Chapter181-Void Tower
Kalthor's skin?
Daniel paused, thinking for a moment, then suddenly recalled something.
Wait a second—when he was creating [New Life], one of its arms had been made from Kalthor's flesh!
With that realization, he vanished in a flash and reappeared in the northern territories of the human realm. There, he quickly sliced off a small section of skin from [New Life]'s arm.
This material was surprisingly easy to obtain.
Next on the list was a much more intimidating requirement: ten million souls.
But for Daniel, this wasn't even a challenge.
He had already entrusted Emperor of the Abyss, Malkar, with setting up several soul collectors deep within the abyss. In fact, after the last explosion caused by the Primordial Core Weapon in the abyss's lower regions, those collectors had gathered an overwhelming number of souls.
So many, in fact, that fulfilling the ten-million quota would barely scratch the surface of what had already been stored—less than a tenth, even.
As for the final ingredient—undead materials—Daniel considered it a non-issue.
With the City of the Undead now under his control, all he had to do was casually cast a few area spells, and the required materials would pile up in no time.
Following Daniel's orders, several of his clones split off in multiple directions to begin gathering the remaining materials.
Meanwhile, Daniel's true body made its way to the Star Upgrade Hall.
"Begin the next phase of the Star Upgrade Quest."
...
In the territory of the demon clan—
Charles was lounging comfortably, sipping red wine, when Daniel suddenly materialized in front of him.
The sight startled Charles so much that he nearly dropped his glass.
"Daniel! Could you not keep doing that? You're going to give me a heart attack!"
To be fair, it wasn't just Daniel's sudden appearance that had shaken him. It was also the lingering fear from witnessing the terrifying power of the Primordial Core Weapon just moments ago.
Thankfully, with his T20 strength, Charles managed to keep himself composed—at least outwardly.
"I just like to be efficient," Daniel replied flatly.
Charles tightened his grip on the stem of his glass, then forced a smile.
"Well, that's certainly a noble trait. But surely you didn't come all this way just to show up unannounced again?"
"You're not here to inform me the Primordial Core Weapon has been activated, are you? Because believe me—I saw it. We all saw it."
Daniel raised an eyebrow at Charles' dramatic interpretation but said nothing to correct him. Instead, he calmly said,
"I'm here for information. Do you know anything about the Undead Lands?"
"Also, if you have any intel on the Book of Souls, that would be helpful too."
As a merchant and a god devotee, Charles had access to plenty of intelligence sources. Asking him wasn't just a shot in the dark—Daniel genuinely expected some answers.
Charles' face twisted into a well-practiced smile—the kind merchants used when business was about to begin.
"My honored guest," he said cheerfully, "information is a product like any other. Since you're seeking knowledge, I assume you're prepared to make a deal?"
"After all, business is business."
...
In the northern human territories—
When the Human Emperor heard Daniel's inquiry, he wore a thoughtful expression.
"So, Daniel... what is it this time?"
"The Undead Lands are not a trivial place. I don't know much myself, but I urge you to act cautiously."
"That said, I'm not trying to restrict you. I'll ask around for you. But you know how it is—even the old scholars in the Royal Society might need some time to dig up the answers."
...
In the elven realm—
Upon learning of Daniel's purpose, the Elven Queen frowned lightly.
"To be honest, I don't know much about the Undead Lands either. But I'll do everything in my power to find information for you."
"Oh, and Daniel—there's something else I wanted to discuss with you, but I'm not quite ready to bring it up yet."
"Go handle your affairs. I'll contact you as soon as I learn anything new."
...
Among the orcs—
Ally nestled against Daniel like a lazy cat, rubbing against his chest.
"Mew~ Daniel, you're amazing. I already saw the chaos you stirred up!"
"But why are you asking about the Undead Lands? From what I've heard, that place is nothing short of a nightmare."
"I only know a little—gods have mentioned it once or twice in passing. It's said to be a... special realm."
"Something about it being a different dimension altogether!"
"If you really need info on the Undead Lands, I'll do my best to look into it for you."
"Wait, WHAT?! You want me to ask Her Grace Luna directly?! Are you insane?! Why would a god answer someone like me?!"
...
Back in the abyss—
Malkar was now incredibly deferential toward Daniel.
