Chapter 137: Breakdown of Negotiations (Second Update)

As the saying goes, "When a friend comes from afar, even if distant, they must be punished. Use bricks. If one doesn't work, throw another. If one friend can't do it, get more friends and keep throwing until it works!"

If this were the singular DC universe, as long as Superman didn't intervene, General Zod, whose strength is just below that of Superman, could really do whatever he pleased.

But this is a world merged with Marvel!

In the Battle of New York, at worst, the Chitauri could have wiped out a city, but humanity's extinction was far from happening. They also happened to miss hitting the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York, which belongs to the protector of Earth, the Ancient One. It's understandable that the Ancient One didn’t intervene back then.

However, Zod’s current actions—directly altering the Earth’s atmosphere—had long crossed the Ancient One’s line.

Thus, the Ancient One would now show Zod what Earth's true top-tier power looks like.

If the Ancient One was surprised by anything, it was that the mysterious bald figure on the sky chariot recognized her. She, who has witnessed the past and spied into the multiverse for eons, couldn’t remember ever encountering such a powerful being.

Out of basic courtesy, the Ancient One gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

This subtle interaction between the two was keenly observed by Director Nick Fury through a drone camera.

“Hm…” Fury squinted his single eye.

Unlike arrogant politicians who think they're invincible, Nick Fury always maintained a healthy respect for unknown powerful entities.

After briefly greeting Atreus, the Ancient One made her move.

With a gentle motion of her left hand, she drew a circle. In the next second, a portal large enough for a train to pass through appeared high in the sky.

Through this airborne portal, one could clearly see the Kryptonian mothership inside. There was no visual distortion, no gravitational disruption; the powerful defenses that drove the U.S. military mad were easily dismantled by the Ancient One.

Even at this point, the Ancient One was leagues ahead of Atreus, a self-taught sorcerer.

But the real brilliance was yet to come!

With her left hand holding the portal open, the Ancient One lightly reached out with her right hand toward the air. In an instant, the space pod Superman had been using, which Zod had just destroyed, began to restore itself.

Yes!

The pod, which had been blown into countless fragments and was falling like a meteor shower, started to reassemble itself as if in reverse—defying all logic.

From burning debris to large metal plates, it reassembled into the precise, intricate space pod that would awe any aeronautical engineer.

This incredible display was something only the Ancient One, who wields the Eye of Agamotto, could achieve.

A certain traveler knew well that inside the Eye of Agamotto lies one of the Infinity Stones—the Time Stone!

The scene was too shocking. Even though Atreus had seen similar feats in movies, witnessing it firsthand left him speechless. And that’s not to mention the stunned reactions of Tony Stark and the other heroes who saw this.

What they didn’t know was that, at the moment the Ancient One acted, it was as if time and space had glitched. The visuals from all U.S. military drones went static.

Director Fury missed the most spectacular moment.

Sigh, don’t be fooled by the Ancient One’s monk-like appearance. Atreus knew she was once part of the Celtic people, one of Europe’s three great barbarian tribes.

In the Western world, things are always straightforward—no gradual buildup.

Zod acted first, and the Ancient One didn’t even give a warning. She just hurled Superman’s space pod, now reactivated, straight at the Kryptonian mothership.

In the blink of an eye, a small but terrifying black hole formed.

The black hole, which seemed to pull in even light, easily twisted and ripped apart the massive jellyfish-shaped mothership.

No metal or shielding could withstand the black hole.

In this moment, Zod’s hopes and dreams were shattered.

Sigh!

Zod, a centenarian who didn’t know his limits, dared to challenge the thousand-year-old Ancient One. Being utterly defeated was inevitable.

“No!” At this moment, General Zod went berserk, launching himself out of his beetle-shaped landing craft like a missile toward the Ancient One.

Just as the black hole was about to consume everything around it, the Ancient One's eyes gleamed with a faint green light.

"Oh? Interesting." Her gaze shifted to Atreus.

Atreus felt a shiver down his spine, like being stared at by the ultimate villain.

As someone who believed in beauty above all, if Atreus had to choose the last Marvel hero he wanted to fight, it would definitely be the Ancient One or Thor's sister.

If the Ancient One was surprised, it meant she had seen something unusual, probably a glimpse of what Atreus would do in the "future."

“In that case, I’ll leave this Kryptonian to you,” she said.

With perfect timing, the Ancient One moved her left hand again, summoning another portal—or perhaps multiple portals.

As her figure vanished into the air, Atreus was hit with a system notification: [Congratulations, Host! You’ve acquired a Kryptonian Assault Spacecraft...]

Atreus: ???

Meanwhile, General Zod, who had been charging at the Ancient One, found himself grasping at thin air.

Before his eyes, the last remnants of the World Engine and mothership were sucked into the black hole, erasing all traces of Krypton’s existence, as the small black hole slowly closed…

"Come back! Who are you? You killed all my people! Destroyed Krypton’s future! And now you just leave like this!? Come back!" Zod roared into the sky, unleashing his endless rage.

Superman, somewhat out of place, once again stood in Zod’s way.

Honestly, even Superman couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe at this moment.

There was a time when Clark thought he was the only one capable of saving Earth.

Now it was clear: Earth was full of hidden powerhouses.

Earth didn't lack powerful protectors; they just allowed him to live here as a fellow Earthling.

Push too far, and they could easily crush him.

“Earth doesn’t welcome you, Zod. This is your last chance—leave now, and I’ll plead with Earth’s defenders on your behalf…” Superman, still kind at heart, tried to reason.

“Bullshit! Not even destroying Earth will satisfy the hatred in my heart!” Zod had completely lost it.

“Negotiations have failed!” Kratos’ cold voice rang out from above.

At that moment, riding his gleaming sky chariot, Kratos didn’t look like a superhero at all.

He resembled the sun god Apollo, riding his chariot across the sky!

Superman sighed in deep regret. He knew Earth’s defenders had reached the end of their patience with Zod and his people.

Since that was the case, he would have to fulfill his father Jor-El’s legacy and finish the job.

(End of Chapter)