Levi and Wanda stepped through the portal and landed in the main hall of the Time Variance Authority.
Loki was still maintaining the timelines. He had projected an illusion to wait in the hall, while the Time Door behind him was in the process of closing. His gaze lingered on Levi for two seconds.
"Kang is dead?"
"Dead," Levi replied.
"Good." Loki nodded. "Faster than I expected."
Levi said nothing. The laws within his body were trembling, and the barrier of the Skyfather level was loosening. He could feel a breakthrough coming at any moment.
Loki noticed as well.
"You're about to break through," he said. "I can feel the fluctuations of laws around you."
"I need a safe place."
"I've prepared one." Loki turned, reopening the Time Door. "Follow me."
The three of them passed through and arrived in a space composed entirely of pure golden energy. There were no boundaries—only flowing golden light.
"The TVA's energy core," Loki explained. "All the residual energy from pruned timelines converges here."
He paused.
"Breaking through here will give you more than enough energy. And since this place exists outside all timelines, no one can interfere."
Levi looked around at the nearly tangible golden energy.
"How long will it take?" Loki asked.
"No idea. Maybe a few hours, maybe a few days."
"It doesn't matter. Time flows differently here. One day for you equals one hour outside."
He turned to Wanda.
"You staying with him?"
Wanda nodded.
"Alright." Loki walked toward the door, then stopped. "Levi, after your breakthrough, we need to talk about the Void. The Anti-Monitor won't sleep forever."
"I know."
Loki left, and the Time Door closed.
Only Levi and Wanda remained.
Levi sat cross-legged at the center. Wanda sat beside him, holding his hand.
"Will it be dangerous?" she asked.
"I don't know," Levi said. "But I have to break through. Skyfather level isn't enough anymore—Anti-Monitor, Kang… I need more power."
Wanda fell silent for a few seconds.
"I'll stay with you."
Levi glanced at her, nodded, and closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank inward. Nine laws surged like uncontrollable rivers, colliding deep within his mind—Space, Power, Time, Mind, Reality, Death, Life, Soul, and Body.
He needed a core—a concept that could unify them all.
The Soul Stone had once asked him: What is your essence?
Back then, he had no answer.
Now he did.
From the World War II battlefield onward, he had never stopped acquiring—Logan's healing, Steve's serum, Carol's Binary power, Ego's lineage, the Ancient One's time, Wanda's chaos…
He had never stopped.
Because he wanted more.
Greed.
Levi's consciousness sank deeper into the ocean of laws. Every copy, every battle, had been an act of taking—of plundering.
This wasn't about good or evil. It was simply the way he existed.
Greed was his driving force.
A pitch-black vortex formed deep within his consciousness, spinning endlessly, devouring everything.
The nine laws sensed this concept and began converging toward the vortex. Space became its framework, Power its engine, Time its eternity. Mind, Reality, Death, Life, Soul, and Body followed, merging one by one.
The vortex began to expand.
The Skyfather barrier trembled violently, cracks spreading across it—but it had yet to shatter.
One final piece was missing.
At that moment, his mind suddenly jolted.
A massive energy fluctuation surged from the depths of the distant universe. It felt like both life—and death.
Levi opened his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Wanda asked.
"Earth," Levi said. "Something is being born."
His consciousness pierced through the energy core, reaching Earth.
In the depths of the Indian Ocean, a colossal figure was awakening.
A Celestial.
One of the oldest beings in the universe. They seeded life on planets, and once that life matured, they would emerge—destroying the planet in the process.
Earth's Celestial was awakening. Its energy had reached the peak of the Skyfather level—perhaps even beyond.
More importantly, Levi sensed a unique law within it.
Devouring.
Celestials evolved by consuming planetary life—a form of plunder at the level of laws.
It resonated perfectly with his concept of greed.
In an instant, Levi appeared on Earth, standing atop the Celestial's emerging hand.
"Copy."
The thought itself was the command.
An invisible link extended from his consciousness, locking onto the Celestial's essence. His mind was dragged into a bottomless abyss filled with nothing but the urge to devour everything.
His Greed concept resonated with the Devouring Law.
They began to merge.
[Copy successful]
[Acquired SSS-Rank Law: Devouring Law]
The vortex within Levi expanded wildly. He immediately teleported back to the energy core.
