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 mont 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 mont, Venom stirred, finally regaining his senses.
"What... what happened to ?" Venom stamred, his voice tinged with fear.
"Syd, you..."
Looking at Syd, Venom's gaze beca filled with terror.
What terrifying ability had Syd mastered now?
If not for being a symbiote with high ntal resilience, Venom might have completely lost his mind.
Syd glanced at Venom briefly, ensuring he was unhard before shifting his attention elsewhere.
Just monts 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 beco his followers, sothing 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.
So 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 refinent.
It resembled ancient shamanistic practices-rudintary, 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 aningless.
"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 mory. His eyes widened in astonishnt.
"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 earlier?"
Venom froze, recalling the mont. 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 srizing... 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 mont of your ti?" 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 an 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 beco imrsed in the knowledge.
The woman who followed Caleb would likely never leave, ensnared by the twisted truths.
"This twisted knowledge reminds 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) [Check Out My Patreon For 20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!]
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