Levi returned to Earth.
Closing his eyes, he expanded his super hearing once more, scanning the entire planet.
This time—it was different.
He didn't just hear sounds anymore. He could see the causal threads behind them.
Who was speaking, why they were speaking, what would happen afterward—every piece of information flooded into his mind.
He began filtering.
Most of it was trivial noise, quickly discarded.
Then he caught a conversation.
Inside a military base in Metropolis, a group of uniformed officers were arguing.
"Have we confirmed the signal source?"
"Confirmed. It's from outer space—approaching Earth."
"Did Clark Kent bring this here?"
"Uncertain. But the timing is too coincidental."
"Prepare response protocols. If they show hostility—"
Levi opened his eyes.
A signal from outer space.
A name immediately surfaced in his mind.
General Zod.
Levi stood and walked to the window, looking up at the night sky.
The stars were calm and silent—but he knew that deep within that darkness, something was approaching at high speed.
His super hearing continued, gathering more information.
The arguments at the military base went on—some advocating preemptive action, others urging caution, some suggesting contacting Superman.
Levi didn't care.
What interested him was something else.
If Zod was coming, then the World Engine would come too.
That thing could reshape an entire planet—turn Earth into a second Krypton.
Its destructive power was immense.
But at the same time—it was an opportunity.
When the World Engine operated, it would release massive amounts of energy. For Kryptonians, it was a terraforming tool.
For Levi—it was the perfect nourishment.
He had stepped into the mid-tier of the Celestial level, but his foundation was still unstable.
His laws had advanced—but they required vast energy to stabilize.
Solar energy was too slow.
The World Engine was different. A masterpiece of Kryptonian technology—its output rivaled hundreds of nuclear bombs in a short burst.
If he could absorb even a portion of it, his strength would rise another level.
Levi made his decision.
He would wait for Zod.
Not just wait—but let events unfold according to the original storyline. Superman and Zod would clash, the World Engine would activate—and he would harvest the energy amid the chaos.
As for whether Earth would be destroyed—he wasn't too worried.
Superman would handle it.
That red-caped boy might be young, but his potential was terrifying.
Levi had observed him—his growth rate was absurd.
Given enough pressure, he would erupt with even greater power.
Zod's arrival would be an opportunity for him as well.
Levi returned to the couch, planning his next steps.
First, find a good vantage point. Not too close—he didn't want to get dragged into the fight. Not too far—he needed access to the energy.
Second, he needed to adapt to using the Speed Force in real combat.
So far, he'd only tested it on a glass.
He stood and walked to the center of the living room.
Taking a deep breath, he activated the newly integrated time-based powers within him.
Green time-law and red Speed Force surged together.
The world slowed.
Everything moved at one-tenth speed. A falling leaf outside the window spun slowly in midair. Passing cars left long trails of light.
Levi moved.
He raised a hand and waved it lightly.
A faint golden afterimage lingered in the air.
He walked to the table. Each step touched the ground without making a sound—his feet vibrating at high frequency, phasing through solid matter before solidifying again.
Molecular phasing.
Standing before the table, he looked at the glass.
He could see over a dozen time branches.
In some, he picked it up.
In others, he knocked it over.
In one, it shattered—because he misjudged the vibration frequency.
Each branch was clear—like a menu laid out before him.
Levi chose the safest one.
He reached out and picked up the glass.
Perfectly smooth. Not even a ripple in the water.
Then he set it back down.
The entire process took less than 0.1 seconds.
But to him, it stretched into over ten seconds. He could observe every movement, feel air resistance, calculate the optimal force.
This was the result of combining the Speed Force with time law.
Not just speed—
But precision within speed.
Levi nodded in satisfaction.
This ability was even better than he expected.
Just then, his super hearing picked up new information.
On the outskirts of Metropolis, a strange spacecraft had suddenly appeared.
Pitch black, hovering midair, distorting the surrounding air.
Levi's pupils shrank.
Sooner than expected.
He tore open a spatial rift, preparing to teleport.
But just as he stepped forward—he stopped.
Something was off.
Too smooth.
Zod should have issued a global broadcast first. This ship appeared silently, without even triggering military response.
That wasn't normal.
Levi closed his eyes, pushing his super hearing to the limit.
He heard voices inside the ship.
Not Kryptonian—English.
"Doctor, are the energy readings stable?"
"Stable. Cloaking device is functioning. Military radar can't detect us."
