[Starting as a Class 5 Mutant] Chapter 333/334 (Patreon)

It didn't take long for discussions to erupt worldwide. Apart from debating the identity of the bald figure in yellow robes, the topic on everyone's lips was Messiah's strength.

Soon, someone calculated the extent of Messiah's power.

Among other things, the mere fact that his power spanned a range of 200 kilometers left everyone shaken and terrified.

A middle-aged man muttered in fear, "Are all Omega mutants this monstrous?"

"With such power, who can stop him, let alone eliminate him?"

"Is Messiah invincible now, apart from the White Robed Hero?"

Hearing his murmurs, those around him wore equally anxious and fearful expressions.

While people across the globe debated, Dormammu, still within the Dark Dimension, began reaching out to his followers to investigate Earth's strongest beings. He wanted to confirm whether the Ancient One was deceiving him.

Meanwhile, Syd had arrived in a secluded alleyway.

He wasn't concerned about the debates or Dormammu's plans. His full attention was on the black liquid stored in his spatial ring.

As he basked in the sunlight to replenish his internal energy, Syd summoned the black liquid from the ring.

The strange substance floated in mid-air, defying gravity, its glossy black sheen seemingly alive.

The moment he looked at it, a deep craving surged within him—the desire to consume it.

This urge gave Syd pause.

"Should I absorb this?"

It could bring incredible benefits—or it could introduce unknown dangers.

His expression shifted as he weighed the risks and rewards.

Then, the Old One's final words and the image of the Celestial Arishem came to mind.

A moment later, he made his decision.

Syd extended his right hand toward the black liquid.

Sensing a threat, Venom suddenly awakened and darted out of his hand.

"Wait, Syd…"

Venom tried to speak, wanting to stop him.

But before he could finish, Syd's hand had already touched the black liquid.

In an instant, the substance reacted like a predator finding prey, extending tendrils toward his hand in a bid to consume him.

Venom, witnessing this, froze in terror. His black, amorphous form trembled as he leapt to the ground, staring anxiously at Syd.

At that moment, Syd could feel the black liquid's innate desire to devour him.

Unfortunately for it, his divine body was far too powerful. This was not a prey it could easily consume.

The liquid writhed on his hand, but it achieved nothing.

Even so, Syd did not underestimate its danger.

He could sense its corrosive nature—far more potent than sulfuric acid. Had he been an ordinary human, not even a trace of him would have remained.

After a brief hesitation, Syd willed his divine core to absorb it.

His divine core emitted a brilliant light, and the black liquid was quickly drawn into his body, consumed entirely by his divine core.

Lowering his hand, Syd focused on the changes within.

The once radiant, sunlit core had darkened to a murky yellow.

If it had once been the bright morning sun, it now resembled the twilight of a dying day.

It seemed his divine core had assimilated the strange power of the black liquid.

Syd could feel his divine power grow stronger, though he wasn't sure by how much—it would require testing.

Beyond the increase in power, there was something… unsettling.

Suddenly, he noticed something unusual and turned his attention outward.

Venom, now a trembling puddle of liquid on the ground, had widened his eyes in fear.

He had begun hearing strange murmurs, like a chorus of whispers in his mind.

Venom wasn't alone. Sensitive individuals across the city heard it too—a haunting melody, almost like a hymn of praise.

The eerie song resonated:

"When starlight shines, mouths ajar, who sings the stars to life?

Whose shadow roams in the dark?

When darkness blankets the world, who receives the god's special praise?

When silence engulfs the old world, who is gifted eternal hope?

All life repeats, but darkness never fades.

All existence vanishes, but the god forever remains…"

The song faded into an eerie silence, leaving Venom and others dazed.

Before they could process it, the murmurs shifted, growing more sinister.

Syd frowned, turning his gaze toward Venom.

He could see that Venom's form was beginning to distort, as though on the verge of a grotesque mutation.

The whispers grew louder, filled with temptation:

"…O ignorant, fallen beings, come forth!

Offer your soul and flesh to the god.

Become one with us and glimpse eternal truth!

…Come… Come…"

The sinister voices seemed to lure people, tempting them to worship a great god and fall into the abyss.

Across the City

Those who had been discussing Messiah moments earlier now froze in place.

"I think I hear something…"

A burly man named Caleb, in his thirties, murmured in confusion.

"So do I," another man replied, equally bewildered.

The eerie whispers echoed in their minds.

As they listened, their expressions turned vacant.

"Hehehe…"

"O ignorant beings, the god has descended. Join us in worshiping the great god…"

"…Come… Come…"

The alluring voices filled their ears, urging them to kneel before the god and give in.

"I think I see the god…"

"Yes, the god has arrived…"

"Hahaha…"

Their laughter grew maniacal, echoing throughout the city. The closer they were to the alleyway, the stronger the influence.

In the Alleyway

Syd could see with his own eyes that Venom's mind was unraveling.

If not for their strong connection, Venom would have already gone insane, his body mutating beyond recognition.

Raising his hand, Syd released a dim yellow light.

The light, once warm and comforting, now carried an unsettling sense of decay and finality.

Noticing that Venom was nearing his limit, Syd focused on controlling the strange power.

