The torrent of the multiverse flowed before him, countless worlds flickering like points of light.
Levi's clone transformed into a streak of gold as it traveled through the chaos. His consciousness maintained a faint connection with the original body, and even across dimensional barriers, he could still clearly feel the scorching heat of the Phoenix Origin.
Time was running out.
The original body was battling that awakening firebird. Every second burned away centuries of accumulated foundation. He needed to find something capable of bearing the Phoenix Force—or elevate his physical body to an entirely new level.
A unique energy signature caught his attention.
Primal. Savage. Reeking of blood.
Not magic. Not technology.
Pure physical power.
The clone changed direction and tore through the dimensional barrier.
---
This was a secret base hidden inside a mountain.
The metal walls were stained with blood and scorch marks. The air smelled of gore and burnt flesh. Several corpses littered the ground.
A man in a red bodysuit lay with his neck twisted unnaturally, head dangling limp. Nearby was a winged woman, her chest pierced through, feathers scattered everywhere. Farther away, a black-clad figure had been torn in half, entrails spilled across the floor.
At the center of this slaughterhouse stood a man dressed in white with a red cape, gripping a woman by the throat with one hand.
She wore a green combat suit. Her blonde hair was disheveled, her face covered in blood. Her hands weakly clawed at the iron grip around her neck while her lips turned purple.
The white-clad man's face was expressionless, his eyes cold as though staring at insects. His other hand slowly clenched into a fist, preparing the final blow.
Levi stopped in midair.
He didn't rush to intervene. Instead, he quickly scanned the base.
The Guardians of the Globe.
The name surfaced from the corner of his memory. He had glimpsed fragments of this universe through the information currents of the multiverse. A world where superheroes were still in their infancy. The man currently slaughtering his teammates was this universe's combat ceiling.
Omni-Man.
Nolan Grayson.
Advance scout of the Viltrum Empire.
Levi's lips curved upward.
He could sense the power within the man. It wasn't magic, technology, or mutation—it was perfect biological evolution engraved directly into his genes.
Interesting.
He stepped forward, golden light flowing around him.
---
Omni-Man froze.
Not because he wanted to—but because something had stopped his fist.
He looked down.
A hand was holding his punch.
It looked completely ordinary. Five fingers, no strange markings or glowing aura. Yet this ordinary hand had effortlessly caught a strike capable of pulverizing mountains.
"Who are you?" Omni-Man asked calmly, though confusion flickered in his eyes.
On this planet, no living thing should have been able to stop his full-powered punch.
He had spent twenty years here. He already understood this world's limits.
Humans, mutants, aliens—he had seen countless beings who believed themselves powerful. To him, they were all insects.
Yet this man who appeared out of nowhere had casually blocked his attack.
Levi released his grip, allowing War Woman to fall from Omni-Man's grasp.
The blonde woman collapsed unconscious, deep bruises visible around her neck, but she was still breathing.
"My name is Levi," he said. "Just passing through."
Omni-Man wasted no words.
He punched again.
This strike was faster and heavier. The air split apart as a sonic boom exploded through the enclosed base, shaking the walls violently.
Levi tilted sideways.
The fist brushed past his ear.
The pressure from the punch sliced his cheek open—but the wound healed instantly.
Omni-Man narrowed his eyes.
Regeneration.
He had seen similar abilities before. The Immortal possessed one. But the Immortal's healing wasn't nearly this fast—and he definitely couldn't block his punches.
"Interesting."
Omni-Man vanished.
The next instant, he appeared behind Levi, clasping both hands together and smashing downward toward the back of his skull.
This blow could flatten a city.
Levi didn't dodge.
He turned around and raised one hand, catching the strike in his palm.
BOOM!
Shockwaves exploded outward. The floor was ripped apart, cracks spread through the walls, and metal ceiling panels shredded like paper.
Omni-Man's expression changed.
It felt like hitting a mountain.
No—harder than a mountain.
The recoil traveled through his arms, making his bones vibrate painfully.
"What the hell are you?"
Levi didn't answer.
He was using his mental force to scan Omni-Man's biological structure.
This man's cells were completely different from a human's. Every single cell resembled a miniature nuclear reactor, constantly generating energy, constantly evolving and repairing itself.
Smart Atoms.
The core power of Viltrumites—a unique atomic structure capable of self-learning and self-evolution.
Levi's eyes lit up.
This was exactly what he needed.
The original body was currently battling the Phoenix Force, that primordial power from the depths of the universe constantly eroding his flesh. He needed a body structure capable of enduring that erosion—or even coexisting with it.
The self-repair and evolution properties of Smart Atoms might be part of the answer.
"Your body is fascinating," Levi said. "Mind if I borrow it?"
Omni-Man responded with another punch.
This time, he used his full power.
The fist roared forward with a sonic boom aimed directly at Levi's face.
Levi extended a single finger.
He tapped the fist lightly.
The city-destroying blow stopped cold against that single finger.
Omni-Man's pupils contracted violently.
He had lived for thousands of years, conquered countless planets, seen every kind of powerful being imaginable.
But never—not once—had anyone stopped his full-force attack with a single finger.
Impossible.
He was one of the Viltrum Empire's strongest warriors. Strong enough to tear apart planets. Fast enough to rival light itself.