"Don't worry, my friend. If you need something, I will give it my utmost attention."
"The moment you mentioned it, I already ordered abyssal agents to search for clues about the Undead Lands."
"If any information surfaces, I'll inform you immediately."
...
Daniel was no longer the young upstart he once was.
Though it had only been a little over a day, his connections now spanned the entire world.
Among the myriad races and even in the abyss, there were those who admired him—and, of course, those who resented him.
But for now, the latter could only hide in the shadows, trembling in fear.
Because they all knew just how influential Daniel had become.
To be honest, if it were only about raw strength, Daniel would not have earned such universal respect.
No matter how powerful he was, his individual strength had limited impact on the everyday lives of others.
What truly brought him this unmatched prestige was the Infinite Divine Temple.
The masses of ordinary people who became its followers received substantial benefits—and they remembered where those benefits came from.
Pragmatic and clever, humans only cared about one thing: personal gain.
Daniel brought them tangible benefits. So naturally, they supported him.
But if the day came when Daniel could no longer offer anything of value, they wouldn't hesitate to kick him to the curb.
That was reality—cruel, but undeniable.
...
Almost at the same time, a towering new structure appeared beside Winterhold Castle.
A massive Void Tower had materialized, standing right next to the Infinite Divine Temple.
Its sudden emergence startled many nearby awakeners.
"What the hell is that?! Where did it come from?!"
"It's right next to the Infinite Divine Temple. There's no doubt—it must've been built under Daniel's orders."
"Yeah, only he has the authority to do something like this."
"Void Tower... what a strange name."
"Anyone know what it does?"
"Should we go check it out?"
"Let's go! I have a feeling this thing is going to be amazing!"
Chapter182-Gift of the Void
The Void Tower was an immense structure. The moment the awakeners stood before it, they couldn't help but feel insignificant, as if dwarfed by its sheer scale and presence.
But once they entered, a strange feeling of familiarity settled in.
"Wait a minute... why does this layout look exactly like the Star Upgrade Hall?"
"This Void Tower... what is this place?"
"Do you think... maybe it functions similarly to the Star Upgrade Hall?"
"I say we be cautious. What if there's a trap?"
"Trap? Oh come on—don't be ridiculous! This is the northern human frontier—Lord Daniel's territory. Do you really think he'd plant a trap here?"
"Exactly! There's no way Lord Daniel would set a trap for us. You're just paranoid."
"Even if, by some miracle, Daniel did set a trap here... I'd still walk into it willingly!"
...
Although a few awakeners remained wary, the majority eagerly approached the glowing cells set into the Void Tower's inner chamber.
Inside each cell was a radiant talent crystal.
Before long, one awakener finally discovered the true purpose of the Void Tower:
[Do you wish to accept the Gift of the Void?]
[Upon acceptance, you will face a series of challenge quests.]
[Quest Reward: Talent Upgrade]
[Your Current Talent: Petrified Warrior – Tier B]
[After accepting the Void's Gift: Petrified Berserker – Tier A]
...!?
Upon seeing this message, the awakener's eyes widened in disbelief.
What the hell?!
His talent could evolve?
He had never even heard of such a thing before.
What was there to hesitate about?
Everyone knew an awakener's talent determined their ultimate ceiling. If it could be upgraded, that meant his potential—and future power—would skyrocket.
With no more hesitation, the awakener immediately accepted the challenge.
As more people began to explore the tower, word spread quickly, and excitement erupted.
"My talent's getting upgraded to Tier C! This is unbelievable!"
"Mine's going to Tier S! I never even dared dream of this!"
"Damn, man—you're going to become top-tier in one leap!"
...
Within minutes, the Void Tower's true effect had electrified the entire crowd of awakeners.
"No wonder they call him Lord Daniel. He's a legend!"
"Lord Daniel, I can never repay this kindness. Please, allow me to kneel before you!"
"Wait, hold up! You're a vampire—how did you become a follower of the Infinite Divine Temple? Who let you in?!"
...
Inside the Star Upgrade Hall—
Daniel sat in silence, waiting for his quest interface to refresh.
Now that his talent had reached increasingly rarified levels, new quests took longer to generate.
Thankfully, Daniel had dozens of clones out working simultaneously, so waiting was hardly a waste of time.
