[System Prompt: Summoning the Knight King requires energy points-- Saber class: 350,000 / Alter class: 400,000 / White Saber class: 300,000 / Lancer class: 500,000]
As he weighed the pros and cons, the differences between the various forms flashed through Li Chen's mind:
The orthodox Saber was overly bound by doctrine and lacked flexibility;
The corrupted Alter was violent and bloodthirsty, difficult to control;
Though the innocent White Saber was lovable, she was ultimately still immature.
Although he preferred White Saber's girlish charm, the position of Europe's branch director required a more mature leader.
Gritting his teeth, Li Chen selected the most expensive option: "Summon the Lancer class."
His energy points dropped by another 500,000. The reserves accumulated from fighting the Deep-Sea Clan were nearly depleted, leaving only enough to recruit a B-Class Hero.
In her Lancer form, Artoria wielded the holy lance "Spear of Glittering Extinction," free from the restrictions imposed by the holy sword Excalibur—
Her body had broken free of the shackles of eternal girlhood, fully blossoming into the majestic figure of the Knight King described in legend.
When the holy lance's power was completely unleashed, she would touch the realm of gods.
Equipped with the three divine artifacts Invisible Air, East Stallion, and the Spear of Extinction, this Knight King's combat power was unquestionably among the very best.
She excelled at using an iron fist to secure victory and never cared for traditional chivalric principles.
In a certain parallel world, this monarch who ruled Britain was respectfully called the "Lion King."
With her prestige in Europe, along with Saint Joan of Arc serving as her deputy, establishing a League of Heroes branch would surely proceed smoothly.
"My points are exhausted. I can only activate... Special Summoning."
After a brief hesitation, Li Chen activated that dangerous option once more.
Although it might attract powerful enemies, this method would at least grant him warriors above B-Class.
[ Ding! Successfully summoned 'Legendary Hero'—[God of Shinobi] Hashirama Senju ]
[ Ding! Successfully summoned 'Ultra-Dragon-Level Calamity'—Gensokyo, Beloved by the Gods ]
As a master of Wood Release and the leader of a ninja village, Hashirama Senju was certainly qualified.
He could take charge of the Oceania branch and use Wood Release for ecological development.
As for Gensokyo, that small otherworldly dimension, the yokai and gods living within were not necessarily all **, and most could coexist with humanity.
This summoning result was acceptable.
"Begin the second Special Summoning."
[ Ding! Successfully summoned 'Legendary Hero'—[Accelerator] Yuriko Suzuka ]
[ Ding! Successfully summoned 'Ultra-Dragon-Level Calamity'—Cosmic Overlord Boros ]
Boros should be exiled in the vast universe, so he posed no threat for the time being.
Even if he wanted to fight, he should first go trouble Thanos. He could be ignored.
Yuriko Suzuka possessed Level 5 Vector Manipulation and could even halt Earth's rotation for five seconds.
Once she entered Black Wings Form, she possessed quasi-S-Class strength.
If she reached Level 6 in God's Domain, she would undoubtedly enter the ranks of S-Class.
Though her management ability was somewhat lacking, Li Chen decided to let her serve as the South America branch director for now.
"Execute the third Special Summoning."
[ Ding! Successfully summoned 'Legendary Hero'—[Queen of the Skies] Ikaros ]
[ Ding! Successfully summoned 'Ultra-Dragon-Level Calamity'—Voidland ]
Another troublesome existence had appeared.
Voidland was a nightmare dimension beyond time and space, inhabited by all manner of terrifying Void creatures.
Void Prophet, Void Reaver, Void Walker, Void Terror, Mouth of the Abyss, Void Burrower, Void Eye, Daughter of the Void...
If those beings appeared in the world collectively, their threat would be no less than that of the cosmic overlord Boros.
Alright, I will follow the requirements.
Ikaros's dull personality was truly exasperating...
But Li Chen had no other choice at this point. As long as she was useful, that was enough.
If he insisted on obtaining someone he wanted through "Special Summoning," he would most likely receive only a guaranteed B-Class Hero, or even attract a terrifying existence beyond Super-Dragon-Level.
Given Ikaros's limited administrative ability, he decided to follow the arrangement made for Ulquiorra and appoint her as the Antarctica branch director. The job was extremely leisurely, after all, since almost no one lived there.
"One last time. Special Summoning."
