Villain Retirement

Yes.

Everything was quiet and chaotic at the same time — and all the audience did was breathe; only moving their heads and eyes as they watched everything that was going on. The only sound that was allowed to thunder in the air was thunder itself.

Thunder that was reverberating from each of the movements of the gods. If these people were fighting outside somewhere in the multiverse, then they would have probably already destroyed the universe they were fighting in several times over.

But the Domain of the Gods and the tower of Grandarena city held mystical properties. Mystical properties that operate completely unknown to even mystical beings.

It did not matter, however, as the people who have lived hundreds of thousands of years already treat everything that happens around them, no matter how abnormal, normal. If something happens that they don't understand, they would just be shocked for a couple of seconds before proceeding to nod their heads and say 'Okay'.

And right now was one of those moments.

In Grandarena City, it is known by those who frequent it that the true competition starts on the 50th floor — this is where the gods who truly have a chance to reach the upper floors gather. That is why it was more intense, and no one made any sound until something truly impressive happened.

Everyone needed to focus and concentrate… or else they would absolutely be wrecked by the other gods. Well, at least that was how it usually went. Right now, the audience is watching a scenery they have probably not seen for a very long time.

Right now, on the 50th floor, all the combatants were just attacking each other with reckless abandon. They give hits, and they also take them without seemingly worrying about being completely eliminated from the tower — some of them were even being disqualified since they accidentally used their other abilities and mystical arts due to how intense the battle truly was.

No, it was an understatement to even call it a brawl or a battle — it was an outright war in which the army was an individual. It was no longer like the 1st floor, where just 1 hit would usually eliminate the god, no.

Most of them stand up, and stand up they did before somebody else once again slams them back to the ground, or lifts them up to be used as either a shield or a weapon.

And at the very center of this chaos, the person who instigated this madness, was Riley Ross.

And he was literally at the center of the platform, being attacked by several gods. In truth, he was being thrown around earlier since he was the first one to commence the madness — but try as the other gods might, Riley's durability was at another level entirely. And when they found out that Riley was almost impossible to kill, that was when the entire chaos started as people targeting anyone they saw.

But of course, there were still some people who truly wanted to eliminate Riley. After all…

"Weak. Uninteresting. Subpar. Doable. How did you even reach this floor?"

Riley has not stopped speaking his thoughts each time he is hit — loudly judging everyone's strength. And of course, the gods who have prided themselves on their strength could not swallow whatever it was that Riley was saying about them; wanting to prove him and everyone else that heard his comments wrong.

But alas, even now as Riley's entire torso gets blown off, it would seem like it wasn't even taking a quarter of a single second for him to fully recover everything, allowing him to once again judge the god who punched him.

"Perhaps the weakest out of everyone here," Riley sighed and nodded as he just calmly glanced at the god who obliterated his torso, "Not even worth trying to dodge, even instinctively."

"What did you say to—" And before the god who last hit Riley could finish his words, he was attacked by another god who pulled his leg and started waving and smashing him on the platform several times, before using him as a weapon.

Riley did not really have time to enjoy this funny scenery, however, as he found his head suddenly being grabbed by a god that was even taller than Esme; much taller and…yellower. The man's arms, almost as thick as Riley's entire waist.

Riley was then lifted up in the air; with the brawny god also grabbing his feet. Riley could feel the flesh on his neck tearing apart as the god started trying to pull him apart — but of course, Riley was not going to let him as he grabbed the large god's fingers that were clutching his head and broke two of them.

But alas, it would seem whatever Riley did had the opposite effect. It did save his head from being plucked from the rest of his body since he was still holding the large god's fingers, but he was still split in half from his stomach.

"Grahr!" The yellow god let out a loud roar as Riley's blood and guts started falling and dripping everywhere. The other gods took this chance to attack the raging yellow god, but their attacks only bounced back from how thick the man's skin and flesh were,

"Puny gods!" The yellow god bellowed as he threw Riley's upper body toward one of the gods rushing toward him, only for him and his would-be-target to be confused. How could they not be, when they were fully expecting Riley's body to be blown into smithereens… but nothing happened.

No. Riley was still hanging on the raging yellow god's hand — still grabbing him by the fingers.

"Hm?" The yellow god could really only let out a small hum as he squinted his eyes at Riley, who was also looking at him while carrying an ominous wide smile on his face. Completely ominous, since his entire lower half was still missing and some of his guts and spine were just hanging out.

And while the yellow god was confused, Riley… started crawling across his arm like some sort of lizard, before ultimately wrapping his arms around the yellow god's thick neck. And without even any hesitation… Riley stabbed his own broken spine through the yellow god's large back.

And while everyone's blunt fists just bounced back from the yellow god's skin, Riley was able to pierce through his own… bones through him. But of course, it would have already been gruesome if it was just that — but no. The audience was in for a better treat…

…as Riley's lower body started to regenerate while his spine was inside the back of the yellow god.

"Ghkr!?"

"Heh…" The wide smile on Riley's face continued to grow wider as the large yellow god started running and rampaging around. He tried pulling Riley out from his back, but doing so caused him excruciatingly immense pain. And so, the raging yellow god could really only direct his rage elsewhere — at the people around him.

It was obvious at first glance that this yellow god was physically the strongest amongst all the combatants on the 50th floor, Riley had felt that too as soon as he was grabbed by him. Riley outright believes in the saying that 'if you can't defeat them, merge with them'.

"Smash, Raging God!" Riley screamed right in the god's ear, "Smash!"

And smash the raging god did. And although it was almost unnoticeable by the other combatants, it was clear to the audience that the yellow god seemed to be getting bigger and bigger… and stronger too.

None of them could focus on his rampage, however, as all of them were just staring at the white god who was seemingly controlling him. Most of them were confused as to what was happening — did Riley truly merge with the raging god, controlling him directly?

But if so, that would be in direct violation of only using the strength of your own body. But seeing as Riley was still there, it would seem he was not breaking any rules at all. Was… it possible that Riley connected his own spinal nerves with the raging god?

No, that would be too ridiculous to be done with just physical strength — that would entail that Riley could control each and every part of his body, even those that can't possibly be controlled like his veins and nerves.

None of them could really think that the raging god was truly just in pain, and was venting it out at everyone he could see. But whatever the reason was…

…all that matters is that they were enjoying it.

"Riley!" And once again, the quiet and serious crowd started chanting Riley's name. Their cheers, almost crashing down the entire tower from how loud they were roaring.

And of course, Riley would reciprocate this welcome.

"Everyone," Riley stretched his arms to the side while still being dragged and waved around by the raging yellow god, "I'll be back."

And before everyone could wonder what he meant by that…

…he just suddenly dug through the yellow god's back and went inside him.

"Grah!" The raging yellow god once again let out a pained roar, but it could do nothing as Riley entered him like some sort of parasite. And sadly for him, he truly could do nothing else…

…as Riley's arm emerged from his…

…mouth.

No one could really react to what was happening except the raging yellow god as Riley's arm started moving around. The yellow god was about to bite down and completely sever Riley's arm, but Riley suddenly grabbed another god; pulling it with him as the yellow god's mouth started to close…

…completely decapitating the unfortunate random god.