has to save, and the greatest villain he has to fight. You'll be the leader who stands beside him and leads both species in resisting an outside BOSS, and his enemy, the one he has to defeat so the two sides can make peace. If you're into Batman's repressed side, you can do some R18 stuff to him. Watch his restrained expression as he's captured and interrogated, then listen to him sincerely beg you to fight off the vampires' control. You can even trick him into thinking you were turned and lost your humanity because he let his guard down, then watch his shock and regret. If you're into Batman's repressed side, you can pretend that your own consciousness is fighting back and you occasionally regain some of your humanity. Care for him and help him, stay by his side as usual, save him from other villains, and say familiar things that make him think he can still save you. You'll be the biggest winner, trust me.

Batman noticed that the villains had suddenly become obsessed with city building.

Bruce was glad to see them get on the right track, but based on experience, either they were being mind-controlled by a bigger villain or they'd been replaced by versions of themselves from parallel worlds.

Batman began his investigation. He used his computer to analyze everyone's movements. While he was waiting, Nightwing, whom he'd called back, wandered over to him out of boredom.

Then Nightwing grabbed him tightly from behind and bit his neck. Blood loss and shock left him helpless in his son's arms.

"Trust me, B." A familiar voice chuckled. "...Taking over the world is actually pretty easy."

Inspired by Endfield. City building is so much fun! Nobody told me this kind of progression would be so much more satisfying than leveling up characters! The Batman storyline was inspired by a friend who got into Re:Zero and went from liking the whole cast to becoming a fanatical Subaru shipper with a thing for tortured characters. I couldn't help wondering what it'd be like if Ghost King Dick's thoughts got twisted and his feelings for Batman became pathological.

Theme: Loving your work is a basic quality of workaholic Dick Grayson