[ Ding, congratulations! You have successfully summoned an 'S-Class Hero'—... ]
"One last time. Special Summoning."
[ Ding, congratulations! You have successfully summoned an 'S-Class Hero'—[Pharaoh King] Yugi Mutou ]
[ Ding, congratulations! You have successfully summoned a 'God-Level Calamity'—Apostle of Creation ]
Before he could savor the joy of drawing a genuine S-Class Hero, the second prompt struck Li Chen into the depths like a heavy hammer. This was likely the first true "God-Level Calamity" brought forth through "Special Summoning."
Such a calamity was enough to destroy the universe, comparable to Thanos wielding all six Infinity Stones.
"The Twelve Apostles of Creation..."
Li Chen's expression gradually turned grave.
These calamities from the Lad Continent had been created by Carloso, the "Primordial Light." The combined power of the Twelve Apostles had once left the Creator God critically wounded and near death. If that power were used to destroy the world, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Although the Twelve Apostles currently resided in the otherworldly Demon Realm, with their destructive power, arriving on Earth was only a matter of time.
Fortunately, there were quite a few pacifists among the Apostles. Unfortunately, the Second Apostle was an invasion-loving schemer who seemed to feel uncomfortable if she did not stir up trouble for even a moment.
Li Chen knew of thirteen Apostles in total, including one pseudo-Apostle:
First Apostle, [Death **] Kahn of Fate;
Second Apostle, [Tears of Two Faces] Hilder, the Weeping Eye;
Third Apostle, [Lord of the Skies] Prey, the Sky Sovereign;
Fourth Apostle, [Bloodstained Blade] Sword Emperor Kaecilius;
Fifth Apostle, [Ever-Changing] Sirocco, the Stealth Queen;
Sixth Apostle, [Filthy Blood] Dirge, the Black Plague;
Seventh Apostle, [Endless Body] Flame-Eating Anton;
Eighth Apostle, [Master of All Arms] Lotus the Long-Legged;
Ninth Apostle, [Silent Earth-Stroker] Luke;
Tenth Apostle, [One Who Rises from Death] Ozma;
Eleventh Apostle, [One Who Comprehends Truth] Michelle;
Twelfth Apostle, [Omniscient and Omnipotent One] Seria Clymin.
In addition, Bakal, the Tyrant Dragon King, the former Ninth Apostle, had ultimately been classified as a pseudo-Apostle.
With the League of Heroes' current strength, resisting a God-Level calamity was nearly impossible.
After all, Doraemon was not a combat-oriented vice president, but a support character.
"Let's not think about that for now. There'll be a way when we get there."
"Perhaps by the time the Apostles of Creation descend upon Earth, I'll have already drawn a new vice-president-level combatant."
"And there's Voidland, Gensokyo, the cosmic overlord... There are too many problems."
Li Chen rubbed his temples, looking exhausted.
Sosuke Aizen beside him keenly noticed the shift in his mood. "BOSS, is something troubling you?"
"It's a minor matter. There's no need to deal with it yet."
"Do you require this subordinate's service?"
"No. This matter cannot be resolved in the short term." Li Chen shook his head, then handed over a list. "These are the profiles of the seven continental branch directors. I'll leave the task of establishing the branches to you."
"Please rest assured, I will handle it properly."
Aizen bowed as he accepted the list and quickly scanned its contents—
The seven continental branch directors were:
- All Might (North America)
- Ulquiorra (Arctic)
- Li Yun (Asia)
- Lion King (Europe)
- Hashirama Senju (Oceania)
- Accelerator (South America)
- Ikaros (Antarctica)
- Yugi Mutou (Africa)
Every one of them possessed top-tier Hero-level combat power. Among them, Yugi Mutou, the Africa branch director, was marked as S-Class, drawing Aizen's particular attention. The information stated:
Yugi Mutou possessed the divine artifact Millennium Puzzle. As an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh King, he could manifest the power of cards. Under his command were powerful forces such as Slifer the Sky Dragon, The Winged Dragon of Ra, and Obelisk the Tormentor.
"What astonishing power."
Aizen closed the list and respectfully withdrew. He would be responsible for negotiating with the various nations to establish branches and assigning Heroes to garrison them.
"Ding! Chairman, Thor requests an audience."
A god knocks at the door
"Thor? Allow him in."
"As you command."
