World Traveler Villain-Chapter 229: CH: 226 The Hammer That Cannot Be Pulled Out

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{Chapter: 226 The Hammer That Cannot Be Pulled Out}

On a Desert Highway in New Mexico

A black luxury car sped along the desolate New Mexico highway, its engine humming with power as it cut through the dry desert wind. Behind the wheel sat William—though his features were altered, unrecognizable to most. In the back seat, arms crossed and eyes sharp, was Pepper. Her appearance had also been modified, likely through high-level disguise tech or even cosmetic means, making her nearly impossible to identify at first glance.

"Why did you bring me out here?" Pepper asked, her tone flat but with an edge of distrust.

William kept his eyes on the road and smiled shamelessly. "I thought you might be feeling lonely back there. I'm just that considerate—such a warm, thoughtful man."

Pepper scoffed. "You? Warm? You're the worst kind of scum humanity has ever produced. You have all this power, and instead of doing something good with it, you use it to hurt and manipulate people. You could be helping others, making the world a better place... But instead, you choose to do this."

William glanced at her in the rearview mirror, his smile fading into a look of mild contempt. "Helping others? What a noble cliché. What does that even mean anymore? Saving the weak? Upholding justice? Please. That idealistic nonsense is for people still living in a fantasy. The world isn't built on kindness—it's built on power. You either wield it or you're crushed beneath it."

Pepper looked away, shaking her head in disappointment. "There's no reasoning with someone like you."

He chuckled softly. "That's where you're wrong. I understand the world perfectly. Power doesn't ask for permission. If someone has it and doesn't use it, they lose it. Look at Tony. Once at the top of the world, now dragged down by people like me. People with real vision."

Her eyes darkened, the pain evident. "Tony will stop you. He's stronger than you think."

William simply shrugged. "Maybe in his dreams. Reality's a bit more complicated. And Pepper—just a friendly reminder—don't try anything foolish. If I even suspect you're plotting something, I won't hesitate to use force."

"I'm not that naive. You've already disguised my appearance. Even if I wanted to escape, no one would recognize me. I'm not stupid enough to waste energy on a plan that won't work," she said with a low snort.

William smiled genuinely for a moment. "Smart girl. I almost thought about restraining you, but if you're going to behave, I see no need."

She turned to glare out the window. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Ask me anything. I'm a very open person. But first let me ask you! Why are you interested in me?"

"Only a zombie would be interested in you." Pepper shouted.

He laughed loudly. "You really shouldn't say that.. After all, we kissed and shared a bed, even."

"Go to hell!" she snapped, her anger boiling over.

William didn't flinch. "No need to get so worked up. If you really want answers, ask the juicy stuff—like the length of my penis, how long I can last in bed, or whether my stamina is enhanced by my... let's say, unusual biology."

Pepper took a deep breath, forcing herself to regain composure. "You're from the World War II era, aren't you?"

"If you want to put a label on it, sure."

"But... it's been over seventy years. You should be a shriveled old man by now. You haven't aged a day. How is that possible?"

William grinned. "Simple. I'm immortal." frёeωebɳovel.com

"Immortal? Give me a break. No one is truly immortal."

"And yet, here I am," he replied with eerie calm. "In fact, I didn't just live through time—I skipped it. I vanished at the end of World War II. Poof. Gone. I disappeared at the end of World War II and completely left this world. That is to say, there was no me after World War II. The world moved on, and I was out of it entirely. Now I'm back. It's like I jumped from the 1940s straight to the present."

Pepper's mouth went dry. She couldn't process it. Immortality was one thing—unbelievable, but in some circles of the world, maybe not impossible. But time travel? That was something else.

"That's... insane. No one can just skip decades of history like that. It's more unbelievable than your so-called immortality."

William glanced at her again with that unsettling calm. "Believe what you want. Truth doesn't need your approval."

Pepper narrowed her eyes. "So who are you, really?"

He gave her a devilish grin. "You can call me a supervillain. That label seems to fit, doesn't it? I don't pretend to be a hero. I'm the monster in the story, the shadow that makes your bright little world feel cold."

Suddenly, he slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, and the car lurched forward with a roar. The speedometer climbed rapidly as the desert blurred past the windows.

"Are you insane?! "Ah, you lunatic, Slow down!" Pepper shouted, grabbing the edge of her seat.

