Chapter111-Abyss Binder
What the hell is going on?
Sarko froze for a moment, then, relying on his perception, he suddenly sensed the presence of ten abyss boss-level monsters behind him!
To his surprise, none of these monsters seemed hostile toward him. Instead, all of them had their backs turned toward a distant human figure.
Could it be... these abyss creatures were all under that human's control?
Instinctively, Sarko turned his head and looked into the distant skies.
That was where Daniel stood.
The moment their gazes met, Daniel gave him a slight nod.
Sarko didn't hesitate for another second.
He launched the attack!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
—3,000,000,000
—6,800,000,000
—2,900,000,000
...
A series of damage numbers exploded across the battlefield. Karsas's HP was plummeting at a speed visible to the naked eye.
While launching his offensive, Sarko simultaneously used his Mind Power to establish a communication link with Daniel.
"My friend, you truly are powerful. To think you managed to drag that old bastard Karsas over here in such a short time."
Daniel nodded slightly but didn't reply. Instead, he retrieved a longbow from his inventory—Star Chasing Bow.
[Stellar Charge+]
[Starlight Flurry]
As the two skills activated in succession, a dazzling beam of starlight surged out from the front of the Star Chasing Bow.
[Karsas]
[HP: 583.2 billion / 635.4 billion]
[MP: 0 / 96.3 billion]
[Talent: Bloodline Berserk (Rank S)]
[Skills: ...]
Compared to Sarko's mere 70 billion HP, Karsas had a terrifying 635.4 billion!
The gap between them was nearly tenfold!
Of course, this disparity was mainly due to their different talent builds.
Karsas, for instance, focused heavily on durability. His health pool was massive, but in terms of damage output, he was far from exceptional.
Sarko, on the other hand, had fragile defenses but compensated with high-damage skills.
That's why, even with a random skill, Sarko could dish out tens or even hundreds of billions in damage.
Meanwhile, Karsas's attacks hovered around 5 to 8 billion per hit.
As the battle dragged on for several more rounds, Karsas began using potions and consumables to restore his condition.
If this weren't Sarko's own territory, Karsas would never have been forced into such a passive position.
He had attempted to flee several times, but every time he tried, Sarko would intercept and interrupt him. That's why Karsas now found himself extremely frustrated and constrained.
Worse yet, his MP had run dry, leaving him unable to unleash his more powerful abilities.
He felt utterly smothered. The fight was anything but satisfying.
"Sarko! Stop hiding like a damned rat! If you have the guts, face me like a man!"
The only reply he got was a surprise sneak attack:
[Shadow Backstab]!
—20,000,000,000!
"Sarko, you filthy reptile! You're a coward! A disgrace! A piece of trash!!"
Karsas roared in rage, but he was completely helpless to retaliate effectively.
Given his current state, as long as Sarko kept up the hit-and-run tactics, he had no chance of turning the tide.
After all, Sarko had invested most of his stats into Mind Power and Agility.
No matter how hard Karsas cursed, Sarko's rhythm remained undisturbed. His attacks only grew faster and sharper.
Time ticked by.
Karsas's HP was now below half.
Suddenly, Sarko sensed something was off. He quickly dashed to the side—
And in the next moment, a torrent of black flame erupted from Karsas's body, blazing into the heavens.
The terrifying inferno sent chills down Sarko's spine.
As a glass-cannon class, he knew that if he had taken that move head-on, he might have been left with a sliver of health—or worse, instantly killed.
Karsas, meanwhile, didn't waste the opportunity. The moment Sarko dodged, he made a break for it.
Unfortunately for him, the Anygate had long since been relocated—it was no longer within reach of the battlefield.
As he tried to flee, a terrifying creature stepped in.
[Abyss Binder]
One of Daniel's summoned bosses, the Abyss Binder, raised its thorned vines and lashed out, wrapping around Karsas's body like a python!
In the blink of an eye, his movement speed was drastically reduced.
"Damn it! You're an abyss creature! How dare you go against one of your kings?!"
But Daniel's abyss summons didn't care about his screams.
They were simply, absolutely, and unwaveringly loyal to Daniel.
They didn't fear death, didn't question orders.
All ten abyss bosses surrounded Karsas.
Although their individual attacks only dealt about 10 million damage per hit, their attack frequency was high.
To someone like Karsas, that wasn't the painful part.
What drove him crazy was how these summons kept slowing him down, keeping him from moving or retaliating effectively!
Watching all of this, Daniel silently assessed the performance of his abyss summons.
Against a level 250 King of the Abyss, their damage output clearly wasn't enough. At best, they could function as supportive controllers.
But against enemies of their own level, they were quite decent.
If they were fighting ordinary human Awakeners, even one abyss boss could kill them with ease.
Now that Karsas was immobilized, Sarko naturally wasn't going to let the opportunity go to waste.
Without holding back, he began unloading skills at full cost.
Every time Karsas tried to counterattack or dodge, an Abyss Binder would appear at the perfect moment, applying crowd control.
Each instance of control only lasted a fraction of a second—less than half a second, in fact.
But in a fight between kings of the Abyss, half a second could change everything.
[Weight of the Wager]!!
A massive, glowing chip appeared above Karsas's head.
It radiated an eerie blue-purple light, emanating immense pressure.
Though its descent was slow, anyone with half a brain could see—this skill was going to hit hard.
Even someone as tanky as Karsas immediately turned grim-faced.
He struggled to break free from the Abyss Binder's grasp, and just as he did—
—another Binder caught him again.
This time, Daniel had summoned three Abyss Binders!
The relentless, chaining controls made Karsas feel absolutely disgusted.
"Damn you all! Can you get any more annoying?!"
The giant chip kept falling, growing closer and closer.
With no way out, Karsas had no choice but to brace for impact.
BOOOOOM!!!
—102,400,000,000!
Chapter112-Death of Karsas
In the blink of an eye, Karsas's HP dropped by a full sixth!
So what if he had a massive health pool?
Under the relentless control effects raining down on him, all he could do was stand there and take the hits.
Against Sarko's flurry of attacks, Karsas was forced into pure defense. Counterattacking was utterly out of the question.
And if this continued—if he took a few more solid hits from Sarko's skills—even his monstrous HP wouldn't be enough to keep him alive.
It was at this moment that Karsas realized something terrifying:
He had to escape. Now.
A vague, primal sense of impending death gripped his heart. Without hesitation, he chugged down a large stockpile of high-grade HP recovery potions.
But it was no use. His MP was completely depleted—a result of a lost wager. If he still had mana, maybe he could've turned things around.
Determined, Karsas began attacking the Abyss Binder monsters like a mad beast.
After a flurry of brutal strikes, he finally broke free of their entanglement.
And the very moment he regained his freedom, he bolted—racing in the direction of the Anygate.
But he didn't make it far.
Sarko caught up with him quickly and reengaged him in melee, dragging him into another vicious entanglement. Meanwhile, the Abyss Binders reappeared, once again binding Karsas with layers of vines.
"Damn it! Will you never give up?!"
At this point, Karsas couldn't be more frustrated.
After all, every Abyss Kingdom was vast in size. Even for someone like Karsas, a King of the Abyss, getting from the battlefield to the Anygate wasn't easy.
