My strength is 2 to the power of my level

Five thousand years ago...

In the northern reaches of the Eagle Empire, nestled amidst a sprawling mountain range, stood a magnificent castle.

This fortress, known as Black Dragon City, crouched like a colossal beast atop the highest peak, its gaze sweeping across the vast landscape below.

Black Dragon City was the empire's most formidable bastion, a bulwark against the incursions of the northern Orc hordes, safeguarding the tranquility of the south.

Legend held that the gates of Black Dragon City were forged from Starfall Meteorite, a rare metal found only in fallen stars. Twenty meters thick and weighing over a million tons, the gates were covered in intricate runes and magical arrays. It was said that even an 80,000-level Behemoth couldn't scratch its surface.

For countless years, Black Dragon City had stood defiant.

Yet, at this very moment, a young swordsman was slowly approaching this immortal citadel.

He appeared no older than eighteen, with a slender build and delicate features. His clothes were simple, and on his back, he carried what seemed to be an ordinary, broken sword.

The blade was snapped in half, rusted and scarred, as if it might crumble at any moment. Strangely, however, a palpable aura of sword energy emanated from the weapon, like a slumbering beast poised to strike.

The young man reached the foot of the gate. Against the towering walls, his figure seemed minuscule, as insignificant as an ant.

From above, the guards looked down at this unexpected visitor, their eyes filled with suspicion and disdain.

"Hey, kid! What backwater village did you crawl out of? This ain't no place for the likes of you. Fuck off!" one guard sneered.

The young man, however, seemed not to hear. He remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the imposing gate.

Slowly, he raised his left hand, clenching it into a fist.

"What's he doing?" the guards muttered amongst themselves, a sense of foreboding creeping into their hearts.

In the next instant, the young man swung his fist directly at the gate.

*BOOM!*

A deafening roar ripped through the air, shaking the very foundations of the earth. A massive shockwave erupted, pulverizing the gate into a shower of debris. The supposedly indestructible Starfall Meteorite, twenty meters thick, was obliterated in a single blow.

The guards, caught completely off guard, were flung from the walls, their screams echoing through the air.

With that single punch, the entire city began to crumble.

The towering walls collapsed like dominoes, raising a cloud of dust that blotted out the sun. Buildings were reduced to rubble, and the once-glorious fortress was transformed into a wasteland in the blink of an eye.

The power of one punch… utterly devastating.

And all of this was the work of a seemingly unremarkable young man. His level? A mere fifty.

As the dust settled, the young man stood calmly amidst the ruins, as if he had just swatted a fly. His expression was serene, yet his eyes held a chilling, murderous intent.

Deep within the ruins of Black Dragon City, on an ancient and mysterious altar, King Welles Blackwood, ruler of the city, knelt trembling, desperately praying.

"Great Black Dragon God, your loyal servant begs for your salvation! The invincible Ares has come for revenge, his power far beyond our comprehension. Bestow upon us your divine might and deliver us from this calamity, lest the Blackwood family face annihilation!"

Before he could finish, dark clouds gathered overhead, and the wind howled. A bolt of black lightning struck the altar, and in the blinding flash, a gigantic shadow appeared in the sky.

It was a dragon, its body covered in black scales, its wings so vast they eclipted the sun. Its eyes burned like crimson flames, radiating an aura of boundless power and killing intent.

"Who dares challenge my authority?"

The Black Dragon, level 99999, instantly suppressed the aura of everyone present. The entire world seemed to tremble beneath its might.

Ares looked up at the dragon, his gaze unwavering.

"The Black Dragon God? Guardian deity of the Blackwood family?" His voice, though soft, carried clearly to every ear.

The Black Dragon looked down at the tiny human, its brow furrowed. "A weak human, a mere level 50, and you dare meet my gaze?"

"Weak?" Ares scoffed. "Five days ago, your servants destroyed Hope City. Remember?"

The Black Dragon paused, as if searching its memory.

King Welles frantically cried out, "Great Black Dragon God, don't listen to his lies! He's just a madman seeking revenge!"

Ignoring the king, the Black Dragon continued to study Ares. "Your power… you destroyed my city? Interesting."

"Enough talk. Today, the Blackwood family pays for their crimes!" As Ares spoke, the broken sword in his hand erupted in a blinding light.

The light pierced the clouds, reaching towards the heavens.

Sensing the threat, the Black Dragon beat its wings and charged towards Ares. "Arrogant human, face the wrath of a god!"

Ares snorted, and in a flash, he appeared directly in front of the dragon. With a swift stroke of his broken sword, he slashed at the dragon's left wing.

*SHUNK!*

With a sickening thud, the Black Dragon's left wing was severed.

Blood rained down like a waterfall, staining the earth crimson.

*ROAR!*

The Black Dragon roared in agony, its massive body losing balance and plummeting from the sky, creating a massive crater upon impact.

"Impossible! A mere human… how could you injure me?!" The Black Dragon struggled to rise, its eyes filled with shock and terror.

King Welles and his soldiers were dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

A level fifty boy had just sliced off the wing of the level 99999 Black Dragon God!

Ares gave the Black Dragon no respite. He reappeared above the creature's head, moving like a phantom.

"It's over," he said calmly.

The Black Dragon, sensing its impending doom, panicked. It opened its massive jaws and spat out a shimmering, multicolored orb.

"This is my ultimate weapon – the Orb of Genesis! No matter how strong you are, you cannot escape its seal! You will be banished to the Void!" the Black Dragon roared.

The orb expanded rapidly, forming a massive barrier that trapped Ares within. Inside the barrier, time and space were distorted, everything frozen in place.

"Hahaha! Within my domain, you will be sealed forever!" the Black Dragon cackled triumphantly.

But in the next moment, an even more terrifying sword aura erupted from within the barrier.

*BOOM!*

A blinding flash of light, and the barrier shattered from within. Ares emerged, his eyes blazing with killing intent.

"No… impossible!" the Black Dragon shrieked in horror.

"Go to hell!" Ares raised his broken sword, its blade brimming with unimaginable power.

He swung the sword down, and the Black Dragon's head flew from its body.

The level 99999 Black Dragon God… was dead.

The world fell silent.

Ares stood over the dragon's corpse, his expression indifferent. He vowed to kill all the bastards of the Blackwood family!

But then, his form began to flicker, as if he were about to dissipate into thin air.

"What's happening?" Ares looked down at his hands, watching as they became increasingly transparent.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, and his vision blurred, replaced by an endless darkness.

In the boundless void, Ares's soul drifted through the darkness. He felt no passage of time, unable to touch anything tangible.

He didn't know how long he remained there, perhaps centuries, perhaps only a moment.

Suddenly, a faint light pierced the darkness, slowly approaching him. The light contained a mysterious power, like invisible hands pulling him out of the void.

"Who's calling me?" Ares murmured.

He felt a strange, cold sensation, but it wasn't the joy of rebirth. It was the helplessness of being controlled.