The Deep's stress-relief method had already shocked everyone, but now the introductions were over.
The light-screen once again displayed the question:
[Among the following options, whose method of relaxation is the most unusual?]
[A: Homelander
B: Stormfront
C: Queen Maeve
D: The Deep]
Erik sighed.
"I have to say, the Seven really are a special group. This one's tough—even I can't decide."
Tony Stark nodded in agreement.
"'Most unusual'? Honestly, all of them are weird as hell. Only Maeve's is halfway normal."
They exchanged uncertain looks. Before seeing the videos, they'd assumed the answer was Homelander. But after watching… none of them were so sure anymore.
Bruce Banner frowned.
"I can't figure out which one is correct."
Natasha shrugged.
"Then it's just luck. We pick and pray."
Since the intro videos had already eaten up time, the countdown began almost immediately.
No one was confident, so they all hesitated until the timer was nearly gone. Finally, Bruce Banner slammed the buzzer and got the right to answer.
He thought for a moment, then chose C.
As Tony had just said, everyone's stress relief was bizarre, but Maeve's was the least outrageous. By normal logic, that should be ruled out. But since the quiz game had misled them before, Bruce decided to reverse his thinking.
Erik, thinking along the same lines, also chose C.
Tony shrugged.
"I'm going with A. My gut says it's Homelander. Call it instinct—he never fails to deliver entertainment."
Homelander glared at him, then firmly chose D.
Natasha picked B.
The countdown ended.
Correct answer revealed:
[Player Bruce Banner answered incorrectly. -4 points]
[Player Erik Lehnsherr, player Natasha Romanoff, and Player Homelander answered incorrectly. -1 point each]
[Congratulations to Player Tony Stark, correct answer, +1 point]
Tony chuckled.
"See, Homelander? You never let me down. You really should have more confidence in yourself."
Bruce Banner sighed.
"Great. Now I'm in the negatives."
Homelander's face darkened. In truth, even he had no idea what humiliating scene the quiz was about to expose next.
After everything, he thought he had reached a state of calm detachment.
Or maybe "resignation" was the better word. He couldn't fight back, so he might as well watch the spectacle. By this point, he thought nothing could humiliate him further.
He was wrong.
The video began playing.
On screen, Homelander's face twisted into a manic grin as he worked furiously with his hands…
There was no mistaking it—this was the infamous "opening move."
Natasha instantly covered half her face with her hand.
"Fuck! Tony, you're telling me this is being broadcast across the multiverse? Children are watching this! This is insane!"
Tony froze, then smirked.
"Okay, fair point—you reacted fast. But honestly, we're only seeing his upper body. Look, even I didn't expect Homelander to pull such a… surprise move. But hey, the quiz broadcasts can't be censored. People choose whether they watch or not."
Of course, Tony thrived on chaos. The more outrageous, the better.
Erik gave Homelander a disgusted glare, looking like a man seeing something cursed on his phone in the subway.
"Seriously? Even if it's private… this is your idea of stress relief? That's beyond bizarre."
Bruce muttered under his breath.
"From that height… is he trying to 'cover' the entire world?"
Homelander jolted upright from the floor, realizing too late just how wrong he'd been.
He thought the quiz game's "slander" couldn't possibly get worse. He had underestimated it.
"Shit! Shit! Fucking shit!"
His composure snapped.
"Kill me if you dare! I swear, one day I'll rip your damn head off!"
[Player Homelander has insulted the Quiz Game. First-level punishment applied.
Reminder: after three violations, second-level punishment will be enforced]
Cold mechanical words rang out—followed by a thunderbolt crashing down from above.
Once again, Homelander's body convulsed violently, swallowed by searing pain that tore into his very soul.
He asked for it—and he got it.
But this time, he didn't scream. In fact, he almost welcomed it.
Compared to the humiliation of the broadcast, the agony of punishment was almost a relief. For a few fleeting moments, the pain let him forget everything else.
Tony shook his head.
"Funny thing is, I'm actually starting to feel a little sorry for him."
Natasha raised an eyebrow.
"That just proves you've got empathy, Tony.
But I can't sympathize. No matter how pathetic he looks now, to pity him would be an insult to every innocent person he's ever hurt."
Bruce nodded firmly.
"Agreed. Some people can be redeemed—but I see nothing redeemable in this lunatic. He deserves to rot in prison forever."
Tony sighed.
"Maybe, but trust me—it's not easy to build a prison that can actually hold him."
The video wasn't done yet.
On screen, Homelander stood atop a skyscraper, grinning manically, venting his madness into the city below.
"I can do whatever I want! Whatever I want!" he shouted, voice echoing over the skyline.
The camera panned outward—revealing the full moon hanging perfectly behind him.
And at that exact moment, a white stream arced across the night sky…
The scene froze. The video ended.
..
New fic is out. Douluo dalu: Ascension To Godhood