Chapter 909: Questement

Chapter 909: Questement

Whatever the punching machine was made of, it was probably the strongest material ever known to man — no, even known to gods. Hundreds have already struck it, and yet it hasn't even caved in once and just continued to tank in everything.

Riley had been observing everyone hitting the machine from the start, and he had deduced that most of the themarians he had met would pass the 15th floor with no problem at all. But of course, it doesn't mean that they had the power to become gods — almost all the gods who have hit the machine had other abilities other than just being extremely strong; like Miss Pepondosovich, who was just pulling anything and everything from a hat that disappears and appears as she willed. And even him, who now even had the ability to somewhat stop time.

But Esme, her energy projection was subpar compared to other themarians, and flight is not really special since everyone can do it nowadays.

That means she was allowed to stay in the Domain of the Gods purely for her raw strength.

And now, it was her turn to punch the machine. The audience on the 15th floor did not really have that much of a reaction, and there were fewer of them too — most probably because no one really wanted to watch gods practically just punching something. If they were punching each other, then Riley was sure they would all be howling and cheering like monkeys again.

The audience was quiet, but a few of the participants might as well be roaring and screaming from how intense they were looking at Esme. How could they not look at her like that, when they were the ones lucky enough not to have been stomped by Esme from the previous floors?

"Do I just hit it like how they did, Master?" Esme glanced back at Riley as soon as she was in front of the machine.

"No," Riley shook his head as he subtly moved behind one of the people, "Hit it with all you have, Esme."

"But there is a high chance I might die, Master," Esme blinked a couple of times as she looked Riley in the eyes.

"No," Riley once again shook his head, "You have already been sent to Eternal Death once, Esme. I have hit you with the entire force of a galaxy and you survived."

"Because I was a zombie back then."

"I am sure your body has already evolved and adapted your resilience and durability from when you were an undead, Esme."

"Really?"

"Yes." No, Riley was not sure at all. But since themarians grow stronger each time they supposedly die, then Esme who has come back from her Eternal Death should have gotten even stronger, way stronger. If not, then Riley would see something fun at the very least — there are gods like Randall who could resurrect the dead anyway as long as most of the body is intact.

The 16th floor is another proof of that — as Riley was now directly facing another god; a single small table separating the two of them.

[You and your opponent will take turns punching each other until one of you is knocked out.]

"Do you want to go first, or shall I?"

"Hm?" Riley looked at his opponent, only to see him with a smile on his face. He was completely bald, hairless even — it was hard to know if this was his human form or not because he looked completely... unnatural, even for a bald man,

"You may go ahead."

"Very well." And with that word as his only indication, he punched Riley right on his lower right chest.

"Hm..." Riley's right eye twitched as blood instantly trailed from his lips. Even though he had contracted his muscles as soon as he realized the bald man was targeting his liver, he still felt his consciousness almost flying away from him — finally, he thought.

One single punch to prove he was actually amongst gods who are capable of turning their own universes upside down. Riley's insides were probably a complete mess right now, scrambled even — but that was no problem at all, of course; as everything inside him just healed almost instantly thanks to the themarians... as well as all the other abilities that gave him a monstrous healing ability.

"Your turn," the smile on the bald man's face did not disappear as he gestured to Riley to hit him.

"Of course," Riley nodded — but he did not actually punch the man, no — he just tapped the man right on the throat, causing him to wheeze as his neck caved in; his blood, also profusely trailing from his lips.

The bald man's face, however, did not disappear at all and even grew wider to the point he was showing his bloody teeth.

"My turn."

The bald man punched Riley right on the temple of his head, causing his eye to just instantly pop out from its socket. Of course, aside from slightly being shaken, the smile on Riley's face also started to reach from ear to ear as he attached his eye back.

"Well..." Riley breathed out, "...It would seem you are enjoying this as well."

"Is that a question or supposed to be a statement?"