"I don't believe you can solve it." Ophelia looked up, her breath as fragrant as an orchid, yet it was more like a beautiful, venomous snake flicking its tongue. "I need proof."
"Proof?"
Leon smiled lightly, turning and walking toward the office's French window. Ophelia frowned, watching the man's back, unsure of what he intended to do.
"A year ago, I could have used sheer power to defeat and conquer you, but I waited patiently. The country I want is not one of greed and corruption, poverty and crime. It is not a place of distortion and chaos."
"For the past six months, the struggle you think you've been in has been too small. The real game isn't happening here, Ophelia."
"You have seen terror, but you have never faced it directly... it."
Boom!
As the voice faded, a dazzling and terrifying aura suddenly erupted from Leon's body. The immense energy, almost overwhelming, was unleashed. The entire city of Madripoor, and even the surrounding sea, began to shake violently.
The ocean churned and boiled. Every person in Madripoor—the criminals with blood on their hands, the greedy and corrupt officials—all knelt in fear under this tremendous pressure.
Rumble...
Above the city, dark clouds gathered, and the thick, dense sky erupted with thousands of lightning strikes. The roaring thunder tore through the sky, sweeping in all directions and shaking the world, as if the end of days had arrived.
The ground shook, and all the people and animals in Madripoor felt an irresistible force. Their souls and bodies trembled and quaked.
On the top floor of the building, Viper and the HYDRA soldiers, including Ophelia, fell to their knees. Melina and the other super-soldiers, though not affected by the aura, instinctively knelt down, looking at Leon's towering back with a fervent reverence.
The surging, sacred presence, a chasm of power on a soulful and genetic level, was something no will could resist.
The entire country was plunged into chaos. People struggling to survive saw a god in magnificent golden armor in their minds, and an ethereal, majestic voice echoed in their ears.
"My people, I am your king. I will lead you to break through this decadent, greedy, and corrupt system and welcome the dawn."
"This land will no longer tolerate the growth of darkness."
"Embrace the light you desire and swear by my name."
Boom!
A dazzling column of golden light burst through the building and shot into the sky. To the disbelieving and excited eyes of countless people, night was dispelled as golden ripples rolled across the heavens like a long river, illuminating all of Madripoor.
Under the light of the golden river, people felt their frail bodies—which had suffered from hunger, disease, and abuse—rejuvenated. Many disabled people watched as their hands and feet regrew, and their emaciated bodies, ravaged by hunger and disease, became healthy again.
Everyone's faces were streaked with tears. They knelt on the ground in excitement, looking up at the sky where the golden light flowed like a river, their hearts filled with fervor. In their confusion and numbness, as if they had been walking corpses, they had found dawn and hope.
"Great God, thank you for your kindness and mercy! Thank you for bringing hope and light to us who are in darkness and despair. I will dedicate everything I have!"
"Thank you, great God! You saved my daughter. Thank you!"
"God, thank you for generously shining your light on this world! I will dedicate my soul and everything to you."
People in deep darkness and despair, when faced with the light, undergo an extreme shift in emotion that turns them into the most loyal believers. These people had all been in dire straits. In this country, the wealthy upper class enjoyed the most luxurious lives. When their material needs were met, they pursued more stimulating, perverse spiritual desires.
But these desires often came at the expense of others. Most of the lower class suffered from disease, hunger, and injuries. Their bodies were wasting away, and their lives were filled with darkness. They had tried to fight back, but the result was even crueler punishment. In the end, they had become numb, like zombies.
They could see no future, no light. Many of them had children, but in such a difficult life, children were often a burden. The dirty, messy environment and food shortages meant these children often died, leaving their parents in helpless anger or numbness.
But now, these people, who had been waiting for death, had been touched by the light—not just a ray of it, but a light that had dispelled all the darkness. For them, God's mercy and boundless hope had saved their lives, their children, and their families.
Now, they would dedicate everything they had without hesitation.
Of course, those criminals who had blood on their hands and carried sins—regardless of gender, age, poverty or wealth, power, or whether they were human or mutant—found themselves in despair and fear as a sacred flame began to burn from their bodies and souls.
This image was shown in everyone's minds, and the ugly memories buried in the hearts of the criminals emerged one by one. To the pleasure and hatred of the crowd, the bodies and souls of the wicked turned to ashes.
At this moment, this land that had bred darkness was being purified in the flames.
(End of Chapter)
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