Herman had never experienced two nightmares in one night.
But tonight, he did... and it was miserable—especially since the dream was about Deadpool chasing him, insisting on a contest to see who had deeper pockets.
"What the hell."
Glancing at the mess of overturned furniture around him, Herman realized that when he woke with a start, his powers must have slipped out of control again, even if just for a moment.
"My control over psychic power has been getting steadier lately. Maybe in a little while, these nightmares won't keep ruining my sleep."
He thought about this as he got out of bed and washed up. His office was fully equipped with everything he needed, even an automatic toilet.
The lingering side effects of nightmares caused by the [Hidden Superpowered Being] had given Herman a clear idea of how exhausting life could be for people plagued with restless dreams. Even though the battles with Superman only happened in his sleep, he still woke up feeling completely drained.
After washing up, Herman went through his usual routine of testing his strength. Without proper equipment, he could only use a small metal statue from his office.
Although he had already awakened the Divine Flame, the physical enhancements from his identity as the [Raven Emissary] were still growing stronger.
And not just stronger—faster.
He could clearly feel it. The growth he achieved in just one day was now equal to what used to take him more than half a month.
The metal statue in his hand felt no sturdier than a disposable plastic cup. With the slightest squeeze, he flattened it into a sheet of useless scrap.
If he ignited the Divine Flame and unleashed his divine power, his strength could multiply fiftyfold, and his speed would increase just as much.
That was why Blackheart had failed to track him down yesterday.
Even without the Divine Flame, his speed and reflexes were already fast enough to dodge bullets.
What did it mean to multiply that by fifty?
It meant surpassing the speed of many mutants born with high-speed abilities.
Like how Superman could rival The Flash, in his state of burning the Divine Flame, Herman could even go toe-to-toe with Quicksilver! That alone showed why the Gods truly stood above most mutants.
Only a rare few mutants could ever match them.
Of course, igniting the Divine Flame and unleashing his power came with a heavy burden. The strain didn't come from his body—it came from his mind. Power always demanded a price.
Just as telekinesis required time and practice to master, Herman couldn't maintain divine eruption for long.
It wasn't that his body would be harmed, but that his emotions might take over—turning him into a god driven only by the instinct to hunt, stripped of every other feeling.
Much like Hela, Odin's daughter.
Even with his strong willpower, which let him temporarily suppress that divine nature with reason, he still needed time to adapt and stabilize.
Herman roughly calculated his limit. In his current state, twelve hours was the most he could maintain the Divine Flame. Beyond that, he would have to extinguish it—or risk letting divinity crush his humanity.
"It's like a twelve-hour Super Saiyan mode." Herman chuckled as he tossed the broken metal statue aside. For now, that duration was more than enough, and as his psychic power continued to grow, it would only last longer.
Besides, if he ever ran into a truly tough opponent, he could force himself to keep the Divine Flame burning past its limit. It just came with risks.
"Skye! Bring me a cup of hot coffee!"
Herman still had business with the insurance company today. He straightened up his desk, ready for a battle of words.
"Doesn't our company have any new TV dramas to film?" Skye walked in with a steaming cup of coffee, stifling a bored yawn.
These days, Herman's company didn't need to go downstairs for coffee anymore. They had several high-end coffee machines that could brew whatever kind you wanted—a far cry from the shabby days of the past.
And this wasn't even about how much Herman had managed to squeeze out of Charles.
It was about company culture.
When employees saw their boss living in the office, they naturally treated the company like home. Carrie, the rich girl, was a prime example. She even installed over ten free vending machines in the office!
Just think about it—this was a company of only four people, including the boss. The scary part was that the restocking staff had to come in several times a day. Herman honestly wasn't sure if Carrie even needed that $6,000 monthly salary.
She seemed to be far richer than her boss by a ridiculous margin.
"Not right now."
Herman focused on sorting out the materials he needed for his call with the insurance company.
"As the boss, shouldn't you be out looking for new business?" Skye set the coffee down, sounding a little worried about the company's future.
"I've got a movie script ready. Just missing investors. Why don't you bring me one?" Herman replied without looking up.
"What kind of script? Lots of roles? Anything for me?"
Her face lit up with anticipation—it was obvious she was interested in acting.
"It's called Avengers. A bunch of Earth's problem children keep saving the world, and in the end, they take on the overlord of the universe."
Herman said it with a grin.
"Please, sounds like a flop." Skye instantly lost interest. Saving the world? Hollywood had beaten that to death.
"I'm a professional director. If this movie gets made, even that playboy billionaire would fight to invest."
Herman smiled as he lifted his coffee for a sip.
"I don't see someone like Stark giving a damn about superhero movies. Dream on."
Skye rolled her eyes and walked out of Herman's office.
Once she was gone, Herman cleared his throat and started dialing the insurance company.