“Hey, Steven, how did you know we were coming back? Did you come here just to meet us?” Walker greeted Steven, thinking that Steven had come specifically to welcome him.
After all, Walker had gained a lot from his recent venture through the Doors of Terror, significantly enhancing his abilities.
If he remembered correctly, Steven also seemed to have a good relationship with William.
Walker wasn’t foolish. William had emerged from the Doors of Terror unscathed, without a single wound.
Was he really just a novice Soulmancer?
Given Steven’s status, would he be so courteous to a novice Soulmancer?
Even if Zoey liked William, if William didn’t have some real skills, someone of Steven’s stature wouldn’t likely show William any favor.
Or maybe, as William had claimed, he was that kind of formidable assassin.
Considering everything that had happened before, Walker thought that William might have been pretending to be weaker than he actually was.
This made things quite interesting.
His bro was pretending to be weak in front of him.
But just how strong was his bro, really?
Indeed, both Steven and Seraphina’s looks towards William were quite telling.
Even without speaking, without any formal gestures of respect, their eyes were filled with admiration.
Walker knew the feeling well; Steven certainly didn’t look at him that way.
In today’s world, the level of one’s strength often determined how others treated you.
Walker was puzzled,could William actually be stronger than him?
He needed to find an opportunity to ask. Otherwise, having a bro who was stronger than himself, and who pretended to be weaker in his presence, would make him look foolish.
“Walker, you must have gained something from your time in the Doors of Terror,” Steven remarked.
He knew William’s nature; perhaps there were things William didn’t want to handle or be disturbed about.
If he showed too much respect to William in front of others, it might actually displease William.
It was better to just treat him as a novice Soulmancer.
Walker glanced at Steven, then subtly eyed William.
Could it be that Steven was actually here waiting for him?
If he was here for William, it would make sense to greet William first.
“Not bad, I should be at S-rank now,” Walker decided to keep it somewhat low-key.
S-rank, roughly equivalent to a Demi-God level powerhouse.
Quite modest.
Steven looked somewhat shocked, his already small eyes widening as he asked, “What about Oscar and the others?”
“They’re all dead,” Walker said nonchalantly, as if a nest of ants had been scalded to death by a mischievous child with boiling water.
“Oh.” Steven nodded, he had already guessed this outcome. Oscar going in with William and not dying would have been the strange outcome. He then turned to William and asked, “How about you, William?”
“Same as always.” William replied casually, indeed the same as always, invincible as ever, no difference really.
“A novice Soulmancer?” Steven blinked his small eyes, essentially asking William what attitude he should adopt.
William nodded, “Novice Soulmancer.”
“Then keep it up, I believe with continued effort you should be able to make a breakthrough.” Steven sighed subconsciously. Did William’s response mean he didn’t want to deal with current affairs?
It seemed likely.ity was at such a critical moment, if someone as strong as William could help, they might be able to overcome the crisis faster.
Steven genuinely hoped William would assist.
This exchange filled Walker with even more doubts.
Something wasn’t right!
Had he guessed wrong?
Was William really just a novice Soulmancer?
Or was there some unspeakable connection between William and Steven?
Was William Steven’s illegitimate son?
Walker squinted at William for a moment. Impossible, with Steven’s squinty eyes, how could he have a son as handsome as William?
Unless there was some kind of genetic mutation.
After dismissing that possibility, Walker’s mind raced to another thought…
Could it be…
That William…
Had he sold himself out, having that kind of unusual relationship with Steven?
The very thought made Walker shiver involuntarily.
Damn!
If that were true, it would be utterly horrifying!
Just then, William’s gaze met Walker’s, and seeing him shiver, even without using mind-reading, William probably realized what bizarre ideas were running through his head.
“What are you thinking about?” William’s look carried a hint of danger.
Walker gave a sheepish smile and waved his hands dismissively, “Nothing, nothing at all!”
Such thoughts were merely his speculations, and even if they were true, it seemed inappropriate to voice them.
William didn’t bother to engage further with Walker, knowing some people’s thoughts could be quite distasteful and unstoppable.
“Let’s go inside,” Steven said with a frown, motioning them to enter.
“I need to have my strength assessed,” William stated. He wasn’t too keen on meddling in these matters, but since he had decided to continue living here, it seemed appropriate to symbolically test his strength level.
Steven’s smile was tinged with bitterness. He still remembered the first time William came to the 13th Bureau to test his strength and ended up damaging quite a few instruments. And now he was back?
Walker noticed that Steven’s attitude towards William wasn’t particularly special and chimed in, “Steven, just let William test. He’s really fast and agile. If it came to a real fight, his combat strength would probably be formidable.”
Steven nodded and said, “You both test then! Walker, you go first. Let me see how much stronger you’ve become.”
William’s agility is good?
Damn, isn’t that stating the obvious?
Demi-God level powerhouses are the type that can instantly kill their opponents, and you’re just saying he’s agile?
When Walker heard Steven suggest he test first, he suddenly felt he might have been overthinking things.
If William had been pretending to be weaker all along, he surely couldn’t be stronger than him,otherwise, Steven would have likely asked William to test first.
Yes, that must be it. There must be some unspeakable secret between William and Steven. He’d find an opportunity to ask about it later.
What he didn’t realize was how close he had actually come to the truth, nor did he know that Steven’s reason for having William test later was entirely because he feared William might accidentally destroy the testing equipment.
Amy followed behind, also chiming in eagerly, “Mr. Garcia, I want to test too!”
Steven glanced at Amy, aware of her situation. Hearing her request, he quickly waved his hands, “Little ancestor, you better not test! Let your master do it for you!”
This child truly seemed to be favored by the heavens, being noticed by two high-ranking god-kings and William. Her future potential was boundless.
Seeing Amy, Steven even wondered if William was perhaps looking to train Amy, hence his choice not to immediately step in to save the Earth himself.
Walker then said, “Amy, how about we have a match after I finish testing?”
Looking up, Amy responded confidently, “Sure, let’s fight. You think I’m afraid of you?”
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