"How did you do it?"
Gisli stared incredulously at Audrey's eyes, unable to understand how someone whose eyes he had blinded could suddenly have them restored.
"Audrey…"
At this moment, a bystander explained that Audrey had been blessed by the rumored God of Light from Asgard, Balder, who had healed her blindness.
Upon hearing this, Gisli's eyes became even more malicious as he fixated on Audrey.
He refused to believe that a god had blessed Audrey. To him, this was nothing more than an excuse. He suspected that Audrey's sudden recovery was related to some kind of mutant ability, perhaps even her own.
With a cold sneer, Gisli said, "A god? This is just your excuse!"
"Disgusting mutant, did you use your powers to heal yourself?"
Before Audrey or the others could react, Gisli's hand reached behind him, drawing a knife from his waist.
Amid Audrey's scream, Gisli brandished the knife, aiming to stab her in the eyes.
Audrey, seeing this, felt a surge of despair.
Her mutant ability had no combat capability, and as a woman, she was no match for this man. Resistance seemed futile.
The neighbors, including Lawrence, hesitated as they saw Gisli's knife. Audrey's mutant identity also caused them to feel repulsion and fear, so no one immediately moved to help.
Some women even took a malicious pleasure in the situation.
"Looks like Audrey's eyes are going to be blinded again, haha…"
"Maybe next time a god will come to heal her…"
They didn't believe in gods either and thought Audrey was making excuses.
Unbeknownst to them, the deity they spoke of was indeed watching.
Seeing the scene, Syd raised an eyebrow.
He had just healed this person's eyes and hadn't even shifted his focus yet, and now this extreme anti-mutant was trying to strike?
With his attention still fixed, Syd had no intention of letting this pass.
Without further ado, Syd activated the divine power of light.
An incredible scene unfolded before the crowd: suddenly, a brilliant light shone down from above, illuminating the area.
Syd didn't do much; he simply focused the sunlight on Gisli, like a multitude of magnifying glasses concentrating sunlight.
"Ah…"
"What is this?!"
A scream erupted as Gisli dropped the knife, writhing on the ground in intense pain from the extreme heat.
What was happening?
In agony, Gisli rolled on the ground, his mind racing with one question.
How did this happen?
Was it the light?
Could it be…
On the brink of death, Gisli thought of an unbelievable possibility.
Could it be that the rumored God of Light, Balder, had descended with punishment?
Was it possible that there was such a god?
Gisli couldn't believe it.
Was there really such a deity?
At the point of death, Gisli was filled with disbelief and a mix of unwillingness, jealousy, and anger.
Why did that god help Audrey, the disgusting mutant, and not help him, a normal human?
"Damn it!"
"I'm not accepting this!"
With these thoughts, Gisli lost consciousness, his body lying still and charred like a roasted fish, dying quickly and cleanly.
Syd glanced at Gisli but paid no further attention.
However, the others around had no choice but to notice.
Seeing Gisli's body scorched to death, including Audrey, everyone present gasped in shock. Some were so disturbed by Gisli's grim fate that they vomited.
Despite their physical discomfort, their minds were racing.
What had just happened?
The crowd was stunned.
Gisli had just said a few words and was about to act, and now he ended up like this?
Burned to death by sunlight?
It was clear to them that this was the work of a deity.
"The God of Light, Balder. Was this his intervention?"
"Is this deity really real?"
"This god's power is terrifying!"
Lawrence and the others, including Audrey, looked at each other in disbelief.
Audrey hadn't lied. What she said was true?
Their eyes were now fixed on Audrey, filled with incredulity.
"Audrey, is what you said really true?" Lawrence asked in disbelief.
"Is this truly a miracle?"
Feeling the intensity of their gaze, Audrey nodded and said, "It's true. My eyes were indeed healed by the God of Light, Balder. Gisli's death was likely a punishment from Balder."
"After all, my eyes had just been healed, and this person tried to blind me again. Such a blatant act against the divine blessing couldn't be left unpunished."
Audrey was aware that the punishment was not due to her but rather because Gisli had offended the deity.
The bewildered Lawrence and the others seemed to understand.
Some of those who had previously doubted the deity's power were now relieved they hadn't done anything to offend.
At this moment, another middle-aged woman, Karen, hesitantly asked, "Audrey, why would the God of Light, Balder, suddenly bless you?"
Her question prompted others to look at Audrey with confusion.
Indeed, everyone was the same. Audrey was a mutant, and apart from being a bit different, there was no particular reason for a god to focus on her.
Her mutant abilities were almost useless, and modern technology could achieve what she could…
If Audrey wasn't lying, why would she be favored by the God of Light, Balder?
The crowd was filled with mixed emotions and unspoken jealousy.
Audrey hesitated before answering, "Perhaps it's because I have always believed in and prayed to the God of Light."
Upon hearing this, Lawrence and the others were astonished.
Is that all?
They were left with a complex mix of emotions, unsure of how to react.
Simultaneously, their thoughts were clouded with various new considerations.
(End of Chapter)