The outcome still surprised Leon.
Even though human civilization had been pushed to the brink of collapse by his actions, the world's most powerful nations still failed to unite. The situation made him feel strangely puzzled. Everyone clearly understood that cooperation would give them a better chance of resisting him, yet none of them were willing to take that step.
It was an unpredictable result.
For the first time since the conflict began, Leon felt a faint sense that not everything could be controlled according to his expectations. The world refused to behave as neatly as he had imagined.
Still, although events were unfolding differently than he predicted, the consequences of destroying the oil system remained exactly as severe as he had anticipated.
Across the planet, many countries were already descending into crisis.
Nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan were all struggling to maintain stability. The United States still possessed considerable reserves of crude oil, enough to keep the country functioning for more than nine months if carefully rationed.
But other nations were far less fortunate.
The United Kingdom and Japan, for example, were both countries severely lacking in natural resources. Their economies depended heavily on imported energy and raw materials, and oil had always been the crown jewel of modern industry.
Now that crown had vanished.
Without it, those countries suffered devastating economic injuries almost overnight.
Experts quickly calculated that nations heavily dependent on imported oil—like the United Kingdom and Japan—could last at most one month before their entire systems began collapsing.
What Leon had not expected, however, was how quickly a new confrontation would arrive.
This time, the ones appearing before him were not superheroes or members of the mutant Brotherhood.
Instead, they were Asgardians.
The first to appear was Thor, the God of Thunder.
He arrived directly in front of Leon, while several companions stood behind him outside the towering Stark Tower. However, the massive Destroyer constructs that had once accompanied Thor to Earth were nowhere to be seen.
"Asgardians?" Leon asked with genuine curiosity. "Why are you involving yourselves in this war?"
There was no anger in his voice, only calm interest.
Thor stepped forward without hesitation.
"Because my father has foreseen that you will become a disaster for the entire universe," Thor declared firmly. "We must stop your evil actions. Too many ordinary people in Midgard have already died because of what you've done. In our eyes, you are a malignant tumor in this world, and you must be removed."
As he spoke, Thor's battle intent surged.
Divine power gathered rapidly inside his body. Small arcs of electricity began crackling across his skin, spreading outward as his power awakened.
Leon raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly.
"You trust your father's words that much?" he asked. "What if he's wrong?"
"That is impossible."
Thor's voice cut through the air like steel.
"You invaded Asgard and stole treasures from my father's vault. From that moment on, you became our enemy. There is nothing left to discuss."
His gaze hardened.
"Today, I officially declare war on you in the name of Asgard. You will face the wrath of our realm."
Thor was powerful—extraordinarily powerful by Earth's standards. Among Asgard's warriors, his combat ability stood near the very top. Now that he had begun fully channeling his divine power, every movement he made carried the majesty of thunder itself.
Electricity wrapped around his body like living armor. Lightning surged across his skin, weaving a radiant suit of thunder and storm. His eyes turned brilliant silver, glowing so brightly that their pupils could no longer be seen.
Only crackling lightning remained within them.
The warriors standing behind him were equally formidable. Every one of them possessed strength comparable to an Alpha-level mutant.
Taken together, Thor and his companions could easily be considered the strongest combat force currently present on Earth.
Perhaps that was why Thor believed he had the right to challenge Leon.
Unfortunately for him, Leon was about to demonstrate just how absurd that belief truly was.
"Snap."
The soft sound of Leon's fingers snapping echoed through the air.
In that instant, everything froze.
Thor and his companions stopped moving completely, suspended mid-air like statues. Their aggressive poses remained frozen in place, making them look strangely ridiculous.
Leon had directly halted the flow of space-time in that entire region.
The battlefield now existed outside the normal flow of reality.
Leon studied the motionless figures calmly. Lightning still surrounded Thor's body, frozen in mid-crackle. Even the tiny sparks bursting from the edges of his hammer were suspended perfectly in the air.
Leon shook his head slightly.
Thor was powerful, yes—but compared to Leon's current strength, he was little more than a slightly larger ant.
If Leon wished, killing him would be effortless.
With a faint shimmer, Leon vanished and reappeared directly in front of the frozen God of Thunder.
He raised one finger.
Then he flicked Thor's forehead.
It was a simple motion, almost casual.
Immediately afterward, Leon released the frozen space-time.
"Whoosh!"
Thor had no idea what had just happened.
The moment time resumed, an explosive force struck his head. His body flew backward uncontrollably, shooting through the air like a cannonball.
He traveled hundreds of meters before slamming violently into a tall building.
Thor attempted to stabilize himself, but the momentum was far beyond his control. His body smashed straight through the structure, sending concrete and steel flying everywhere as the building partially collapsed around him.
A cloud of debris rose into the air.
Thor disappeared beneath the rubble.
"Cough… cough…"
After several moments, Thor forced himself to stand up from the shattered wreckage. His entire body felt weak, and a throbbing pain pulsed violently inside his skull.
It felt as though someone had struck him directly in the head with a hammer.
"Ahh…"
He finally staggered out of the rubble. His body still trembled slightly, and even the lightning surrounding him had weakened.
Thor lifted his head and looked into the sky.
There, Leon floated calmly in mid-air, watching him with an amused smile.
"You…" Thor said hoarsely. "What did you just do?"
Leon shrugged casually.
"Nothing, really," he replied. "I just flicked you."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Unfortunately, you're not the true god of this universe. Your power is still far too weak compared to mine. If I had used just a little more strength, you'd already be a corpse."
"Impossible!"
Thor's pride could not accept what had just happened.
He had been defeated by a single casual strike. For someone who had always considered himself a mighty warrior, the humiliation was almost unbearable.
"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not," Leon said calmly. "Facts don't change just because you refuse to accept them."
Thor reached up and touched his forehead.
A large swelling had already formed where Leon's finger had struck him. The pain shot through his skull the moment he touched it.
He hadn't even seen Leon move.
Yet he had already been completely defeated.
The realization filled him with rage and frustration.
"Damn it!"
With an angry roar, Thor gathered his divine power once more and charged fiercely toward Leon.
.....
Want to read ahead. Then Join my P@treon 60+ exclusive chapters that are waiting for you.
Free members can get 2 advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: ptreon.com/Lotus_Lover
Join Right Now