502 You look like you're joking to me
Peace is hard-won?
That's just the natural course of things, but from ancient times, strife and turmoil have never ceased.
During the age of the gods, there were conflicts between various races, religious sects, and even between two small tribes, all erupting into wars for various reasons.
Even in this era, the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest, remains the fundamental rule of existence.
Today's apparent peace and prosperity on the surface, but if a nation is not strong enough, it still faces endless turmoil.
Jhin's thinking isn't entirely wrong.
It's simply a sense of crisis emerging from witnessing the power of the mighty Soulmancers.
Constant vigilance against unknown risks, even amidst comfortable living.
The desire to make one's nation and its people stronger is understandable.
But he underestimates the gods he speaks of.
Given the current level of human technology, it is still too weak against real deities.
It's like a lower-dimensional entity trying to fight a higher-dimensional one.
Nevertheless, William also believes that even after the entire Divine Realm descends, there will be corresponding rules.
Just as humans are the rulers of this world, they don't eradicate other living beings.
William observed the other volunteers who had received the injections.
Without exception, they had all become much stronger, but at the cost of their lifespans.
The Shapeshifter lords previously subdued by William had nearly all joined the 13th Bureau, living leisurely and comfortably.
Initially, when they arrived in this world, they indeed intended to conquer it.
But after experiencing William's terror, they completely abandoned that unrealistic notion.
Lernaeus, who wasn't weak even in the void of the underworld, perished instantly upon arriving in this world.
William merely had to release a bit of his aura to instill supreme fear in them. In essence, if William wanted to annihilate them, a mere glance would suffice.
With William around, how could they dare to dream of conquering the world?
Isn't living well enough?
Having spent so long in the Divine Realm, where every day was filled with battles and skirmishes, the novelty of this world, with its abundance of fresh experiences, is quite a relief.
Delicious food, enjoyable drinks, entertaining activities, and no worries about whether you'll be alive tomorrow.
What a wonderful life.
"Mr. Johnson, you're here." Oxys, upon seeing William, quickly bowed and nodded, his face beaming with a smile and an overt display of flattery.
Jhin, originally an old professor, was adept at scientific research but not so much at reading people. Seeing Oxys being so polite to William, he didn't think much of it and just commented, "Oxys, you seem to have become more polite than before. It seems your recent studies have paid off."
Not daring to waste words, Oxys responded with a continuous smile, "Dr. Lopez is right, I have been reading a lot of Jane Austen's works lately."
How could he not be polite in front of William?
Usually, these Shapeshifter lords working at the 13th Bureau, though not exactly treated as lords, certainly didn't regard these ordinary people highly, often displaying a perfunctory attitude in their actions and speech.
But in front of William, if allowed, Oxys would kneel in reverence every time he saw him.
William was slightly taken aback, "Reading Jane Austen's works made you polite?"
Learning manners from Jane Austen's writings was an unexpected outcome indeed.
Oxys chuckled nervously, scratching his head, "I just thought it appropriate to say something polite…"
Jhin, frowning, asked, "Which book did you learn this from?"
"From 'Pride and Prejudice'!" Oxys, large and somewhat simple in appearance but certainly not foolish, knew of William's fondness for books and sought to align with his interests.
"You really can learn," Jhin commented, not intending to reprimand Oxys but rather finding him somewhat naive.
William noticed Oxys's intentions but didn't point them out.
Thinking that reading Jane Austen could curry his favor? That was wishful thinking.
"Young man, reading more books is always good," William said, already sensing the breach in the spatial structure of the Divine Realm.
Unlike in the previous parallel dimension, the Divine Realm didn't descend directly onto the land of this world.
At that moment, William's phone started ringing.
It was Steven.
"Mr. Johnson, where are you?"
Steven's voice sounded somewhat urgent.
"At the base. Is something wrong?"
"Alright, come over."
William had some understanding of modern technology.
After the descent of the Divine Realm, a planet appeared in the same orbit as Earth, significantly larger than Earth, more than twice its size.
With the current technology, it wasn't impossible for Steven and others to have discovered this planet as soon as it appeared.
Humanity has never ceased its exploration of the universe, always seeking the next habitable planet or traces of extraterrestrial life.
Now, a new planet suddenly appearing in Earth's orbit would surely be more shocking than the existence of Soulmancers.
William was curious about how humanity would react to discovering the existence of the Divine Realm.
Would they eagerly approach it, or perceive it as a hypothetical enemy?
Would they attempt to conquer it, or start worshipping the deities as in ancient times?
So much had happened recently, rapidly changing the world's dynamics. William wasn't particularly concerned, but these events must be startling for ordinary people.
Their previous understanding was continually being overturned, and the limited scientific theories could no longer explain the world.
Steven quickly drove to the base, appearing calm and composed, greeting his colleagues with smiles.
However, as soon as he brought William to his office, his complexion turned pale, and he said anxiously, "Mr. Johnson, our satellites have detected a planet appearing in the same orbit as Earth."
"It appeared out of nowhere!" Steven opened his computer and played a video.
The video showed a space distortion in the vast universe, with light being absorbed, forming a black hole, followed by the sudden appearance of a gigantic planet.
"This was captured by our satellite," Steven said excitedly. "This newly appeared planet is about ten times the mass of Earth but only three times its volume. It likely hosts life forms..."
"With such mass and volume, it will affect Earth's rotation and revolution. Perhaps one day, the two planets might collide."
Steven said a lot in one breath, while William just listened quietly and finally said, "That's the legendary Divine Realm. Many gods from myths reside there."
"..." Steven was silent for a long time, then opened his mouth and asked, "You're not joking with me, are you?"
William smiled and said, "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Steven tried to muster a smile: "You look like you're joking to me."
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