"Such a pity… dead again, huh?"
Throughout the battle, Syd had attempted to use Shadow and Illusion to disrupt the Old One. Though it initially caused some confusion and disarray, the Old One quickly regained its composure and seemed to have locked onto Syd's position with some unknown method.
Moments later, Syd watched as the death scenario version of himself was wrapped and entangled by the black tentacles and then disappeared into their writhing embrace.
The light dimmed...
Strange distortions occurred...
He had died once more...
"Why resist when you can simply wait for death?"
"It's all in vain…"
"...You only have one ending: to become my puppet. That is your glory…"
Before the death scenario faded, Syd heard the Old One's faintly mocking words.
In the next moment, the scene shifted, and Syd found himself back in the secluded corner.
"Another failure. I wonder if reaching Level 5 in Divinity will bring any new changes…"
Syd felt a mix of disappointment and anticipation.
After testing the death scenario, he packed away the Power Stone and Black Stone, and then took out the Mind Stone.
Feeling the increasingly intense Faith Power around him, he began to absorb it.
As the drawbacks of the Faith Power were removed by the Mind Stone, Syd heard a series of notifications.
[Ability: Divinity (1033/2000) Level 4]
[Divinity Experience +1]
[Divinity Experience +1] …
[Ability: Divinity (1176/2000) Level 4]
His Divinity experience surged significantly.
Absorbing the Faith Power, Syd moved away from the commotion he had caused.
Time passed, and after five hours, it was 2:00 PM.
Basking in the sun, Syd contemplated which abilities to practice next and which to upgrade to Level 5.
Spirit Light Beam, Divine Finger, Reflective Shield, Black Particles, Spatial Shift, Sunbeam, Chaos Magic…
Each ability flashed through his mind.
Ultimately, his attention settled on Sunbeam and Chaos Magic.
One, potentially achieving Level 5, might bring about an unprecedented transformation and unleash the true power of Sunbeam.
The other, possibly having a dramatically increased chance to alter reality upon reaching Level 5…
After pondering for a while, Syd decided to focus on Sunbeam, despite his desire to first upgrade Chaos Magic and see how reality modification might change. He was wary of potential issues with Chaos Magic at Level 5 and could not guarantee it would function as desired…
Therefore, he opted for the more stable Sunbeam.
"Though, the upgrade speed of Sunbeam is a bit slow…"
Shaking his head, Syd put his thoughts aside and began practicing the trimmed version of Sunbeam.
In the next moment, a white light radiated from him.
[Sunbeam Experience +1] …
Half an hour passed. Just as he was about to continue practicing, Syd noticed some activity and looked towards the distance.
A buzzing sound came from afar.
Several black drones, each the size of a human head, flew in his direction.
As soon as the drones saw him in white clothing, they sprang into action.
Small white missiles, about the thickness of a thumb, rained down from the drones.
These missiles zipped through the air, headed straight for him.
The speed was astonishing, almost reaching him in the blink of an eye.
Syd frowned, feeling a sense of annoyance.
Red light flared from his right hand as he enveloped the missiles in the red glow of Chaos Magic, then flung them sharply to the side.
Upon hitting the walls, the missiles exploded one by one.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Terrifying explosions erupted, and everything before him was engulfed in fiery red.
Syd used Chaos Magic to generate a red shield.
Boom, the explosions spread, engulfing him and the drones in an instant.
High temperatures and shockwaves obliterated everything...
As the chaos subsided and the smoke began to clear, the alley was flattened, and everything within a hundred meters was reduced to ruins.
Seeing the lingering smoke and debris, Syd frowned slightly, muttering in surprise, "Have they lost their minds?"
"To use such powerful missiles so close to residential areas?"
At first, he thought these drones and missiles were meant to annoy him or lure him somewhere, but the sheer destructive power suggested they were intended to kill him.
Unfortunately, despite the impressive firepower, the missiles were insignificant against the Level 5 Light Divine Power-enhanced Chaos Magic, easily repelled.
Syd felt a vague sense of unease.
"Whatever. As long as it doesn't interfere with my training in Divinity and Sunbeam…"
Nothing was more important than enhancing his power!
Once his strength increased, all schemes would seem trivial!
With that in mind, Syd moved toward the residential area.
Not long after he left, another group of black drones appeared.
In the residential area, people inside and outside their homes heard the distant explosions.
There was even some trembling on the ground.
"Explosions?"
"Is it an earthquake?"
Residents were terrified and ran out of their homes.
While they were alarmed, Syd had already reached a relatively secluded spot in the residential area.
At this moment, as he walked, he paused when he heard a familiar voice from a nearby house.
"Colonel Simon, what do you think about the recent global disturbances caused by the White-Clad Hero?"
A familiar and pleasant female voice rang out.
Syd recognized the voice immediately; it was Irina.
At that moment, Colonel Simon, interviewed by Irina, responded to her question.
The middle-aged man's deep voice came from the television.
"The White-Clad Hero's reckless and terrifying actions have severely disrupted social order, causing significant chaos and incalculable losses to various countries."
"The military will provide an explanation to everyone. We will take action against the White-Clad Hero…"
Hearing the TV's broadcast from the house, Syd raised an eyebrow and smirked.
Action?
He was waiting for it!
"I'll do whatever I want, and no one can stop me…" Syd thought wryly.
Not only was the disturbance not his intention, but even if it was, he wouldn't care.
The military's grievances were just excuses to find fault with him.
(End of Chapter)