Chapter131-I Believe in Myself
Inside the Elven Palace, the atmosphere grew heavy with tension.
The Elven Queen held Alice in high regard, considering her not just as a talented individual, but as the future hope of the entire Elven race.
After a moment of silence, the Queen's expression hardened into one of resolute determination.
"Alice, you are the beacon of our people's future. I know these materials are important to you," she said, her voice unwavering. "So I will find a way to get them for you."
"Even if it means our Elven race must pay a heavy price—so be it."
"But before that, I still hope you'll consider speaking with the god. Perhaps there's still a possibility to change the course of this."
The Queen had already made her final decision. The materials Alice needed—most of them could only be obtained by slaying World Rank bosses. And the drop rates? Abysmally low.
This meant that even for a race as powerful as the Elves, acquiring these items would come at an immense cost—possibly the loss of many elite fighters.
But both the Elven Queen and the Human Emperor shared a common understanding: the thousand-year Apocalypse was approaching fast, and Alice was their best shot at survival.
For the sake of their race's continued existence—for the Elves to still hold dominion over vast resources in the next millennium—the Queen had no other choice.
Hearing these words, Alice's expression wavered. She was no fool—she understood clearly that this endeavor could very well bleed the Elves dry.
After a few seconds of silent conflict, she finally nodded.
"Your Majesty, I think you're right... I should consult the god first."
A gentle smile appeared on the Queen's face.
"Follow your heart, child. Whatever you decide, I will always stand by your side."
...
In the abyss,
After becoming the King of the Abyss, Daniel was in no hurry to leave.
The last time he had used the item [Shackles of the Prisoner], its effect had been astonishing—almost too good to be true.
But the problem was... he only had one.
Daniel had originally considered running the underground labyrinth a few more times in hopes of farming another [Shackles of the Prisoner]—but fate had something better in store.
To his utter amazement, within the endless abyss, he actually found the blueprint to craft the [Shackles of the Prisoner] himself!
This discovery was nothing short of miraculous, and he wasted no time issuing his first royal command since becoming king:
Spare no expense—create more [Shackles of the Prisoner] as fast as possible.
Whatever materials were needed, buy them all.
After all, Daniel wasn't exactly strapped for cash—if anything, he had too much of it. His wealth was practically bottomless.
And so, the entirety of the infinite abyss sprang into motion, driven by one king's decree.
But Daniel's urgency in producing these shackles had another purpose behind it. He intended to use them to transport the Human Emperor directly to the northern border of the human realm—thus sparing him the long, tedious journey across hostile lands.
That was also why Daniel remained in his kingdom instead of moving out.
Of course, he had another reason for staying: he wanted to research his newly constructed Divine Temple.
Now that the Infinite Divine Temple was finally complete, he needed to study its effects and understand its mechanics.
With the activation of his [Eye of Insight], a detailed panel of the temple's attributes appeared before him.
[Infinite Divine Temple – Current Effects]
Effect 1: Kingdom Domination
Within the Kingdom where the Infinite Divine Temple stands, all damage inflicted upon you by any creature is reduced by 50%. Every attack you launch will now deal attribute damage corresponding to your Kingdom's core power.Effect 2: Faith Blessing
No current bonuses.Effect 3: Follower Buff (Level 1)
Your followers receive a 30% increase to stamina and gain faith-based abilities, including heightened perception and ranged strikes.Effect 4: God's Benediction
Any follower who has received the god's permission may wield a complete, unweakened God Rank Skill.
Daniel was quite satisfied with the temple's boosts.
The only mild disappointment was that most of these bonuses applied to his followers rather than to himself.
But upon further thought, the more followers he had, the stronger he became in turn. It was a long-term investment.
In Daniel's eyes, these "follower bonuses" looked a lot like weakened versions of the God Rank Skills he already mastered.
But weakened or not—these were still God Rank Skills! For any ordinary creature, even a diluted God Skill represented a divine leap in power.
All in all, Daniel reached a clear conclusion:
Anyone who placed their faith in his Divine Temple would reap enormous benefits.
Most importantly, there appeared to be no prerequisites or trial for these blessings.
In other words, even a lowly creature only needed to believe sincerely to receive supernatural enhancements.
This kind of Divine Temple—compared to any other Daniel had ever seen or heard of—was operating on an entirely different level. It was a game-changer.
The so-called "true gods" of this world? All stingy as could be.
Take the Elves' god, for instance. Not an evil deity by any means—but even after the Elves had sacrificed mountains of offerings, all they received in return was a barely noticeable buff.
Now look at his own Infinite Divine Temple. Generous, accessible, powerful.
It was no exaggeration to say that it could be considered the most benevolent "church" in all existence.
Daniel even briefly entertained the idea of reducing the bonuses by two-thirds just to not seem too overpowered.
Even at one-third of its current strength, it would still reign as the undisputed top among all temples.
But after a short pause, he dismissed the thought.
After all, he would only continue accumulating more and more God Rank Skills over time. As he became stronger, so too would his believers.
No need to be stingy.
Having made up his mind, Daniel stepped into the Infinite Divine Temple and uttered a sacred prayer with heartfelt sincerity.
The next moment, a message appeared in front of his eyes:
[You have become a follower of the Infinite God. You have received the following bonuses:]
+30% StaminaFaith Skills Unlocked
...
"Pfft. I believe in myself—how's that for divine logic?" Daniel thought smugly.
With his buffs in place, he began to tour his new abyssal kingdom.
Truthfully, even though this realm now belonged to him, Daniel still understood very little about the abyssal creatures that inhabited it.
The Abyss itself had always been a chaotic, complex place, and the life forms born within it were fundamentally different from those of the human world.
Most abyssal creatures weren't even born in a traditional sense.
Rather, they emerged from condensed abyssal energy, forming consciousness purely by chance. That was how abyssal life began.
When these creatures first came into existence, many of their attributes were locked.
In fact, unless they were unusually lucky, an abyssal creature's attribute values wouldn't change at all from birth to death.
So in a way, abyssal beings had far less potential than humans.
But what they lacked in growth, they made up for in quantity.
Abyssal creatures could reproduce at incredible speed, generating vast numbers in a short time. What's more, even the most freshly born ones were often stronger in combat than the average human.
Chapter132-A Multitude of Followers
At least from Daniel's perspective,
the deeper he delved into his understanding of the Abyss,
the more clearly he realized just how terrifying it truly was.
Put simply, if the Abyss were to ever invade the human realm,
the consequences would be catastrophic—far beyond imagination.
In such a scenario, the complete annihilation of humanity wouldn't be unexpected; in fact, it would be practically guaranteed.
Now, with the thousand-year Apocalypse fast approaching, Daniel felt like every step forward was taken on a tightrope strung over a void—every move cautious, calculated, and perilously unstable.
Meanwhile, a group of Abyssal creatures had already stepped into the Infinite Divine Temple.
Though not all of them were particularly intelligent, they did possess a basic ability to reason and perceive.
Their decision to enter the Divine Temple immediately had largely to do with the fact that their kingdom now had a new king—Daniel.
And in their eyes, pleasing the new sovereign could never be a mistake.
Moreover, they were immensely curious about this sudden appearance of a Divine Temple within their territory.
The moment they stepped into the Temple, they were overwhelmed by a powerful, awe-inspiring presence.
Even the most impulsive and hot-tempered among them instantly quieted down, as if they'd been turned into well-behaved quails.
They silently surveyed the grand interior of the Divine Temple—larger and more magnificent than any of them had imagined.
At the very heart of the temple stood a colossal statue.
What startled the Abyssal creatures the most was the fact that, even though the statue stood plainly before them, they simply couldn't make out its facial features.