"Sarko! Do you even understand what the consequences will be if you kill me?!"
Karsas bellowed, his voice filled with fury and the pressure of a monarch.
But Sarko didn't even blink. As though he hadn't heard a single word, he kept firing off skill after skill, relentlessly hammering away.
Five more minutes passed.
Karsas's HP had now dropped below 50%.
Earlier, Sarko may have only had 70 or 80 percent confidence that he could take Karsas down.
But now, with Daniel aiding him, and a group of summoned abyss monsters backing him up, Sarko was certain—100% confident—he could kill Karsas.
At this point, Karsas's death was just a matter of time.
As the unending barrage continued, Karsas's health dropped at a terrifying speed.
Then, all of a sudden, Daniel's voice echoed inside Sarko's mind:
"Stop hesitating. Use your ultimate.
You should know by now—he has a life-saving skill."
Sarko hesitated for a heartbeat.
But then he nodded silently. Daniel had proven himself more than once. His plans were always precise, and his power was terrifying.
Fine. It's time.
Time to unleash his strongest ability.
No point holding back anymore. Sooner or later, he would need to use it.
Sarko emerged from his phantom-like state, fully solidifying his form. At the same time, the dagger in his hand transformed into a massive, obsidian scythe.
[Reaper's Descent]
Effect 1: Become a scythe-wielding incarnation of Death. Your attacks bypass all forms of defense. Duration: 5 seconds.
Effect 2: Each of your attacks is blessed by the Reaper. Before every strike, a dice is rolled. Your damage is multiplied by the number shown.
This was Sarko's trump card, his Talent Skill, his deadliest technique.
The moment he activated it, Karsas was gripped by an overwhelming sense of danger.
He could feel it—if this continued, he might actually die here.
"No! I refuse to die here!!"
Heart pounding with desperation, Karsas raised his head to the sky and let out a furious roar:
"You want to kill me? YOU?! You're not even worthy!"
[Indomitable Will]
Effect: Regardless of incoming damage, you lose no HP. Duration: 1 second. Cooldown: 1 hour. (Only effective against non-divine-level attacks.)
As the skill activated, Karsas gained a single second of invulnerability.
He finally had a sliver of breathing room.
But just as he was about to calm himself and plan his escape...
Suddenly, a brilliant constellation of starlight burst open in front of him.
[Stellar Charge+]
Enhanced by [Starlight Flurry].
The devastating barrage of starlight engulfed everything around Karsas. A massive wave of celestial energy, cascading like a meteor shower.
This time, Daniel had charged his power far longer than usual.
With the help of his Talent Specialization – [Divine Unshackling], Daniel's charge time had far surpassed the standard limit, and the damage multiplier had stacked up to an unimaginably terrifying level.
The very instant Karsas's one-second invulnerability ended—
Daniel's devastating blow struck.
Everything had been calculated to perfection.
For the first time in ages, Karsas truly faced the specter of death.
He burned through every last ounce of strength, every contingency plan, every flicker of survival instinct.
But under that vast sky of starfire, his struggle was like a bad joke.
—285.3 Billion!
BOOM.
A deafening explosion roared out.
Karsas's enormous body was instantly consumed by the celestial light, reduced to ash within moments.
Elsewhere, on the Communications Network...
Daniel had been completely silent for nearly nine hours.
The last trace of his activity was related to the so-called "ghost rumors."
Some claimed that the Human Emperor himself had shown up at Castle Mington and taken Daniel away.
"With things as they are now, the Human Emperor must've brought Daniel to the Northern Frontier to prepare for his coronation ceremony, right?"
"I remember that Winterhold Castle doesn't have a teleportation array. Even with an airship, it would take at least a week to reach it."
"Come on, it's the Human Emperor we're talking about. He must have some special method. He's the strongest among all humans, after all."
"Even so, it's incredibly far. Reaching the Northern Frontier is no easy feat."
"Aren't you all relieved though? At least for now, Daniel's gone quiet."
This world was vast, and the human territories alone stretched across a massive span.
For an ordinary person, reaching the Northern Frontier in their entire lifetime would be a miracle.
Even flying on gnome-made airships would take a considerable amount of time.
"I saw it with my own eyes. That day when His Majesty the Human Emperor left, he summoned a Snowdragon Beast. You all know what that means."
"Based on the latest research, Snowdragon Beasts are among the top three fastest known creatures. And the one His Majesty rides? It's probably even faster."
"I bet they'll reach their destination in just a dozen or so hours... though that's just speculation."
"Wait, doesn't anyone care about the World Rank Bosses in the Northern Frontier? If Daniel's heading there, doesn't that mean we'll miss out again?"
"Even if Daniel didn't go, could you beat a World Rank Boss? What a joke."
"I'm telling you, this is a good thing. At least while he's on the road, Daniel can't stir up any new chaos."
"So that's why he's been so quiet..."
"Makes perfect sense."
Chapter113-The Disappearance of Daniel
It had become painfully obvious by now—the human race was thoroughly accustomed to Daniel's constant domination of the leaderboards.
Ever since awakening his talent, he had been flooding the network with one groundbreaking achievement after another. News, system notifications, battle records—he was everywhere.
"You know, I actually kind of miss His Highness Daniel now that things have gone quiet."
"Same here. Yesterday's drama was so satisfying to watch. Now the network is dead silent, and it feels... unnatural."
"The Northern Frontier is pretty close to the Abyss, isn't it? What if Daniel's off stirring trouble in there?"
"Come on now, your imagination's running wild. Do you even understand what the Abyss is? Even someone like me, a level 150 powerhouse, wouldn't dare venture in there!"
"Actually, knowing Daniel's personality, I wouldn't be surprised if he did go exploring the Abyss. He might even end up killing one of their bosses!"
"Clearly, you people have no idea what the Abyss truly is. The monsters in there are on a whole different level. Even if Daniel's already level 60, he still wouldn't stand a chance."
"Let's not forget—before Daniel came along, had anyone ever soloed a World Rank boss?"
"..."
Even though Daniel had disappeared without a trace, discussions about him showed no signs of slowing down.
After all, Daniel was a living legend, a one-man miracle factory. The less people saw of him, the more they imagined what impossible feat he might be attempting next.
At that moment, a detailed breakdown of the Abyss was suddenly published across the communication network.
For many who knew little about the region, it was their first true understanding of how terrifying the Abyss actually was.
"I had no idea! I always thought the monsters were the worst part. Turns out, the real nightmare is the corruption."
"A friend of mine once reached level 160. But he racked up massive debts. To repay them, he dove into the Abyss. He never came back—corrupted and dead."
"I swear on my life, no matter how powerful His Highness Daniel is, it'll be nearly impossible for him to resist Abyssal corruption. No one in the entire human race has ever found a way to fully purge it."
"You can believe whatever you want. I still believe Daniel can work miracles."
"Come on, get real! You think Daniel can fight the entire world? Use your head!"
The debates continued, intense and divided, until—
Suddenly, a notification popped up on every communicator across the entire human domain.
[Global Human Announcement]
[King of the Abyss: Karsas (Tier-25) has been slain.]
[Killer: Daniel, Human Race.]
...What?
