Villain Retirement

1038  Chapter 1038: Trials

"What are you up to now, Paige?"

And while everyone was freaking out about the Black Tower and the hand-sized holes that appeared on its walls, Riley was calmly walking while looking at the tower from top to base; a hint of a smile, slightly crawling on his face.

"A trial? What are you talking about…?" Perhaps the most curious of them all was Karina, who was truly just moving back and forth in the wake of whatever was happening, "Like… a game?"

"Why would your mind even go straight to a game? Are you a child?" Angela let out a small sigh as she helped Elizabeth relax, who was still seemingly disappointed in herself for not going through more floors of this so-called trial, "I swear, we've all lived the same 600-plus years but somehow no one's even close to being that mature."

"My case is that I was surrounded by people who have lived for thousands of years — the 600 years meant nothing for them and I still am the literal child in their eyes," Karina let out a small smirk as she looked at Angela, "What's your excuse?"

"I was already mature even before the Blink happened," Angela scoffed.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that.

"I will."

And while the two were once again bickering with each other, Riley's followers were slowly, but surely moving closer to the tower step by step; their eyes focused on the holes. They kept looking at each other while doing so, almost as if waiting for one of them to just rush toward the tower and place their arms inside the hole.

And someone did.

"F… forgive me for getting close to you, Lord!"

"..." Riley could really only just blink a couple of times as a man passed by him and just placed his arm inside the hole without any hesitation. And like with Elizabeth, a bubble quickly encapsulated him from the rest of the world.

"What is this made of?" Riley approached the man to observe him, placing his hand on the bubble. But like with Karina… he found himself being pushed back. He tried forcing it and using his telekinesis to pierce through the bubble, but it did not even budge a single millimeter.

Riley's telekinesis, which was capable of moving entire galaxies by itself, could not even move a single bubble that looked like it was not even a centimeter thick. Suffice it to say, he was extremely curious. But if there was any doubt that Paige did not create this world, it was completely gone now.

After all, for Riley, the only one who could truly make him feel powerless was Paige, she was like his antithesis, in the simplest of senses.

Riley then turned to look at the top of the tower again; this time, trying to bring it down — but it did absolutely nothing. He then turned to look at one of the nearby churches, only for them to completely shatter like they were just a tower of cards.

"Truly interesting," the smile on Riley's face persisted as he finally decided to place his arm on one of the holes that appeared on the tower, only for the nearest hole to already be occupied by one of his followers—no, most of the holes now had arms inside them,

"It would seem the people of this world do not mind sticking their arms inside mysterious holes, interesting."

And without a hole to stick his arm in, Riley just chose to take a step back and watch the commotion around him. And soon, the man who stuck his arm through the hole was lightly blown away from the tower; tears, trailing from his eyes.

"I… I couldn't even clear the first floor."

And as Riley heard that, a single ring of purple light flashed around the Black Tower, fading away before being replaced by another as another person was blown away from the tower.

"I… I do not deserve your gaze, Lord."

Everyone just had their heads down as they passed by Riley, obviously ashamed that they could not even clear the first floor, whatever that meant.

"Impressive," Riley then turned his focus to Elizabeth, who managed to make two rings appear. Elizabeth, who noticed Riley's quiet praise, could not help but almost cover her face in delight.

"I'm…" Elizabeth breathed out as she once again stood up, "...I'm going to try again!"

"No, I don't think so," Karina and Angela, however, quickly stopped her from advancing.

"We don't know what'll happen if you stick your arm in again so soon," Karina said, "It's best if you don't move for a bit and just… observe."

"If… if that is what you wish, Daughter of God."

"Wh—no, don't," Karina rolled her eyes as she quickly turned around and left, "I'm just a normal concerned citizen."

"Daughter of God," Angela smirked, "Didn't know I was in the presence of such holiness."

"Control your Cardinal, Pontiff Angela," Karina also smirked.

"Pontiff, I'm no Pope of Darkday's religion!"

"Tough luck, you are. Like, officially."

"What!? Since when!? This religion hasn't even been organized for a day!"

And once again, the two started to bicker. This time, however, Karina was the first to stop arguing as she walked away from Angela while waving her hand and mocking her as she mouthed random words.

"Wop wop," Karina worded out while gesturing her hand like a mouth… before using that same hand and placing it inside the hole that was just made free.

"You—!!!" Not only Angela, but even Riley could not help but turn his head at Karina as she did that.

"Can you teach your daughter not to stick her arm through random holes!?" Angela raised her voice as soon as Riley approached them.

"I am afraid I am not qualified to teach her anything. She is technically older than me, Miss Angela," Riley let out a small sigh as he approached the bubble separating Karina from the rest of them. He then once again placed his palm on it, trying to destroy it; this time with even greater strength… but once again, it was futile,

"I am going to take a guess and say you can see what she sees. Right, Miss Angela?"

"...Yes, but it is not clear," Angela nodded before shaking her head, "Like glimpses."

"Can I access your mind?"

"Please don't lobotomize me," Angela quickly grabbed her helmet from her waist and wore it. But as soon as she saw the look of disappointment on Riley's face like he was looking at someone stupid, she very slowly removed her helmet again and sighed, "...You meant read my mind?"

"Yes," Riley nodded.

"Why not just read her mind directly?" Angela asked.

"I can't. The bubble seems to be neutralizing all of my abilities, Miss Angela," Riley let out a small hum as he shook his head.

"Oh…?" A small smile crawled on Angela's face as she seemed to have found Riley's statement amusing. And soon, her smile turned into an almost mocking giggle, "The great and mighty Darkday, not capable of doing something someone as lowly as I could do?"

"I have never seen you as someone lowly, Miss Angela," Riley then said as he looked Angela in her sewn eyes; his words, containing not even a single hint of hesitation.

"That…" Angela's head started looking everywhere but Riley as she truly did not expect him to just say something like that out of nowhere. But alas, she could not really escape his gaze; the only thing she could do was sigh and point to her head, "Fine… but you're only allowed to read or access whatever your daughter sees."

"Of course, Miss Angela," Riley nodded, "You are not that interesting."

"You—Argh," Angela wanted to throw her helmet at Riley there and then, but stopped herself as she just once again let out a sigh and leaned closer to Riley, "Just do your thing."

"Okay, I am going in—"

"Please don't word it out like that."

"Okay, I am penetrating—"

"That's worse, just don't say anything, please. I also need to concentrate."

"Hm," Riley then just nodded as he focused on Angela. He stared at her for a few seconds and squinted his eyes… before just raising his hand and pointing it at the Black Tower. And as soon as he did so, an image was projected onto the wall of the tower — it was Karina's vision. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

And there, those who still had not placed their arms inside the holes were finally able to see whatever the others experienced.

"What… is she fighting?"

The ones who have not experienced the trial were not the ones who were most confused as they stared at the projection, however—it was those who had already done the trial. Their faces, slightly turned in weird ways.

"Is she… fighting a 6-armed giant?" One of those who had already stuck their arms inside the holes whispered, "I… only fought some sort of wolf."

"I fought a goblin!"

"...You guys were fighting something?"

And from their comments, it would seem the trials were different for everyone.