"Ah…"
Countless buildings melted away, with faint cries echoing in the distance.
Soon, the gloomy structures around began to waver and fade, revealing the reality behind the eerie facade.
A roar sounded from afar, seemingly the owner of this strange realm coming to investigate.
Reacting instinctively, Syd raised his right hand and unleashed a beam of light energy.
The blue glow flashed, and the shadowy figure vanished as if it had never existed.
Syd was momentarily stunned. Was that it? Was this some kind of joke?
He was puzzled by the ease with which the shadow was obliterated.
If the deceased shadow could hear his thoughts, it would surely be enraged, lamenting that Syd didn't grasp the true extent of its strength. Did he think everyone was as extraordinary as it was?
As the illusory environment completely disappeared, Syd found himself back in the real world.
Gradually retracting the light energy, he glanced at Kiro and his team before flying off to contemplate his next skill development.
With the sun disappearing from the sky, the SHIELD agents breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let's report this to Director Fury," Kiro suggested to his teammates.
Jeff and the others nodded in agreement, contacting SHIELD and reporting the events honestly.
With their departure, the area returned to its usual quiet, though some locals ventured over to check the situation.
The appearance of an extra sun had not gone unnoticed, with some residents speculating about a celestial deity's arrival and offering casual prayers.
Four kilometers away.
Syd flew through the quiet night sky, faintly hearing what seemed like prayers.
However, the sound was so faint that it was almost imperceptible, and by the time he focused on it, it had vanished.
Syd shook his head and set aside the distraction. He needed to focus on his next steps.
His thoughts inevitably turned to Sunlight. It had been a while since he had upgraded Sunlight to Level 3, and it was starting to feel insufficient.
He recalled his recent use of Sunlight when attacking Apocalypse. Compared to the Phoenix Force, Sunlight was less effective. The Phoenix Force had resolved the situation faster and more decisively.
"I need to upgrade Sunlight first and see if I can unlock the Light of the God Baldur," Syd decided.
Time flew by, and soon the sun rose in the sky.
[Sunlight Experience +1]
[Sunlight Experience +1]
Under the morning light, Syd practiced Sunlight diligently.
As the day progressed, the progress of Sunlight's upgrade became noticeable.
[Ability: Sunlight (83/1000) Level 3]
"Too slow…"
He muttered about the sluggish progress and continued practicing.
Seven days passed…
While avoiding pursuit and diligently enhancing Sunlight, a familiar prayer-like sound reached his ears.
Hmm?
Syd was taken aback, sensing the source and immediately recognizing it as Kaecilius.
"What do you want?"
The mysterious, reverberating voice resonated in the respectful Kaecilius's mind.
Kaecilius responded, "Lord, according to our information, the Tesseract has returned to SHIELD."
"Do you need me to retrieve the Tesseract?" Kaecilius asked.
Syd frowned slightly. The Tesseract had been in the possession of the Ancient One; how could it have ended up in SHIELD?
He doubted that anyone in SHIELD could have taken it from the Ancient One. It was even questionable if they knew the Tesseract was in her hands.
After a moment's contemplation, Syd considered a possibility.
If SHIELD hadn't acquired the Tesseract, then it must have been the Ancient One who returned it to SHIELD.
"Does she not want things to change too much?" Syd mused.
He shook his head. This was something the Ancient One would do. Having glimpsed countless timelines, she would understand what was beneficial and what was not.
Clearly, in her view, the Tesseract's return to SHIELD and the subsequent Chitauri invasion were seen as beneficial for Earth, and altering this would worsen the situation.
Kaecilius, believing Syd had not heard him, repeated, "Lord, do you want me to retrieve the Tesseract?"
After some thought, Syd replied through the enigmatic voice, "No, Earth must face its destiny. It's not wise to make abrupt changes…"
Kaecilius was left in awe, pondering what fate awaited Earth and if anything significant would occur.
Was the great deity predicting something?
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Kaecilius felt an even greater reverence and admiration for Syd.
As for whether something would indeed happen, that would be revealed in time.
If it did, it would mean the deity's power was truly beyond imagination.
If Syd knew what Kaecilius was thinking, he would be exasperated by the overactive imagination.
His dismissal of retrieving the Tesseract was merely a casual remark. He wanted to let events unfold naturally rather than seeking the artifact himself.
Retrieving the Tesseract would prevent the Chitauri invasion and the appearance of Loki, thereby delaying the acquisition of the Mind Stone.
Waiting patiently for Loki to appear would ensure the arrival of the Mind Stone embedded in the scepter.
Loki likely didn't realize the scepter housed an Infinity Stone.
Additionally, taking the Tesseract prematurely might prevent the appearance of the Reality Stone.
Every action had consequences, and Syd preferred not to disrupt the delicate balance.
He instructed Kaecilius to inform him of any major developments in SHIELD and then ended the communication.
"The Chitauri invasion should be imminent, meaning the events of the Avengers movie are about to begin…"
Syd stroked his chin, eyes glinting with anticipation. "Loki, don't disappoint me."
With that thought, he refocused on upgrading Sunlight.
[Ability: Sunlight (575/1000) Level 3]
"Almost there…"
Filled with expectation, Syd continued his practice of Sunlight.
As time sped by, another six days passed