...WHAT!?
For several long seconds, the entire communication network fell into stunned silence.
What... just happened?
Was that announcement fake?
Impossible. A notification of that scale could only be issued by two sources: an imperial command from the Human Emperor, or an entity of supreme cosmic authority.
And didn't someone just say earlier that the Human Emperor was still traveling?
So what was this?
A King of the Abyss... had been killed?
Even if most ordinary humans didn't fully understand what a "King of the Abyss" entailed, the name alone was enough to signal its significance.
And if the title wasn't enough, look at the tier level—Tier-25. That was far beyond the known human limit.
Even the Human Emperor, the strongest living human, was only Tier-20.
Sure, Tier-20 wasn't necessarily weaker than Tier-25 depending on build and equipment—but still, Daniel had done it?
Was he Tier-20 now?
No—that was impossible!
Even if Daniel had chugged every forbidden elixir under the sun, there was no way he could level up that fast!
"As expected of His Highness Daniel. We underestimated him again."
"Honestly, I thought even if he could slay an Abyss Boss, that'd already be his limit. But this..."
"Wait, aren't Kings of the Abyss supposed to reside deep within the Abyss? How did he even get there, let alone resist the corruption?"
"How strong is Daniel now, really? Could he have surpassed the Human Emperor already?"
"Doubtful. But even if he hasn't, he's probably among the strongest humans alive now."
"You're kidding, right? Yesterday was literally his Awakening Ceremony. How can he be this strong in just one day?"
"Oh? Then why don't you go kill a Tier-25 King of the Abyss?"
Meanwhile, the Human Emperor was still en route.
He hadn't heard from Daniel at all. In fact, he found himself unable to establish contact.
Knowing Daniel's temperament, the Human Emperor was almost certain the kid had gone into the Abyss.
If Daniel were merely in the Underground Labyrinth, he'd still be within comm range. But here? Nothing.
Was he worried Daniel had died?
Not really. His name hadn't turned grey on the contact list, which meant he was still alive.
"Did that brat really manage to gather 100,000 Abyssal Cores already?"
The Human Emperor frowned slightly.
"I wonder which god that kid's aligned with, to let him survive so long in the Abyss."
"How powerful has he become, I wonder? Could he be nearing my level?"
He paused.
Then shook his head.
Ridiculous.
The thought itself was absurd.
Daniel had only awakened less than a day ago.
If he'd already caught up to someone who'd lived for over a thousand years, then what had the Human Emperor been doing with his life?
"If that kid surpasses me in a day, then my entire millennium of cultivation was a joke."
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head.
Still, despite the humor, he felt a twinge of concern.
Could Daniel shoulder the burden of guarding the Northern Frontier?
The human domain's northern border faced the Abyss directly. It was always at risk of invasion.
Could Daniel really stand against that kind of pressure?
Truth be told, the Human Emperor had high hopes for Daniel.
He had every intention of grooming the young man to become his successor.
Even though Daniel was only Tier-6, and hadn't even completed his Second Star Upgrade Quest, the Emperor was willing to gamble.
Giving him the reins of the North was a huge risk.
But a necessary one.
As he pondered these thoughts, his communicator suddenly lit up with a new notification—
Chapter114-The Shocked Human Emperor
As he pondered these thoughts, his communicator suddenly lit up with a new notification—
[King of the Abyss: Karsas]
[Has been slain by: Daniel (Human Race)]
!?
The Human Emperor froze in place.
With his level of knowledge and authority, he naturally understood the weight of those words—"King of the Abyss."
That title wasn't just for show. It represented a being of Tier-25, a monster whose power was considered among the most elite even within the Abyss itself.
And now, such a monster... had been slain by Daniel?
The Human Emperor's heart stirred with a whirlwind of emotion.
Of course, with his own strength, he could defeat a King of the Abyss. But defeating and killing were two vastly different things.
The stronger the opponent, the more absurd their life-preserving abilities.
Put simply, even the same King of the Abyss—Karsas—was at least ten times harder to kill than to defeat.
"Just how... did that kid pull it off?"
The Human Emperor instinctively rubbed his eyes, wondering if he'd misread the announcement.
But the system-wide network broadcast left no room for misinterpretation.
"So Daniel really did it... He actually killed a King of the Abyss..."
And here he was, still en route to the Northern Frontier to formally crown the boy—only to discover that Daniel had already achieved something far beyond the ceremony.
The Human Emperor now had an unsettling sense that events were spiraling far beyond his expectations.
"No... I need to pick up the pace."
He patted the Snowdragon Beast beneath him and said with a helpless sigh,
"Old friend, I'm going to need you to speed things up again."
The Snowdragon Beast snorted in protest, but its wings began flapping more rapidly.
The air warped as its wingbeats sliced through space itself.
Castle Mington.
A young man in warrior's garb was fighting tooth and nail against the monster in front of him.
After a series of high-intensity battles, he had finally reached his goal.
"Tier-3! I finally made it!"
A look of joy crossed Mejir's face. No one knew how much effort he'd poured in to reach this point.
He had been grinding relentlessly in the Underground Labyrinth for hours, refusing to rest even for a moment. It had paid off.
Hard work brought rewards.
Mejir was proud of himself. To reach Tier-3 in just a day—he was already among the strongest geniuses of his generation.
As for Daniel... he consciously chose to ignore that name.
That guy was already far beyond anything Mejir could realistically chase.
Just as he was about to take a well-earned break, a familiar notification popped up on his communicator:
[King of the Abyss: Karsas]
[Has been slain by: Daniel]
"What the actual— Is he even human?!"
Mejir stumbled in disbelief, his vision spinning from the shock.
That faint pride he had felt a moment ago evaporated like smoke.
Even though he had already accepted he'd never catch up to Daniel, did the guy really have to keep showing up in his face like this?
The constant stream of announcements was driving him insane.
Though Mejir still wouldn't admit it out loud, deep down, he fully acknowledged Daniel's greatness.
Compared to Daniel, he wasn't even worth mentioning.
"Forget it. Tier-3 isn't even worth celebrating. I should focus on completing my Star Upgrade Quest..."
Luminous Forest.
Alice had just completed the Challenger's Labyrinth.
Unlike Daniel, however, she didn't have the ability to farm treasure chests repeatedly, so although she had cleared the Underground Labyrinth, she had only obtained a single Talent Specialization.
Even so, that one reward was a massive boost in her strength.
Her next goal was to hunt World Rank bosses in the elven territories.
Admittedly, even with her current abilities, challenging a World Rank boss would be difficult.
However, if she could borrow a few God Rank Skills from Lord Crossbridge, soloing one was not impossible.
Back when Daniel had soloed a World Rank boss, he was only Tier-3 and hadn't even completed his Star Upgrade Quest.
Now, Alice was already level 60, and her quest was done.
Moreover, she had permission to temporarily use God Rank Skills that Daniel had been authorized to distribute.
On paper, her advantage was clear—it should be easier for her than it had been for Daniel.
The only difference was... those skills weren't actually hers. They were borrowed, granted through Daniel.
Without his authorization, she wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything of the sort.
Even so, Alice was proud.
Because standing behind her was a mighty god, and she was fortunate enough to be that god's devotee.