It took nearly an hour, but eventually, his next Star Upgrade Quest was ready.
During that hour, Daniel's clones had already visited the other major factions and negotiated terms for the construction of additional Infinite Divine Temples.
Of course, there had been a few "complications."
The demon clan, for instance, insisted on bargaining and trying to haggle.
After two full rounds of negotiation, Daniel ran out of patience and simply killed the Demon Emperor along with his core loyalists.
That did the trick.
The demon clan quickly agreed to Daniel's terms, and within thirty minutes, they delivered all the materials he requested.
At this point, Daniel held a dizzying number of titles:
Crowned King of both the human and elven realmsSovereign of the abyssSupreme Ruler of the demon clanGrand Duke of the blood clanWarlord of the orc clan
Looking at the list, Daniel allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.
Indeed, once these so-called proud and haughty races witnessed his strength for themselves, they all started singing a very different tune.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Daniel retrieved the necessary materials for [Mini Resurrection] from his inventory.
Without a second thought, he selected Synthesize.
A moment later, the skill appeared in his ability list.
To his surprise, [Mini Resurrection] was even categorized under the God Rank Skills section.
[Mini Resurrection]
Effect: Revives any lifeform that died within the last 2 days, provided their level is no higher than 250 (skill level +100). Cooldown: 10 hours. Target must be a corpse or soul.
Limitation: Revived undead remain undead and cannot return to their living form.
[Note: This is a simplified God Rank Skill. If you acquire the full version in the future, it will automatically overwrite this one.]
[Skill detected as not yet maxed. Would you like to max it now?]
There was no reason to hesitate.
"Max it!"
With Daniel's selection, the simplified skill underwent a transformation.
[God Rank Skill: Grand Resurrection]
Effect: Revives any lifeform that died within the last 7 days. Resurrection Limit: 99+
Limitation: Revived undead remain undead and cannot return to their living form.
Daniel stared at the update, dumbfounded.
Wait... what?!
Was this real?
He just maxed out a simplified skill, and now it was showing the full version?
His mouth twitched involuntarily.
He never expected that Simplified God Rank Skills, when paired with the Max Out feature, would result in this kind of upgrade.
In other words, he used reduced-cost materials but ended up with the full-blown God-rank skill?
He had just hit the jackpot.
After a moment of excitement, Daniel regained his composure.
Because in truth, this outcome made sense.
With his current talent specialization and attributes, most God-rank Skills would automatically be enhanced significantly once acquired.
Bottom line—he came out ahead.
No complaints.
...
In the northern human frontier—
As news of the Void Tower continued to spread, more and more awakeners began flocking to the region.
However, due to its structure, the Void Tower couldn't accommodate everyone at once.
So the awakeners had no choice but to queue up.
But even with long wait times, interest in the Void Tower only grew.
Rather than diminishing enthusiasm, it increased it.
As if responding to the urgent call of the times, awakeners from all over the world streamed toward the north, toward the one structure that offered them a real chance at survival.
After all, the Millennial Apocalypse loomed ever closer.
And for many, this tower—this gift of the Void—was the last, best hope to rewrite their destiny.
Chapter183-Believers and God
Across the global communication network, news of the Void Tower appearing in the northern human frontier triggered another explosive wave of attention.
Especially once people learned of its near-miraculous effects, discussions erupted with fervent intensity.
"Is this for real? A tower that can upgrade your talent? That's not even remotely balanced!"
"Stop being jealous, folks. It's true. I just stepped out of the Anygate, and I'm standing right here at the Void Tower."
"No lie—it's legit! I've already switched my belief system and decided to dedicate my life to the Infinite Divine Temple!"
"Breaking news—some rookie awakener with an F-rank talent just completed a challenge in the tower! Not only did his talent rise to E-rank, but he can still take on additional challenges!"
That one message instantly set the entire communication network ablaze.
Because every awakener knew exactly what that meant.
Under normal circumstances, A-rank talents already placed awakeners in the elite class. While they might still be considered weaklings to true powerhouses, they formed the backbone of strength across all races.
And now?
The Void Tower could apparently upgrade low-tier talents?
More than that—it allowed awakeners to repeat challenges?
What did this mean?
