Hand Of God

Chapter 71 You all worked hard tonight

“I may be broken… but I’m not dead yet! Until I’m six feet under, you’d better stay the hell away from Orienta!”

The moment the words left his lips, the golden barrier surged outward once more, sweeping past everyone at light speed.

Adam was still darting across the battlefield, hunting down Acolyte after Acolyte and impaling each one with his ice-forged spear without hesitation.

But now, he faced a thorny problem. The Acolytes had realized he could pinpoint their true identities—so they’d stopped hiding altogether. Knowing they couldn’t beat him head-on, they’d dragged the civilians they’d previously manipulated into the open and strapped them to their fronts as human shields, using them as leverage.

Normally, Adam wouldn’t have blinked at such a threat—he’d have struck anyway. But this time, the other superhumans nearby were clearly terrified he’d cause collateral damage. They shouted at him, sternly ordering him to stand down.

They actually wanted to negotiate with the Acolytes.

To Adam, that was utterly absurd. All he could do was stand back, seething, while scanning for an opening to eliminate his targets in an instant.

Then, without warning, his heart lurched. His *Hearing of Everything* roared in his ears like a storm of panicked screams.

That same gut-wrenching dread he’d felt as a rookie—the first time he’d ever faced an Acolyte—suddenly returned.

What the hell?

He snapped his head upward and yelled instantly:

“Watch out!”

He didn’t wait for anyone else—he immediately braced himself, shielding his vital points.

Even with his Demigod’s Body, he felt unnervingly vulnerable. The warning from his *Hearing of Everything* was agonizingly shrill, almost desperate.

The next instant, a terrifying wave of golden energy ripped through his body, radiating raw, divine authority.

And yet… nothing happened.

Adam slowly looked himself over, bewildered.

*I’m… fine?*

He’d braced for a brutal hit—maybe even a near-fatal one—but not a single scratch marred his skin.

All that buildup… for nothing? Like someone bragging they’ll last all night, only to tap out in seconds. It left a sour taste in his mouth.

But when he looked around, he saw that the students and civilians were just as confused—standing there unharmed, scratching their heads.

The Acolytes, however, were another story.

They were pinned against the golden barrier, being dragged outward as thick black smoke poured from their bodies. They writhed and convulsed in silent agony, trapped in a torment so absolute they couldn’t even scream. Their mouths gaped wide, but no sound escaped—only suffering.

Within moments, their forms burned away entirely, dissolving into wisps of black vapor like vengeful spirits denied peace.

All across Orienta’s perimeter, the same scene played out.

The barrier spared every civilian and student without exception—but the moment it touched an Acolyte, it revealed its true, merciless nature, reaping them without hesitation.

Gentle to allies. Ruthless to enemies.

Adam narrowed his eyes, gazing up at the golden figure hovering in the sky like some ancient, wrathful deity.

Two thoughts ran through his mind:

First: How many damn superpowers does this guy even have? Is he a walking loot chest or what?

Second: If you, the damn university president, had this kind of power this whole time, why the hell didn’t you use it sooner?! I could’ve been playing online games instead of doing your dirty work!

After a long internal rant, Adam glanced at the now-stabilized crowd, then shot upward toward Thomas’s position.

Thomas floated midair, his hand raised. Two dead Divine Fetuses hovered before him, drawn to his palm like iron to a magnet. With a firm squeeze, they detonated instantly—shattering into radiant particles that vanished into the sky.

Moments later, a group of flight-capable superhumans landed before them.

“Heh, everyone! Good evening! You all worked hard tonight.”

*Worked hard my ass,* Adam thought, rolling his eyes. *If you’d shown up earlier, we’d all be in bed by now!*

But whatever. At least he’d earned some academic credits from the chaos.

“Where were you just now?” Smith asked, eyeing Thomas. “And that ability—did you just invent it? I’ve never seen it before.”

Smith didn’t press further about his earlier absence—she was probably used to his antics by now.

But Adam was startled. If even Smith, who’d fought alongside Thomas for years, didn’t recognize the ability, that meant the old man’s arsenal was far deeper—and more secretive—than anyone realized.

Thomas brushed it off with a chuckle and changed the subject.

“Oh, you know—just had a little chat with someone. Took on a new disciple.”

“Who?!” Smith blurted, genuinely shocked. She knew enough of Thomas’s past to find this unthinkable.

“Can’t say,” Thomas replied lightly. “Just between her and me. Besides, I doubt I can teach her much. Last thing I want is to drag her into more trouble because of me.”

Still smiling, he quickly dismissed everyone, urging them to head back. After all, Orienta’s official classes started tomorrow—they needed their rest.

As for the brainwashed civilians, the military had already been notified. There’d be complications, sure—but those were problems for another day.

And just like that, what should’ve been a catastrophic resurgence was crushed in a single, thunderous stroke by Thomas.

The group nodded respectfully and dispersed—everyone except Adam, who remained floating in place, unmoving, with no sign of leaving.

Vice President Smith noticed and turned to him.

“Kid, is something on your mind?”

“Oh, I just wanted a quick word with the President—nothing serious,” Adam replied with an easy smile.

The others exchanged puzzled glances but left without question, giving the two space.

“Hah! Boy, got a question for your old master, eh?” Thomas flew closer and clapped Adam hard on the shoulder, grinning. “Go ahead—I know a thing or two!”

Adam instantly plastered on his practiced, polite smile.

“Well, actually… I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Remember that red envelope I gave you a while back? What was written inside it?”

Thomas froze for a split second.

“Oh, that? That was just about the last incident—the warning that they might be planning a Summoning Ceremony. Nothing more.”

“I didn’t anticipate the scale or the number of attackers. That was my failure, and I owe you an apology. You really went above and beyond.”

He quickly added, tailoring his words to Adam’s known priorities: “Don’t worry—the UHG’s reviewing your reward right now. You’ll get every credit you’ve earned, I promise!”

But Adam wasn’t buying it. A flicker of suspicion glinted deep in his eyes.

“Was that *really* all it said? Nothing else?”

“Yes,” Thomas answered firmly. “Nothing else at all.”