She stopped walking and looked into the distance.
There stood her next prey—the Unicorn Antelope King, her fourth World Rank boss.
She had already slain three.
Her performance had shocked the entire elven race into stunned silence.
Some even believed her achievements were no less impressive than Daniel's.
Thanks to the communication network, the elves—despite being worlds apart from the human territories—had heard of the human genius who had claimed the first kill on a World Rank boss.
Alice, however, believed that with divine support, she was no weaker.
"Daniel... so that's the name of the human genius?"
She silently repeated the name in her heart.
Then suddenly, a system popup appeared on her communicator:
[King of the Abyss: Karsas]
[Has been slain by: Daniel]
"...?!"
Alice's expression turned solemn instantly.
She understood very well just what kind of power that announcement implied.
Daniel, who had just undergone his Awakening Ceremony yesterday, had now killed a Tier-25 King of the Abyss?
The elven race's own level cap was Tier-20.
A King of the Abyss was not some average boss—even the elves' greatest champions would struggle against such a foe.
So how had Daniel, a mere newly awakened beginner, managed to accomplish this?
A thought suddenly emerged in Alice's mind—was Daniel also a devotee of a god?
The more she considered it, the more plausible it sounded.
Only a god's devotee could possibly wield such overwhelming power.
But which god did he serve?
Perhaps next time... she would ask Lord Crossbridge.
Chapter115-God of Thieves
Across all the races connected to the communication network, the moment the notification went out, everyone received it simultaneously.
[King of the Abyss: Karsas (Tier-25)]
[Has been slain by Daniel (Human Race)]
And just like that, every intelligent race was plunged into stunned silence.
Because this wasn't the first time the name Daniel had appeared.
The last time was when he claimed the first kill on a World Rank boss.
But the problem was... the gap between the two achievements was just too massive.
Just a dozen hours ago, Daniel had taken down a Tier-3 World Rank boss—a creature that, while terrifying to beginner Awakeners, was essentially just a high-HP monster in the eyes of veteran warriors from other races.
The only reason none of the higher-level beings had claimed that first kill was due to level restrictions, not strength.
That meant one thing: just over ten hours ago, Daniel had still been a Tier-3 Awakener.
And now?
He had just killed a Tier-25 King of the Abyss!
The gap between Tier-3 and Tier-25 was like the distance between heaven and earth.
And yet, in just a dozen hours, Daniel had achieved this impossible leap.
Deep within the Abyss Kingdom, Daniel stood over Karsas's corpse, exhaling a long breath of relief.
There was no denying it—the King of the Abyss was terrifying.
If it had been a one-on-one battle, Daniel would've had no chance.
Thankfully, the Star Upgrade Quest didn't require a solo kill. If it had, things would've been a lot more complicated.
Not entirely impossible, but it definitely wouldn't have gone this smoothly.
Moreover, he had gotten lucky—Karsas had no mana left.
If Karsas had full MP, things would have gone south quickly.
Daniel glanced over at Sarko beside him.
Sarko's damage might not have been remarkable, but when it came to harassing and weakening enemies, he was absolutely top-tier.
It was thanks to Sarko's efforts that Daniel had even been able to land the finishing blow.
If Karsas still had his MP, he surely would've used a defensive skill, and Daniel's final attack might have failed.
A level 250 monster had already touched the edges of cosmic law.
Taking down someone like that was no easy feat.
Daniel knew—at his current strength, he was still no match for a King of the Abyss in a fair fight.
But once he completed his third Star Upgrade Quest, that might change.
He was eagerly anticipating the moment he would become a 3-Star Awakener. At that point, perhaps he'd truly be able to go toe-to-toe with kings like Karsas.
After recalling his ten summoned Abyss bosses, Daniel walked over to stand beside Sarko.
And Sarko, now fully aware of Daniel's strength, couldn't help but feel a deep sense of awe.
The Abyss monsters Daniel had summoned just now were already tremendously powerful.
Even most summoner-type Kings of the Abyss would struggle to summon creatures of that caliber.
But Daniel?
He'd summoned them as though it were nothing.
And then, with just a single strike, he had killed Karsas outright.
Karsas had still had over 20% HP at the time—and yet he died instantly.
What kind of talent does this human possess...?
Daniel's abilities left Sarko completely bewildered.
Because Daniel seemed... capable of everything.
Every one of his powers was strong in its own right, with no weaknesses.
Yet based on Sarko's understanding of talents, things shouldn't work that way.
Generally, talent systems fell into two categories:
Few but refined, or
Many but scattered.
But Daniel was both numerous and refined—a contradiction, an anomaly.
And yet, the evidence was right in front of him.
Sarko couldn't figure it out, but he understood one thing for sure:
"This human... is terrifyingly powerful."
"My friend, about the aftermath of Karsas's—"
Sarko started to bring up the practical consequences of Karsas's death.
But before he could finish, Daniel's figure flickered and vanished, leaving behind a single sentence:
"I have some matters to attend to. I'll be back shortly."
In the blink of an eye, Daniel returned to the Star Upgrade Hall in Castle Mington.
Right now, the most important thing was completing his Star Upgrade Quest.
Nothing else mattered.
His eagerness was due in part to the reward for completing the third Star Upgrade Quest—a God Rank Skill ranked #9.
For reference, even the absurdly overpowered [Time Stream] only ranked #10.
So what kind of unimaginable power would a skill at rank #9 offer?
Daniel couldn't wait to find out.
He pressed his hand against the crystal pedestal—and immediately, a radiant glow began to gather around him.
But before the light could fully manifest, a thick mist enveloped everything, wrapping around his body.
Moments later, a message box appeared before his eyes:
[Congratulations. You have completed the third stage of the Star Upgrade Quest.]
[Your talent has evolved. You have received the #9-ranked God Rank Skill and acquired the Keystone of the Divine Temple.]
[Would you like to proceed with the Star Upgrade now?]
Without a moment's hesitation, Daniel chose: Yes.
And once again, his talents evolved.
[Talent Specialization: Eternitybreaker]
[Congratulations. You have unlocked a simplified God Rank Skill and the ability to steal effects.]
But Daniel wasn't focused on his specialization right now.
His entire attention was glued to the newly obtained God Rank Skill.
Wait... is this a combat skill?!
Daniel's eyes lit up.
He already possessed several powerful God Rank Skills, but he'd been sorely lacking a true core offensive skill.
Sure, Starlight Flurry had decent damage, but it technically belonged to Alice, and it didn't qualify as a true God Rank ability.
What he wanted was something that would let him dominate head-on.
Then he saw the skill page—and inhaled sharply.
[God Rank Skill: Judgment of the God of Thieves]
Effect 1: Increases Agility by 500,000.
Effect 2: Increases Dodge chance by 90%.
Effect 3: Enter the shadows and launch a surprise attack. Deals damage equal to Agility × 10,000. If attacking from behind, damage is multiplied further, with a multiplier ranging from 2x to 1000x.
!!!
Holy sh—this is broken!
Chapter116-Judgment of the God of Thieves
[Name: Daniel]
[Agility: 510,000]
...
Looking at his stats, Daniel did a quick mental calculation.