It meant that nearly every awakener, regardless of their starting point, could potentially upgrade their talent to S-rank!
The implications shattered reality as people knew it.
Most awakeners in the world were nothing special—typically born with C- or B-rank talents. Some were even worse off, saddled with pitiful E- or F-rank talents, scraping the bottom of the barrel.
These low-tier awakeners had endured years of disdain and rejection.
But now, they saw a glimmer of hope. A blinding beam of light, one that just might overturn their destinies.
The world had gone mad. Truly mad.
However, amidst the frenzy, a small group of people emerged online—keyboard warriors swimming against the tide.
"There's no way. Absolutely impossible! When has the world ever offered free miracles? There's got to be something shady going on inside that tower!"
"Exactly! We're the ones who earned our S-rank talents through sweat and blood. Why should a bunch of trash-tier nobodies suddenly get the same?"
But S-rank awakeners were the rare few, and their arrogance soon earned them a flood of backlash.
"Oh, look at you! You think you're above everyone because you were born with an S-rank? Well guess what? Soon there'll be S-rank awakeners on every street corner!"
"Jealous much? Try not to choke on your own ego!"
Minutes later, a veteran A-rank awakener—someone respected in the community—publicly confirmed that he had successfully completed a Void Tower challenge and upgraded his talent to S-rank.
The confirmation launched discussions of the Void Tower into a new crescendo.
And when the Human Emperor received this news, he wasted no time appearing personally inside the Void Tower.
Even he couldn't resist his curiosity—was the Void Tower really this powerful?
Using his unique authority, the Human Emperor quickly located the awakener who had completed the talent upgrade challenge.
To his astonishment, the news was true.
Someone had really done it.
In the past, the Human Emperor would've scoffed at the idea that something like the Void Tower could even exist—something so absurd it broke every known system.
But now, standing before the irrefutable evidence, all his doubts melted away.
His heart surged with joy he could hardly contain.
If this structure could help awakeners across humanity rise to S-rank talents... then just how powerful would the human race become?
It was too terrifying to even imagine.
This Daniel, that little brat... no wonder the gods had chosen him. His very existence was a walking contradiction to logic.
And with this revelation, even more awakeners flooded toward the Void Tower. So many arrived that some began constructing shelters and homes nearby just to stay close.
Daniel's administrators were quick to act.
Under their orders, a brand-new city was rapidly constructed beside Winterhold Castle, providing lodging and services for the growing crowds of hopefuls lining up for their turn inside the tower.
...
Orc Clan Territory
One of Daniel's clones materialized in front of Ally.
"Ally, I need to confirm something with you."
"You're certain that gods no longer require faith, correct?"
Ally nodded earnestly. "That's right, meow! Once a god gathers enough faith energy, their divine body becomes complete. After that, faith isn't really useful anymore."
With that confirmation, Daniel finally unraveled several lingering questions in his mind.
For example—why did modern gods offer so few blessings to their believers?
The answer was surprisingly simple.
To the current gods, believers were worthless.
Which also explained why, despite the Infinite Divine Temple snatching up followers by the millions, the gods had shown no signs of retaliation or even interest.
In their eyes, the emergence of Daniel's temple was nothing worth reacting to. The loss of followers? Irrelevant.
In fact, during this conversation, Daniel learned another crucial truth.
In ancient times, gods did need believers. They even went to war with each other over them.
Back then, faith wasn't just decorative—it was essential. And gods bestowed potent blessings in return.
Believers weren't just protected—they were empowered, and they received direct divine teachings.
Those teachings, of course, were designed to manipulate and unite the people.
Thousands of years ago, during an era when the various races were still young and weak, the protection of gods was the only reason they survived the Millennial Apocalypse.
But as gods perfected their divine bodies and stepped into higher tiers of existence, faith became dispensable.
And with that, divine blessings grew weaker and weaker—eventually fading into irrelevance.
The species that continued to worship those traditional gods were doing so entirely one-sidedly.
The gods didn't care. They wouldn't respond. They saw the masses as insects—not even worth acknowledging.
Such a drastic change in divine behavior might seem strange, but Daniel now understood why.
Through Ally, he learned that once a god's divine body was fully formed, they would ascend to an even higher realm of power.
And in that elevated state, excessive faith energy would actually start to have negative side effects.
