Alice had just finished her fourth consecutive battle, visibly wearied by the intense exertion. Although she could be considered a human cheat code, she wasn’t able to dispatch her enemies with the effortless ease of William or grow increasingly fierce in battle like Zoey. 𝘳𝑎.𝗇t
The divine beings from other dimensions she was fighting against originally planned to wear her down one by one, believing that, given Alice’s demonstrated strength, she would eventually lose. This prediction proved accurate as, without specific instructions from William on how many battles to fight, Alice kept accepting challenges until she was nearly exhausted.
When William took control of Alice’s body, her opponent, armed with a huge blade, swung it down fiercely. While Alice could have managed to block it, she wouldn’t have found it easy. Now understanding William’s intentions, she no longer hid inside the alchemy furnace but faced her opponent squarely and honorably. Indeed, after four rounds of combat, Alice had noticeably adapted to the pace and style of the fights.
Alice was momentarily startled when William suddenly took over her body. This sensation of being possessed was not new to her, so she decided to remain passive and let William handle the rest.
With a casual flick of his sword, William deflected the opponent’s giant blade, quickly bringing his sword to the deity’s throat in a fluid motion. “Step down,” William said indifferently, glancing at the other divine beings from the other dimensions. “From now on, fight three matches every day at 2 PM. Go and register your names first.”
The people opposite all felt it. That casual sword swing by Alice just now, in no way did it look like she was physically exhausted.
Their strategy of attrition crumbled.
“I haven’t lost yet!” protested the deity fighting Alice, leaping backward and hurling a punch at her.
William, using Alice’s body, smirked and put away the Sword of Soulbreaker, responding with a punch of his own. To face him with a fist? The deity’s punch was fast, but he was quickly sent flying. Alice didn’t even see how William had punched, and the deity had already lost.
After a walk, William also came to some realizations. He couldn’t expect everyone to pursue peace. For many years, he had observed the world as a bystander, but now, having grown fond of this peaceful world, he found himself intervening more than usual.
Whether they are divine beings or Soulmaners, their lifespans far exceed those of ordinary humans. Although they can’t compare to William, almost all powerful species have the impulse to conquer weaker ones. From the age of gods to the present, William has witnessed too many such occurrences.
Some originally weak creatures, bullied and even facing threats to their lives, eventually strive to enhance their strength. Once they become powerful, besides seeking revenge, they often conquer other weaker beings. It’s the survival of the fittest.
War and bloodshed are inevitable, but these are also the factors that drive weaker species to evolve and become stronger. Just like the current human race, in today’s world.
Having realized this, William decides not to intervene lightly anymore. Unless there is an excessively powerful entity aiming to destroy this world, his interference would actually disrupt the world’s balance.
Therefore, William plans to spare these divine beings, at least giving them a chance to live. Following this, Alice unilaterally declares an end to today’s contest.
Steven opportunistically steps forward to have the divine beings from the other dimensions register with him. Even with Thor dead, these other-dimensional deities are unlikely to give up on life. Though they can’t conquer this world, they wouldn’t choose collective suicide.
Surviving and becoming stronger might one day allow them to avenge their main deity, Thor, or perhaps even become deities themselves.
Alice, after leaving the arena, walks straight to William and, seeing Amy holding a coffee, asks, “Why did you bring Amy here?”
Amy, clutching William’s hand, had witnessed from afar Alice knocking a big guy flying with a single hit. Weighing the situation, she fears that even if she won’t be killed for eating the vanilla ice cream off Alice’s coffee, she might still get a swollen bottom if Alice gets angry and hits her. Amy clutches William’s hand, trying to hide behind him, looking quite frightened.
Alice was full of confusion. She remembered Amy being quite affectionate and not at all afraid of strangers before.
“What’s going on here? Has it been too long since we last met?” she wondered.
Crouching down, Alice looked at Amy with a kind smile and spoke gently, “Amy, we haven’t seen each other for such a long time. Have you missed me? Is the coffee you’re holding tasty?”
At the mention of coffee, Amy was startled and burst into tears.
Alice, with her mouth agape, was at a loss. Amy wasn’t usually this prone to tears.
William, indifferent, didn’t try to comfort Amy. Instead, he said, “She ate the vanilla ice cream that was on top of the coffee I bought for you. Now, she’s probably afraid you’ll beat her to death.”
“Beat… beat to death?” Alice was stunned. Did she look that fierce?
To beat, and even to death?
What on earth had William told Amy?
“Alice… I… I only ate the vanilla ice cream. If you’re going to hit me… please don’t kill me, okay?” Amy finally stopped her tears and sobbed, “Just beat me half to death…”
“Ah!” Alice looked at William in disbelief, mixed with amusement. “How could you scare her like that? What if she gets traumatized?”
William replied, “Before she ate the ice cream on the coffee, I told her about the consequences. She wasn’t afraid of dying.”
Shouldn’t a fearless child pay some price?
“Amy, don’t cry. I won’t hit you.” Alice had to clarify this matter, otherwise, wouldn’t she appear as a wicked woman in Amy’s eyes?
She was supposed to be a sweet and gentle girl. How did she become a villain who seemingly wants to beat children to death?
Hearing this, Amy wiped her tears, pouted her lips, and looked pitifully at Alice. She offered her half-finished coffee and said softly, “Here’s half a cup left… for you…”
Alice thought that Amy wouldn’t cry anymore and that her image was restored. She smiled and said, “I won’t drink it, you have it.”
At this, Amy was taken aback and then tears started falling again. “See, you still won’t forgive me. Just beat me then…”
And then she added, “But please, don’t beat me to death…”
Alice was bewildered. Hadn’t she just said she would drink the coffee?
Why did it come back to this?
And why was Amy asking to be beaten?
William, holding Amy’s hand, remained silent.
According to Amy’s logic, finishing this half cup of coffee would definitely cause her stomach to burst and lead to her death.
So, in Alice’s suggestion to drink the remaining coffee, was she intending to kill Amy?
Faced with the choice between death and being beaten half to death, Amy decisively chose the latter.
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