If he activated his God Rank Skill — [Judgment of the God of Thieves], he estimated, conservatively, that the damage he could deal would exceed 5.1 billion.
And if it was a backstab?
Then the multiplier would increase even further.
In a theoretical scenario with maximum amplification, the damage could skyrocket by a factor of 1000.
In other words, 5.1 billion multiplied by 1000 equals 5.1 trillion!
What kind of concept was that?
That meant with just a single skill, Daniel could potentially one-shot Karsas.
Even if that guy had absurdly high resistances and skills that boosted his defenses, he'd still be obliterated.
After all, Karsas only had a bit more than 600 billion HP.
Daniel's maximum damage could potentially reach nine times his total health pool.
No matter how tanky a boss might be, nothing could survive a hit like that.
Daniel felt an uncontrollable excitement rise within him — like switching from a musket to heavy artillery.
Without hesitation, he chose to activate the skill.
[Judgment of the God of Thieves] was an extremely unique God Rank Skill.
After activation, it didn't launch an attack directly.
Instead, a jet-black, blood-stained dagger appeared in the palm of his hand.
"...Huh?" Daniel muttered. "So this skill wants me to fight with this dagger?"
Before he could think further, a notification box popped up in front of him.
[Detected: Skill is not yet fully leveled. Do you want to max it out now?]
"...Crap, I completely forgot about that part!"
Delighted, Daniel instantly selected 'Yes'.
But unexpectedly, even after maxing out the skill, the name [Judgment of the God of Thieves] didn't change.
The main effect remained identical as well.
The real change... was the addition of a new ability:
[Effect 4: True Judgment – When wielding the Dagger of the God of Thieves, you can choose to either directly kill (destroy) a target, or cut the target into multiple independent parts (up to 20). You may also use this ability on yourself, splitting into multiple clones, all under your full control.]
Reading this new effect, Daniel raised an eyebrow, his expression filling with curiosity.
"So... this skill is way more complicated than I thought."
Effect 4 was something he didn't fully understand at first glance.
After pondering it for a moment, he decided there was only one way to find out — field test.
With that in mind, he casually picked out a nearby foreign awakener, walked up quietly behind him, and went for a backstab with the dagger.
At that moment, another prompt appeared before his eyes.
[Do you choose to kill the target, or to cut the target?]
Not quite grasping the full implications of "cut", Daniel instinctively selected it.
In the next moment, the large orc in front of him was sliced cleanly into two pieces by the dagger — as easily as if his body were made of paper.
"Wh-What the hell is going on?!"
"Why is my body in two pieces?!"
"It's murder! Someone's murdered me!!"
The orc's face twisted in terror. He stared down at his own lower half, now separated from his torso.
From the waist down — he had been split into two.
A nearby companion, realizing something was wrong, immediately rushed over, his face full of concern.
"Brugga! What's going on, Brugga?!"
The terrified Brugga shook his head violently, eyes wide in panic.
"I don't know! I really don't know what happened!"
"Someone killed me — I'm already dead!"
"But... why can I still talk? Why don't I feel any pain?"
He seemed to spiral into madness, failing to notice the changes occurring in his body.
In just a blink, the lower half he had lost began to regenerate.
Simultaneously, the severed lower torso began to grow a new head.
Within seconds, two identical versions of Brugga were standing there in full view of everyone.
The original Brugga stood paralyzed in shock.
"Y-You... Who the hell are you?!"
"Someone tell me — what the hell is happening to me?!"
Before him, the other Brugga was equally stunned.
"I am Brugga! Who are you?! Why are you impersonating me?!"
"Nonsense! You're the fake! I'm the real Brugga!!"
The two identical Bruggas immediately began trading blows, brawling like mad beasts.
Watching this unfold from the side, Daniel couldn't help but laugh.
Then, calmly, he raised the dagger again — and slashed down at Brugga several more times.
In just a few breaths, the number of Bruggas standing in the Star Upgrade Hall had increased to twenty.
Twenty perfectly identical Bruggas.
Each one shouting that they were the real one.
Each one convinced that the others were fakes.
They all dove into a chaotic melee.
Everyone in the hall was stunned.
Cold sweat rolled down the backs of the awakeners present.
Even in ancient legends, they had never heard of anything this... disturbing.
As panic spread, Daniel was busy observing the twenty Bruggas closely.
With the [Eye of Insight], no detail could escape his gaze.
And what he saw stunned even him.
From the perspective of Eye of Insight, all twenty Bruggas were identical in attributes.
The only difference was one — the real body was labeled as such.
The rest were clearly marked as clones.
Not only that, the clones' HP values were only half that of the original.
But even so... this effect was terrifying.
And if this could be done to others — could it also be done to himself?
Daniel's heart started racing.
If he split himself into 19 additional clones, all fully under his control...
Wouldn't that mean his total damage output could multiply by twentyfold?
Just imagining it made Daniel suck in a cold breath.
No wonder this skill ranked ninth on the God Rank Skill Compendium.
It wasn't just powerful — it was downright terrifying.
Not only did it deal immense damage, it also possessed unique utility effects that exceeded anything he had previously envisioned.
But...
Something else caught his attention.
Effect 4 mentioned that for living beings, the dagger could kill or cut.
But for objects, it used the word destroy.
Which meant...
Could he use the Dagger of the God of Thieves to cut material objects and create duplicated versions?
Daniel's expression turned serious.
If this were true —
Then wouldn't that mean he never needed to farm resources ever again?
He took another sharp breath, overwhelmed by the implications.
This wasn't just a skill.
It was a complete game-changer.
Chapter117-Experiment
"My friend, you're finally back. Do you have any idea—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Sarko's voice suddenly halted.
He stared in disbelief as Daniel, without any warning, drew a dagger and sliced him cleanly in half at the waist.
Fortunately, Sarko's reaction was quick. A split second before the strike landed, he had activated Phantom Form, turning his body intangible.
However, he had still underestimated Daniel.
Against the skill [Judgment of the God of Thieves], even intangibility meant nothing.
Despite being in a phantom state, Sarko was still affected.
And just like that, he was split into two identical halves.
In front of Daniel now stood two Sarlos—one original and one clone—staring blankly at each other, eyes wide in confusion.
Neither of them seemed to comprehend what had just happened.
Daniel, however, nodded lightly, unable to suppress the admiration rising in his heart.
"As expected of the skill ranked ninth among all God Rank Skills. Its terrifying effect... even a King of the Abyss can't withstand it."
Without offering any further explanation, Daniel immediately activated [Flashback], teleporting to a key location on the Human Emperor's projected route.
Just seconds later, the Human Emperor arrived, and instantly spotted Daniel waiting there.
"Daniel? Why are you here? I thought you'd already reached Winterhold Castle..."
Before he could finish speaking, Daniel gave him a polite, apologetic smile.
"I'm terribly sorry, Your Majesty... but I have an experiment I need to conduct."
With that, he raised the God of Thieves' Dagger and slashed toward the Human Emperor without hesitation.
Surprisingly, the Human Emperor made no attempt to dodge. In fact, he didn't even flinch.
As the Human Emperor, he wielded unimaginable privileges and protections—one of which was absolute immunity.
No one in the world, regardless of rank or favor, could inflict harm upon him.