Thus, gods would deliberately sever their ties with believers to avoid those risks.
Put simply—modern gods only cared about one thing: their devotees.
Chapter184-The Extermination of the Artists
Winterhold Castle.
Daniel's true body wandered leisurely through the castle, his senses quietly extending outward.
With a gentle sweep of his perception, he could clearly feel that over 99% of the population within the entire castle were now his devout believers.
As for the remaining 1%, they were currently rushing with all their strength toward the Infinite Divine Temple, eager to convert.
Both the old city and the newly constructed districts were undergoing rapid expansion, but even so, the pace could not keep up with the sheer influx of people migrating here.
The most immediate sign of this overpopulation was the skyrocketing price of real estate.
Properties that had once cost a mere one million gold coins per unit had now soared to a staggering ten billion gold coins each.
And even at that outrageous price, houses were still in short supply.
Buyers were scrambling, often offering even higher bids to secure a property.
The 1,000-fold increase in price gave everyone the uncanny feeling that this might just be the beginning of an even greater surge.
When Daniel received this piece of news, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.
He never would've imagined that in this fantasy world, a magical version of a real estate bubble would emerge.
After all, this world was vast—absurdly vast—and the human population had not even begun to approach its saturation point.
Technically, land and housing here should've been dirt cheap.
Yet the real estate market in Winterhold Castle had ballooned so rapidly, it gave Daniel an odd sense of familiarity—as if he'd returned to the world he once knew.
In fact, Winterhold Castle had now grown into an international metropolis of sorts.
Walking its streets, one would encounter not only humans, but also a plethora of other races.
Beings from all corners of the world had flocked here.
What Daniel found most surprising, however, was how some religious sects had even voluntarily abandoned their original deities, converting en masse to the Infinite Divine Temple.
And in their eagerness, many priests hadn't even bothered changing out of their former ceremonial robes.
They still wore the sacred vestments of other gods while kneeling in the Infinite Divine Temple, praying fervently to a new divine authority.
Daniel couldn't help but shake his head.
"Seriously, are you guys doing abstract art now?" he thought.
He found their actions utterly absurd.
These people were treating their former faiths like disposable clothes—not even worth properly discarding before switching loyalties.
It was utterly disrespectful to the gods they once served.
Thankfully, the existing gods didn't seem to care.
If they did, Daniel knew he would've landed himself in unimaginable trouble.
At his current stage, he still lacked the power to openly challenge any of the gods.
And he wasn't stupid enough to try.
His path was clear: continue developing, grow stronger, and avoid unnecessary confrontations with deities. That was his survival strategy.
That said, Daniel did urgently need believers.
And if the gods weren't going to intervene or mind, he certainly had no issue accepting the worship of these wayward converts.
In the City of Artists.
A vast coalition of allied races had already set foot on this cursed land.
And leading the vanguard of this united force were none other than the surviving gnomes.
"You damned bastards! Taste the fury of our gnomish steam bombs!"
An armada of floating airships blocked out the sun, hovering ominously above the City of Artists.
The sky rumbled with the hum of machinery and vengeance.
"Bomb them to hell!" came the furious order from Pixis, the last elder of the gnome race.
With his command, a barrage of explosives rained down upon the sleeping Artists. Though the bombs lacked the devastating power of a Primordial Core Weapon, the sheer saturation of the attack was enough to reduce the Artist stronghold to a pile of burning, bloody wreckage.
These bombs had been the gnome race's last reserve—treasured weapons preserved through centuries.
Now they were all unleashed in a single, vengeful act of retribution.
Watching as the Artist bodies were shredded into pieces before his eyes, Elder Pixis wept openly.
"My kin... I have finally avenged you."
In truth, when Pixis first heard the news that Daniel had discovered the City of Artists and wiped out their elite forces, he had felt an immense sense of gratitude.
Without Daniel's intervention, the gnomes would've never had the chance to retaliate.
Their ancient grudge might have remained forever unresolved.
Pixis's wish was simple: to send every last Artist straight to hell.
Living under the domain of the humans, he was among the first to receive word of the Human Emperor's official decree—to annihilate the remnants of the Artist cult.
That was all the motivation Pixis needed.
