"Alright, let's gather all the results, starting from the beginning."
Leonardo said, more to himself than to anyone else.
'Six months ago, after becoming known thanks to Tony revealing his identity, I leveled up to Level 2 and unlocked a new active power.'
[Active Power: Mind]
Capable of making viewers feel a portion of the emotions experienced by those who lived through the moment portrayed in the painting, generating a kind of emotional empathy. This provokes greater fluctuations of the soul, allowing emotional value to be collected more efficiently and quickly.
'In short, it's an upgrade that lets me collect more Exp, which in turn helps me improve my artistic skills and level up faster. It's not what I expected, but still useful. Although it doesn't compare to the active power at Level 3.'
'To go from Level 1 to 2, I needed a total of 1,000 Exp, which wasn't very hard to get. Then, to go from Level 2 to 3, I only needed 10,000, which didn't take much longer than going from 1 to 2, especially considering the active power of Mind. However, to get from Level 3 to 4, I need 1,000,000 points of Exp. That's right. Following the previous pattern, I thought I'd only need 100,000 this time, but nope. It seems the so-called "administrator"—someone I'm not even sure exists and might just be the system's excuse for having someone to blame—likes to joke around and decided not to follow any pattern. Who knows? Maybe they're related to Loki?'
'But let's not talk about that now. Let's talk about how broken the Level 3 ability is.'
[Active Power: Space]
Allows your gaze to pierce space itself, enabling you to observe any location without restriction as long as you think of it.
'It's a totally broken power, honestly. Even though it says I have to think of the place, so I can't see unknown locations, that doesn't stop me from observing sites I've seen in movies or whose existence I know, even if I've never personally visited them.'
'In short, it's a kind of security camera that lets me monitor anything. Though for now, I only use it to observe the changes caused by my actions.'
'Even so, a skill like this is very convenient—so much so that it's almost suspicious. But for the time being, let's not dwell on whether the being who brought me here has hidden intentions, or on the crazy six-zero figure I need to level up. Let's take a look at the results of everything I've done so far.'
'1st: Iron Man. Regarding Iron Man's storyline, I managed to change the future for the better, keeping minimal changes that didn't negatively affect others. I prevented a major event in advance, and Tony even helped in other plots he wasn't originally part of. Still, this was mainly due to Tony's intelligence. Others might not be capable of doing as much just by seeing an image of their future.'
As Leonardo wrote his report, he realized he should focus mostly on Iron Man and other intelligent beings to change the future.
'2nd: Hulk. Hulk started off badly. Due to my carelessness and overconfidence, I overlooked something crucial and many could have been hurt. However, after some advice, I realized what I needed to do. I managed to end a battle that could have dragged in many people quite quickly. Even so, the biggest change wasn't in Hulk, but in me. This was a reminder that I shouldn't be overconfident or think I can control everything. While it turned out relatively okay this time, it could've ended like in the movie—or worse. Given the butterfly effect I triggered, things could still go downhill. I have to get better.'
Leonardo underlined that last part heavily before moving on to the final topic.
'3rd: Thor. This was definitely the hardest to influence, since they are literally from another world. Still, thanks to Tony Stark finishing his plot early and getting involved in Thor's, things changed for the better. Thor didn't need to see people hurt by his actions in order to grow. After all, Tony went through the same thing, so a few words and examples from him were enough. The Destroyer was destroyed, and last but not least: Loki. A different Thor means a different Loki. Even if it's subtle, Loki showed signs of changing. And considering his future role as the savior of all timelines, that's no small thing.'
'Also, when Coulson mentioned someone on Earth could see the future, I felt a gaze. I probably wouldn't have noticed it before, but after gaining the Space power, I picked it up easily. It was a powerful gaze, like it pierced through countless stars: Heimdall. That's good. With Heimdall watching me, it'll be easier to influence events in Asgard. After all, if we're talking about suffering, Asgard suffered much more than Earth, even getting destroyed along with most of its people.'
'I'm not worried about being found or attacked. After all, I have a stealth skill granted by the same system. That same system that casually uses powers from the Infinity Stones.'
While Leonardo wrote, he realized it had been a long time since he'd checked his status, so he called the system.
"Status."
[Ding!]
Status:
Name: Leonardo Valentino
Mission: Become the number one artist on the planet [in progress]
Level: 3 (371,450/1,000,000)
Active Power: Soul - Mind - Space
Unique Skill: Anonymous Whereabouts
"Oh, it seems experience has increased a lot over these last few months. Still, much of it probably comes from Asgard and SHIELD. Regular people didn't witness things like Thor's hammer or the discovery of a new element, so they probably weren't too affected. Plus, it's not something that touches their lives directly."
"Alright, time to paint something that will truly move them. Something that will affect everyone. Hehehe."
While laughing like a third-rate villain, Leonardo thought about what he would paint next: the Battle of New York. The first encounter of normal civilians with aliens. Something that would impact them, because they know it's not something that will only affect a few. It will affect the entire world dynamic from that moment on.
But just as he was about to start painting, he remembered something. He'd recently received a message from SHIELD. It seemed they assumed he already knew who they were, since they didn't introduce themselves and got straight to the point: he was invited as a consulting member of the Avengers, a group of individuals with special abilities whose goal was to protect the world from extraterrestrial threats. While it sounded impressive, in reality, he had no specific function. He just had to keep painting, and if he ever forgot something like last time, he'd have to warn them directly.
Of course, Leonardo accepted. After all, he didn't have to do anything different from what he was already doing, and he still got to have his name listed among Earth's greatest defenders.
Even stranger than SHIELD's involvement, though, was the TVA's complete lack of interference. The fact that after all the changes he'd made, they hadn't come after him was puzzling.
He even tried to observe them using the power of Space, but the Infinity Stones have no effect on them, so it was useless.
"Ugh, I've got way too much on my mind. Not the right time to paint."
Remembering some advice he'd received recently, Leonardo decided to relax and go out for a walk. Ever since he arrived, he hadn't had time to explore or sightsee.
There was no need to think as if the entire world rested on his shoulders and he couldn't unwind.