It was one of the immutable laws of Supreme Authority, hard-coded into his very existence.
Even Daniel, blessed by a god and elevated to a Devotee status, couldn't possibly bypass that rule... or so it was believed.
And indeed, Daniel didn't appear to harm him—no wounds, no visible damage.
But then... the Human Emperor's body began to split in two.
He stood frozen, completely still, as another identical version of himself emerged beside him.
For a moment, he blinked, dumbfounded.
Before he could ask what had just happened, Daniel once again used [Flashback], vanishing into thin air.
Leaving behind the Human Emperor and his clone, both staring at each other in stunned silence.
"What the hell just happened?"
The Human Emperor's mind spun in disbelief. He was the ruler of humanity, for heaven's sake. Was it really so hard to have a proper conversation with this Daniel kid?
And this clone next to him... was that really a copy of himself?
"How the hell did he manage that...?"
Meanwhile, outside Castle Mington, in front of an entrance to a vast underground labyrinth.
Daniel stood silently, gazing down at the dagger in his hand, marveling at its power.
"So even the Human Emperor can't fully withstand the effects of this skill, huh..."
That realization only motivated him more.
It was time for the next experiment.
With that, he stepped into the underground labyrinth and selected Hell Mode.
This time, he wasn't alone—he had the Spirit of Skills as his ally.
Thanks to that, Daniel didn't need to lift a finger.
The Spirit of Skills surged forward, decimating everything inside: monsters, mini-bosses, and finally, the final boss—all eliminated within seconds.
Soon after, a golden treasure chest appeared before Daniel.
Instead of opening it, he calmly raised the God of Thieves' Dagger and struck the chest.
In the blink of an eye, the treasure chest split into two identical copies.
Daniel didn't stop there.
He kept slashing—one after another.
In just one second, the original chest had become twenty, which was the maximum number allowed by [Judgment of the God of Thieves].
Even so, Daniel couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and disbelief.
"This skill... it's utterly broken. Absolutely absurd."
"Now the real question is: will the contents of these chests be the same?"
Without hesitation, Daniel began opening the chests—one after the other.
And sure enough, as he suspected, all twenty chests contained the exact same loot.
That meant from now on, his rewards could be multiplied twentyfold just like that.
However, it wasn't the treasure that truly interested him.
After some thought, Daniel summoned the Star Chasing Bow and activated its signature ability: Starlight Flurry.
As the glowing arrows materialized, he suddenly slashed at them with the dagger.
What happened next would have shocked any awakener to their core.
The Starlight Flurry multiplied by 20 times.
"Holy crap..."
"No wonder this is ranked ninth. This skill doesn't even bother pretending to be balanced."
Driven by curiosity, Daniel took one of the replicated items from his loot and attempted to cut it again.
This time, however, nothing happened.
No further duplication.
"So the limit really is twenty copies total. No recursive duplication..."
He let out a small sigh of disappointment.
If not for that cap, he could have secured infinite materials and resources.
Still, his thoughts quickly reignited with possibility.
"This dagger... it has to have even more untapped potential."
His gaze shifted toward his status panel—more specifically, the HP bar.
In the Whitewild Expanse,
Daniel stood atop a mountain peak, gazing at the endless chain of ridges ahead.
"Thank god I've mastered [Time Stream]. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare try something this crazy."
He gritted his teeth and jabbed the God of Thieves' Dagger into the earth beneath him.
For a moment, he feared he'd accidentally duplicate an entire world.
That would've been disastrous.
Fortunately, that didn't happen.
Instead, a small mound of earth, roughly one cubic meter, rose from the ground—perfectly duplicated.
Daniel scratched his head, exhaling with a wry smile.
"Guess I was overthinking it. Even clones have a size limitation."
In truth, it made sense.
Even the gods of this world weren't omnipotent—none of them could just casually duplicate or destroy entire realms.
"Still... even with that restriction, this power is enough to bend the rules of reality."
And Daniel had only just begun to test its limits.
Chapter118-Other Gains
[Name: Daniel]
[HP: 4.6 billion]
...
Daniel glanced at his HP stat. Without a moment's hesitation, he raised the God of Thieves' Dagger and slashed it toward himself.
The very next moment, something utterly unexpected happened.
Beneath his HP bar on the status panel, a second HP bar appeared—completely identical to the first.
In other words, Daniel, who previously had 4.6 billion HP, now had two separate HP bars, each with 4.6 billion.
His effective HP had just doubled!
Upon seeing the result, a wide smile stretched across Daniel's face.
Fueled by excitement, he immediately slashed his MP bar next.
Still, he wasn't quite sure whether the effect of the dagger was purely visual duplication or if his actual health had truly increased.
To test the truth of it, Daniel activated his God Rank Skill – [Flashback], and in the blink of an eye, teleported into the Abyss.
The Abyss was thick with corruption—its polluted air constantly eroding the HP of any foreign being that dared to enter.
Daniel disabled all of his shields, then stared intently at his HP bars.
Just as he had predicted, all incoming damage was absorbed by the newly duplicated HP bar first.
That confirmed it.
His theory worked. The dagger didn't just duplicate visual data—it created a fully functional, separate life bar.
Now confident in the results, Daniel quickly returned to the Whitewild Expanse.
Since the World Rank bosses in the region had already been wiped out, few other awakeners came here now.
That made it the perfect location for further testing.
After a string of careful, targeted experiments, Daniel finally understood why [Judgment of the God of Thieves] was ranked higher than [Time Stream], taking the ninth spot in the God Rank Skill Compendium.
By now, the Spirit of Skills that followed Daniel had multiplied into twenty entities—the maximum allowed.
Only one was the original; the other nineteen were clones created through cutting.
His inventory had also expanded accordingly—twenty sets of equipment, resources, and even a full suite of skills and Talent Specializations, all replicated.
Through these relentless experiments, Daniel finally decoded the core mechanics behind the skill.
Rule #1 – Only Originals Can Be Cut
The most crucial rule: you can only use the dagger on the original target.
Attempting to cut a clone produces no effect at all.
Rule #2 – All Clones Are Autonomous
Every clone generated by cutting exists independently.
They share no link with the original.
For example, Daniel's replicated skill sets function on their own—completely detached.
Although his original self could use skills with zero cooldown, the replicated versions had their own usage and cooldown mechanics.
This meant that for others—who weren't immune to cooldowns—such replication could mean a colossal power boost.
Rule #3 – HP Cloning Comes with Trade-offs
Duplicating his HP worked, but that didn't mean his HP cap had increased.
More importantly, HP duplication had a fatal drawback:
If Daniel cloned himself, he had to also allocate a separate HP bar to that clone.
If he didn't, the clone would instantly die upon creation due to lacking a life source.
In simple terms, Daniel's own HP bar was used by the clones as their lifeline.
Cloning, therefore, came at the cost of dividing his own survivability.
By the time Daniel finished testing all this, three hours had passed.
And because he had spared no effort during these trials, chaos had erupted across the world.
Twenty Human Emperors had scattered to various corners of the world, each trying to track Daniel down.
Meanwhile, in the Abyss Kingdom, twenty Sarlos had gathered together, enjoying a chaotic, carefree gathering as if at a party.
