The Ancient One ignored her disciples' discussion, instead smiling as she shook her head and sighed. "It's truly difficult to see through some people. An armor so powerful and full of the miracles of life shouldn't appear in this universe. It's as if it was hidden among the stars. It's truly incredible and magnificent."
As a Sorcerer Supreme who controlled the Time Stone, the Ancient One could see far more than ordinary people. Yet, she found it increasingly difficult to understand Leon. The strange and powerful divine energy, the armor filled with life and light—all of this was appearing right under her nose, making the Ancient One wonder if absorbing the power of darkness had blurred her own vision.
The Ancient One smiled, her resolve growing stronger. She had never been so straightforward in front of her disciples. Her wisdom and knowledge allowed her to see the true nature of the world clearly. The path she had planned for herself was very clear, but that was before the sacred timeline had been shattered. Now, it was time to change her course. On the path to ultimate power, she needed not only enemies but also friends and allies. Otherwise, she might easily fall along the way.
After a moment of laughter, she frowned again. Lately, she had smelled the approaching storm. However, because the sacred timeline had been broken, the single, clear future had been split into countless chaotic and complicated timelines, making it impossible to see what was ahead. Before, she had felt a sort of numbness toward the singular future, but now, being unable to see the future clearly gave her a headache. After some thought, she let it go, feeling a mix of excitement. An unclear future was full of possibilities and might bring her more surprises.
In his temple bedroom, Leon stood on a wide balcony, wearing a thin white veil. He held a glass of red wine, taking a sip and savoring the good mood. He was enjoying the beautiful things in life, and the birth of the first Saint was just the beginning. There would be more Saints in the future, and this sense of accomplishment made him feel satisfied, that life was truly wonderful.
A happy family, no worries about birth, old age, sickness, or death, and the ability to switch between a luxurious material life and a simple, peaceful family life. As he grew stronger, not just the children and Salina, but everyone under his rule felt a sense of fulfillment, and so did he. Leon was not a robot or an ascetic monk. All his efforts were for the sake of enjoyment—eternal enjoyment.
Behind him, a beautiful serpent woman coiled around him, whispering softly in his ear, "My great master, Salina has been recognized by the Scorpio Gold Holy Cloth. It's truly enviable."
Her charming voice was full of a playful resentment, seemingly out of envy. But Leon knew that this was all an act. If she were truly jealous, her character would never allow her to say it out loud.
"Shouldn't you be working harder, then? Salina was the first to be recognized by a Holy Cloth," Leon teased.
"Alas, who gave me the time to practice?" Ophelia replied with a sigh. "I have to spend so much energy managing various departments, and I must spend time with my dear master. I don't have time to practice like Salina and the others."
"Your cosmos is not inferior to Salina's; it's even more advanced, Ophelia," Leon said, revealing a rather frightening truth.
Among the people he had forcefully awakened, the one with the most powerful abilities was not Salina, who was the first to be recognized by a Gold Holy Cloth, nor was it Kaecilius, who was dedicated to hard training. Instead, it was Ophelia, the woman who spent much of her energy managing the vast enterprise under his command. Despite these distractions, her growth was faster than that of Salina, Kaecilius, and the others. Even he, who was at the Sixth Sense level at the time, couldn't compare to this beautiful snake's rapid progress. Her speed surprised Leon.
In fact, Ophelia had already resonated with a guardian constellation early on and could have summoned her Holy Cloth before Salina, but she had chosen not to.
After being exposed, the beautiful snake showed no guilt. She released her hold on him, walked a few steps barefoot in her light gauze coat with her fair skin showing, and a glass of red wine appeared in her hand. She then sat on Leon's lap. After a gentle shake, she stared at the rippling red wine in the glass.
"I was born and raised to understand the beauty of power. I was once addicted to it and pursued supreme power. In that process, I would do anything. Beauty and poison were my weapons. To maintain them, I would even sign contracts with devils."
"Until you appeared."
Ophelia whispered, her beautiful eyes filled with memories. She extended a finger, and a dark purple halo bloomed from its tip, containing a power that could even kill gods. She looked at it with an infatuated expression.
"You changed my perception. This world is wonderful yet cruel. My dear master, you gave me the hope of a greater path. The ambition in my heart is like a flame, and it's this ambition that supports me, makes me progress, and makes me grow."
"Even if I distract myself to manage those departments, this process becomes fuel for my growth," Ophelia continued, her long green hair splayed across Leon's chest, her tone both gentle and firm.
Leon listened silently, a strange feeling at the end. What was this? The strongest worker? He had somehow found a perfect employee who could handle everything. While helping him manage and develop his organization, she not only didn't slow down her own growth but accelerated it. She could manage forces, participate in his private life, and fight enemies personally. What a god-given employee. Before, he had worried about whether Ophelia was being pushed too hard and considered giving her something to help. Now, it seemed that was completely unnecessary.
