{Chapter: 316 Time is Too Short}
William looked over at the White Queen, his tone serious but faintly amused. "Theoretically speaking... I think it's entirely within the realm of possibility."
The White Queen stood a little taller, pride brimming in her voice. "Of course it is. I've mapped every adaptive process of my body down to the cellular level. I can control every mutation, every upgrade. Unlike you, who stumbled into power like a drunk man winning the lottery."
William chuckled lightly. "Touché. I won't deny it. Every time I've gained new strength, it's been chaotic—painful, even. I wasn't in control... not really."
The White Queen smiled smugly. "Exactly. That's the difference between us. You were lucky and had too much will to die just like that. I, on the other hand, optimize everything. Under the same circumstances, I'll always grow faster. Stronger. So, if you mess with me again, you pervert, don't cry when I finally pin you down and give you a proper beating."
She raised her tiny fist in mock warning, her expression equal parts childish and calculating.
Alice smirked from where she leaned against the bulkhead, arms crossed. "William, you might want to take her seriously. Getting beaten up by your own AI-turned-cyborg blood daughter? That'd be so humiliating."
William spread his hands in mock surrender, grinning. "If it comes to that... I'll be happy for her."
White Queen blinked in confusion. "Wait—what? Are you secretly a masochist or something?"
William shook his head slowly. "You don't understand. If any of you—whether it's you, Alice, Ada, or anyone who walks beside me—surpasses me, then I'll only feel pride. I don't want followers. I want equals. Or better."
Ada raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "And here I thought you were the type who'd never let anyone outshine him. That's... weirdly noble of you."
"Isn't it?" William said with a grin.
He suddenly burst into laughter, full and unrestrained.
The three women glanced at each other, visibly confused.
Alice narrowed her eyes. "Alright, now you're just being creepy. What's so funny? Did your brain finally snap?"
"Maybe," William said, still grinning. "But think about it—if you all become stronger than me, I can finally retire. I'll live the good life… as your collective boy toy. Hahaha!"
White Queen rolled her eyes in disbelief. "You call yourself a man? A dignified leader reduced to mooching off his women?"
William leaned back with a smirk. "Not mooching—thriving. Living off the strongest women on the planet takes skill. Grace. Emotional intelligence. Charm. I'm simply ahead of the curve."
Ada let out a sigh. "Unbelievable. So all your big talk about empowering us was just so you could coast? You've officially lost your heroic shine."
William pretended to be offended. "That's such a narrow view. Living off the women I love isn't a scam—it's a lifestyle. A dream, really. But sadly... it's still a distant one. None of you have surpassed me yet. So I guess I'll keep working hard."
White Queen crossed her arms. "In that case, maybe I shouldn't surpass you. If I do, I'll be the one stuck feeding your lazy ass three times a day."
William grinned devilishly. "Don't say that. People should always strive to improve. Aim higher. That was just a joke—me, living off of you? Completely impossible. Totally out of character."
Alice and Ada both burst into laughter.
Ada pointed a finger at him. "Can you ever be serious for more than ten seconds?"
William shrugged. "Do I need to be serious with you three always judging me?"
He reached into the air and with a blue light shown and a sealed cylindrical container. Inside it, faintly glowing green, was a chunk of tissue and a pool of strange green liquid.
"Oh, by the way," he added casually, "White Queen—this is what you asked for. A sample from the Green Goliath himself."
White Queen's eyes lit up as she took the container. "Gamma radiation-saturated flesh... and blood. This is perfect. I can already think of several pathways to reverse-engineer its regenerative and strength factors."
William nodded. "If you can unlock the secret behind that power, it could change everything. We might be able to integrate its resilience into our own bodies. A controlled transformation. Not mindless rage—purposeful evolution."
White Queen's tone turned solemn, almost reverent. "This might be our next leap forward. Let's hope the data speaks clearly."
The others looked on, knowing full well that once she started her analysis, the world might never be the same again.
"But don't worry," White Queen said with a confident grin, "Leave everything to me."
Alice tilted her head, arms crossed as she studied him with narrowed eyes. "White Queen, just how much stronger is William's transformed T-Human form compared to his regular human state? Is it twenty times the strength?"
"I monitored the data during the transformation in real-time," White Queen replied, her voice calm and crisp, like an algorithm giving a precise report. "So I can say with absolute confidence—it's not twenty times stronger."
Ada raised an eyebrow, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I figured as much. There's no way it's that high. My guess? Ten times at most. Even that might be pushing it."
White Queen smirked ever so slightly, "Actually, you're both way off. You're underestimating the T-Human transformation."
Ada blinked. "Wait, you mean it's more than twenty times?"
"Indeed. Based on the data I recorded and analyzed, William's T-Human transformation increases his physical capabilities by thirty times compared to his peak human form."
Ada froze, lips parting slightly in disbelief. "Thirty times stronger? Are you sure that's accurate? That sounds… monstrous."
"I don't make mistakes in my calculations," White Queen replied coolly. "The T-Human Form is precisely thirty times more powerful. That's not a guess. That's verified."
William grinned with a mischievous spark in his eyes. "Hah. So the twenty times I thought was me being modest. Good to know I've been holding back this whole time."
"Don't get too cocky," White Queen said, fixing him with an icy look. "I also measured the duration of your transformation. Your T-Human form can be maintained for exactly twenty-five minutes. You're aware of that. But when you ascend to the next phase—what I've designated as the 'Shining' form—the time frame drops."
William's grin didn't falter. "Let's hear it."
"Your attitude is insufferable," she muttered, before continuing, "Fine. The first-level Shining Singlet form can be maintained for twenty-two minutes."
"Huh, not much of a drop," Ada noted thoughtfully. "Doesn't sound too bad."
"That's only the beginning," White Queen said. "Shining Doublet lasts eighteen minutes. The Shining Triplet, nine minutes. And the Shining Quadruple... a mere three minutes. After that, your body would begin to shut down from cellular stress."
William shrugged with a cocky flair. "Three minutes is more than enough. Who's going to push me that far anyway? I've met very few who could."
"Could you brag any harder?" Alice asked dryly, her tone laced with sarcasm. "There are still people out there who can give you trouble."
"You're being naive," White Queen added coldly. "A real master won't exchange blows for just three minutes. If you face someone who drags you into a prolonged battle, you'll regret it."
William raised both hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I get it. You're right. I was being overconfident. I bow to your infinite wisdom."
White Queen exhaled through her nose, sounding almost disappointed. "It's not entirely your fault. I promised to help stabilize your form, reduce the energy drain... but I haven't made any progress. It's frustrating."
William leaned back, hands behind his head. "Don't beat yourself up. You can't solve everything overnight. Rome wasn't built in a day—and neither were superhumans. But if you're feeling guilty, I'd be happy to accept compensation."
She narrowed her eyes, "It must be bad. I have no intention of making up for it. You'd better save it."
"A little kiss on the cheek? Or maybe let me pat your—"
"Go. To. Hell." White Queen snapped, immediately turning her face away.
"Come on," William pouted dramatically. "I'm trying to satisfy a harmless desire. Can't a man dream?"
"You really don't cooperate at all. Can't you let me beat the ass and satisfy my desire to do it?" William said regretfully.
"You're lucky I haven't reprogrammed your face with a punch yet," she muttered.
Ada chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Sometimes I wonder how we ended up trusting you with so much power."
"Because," William said with a wink, "deep down, you all know I'm irreplaceable."
Alice rolled her eyes, "You're definitely something. Just not sure what."
*****
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