Invincible Hand Blade

"What do we do now?"

Shazam had already unleashed seven magical lightning bolts in coordination with Batman's spatial rift device, but the door to the Divine Realm, which had been opening before, was now as if it had never existed.

Aside from leaving a lingering, strong smell of ozone in the air, there was no progress.

Shazam was extremely anxious.

"I've personally experienced Zeus's power. That guy and Wonder Woman probably can't hold on much longer."

Batman silently watched the rift device slowly recharging, ignoring Shazam's anxious shouts.

Superman, observing Batman's demeanor, thought for a moment. His previously worried expression suddenly calmed.

"You always have a plan B. You and that kid were alone at the Watchtower's bridge exit for three minutes earlier..."

Shazam's head snapped back, his face a mixture of surprise and doubt.

He clenched his left fist and slammed it into his right palm, excitedly seeking confirmation from Batman.

"Really? I knew it, Batman always has a plan, secret weapons and all—uh, but delaying any longer might lead to an accident. Are you really not going to tell us about your plan B?"

Batman's hands gripped the area just below his mask. The screen in front of him lit up again, indicating the device was fully recharged.

"How many more times can you do that?"

Shazam's face stiffened, his expression filled with misery.

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have the stamina, but this is Mount Olympus, the closest place to Zeus. I should be able to summon Zeus's lightning three more times."

"The next attempt to open the Divine Realm's door will be delayed by five minutes, and the one after that by ten minutes."

"What? You're not planning to save any for me?"

As soon as Shazam cried out, he met Batman's disapproving gaze and retreated with a sheepish chuckle.

"Then I'll go rest for a bit."

The red, muscular figure then vanished in a flash.

"I saw you give that kid something before you left."

Superman glanced in the direction Shazam had gone and suddenly mentioned it.

Facing the blue Boy Scout, who was far more reliable than Shazam, Batman nodded slightly.

"That kid is very smart. In those three minutes, I only proposed a backup plan, but he immediately came up with a better, albeit riskier, one."

"Which one we use will depend on his final choice."

It took Shane about four or five seconds to painfully get back to his feet.

He bent over and coughed several times, spitting out a large mouthful of blood. Only then did Shane manage to lift his head. His vision blurred, and he could no longer make out Hercules's features.

He could only vaguely see a tall figure standing a few meters away, arms crossed, waiting patiently.

"Another gentleman, huh?"

Hercules looked at Shane, who seemed to be on the verge of death, and frowned deeply.

"My Divinity does not allow me to commit base acts. I will stand here and wait until you have bled out and can no longer stand."

"Actually, I'm still a long way from death, really."

Shane glanced in the general direction of Zeus.

"The King of the Gods would permit you to wait for me to die like this?"

"Even the King of the Gods cannot force us to do things that go against our Divinity. I can even tell you directly that I am no match for the two gods you killed before. Even Ares could defeat me with ease."

Hercules's tone was consistently clear, like someone standing tall and unashamed in the sunlight.

"If you have a way to kill me in this severely injured state, then by all means, try. As long as you are in this near-death condition, I absolutely will not make a move against you."

A flicker of disappointment finally crossed Shane's eyes.

In reality, his current condition was still far from death. The injuries he sustained were nothing compared to when he first arrived on Earth.

Moreover, he was much stronger now than he was back then.

With his current regenerative abilities, Shane could probably recover significantly just by standing still for a week in this place, even without any treatment.

But it was rare to encounter an opponent on Earth who could provide such an intense battle.

Since he was already injured, it felt like a waste not to fight until he was thoroughly satisfied.

It was just a shame he had encountered a simpleton like Hercules.

"I don't understand what you gods are thinking. You could have easily achieved your goal by sending any strong individual for the third trial."

Shane blinked, as if suddenly realizing something.

"So, whether I challenge the seven gods' trials, or the seven gods challenge me, as long as certain conditions are met, your divine power sharing magic can take effect?"

From a distance, Zeus turned his head to look at Wonder Woman, who was still unable to move freely due to his divine command, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Where did you find this student? Is he really just a child?"

Wonder Woman turned her head, clearly not wanting to talk to the old man.

Hercules perfectly followed his code of Divinity, not to do any despicable deeds, even deeming lying beneath him.

He affirmed Shane's statement.

"This is a hero's trial, with at least seven challenges. Each challenge before you is just slightly stronger than your current ability, so there's still a possibility of completing them. If you're still full of energy after defeating the Titans, Apollo would be next."

As if fearing Shane wouldn't believe him, Hercules quickly added.

"The God of War was an accident. Our information about you only went as far as what Eris brought. After that, your specific condition couldn't be divined by magic."

After some thought, Shane sighed and took a box from his waist.

It was made of dark material, with a slightly rough texture that felt like it could cut. The box was about three square inches in size.

Next, Shane pulled a gleaming golden ring from the box.

Hercules froze. The ring emanated an aura that he found extremely repulsive.

Shane grabbed the ring and gently slipped it onto the middle finger of his other hand.

"It's hard to imagine someone like you exists. To show respect, I'll only recover two layers of my injuries."

The dim Light of Fear enveloped Shane, and under the golden glow, his seemingly horrific wounds began to heal in moments.

Two seconds later, Shane quickly removed the ring.

"Now, our combat power should be on the same level. I'll go all out against you from this point."

Hercules finally stopped observing with his arms crossed. He seriously loosened his grip, and a massive club appeared in his right hand.

He stared intently at the Light of Fear that Shane had put back into the box, his expression full of vigilance.

"What exactly is that..."

The air suddenly exploded with a resonant sound. Shane, holding the ring box in one hand and making a horizontal slashing motion with the other, had already flashed to a distance right in front of Hercules's face.

Shaking the blood dripping from his fingertips, Shane looked at Hercules, whose pupils had lost focus and whose neck bore a torn-looking gash, spraying blood as he fell backward. Shane shook his head with a hint of helplessness.

Although it wasn't a fight with sufficient substance, his strength had once again improved.

Even with his seemingly severe injuries, this level was still considered minor for a future elite Viltrum warrior.

"You're simply not suited for combat. Life in the Divine Realm has made you too comfortable, Hercules."

Bypassing the body on the ground, Shane flew back into the sky and pointed at Zeus, who showed no change in emotion and was about to summon the next god.

"I'll pick the next opponent. According to your rules, Teacher Prince should also meet the requirements of your ritual."