[Starting as a Class 5 Mutant] Chapter 376/377

"The White-Clad Hero?"

Everyone was certain—it was him.

Although the white robes he wore now were far more elaborate and refined, reminiscent of Asgardian craftsmanship, the signature red energy and the ability to wield light were unmistakable.

If it were just the red energy, it could have been dismissed as a coincidence. But the addition of his mastery over light left no room for doubt.

Moreover, there had always been rumors that the White-Clad Hero was Thor's younger brother. While unconfirmed, the current situation seemed to affirm it.

Upon realizing this, Xu Wenwu and his men were utterly shocked.

"So, it's the White-Clad Hero..." Xu Wenwu muttered bitterly.

Just moments ago, he had foolishly thought of defeating him with the Ten Rings.

Defeat the White-Clad Hero?
What a joke.
That wasn't just overestimating oneself—it was a blatant act of courting death.

If the man standing before him weren't the White-Clad Hero, he might have harbored a glimmer of hope. But now, not even the faintest trace of courage remained.

The White-Clad Hero was a monster among monsters. Describing him as someone capable of annihilating everything almost felt like an understatement.

To him, destruction wasn't a feat—it was simply reality.

Even if the Ten Rings were a hundred times stronger, Xu Wenwu knew he wouldn't stand a chance against such an existence.

After all, the White-Clad Hero's power didn't just lie in controlling light or emitting red energy. His true strength was his ability to bend reality with sheer will.

How could anyone hope to defeat a being with godlike powers?

At that moment, Xu Wenwu wasn't the only one overwhelmed by despair. The black-clad men behind him were equally shaken.

"It's the White-Clad Hero... We're doomed!"

"Unless the Messiah himself comes, there's no hope of resisting him. Not even our leader..."

"Why did we have to encounter this monster here?"

"How could anyone fight against such a being?!"

Their desperate murmurs spread like wildfire.

The villagers of Taro, whose attention had initially been focused on Hela, now turned toward the commotion.

The words they overheard piqued their curiosity.

The White-Clad Hero?
A monster among monsters?

Describing him as capable of annihilating everything didn't even do him justice?

A being no human could contend with?

The woman in the conical hat and the others were utterly baffled.

"What kind of nonsense is this?" she muttered, stepping forward to confront the black-clad men. "The White-Clad Hero—is that the person floating in the sky? How could he possibly be that terrifying?"

The black-clad men exchanged uneasy glances.

In this day and age, was there still someone who hadn't heard of the White-Clad Hero?

Then it dawned on them. These villagers, isolated from the outside world, likely knew little about him.

A burly middle-aged man sighed and explained bitterly, "Out in the world, there isn't a soul who doesn't fear him. Everyone dreads him."

"Why?" the villagers pressed, even more puzzled.

The man chuckled darkly. "To put it simply, if the White-Clad Hero so desires, he could obliterate a city of millions with ease.

"As for your little village... with just a thought, he could wipe it off the map. If he's in a bad mood, we're all as good as dead!"

"Now tell me, should we not fear him? Isn't he a terrifying monster?"

His words left the villagers, including the woman in the conical hat, stunned and at a loss for words.

An existence capable of destroying a city of millions?
Their village obliterated in a mere instant?

At first, disbelief clouded their minds. But as they observed Xu Wenwu and his men's despairing faces, the possibility of exaggeration seemed increasingly unlikely.

Could such a being truly exist?

"How can someone like that even exist?" the woman muttered in shock, disbelief etched across her face.

The other villagers shared her sentiments. Their gazes, once casual, now avoided the white-clad figure floating in the sky.

As their shock deepened, Hela slowly climbed out of the massive crater in the distance.

Though her armor appeared dim and battered, she remained largely unharmed—a testament to her resilience.

However, the fight had drained her will to continue. Her face was marked with frustration and bitterness as she finally gave up the idea of contending with the man in the sky.

"The House of Odin... how could it produce such a monster?" she muttered bitterly.

After a moment, she raised her head, gazing at the calm figure hovering above. "The Ten Rings are yours," she said. "They belong to the strong, and I see no fault in that."

With those words, she abandoned the thought of reclaiming the rings for Xu Wenwu. Against such an overwhelming opponent, her resolve crumbled.

But as she and Xu Wenwu resigned themselves to losing the artifact, Syd, floating above, spoke calmly. "These rings are far too weak. They're useless to me."

With a casual motion, he tossed the Ten Rings toward Thor and his companions before turning and gliding away.

A golden portal materialized before him, and without a second glance, he disappeared into it.

Dealing with Hela? That was Odin's problem, not his.

Watching him leave, everyone—Hela, Xu Wenwu, and even Thor—was left dumbfounded.

"He just left?"

"His brother is gone?"

"The Ten Rings' power... he didn't want them?"

Xu Wenwu stared at the artifact now lying before Thor, a mix of disbelief and bitterness in his expression.

He let out a bitter chuckle. "Of course. For someone like the White-Clad Hero, why would the Ten Rings matter at all..."

Looking at the rings discarded like trash, Xu Wenwu was both furious and helpless.

As they stood there in stunned silence, Thor picked up the Ten Rings and scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, we've got the rings... but how are we getting back?"

His companions exchanged bewildered looks.

Just then, a portal of golden sparks appeared behind them.

Thor's face lit up with joy. Gripping the rings, he moved toward the portal to return to Asgard.

Valkyrie glanced at Hela with a complicated expression. But recognizing the gap in their strength, she bit her lip and let go of her lingering grudge.

However, just as they were about to leave, the Ten Rings in Thor's hands began to tremble violently. Before anyone could react, the rings shot out of his grasp and flew back into Xu Wenwu's hands.

"The Ten Rings?" Thor and his companions turned in shock.

