Chapter 103 — Eddie's Punishment, and the Journey to a New World
"Will this really work?" Karen asked suspiciously.
"Of course it will," William said lazily. "As long as I'm the one doing it. If it's you? Then no—most likely it won't."
Karen immediately realized he was teasing her. She pouted and punched him twice in the chest with her tiny fists—more playful than angry.
But William's words had still given her a brand-new perspective.
"…Then let's do it your way." She smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Daddy~"
Crossing into a new world wasn't something William needed to rush.
Since Eddie had triggered a mission, William might as well take the reward first.
To be honest, he did lack experience in cold-weapon combat.
That "Master Swordsman Experience" reward would patch his shortcomings perfectly.
So—Eddie first.
---
The next morning…
William was quietly getting dressed while Karen slept peacefully beside him.
He didn't wake her.
After leaving her room, he went downstairs and found Sheila preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
"Good morning, Mrs. Jackson," William greeted politely.
"Good morning, William!" Sheila smiled warmly. "Do you want breakfast? I made pies."
Sheila was always like this—gentle, motherly, genuinely kind.
Honestly, if Frank hadn't been such a shameless parasite, and if he had treated Sheila properly, his later life wouldn't have ended up such a disaster.
But then again…
The Gallaghers all carried some kind of self-destructive bloodline.
It was almost genetic.
After having breakfast at Karen's place, William left—because now it was time to work.
Castrating Eddie?
That part was easy.
---
Evening — Chicago Transit Authority Parking Lot
A red sedan sat parked among rows of buses.
Inside, Eddie Jackson wore a miserable, exhausted expression.
Ever since Sheila threw him out, Eddie had nowhere to go.
He'd even slept in his car the night before.
As the sun sank and the sky grew darker, Eddie finally decided—
I'll go to The Alibi. Drink a couple beers. Calm down.
The moment Eddie started his engine, a KTM motorcycle quietly rolled into motion behind him like a shadow.
---
The Alibi Room
Just like always, Terry Milkovich and his old crew were posted near the pool table, knocking balls around and talking trash.
Eddie walked in, went straight to the bar, sat down, and ordered a beer.
William entered not long after.
He didn't go to the bar.
He simply greeted Kev with a nod, then walked directly toward the pool table.
After what happened last time, Terry didn't really dare provoke William anymore.
But Terry's mouth was still fearless.
"What?" Terry sneered while holding his cue. "Finally willing to give my daughter back?"
William shook his head like he'd heard something ridiculous.
"Give her back? Man, don't make it sound like I'm holding Mandy hostage. I'm not restricting her freedom."
"Tch." Terry spat to the side. "Say whatever you want. Why the hell are you here?"
"I need you to do something for me."
As he spoke, William casually pulled out a thick stack of Franklin bills from his pocket.
Twenty hundred-dollar notes.
A clean $2,000.
He lifted it slightly—enough for Terry to see clearly.
The cash didn't move like money.
It moved like bait.
Like a leash.
And like an order.
Seeing that much cash, Terry let out a low whistle.
"Damn… what do you need?"
"Cripple someone," William said calmly. "Make sure his lower body is ruined."
As he spoke, he pressed his palm down on the rolled-up stack of bills—because Terry had already reached out to grab it.
Terry clicked his tongue impatiently.
"Easy. Give me a name."
This kind of job? Terry never said no.
"Eddie Jackson."
After saying it, William tilted his chin slightly—glancing toward the bar, where Eddie was drinking alone.
"Jackson?" Terry frowned, confused, and looked over.
Then he narrowed his eyes.
"Give me a reason."
Terry didn't really know Eddie beyond the surface. In his mind, Eddie was just some ordinary, harmless guy.
William raised an eyebrow, amused.
"You running a business now that asks for moral justification?"
Terry snorted.
"Eddie's a good man. We usually don't go after good people."
Honestly, Terry almost laughed after saying that. Even he knew it sounded ridiculous.