He approached the Emperor and personally requested to be included in the assault on the City of Artists.
This mission was his chance, his long-awaited opportunity to repay a debt of blood.
And he was grateful—deeply grateful—to Daniel for allowing him this moment.
Now, Pixis could only do one thing: kill as many Artists as he could.
Each life he took was an offering to the memory of his people.
Manning the airships were the last remaining gnome survivors.
Upon hearing that vengeance was within reach, they had rallied with everything they had, arriving at the battlefield with unprecedented urgency.
Pixis, once the second-highest authority in his race, knew all too well that the gnomes were no longer the powerful civilization they once were.
If they hoped to survive the coming millennial apocalypse, they would need to depend on the humans.
As the bombs continued to fall, the few remaining Artists were completely annihilated.
Before long, the Human Emperor received word that even the deepest, most well-hidden Artist sanctuaries had been rooted out and destroyed.
There were no survivors.
To the many races, the Artists represented one of the gravest threats to the world.
Therefore, their extermination had to be absolute.
No seed of this evil could be allowed to survive.
The cooperative spirit in this campaign was unlike anything seen in recent memory. Powerhouses from every race had participated, each lending strength to the cause.
None dared leave even a single Artist alive.
The gnomes had learned this lesson the hard way—and the rest of the world was determined not to repeat their mistake.
Setting aside the communicator, the Human Emperor departed for the library of Winterhold Castle.
At this moment, the greatest minds of the Royal Society were gathered there, combing through ancient texts and conducting divinations.
The Emperor's objective was clear: he needed a Seer.
After conducting another round of 100 divinations, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.
The results were unanimous—The Artists had been completely eradicated.
And yet, even with such assurances, a shadow of doubt lingered in his heart.
He recalled that during the last campaign against the Artists, the same conclusion had been drawn through divination—only for hidden remnants to resurface later.
Would history repeat itself?
Perhaps it was time to speak with Daniel again.
Judging by Daniel's attitude, the extermination of the Artists seemed all but certain.
Unless there were extraordinary circumstances, the threat had been neutralized.
Still, the Human Emperor preferred to err on the side of caution.
He decided he would speak with Daniel soon to confirm the situation.
But another concern was beginning to fester in his heart.
Daniel was no longer merely a regional warlord.
He held noble titles among many different races.
The Human Emperor suspected that Daniel might be growing increasingly dissatisfied with his current role.
After all, with the rise of the Infinite Divine Temple, Daniel's influence had soared to unimaginable heights.
He could now rally all races with a single command, while the Human Emperor was still confined to managing the affairs of his own people.
Even he had to admit—Daniel's sway had already far surpassed his own.
Just as this uneasy thought surfaced, the Emperor's communicator buzzed with an incoming message.
He picked it up and read it.
After a brief pause, he couldn't help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
He never would've imagined... that Pixis, the gnome elder who had once been proud and aloof, would now appear so obedient and well-behaved.
Chapter185-A New Devotee
Who would've thought?
That old fossil Pixis actually lowered his head and pledged allegiance to the human race.
Just moments ago, Daniel received a message from Pixis himself.
In it, the elder gnome expressed his willingness to submit to the will of the Human Emperor and Daniel, fully accepting whatever arrangements they deemed necessary.
His only condition was that the younger members of the gnome race—those still in their youth—be given protection under the banner of humanity.
The Human Emperor barely even paused to consider the request.
He immediately accepted.
After all, the gnome race still possessed many valuable technologies—techniques and knowledge that humanity could learn from.
And now, with the gnome survivors numbering only in the tens of thousands, protecting twenty thousand or so posed no burden at all.
In fact, when weighed against what they stood to gain, this was a ridiculously favorable deal.
The humans had nothing to lose, and everything to gain—a powerful ally and irreplaceable expertise. To put it bluntly, this was a resounding win.
Meanwhile, at the City of the Undead, an enormous crowd of awakeners had gathered, forming long lines that snaked from the city gates as far as the eye could see.
There was no denying it—this place was hands-down the most ideal location in the entire world to gain experience.
But what truly set it apart was the complete lack of danger.
Unlike the treacherous labyrinths and monster dens across the land, the City of the Undead was safe.
That meant adventurers could enter freely, and they did—by the thousands.
