God? God? Planet destruction?
These words combined together had an impact on him, an ordinary person, no less than telling him that the Earth was actually square.
He wanted to go forward and comfort Sersi, but he didn't know what to say.
He wasn't even sure if what he was seeing now was real, or just a hallucination caused by his excessive fright.
"Sersi... Crystal..." he said cautiously.
"That person just now... and the Hulk who suddenly appeared... what exactly is going on?"
His question broke the atmosphere in the room.
Sersi slowly raised her head, and a flicker of emotion finally appeared in her vacant eyes.
She looked at Dane, a hint of sadness in her heart.
This man had feelings for her, and he was also kind.
How should she tell him? Tell him that the World he lived in was actually an eggshell that could burst at any moment?
Tell him that humanity's fate was sealed from the beginning, destined to be sacrifices?
She couldn't do it.
"Dane..." She took a deep breath.
"You should leave quickly. It's very dangerous here. Forget everything you saw today, and stay as far away from us as possible."
"I'm not leaving!" Dane's tone was firm. He walked up to Sersi, knelt down, and tried to take her hand.
"Tell me what happened! No matter what it is, we'll face it together!"
Looking at the genuine concern in Dane's eyes, Sersi's heart was struck once more.
This was humanity.
Fragile, insignificant, short-lived, yet always able to erupt with dazzling light in moments of despair.
She had protected them for seven thousand years; was she to just stand by and watch them head towards destruction?
No.
Absolutely not.
A thought ignited in her heart.
Arishem the Judge deceived us.
Leon Odinson.
Although this guy was arrogant and domineering, he told us the truth.
He gave us a choice.
Perhaps, things hadn't reached an irreversible point yet.
Sersi took a deep breath and slowly stood up from the ground.
Her eyes were no longer lost, but resolute.
"Crystal." She looked at the other woman.
"Leon Odinson is right, we can't go on like this anymore."
Crystal froze for a moment. She looked at Sersi, who seemed to have been reborn, a little confused.
"We have to tell everyone the truth." Sersi's tone was decisive.
"Ikaris, Kingo, Tina, Phastos... every one of them has the right to know the truth! We can't continue to live in lies!"
"And then what?" Crystal was puzzled.
"Tell them we're all pathetic tools? Do you think Ikaris will believe it? That guy's loyalty to Arishem the Judge is more stubborn than a rock!"
"He will." Sersi's gaze became serious.
"Because the Deviants have appeared. This itself proves that something is wrong with our mission. And..."
She paused, Leon Odinson's golden eyes appearing in her mind.
"We now have a choice that might be able to contend with Arishem the Judge."
Although that choice seemed more like a devil's bargain.
But for them, who had already fallen into hell, making a deal with the devil, why wasn't it the only way out?
...In London, inside a luxurious hotel located on the banks of the Thames.
Leon Odinson sat casually on the sofa, holding a glass of red wine, his gaze overlooking the ancient and bustling city through the floor-to-ceiling window.
Banner sat opposite him like a reserved student, holding a cup of hot water, his body sitting ramrod straight.
"So, you mean..." Banner took a long time to process before speaking with difficulty.
"This Universe we're in is like a giant farm. And Earth is just one of the more fertile vegetable gardens. The so-called Celestials are the farmers. They sow seeds, then send gardeners like the Eternal to tend to them. When the vegetables are ripe, which is when humanity develops to a certain extent, they come to harvest?"
Although the analogy was crude, it was very apt.
"That's roughly the idea." Leon Odinson swirled his wine glass.
"Except, their harvest is far more thorough than you imagine."
He drained the wine in his glass, then placed the empty glass on the table.
"The Godhead, the birth of a new God, will directly destroy the entire Earth. The Earth's crust will crack, the oceans will evaporate, all life will be instantly annihilated, becoming the energy for the new God."
Banner felt a shiver run down his spine.
He had fought General Ross and the Military many times, and he had also fought Abomination.
But those were like children's squabbles compared to the apocalyptic scene Leon Odinson described.
"Then, what can we do?" He asked the most crucial question.
"How do we stop them?"
"Stop them?" Leon Odinson smiled.
"Dr., your thinking is still stuck on the defensive. Why should we wait for others to harvest us? Why can't we become the new farmers?"
Banner was stunned.
Leon Odinson stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, spreading his arms as if to embrace the entire World.
"The law of the Universe is the survival of the fittest. The Celestials are powerful, but they are not invincible. In the depths of the Universe, there are even more ancient and powerful beings. They check and balance each other, and contend with each other, to maintain the current balance."
His voice deepened.
"And I am tired of this balance. I came here to break it, and then establish a new order that belongs to me."
He turned around and looked directly at Banner.
"I need power, Banner. All kinds of power. I need an army that can conquer the Universe, not just superheroes who deal with small problems on Earth."
"The Eternal are my first target. They possess the power and technology bestowed by the Celestials, making them good soldiers. Hulk is my second target. Your infinite rage is one of the most powerful forces in the Universe, a perfect vanguard."
Banner's heart pounded.
He finally understood Leon Odinson's objective.
He wasn't here to save the World.
He was here to conquer the World, even the entire Universe!
This madman!
This was Banner's first reaction.
But immediately after, an inexplicable sense of excitement surged from the depths of his heart.
Control your own destiny.
Leon Odinson's previous words echoed in his ears again.
Yes, instead of living in fear of Hulk and despair of the unknown, why not take a gamble?
Follow this madman to witness the true nature of the Universe, to control the power that even he himself feared.
If he lost, he would just be destroyed along with this World.
But what if he won?
Banner looked at Leon Odinson, took a deep breath, and then stood up.
"What should I do?" he asked.
Leon Odinson revealed a satisfied smile.
"It's simple, Dr." He slowly walked in front of Banner, extending his hand and gently placing it on his shoulder.
"First, what you need to learn is not to control anger, but to enjoy anger."
"Let Hulk out. But this time, don't let him dominate you, but let you guide him. Tell him who your enemies are. Pour out all your anger, your resentment, your fear. Let him become an extension of your will, a sword in your hand."
"Go feel that power, Bruce! Embrace it, don't resist it."
Buzz!
Warm golden energy flowed from Leon Odinson's palm into Banner's body.
Banner felt as if he was immersed in a hot spring, every cell in his body relaxing.
The Hulk within his body began to calm down under the soothing effect of this energy.
But at the same time, his own anger was being drawn out.
Anger towards General Ross, anger at the injustice of fate, anger at his own powerlessness... these emotions, suppressed for years, surged forth.
"Roar..."
A low growl escaped his throat.
His eyes began to glow with a faint green light.
This time, he didn't feel fear, but rather a sense of exhilaration.
He could clearly feel that Hulk's power was merging with his consciousness.
He was controlling Hulk.
"Very good." Leon Odinson withdrew his hand, stepped back, and admired his masterpiece.
"It seems you're much more talented than I imagined, Bruce."
His gaze penetrated the hotel walls, looking towards the chaotic museum.
"Now, let us wait quietly and see what choices they will make after realizing the truth."
....
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