It was the first thing he felt. Not the piercing chill of Gotham’s winter nights, nor the biting wind that cut through skyscrapers like knives. This was different. A strange, unnatural cold, as if the very air itself carried something… otherworldly. His eyes snapped open. The sky above him was not Gotham’s. Gone was the murky gray, the polluted haze of the city. Instead, an expanse of deep blue stretched infinitely, dotted with twin suns that bathed the nd in a golden glow. He was lying on something soft—grass? No, not quite. The texture was off, almost silk-like, with a faint bioluminescent glow beneath his fingertips. Batman sat up. Instincts kicked in before logic could catch up. His body tensed, scanning his surroundings with the sharpness of a predator. The environment was unfamiliar—tall trees with violet leaves, crystalline rivers flowing unnaturally upward, and floating isnds drifting zily in the sky. This was wrong. Where was Gotham? More importantly—why was he still alive?

  The System and the Power Structure A whisper filled the air. [Welcome, Traveler.] His muscles coiled, ready for a fight. The voice wasn’t physical. It wasn’t coming from anywhere. It was… inside his head. [You have entered Arcadia.] Arcadia? The word meant nothing to him. But the voice didn’t stop. [You have been granted access to the System.] And then— A screen materialized before his eyes. Not a physical object, but something that existed just within the reach of his vision, as if projected into his mind.

  Status

  Name: ??? (Identity Unregistered) Race: ??? (Evaluation Required) Rank: None Power: None Affiliation: None Status: Lost Traveler His brows furrowed. This was unlike anything he had ever seen. Even the most advanced AI in Gotham couldn’t create something so… intrusive. It wasn’t just technology. It felt alive. His eyes flicked over the words. Race: ??? Did that mean he wasn’t even considered human anymore? His fingers twitched, and the screen shifted. More information flooded in.

  System Expnation

  Arcadia operates on a hierarchy of power. Strength, intellect, and adaptability determine one’s rank. The strong thrive. The weak serve. That much was familiar. Even in Gotham, power dictated survival. But then—

  Power System Overview

  Essence – The core energy of Arcadia. Every being has a unique Essence, defining their abilities. Rizz – The art of persuasion, charisma, and influence. Affects one’s ability to command, deceive, or manipute. Body Count – The measure of one’s combat experience and ability to eliminate opponents.

  His expression remained unreadable, but internally, his mind raced. ‘Rizz? Body Count?’ Were these… actual power metrics in this world? If so, this world was unlike anything he had ever encountered. The New Races Batman stood up, his cape flowing behind him. His body felt lighter, faster, yet… different. The System still beled his race as "???", meaning it had yet to recognize him as something native to this world. That could be a disadvantage. If there was a hierarchy, that meant there were races stronger than humans. His gaze shifted to the horizon, where movement caught his eye. Figures. Approaching from the treeline were beings unlike any Gotham had ever held. The first was towering, at least seven feet tall, with jet-bck skin etched with glowing red lines. Its eyes burned like embers, and its muscles rippled unnaturally. A Duskborn, the System whispered—a race bred for war. Beside it, an ethereal figure hovered inches above the ground. Its translucent body shimmered with a soft, golden glow. A Seraphim, beings of pure Essence. Further behind, something more familiar—a humanoid with wolf-like features, covered in silver fur. Lycanthrope. There were more. Draconians. Feyborn. Celestials. Each race unique, their power defined not just by physical strength, but by the very Essence they wielded. And in this world, Batman was nothing. A Traveler. An anomaly. If he wanted to survive, he had to understand them. He had to learn the rules of this world. And, most importantly—he had to find out how to climb to the top.

  The Academy and the True Reward The System continued feeding him information, as if it knew his thoughts.

  Path to Power

  Arcadia’s greatest rewards are held within its highest institution—The Grand Academy. Only the elite rise. The highest rank grants access to the Core of Arcadia. That was it. The academy. If he wanted power, if he wanted to learn how to navigate this world, that was where he had to go. But there was a problem. He had no rank. No status. No recognized power. The academy only took the best. He would have to start from the absolute bottom. That was fine.

  Batman had spent his entire life fighting from the shadows, training to overcome those stronger than him. This world was no different. He clenched his fists. If the academy was the key to Arcadia’s true power— Then that was where he would begin. ---