All they could vaguely discern was that the figure appeared humanoid.
At the base of the statue was an engraved prayer—a sacred chant for all followers. And from this inscription, they also learned the name of the god who presided over this place:
Crossbridge, the Infinite God.
"Infinite God? That name sounds ridiculously powerful!"
"Our king established this Divine Temple... could it be that even His Majesty is a follower of this god?"
"His strength is overwhelming—maybe it's because he believes in this god?"
"Do you think we'd become stronger too if we started believing?"
"Now that I think about it... most Kings of the Abyss seem to have a god they follow. Maybe that's where they get their power from?"
"That's possible. And really, what's the harm in believing in a god? I'll give it a try."
"Yeah, me too!"
After a brief round of discussion, several Abyssal creatures reached a consensus. Together, they recited the prayer inscribed at the foot of the statue.
And as soon as they finished chanting the final words, each of them began to feel something change within themselves—new abilities blossoming in their minds.
And these abilities...
Slowly, one after another, their faces twisted into expressions of disbelief and shock.
This couldn't be real.
Was this Infinite God truly this powerful?
Just through a simple act of faith—an act of prayer—they had already doubled their combat strength?!
Unreal. Absolutely, incomprehensibly powerful.
"Praise be to you, Your Holiness Crossbridge!!"
Their gratitude was genuine—etched deeply across their features.
To any living being, a sudden leap in power was cause for celebration.
But in the Abyss, where the law of survival was ruled by nothing but brute strength, power was more than just desirable—it was everything.
The moment their strength surged, these Abyssal beings could barely contain themselves. All they could think about was vengeance—payback against long-standing enemies.
Because in the Abyss, power was everything. And now,
if belief in the Infinite God could double one's strength,
then not believing was practically suicide.
If your mortal enemy chose to believe, and you didn't,
even if you'd once been evenly matched—
now you'd be slaughtered without mercy.
...
In the Abyss, endless slaughter had always been the natural order of things.
So when the first group of Abyssal creatures, empowered by faith, began hunting down their enemies,
the secret of the Infinite Divine Temple spread like wildfire.
In no time at all, every corner of the Abyss knew of its existence.
Even though Daniel never issued any orders to force belief in the Infinite God,
the creatures came running—desperately, feverishly—scrambling to enter the Divine Temple.
But the Temple wasn't infinite in space, despite its name.
Many creatures simply couldn't fit inside, and had to queue outside, waiting.
And while they waited, chaos erupted.
Fights broke out to determine order of entry.
Blood spilled. Bodies fell.
In the Abyss, even worship required bloodshed.
Daniel observed this silently.
He did not intervene.
After all, to a degree, Abyssal creatures were born for conflict. Born for war.
And within the rules of the Abyss, death and birth had always maintained a cruel but perfect equilibrium.
For every Abyssal creature slain, another would be born in the depths.
This was simply the nature of the Abyss—its law.
There was no need for a king to interfere with what was already a perfectly calibrated system.
What mattered more was what Daniel now saw before his eyes:
His number of followers—his worshippers—was growing at an exponential rate.
It took five minutes to go from 100 to 1,000.
But it only took ten seconds to go from 1,000 to 1,000,000.
In the blink of an eye, the counter surged past one hundred million.
And the moment it hit that mark, a new system notification appeared before Daniel:
[Current Followers: 100,000,000+]
Reward Unlocked: Blueprint for the Infinite Divine Temple Keystone]
Next Milestone: 10,000,000,000 followers
Daniel's eyes twitched slightly at the prompt.
He had always thought that the Divine Temple Keystone was a one-time item.
He never imagined it could be mass-produced.
The conditions for crafting one were—on the surface—simple.
But for anyone besides Daniel, they were next to impossible.
To craft a Divine Temple Keystone, you needed:
Ten million units of stoneAnd... one God Rank Skill Book
Daniel rubbed his chin and glanced at his own collection—his God Rank Skill Compendium.
[Thunderfall Divine Shield]
Craftable copies: 999
Now that was a first-rate skill—his very first God Rank Skill.
Turns out, not only was it powerful, it came in bulk!
Daniel felt a quiet thrill in his heart.
Just then, a communication came through—it was Alice.
...
Back in the Abyss Empire,
After escorting Daniel, Sarko didn't return to his own kingdom.
Instead, he made his way back to the capital of the Abyss Empire.
There, before the towering figure of the Emperor of the Abyss,
Sarko bowed deeply and spoke:
"Your Majesty, why did you test that human in such a way?"
"What if it offends him? What if this results in an all-out assault by the humans upon the Abyss?"
The Emperor, known as Malkar, waved his vine-like appendage nonchalantly.
"Sarko," he said in his deep, resonant voice, "think carefully. If the human race truly had so many formidable individuals, then a mere Duban wouldn't be enough to attract their attention."
"What truly threatens us is not one person. It is the human race itself."
Chapter133-Massive Construction
After a long and confidential conversation, Sarko finally left Malkar's Abyss Empire.
At this moment, his feelings were somewhat complicated. Just moments ago, the Emperor of the Abyss had entrusted him with an extremely important mission:
To gather as much intelligence related to Daniel as possible.
In addition, he was also tasked with investigating any information he could find on the Human Race.
Following the previous round of testing, the Emperor of the Abyss had come to a clear conclusion—Daniel possessed real strength.
At the very least, among all the abyss kings currently active in the abyss—excluding Malkar himself—none of them combined could rival Daniel.
That meant Daniel could essentially roam the abyss freely, unchecked.
As for Daniel's tier, the Emperor of the Abyss made a rough estimate—Daniel likely exceeded Tier 20.
And based on the information Daniel had provided himself, the human race had many beings who were even more powerful than him.
So, it was best... no, it was absolutely essential not to provoke the human race.
To be more precise—the human race must not be offended under any circumstances.
Meanwhile, on Daniel's communicator, a message from Alice popped up.
"Lord Daniel, do you have time now?"
The reason Alice addressed him so respectfully as "Lord Daniel" was primarily due to instructions from her god.
Thus, her attitude was exceedingly courteous.
Daniel replied simply,
"If there's something you want to say, just say it. I don't care much for formalities."
His approach was straightforward. He simply wanted to communicate efficiently with Alice.
Alice, on the other hand, seemed to appreciate this attitude. She responded in kind.
"Lord Daniel, our Elf Race has already located some of the materials needed by the gods. However, acquiring them won't be easy... the cost is quite high."
Using as few words as possible, Alice relayed everything the Elf Queen had told her.
Daniel furrowed his brows unconsciously upon hearing the report.
Clearly, synthesizing a God Rank Skill was far from a simple endeavor—even acquiring a single material was a significant challenge.
And the materials he had entrusted the elves to gather seemed particularly troublesome.
However...
After completing his recent Star Upgrade Quest, Daniel had unlocked a new Talent Specialization:
[Simplified God Rank Skill]
Effect: Allows you to select a skill from the God Rank Skill Compendium and simplify its synthesis recipe. The resulting skill will be significantly weakened compared to the original.
At first glance, this Talent Specialization seemed somewhat underwhelming.
But in reality, for Daniel, it was incredibly powerful—and perhaps even crucial.
After all, there were so many God Rank Skills in the compendium that were essentially impossible to synthesize through normal means.
But with this specialization, Daniel now had a real chance at creating them.
Even if the simplified versions were weaker, a skill like [Time Stream], for example—
Even after being nerfed, it would still be a fearsome and formidable ability.
Of course, Daniel hadn't yet decided whether or not to use this Talent Specialization.