"Let's live a little! Feel the rush!" William said, breaking into a twisted song—some ridiculous old melody from decades past. He sang the lyrics to "Eighteen Touches," laughing wildly as the car raced into the vast desert.

Pepper clenched her fists, biting her tongue to avoid screaming again. She knew one thing—she was trapped in a ride with a lunatic, and there was no telling where he planned to take her next.

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New Mexico, a land of mesas, deserts, and open skies, held within it a tiny city perched high on a plateau—Old Bridge City, home to just a few thousand residents. The altitude gave the city clean air and sweeping views, but it also made the place feel strangely isolated from the rest of the world. To the west of Old Bridge City stretched an arid expanse known, somewhat ironically, as Charming Wonderland. Despite the whimsical name, there was nothing charming about it. The terrain was barren, a loose spread of sandy soil and rocky outcrops, dotted with sparse tufts of scrub vegetation. It was a place more suited for dust devils than daydreams.

Across this sandy wasteland, a sleek black car tore through the loose soil, kicking up thick clouds of ochre dust behind it like a miniature sandstorm. At the wheel sat William, his eyes shielded by dark sunglasses. Seated beside him was Pepper, her identity cleverly concealed under a new hairstyle and borrowed sunglasses.

Pepper squinted at the horizon, then turned to him. "What exactly are we doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

William grinned without looking at her. "Purpose? I don't chase purposes. I live for the thrill, for the moments between the beginning and the end. That's where the fun is. The journey is the reward."

Without another word, he brought the car to a stop near a massive crowd gathered ahead.

Pepper stepped out of the car and immediately shielded her eyes from the sun. Before her, nestled in the sandy earth, was a massive circular crater—a pit nearly fifty feet wide, as if a meteor had struck the desert floor. People surrounded it on all sides. Cars and trucks were parked haphazardly around the area, their drivers and passengers now part of a swelling crowd murmuring with curiosity.

In the center of the pit, something gleamed—a hammer, made of sleak metal, embedded in the ground. It looked ordinary at first glance, but something about it shimmered with a strange power.

"What the hell is this?" Pepper muttered.

All around, people were taking turns trying to pull the hammer out. A young man stepped up and gripped the handle with both hands, grunting with effort.

"Come on!" he shouted, pulling as hard as he could. Nothing.

Then a burly man with the build of a professional wrestler marched in. "Step aside. Let a real man handle this."

He flexed, grunted, and pulled with all his might—his arms straining, veins bulging—but the hammer didn't budge.

"That hammer doesn't look that heavy," Pepper said, raising an eyebrow.

William smirked. "Looks can be deceiving."

"Is that hammer heavy?" Pepper asked.

"Very heavy."

"Can you pull it up?"

"No."

"You're supposed to be so powerful," she said, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "Can't even lift a silly little hammer?"

William chuckled. "Even gods have their limits sometimes."

The crowd didn't give up. Someone fetched a thick steel chain, looping it around the hammer's handle and hooking the other end to the back of a large pickup truck.

The truck revved its engine, tires digging into the sand, and the chain snapped taut—then came a sudden bang! The rear of the truck was ripped off completely, metal groaning as the axle tore loose. The hammer remained untouched, unmoved, as if it were fused with the Earth itself.

Gasps rippled through the onlookers. Some took pictures; others simply stared, dumbfounded.

William finally stepped forward, descending calmly into the pit. He stopped beside the hammer and looked at it thoughtfully.

"That's Thor's hammer—Mjölnir," he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

Pepper blinked. "You know it? That's its name?"

William nodded slightly, laying a hand on the hilt. "I know a little bit. Ancient myths... or maybe truths hidden in stories."

He tightened his grip and pulled.

Nothing.

The hammer didn't even wiggle.

Pepper's eyes lit up with satisfaction. "Ha! So even you can't do everything. Sure enough, you can't pull it out. I thought you were omnipotent. So someone will definitely defeat you. I'm waiting.That makes me feel a little better."

William didn't seem phased. He released the hammer and stood up straight. "It's just a tool. A trinket for someone else. Let its real owner come and collect it. Until then, let the mortals amuse themselves."

Just then, a black SUV rolled up in the distance and came to a stop on a nearby hill. The door opened, and a man in a black suit and dark sunglasses stepped out. He stared into the crater, his expression unreadable.

"Sir," he spoke into a hidden earpiece. "We've found it."

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