Inside the underground training room of the Avengers base, Levi sat cross-legged on the floor.
This was the most heavily fortified area in the entire base. The walls were made from a composite of vibranium and uru, capable of withstanding nuclear-level impacts.
He needed that isolation—a space completely free from outside interference.
Nine different colors of light flowed beneath his skin, like magma surging through his veins. Every heartbeat resonated with the laws; every breath reshaped his cellular structure.
Levi closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking inward.
He saw a network woven from nine laws, spinning, colliding, and merging at his core. The Law of Space intertwined with the Law of Time; the Law of Power seeped into Reality Warping; the Laws of Life and Death formed a yin-yang-like balance.
But it wasn't enough.
This was only fusion at the level of laws—it hadn't yet touched the Concept Layer.
Levi recalled the moment he snapped his fingers.
Using the six Infinity Stones, he had reversed Thanos's snap and brought back all vanished life. In that instant, he had touched the essence of the universe.
Not physical laws.
Not energy transformations.
But something more abstract.
Existence and non-existence.
Life and death.
Gain and loss.
These concepts themselves were the foundation of the universe—deeper than any law.
And what was his concept?
Greed.
But greed was too broad. It needed definition.
Levi took a deep breath and began constructing it within his mind. He laid out all his experiences—from arriving on a World War II battlefield, to copying Logan's Healing Factor, to fighting alongside Steve, to being frozen for seventy years, to defeating Ronan on Xandar, to breaking through to the Skyfather level on Sakaar, to copying Superman's abilities in the DC Universe.
Every copy.
Every battle.
Every breakthrough.
They all stemmed from the same driving force.
To survive.
To grow stronger.
To protect the people around him.
And then continue growing stronger. Continue surviving.
That was his greed.
Not for conquest.
Not for destruction.
But for survival—for carving out a place of safety for himself and those he cared about in a dangerous universe.
Levi opened his eyes. The cracks along his right arm suddenly contracted.
The nine-colored light converged into a single point, condensing into a tiny sphere in his palm. It shone brightly but gently, radiating warmth.
This was his Concept Core.
The embodiment of his greed.
The desire to survive, the pursuit of strength, the determination to protect—everything condensed into this single sphere.
Levi felt the nine laws within him begin to reorganize around it.
They were no longer independent forces, but extensions of his concept—tools to achieve the ultimate goal of survival.
The Law of Space allowed him to escape any predicament.
The Law of Power let him defeat any enemy.
The Law of Time let him foresee danger.
The Law of Life healed his wounds.
The Law of Death ended threats.
Reality Warping reshaped unfavorable situations.
The Law of Mind kept him clear-headed.
The Law of Soul preserved his essence.
The World Tree sustained existence.
Nine laws. One purpose.
Levi clenched his fist, and the sphere sank into his palm. A power unlike anything before awakened within him—not a simple sum of laws, but a qualitative transformation.
He had touched the threshold of the Concept Layer.
But he hadn't crossed it yet.
To truly reach the Cosmic Overlord level, he needed to fully manifest this concept—turn it into something observable, something real.
But now wasn't the time.
Explosions echoed from outside. The entire training room trembled. Thanos's assault had begun.
Levi stood, flexing his fingers, feeling the stabilized power within him.
Though he hadn't broken through yet, he was stronger than before. The nine laws had found a unified core—his combat power had increased by at least thirty percent.
Enough to deal with Thanos.
Levi walked out of the training room and down the corridor. Steve's voice came through the communicator.
"Levi, are you ready?"
"I'm ready," Levi replied. "Be there soon."
He quickened his pace, passing through multiple blast doors before reaching the surface level.
Outside was a battlefield.
Thanos's army had landed. Countless Outriders surged toward the base like a black tide. Leviathans circled overhead, bombarding the ground with relentless fire.
Steve stood at the front, shield raised, blocking wave after wave of attacks.
Tony, clad in the Mark 85 armor, battled the Leviathans in the air, nanotech weapons shifting forms constantly. Thor wielded Stormbreaker, lightning tearing across the battlefield—each strike obliterating swathes of enemies.
Natasha, Clint, Rhodey, Banner—everyone still at the base was fighting.
But there were too many enemies.
Thanos stood on the bridge of the Sanctuary II, overlooking the battlefield. He hadn't made a move yet—just watched, as if waiting.
Levi stepped out of the base entrance, onto the ruins.
Thanos's gaze instantly locked onto him.
Across thousands of meters, the two stared at each other.
Levi could feel the law fluctuations around Thanos—stronger, denser than five years ago. The Mad Titan had continued honing his power after destroying the Infinity Stones.
But it wasn't enough.
Levi raised his right hand. Nine-colored light gathered in his palm.
Thanos gripped his double-edged blade and leapt down from the Sanctuary II.
Levi watched him descend—and didn't move.
Instead, he turned and walked back toward the base.
Steve blocked his path. "Where are you going?"
"To find Wanda," Levi said. "She just came back. I need to see her."
"Thanos is here," Steve pointed upward. "You—"
"I know," Levi cut him off. "But I need ten minutes. After that, I'll come back and deal with him."
Without waiting for a reply, he tore open a spatial rift and stepped through.
The other side opened onto the plains of Wakanda.
Wanda stood in the rain, crimson energy dancing at her fingertips. She had just wiped out a group of Outriders and was about to head back to the Avengers base.
Levi appeared behind her.
Wanda turned—and froze.
Five years.
She remembered turning to dust in Wakanda. Remembered Levi's voice before everything went black. Then nothing—until she suddenly woke up moments ago.
She stepped forward, reaching out to touch his face, confirming he was real.
"You're back," she said softly.
Levi nodded, taking her hand.
"I promised you."
Her eyes reddened, but she didn't cry. She simply pulled him into a tight embrace, burying her face in his chest.
Levi patted her back, feeling her warmth. He had so much he wanted to say—about the past five years, about the DC Universe, about his imminent breakthrough.
But in the end, he said nothing.
They just stood there, holding each other in the rain.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
Levi let go and looked into her eyes.
"I'm going to deal with Thanos," he said. "After that, I'll need to go into seclusion—maybe days, maybe weeks. Wait for me at the base."
Wanda nodded. "I'm coming with you."
"Thanos is too strong right now," Levi said. "I can't split my focus protecting you. Stay here—help T'Challa stabilize Wakanda. Wait for me."
She stared at him—then finally nodded.
Levi kissed her forehead, then turned and tore open another spatial rift.
The other side led back to the ruins of the Avengers base.
Thanos had already landed, standing at the center. His double-edged blade was planted in the ground, surrounded by piles of Outrider corpses. Steve, Tony, and Thor stood before him—but none dared to make the first move.
Levi stepped out of the rift, landing opposite Thanos.
Thanos pulled his blade free and pointed it at him.
"I didn't expect you to return," he said. "Good. I had planned to destroy this universe and create a new one. But now I've changed my mind. I'll kill you first—then destroy everything."
Levi looked at him, speechless.
"Where do you get the confidence to say that to me?"
He raised his right hand. Nine-colored light swirled in his palm, forming a miniature vortex of laws.
Steve, Tony, and Thor instinctively stepped back, clearing space for the two.
The clouds churned overhead, lightning flashing within them. The ruins of the base trembled, as if something beneath the earth was about to erupt.
Levi and Thanos moved at the same time.
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