Given the challenges he currently faced, he had to seriously consider—
Would a weakened version of a God Rank Skill still serve its purpose?
Moreover, even after simplification, the synthesis still required some rare materials.
So up to this point, Daniel had never used the specialization.
After thinking it through briefly, Daniel typed a reply to Alice:
"These materials... are they only obtainable from your side's World Rank bosses?"
Daniel had confidence in his current strength.
He might not know exactly how he compared to the Human Emperor—
But the next time they met, he planned to analyze the emperor with [Eye of Insight].
As for the World Rank bosses Alice mentioned—
Daniel believed he could take them on.
He had a realistic understanding of his own power. He didn't underestimate himself—nor did he overestimate.
With [Eye of Insight], he could evaluate everything through data.
Besides, he had a nagging feeling that his next Star Upgrade Quest might involve powerful World Rank bosses as well.
This would be his third Star Upgrade Quest, after all.
On the other end, Alice noticed Daniel's interest in the Elf Tribe's World Rank boss and instantly began to consider other implications.
If Lord Daniel was willing to take action personally—
Wouldn't that mean the Elf Tribe wouldn't need to risk their own people anymore?
With this in mind, she quickly replied with newfound determination:
"Lord Daniel, please rest assured. I will do everything I can to gather the information you require."
After the communication ended,
Daniel opened his inventory and pulled out a large amount of materials.
He began batch-crafting a God Rank Skill known as [Thunderfall Divine Shield].
Because this particular skill ranked rather low on the God Rank list, the materials required—while rare—were still obtainable in bulk for someone like Daniel.
The reason he chose to craft so many copies of this skill book was simple:
He needed them as foundational cores for Divine Temples.
Very soon, his inventory was filled with over a hundred Divine Temple Foundation Stones.
Then, using teleportation, he instantly appeared in another major city within the Infinite Abyss Kingdom.
Without hesitation, he planted one of the foundation stones into the ground—
And right before the eyes of the surrounding abyss creatures, a grand and majestic Divine Temple rose from the earth.
Its sudden emergence shocked everyone in the area.
At the same time, Daniel didn't forget to broadcast an announcement throughout his Kingdom.
News of the newly constructed Infinite Divine Temple spread rapidly, and soon, hordes of abyss creatures began flocking to it.
Of course, the journey wasn't peaceful—fights and ambushes broke out along the way, as expected.
But Daniel didn't stay idle.
He teleported to another city cluster and threw down yet another foundation stone.
In just a short amount of time, over a hundred Infinite Divine Temples were erected across the abyss.
This development brought visible joy to many of the abyss creatures.
Finally—they no longer had to fight to the death over temple spots!
Just earlier, numerous abyss beings had been locked in brutal battles over temple access.
But now, with Divine Temples popping up everywhere, such deadly clashes were growing rare.
Abyss creatures were naturally aggressive—but they weren't senseless madmen who attacked everything in sight.
In truth, most of them feared injury and death.
If combat could be avoided, they would gladly avoid it.
Plus, the abyss operated under an unspoken rule:
High-tier abyss creatures were not allowed to slaughter lower-tier ones indiscriminately.
Why?
Because such pointless bloodshed would only disrupt the Kingdom's stability.
Abyss creatures were obsessed with power and self-improvement—
They had no interest in meaningless killing sprees.
After constructing his 100th Infinite Divine Temple, Daniel finally came to a halt.
And just as he did, a new message popped up on his communicator.
It was from the Emperor of the Abyss:
"Do you have time right now?"
Chapter134-The Generous Daniel
Daniel had no idea why the Emperor of the Abyss was suddenly contacting him.
After a brief moment of thought, he sent back a simple reply:
"Your Majesty, may I ask what this is about?"
The response came quickly.
"My friend, the Abyss Dark Blood Stone has been prepared. If you have time, you can come retrieve it now."
"However, I must remind you—you can borrow it for no more than three days. After that, it must be returned."
Seeing this message, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Daniel's lips.
"No problem, Your Majesty. I won't need that long."
"Very well. I'll be waiting for you in my palace."
The moment the communication ended, Malkar—the Emperor of the Abyss—began reinforcing his palace with multiple layers of enchantments and restrictions.
[Spatial Lockdown: All teleportation is prohibited.]
[Solidified Space: This space is frozen in stasis. No teleportation in or out is possible.]
[...]
Malkar acted with lightning speed, throwing every space-locking ability he had into the mix.
But just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a figure appeared before his very eyes.
"Your Majesty, it's an honor to meet again."
Daniel's expression remained calm, with that signature faint smile still lingering on his face.
Malkar, on the other hand, visibly trembled. The vines entwined around his body shuddered involuntarily as if stricken with shock.
He was the Emperor of the Abyss, ruling sovereign over the entire abyssal realm. With a long life behind him, he had witnessed countless storms and upheavals.
Yet now, he found himself unable to block a single human from appearing right in front of him.
And the worst part?
He had no idea how Daniel had bypassed his spatial lockdown.
Still, despite the storm raging inside, Malkar managed to maintain a calm façade. He acted as if Daniel's sudden appearance was nothing out of the ordinary.
"My friend, it's a pleasure to see you again."
"Your mastery over space... truly extraordinary. Might we trade some skills? I'd love to learn how you manipulate space."
"Don't worry—even if it's a Talent Exclusive Skill, it's fine. My own talent is quite... accommodating."
The truth was, Malkar was extremely envious of Daniel's spatial powers.
And it wasn't exactly a secret that Malkar's talent allowed him to learn the Talent Exclusive Skills of others.
His SSS-tier talent came with special properties—this was common knowledge in the abyss.
So sharing this "non-secret" with Daniel posed no risk at all.
Daniel, hearing this, only smiled.
"Your Majesty didn't invite me here just to discuss skill sharing, did you?"
"Hahaha! My friend, you misunderstand me. As per your earlier request, I've already prepared the Abyss Dark Blood Stone for you."
"Sarko! Come take care of the contract!"
Winterhold Castle
One of Daniel's many avatars was currently transporting a large quantity of abyssal materials into storage.
He had rented a massive warehouse at the Multiracial Commerce League headquarters in Winterhold Castle.
Technically, once he formally assumed office, the entire northern border of the Human Realm would belong to him—so spending a bit of gold on storage space didn't really concern him.
Once the materials were safely stored and the inventory checked, Daniel's figure flickered—vanishing from sight in an instant.
A heartbeat later, he reappeared on the back of the Snowdragon Beast.
"Your Majesty the Human Emperor, you no longer need to travel by foot."
As he said this, Daniel pulled out an improved version of the [Anygate], a powerful teleportation device.
He also handed over a set of blueprints to the Human Emperor.
"This is the construction blueprint I mentioned earlier for the Anygate."
Then, without waiting for a response, Daniel handed over a space ring as well.
"Inside this ring are the materials required to construct the Anygate. I've prepared them in advance."
As Daniel passed over both the blueprints and the necessary materials, the Human Emperor's expression softened with approval.
Daniel's actions weren't merely for appearances—he was truly prioritizing efficiency.
After all, the Millennial Apocalypse was drawing near. Arguing over who should hold the blueprints was pointless.
By giving the plans to the Human Emperor, Daniel ensured that the entire Human Race could begin construction immediately under imperial authority.
This meant that, in the shortest possible time, humanity would gain the ability to move swiftly across vast distances.
The Human Emperor, holding the blueprint, immediately began reviewing its contents.
"So space magic... can be used this way? It seems we humans are far behind in spatial manipulation."
"In theory, this Anygate design is flawless."
In truth, Daniel's sudden appearance had caught the Human Emperor completely off guard.
