Read Novel Full Chapter 542: Punishment
Chapter 542: Chapter 542: Punishment
That realization made her decision clear.
The next day, Cain and all his subordinates were tied to pillars in the public execution ground.
Thick ropes bound their wrists. Dust swirled in the dry air as citizens gathered once more.
It was no longer just an arrest. It was a trial.
Ivy stood before the crowd, her figure straight and imposing.
"We have compiled a complete list," she announced. "Everyone who has been robbed, molested, assaulted, or psychologically harmed by the Black Vultures has been recorded."
She paused, letting her words sink in.
"We have also confiscated their hidden assets, money, crystals, and other valuables. These will be distributed to the victims."
A wave of whispers passed through the crowd.
"Today," Ivy continued, her voice colder than before, "is a public trial. Those who have suffered may step forward. You will receive compensation. And you will be given the opportunity to throw stones, slap, or even personally execute the criminals before you."
Silence fell like a heavy curtain.
"This is not merely punishment," she added calmly. "It is a warning. Anyone who commits crimes inside or outside this base will face the same fate."
For the first time, the people saw Ivy without any softness. She looked emotionless. Detached.
Like an executioner delivering judgment.
Some in the crowd felt uneasy, startled by her cruelty. Others looked at her with awe. To those who had genuinely suffered, she appeared almost radiant, like a savior bathed in invisible light.
At that very moment, within the depths of the temporal storage, a surge of kindness energy flowed toward Ivy.
The temporal storage almost sighed internally.
’I truly chose correctly,’ it thought. ’This host gains kindness energy with remarkable ease.’
It imagined the superior beings on distant planets and could not help but feel anticipation.
’When they make their move this time... they will be defeated.’
Back in the square, one of the Black Vultures shouted desperately, "This is unfair! We were not given a chance to defend ourselves! How can you declare us criminals without a proper trial?"
Ivy chuckled faintly.
She scanned the crowd. Some looked worried. Others curious. Very well.
"If you want fairness," she said calmly, "I will give you fairness."
The murmurs grew louder. "In this base, I have three unique power users."
The crowd instantly fixed their gaze on her.
Ivy raised one finger. "First is Felix," she declared. "He possesses the ability to see a person’s past life."
The moment she disclosed that information, the entire square fell into a suffocating silence.
Faces that had been restless moments ago now froze in disbelief, eyes widening as if they had just glimpsed something monstrous lurking beneath familiar skin.
Ivy stepped forward, her boots crunching softly against the gravel.
"Through him, I came to know about Cain’s past life," she declared, her voice steady despite the tension coiling around her like smoke. "And you might find it... very strange."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"In his past life, Cain was a powerhouse," she continued, her gaze drifting toward the man bound at the center.
"A very big one. He exploited countless people. He raised taxes mercilessly, and because of him, many families suffered. It would not be wrong to say that he sacrificed others for his own benefit."
The words had barely settled when a sharp whistle sliced through the air. A stone flew forward and struck the ground near Cain’s feet, spraying dirt across his clothes. Someone had thrown it with trembling rage.
Ivy noticed, yet she did not flinch. ’This was bound to happen,’ she thought, steadying her breath. She lifted her chin and went on.
"Second," she said, raising two fingers. "That day, I possessed a unique power. I had a superhuman who had an ability that could detect whether a person was telling the truth or a lie."
The crowd leaned in unconsciously.
"Just last night, we conducted an investigation. He was questioned directly. ’Have you ever killed someone?’ ’Have you ever molested someone?’ ’Have you ever provoked someone to take their own life?’ Every single time, the result was clear."
Her eyes hardened. "The answers came out true."
A collective gasp escaped from the people.
"He has taken lives. He has molested someone. He has ruined lives. He has bullied others and driven many to despair."
Another stone struck Cain’s shoulder. Then another hit his forehead, drawing a thin line of blood that trickled down his temple. The metallic scent mingled with the dry air.
Ivy raised her finger once more.
"Third, and foremost, my department has a superhuman who has a divination talent."
This time, the silence was heavier, almost sacred. People held their breath as though fearing that even a whisper might change fate itself.
"The divination revealed that this man, Cain, and his subordinates will continue committing evil deeds if they are released. They will not change."
Her voice echoed across the square like a final verdict.
Public outrage erupted like a dam breaking. Stones rained down from every direction.
Those who had hesitated earlier, suspecting that Ivy might be fabricating excuses to execute a blackmailing criminal, now felt assured.
"If a person cannot be judged by their past," someone shouted hoarsely, "then judge them by their present!"
"And if not by the present, then by the future!" another voice cried. "If even divination shows they will never change, then why let them live?"
"No mercy!"
Cain staggered as stone after stone struck him. Even in his final moments, as pain exploded across his body and his vision blurred, he never truly comprehended what was happening.
’How... how could this be?’ he wondered faintly. ’They are nothing but ants. Just insects beneath my feet.’
He had always believed that ordinary humans were insignificant. Yet it was precisely these "insignificant" people who now ended his life.
As his body collapsed, his mind remained swollen with arrogance.
’This world was meant to bow to me. I should have ruled them all.’
But regret came too late.