"Good. Proceed with sample extraction. Don't alert anyone."
Levi opened his eyes.
Not Zod.
Just humans—disguising their ship as alien tech to do something shady.
A mocking smile curled on his lips.
Humans loved scaring themselves.
He had no interest in this.
Closing the rift, he returned to the couch—but kept listening.
Three hours later—
He heard it.
A blinding streak tore across the night sky.
Not a meteor.
A real alien ship—entering Earth's atmosphere at faster-than-light speed.
Blue-white flames burned across its surface as it dove straight toward Metropolis.
Radars across the globe erupted in alarms.
Military bases descended into chaos.
Levi stood and walked to the window.
Watching the descending light, a trace of excitement flickered in his eyes.
It had arrived.
The real show was about to begin.
He didn't move immediately.
Just stood there, observing.
His hearing locked onto the ship.
Heavy breathing. Mechanical hums. And a deep, commanding voice issuing orders.
"Scan the planet. Locate Kal-El."
"Yes, General."
"Begin global broadcast. Let this world know—their fate is no longer their own."
Levi's smile deepened.
Zod was just as arrogant as ever.
The ship slowed and hovered thousands of meters above the city. Its massive shadow swallowed half of Metropolis. Panic began spreading through the streets.
Levi didn't care.
What he cared about was something else.
The moment the ship stabilized—a powerful energy wave spread across the planet.
A scanning device.
Zod was using Kryptonian tech to find Superman.
The process would take minutes—enough time for Levi to prepare.
He turned, went into the bedroom, and pulled out a black backpack from under the bed. Inside were clothes, cash, and a portable terminal hacked from military databases.
Slipping it on, he tore open another spatial rift.
On the other side—an abandoned factory outside Metropolis. Elevated terrain, clear view, less than ten kilometers from downtown.
Perfect.
He stepped through.
---
A moment later, he stood on the factory rooftop.
The night wind carried the smell of rust and engine oil.
He sat in a corner, pulled out the terminal, and hacked into military satellites.
Live footage appeared instantly.
Zod's ship hovered in the sky, surrounded by fighter jets. They circled like flies—but didn't dare fire.
They were waiting for orders.
Orders that wouldn't come in time.
Zod wasn't that patient.
Blue light flared beneath the ship.
The fighter jets instantly lost control, spiraling out of the sky like severed kites.
Not destroyed—their systems were jammed.
Levi watched as several jets plummeted toward residential areas. At that trajectory, at least three buildings would be destroyed.
He didn't move.
Because he knew someone else would.
A red-and-blue figure streaked down from the sky.
Superman.
Moving at supersonic speed, he caught each jet midair and gently set them down.
All within five seconds.
Levi narrowed his eyes.
Faster than expected.
Superman hadn't been idle.
He was already brushing the threshold of mid-tier Celestial level.
Zod noticed him too.
A beam projected from the ship, forming a massive hologram.
A Kryptonian in black armor, face filled with arrogance.
"Kal-El. I am General Zod. Your father, Jor-El, betrayed Krypton—and you are his final sin."
Superman hovered in silence.
"Return the Codex. Come with me. In exchange, I will spare this planet."
His voice echoed across the city.
After a pause, Superman shook his head.
"I grew up on Earth. This is my home."
A savage expression crossed Zod's face.
"Then you have chosen betrayal. Very well, Kal-El. I will make you watch as this planet is transformed into a new Krypton—and you will live on, burdened by that guilt."
As his words fell—
Dozens of smaller craft deployed from the ship, scattering across the city.
Levi knew exactly what they were.
World Engine deployment units.
Zod was going all in from the start.
Superman reacted instantly, turning into a streak of light as he chased one.
But Zod's ship moved, blocking his path.
The hatch opened.
Over a dozen Kryptonian soldiers in black armor emerged—attacking without hesitation.
The battle erupted.
Levi sat calmly on the rooftop, watching.
He could see every movement, hear every impact, sense the energy within each warrior.
They were strong—each at least sub-Celestial level. Together, even Superman would struggle.
But Levi wasn't worried.
Superman would win.
That boy's potential far exceeded their expectations.
Levi shifted his gaze.
In the distance—
A World Engine had already landed.
Massive machinery unfolded like metallic petals. A column of blue energy shot into the sky.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For 20 advanced chapters, visit my Patreon:
Patreon - Twilight_scribe1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~