He had assumed that even if Daniel was willing to give him the blueprint, it would take quite a long time.
After all, such devices were surely extremely rare in the abyss, weren't they?
But now?
It had only been a short while since they last spoke, and Daniel had already delivered both the design and the materials!
This young man... truly lived up to being chosen by a god. He couldn't be judged by conventional standards.
Scratching his head, the Human Emperor stopped questioning Daniel's power and instead focused entirely on the Anygate design and its listed functions:
[Anygate]
Effect: Allows for both random teleportation and targeted teleportation.
Maximum teleportation range: 100 billion kilometers
Required construction materials: Spatial Foundation Stone, Subspace Crystal...
Upon seeing the materials list, the Human Emperor instinctively frowned.
"These materials... are unobtainable within our current territory."
"Even the national treasury only has a small reserve, and most of that was brought back from the abyss."
He paused mid-sentence, suddenly recalling something—
Daniel had given him a space ring.
He sent his mind into the ring to examine its contents, and in the next moment—he froze.
His eyes widened.
My god...
Had Daniel plundered the entire abyss?
The Human Emperor swallowed hard, his chest rising and falling with growing excitement.
Items like the [Subspace Crystal], for instance—
Even the human race's national treasury only held about 100,000 units.
And yet the ring Daniel had handed him...
Contained a full 1 billion units.
Was this even reasonable?
Daniel's stockpile wasn't just larger than the national treasury—it was orders of magnitude greater!
The Human Emperor couldn't make sense of it.
He wanted to believe Daniel had robbed the abyss—but it didn't seem very plausible.
"Daniel... these materials..."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty," Daniel replied with a calm smile.
"All of these are for the Human Race. I've prepared them with that purpose in mind."
Chapter135-The Human Emperor's Announcement
In truth, Daniel had already begun preparing the moment he obtained the blueprint for the Anygate.
He had immediately ordered his subordinates to start gathering the necessary materials for its construction.
After all, the Anygate was a product of the abyss. The odds were high that the required materials could only be found in the abyss itself.
Even so, Daniel hadn't managed to purchase very much through conventional means—because even in the abyss, these materials were considered extremely rare.
But for Daniel, this was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Ever since he personally defeated Karsas and inherited the fallen Abyss King's treasury, Daniel had been sitting atop a massive stockpile of abyssal resources.
The portion he gave to Sarko was merely the leftovers—items he had deemed useless.
Among the treasure trove left behind by Karsas were all the materials required to craft the Anygate.
So, with one sweeping inventory, Daniel had already gathered everything he needed.
The Human Emperor said nothing more and tucked the blueprint safely into his backpack.
But as he gazed into the contents of the space ring Daniel had given him, he suddenly began to question his own worth.
Wait...
He was the Human Emperor, sovereign ruler of the entire human race.
He should, theoretically, have access to the full might of the empire's resources.
So why... why did he feel so poor?
And yet here was Daniel, this young man standing before him, generously handing over materials like it was nothing.
Hold on a second—who was the actual Human Emperor here?
Shouldn't he be the one rewarding Daniel with rare materials instead?
The Human Emperor stood there, caught in an emotional swirl of gratitude and confusion, his gaze turning slightly strange as he looked at Daniel.
Maybe...
He should just hand over the crown and let Daniel take his place.
Of course, that was just a passing thought.
It wasn't that he was reluctant to give up power. The position of Human Emperor could only be transferred to someone who had reached the maximum level.
Even if he were willing to step aside right now, Daniel would be unable to accept the title under the system's restrictions.
"Since you've already prepared the materials, I'll immediately assign teams to begin construction on the Anygates."
Neither of them expressed much concern about the logistics of transporting the materials.
After all, they were non-living objects, which made them far easier to move.
Even from as far as Winterhold Castle, the materials could be delivered rapidly to the human race's key strongholds.
As long as the materials and blueprints were in place, Daniel believed it wouldn't take long before Anygates began popping up all over the human territories.
What he was more interested in, though, was the production of the improved [Shackles of the Prisoner].
Once those shackles were ready, he would be able to lead teams in using the God Rank Skill [Flashback].
Just as he was thinking this, the Human Emperor spoke again:
"Daniel, the Millennial Apocalypse is approaching. All our races have long been allies in this world."
"If possible, I'd like to share the blueprint for the Anygate with the other races."
"Of course, this is only a suggestion. Since the design came from you, the final decision is yours."
His intention was straightforward.
No matter how valuable the blueprint or how rare the materials, they were Daniel's discovery, and therefore any decision regarding their distribution had to go through him.
It would be inappropriate—disrespectful even—to make that decision unilaterally.
But deep down, the Human Emperor knew the truth:
Humanity alone could not survive the coming Apocalypse.
Not even with all their strength combined.
If any hope remained, it would be in the unity of all races.
Only together would they stand a chance of weathering the cataclysm to come.
This was also why he was pushing for this choice—to solidify their bonds with the other races.
Especially after the destruction of the gnome race, anxiety had begun spreading among the remaining civilizations.
Daniel, after hearing the Emperor's request, simply nodded.
"As you see fit, Your Majesty."
He didn't mind this kind of decision at all.
After all, the construction of Anygates would benefit him just as much.
It would make his movements infinitely easier.
Even the God Rank Skill [Flashback] could only send him to places he had already visited.
But in a world this vast, there were many locations that would take him a year or more to reach on foot, even with his current speed.
Thus, the Anygate wasn't just helpful—it was essential.
The Human Emperor, seeing that Daniel had agreed, finally let out a breath of relief.
Still, a strange feeling lingered in his chest.
He was the Human Emperor, ruler of the realm, and his word was supposed to be absolute.
Yet here he was, discussing plans with Daniel and asking for permission.
He didn't resent this feeling—on the contrary, he respected Daniel immensely, especially considering the contributions the young man had made.
Shaking off his distractions, the Human Emperor activated his ruler authority.
"By decree of the Human Emperor, construction blueprints for the Anygate will be shared across the empire."
The moment this command was issued, a new pinned announcement appeared across the human race's communication network.
Simultaneously, every regional King and Castle Lord received a copy of the Anygate blueprint in their personal devices.
"Anygate? What's that?"
The Lord of Castle Mington leapt from his seat in surprise as the notification popped up.
Humanity already had access to teleportation arrays.
So what exactly was this Anygate?
Curious, he tapped on the notification to view the details.
[Anygate]
Effect: Allows for arbitrary and fixed-point teleportation.
Maximum Teleportation Distance: 100 billion kilometers
Required Materials: Spatial Foundation Stone, Subspace Crystal...
When he saw the number—100 billion kilometers—his jaw dropped in disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding me... this can't be real."
That distance was fifty times farther than the length between Castle Mington and the northern frontier of human territory.
Even the Human Emperor himself would need about 20 days of continuous flight to cover that kind of ground.
And now, with the Anygate, it could be crossed instantly?
"As expected of the Human Emperor... to acquire such a powerful tool."
The Castle Lord muttered to himself in admiration.
Then he looked toward the required materials—
And immediately fell silent.
Wait... these materials?
They were all abyssal resources, and incredibly rare ones at that.
Was the Human Emperor expecting these to be built only in strategic cities?
If that was the case, why share the blueprint with all Castle Lords?
Most wouldn't have the power or wealth to gather enough materials.
Even Castle Mington, one of the largest and most developed strongholds in the human realm, couldn't afford all of them.
Just then, another message flashed across his communicator:
[Human Emperor Announcement]:
The materials required to construct the Anygate are currently being distributed.