On this primitive world, he was a god.
Yet this man neutralized all of his attacks as casually as if playing with a child.
"Your power is interesting," Levi said conversationally, as though evaluating merchandise. "Pure physical strength. No energy amplification at all—everything comes from the cells themselves. Among the universes I've seen, that's relatively rare."
Omni-Man didn't answer.
His body disappeared again, reappearing overhead with both fists raised high.
This strike surpassed every previous attack. He held nothing back.
Levi raised his left hand, palm upward, and caught the blow.
BOOM!
The shockwave spread outward. The entire base shook violently. Cracks spread like spiderwebs across the ground while metal walls tore apart and the ceiling collapsed.
Levi stood unmoving.
His left hand effortlessly supported Omni-Man's fists as though holding a pillow.
"Data collection complete."
His mental force had fully analyzed Omni-Man's biological structure.
Smart Atoms.
The core of Viltrumite power. A special atomic structure capable of self-learning, self-evolution, and self-repair. They formed every Viltrumite cell, granting nearly limitless potential.
The more they fought, the stronger they became.
The more they were injured, the faster they recovered.
"Copy."
Levi activated the Superpower Copier.
Golden light flowed beneath his skin, perfectly duplicating the Smart Atom structure within Omni-Man's body.
[Copy Successful]
[Ability Acquired: Viltrumite Physique]
Levi closed his eyes, sensing the new ability spread throughout his body.
The Smart Atoms began merging with his existing cellular structure. Fascinating transformations immediately began.
His body became tougher.
His regenerative abilities increased.
But soon, he frowned.
Not enough.
The self-repair and evolution capabilities of Smart Atoms were indeed powerful. They could alleviate some of the Phoenix Force's erosion on his flesh.
But only partially.
Far from enough to fully contain that rampaging firebird.
Like trying to absorb an ocean with a sponge.
This was merely the first step.
He still needed more materials. Stronger biological structures. Only then could he truly tame the Phoenix Force.
Levi opened his eyes and looked at the still-struggling Omni-Man.
"Thank you for your contribution. In return, I won't kill you."
Omni-Man's eyes burned with fury and humiliation. He tried to retaliate, only to realize his fists were trapped by an invisible force.
He couldn't move at all.
Space Law.
Levi had locked down the surrounding space.
"What are you?" Omni-Man growled through clenched teeth.
"A traveler passing through."
Levi released him and stepped back.
"I'm not interested in the Viltrum Empire. But if you continue causing trouble on this planet, I won't mind making another visit."
He raised his fist and threw an utterly ordinary punch.
Yet this punch contained the full power of the newly copied Viltrumite Physique, amplified further by more than a dozen laws.
Omni-Man shot backward like a cannonball, smashing through the floor, tearing through layers of rock, and plunging deep underground.
The thunderous crash continued for several seconds before finally fading.
Levi lowered his fist and glanced at his palm.
The Smart Atoms were rapidly repairing the microscopic damage caused by the punch. The sensation was strange—as though countless diligent workers had appeared within his body, constantly maintaining his flesh.
A good ability.
Not enough to fully solve the problem.
But a good beginning.
---
Levi turned toward the surviving Guardians of the Globe.
War Woman remained unconscious, bruises around her neck horrifying to look at, though she still breathed. The Immortal lay in a pool of blood, body torn into pieces while his regenerative powers slowly stitched him back together.
The others weren't so fortunate.
Red Rush. Darkwing. Green Ghost. Aquarius. War Hawk…
The heroes who once protected Earth were now cold corpses.
Levi didn't linger on them.
He wasn't from this universe. Their lives and deaths meant nothing to him. He had come for only one purpose:
To find a way to contain the Phoenix Force.
Smart Atoms were merely the first step.
His mental force spread outward again, scanning the energy signatures of this universe.
Soon, he found several interesting signals.
One came from deep space—a vast empire possessing purer Viltrumite bloodlines than Omni-Man's. Perhaps the royal family's Smart Atoms were even stronger.
Another came from somewhere on Earth. A peculiar technology there seemed capable of altering biological genetic structures.
And another…
Levi narrowed his eyes.
A young lifeform carrying Viltrumite blood, mixed with human DNA. The fusion of two bloodlines might produce unexpected changes.
Mark Grayson.
Omni-Man's son.
Invincible.
Levi smiled faintly.
This universe was far more interesting than he'd expected.
He glanced toward the crater where Omni-Man had been blasted underground. The man's life signature still existed, though greatly weakened.
Given Viltrumite recovery abilities, he would likely awaken within days.
What would happen to this universe then?
Levi didn't care.
He turned away. Space Law activated, making his body gradually transparent.
Before vanishing completely, he glanced once more at the slowly regenerating Immortal.
The man's eyes had opened slightly, staring at him with a complicated gaze—fear, gratitude, and something harder to describe.
Levi said nothing.
He simply nodded and disappeared.
The next second, he appeared on the opposite side of the planet.
In front of an ordinary suburban house.
Inside, a black-haired teenager was eating dinner with his mother, completely unaware of what his father had just experienced.
Levi stood silently in the shadows across the street, observing.
The problem of the Phoenix Force needed solving—but not yet.
He needed more data.
More materials.
More possibilities.
And this universe seemed capable of providing everything he wanted.
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