Daniel had even tested duplicating a succubus—just for curiosity's sake.
As for the outcome...
Let's just say it wasn't nearly as exciting as it sounded.
Of course, Daniel didn't let this chaos spiral out of control.
Once he fully confirmed and understood the mechanics of [Judgment of the God of Thieves], he activated [Time Stream], and reverted the timeline to the exact moment when he had first obtained the skill.
When he opened his eyes again, the dagger was back in his hand.
His expression softened into a satisfied smile.
He then dismissed the skill, causing the dagger to vanish.
"It's unbelievably powerful... but definitely dangerous if used carelessly."
"Only when absolutely necessary."
Having fully studied his new God Rank Skill, Daniel turned his attention to the new Talent Specializations he had acquired from his recent star upgrade:
[Simplified God Rank Skill]
Effect: You may simplify a God Rank Skill. After simplification, its effects will be greatly reduced. However, the skill will no longer be considered a God Rank Skill.
[Effect Theft]
Effect: You may steal the effect of another skill and integrate it into one of your own skills.
Daniel pondered these for a while, but didn't yet have a clear idea of how to utilize them optimally.
Then, his gaze shifted again—this time to the Divine Temple Keystone he had also received.
[Divine Temple Keystone]
Effect: This keystone allows you to establish a Divine Temple of your own. Followers who worship within it will receive unique buffs.
"...Huh?"
Daniel frowned slightly.
So this keystone was essentially a foundational artifact, allowing him to build his own Divine Temple?
Soon, he would become King of the Human Race, with the entirety of the Northern Frontier under his rule.
If he established a Divine Temple there...
Wouldn't that instantly grant him a massive number of loyal followers?
But there was a problem—
The Human Emperor still hadn't arrived at Winterhold Castle yet.
A thought struck Daniel's mind: the same method he used to summon Karsas might work here.
Maybe if he could acquire some items with effects similar to [Shackles of the Prisoner], he could advance his Divine Temple's development early.
Acting on that thought, Daniel immediately headed to the Multiracial Commerce League.
After explaining his needs, Manager Harry confidently thumped his chest.
"This type of item isn't hard to find... but it's extremely rare and expensive."
"Even after discounts, you're looking at a price tag of at least 500 million gold coins."
Daniel didn't even blink.
He pulled out a card and tossed it onto the table.
"There's 10 billion gold coins on this. I want you to start the acquisition immediately."
Within just a few breaths, Manager Harry returned, holding a spatial pouch in his hands.
"Your Highness Daniel, this bag contains ten items with effects similar to what you requested. We're still trying to gather more for you, but it will take some time."
"Keep collecting them," Daniel said simply.
Then, he picked up the pouch and vanished from sight.
Chapter119-Max Level Again
After leaving the Multiracial Commerce League,
Daniel raised the God of Thieves' Dagger and lightly slashed himself once.
In the next instant, a clone of him appeared right beside him.
Almost immediately, he felt a strange sensation—it was as though he could control two bodies simultaneously.
When the dagger was used on other targets, the resulting clones would develop independent consciousness.
But when used on himself, the result was a true duplicate, one that remained entirely under his control—
like an extension of his own will.
With things arranged accordingly, Daniel's main body activated [Flashback] and returned to the Abyss.
There, he still needed to negotiate with Sarko over how to divide the loot from Karsas's defeat.
But that was a minor detail—something his clone could handle perfectly well.
Daniel's main body, meanwhile, set off toward a new destination:
[Bone Plateau]
A recently unlocked map available only to 2-star Awakeners and above,
with a minimum level requirement of 60.
For most mid-tier Awakeners, Bone Plateau had become the main progression zone.
In fact, the majority of awakeners in the world fell between 2-star and 4-star tiers.
Anything beyond that demanded talent and fortune few possessed.
Due to the massive number of players in that stage, the Bone Plateau was also immense in scale—
vastly larger than places like the Whitewild Expanse.
On one side of the Plateau, a team of 60+ level Awakeners were fighting tooth and nail against an elite boss.
If successful, they could earn a gold treasure chest,
whose contents could easily bring them a significant fortune.
But even Daniel didn't expect what happened next.
As soon as he set foot in the region, the Spirit of Skills surrounding him instantly entered combat mode.
In the blink of an eye, spells and abilities filled the sky like a storm—
covering nearly one-third of the entire Bone Plateau.
Monsters of all kinds—roaming throughout the region—were annihilated on the spot,
leaving not even ashes behind.
Even elite bosses weren't spared; they were instantly deleted from existence.
In a matter of moments, monster corpses were scattered across the entire map.
Elsewhere, a massive raid party—numbering in the tens of thousands—was locked in a desperate battle
against a powerful World Rank boss.
But before they could react,
a flood of overwhelming light surged toward them like divine punishment.
In the next second, their half-HP World Rank boss was instantly one-shotted.
This surreal scene repeated itself across every corner of the Bone Plateau.
World Rank bosses dropped dead left and right—
as if some force had just erased their HP bars altogether.
Back in the Abyss Kingdom, Daniel's clone had materialized before Sarko.
But Sarko wasn't surprised by his sudden appearance.
He had long since realized that Daniel's strength had reached a level beyond comprehension.
Sarko quickly put on a friendly smile and said,
"My friend, you're as fast as ever."
Daniel nodded calmly.
"Let's have a proper discussion on how we'll divide the spoils of Karsas, shall we?"
Back on Bone Plateau,
an overwhelming number of system notifications popped up for every Awakeners in the region.
Dozens of World Rank bosses had fallen—some simultaneously.
On the kill record lists, one name appeared again and again:
Daniel.
The World Rank bosses here were no joke—there were easily over a hundred of them.
And yet, in that short instant, nearly half of them had been instantly wiped out.
Each time, the name of the killer remained the same: Daniel.
The sight of these bosses collapsing left the other awakeners in stunned silence.
"So powerful... too powerful."
"How did Prince Daniel even do that?"
"If I'm not mistaken, he only used one skill, didn't he?"
"One attack... and it caused all of this?"
Meanwhile, Daniel's [Ode to Life] trait was flashing rapidly, signaling continuous gains.
And his level—well, it was rising like a rocket.
Daniel had come to the Bone Plateau with one goal: to level up quickly.
As for the World Rank bosses?
They didn't even interest him anymore.
Those kills were just side effects, really—
the Spirit of Skills had acted on their own.
Daniel couldn't be bothered to rein them in.
In just moments, he had already reached level 80!
Even then, the EXP influx only slowed slightly, not stopping.
Each time a monster respawned, his Spirit of Skills launched another wave of attacks—
destroying everything before him.
Fortunately, Daniel had disabled friendly fire,
or else even the awakeners around him wouldn't have survived.
As for the countless treasure chests scattered across the land?
Daniel wasn't about to waste his time collecting them manually.
He simply activated [Judgment of the God of Thieves],
summoning dozens of clones and assigning them to gather loot.
As for low-tier crafting materials or garbage items?
He ignored them entirely.
"No point wasting energy on things that aren't worth anything anymore."
No one could have predicted this.
An entire region as massive as Bone Plateau,
now reduced to nothing more than Daniel's personal EXP farm.