All Castle Lords, prepare in advance. Summon all architects and relevant talent. Construction must begin immediately upon delivery!
Chapter136-Abyss Dark Blood Stone
At this very moment, throughout the territories of the human race, countless castle lords were staring at their communicators with expressions of excitement and anticipation.
"As expected of His Majesty the Human Emperor—absolutely incredible. He actually managed to get his hands on something this powerful!"
"Forget the blueprints—I'm more curious about how he gathered so many materials in the first place!"
"His Majesty truly has the people in his heart. Ever since the tragedy in the southern frontier, I doubt he's had a single peaceful night's sleep."
"If only we'd had the Anygate blueprints earlier... maybe then, more civilians could have survived the southern disaster."
"It's not just the human race. If the gnome race had access to the Anygate, they might not have ended up in ruins."
These castle lords were no fools—they were the elites of the human race, and they fully understood the true significance behind the Human Emperor's decision to share the Anygate construction blueprint.
Moreover, the Human Emperor's announcement hadn't been limited to just the castle lords. It had been distributed to everyone.
As soon as the general populace received the notification, widespread astonishment spread like wildfire.
"This Anygate... is it just another kind of teleportation array?"
"If it's just another array, then building it would be a complete waste of resources."
"What do you know? The power of the Anygate is on an entirely different level. My mentor is a castle lord—he's seen the blueprints. The teleportation range? 100 billion kilometers!"
"What?? Are you serious? If that's true, this could be the greatest gift to all humanity!"
"Praise the great Human Emperor! With this, we won't waste hours—or even days—just traveling to the next underground labyrinth!"
In fact, the underground labyrinths varied greatly in the types of monsters they housed and the rewards they offered.
For the vast majority of awakeners, traveling to different labyrinths for exploration was the most efficient way to grow stronger.
However, there was always one major problem: time.
Traveling from one location to another often consumed weeks or even months, drastically reducing their gains.
But if the Anygates were constructed?
All that lost time would be instantly regained.
And that was no small benefit.
Some underground labyrinths were located in such remote corners of the world that even the most determined awakeners would need half a year to reach them.
Once Anygates were operational, it would be a godsend to all adventurers.
Just as cheers and praises for the Human Emperor were echoing throughout the empire, a new announcement suddenly popped up on everyone's communicators:
[Human Emperor Announcement: The blueprints and materials for constructing the Anygate were all provided as a free gift to the human race by Lord Daniel. Please be advised.]
[Materials List: ...]
The moment this notice appeared, it caused an uproar across the communication network.
"Oh my god! It was Lord Daniel who did all this?!"
"I honestly thought this was the work of the Human Emperor, but it turns out it was Lord Daniel all along!"
"Lord Daniel's strength just keeps reaching new heights!"
"I'm convinced now—Lord Daniel is absolutely qualified to become a king!"
"A king? At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if he became the next Human Emperor!"
"Wait a second... did any of you look at the materials list? There's Subspace Crystal on there—that stuff's ultra rare!"
"Of course it is! It's literally listed as one of the rarest materials in our entire civilization. The national treasury only has around 100,000 units!"
"Then take a good look at the quantity Daniel donated... 10 billion units!"
"Ten. Billion?! I'm not seeing things, am I? How did Lord Daniel pull this off?"
It didn't take long for some sharp minds to connect the dots.
There had been an earlier announcement about Daniel defeating an abyss king.
Was it possible that the massive haul of materials came from Daniel looting that king's personal treasury?
Inside the Abyss Empire's royal palace,
With a mystical surge of divine energy descending from the heavens, the contract between Daniel and the Emperor of the Abyss was formally established.
Sarko stood as the witness, ensuring that the entire process went smoothly and according to protocol.
Malkar, the Emperor of the Abyss, let out a deep sigh of relief. With a wave of his vine-covered arm, he spoke solemnly:
"My friend, you must return all the Abyss Dark Blood Stones within three days. If you break the contract, the consequences will be... severe."
The consequences were not vague—they were clearly outlined in the agreement:
The forfeit of life.
And because this contract had been signed under divine witness, and was fully voluntary on Daniel's part, even death immunity skills would be rendered useless.
"I understand. Don't worry," Daniel replied with a nod.
In truth, Daniel wasn't particularly concerned about the clause. Even if the contract's penalty were to trigger, it would require a short activation time.
And during that window, he could simply activate God Rank Skill [Time Stream].
In short, he had contingency plans in place—and no real fear of breaking the contract.
Malkar, reassured after rechecking the terms, finally summoned a massive treasure chest.
"My friend, these Abyss Dark Blood Stones now belong to you."
Daniel nodded and stored the treasure chest directly into his inventory.
The moment he did, the item name appeared in his system:
[Abyss Dark Blood Stone]
At that exact moment, Daniel activated his God Rank Skill [Flashback], instantly swapping locations with one of his avatars.
His true body now stood in the northern wilderness of the human realm.
This particular avatar had been tasked with a simple yet critical mission:
Travel as far and wide as possible to unlock new [Flashback] anchor points.
Of course, while journeying, the avatar would also hunt elite monsters and bosses, acquiring resources and experience along the way.
All of Daniel's avatars had specialized roles—
Some managed trade, others gathered intelligence, ran underground labyrinths, or collected materials.
Now back in the wilds, Daniel found a secluded patch of land.
Without hesitation, he summoned the Dagger of the God of Thieves.
Copying the Abyss Dark Blood Stone was not something he wanted to attempt in front of the Abyss Emperor.
That being was far too powerful—he might detect something abnormal.
He pulled up the item details:
[Abyss Dark Blood Stone]
Effect 1: Instantly converts a being below Emperor-tier into an abyss creature. This effect cannot be resisted.
Effect 2: Can help abyss creatures break through their current level cap.
Effect 3: Instantly restores all status conditions for abyss creatures. No usage limit.
Effect 4: ...
Whoa... this Abyss Dark Blood Stone is seriously broken!
Chapter137-The Elf Queen
It was only now that Daniel finally understood why the abyssal creatures were able to break through the level cap.
There was no need to guess—while others might be uncertain, the Emperor of the Abyss, with his terrifyingly high level, had undoubtedly used the Abyss Dark Blood Stone to achieve it.
Thank goodness for the God of Thieves' Dagger. Without it, there was no way Daniel could've gotten his hands on something so valuable.
With that thought, Daniel used the dagger gifted by the God of Thieves and swiftly sliced the large abyssal stone into fragments.
In a matter of seconds, his inventory showed a staggering six thousand pieces of Abyss Dark Blood Stone.
The number wasn't four thousand—it was six thousand—and for that, he had Malkar to thank.
Perhaps it was out of goodwill, or maybe there were ulterior motives, but Malkar had lent Daniel an extra hundred stones when handing them over. And now, after Daniel used his item duplication ability—set to 20 times replication—his inventory overflowed.
That meant that while synthesizing the item [Gift of the Veiled Goddess] only required four thousand pieces, Daniel still had two thousand left over.
By the end of it, he had more Abyss Dark Blood Stones than the Emperor of the Abyss himself.
Not bad at all.
Daniel chuckled inwardly. All thanks to the God of Thieves for such a "free gift." It had cost him nothing and left him richer than one of the most terrifying abyssal monarchs.
The higher-ranked a God Rank Skill, the more absurd its effects—that much was now abundantly clear.
After sorting out his bag, Daniel didn't waste a single second. He activated [Flashback] and instantly returned to face the Emperor of the Abyss.
From the moment he received the Abyss Dark Blood Stones to the time he was ready to return them, not even a full minute had passed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, Emperor of the Abyss. I'm now returning all of the Abyss Dark Blood Stones to you."
