"That appearance... Is that the Celestial Judicator Arishem?"
Syd recognized Arishem, one of the most powerful Celestials. Arishem was known for judging planets, determining whether the lives on those planets should be wiped out. The Celestial's arrival on a planet usually meant judgment day for its inhabitants.
Syd wondered why Arishem was here, his brow furrowing in contemplation. Suddenly, he noticed a figure in black clothing above the Earth's atmosphere.
"Is that... me?"
Syd's eyes widened in confusion as he saw the familiar figure in black.
At that moment, Arishem began to descend, looking down at the black-clad Syd with an expression of indifference.
Before Syd could react, Arishem launched an attack without a word.
A simple red energy beam shot from Arishem's fist.
Though this beam seemed minor to a Celestial, it appeared overwhelmingly powerful to Syd.
Boom!
The red energy beam struck Syd with unimaginable speed, reaching him in an instant.
Syd tried to use his spatial transfer ability to escape, but was restrained by an invisible force that kept him in place.
At the same time, a brilliant light appeared as Syd unleashed his Omega power, "Radiant Sun." It was a full-power release, with no energy spared.
In an instant, the light from Radiant Sun collided with Arishem's red energy beam.
For a moment, the two forces were at a standstill, with Radiant Sun's light gradually overpowering the red beam.
Soon, Arishem's red energy beam was completely neutralized.
Syd sensed a hint of surprise from Arishem.
Although the light from Radiant Sun shone upon Arishem, it had no effect, blocked by an invisible barrier.
Despite this barrier gradually dissipating, Radiant Sun's light was unable to last much longer, having exhausted all of its energy.
As the light faded, Arishem wasted no time in releasing a larger red energy beam.
Boom!
The enhanced red beam struck Syd, who was now almost defenseless.
Under this destructive energy, Syd's divine physiology rapidly began to disintegrate.
Skin, muscles, bones...
Golden blood scattered...
Ultimately, Syd was consumed by the red energy beam.
The beam continued its path, breaking through Earth's atmosphere and impacting the planet's surface.
Boom!
The energy beam hit the ground.
In an instant, vast tracts of land vanished and cracked, causing the entire American continent to tremble.
Everyone felt the impact.
Or rather, through satellite footage, they saw the aftermath.
"Messiah is dead?"
"How is that possible!"
"What kind of monster is this?"
As they looked at the massive shadow projected from the atmosphere, the people of Earth were filled with shock and terror.
The invincible Messiah had been killed?!
X-Mansion
"Syd!"
Wolverine Logan and others were heartbroken.
Brotherhood of Mutants
"How could this happen..."
Magneto Erik's face was grim.
Boom!
The impact didn't just shake the American continent; tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and other related disasters continued to unfold.
Outer Space
Seeing the target eliminated, Arishem did not even glance at the disasters befalling the American continent. Instead, he created a black hole around himself and disappeared.
True to his earlier indifference, he left without a trace of concern.
Whether it was the planetary disasters or the eradication of a slightly stronger ant, he showed no regard.
Nearby, Syd's thoughts were in turmoil.
"Is this my death?"
As he stood stunned, the scene suddenly shifted, returning to the normal view of a secluded alley.
But Syd was not in the mood to observe the surroundings. His mind was occupied with thoughts of his recent death.
His gaze fell on the black stone in his hand.
This thing really could show a vision of death?
And he had died at the hands of Arishem, a Celestial Judicator?
Syd's expression shifted.
If death was truly imminent, then what was the point of working so hard to improve his strength?
He pondered whether the vision of death was a true reflection of reality.
After some time, he leaned toward believing that this was not a baseless fear and that he might indeed fall at the hands of Arishem.
Frowning, Syd considered possible solutions.
Since he had seen a vision of death, it might not be impossible to change it...
"Wait..."
Syd suddenly realized something, his expression showing surprise.
He frowned, sensing that the vision he had seen might be flawed.
"Was that a vision of the future?"
"If it is a future vision, then why does my strength seem unchanged?"
Syd noted that in the death vision, his displayed power seemed to be only his current level.
For instance, if Radiant Sun had reached level five, it would be expected to show significant improvement, and its range should be larger.
If not for Arishem's immediate appearance and death blow, it would mean his strength was locked and had not improved at all.
Syd quickly dismissed the first possibility. He could feel that the vision was indeed from the future, implying that a significant time gap existed.
His focus shifted to the second possibility.
"My strength is locked?" Syd pondered.
"Wait, could it be that the black stone's future vision didn't account for my mimicking ability?"
"Because it didn't include my mimicking ability, my strength didn't show any enhancement?"
"It couldn't even upgrade my ability levels?"
Syd had a strong intuition.
The potential of his mimicking ability seemed boundless, and this black stone might not influence it accurately.
Realizing this, Syd's eyes brightened slightly.
This meant that by enhancing any ability using his mimicking power, the future vision shown by the black stone might change.
He felt an urge to improve his abilities, unlock progress, and gain a new power.
Then he could use the black stone to see if the vision of death changed!
He wondered if Arishem would show a different expression!
(End of Chapter)