Gradually, the eerie yellow light brightened, shedding its sinister aura.

(End of Chapter)

As the glow surrounding Syd returned to normal, his divine core once again radiated brilliantly.

At its center, however, a shadow of black lingered, silent and dormant, awaiting the chance to awaken once more.

Syd could feel that this shadow was the source of the strange and unsettling changes in his power.

After a moment of hesitation, he decided to leave it be.

For now, it didn't pose a threat, and he could revive it if necessary.

At that moment, Venom stirred, finally regaining his senses.

"What… what happened to me?" Venom stammered, his voice tinged with fear.

"Syd, you…"

Looking at Syd, Venom's gaze became filled with terror.

What terrifying ability had Syd mastered now?

If not for being a symbiote with high mental resilience, Venom might have completely lost his mind.

Syd glanced at Venom briefly, ensuring he was unharmed before shifting his attention elsewhere.

Just moments ago, Syd had felt that others, besides Venom, were also affected.

From seemingly nowhere, faint threads of faith had connected to his divine core.

Through these threads, Syd could hear faint, frenzied prayers.

"These must be people driven mad by my influence…" Syd muttered, frowning slightly.

Though these individuals had become his followers, something felt off.

For one, their threads of faith were incredibly thin, almost nonexistent.

Even the power of faith they provided was negligible.

"Does the strength of faith depend on having a fully intact mind?" Syd wondered aloud.

Following the threads of faith, Syd observed these individuals closely.

He quickly noticed that they bore traces of his aura and that their minds were filled with twisted knowledge.

Some of this knowledge pertained to physics, while others involved magic—all of it connected to light.

Syd realized the magic they wielded was crude, primitive, and entirely devoid of human refinement.

It resembled ancient shamanistic practices—rudimentary, raw, yet deeply aligned with the essence of magic.

With the right materials, gestures, and nonsensical incantations, they could perform light-based magic.

Of course, whether this was truly "light" was questionable. Syd could sense that the knowledge was warped, carrying an air of madness and corruption.

If it could even be called magic, it was more likely a twisted, forbidden form of it.

After a quick glance, Syd dismissed these spells as insignificant.

They were weak and derivative, born of his power, offering no value to him.

To ordinary mages, they might seem miraculous, but to Syd, they were meaningless.

"Most likely, these people went mad because they couldn't withstand such twisted knowledge," Syd mused.

"Or maybe it's also due to the influence of my power…"

His gaze shifted back to Venom, who still looked shaken.

"Did you gain any new knowledge in your mind?" Syd asked.

Venom hesitated, then probed his memory. His eyes widened in astonishment.

"Yes, there's a lot of strange knowledge in my head. What is all this?"

Syd's expression grew contemplative.

"What did you feel when you looked at me earlier?"

Venom froze, recalling the moment. His voice trembled as he answered, "Besides the strange voices, looking at you felt like I was seeing the source of all truth and knowledge."

"The more I stared, the more knowledge flooded into my mind, as if I were glimpsing the ultimate truths of the universe."

"It was mesmerizing… intoxicating…"

As Venom's gaze turned increasingly frenzied, Syd snapped, "Stop thinking about it! You'll lose your mind."

Venom shook himself, retreating from the brink of madness. His face was pale with lingering fear.

Syd frowned deeply.

Even a powerful entity like Venom struggled to handle the knowledge—ordinary humans stood no chance.

He debated whether to use the Mind Stone to erase the twisted knowledge from their minds.

After a long pause, he shook his head, deciding to leave things as they were.

Though these people were mad and their faith weak, perhaps their condition could attract others to believe in him.

As if responding to his subconscious influence, Syd noticed the frenzied followers eagerly spreading their knowledge.

For instance, Caleb, a burly middle-aged man, was fervently speaking to a woman.

"Madam, may I have a moment of your time?" Caleb asked, his tone tinged with mania.

"I want to tell you about our Father and Savior, the infinite Creator, the Master of All Light, the Eternal Creator!"

The woman, initially impatient, perked up at his words.

"You mean God?" she asked, curious.

Caleb paused, then smiled strangely. "Yes, madam. Would you like to hear more?"

"I can even share untold stories from the seven days of creation."

"Really?" The woman's interest deepened, and she followed Caleb, eager to learn these hidden tales.

In the Alleyway

Watching the scene unfold, Syd's lips twitched.

"This Caleb guy…"

Through observation, Syd could see the knowledge in Caleb's mind was infectious.

Anyone who listened or learned even a little would be subtly influenced.

Though less affected than Caleb, they would gradually become immersed in the knowledge.

The woman who followed Caleb would likely never leave, ensnared by the twisted truths.

"This twisted knowledge reminds me of the Darkhold," Syd thought.

"Anyone who reads the Darkhold is inevitably affected…"

Shaking his head, Syd pushed the thought aside and refocused on himself.

He had gained a deeper understanding of his abilities—particularly why those influenced by him went mad.

In his Old One-like state, Syd realized he released an overwhelming flood of information and knowledge.

Those who couldn't bear the influx would inevitably lose their minds.

While he didn't fully understand other Old Ones, Syd was certain this was the primary cause of madness in those he touched.

(End of Chapter)

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