The Emperor of the Abyss froze.
What?
He was returning them... just like that?
From the emperor's point of view, Daniel had taken the stones, exchanged a few lines of small talk, and then, without doing anything noticeable, wanted to return them already?
What in the world was this human up to?
Was he trying to pull a fast one—swap out the real stones for counterfeits?
But that couldn't be. Under the divine witness of the gods, no trickery could go unnoticed. The divine pact ensured truth.
Malkar narrowed his eyes, utterly confused. He couldn't make heads or tails of what Daniel was planning.
But the human calmly held out the original Abyss Dark Blood Stones.
They were the authentic ones.
Malkar checked them thoroughly—there were no illusions, no substitutes, no tampering. Everything appeared exactly as it should be.
With no choice, and still deeply puzzled, Malkar took the stones back. He studied Daniel carefully, his brow furrowed as he finally spoke.
"My friend, forgive my bluntness, but I truly don't understand your actions."
"However, according to our agreement, I have fulfilled your request. Is there anything else you desire?"
As Malkar asked this, Daniel's gaze never left him.
Thanks to the [Eye of Insight], Daniel could now see that Malkar was overflowing with SSS+ ranked skills.
Even with all of Daniel's progress—even with several God Rank Skills under his belt—the rest of his skill arsenal was merely SSS-level. Compared to Malkar's bottomless toolkit, he still had some distance to go.
No surprise there. This was, after all, one of the sovereigns of the abyss. The depth of his power was unimaginable.
Daniel rubbed his chin, his eyes locking on to one of Malkar's exclusive skills—[Endless Vitality].
One of its effects was astonishing: a 70% increase in maximum HP.
Daniel's eyes lit up with greed.
And at that moment, he remembered something—an ability he had long neglected: his Talent Specialization – [Infinite Plunder].
It was a deceptively simple power. It allowed him to steal the effects of skills from others and apply them to his own.
But until now, the foes he had encountered never had skills worth stealing. That was why this powerful ability had sat unused for so long.
Things had changed.
As Daniel grew stronger, the enemies he faced also grew mightier—and so did their skills. Some effects were so incredible that even Daniel couldn't help but salivate.
Stealing one or two of them wouldn't rival a God Rank Skill outright, but the overall boost would still be significant.
That said, Daniel didn't make a move just yet.
Targeting Malkar directly was too dangerous. A being of his caliber might sense something wrong the moment a single effect was siphoned away.
It wasn't yet time to burn that bridge.
If Daniel wanted to rob Malkar of his powers, it had to be later—at the right moment.
For now, he'd focus on the other Abyss Kings and harvest from them first.
With this in mind, his gaze drifted naturally toward Sarko, standing silently by his side...
Luminous Forest
Far away in the heart of the elven lands, the Elf Queen had just received a message from the Human Emperor.
The elves and humans were both among the Ten Great Races, and they had always shared a mutually respectful relationship.
So it wasn't particularly surprising that the Elf Queen received the Anygate schematics.
What did catch her attention, however, was the speed of the Human Emperor's actions.
The capabilities of Anygate were certainly extraordinary.
But if the humans were even willing to provide the main materials themselves, then there was no reason for the elves to refuse. Especially with the Millennium Apocalypse looming, the strategic value of Anygate was monumental.
After collecting her thoughts, the Elf Queen picked up her communicator and sent a response.
"Thank you very much, Human Emperor. Once the Millennium Apocalypse has passed, we elves will express our gratitude properly."
The reply was swift:
"There's no need to thank me. If you really must offer thanks, then direct it to one of our own—Daniel of the human race. Without him, we wouldn't have managed to gather the materials or even get these schematics."
Daniel?
The Elf Queen's expression shifted slightly, lost in thought. But she didn't ask any further questions.
Just as Alice was the elves' hidden trump card in facing the coming Apocalypse, perhaps this Daniel was the Human Emperor's secret weapon.
She didn't dwell on it. Like the Human Emperor, she immediately sent out a nationwide announcement to the entire elven population.
At that very moment, Alice arrived at the Elf Queen's palace.
She originally intended to inquire about the materials Daniel had requested.
But the moment she opened the door, her eyes caught the global announcement that had just gone out.
"Anygate!?"
Alice blinked, momentarily stunned. She didn't fully grasp the true value of this thing.
And just then, the Elf Queen turned toward her and spoke.
"Alice, this schematic came from a human named Daniel. What do you think of his strength?"
Daniel's strength?
Alice's expression twitched. Then, she gave a wry smile.
"He's the god's successor, Your Majesty. I'm not even qualified to compare myself to him."
Chapter138-Fallen Mountain Giant
"Your Majesty, if I'm being honest, the gap between me and Daniel is still quite significant," Alice admitted, her tone neither proud nor self-deprecating—just honest.
"At least for now, I can't even enter the Abyss, let alone think about killing an Abyss King."
Hearing Alice's words, the Elf Queen silently nodded. As the strongest figure among the elves, she herself had the confidence to slay an Abyss King—but only if it were on the surface. Once inside the Abyss, however, everything changed. Even for her, there was no certainty of success. In that twisted, hostile domain, power alone wasn't enough.
After a brief moment of reflection, the Elf Queen took the initiative to ask a question.
"Do you think it's possible that Daniel is actually a devotee of the gods?"
Alice shook her head immediately.
"I'm afraid I don't know anything about that, Your Majesty. But aside from that, I did want to discuss the matter of the materials required."
"Very well. I'll authorize you," the Elf Queen said with a sigh.
After a moment of hesitation, she handed Alice a scroll bound with deep green ribbon.
"Alice, this contains confidential information of the elven race. I do not wish for anyone other than you to see it."
"You are the heir to our elven throne. Knowing about these materials is within your right."
She paused, then fixed Alice with a solemn gaze before continuing.
"To gather all the materials you need, you'll have to hunt and defeat World Rank bosses that inhabit our elven territories."
"Return and make your preparations. When you're ready to initiate the hunt, let me know."
"But don't take too long," she warned. "The Millennium Apocalypse could arrive at any moment. The stronger you become before then, the greater your chance of survival."
Later, Alice returned to her secluded wooden cabin nestled in the woods. Once inside, she shut the door tightly, then immediately reached for her communicator to update Daniel on recent events.
"Lord Daniel, the elven race has also begun preparations to construct an Anygate."
"I heard from Her Majesty that this blueprint may have something to do with you?"
At that moment, Daniel was still in the Abyss Kingdom, engrossed in a dice game with Sarko.
From the start of their match until now, Sarko hadn't won a single round. Daniel, meanwhile, had cleaned him out, acquiring all sorts of valuable items.
When Alice's message came in, Daniel finally set down his dice and opened the materials file she had attached—one that listed the World Rank bosses the elves would need to defeat.
At first glance, they didn't seem too difficult to deal with.
But then, Daniel's sharp eyes picked out something... unusual.
Among the list was a peculiar entry: a World Rank boss with a silver crown icon next to its name.
A Silver Rank World Boss.
[Fallen Mountain Giant]
Level: 150 (Silver Rank)
Habitat: Nebula Valley
Description: Once a peaceful giant, now corrupted by a miasma of decaying energy. The corruption has driven it to madness, leaving it in an unstable state. Its stats fluctuate wildly due to its fractured mental state.
HP: From 1 billion to 50 trillion (Note: the higher its HP, the weaker its aggression.)
Exclusive Domain: Rock Domain – Seals your movements using unbreakable stone formations.
Skills: Giant's Throw, Bewitching Cyclopean Gaze, Earthquake Tremor, and others.
