Chapter 209

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The sound of footsteps made Jane's heart race. In this dark and eerie place, there was someone else? Who could it be?

As she turned toward the sudden glow of red light, Jane's gaze locked onto the approaching figure, and her confusion quickly turned to shock.

"White Knight?"

"What's he doing here?"

After the town battle and the events in New York, how could this mysterious figure suddenly appear in front of her now? Jane knew the White Knight wasn't just an ordinary person. He was rumored to be an Omega-level mutant, possibly even a god, with powers far beyond comprehension. For someone of such stature to show up in this desolate place was unbelievable to her.

Jane was utterly stunned.

On top of that, she quickly realized that the strange red light wasn't a random phenomenon but a direct result of the White Knight's powerful Omega abilities. It suddenly made sense to her why the ominous red liquid was being held back so effortlessly.

While Jane was caught up in her thoughts, Syd had already approached her. He glanced at the chaotic Aether that was relentlessly trying to break free from the barrier of his chaotic magic and merge with Jane.

"The Aether, huh…"

With a wave of his right hand, the red liquid that had been trying to invade Jane's body was enveloped in a red energy sphere, drawn toward him.

Jane watched in disbelief as the Aether, previously swirling around uncontrollably, was now calmly suspended in front of the White Knight, contained within a ball of chaotic magic. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

Syd, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes at the Aether, which was still attempting to break free from its containment.

"Looks like I underestimated this thing…" he thought to himself.

Originally, Syd had considered allowing the Aether to merge with him, just to see what would happen. But now, seeing how it struggled even within the magical sphere, he quickly dismissed that idea.

Allowing the Aether to enter his body seemed reckless, even for him. Who knew what kind of havoc it might cause? He wasn't confident that his current physical form, though enhanced, could withstand the full force of an Infinity Stone.

If his Asgardian body and divine power were at their maximum levels, perhaps he'd feel more secure in attempting such a risk. But for now…

With a flick of his wrist, the liquid form of the Reality Stone began to compress within the chaotic sphere. Under the immense pressure of his chaotic magic, the Aether was forced to take a solid form.

In both Syd's and Jane's stunned eyes, the liquid gradually solidified, releasing a blinding red glow.

Finally, the light dimmed, revealing an irregularly shaped red gemstone hovering in midair.

"What… is that?" Jane gasped, covering her mouth in shock, her eyes flicking between the strange gem and the White Knight.

Syd paid no attention to her. Instead, with a simple gesture, the now solidified Reality Stone floated into his palm.

Holding the Reality Stone, he immediately established a connection with it.

Curious to see the full extent of its power, Syd decided to test it. He envisioned a vast grassland, then channeled the stone's power to transform the dark and dreary surroundings into that peaceful scene.

However, as soon as he issued the command, a sudden discomfort washed over him.

He felt a corrosive force radiating from the stone, attempting to invade and damage his body. Fortunately, thanks to his Level 4 Asgardian physique, coupled with his light power and divine abilities, the backlash wasn't enough to pose a serious threat to him.

Of course, that was largely because he hadn't used the Reality Stone's full power.

Additionally, Syd noticed a strong desire emanating from the stone—it was hungry for his light energy.

After a brief moment of consideration, Syd decided not to resist. The Reality Stone absorbed nearly a fifth of his stored light energy.

Then, something remarkable happened.

In Jane's astonished eyes, the bleak, dim surroundings began to shift. The change was rapid, as if someone was painting a new landscape right before her eyes.

In just two or three seconds, the desolate space had transformed into a lush, green grassland.

Jane blinked, rubbing her eyes in disbelief, thinking it must be a trick. But after pinching her own face, she finally accepted the truth.

Her wide-eyed gaze shifted to the White Knight, her mind reeling.

"Is this his Omega-level ability?"

"It's terrifying!"

"This… this defies the laws of physics… of science…"

"How is he doing this?"

Jane could hardly comprehend what she was witnessing. In her mind, this bizarre and awe-inspiring event could only be the result of the White Knight's fabled ability to alter reality.

After all, everyone knew that the White Knight possessed this extraordinary, reality-bending power. He had demonstrated it more than once.

So, it was only natural for her to believe that this was his doing.

As for the peculiar gemstone in his hand, Jane barely gave it a second thought. Who could imagine that a simple stone could wield such world-altering power?

Syd, meanwhile, wasn't paying any attention to Jane's stunned reaction.

He was more focused on the Reality Stone itself.

"So, the Reality Stone really does require energy to sustain its changes…" he mused.

At that moment, he realized why the Dark Elf in Thor: The Dark World didn't simply use the Aether to rewrite reality.

It wasn't that the liquid form couldn't alter reality; it just required an enormous amount of energy to do so. The Dark Elf clearly didn't possess that kind of power.

"No wonder the Reality Stone is considered the hardest Infinity Stone to wield. It needs the support of the other stones…"

Reflecting on the large amount of energy he had just expended, Syd shook his head.

How could any ordinary person hope to control the Reality Stone?

Only with the assistance of the other Infinity Stones could the Reality Stone fully unleash its potential. The Power Stone, for instance, existed to supply energy to the others.

In truth, the Infinity Stones were all interconnected, working best in unison.

As Syd pondered these things, barely ten seconds had passed before he noticed the surrounding landscape beginning to change.

In the blink of an eye, the grassy fields reverted to their original dark and gloomy state.

It was clear that any changes made by the Reality Stone were temporary. Altering reality in defiance of the natural order required a continuous supply of energy to maintain.

The duration of these changes depended on how much energy was provided and the extent of the modifications made.

These altered realities were like rootless water—they could only exist with constant energy input.

However, Syd could sense that this wasn't the full story.

Under the right circumstances, these temporary realities could be made permanent.

With the combined power of all six Infinity Stones, these changes could last indefinitely, perhaps even becoming irreversible.

(End of Chapter)