Some came to farm materials, others to hunt equipment. And many more simply sought to level up as fast as possible.
Whatever their goal, the rewards were staggering.
The monsters in the city didn't fight back.
In fact, they didn't even resist—they just wandered aimlessly through the streets. And on top of that, every single one was at level 210—classified as T21 tier.
For most awakeners, especially those who hadn't yet reached the level cap, this was a golden opportunity. Many were barely past level 100, yet they had flocked here, eager to leapfrog ahead.
And because these monsters were so much higher in level, killing them granted bonus experience.
As a result, the City of the Undead became the single most important hub for advancement across all races.
Awakeners of every background had rushed here in waves, desperate to increase their strength.
To support them, Winterhold Castle had even distributed skill scrolls tailored to the weaknesses of the undead monsters—everything from holy-element burst attacks to anti-undead buffs.
These were given out to maximize efficiency.
And it worked.
Boss monsters that normally took days to bring down were now being defeated in under half an hour.
That efficiency turned the City of the Undead into the undisputed king of grinding locations.
Not even the most advanced underground labyrinths could compete with the rate of progress.
Put simply, if you wanted to level up quickly, this was the place to be.
Some of the awakeners had even come to complete their Star Upgrade Quests, which required high-level kills or personal feats of strength.
But for the vast majority, it was all about the efficiency.
The speed at which they were gaining levels was utterly absurd.
And the best part?
There was zero risk involved.
The gap in experience gain between this city and traditional grinding areas could easily reach tens of thousands of times.
There was simply no comparison.
Human awakeners, in particular, were seeing exponential growth. In the span of just one hour, many gained five or even ten levels.
And because the undead monsters refused to attack humans, they instead opted to avoid them, shuffling away to safety.
That meant the awakeners didn't even bother wearing armor.
No defense, no shields—just pure, unrelenting offense.
Their goal was clear: maximize damage output, and level up as fast as possible.
Thanks to this, most awakeners were blowing through their Star Upgrade Quests with ease.
"Ten elite monsters in a solo kill? Please, that's barely a warm-up."
"One tier in twenty minutes. Who's gonna argue with that?"
"Half an hour and I already completed my Star Upgrade Quest. Can you believe this pace?"
One message after another echoed through the awakening network. Humanity was advancing at a speed the world had never seen.
And high above, in the skies above Winterhold Castle, a massive rift began to open further.
Like a black scar tearing through reality, it pulsed ominously—something ancient and powerful seemed to be stirring behind the veil.
Inside the Star Upgrade Hall, Daniel had officially entered the third phase of his own quest.
[Star Upgrade Quest – Phase Three]
Task 1: Synthesize a God Rank Skill ranked within the top 50, or three God Rank Skills ranked within the top 80 (excludes quest rewards).
Task 2: Slay a monarch of an Upper-Tier race.
Quest Reward: Reforge – Select any three materials of your choosing.
As Daniel read the quest objectives, his brows furrowed slightly.
He couldn't help but notice a pattern.
Each stage of the Star Upgrade Quest was interconnected—each step building upon the last. The tasks weren't just randomly assigned. There was a deeper logic here.
But what puzzled him now was a very specific phrase.
What exactly counted as an "Upper-Tier race"?
He recalled that when humanity had upgraded from a Lower-Tier to a Middle-Tier race, the system had clearly notified him. So it stood to reason that Upper-Tier races must be significantly more powerful than the current human race.
Did the abyssal races count?
That thought gave Daniel pause.
If the abyss qualified as an Upper-Tier race, then... well, sorry Malkar, my friend—but this one's not personal. It's just business. I have to complete this quest—for the sake of humanity.
As always, the Star Upgrade Quests were brutal.
But the rewards were equally incredible.
On the surface, the reward didn't seem like much—just a chance to choose three materials. But Daniel knew better.
Some materials were absurdly rare—legendary even.
Some of those materials were scrolls for God Rank Skills themselves. And several top-tier God Skills were only accessible through synthesis, using specific God Rank components as ingredients.
As for the "Reforge" reward...
Daniel didn't know what it meant exactly. But based on his past experience, anything that appeared in a Star Upgrade reward list was guaranteed to be powerful.
Possibly game-changing.