Note: Current research on the Fallen Mountain Giant remains in its infancy. Elven citizens are urged to exercise extreme caution.
Silver Rank World Boss?
Daniel's brows furrowed instinctively.
He recalled seeing similar classifications back in the Royal Academy. These Silver Rank bosses were extremely rare—practically mythical. But when they did appear, their strength was monstrous.
And Silver Rank wasn't even the end of it.
Above it were Gold Rank, Platinum Rank, and even Diamond Rank bosses.
According to ancient texts, during the human race's golden age, they had been able to fend off Gold Rank bosses. As for Platinum and Diamond? They remained legends—entities theorized but never confirmed.
Still, even the presence of a Silver Rank World Boss like the Fallen Mountain Giant was enough to terrify most people.
Though it was listed at just Level 150, Daniel noticed something deeply disturbing:
The data showed that all other World Rank bosses paled in comparison to this one. In fact, when placed side by side, they seemed like mere elite mobs.
The difference in numerical stats was staggering—tens of thousands of times apart.
Put simply, even an army of 100,000 ordinary World Rank bosses wouldn't be able to defeat a single Silver Rank boss like the Fallen Mountain Giant.
It was the equivalent of ants charging a human. There was no contest—they weren't even in the same league.
But...
There was a saying in the oldest human texts: "Enough ants can bite an elephant to death."
In other words, even a Silver Rank boss—overwhelming as it was—wasn't invincible.
As Daniel finished reviewing the scroll Alice had sent, a different concern surfaced in his mind.
His third Star Upgrade Quest was about to enter Phase 2.
He didn't yet know the exact requirements of the next mission.
But what if—just what if—it demanded him to slay a Silver Rank World Boss?
That could prove... problematic.
He was fairly certain the elven race would be willing to assist him if asked.
However, fighting a boss of this level would cost the elves dearly. The loss of their warriors could be catastrophic.
Daniel had no desire to drag them into a deadly war just to satisfy his own personal quest.
Moreover, given how his previous Star Upgrade quests had gone, this next phase would most likely require a solo kill.
So he made a decision.
He would hunt and slay the Silver Rank World Boss alone.
If he succeeded, he wouldn't just advance his quest. He'd also eliminate a major threat to the elven lands.
When that happened, the elves would certainly be grateful. And he would have solidified their alliance even further.
A win-win scenario, no?
Daniel continued chatting with Alice for a bit longer, though his answers grew increasingly vague.
Alice noticed.
Something was off.
"Lord Daniel... are you... preparing for something?"
And then it hit her—an impossible thought.
"He couldn't possibly be thinking of soloing the Silver Rank boss, could he?"
The idea sent a chill down her spine.
That was far too reckless.
Based on the elven records, even when their entire warrior class attacked with full strength and optimal formation, a Silver Rank boss could only be taken down under favorable conditions—and even then, the losses were devastating.
If luck turned against them? Total failure. Heavy casualties.
But Daniel was thinking of fighting it alone?
Had he really grown so powerful after inheriting the will of the gods?
If so...
He had become truly terrifying.
The legendary Lord Crossbridge—a man who feared nothing, who could do anything.
Chapter139-Forced Plunder
"My friend, let's call it a day for today's little game," Daniel said with a casual smile as he collected the dice and, along with them, the skill books he had just won.
Most of the skill books were duplicates—skills that Sarko already possessed—but to Daniel, they still held considerable value.
On the other side of the table, Sarko was beginning to feel uneasy. He loved gambling, true, but he was no fool. After losing so many rounds in a row, even someone as prideful as him started sensing that something was wrong. A faint sense of dread crept into his chest.
He began to recall: from the very first bet with Daniel until now, they had wagered dozens of times. But what sent chills down his spine was the fact that... he had never won. Not even once.
This wasn't luck anymore. It was something else.
Shaking himself out of the thought, Sarko's smile stiffened. While he still enjoyed the thrill of betting, a quiet resolve formed in his mind. From now on, when it came to Daniel, he'd only gamble for fun—never for stakes. Unless he was absolutely certain of winning, there would be no more serious wagers between them.
Back in his kingdom, Daniel laid out the newly acquired skill books before him in an organized spread.
He had no intention of actually learning them.
After all, the number of skills a person could master was ultimately limited. Daniel still aimed to acquire more God Rank Skills, and wasting skill slots on lower-tier techniques would only hold him back.
However, the skill books themselves were valuable.
Many of them were SSS-level, and some had very tempting effects. One in particular stood out—[Spirit of the Mist]. Among its effects was the ability to create a humanoid illusion composed of mist, closely resembling the caster.
Daniel's eyes lit up as he thought about combining it with his God Rank Skill [Mist].
It was the perfect synergy.
Without hesitation, Daniel activated his Talent Specialization – [Infinite Plunder], and infused the illusion effect into [Mist].
The moment the effects merged, a gray, hazy figure emerged beside him.
The figure was eerily similar in height and posture to Daniel, but its entire body was made of swirling mist.
From Daniel's perspective, it looked passable. But from an outsider's point of view, it was nearly impossible to distinguish from the real Daniel. And because of the presence of [Mist], there was no way to tell which was which.
Without any flashy animations or alerts, Daniel had effectively created a decoy that absorbed half the damage he would normally take.
After a few quick tests to confirm the effect, Daniel proceeded to plunder several other skill effects.
He enhanced his [Abyssal Summoning] God Rank Skill by adding a new buff that increased the summoned creatures' attributes by 70%.
He also upgraded [Eye of Insight] by integrating a mind-terror effect, which inflicted psychological damage to enemies as he observed them—his first foray into mental attacks. That kind of power could be game-changing, especially against enemies with weak willpower.
Meanwhile, the Human Emperor had arrived at a major city and entered the headquarters of the Multiracial Commerce League.
This organization, established by the alliance of all races, housed the most advanced logistics spell arrays in the world.
The Human Emperor's goal was straightforward: to distribute the materials Daniel had provided for constructing Anygates across the various races.
Without Daniel's contribution, the idea of mass-producing and deploying Anygates in such a short time would've been a fantasy.
"Good kid," the Human Emperor thought, smiling to himself.
He took out his spatial ring and began sorting the materials meticulously.
Even though Daniel had supplied a massive quantity of rare resources, it was still not enough to cover every city of every race. The territories were just too vast. Installing an Anygate in every single city was out of the question for now.
But the Human Emperor was, first and foremost, the sovereign of humankind. His priority was clear.
He allocated enough materials to ensure that every human city would have its own Anygate.
Only after that did he begin distributing the remainder to other races.
Those with strong diplomatic ties to humanity received more. The others—those who had previously been unfriendly or uncooperative—received a symbolic allotment, just enough to build one or two gates at best.
Once the distribution was complete, the Human Emperor activated the logistics formation and teleported the shipments to their respective locations.
With that final step completed, he finally allowed himself to relax.
"Now it's up to them."
In the blink of an eye, cities across the world began reporting their shipments had arrived.
In fact, even before the Human Emperor sent the materials, the city lords of various territories had been preparing feverishly, following his earlier instructions. All that had been missing was the final push.
And now that it had arrived, construction began at a frenzied pace.
Just thirty minutes later, announcements started flooding the human communication network:
"Greywolf City: Anygate successfully constructed."
"Huanghua Valley: Anygate completed."
"Boulder Fortress: Construction finished."
One after another, cities began to report successful installations.
And it wasn't just humans.
From the elves to the dwarves, the orcs, and even the elusive blood race, the announcements came in a steady stream:
"Luminous Forest – Elven Capital: Anygate construction completed."
"Moonlight Glade: Anygate operational."