The intelligent mechanical butler seated in the chairman's office conveyed the order to the outer hall with impeccable etiquette. The instant the passage authorization lit up, the figure of the God of Thunder appeared at the entrance...
"I am deeply ashamed."
The silver-armored god stood with his head lowered, the handle of his hammer trembling faintly between his tightly clenched fingers. Li Chen set down the holographic documents he had been reviewing and watched this Asgardian prince, so different from the one in his memories, with interest.
His fingers dug deeply into the folds of his red cape as Thor's voice seemed to come from the depths of thunderclouds. "That evacuation operation... could have resulted in zero casualties." The cries from his memories still echoed in his ears. Those lives lost due to his impulsive decisions had become this god's eternal nightmare.
"The dead are gone." Li Chen lightly tapped the quantum projection table with his fingertips. "Unless you intend to spend the rest of your life writing a book of repentance."
Mjolnir suddenly hummed as Thor raised his reddened eyes. "Please open the Bifrost and let me kneel before my father to confess my sins." At that moment, he thought not of the throne or divine power, but only of putting an end to the recklessness that had once ignited war across the Nine Realms.
"Granted."
A calculating curve passed across Li Chen's lips. Deep within the distant halls of Asgard, the Mind Stone in the arms of a certain God of Mischief was emitting a faint glow—this had always been a chapter written into the script.
"But I won't be the one sending you."
The chairman suddenly rose, startling a spread of holographic star maps. "You must carve out your own path home."
The silent God of Thunder followed the guiding runes like an apprentice. The sound of his armor striking the ground was restrained and subdued. The once-restless thunder now lay docilely dormant in his eyes; this trial in the human world had finally forged the weight a god should possess.
Li Chen led Thor into the Hero Training Room, stepping onto a vast plain.
"Chairman, why have you brought me here... What are you planning?"
"Thor, have you ever truly understood how powerful your father Odin is?"
"I don't know." Thor furrowed his brows and pondered for a moment before finally shaking his head. "My father is unfathomable. Since I was young, no matter how many times I challenged him, I was never even capable of defending myself."
Over the past several thousand years, this god of Asgard had challenged Odin tens of thousands of times.
Yet every outcome had been devoid of suspense, a complete crushing akin to a tiger playing with a sheep.
Even after recently becoming Asgard's strongest warrior, he still could not change that fact.
"Having inherited such powerful blood, you carry within you a force no weaker than your father's."
"As the master of thunder, you should have possessed the might to tear heaven and earth apart."
"This power has always belonged to you. In the past, your nature was simply not sufficient to control it. But now—" Li Chen's gaze fell upon Thor. "The time is ripe."
Thor, tempered through hardship, had long since shed the reckless arrogance of his younger days.
"It is time to awaken that sleeping... No, it would be more accurate to say, reclaim the power that was always yours."
"I will give it everything I have."
Thor clenched his fist and answered solemnly.
Having tasted the bitterness of losing his divine power, he desired more than anyone to regain control of it.
"Relax. I'm only going to make you have a brief dream."
"A dream?"
"That's right, a wonderful illusion."
Three black tomoe emerged within Li Chen's scarlet eyes, then rapidly spun and intertwined before finally forming a six-pointed star pattern.
Mangekyō Sharingan!
If Second Pillar had stopped at the three-tomoe stage, Li Chen could elevate it to an even higher realm.
Surging ocular power poured forth like a tide, instantly dragging the powerless God of Thunder into an endless illusion.
The fallen blond god became completely immersed in the world constructed by his own consciousness.
"It is time to awaken, incarnation of thunder."
"..."
The instant Thor met those Mangekyō Sharingan eyes, he felt heaven and earth turn upside down.
When the dizziness faded, he discovered that he was lying on cold ground, and the scene around him had completely changed.
Buildings unchanged for millennia, an aura eternal in his memories.
This was clearly his homeland—Asgard!
"Have I really returned?" Thor cried out as he pinched his own cheek. Real warmth came through his fingers. "But wasn't I just at the League of Heroes headquarters?"
Confusion and unease surged within him, but the reality of everything around him soon diluted that subtle sense of discord. Thor shook his head and ran toward the magnificent golden Asgardian palace. He could not wait to confess in person, apologize to his father Odin, and then obediently return to Earth—after all, he was still in exile.
The road to the palace was strangely silent. There was none of the usual bustle, nor were there any patrolling soldiers. The entire city was so quiet that it was horrifying.
"How could this be?"
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