Xu Wenwu stared at the artifact now resting in his hands, a mixture of disbelief and awe. Clearly, he hadn't expected the rings, once seemingly out of his control, to return to him so effortlessly.

(End of Chapter)

"That makes sense. With the White-Clad Hero in control, how could I possibly summon back the Ten Rings? Now that he's gone, the rings naturally return to my control..." Xu Wenwu muttered, realization dawning on him.

But there was no time to dwell on the matter. Sensing the rising tension, he tightened his grip on the Ten Rings, his face filled with vigilance.

The Ten Rings were not something he could part with. If the White-Clad Hero had demanded them, he wouldn't have resisted—but the hero's dismissive attitude toward the rings made it clear they held no value to him. It was Thor and his companions who sought them.

Grinding his teeth, Xu Wenwu resolved not to relinquish the Ten Rings.

At that moment, Hela, clad in her radiant battle armor, floated to his side.

Seeing this, Fandral pulled at Thor, who had clenched his fists, clearly intending to say something. "Let's leave for now. We can deal with this later."

Taking a deep breath and acknowledging the disparity in strength, Thor begrudgingly conceded. He, along with Valkyrie and the others, stepped through the portal, disappearing from Taro Village.

As their figures vanished, both Hela's group and the villagers of Taro breathed quiet sighs of relief.

Meanwhile, in Asgard.

Syd had little interest in what transpired afterward. His focus was entirely on his Level Four Sunshine ability and Level Four Divinity.

[Ability: Divinity (1667/2000), Level Four]

"I wonder what changes Level Five Divinity will bring..." Syd mused with anticipation.

His thoughts drifted to the Celestial Judge Arishem and the ancient Old Gods. Without a significant increase in power, facing either of them would spell certain doom, even in Asgard.

Pondering this, Syd activated his stealth ability and retrieved a black artifact stone. Activating it, he initiated a unique ripple of energy.

Soon, the familiar scene unfolded before him, but this time, it centered on Asgard.

"Member of Asgard's pantheon, your existence is a hindrance to me."

"Your power is insufficient."

A cold, indifferent voice echoed. Moments later, both Syd and Odin's divine forms were obliterated in a massive beam of energy.

The energy beam continued its relentless descent, penetrating Asgard's core.

Boom!

In the face of the catastrophic explosion, Asgard trembled violently. Blinding light and fiery destruction enveloped the realm.

Boom!

The entirety of Asgard was annihilated by Arishem, a casual act of eradication. Unlike Earth, which warranted special attention, Asgard held no such privilege.

In an instant, every Asgardian, including Thor, perished amidst the explosions.

Far away on Earth, Hela seemed to sense the calamity. A profound silence enveloped her.

She knew—Asgard was gone. Her father, the old man, was likely gone as well...

Ragnarök was a curse, one that would never truly end.

Back in reality, Syd frowned deeply.

As expected, without significant power growth, the outcome remained unchanged. Even Asgard was annihilated along with its inhabitants.

"Forget it. I'll return to Earth for now," Syd muttered wryly.

Compared to Asgard, Earth seemed a more manageable place to reside. At the very least, its destruction wouldn't concern him as much. Moreover, Earth wasn't likely to be obliterated so easily.

His decision made, he withdrew the black stone and turned his gaze toward the returning Thor and his group. Emerging from stealth, Syd approached them.

"What? You're returning to Earth?" Thor exclaimed, his face filled with disbelief. "Why? Isn't it better here in Asgard?"

Fandral and the others shared Thor's bewilderment, visibly reluctant for such a powerful figure to leave Asgard.

Syd's expression turned awkward. He couldn't exactly tell them that staying in Asgard would only lead to their collective demise in a fiery explosion. Instead, he offered a vague explanation, "I foresaw an ill omen and decided to return to Earth."

His words left Thor and Heimdall, who had just approached, momentarily stunned.

"A forewarning? Another prophecy?" Thor gasped, his expression filled with shock.

Heimdall and the others mirrored his reaction.

Syd was puzzled by their dramatic responses. It was a casual remark, yet they seemed profoundly affected.

Thor sighed. "Back when Loki sent the Destroyer Armor to attack us, you predicted it in advance. On multiple occasions, you've displayed prophetic insight. And now you're having another vision?"

Fandral and the others gazed at Syd with reverence. In any pantheon, the power of prophecy was regarded with awe.

Listening to Thor's words, Syd's expression turned strange.

They still remembered that incident after all this time?

Thor's face grew serious. "What kind of event compels you to stay on Earth?"

Everyone else was equally curious, confused, and uneasy.

Syd hesitated briefly before replying, "You'll understand when the time comes."

Without elaborating further, he waved his hand, conjuring a golden portal.

Yellow sparks flickered as a pathway to Earth emerged. Syd stepped toward the portal.

"Wait, what about Mother—" Thor began.

But before he could finish, the white-clad figure vanished through the portal.

The matter soon reached Frigga and Odin.

Queen Frigga's face was clouded with worry, while Odin appeared perplexed. Attempting to reassure her, he said, "Frigga, he'll be fine. Whatever this is, we'll learn of it in due time.

"All of Asgard will stand with him. No one can harm him..."

Frigga relaxed slightly at his words.

Meanwhile, Syd arrived in a secluded alley on Earth, resuming his training.

Under the sunlight, his abilities steadily advanced.

[Sunshine EXP +1]

Time passed quickly, and soon two days had gone by.

[Divinity EXP +1]
[Divinity EXP +1]

[Ability: Divinity (1999/2000), Level Four]

Feeling the abundant faith energy around him, Syd's eyes shone with anticipation.

The next moment, as he absorbed one final point of faith energy, the information on his divinity transformed.

[Divinity EXP +1]
[Ability: Divinity (MAX/MAX), Level Five]!

(End of Chapter)

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