"Ironclad Hold – Dwarven Kingdom: Anygate functional."
The good news spread like wildfire.
For two full hours, the world's communication networks buzzed with city after city celebrating their new link to the global gate network.
And finally, Winterhold Castle's Anygate also went live.
The Human Emperor didn't hesitate.
Without delay, he stepped into the portal.
As soon as he entered, strange lights danced across his vision. When his focus returned, he found himself standing in the heart of Winterhold Castle.
"Incredible..."
He was stunned.
This wasn't like the old teleportation arrays that required preparation, distance limits, and various activation conditions. This was true point-to-point teleportation, instantaneous and unrestricted.
By comparison, the teleportation systems they used before were prehistoric relics.
"With this, traveling to Winterhold Castle will be so much easier. That old beast Snowdragon can finally get some rest."
The Human Emperor chuckled, noting how unusually crowded the castle was today.
Outside the castle walls, hundreds—perhaps thousands—had built makeshift shelters.
Many were refugees from the southern territories, driven from their homes during the calamities. They had come here with a single purpose: to swear loyalty to Daniel, the newly crowned King of Winterhold.
But it wasn't just refugees.
Many others had traveled long distances just to witness the coronation ceremony and catch a glimpse of the man everyone was calling the Human Race's Rising Star—a legend in the making.
"Daniel," the Human Emperor muttered with a grin, "you've really become something else..."
Chapter140-Recorded in History
With so many factors converging at once, Winterhold Castle had become overcrowded beyond expectation.
The city authorities were eventually forced to issue a public notice: unless absolutely necessary, do not enter. The situation was nearing a logistical crisis.
Amidst the surging crowds, the Human Emperor moved silently, cloaking his presence as he weaved through the throngs.
He had no desire to stir up excitement or chaos just because of his arrival. Right now, he preferred to observe.
He was just about to raise his communicator to get in touch with Daniel when, without warning, Daniel appeared directly in front of him—as if stepping out of thin air.
"Your Majesty, Human Emperor," Daniel said with a faint smile, "we meet again."
Despite Daniel's sudden appearance, the Human Emperor's expression didn't so much as flicker. By now, he was far too used to Daniel's mysterious and unpredictable entrances.
"Daniel, don't call me 'Your Majesty' anymore," the Human Emperor replied.
"With everything you've done for our people, I should be the one calling you majesty."
Daniel laughed and waved his hand quickly in protest, but the Human Emperor chuckled aloud.
"I'm only teasing. From now on, just call me Odin."
"Back before I ascended to the throne, that's what everyone used to call me anyway. I've always liked the name."
"Alright then—on to business," he continued, voice returning to a more serious tone. "I've already distributed the materials you provided to all the races."
"As for the resources you requested in return, I've arranged with the Human Treasury to begin preparations. We're doing everything possible to get them to you first."
"But you know how this works. Even as Human Emperor, I can't just make things happen with a snap of my fingers. There are protocols to follow."
Daniel nodded. He respected that approach.
"I understand completely."
"Oh, and—here. This is for you."
From his spatial storage, the Human Emperor retrieved a scroll and handed it over.
"This is your official appointment decree. With this, your title as the King of the Northern Territories becomes formalized. You will be recognized not only by the Human Empire but by all associated factions."
"Given what you've done for us, I don't think there'll be any objections."
"From this moment forward, the Northern Territories of humankind are yours to govern. I trust you to give our people there the peace and dignity they deserve."
Daniel accepted the decree solemnly.
"As you wish. I promise I'll give it my all."
Seeing Daniel's steady commitment, a look of genuine satisfaction crossed Odin's face.
Then, almost casually, he pivoted the conversation.
"There's something else I'd like to ask you... have you already entered the Abyss?"
There was no reason to conceal the truth. Daniel nodded.
Odin's brows furrowed slightly. He had many questions, but he decided to focus on the most urgent one first.
"What's the current situation inside the Abyss?"
Daniel paused briefly before answering. He weighed his words carefully, then began:
"The Abyss is... powerful. Every Abyss King is terrifyingly strong."
"Even their ordinary creatures, on an equal level, are far superior to our soldiers. And in terms of numbers? The population of abyssal lifeforms is easily ten times that of humankind."
At that, Odin's expression grew visibly grim.
Daniel's own face had already turned solemn.
"And more than that," Daniel continued, "the one we most need to be wary of is the Emperor of the Abyss."
"He's beyond formidable—an existence our current human forces have no way of countering. If the Abyss ever launched a full-scale attack... we wouldn't be able to stop it."
Odin's face darkened further. He was about to ask more when Daniel raised his hand slightly and added:
"But there's good news too. For now, the Abyss has no intention of waging war against us."
Daniel explained that while the humans were busy building their Anygate network, a Second Abyssal Council had taken place.
The central topic of discussion? Whether or not to launch a direct assault on humankind.
However, after witnessing Daniel's strength firsthand, most of the Abyss Kings chose to vote against war.
Only one—a battle-crazed warlord—had voted in favor, refusing to yield.
Daniel admitted that if it hadn't been for the agreement he made with the Emperor of the Abyss, he might have simply killed that fool on the spot during the council session.
Hearing this, Odin blinked.
"But if the Abyss is so strong... why would they choose to avoid conflict?"
Seeing the doubt on Odin's face, Daniel decided to give him a direct and unapologetically honest answer.
"Because I beat them. Badly."
"They're afraid of me."
Odin's mouth twitched, visibly struggling to maintain composure.
This kid... was he even human anymore?
How terrifying had his strength become?
At that moment, Daniel quietly activated his [Eye of Insight], scanning Odin's attributes.
The result surprised him: Odin was no longer the strongest among humankind.
With that data, Daniel confirmed what he had already suspected—his strength now matched Odin's.
They exchanged a few more words as they walked, eventually arriving at the location for the coronation ceremony.
Daniel didn't care much for the pomp and pageantry of such things. He opted for a stripped-down, no-nonsense approach.
The entire ceremony lasted less than thirty seconds.
At the same time, the world communication network lit up with breaking news.
"Daniel crowned as the King of Northern Territories—youngest king in human history!"
"A legend rises: Daniel, once unknown, now carries the hopes of the Human Empire."
"Unmatched strength, unparalleled deeds—who is Daniel really?"
While various non-human races discussed Daniel's power and achievements, a different topic dominated the human network.
The royal academies, in a rare show of unity, had jointly released a report:
"Feasibility Study: On Recording King Daniel's Deeds in the Historical Archives."
That sent shockwaves through the community.
What?!
The phrase "recorded in history" wasn't just a fancy title. It was reserved for heroes who had fundamentally changed the course of the human race—generals, sages, martyrs, and founders.
Daniel was so young... could he really deserve such an honor?
And yet—many had to admit—his contributions were undeniable.
He had singlehandedly accelerated the global deployment of Anygate, unified elite factions, and had even stood toe-to-toe with the Abyss.
Maybe... maybe he had earned it.
A heated debate followed, with people arguing passionately on both sides.
But the conversation ended faster than it began.
Within two minutes, an official announcement was made:
"By the authority of the Human Emperor, Daniel is hereby entered into the historical records of the human race. May he continue to serve with honor."
Before the news could even settle, another revelation detonated across the networks:
"BREAKING: Daniel becomes one of the Abyss Kings."
What?!
The entire network exploded.
"How can a human become an Abyss King? That doesn't make any sense!"
"Did Daniel betray humanity?"
"How did he even get into the Abyss in the first place?!"
But perhaps the most shocking detail was this:
"From Daniel's Awakening Ceremony... to now... it hasn't even been 24 hours."