After so many days of investigation, White Night had more or less figured out how the chat group's level system worked.
It was based on maximum single-strike destructive power—in short… how big a crater you can make.
At Level 0, you were basically no different from an ordinary human.
Level 1 meant exceeding the physical limit of carbon-based lifeforms—being able to smash a brick into fragments with one hit.
Level 2 could blow apart a wall, and Level 3 could blow up a house.
As for someone like White Night, who was now Level 4—he had to be able to destroy an entire high-rise building with one full-power punch to qualify.
Following that logic, reaching Level 5 meant being able to destroy every building across several hundred meters of a city block in a single strike. Level 6 meant destroying an entire metropolis.
Of course, although the levels were defined that way, the gap between individuals of the same level could be greater than the gap between a man and a dog.
To win a fight between people of the same level, you still had to compare strength, speed, defense, energy, resistances, healing, and special abilities, etc.
For example, someone like Professor X, who reached Level 4 purely through mental power—if he encountered some Level 1 physical ability user wearing Magneto's helmet, he could easily get beaten down one-on-one.
But if a strength-based powerhouse reached Level 7 in physical power but only Level 2–3 in mental resistance, one moment of carelessness and Professor X could still control him.
This was why characters from different systems of power often created those infamous "power level jokes."
A Saiyan who could blow up planets could still die from heart disease or an alien handgun.
A Flash who could cross the universe in an instant could still have his leg broken by a random street-level sneak attack.
A godlike being who could destroy the universe might not live past a hundred thousand years, and so on and so on.
As a certain high-ranking official surnamed Chu from a parallel universe once said:"A fight is all about sneak attacks and acting cool."
For someone like White Night—who relied purely on fists, had no big ultimate moves, and was essentially a pure physical fighter—this rating system was slightly unfair.
When White Night could destroy a building with one punch, he could use his speed to destroy an entire street in a second.
When he could destroy a street with one punch, in one second he could throw ten thousand punches and level a city.
What was a desperate, all-out Level 4 ultimate move for others… was nothing more than a normal basic attack for White Night.
Other people's full power at Level 4… was just White Night's baseline.
"You asked for strength. I've already given you the method to improve it. Handle the rest yourself—I'm heading out." White Night said to Stark.
In the next instant, his body flickered and vanished. There was something he needed to look into.
Kamar-Taj. White Night stepped through a portal and headed straight for Ancient One, who was teaching the disciples.
"You must've already seen what happened with Thor today."
Under the astonished gazes of the disciples, White Night walked forward and said, "Why didn't you warn them?"
This was exactly what White Night found baffling.
Given the occasional contact between the Ancient One and Asgard, she shouldn't have let Thor face such a terrifying boss like him—and not even offer help?
"Continue your training," the Ancient One said calmly to her disciples. Then she turned and walked toward the courtyard exit, White Night following silently behind.
Once they were outside, the Ancient One in her gray robe finally spoke slowly:"Time can be observed… but it must not be casually altered."
"As long as fate's trajectory does not lean toward destruction, I generally won't intervene. That applies to Thor, and it also applies to my disciples."
As she spoke, the Ancient One glanced back at the disciples training in the courtyard.
Under normal fate, several of her disciples would eventually fall into darkness, and more than a dozen would die in battles.Of course, with White Night's appearance, the future was no longer fixed.
But even if she felt compassion, she couldn't freely change a fate that White Night was capable of altering at will.
"Fine, I get what you mean," White Night said with a slight pout.
So unless it was a dimensional demon god—something humanity couldn't handle—she simply wouldn't intervene.
"There is one more thing I need to remind you of," the Ancient One said, looking at White Night.
White Night: "Speak."
"You don't need to prepare for a battle anymore. Asgard already evacuated moments ago. Only Odin remains in the realm."The Ancient One bluntly sold Odin out without hesitation.
"…What?" White Night froze.
"Odin actually awakened back when Thor died. With his wisdom-eye, he can foresee the next ten minutes of the future."
"After seeing that future, knowing he couldn't defeat you, he ordered the entire Asgardian race to migrate into space—to flee voluntarily."
"Right now, within all of Asgard, only he remains, waiting to face death one month from now."The Ancient One laid everything out clearly, leaving White Night completely dumbfounded.
He had been preparing to train seriously for an entire month—and now the Ancient One was telling him… the enemy he was preparing for had already decided to surrender from the very beginning?
"Hey hey hey—this old coot… tsk… That's a pretty damn good delaying tactic. Even I fell for it."
White Night lowered his head, muttering to himself as he paced back and forth nearby.
Odin, that old fox—he actually managed to trick him.
When he saw Heimdall's challenge, he really thought he was heading toward a brutal battle. But the other side just… surrendered?
"Hey, doesn't this mean you basically sold out the entire Asgardian race? If I go after them now I can probably still catch up. One sentence from you might doom their whole race, you know?"
White Night looked at the Ancient One."You don't have any grudge with them, right? Why harm them?"
In response, the Ancient One simply offered a polite smile and said nothing.
If they really waited one month, the Asgardians would be guaranteed to die.
Think about it—White Night spent ten days training just to fight the All-Knowing, All-Powerful Great Immortal.
Then discovered the guy was pathetically weak. Realizing he had spent ten days worrying for nothing…he beat the Great Immortal like a dead dog.
And now Odin—who was strong enough to make White Night train for an entire month with one sentence.
If the Ancient One hadn't spoken up… and White Night spent a whole month buried underground, training day and night…
Only to climb out and discover that the old bastard had surrendered from the very beginning—what was he training for?!
Everyone knows White Night is notoriously petty…
At that point?Turning Odin into dust would be considered merciful.
Given how long White Night could hold a grudge, he might remember this prank for centuries.Every night before sleeping, he'd probably want to slap Odin twice.
And the final outcome?Even if White Night hunted down every last Asgardian in the universe, subjected them all to ultimate humiliation, and then executed them—that would still count as White Night going easy.
So by telling him now, the Ancient One was actually saving the entire Asgardian race.
(End of Chapter)