Chapter 232: The Cosmic Elders' Council, The Champion!
A red-haired muscular man, his body rippling with formidable muscles, locked eyes with Clark when he looked at him. His gaze betrayed a madness stemming from deep within.
Ignoring skin color, if this man were placed alongside power-based villains like the Fiery Cloud Evil God or the Absolute No God, it'd be hard to distinguish one from the other.
Though a character from American comics, he strangely gave off a vibe akin to a Hong Kong comics' villain.
Just his bizarre appearance was enough to confirm that he was no ordinary foe!
The Avengers had already engaged in battle with the Chitauri army. The Avengers, now stronger than in the original story, faced an enemy ten to a hundred times larger with extraordinary valor.
The giant beetle-like Chitauri flying creatures could be sliced in half by a single strike from Hawkeye!
While others might not have displayed as dramatic a power shift as Hawkeye, they too showcased strength far beyond human limits.
The number of Chitauri might have increased, but their quality remained unchanged from the original story.
What was more important was that, due to spatial constraints, the number of enemies they had to face simultaneously didn't increase much, making the battle much easier than in the original movie plot.
Under the Avengers' leadership, both the military forces and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrived promptly at the scene. The former engaged in fierce combat with the alien invaders, while the latter efficiently organized civilian evacuation, having been well-prepared.
...
As their eyes met, battle intent surged! Seeing Clark ready for battle, with the Cosmic Cube in one hand and the Healing Hand in the other, the red-haired man spoke first: "Hand over the cube in your hand, and I'll spare your life."
"How arrogant!" With a disdainful snort, Clark's figure suddenly vanished, his sword qi slashing directly at the man's throat! Upon Clark's move, the red-haired man responded by grounding himself, cracking the earth beneath him, and throwing a punch through the air towards Clark's sword qi.
"Boom!" Accompanied by a loud noise, Clark was sent flying back by the man's punch, only stopping when he crashed into a giant Chitauri beetle craft.
In the next instant, the beetle craft behind Clark froze into a massive block of ice, not due to the red-haired man's attack, but because Clark had activated the power of a magic ring on his left index finger at the moment of contact.
Ice Snow: Capable of unleashing freezing power, in the hands of a powerful being like Clark, it could produce attacks nearly as cold as absolute zero.
Clark froze the beetle craft, not only to prevent it from interfering with his fight with the red-haired man but also to alleviate some of the pressure on his allies.
The next moment, Clark used the rebound force to charge back, finding that the red-haired man's right hand had already healed from his sword qi cut, thanks to cosmic energy.
Feeling the thick cosmic energy emanating from his opponent, Clark couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
Such robust cosmic energy!
Received +666 impression points from the Champion!
Champion?
What a strange name, sounding more like a title.
Clark didn't recall his God-tier BGM system having a habit of recording nicknames. For example, in the system, Black Widow would be Natasha Romanoff, and Hawkeye, Clinton Francis Barton... the same for other characters.
Often, with limited knowledge of the Marvel world, Clark had to ponder for a while and combine other information before realizing.
Oh! So Pietro Maximoff is Quicksilver!
Amazing!
By that logic, this guy with the Hong Kong comics style, called Champion, must not be a nickname but his actual name!
Is there really someone with such a bizarre name in the Marvel world?
Thinking this, Clark's gaze on the red-haired man became more intense. Judging from the recent exchange, the Champion's attack and defense, as well as the cosmic energy he exuded, were far superior to Heberon's!
If there was one area where he seemed inferior to Heberon, it was that he hadn't shown any abilities beyond physical combat.
Glancing at his now healed right hand, the Champion's gaze fell on the Cosmic Cube in Clark's left hand, revealing an unmistakable greed and madness.
"So this is the power of the Cosmic Cube? Fascinating!"
"If I had it, I could return to that bastard Thanos the humiliation he gave me tenfold, a hundredfold. Kid, I'll give you another chance, hand over the Cosmic Cube to me!"
Hearing the Champion speak to himself, Clark swiftly put the pieces together: "From what you say, you're an enemy of Thanos too? Then why are you mixing with his minions, being used by him?"
"Nonsense!" The Champion roared, retorting disdainfully: "Thanos, what is he? He is not worthy of using me!"
So, he's just a brute without guile, Clark thought with a faint smile: "From your words, it seems your status is even nobler than that of the Eternals. Could you grace me with your name, that I may know the illustrious identity of my opponent?"
"Want to know my name? Hahaha…"
The Champion burst into a reckless laughter, making Clark think he saw through his ploy to gather information and pondered striking first. But then, the Champion abruptly stopped laughing and said proudly:
"With your strength, you barely qualify to know my name. Listen well…" His gaze fixed on Clark, he radiated an air of pride: "I am a member of the Cosmic Elders' Council, the most powerful of them all. Therefore, my name is—Champion!"
Clark internally processed this information. He hadn't heard of Champion, but he knew of the Cosmic Elders' Council.
Two of its members had appeared in Marvel movies: the Collector, fond of collecting rare items, and the Grandmaster, who enjoyed organizing combat tournaments and had made Thor and Hulk his gladiators.
Their strength seemed average in the universe - their main advantage being their immortality and longevity.
Supposedly, they were among the first intelligent beings to emerge after the universe was formed, only younger than the Star-Eater from the previous universal explosion.
With the supply of cosmic energy, their lifespan was virtually infinite. In terms of fantasy novels, it's akin to being as rich and long-lived as the heavens.
For such beings, even if they weren't overly powerful, major forces and top entities in the universe hesitated to provoke them.
You might overpower them now, but what about when you grow old?
Can you guarantee the same prowess for your descendants?
That's why, unless these beings went too far, most would leave them to their own devices, allowing them to dominate their domains or wander the universe at will.
And this Champion seemed to be one of the more aggressive and troublesome among the Cosmic Elders.
Dealing with an indestructible lunatic, except for Thanos, who would want to provoke such a being?
Having formed his plan, Clark feigned disdain: "A Cosmic Elder mixing with Thanos' fodder as his lapdog, how enlightening."
With a mock bow, he added: "Impressive, truly impressive!"
"You know nothing!" The Champion, enraged by Clark's undisguised mockery, said contemptuously: "I merely made a deal with Loki, letting him help me reach Earth to seize your Cosmic Cube. As for the Chitauri or Thanos, what are they to me? Am I to be their pawn?"
So, the Champion was just a fool used by Loki. From his eagerness to spill everything when slightly provoked, his intelligence was obvious.
For Loki, tricking such a brute was child's play.
As for whether the Champion could seize the Cosmic Cube and whether he'd give it to Thanos was irrelevant to Loki.
Loki's allegiance had always been to Asgard, his antics just a ploy to seek attention and prove himself to Odin.
And Thanos? Loki wouldn't hesitate to kill him to showcase his prowess.
Understanding the situation, Clark saw no need for further talk. He dove towards the Champion, conjuring a sparking, lightning-wreathed portal with Healing Hand, stepping through it to appear behind the Champion.
His sword pierced between the Champion's ribs, striking his heart!
Received +999 impression points from the Champion!
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