Other awakeners stood frozen, staring at the slaughter.
They couldn't even compete for kills.
Their only option was to stand still and watch Daniel's display of absurd dominance.
All across the map, monsters kept respawning—
only to be instantly deleted again the moment they appeared.
No exceptions.
From trash mobs to World Rank bosses, nothing could withstand the onslaught.
Then, only seconds later, the sweet sound Daniel had been waiting for finally arrived.
[Congratulations, you have reached Level 100.]
[You must complete a Star Upgrade Quest to unlock further level progression.]
Without any hesitation, Daniel once again activated [Flashback].
In a blink, he returned to the Star Upgrade Hall of Castle Mington.
This would now be the third time he accepted a Star Upgrade Quest.
And at the speed he was progressing...
It was safe to say: no one before him had ever advanced so quickly.
And no one after him likely ever would.
Back on the Bone Plateau,
even after Daniel had left, the awakeners present stood frozen in disbelief.
Monsters had started to respawn,
but an air of surrealism still lingered.
"Did that really just happen?"
"Was any of that even real...?"
Chapter120-Alice's Suspicion
The communications network was in utter chaos.
Countless Awakeners currently stationed on the Bone Plateau had begun uploading their eyewitness accounts.
In the blink of an eye, discussions related to Daniel exploded in popularity once more.
"Wait—are you all serious right now? Prince Daniel used a single skill to kill dozens of World Rank bosses?!"
"Wasn't he just in the Abyss a moment ago? Why is he suddenly appearing on the Bone Plateau?"
"How the hell is he traveling such vast distances in such a short amount of time?"
"Has anyone considered the possibility that what happened on the Bone Plateau... was just an illusion? Maybe we were all deceived..."
"Oh, stop it. Don't act like you didn't pick up loot."
From Daniel's perspective, he had spent hours thoroughly testing his God Rank Skill,
[Judgment of the God of Thieves], before stepping onto the Bone Plateau.
But due to the temporal rewinding power of [Time Stream],
none of that time actually existed for anyone else.
Which created a surreal illusion:
One moment, everyone saw the official announcement that Daniel had slain the King of the Abyss.
The very next moment, he was already on the Bone Plateau,
slaying dozens of World Rank bosses with near-instantaneous force.
Although it wasn't exactly a solo kill, Daniel's name appearing first on all kill records was proof enough—
his contribution far outstripped everyone else's.
This contradiction left the entire Human Race in a state of utter disbelief.
"It doesn't make sense... This is completely unreasonable! How could he travel back and forth between the Abyss and Bone Plateau in such a short time?!"
"Is it possible, like the rumors say, that Daniel actually discovered how to use Underground Labyrinth teleportation?"
"Otherwise, there's no way to explain it..."
Though many were voicing their theories, none of them held up under logical scrutiny.
Despite the facts being laid out in front of them,
most people still chose doubt over belief.
Even so, Daniel's power was beyond question.
And now, for the first time, the world had visual proof of Daniel's true combat prowess.
With video clips being uploaded, countless analyses, breakdowns, and expert commentaries flooded the network.
"Expert Analysis: Daniel's Damage Output May Surpass That of a 3-Star Awakener!"
"Speculative Report: Prince Daniel May Have Mastered a God Rank Skill"
"S-Tier Talent? More Like the No. 1 B-Tier in the World! Prove Me Wrong!"
The overwhelming flood of articles and hot takes drove the Daniel discussion into a brand-new wave of public frenzy.
The phenomenon wasn't limited to the Human Race anymore.
It spread rapidly into the networks of other species.
The Elves, Orcs, Treants, Barbarians—
any race that had communication channels with humanity, had now seen the news.
In their own networks, discussions surrounding Daniel began to emerge as well.
Most of these races reached the same conclusion:
Daniel must have received the favor of a god.
Meanwhile, back in the Star Upgrade Hall—
A man in his forties stood with trembling hands, pressing down on the Star Crystal, his face filled with emotion.
No one would have guessed that he had spent thirty long years to finally reach this point:
Achieving Tier-10 and gaining the qualifications to attempt the Tier-1 Star Upgrade Quest.
After decades of hardship,
he was finally about to become a 3-Star Awakener.
Not far away, Daniel's figure slowly materialized.
Without drawing attention to himself, he calmly walked over to a familiar, empty platform.
He had been here just a few hours ago, completing his previous Star Upgrade Quest.
Strangely enough, the same platform remained unused.
Once again, the system issued him a quest.
And as before, the quest was rated [SSS+],
offering no options to choose from—only acceptance.
But Daniel had long come to terms with this.
"As long as the rewards are good... I don't mind the difficulty."
Then, as he read the quest details, he paused, slightly startled.
[3-Star Star Upgrade Quest: Phase One (Total: 4 Phases)]
Objective 1: Obtain two territories that rightfully belong to you
Objective 2: Acquire a new God Rank Skill
Reward: +2 Spirit of Skills
"Wait... these rewards are insanely generous!"
Daniel had already seen just how terrifying the Spirit of Skills could be.
With the amplification from Judgment of the God of Thieves,
20 of them attacking simultaneously unleashed cataclysmic destruction.
Now, if he received 2 more?
That would effectively double his total—turning into 40 Spirit of Skills.
Which meant his damage output could double again.
That was beyond ridiculous.
Even without Daniel lifting a finger,
his Spirits alone could already wipe out nearly everything on the Bone Plateau.
"If I double their number... there might not even be bosses left to kill."
This quest was a massive win.
The only question now was:
Which God Rank Skill should he choose next?
As his level increased, Daniel had unlocked more entries in the God Rank Skill Compendium.
He'd also stockpiled enough materials to afford quite a few of them.
Now it was just a matter of careful selection.
Looking back at the quest, he began weighing his next steps.
The first objective—acquire two personal territories.
The Northern Frontier of the Human Race counted as one.
But getting a second territory within human lands?
Unlikely.
There simply wasn't any unclaimed land left.
And Daniel had no desire to carve out more from his own people.
What he wanted...
was to expand into new territory altogether.
After some thought, his eyes lit up.
"The Abyss..."
Karsas was dead.
His Abyssal Kingdom now had no king.
What if Daniel claimed that kingdom for himself?
Wouldn't that count as his second territory?
Luminous Forest — deep within the elven lands.
Alice held her communication device, eyes wide, scrolling through the flood of Daniel-related headlines.
But when she tapped into one of the uploaded videos—showing Daniel's actual skill in action—
her pupils suddenly contracted.
"Wait a minute... That skill... looks familiar."
It was her own [Stellar Flash].
No, more precisely—
it was like dozens of Stellar Flashes, cast all at once.
What's more, the power behind them seemed even greater than her own.
"Could Daniel really be... stronger than me?"
A ridiculous thought surged into her mind,
followed immediately by deep suspicion.
"Could he be connected to... His Eminence Crossbridge?"
After all, [Stellar Flash] was a signature skill of the God Shooter—
a divine legacy that had never appeared in any race other than the elves.
"Could Daniel be... a devotee of His Eminence Crossbridge?"
That was the farthest Alice's imagination could go.
She didn't dare consider the unthinkable—
That Daniel might actually be Crossbridge himself.