He then set down his wine glass, picked up the beautiful snake in his arms, and walked toward the bedroom. He was happy today and had to reward this perfect worker.
Somewhere on the Antarctic ice sheet, a blizzard raged. In front of a large, specially built transport vehicle, Zemo, Cynthia Schmidt, Brock Rumlow, and over 20 HYDRA soldiers stood there stunned, wearing thick down jackets. The howling wind was the only sound.
"The Scorpio Gold Saint, guarding the zodiac...incredible," Zemo finally said, retracting his gaze. Under the starry sky, the figure had disappeared, and the sacred sound had ceased, but the image was seared into his mind. His tone was one of both helplessness and longing. It was like a myth had come to life. When you personally feel such a sacred presence, how desperate will the darkness lurking beneath the light become?
After sighing, he looked at the silent Cynthia Schmidt beside him and suddenly felt that working for HYDRA had no future. He had always thought that HYDRA was just a group of people lurking in mainstream society, waiting to erupt. But at least, from a human perspective, Zemo believed he had reached the pinnacle of human power. He had ambitions and believed that under his leadership, he could make a name for himself.
Now, he felt sour and powerless. All his ambitions and plans for HYDRA seemed as boring as a child's game. HYDRA was just a group of rats struggling to survive in the sewers. Perhaps the ruler of Madripoor, this "God," was watching them entertain themselves, joking and laughing. More likely, they weren't even worthy of his notice.
Sigh.
Zemo sighed silently. He had no way out. As one of HYDRA's leaders, he couldn't survive if the organization fell. All his efforts would be for nothing. The only woman he could trust now was the new Red Skull, Cynthia Schmidt.
"God?" Cynthia Schmidt came back to her senses, her tone full of disdain. "Saints? Zodiac? They're just a bunch of thieves who possess power beyond mortals, deceiving the world and stealing the name."
"How many people have called themselves gods since ancient times? Wasn't Magneto one? But what happened to him? He's just a poor guy running from place to place. That person is nothing more than someone playing the role of a god."
"He's building a stage and performing for the world."
"There is only one true God," Cynthia Schmidt's disdainful expression turned fanatical. Zemo's expression didn't change, but he sneered inwardly. He thought this woman was referring to the Red Skull. What he didn't know was that the God Cynthia Schmidt was talking about was not the same person he was thinking of.
"Alright, we should continue our journey," Cynthia Schmidt said, returning to the transport vehicle. Zemo and Brock Rumlow exchanged glances and silently followed, continuing toward their destination. Under Zemo's guidance, the transport vehicle braved the wind and snow, cutting a path through the ice.
After one hour, then two, they finally reached a glacial canyon with massive icebergs on either side. Zemo, Cynthia Schmidt, Brock Rumlow, and another woman got out of the vehicle with the HYDRA soldiers and walked toward a particularly large iceberg. A narrow crack, just wide enough for one person to pass, penetrated the ice layer.
The path was narrow and winding. Once inside, they could see the massive iceberg above them. The cracks in the ice were uniform, and snowflakes fell constantly. Strangely, they never completely filled the cracks, as if some force melted the falling snow, causing water droplets to flow down the ice walls on both sides.
The group walked along the crack for a while until they reached a wider area at the end that could accommodate many people. Zemo looked at Cynthia Schmidt, pointing with his thick gloves at an iron door. "This door is fully sealed and connected to the passage behind it. I once tried to blow up the mountain to get in. But according to structural experts, if the explosion was powerful enough to blow up the iron door, the passage and everything inside would be destroyed along with it."
Zemo had known for a long time that this place was built by the Red Skull. He didn't know what was inside, but relevant records suggested there might be something the Red Skull once possessed: the Book of Skulls. This book was said to contain the truth of this century and many secrets unknown to most people.
"This is something my father left behind. He definitely considered the possibility of a violent assault," Cynthia Schmidt said coldly. She walked forward, took a coin engraved with the HYDRA symbol from around her neck, and placed it on a corner of the huge HYDRA skull pattern on the iron gate. The coin fit perfectly.
Boom~
A dull sound echoed, and the entire iceberg began to shake violently. Everyone instinctively took a step back. Soon, with a grinding sound, the iron door slid horizontally to the left, revealing a long, dark passage.
"You all wait here," Cynthia Schmidt said, looking at Zemo, Brock Rumlow, and the others before walking straight into the dark passage.
Zemo and Brock Rumlow frowned, lost in thought. The latter glanced at the woman next to him, who had remained silent the whole time. He felt a dangerous aura emanating from her. As a special forces captain who had experienced countless life-or-death battles, he trusted his intuition, and it told him not to act rashly. As for Zemo, it was even simpler. He had no superpowers or special combat abilities, and if he made any sudden moves, the HYDRA soldiers behind him would surely shoot him into a sieve.
(End of Chapter)
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