A notification pinged in Syd's mind.
[Divine Experience +1]
[Ability: Divinity (484/500) Level 2]
Syd was surprised by the prompt.
"Have I really accumulated so much faith power so quickly?"
He recalled the people surrounding Audrey earlier. It was clear that their faith power contributed to this increase.
It seemed that the faith power was still gradually growing, likely because they had gathered more people.
Although the amount was still relatively small, it was a significant improvement over the sparse accumulation before.
"This faith power should be enough to advance my divinity to Level 3 in no time."
Syd felt pleased. While waiting for his divinity to upgrade, he shifted his focus to enhancing his Divine Speech, Light Power, and Divine Physique.
He planned to improve his Divine Speech through his words while simultaneously channeling energy to boost his Light Power and Divine Physique.
It was an unprecedented enhancement of four abilities at once!
"Let's get started…"
All his abilities began to improve continuously.
[Divine Speech Experience +1]
[Light Power Experience +1]
[Divine Physique Experience +1]
As time passed, the sun set, the moon rose, and then dawn arrived.
Feeling the warmth of the morning sun, Syd checked his divinity level.
After absorbing faith power throughout the night, his Level 2 divinity, which was the easiest to advance, had reached:
[Ability: Divinity (499/500) Level 2]
Minutes later, Syd heard the much-anticipated notification.
[Divine Experience +1]
[Ability: Divinity (0/1000) Level 3]
In the next moment, Syd felt an immense surge of mysterious power within his body, mind, and soul.
This power boost significantly enhanced all his abilities, making it easier to control and utilize his internal forces.
Soon, a sonic boom echoed as Syd tested his abilities. He discovered that his current flying speed had reached 5.4 times the speed of sound, a significant increase from the previous 4.5 times!
"This speed should surpass most conventional missiles, right?"
Syd was confident that if missiles were aimed at him again, he could easily evade and outpace them.
With a speed of 5.4 times the speed of sound, he had outstripped many missiles!
However, Syd knew there were still faster missiles, and his current speed was only just adequate. He needed to continue improving.
Moreover, flying speed was different from ground speed. Syd couldn't always remain in the air; his physical movement speed also needed enhancement.
He hoped that when his Divine Physique reached Level 5, his physical speed would see a substantial boost, potentially even breaking the sound barrier.
Syd eagerly anticipated this.
Thinking about missiles reminded him of the military that had used them against him.
He planned to visit their base when he located it and give them a "gift." If he encountered military personnel, he wouldn't mind sending them to meet their maker.
He also speculated that the military might currently be devising plans to deal with him…
Shaking off these thoughts, Syd focused on strengthening his abilities.
Soon, he received further notifications about his abilities' progress.
Besides enhancing his abilities, Syd also planned to find Jane, Thor's love interest in the original storyline.
The reason he said "original" was that his influence had altered the relationship between Thor and Jane, making their connection more ambiguous.
Syd thought this was a bit strange but didn't feel particularly guilty about it.
In the original timeline, Thor and Jane ended up together, but Thor was not someone who indulged in romantic affairs. He was often preoccupied with battles and Asgardian duties, rarely spending time with Jane.
Thor wasn't the type to become anxious over not seeing Jane daily or loving her to that extent.
Initially, Jane could understand, but over time, she became resentful, feeling like a stranger due to their infrequent meetings. Thor's constant busyness only deepened her sadness.
Despite Jane's heartache, Thor never comforted her and awkwardly cited his busy schedule, which only hurt her more.
Moreover, the difference in their lifespans made them incompatible. Odin had strongly opposed their relationship because Jane's few decades were a brief moment for Thor, and his infrequent visits caused delays.
In this context, Thor had once unintentionally told Mjolnir to protect Jane.
As a result, Mjolnir lit up, seemingly agreeing to Thor's request, though Thor didn't notice or understand this.
This was why Jane could lift Mjolnir and later became the female Thor.
Unfortunately, Thor's misfortune extended to those associated with him. The female Thor, Jane, died of cancer, fading away in his presence, another victim of his unfortunate fate.
"However, due to my interference, Thor never had the chance to make promises to Mjolnir. Whether Jane can still lift Mjolnir remains in question."
Ignoring their deteriorating romance, Syd's focus shifted to Jane's other aspects.
"It's been a while since Loki unleashed the Destroyer in the town battle. If all goes as expected, Jane should soon discover the Reality Stone…"
Syd stroked his chin and decided to try and guide Jane to expedite her search for the Reality Stone, or the Aether.
Speaking of the Aether, he recalled its connection to Asgard.
The Aether originally belonged to the Dark Elves. Thousands of years ago, a brutal Dark Elf named Malekith sought to use it to plunge the universe back into darkness.
Syd's face showed a hint of amusement.
"This Dark Elf had quite the audacious plan. It seems delusional. Without the aid of other gems, the Dark Elves alone cannot fully harness the Reality Stone's power."
"The power of the gem depends on its user…"
"If the Reality Stone were so powerful and easy to use, Thanos would have just sought it out, rather than searching for the other Infinity Stones and the Gauntlet…"
Syd shook his head.
The outcome was predictable. Before Malekith could utilize the Reality Stone, Asgard's forces, dispatched via the Bifrost, resolved the issue.
The Aether eventually ended up in the hands of the Asgardian military.
End of Chapter