"What was that just now?" the distant Eternals murmured in confusion.
The Devouring Law became the core of the vortex. The nine laws were no longer merely merging—they were being devoured, decomposed, and reconstructed.
At last, the Skyfather barrier shattered.
Levi's consciousness soared into a higher dimension.
The Conceptual Layer.
He saw the truth of the universe. Time, space, matter—mere appearances. Above everything lay concepts: life and death, existence and nothingness, order and chaos.
Skyfathers controlled laws.
But the conceptual layer defined laws.
He projected his Greed concept outward, carving it into the void like an indelible mark. Black radiance spread, seeping into every corner of the universe.
Greed was etched into the very foundation of reality.
As long as the concept of greed existed in this universe—he would never truly die.
Levi opened his eyes.
The golden energy around him now appeared as fragments of countless timelines.
He raised his right hand. A black vortex manifested in his palm, drawing in the surrounding golden energy and converting it into his own power.
Wanda sensed the change. His aura had become unfathomable—like a man who had turned into myth.
"You… succeeded?"
Levi nodded.
"Cosmic Overlord."
He stood, retracting his domain of laws into his body.
Closing his eyes, he felt the pulse of the universe. The Celestial on Earth was nearing full awakening.
At the same time, he sensed another presence.
Eternity—one of the five fundamental cosmic entities.
A wave of consciousness crossed the void.
"Newborn Cosmic Overlord," Eternity's voice echoed in his mind. "You have etched Greed into this universe."
"Yes."
"Good. The universe requires balance. Your greed is both a driving force—and a seed of destruction. If you lose control, I will personally erase you."
It wasn't a threat. It was a statement of fact.
"I understand."
Eternity's presence faded.
Levi opened his eyes and looked at Wanda.
"Earth's in trouble. The Celestial is about to awaken."
"Then we go back?"
"Mm." Levi tore open a rift and stepped through with her.
They appeared above the Indian Ocean. Deep below, the Celestial's heartbeat grew stronger.
Ignoring the arguing Eternals in London, Levi dove straight down.
Within a massive undersea fissure, a gigantic arm had already emerged—each finger hundreds of meters long.
"You want to devour Earth to evolve," Levi hovered above it. "But I need your power too."
He raised his right hand. The vortex in his palm erupted with black light.
The Devouring Law activated.
The vortex became a monstrous maw, clamping down on the Celestial's arm. Its energy was violently drained.
A low roar echoed as the entire planet trembled.
"Stabilize Earth," Levi's voice sounded in Wanda's mind.
Wanda took a deep breath. Scarlet chaos magic spread across the globe, stabilizing the crust.
Levi held nothing back. He projected his Greed concept directly onto the Celestial.
"You want to devour Earth—then I'll devour you."
Power from the conceptual layer crushed down.
The Celestial's struggle ceased instantly. In less than ten seconds, its body withered into ash.
As the final strand of energy was consumed, Earth returned to calm.
Levi's power surged again. His domain expanded to a million meters.
Now, he was truly a Cosmic Overlord.
He rose from the ocean and landed beside Wanda.
"It's over."
Wanda's face was pale. Levi transferred a stream of life energy into her, restoring her condition.
Just then, the sky split open with a golden rift. Ten figures stepped out, led by Sersi, leader of the Eternals.
Her eyes were filled with shock.
"You… killed a Celestial?"
"I devoured it," Levi said. "I'm now a Cosmic Overlord—on the same level as Eternity and Death. The Celestials won't come after me over a failed specimen."
He paused.
"Besides, Earth is saved. You should be thanking me."
The Eternals exchanged glances.
Kingo stepped forward, his tone unfriendly. "You just wanted its power!"
"Correct." Levi glanced at him. "But Earth survived. Isn't that enough?"
Kingo fell silent.
Sersi stopped him and said to Levi, "Regardless of your motives, Earth was saved because of you. The Eternals owe you a favor."
"I don't need favors," Levi said. "You can stay—or leave."
He turned to go.
"Wait," Sersi called out. "Devouring a Celestial doesn't come without a cost, does it?"
Levi paused. The energy within him was indeed turbulent—but it only needed time to stabilize.
"I'll handle it."
"If you need help—"
"I don't."
Levi tore open space once more, taking Wanda back to the meteorite base to suppress the surging energy within him.
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