He just wanted to score one win in the argument department—since he couldn't beat William in a fight.
Classic Terry logic:
If I can't win physically, I'll win emotionally.
William stared at him for half a second, then sighed like a man confronting a stubborn rock.
"…Fine."
"He's a child predator," William said flatly. "And he goes after his own daughter."
Half truth, half lie—perfectly packaged.
And it worked instantly.
Terry stiffened.
"What?"
The moment the words child predator came out, Terry's entire expression changed.
He was one of those people who had a very specific kind of hatred for predators.
Same reason, later on, he'd show zero hesitation storming into someone's home over the "peanut butter teacher" incident.
Once Terry heard that, his decision was already made.
William continued, pouring gasoline onto the fire.
"You know that purity ball nonsense? That cult ritual where fathers trade rings with their daughters and swear to 'guard their souls'?"
That was enough.
Terry's eyes widened as he stared toward Eddie at the bar, disbelief flooding in.
"Jesus Christ…"
Then rage.
"FUCK. That's disgusting."
He spat.
"We'll take the job. Consider it community service."
Terry said it like he was doing society a favor.
Only then did William lift his hand and let him take the money.
William watched Terry leave The Alibi with his crew, heading off to grab tools and prep the job.
At that point, William already knew—
It was done.
He ordered fries and a beer, then sat back like he was just another guy killing time.
Time passed quickly.
After two beers, Eddie decided he needed to figure out where the hell he was going to sleep tonight.
William watched Eddie's back as he walked out of The Alibi…
And did nothing.
Just kept eating fries, sipping beer.
About ten minutes later, the system notification chimed.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Mission completed: Eddie Jackson—an irredeemable pervert. A creature like this deserves castration. Host must capture Eddie Jackson and perform the punishment.]
[Reward acquired: Master Swordsman Experience.]
William set his beer down and nodded casually.
"Hah. Terry's efficient."
---
Behind The Alibi — The Alley
"HELP! HELP ME!"
Eddie was collapsed on the ground, both hands clutching his crotch, howling like a dying animal.
A pool of blood spread beneath him.
And nearby…
A chunk of flesh.
Down the alley, a group of men in ski masks were already sprinting away—vanishing into the night.
Clearly: Terry's crew.
William walked up and looked down at Eddie like he was inspecting trash.
Then—
click.
He opened his phone camera.
And snapped a picture.
After that, William returned to The Alibi, asked Kev to call 911, and calmly left the bar again.
As he walked deeper into the darkness of the alley, he casually sent Eddie's photo to Karen.
A little gift.
A little celebration.
A little good news.
The Dark Alley
William scanned the area.
Quiet.
Empty.
No random lunatics wandering in.
Still… he didn't want to risk it.
So he grabbed the nearby manhole cover, lifted it open, and dropped inside.
It was an electrical access tunnel.
Not a sewer.
No disgusting smell.
Just underground lines and cables—safe enough.
William took a breath.
"System. If I use the Sisyphus to travel to a new world… when I come back, I'll return to my original location, right?"
[Yes.]
Simple. Direct.
William exhaled, steadied his heart, then said:
"System—activate the Sisyphus module."
[Ding! Sisyphus module successfully activated!]
---
William didn't even feel anything.
No dizziness.
No spinning.
No dramatic flash.
Just…
the world changed.
---
New World
Dark storm clouds swallowed the sky.
Rain poured down like punishment.
William appeared suddenly in the middle of a crowded street packed with rushing pedestrians.
No one screamed.
No one stared.
No one even noticed.
It was like he didn't exist.
William suspected it was the system's protection mechanism—forcing the world to ignore his sudden appearance.
But he didn't dwell on it.
Right now, one thing mattered:
Where the hell am I?
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings.
Then someone bumped him.
"Oh—sorry." The person apologized quickly and kept moving.
William turned to look at him.
And at that exact moment—
The system notification chimed again.