"Peace?"
Leon couldn't help but chuckle.
"Mr. Bernard, do you really think your current life is peaceful? You walk on eggshells every day, afraid to breathe too loudly, terrified that you might accidentally destroy everything around you.
You suppress your true nature, wear a false mask, and use power that could destroy the World to mow the lawn."
Leon's words tore open Adam's years of pretense.
"This isn't peace; this is self-imprisonment."
"Shut up!"
Adam roared, and a powerful wave of energy erupted from him!
The lawn beneath his feet instantly turned to scorched earth, and the surrounding rose bushes withered and died.
The town's electrical system experienced abnormal fluctuations, and the lights in countless homes began to flicker wildly.
Banner was pushed back by the energy wave, stumbling repeatedly. If Leon hadn't been standing in front of him, he probably would have been blown away.
My god… Banner screamed internally.
This was already beyond the realm of what physics could explain!
This guy did nothing, yet a mere emotional fluctuation could send people flying?
Leon remained standing, his clothes not even stirring.
The terrifying energy wave, upon approaching his body, silently dissipated like spring snow meeting the Sun.
Seeing Adam, whose emotions were somewhat out of control, a hint of pity flashed in Leon's eyes.
"See? This is your peace. So fragile, it can't withstand a single blow."
Adam gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently.
The blue light in his eyes grew increasingly intense, as if it wanted to devour the entire World.
He knew Leon was right.
His so-called peaceful life had always been built on sand.
He was constantly suppressing himself, afraid of his own power, afraid it would destroy everything he cherished.
He was a monster.
He was a monster cloaked in a hero's aura.
"I don't want to hurt anyone…" Adam said after a moment of silence.
"Whether to hurt or not is never decided by the weak," Leon said indifferently.
"When you possess the power to destroy the World, your choice of whether to use it is, in itself, a form of arrogance."
He slowly raised his hand, palm facing upward.
A wisp of golden light gathered in his palm.
The light was not dazzling, but it was pure.
"You fear losing control because you don't understand the essence of power. Your so-called energy is merely a projection of the Universe's laws on you. And I…"
Leon's lips curved into a confident smile.
"I am the law itself."
Boom!!!
Suddenly, a powerful pressure abruptly descended from Leon!
The surroundings seemed to fall into stillness.
The blue light in Adam's eyes instantly extinguished. He felt like he had been thrown into the core of the Sun.
Light and heat began to envelop and squeeze him.
His legs went weak, and he uncontrollably dropped to one knee, the ground instantly cracking.
He used all his strength to support his body so he wouldn't completely collapse, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat pouring down like rain.
Banner watched all of this again and again. He didn't know how many times he had seen Leon show off.
So… this was his true power?
Dealing with the Eternal in South Dakota before, was that not even considered a warm-up?
Leon looked down at Adam, who was kneeling on one knee, his gentle smile still on his face, but his eyes were indifferent.
"Now, do you understand, Adam Bernard?"
"In the face of absolute power, your pretense is meaningless."
With that, Leon slowly retracted his pressure.
Everything in the courtyard returned to normal, as if the World-destroying scene from earlier had never happened.
Adam collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, his entire body soaked in sweat.
He looked up at Leon, the sunlight blinding, shining quietly on Leon, making him appear like the Sun god descended.
The power he had always resisted, was it still not enough?
"What exactly are you…" Adam struggled to speak, his voice hoarse.
Leon withdrew his hand, putting it back in his pocket, resuming his elegant demeanor.
"I told you, my name is Leon Odinson."
He looked down at Adam, giving him a final ultimatum.
"I am not here to ask for your consent, but to inform you that your vacation is over."
"From today onward, you are no longer a coward hiding in a small town to teach."
"You are Blue Marvel, the vanguard of my legion, a Sun about to tear apart the stars."
"Stand up, join me, or…"
Leon paused, his eyes calm.
"Live out this life with your pathetic peace."
Adam fell silent.
Multiple-choice questions were always a cruel game, especially when the options were decided by others.
Adam lowered his head, his broad shoulders trembling slightly.
He could feel the worried gazes of his wife and children.
They were his everything, the treasures he would abandon the entire World to protect, the reason he willingly confined himself to the town.
Live a mundane life forever?
No, he couldn't accept that.
He had actually always been resentful about what happened back then.
But, to just give in like this?
To pledge his loyalty to a powerful and incomprehensible individual of unknown origin, and become a weapon in his conquest of the Universe?
And… Leon Odinson?
Wasn't that the title of the Sun god?
The name Adam Bernard was once a symbol of hope, a beacon of freedom.
He was a hero in the hearts of countless people.
Even if forgotten by the World and hidden by the government, the pride of a hero never disappeared.
It could be sealed away, but never defiled.
He propped himself up with his arms, slowly rising from the ground.
The process was difficult, as if he wasn't bearing his own weight, but the forgotten weight of an era.
Leon watched him quietly, without urging or disturbing him.
He enjoyed watching this kind of drama.
Ants, in the face of absolute power, always liked to put on a show about dignity and willpower, which was much more interesting than begging for mercy.
Banner stood by, nervously swallowing his saliva.
He didn't dare to breathe loudly.
Stuck in the middle, he felt like a trembling little squirrel next to two arguing Godzillas.
His only thought now was that he hoped this Mr. Blue Marvel would be sensible and not provoke Leon again.
Otherwise, he had no doubt that the town would disappear in the next second.
"I…"
Adam straightened up. He took off his thick glasses and tossed them aside.
Without the obstruction of the lenses, his eyes were fully exposed.
They no longer held the gentle and refined demeanor of a university Professor, but were filled with a brilliant blue light.
"I admit you are powerful."
"So powerful that it makes me despair."
"But."
He changed his tone, and a surging aura once again rose from within him.
This time, it was no longer an uncontrolled rampage, but a controlled release.
The ground beneath his feet instantly turned to dust, and the detached house behind him began to groan under the strain.
"If you want me to serve you, mere intimidation is not enough." Adam looked directly at Leon, not backing down.
"You must defeat me! Beat me until I can no longer stand, until I can no longer resist!"
This was his last shred of dignity as Blue Marvel.
He could submit for his family, but it had to be after a fair and square fight.
He needed a thorough defeat to put an end to his past.
Leon, after hearing this, was first startled, then burst into laughter.
"Haha…"
Banner looked at him in confusion.
What was so funny about this?
The man was about to fight him to the death! Wasn't this a very serious matter?
Leon's laughter gradually subsided. He looked at Adam's resolute face and shook his head helplessly.
"Mr. Adam, I think you might have misunderstood something." His tone remained gentle.
"I am here like a King passing through his territory, seeing a wild horse of good lineage. I admire you, and I want to tame you, but that doesn't mean you have the right to challenge a King."
He couldn't be bothered to correct Adam's notions.
Fight me? Are you worthy?
Such a thought, in itself, was a blasphemy against a god.
.....
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