After accepting the quest, Daniel received incoming messages from both the Human Emperor and the Elven Queen.
Both had reports related to a mysterious place called the Undead Lands.
According to human scouts, it was hidden within a pocket dimension—surrounded by violent spatial turbulence that made travel dangerous.
And most curiously, it required a special ticket to enter.
The elves had also sent back intelligence, but theirs was more speculative.
They weren't even sure if the Undead Lands they'd found were the same location Daniel was searching for.
Still, Daniel compiled all the clues, cross-referenced them on his master map, and immediately sent several avatars out to investigate further.
Just as he was about to leave the Star Upgrade Hall, a strange sensation rippled through his mind.
A prayer.
"O great Lord Crossbridge, I offer my prayer to you."
But this wasn't just any prayer. It was different.
Daniel usually couldn't hear the voices of his worshippers—the prayers of ordinary believers didn't reach him directly. Their devotion was filtered through the Divine Temple's system, not through his conscious mind.
But this one...
It rang out directly in his thoughts.
It felt... personal. Intimate.
Just like when Alice called out to him.
Only—it wasn't Alice.
[SSS-Rank Talent Detected – "First Summoner" is praying to you!]
Daniel's eyes sharpened.
A new devotee was calling out to him—one with an SSS-level talent.
And this one might change everything.
Chapter186-Meeting Charlotte
First Summoner?
The moment Daniel saw that notification, his brow arched ever so slightly. Without hesitation, his figure immediately materialized within the Infinite Divine Temple.
And almost at that exact same moment, a pale-skinned girl appeared before him.
———
A crumbling ancient castle.
The newly established Infinite Divine Temple had just been constructed on this very land. It was deep into the night—the time when the blood clan was most awake and active.
The blood clan was a truly unique existence.
They fed on blood, yes—but not in the way common tales described vampires.
No, the blood clan didn't prey on humans or the weak.
They exclusively consumed the blood of powerful elite monsters, seeking strength through challenge rather than cruelty.
Moreover, as the race evolved, the blood clan had become increasingly health-conscious.
In fact, they had even purchased—at a considerable price—from the gnomes a specialized machine capable of automatically producing blood plasma in a variety of flavors.
A health-conscious, tech-savvy vampire society—that's what they'd become.
So while the modern blood clan shared visual similarities with the vampire legends of old—pale skin, striking beauty—they were vastly different in nature.
In terms of aesthetics, they could even outshine the renowned beauty of the elf race. There was also an undeniable air of nobility and refinement that radiated from them—a natural-born aristocracy.
But like any race, they had weaknesses.
The most prominent being their vulnerability to sunlight.
Regular blood clan members could be severely injured by exposure. Even the more powerful among them suffered reduced strength in broad daylight.
What made the blood clan truly formidable, however, was a racial trait unique to them: damage-based healing. Whenever they inflicted harm, they would recover HP in proportion to the damage dealt.
Additionally, every blood clan member was born with master-level control over shadow magic.
As long as they avoided sunlight, blood clan warriors were terrifyingly powerful.
Right now, a great many of them were gathered within the Infinite Divine Temple, kneeling in prayer before the grand central statue. Like all the other races, the blood clan now offered their prayers through this Divine Temple, hoping to receive the buffs and blessings of Daniel.
Even the proud blood clan was no exception.
And then, from among the crowd, a frail-looking girl slowly stepped forward.
As she passed, the blood clan around her instinctively moved aside. The aura she exuded was far too intimidating.
Before long, a clear path opened ahead of her.
She walked silently to the divine statue, raised her head, and stared up at it.
"So... you want me to believe in you?"
"Hmph. I won't worship you. At most, I'll borrow your power."
"One day, I'll become powerful enough to stand beside you—no, above you. I'll become a god myself."
There was a hint of pride in Charlotte's eyes as she spoke.
To her, this was just a temporary arrangement—she'd take what she needed, but she'd never surrender her faith.
[Charlotte]
[Level: 100]
[Talent: First Summoner – SSS Rank]
[Star Upgrade Progress: Phase Four of 3-Star Quest]
She had only just begun to pray. In fact, she hadn't even finished her words when a thick mist enveloped her vision.
Moments later, she opened her eyes to find that her entire surroundings had changed.
All of the blood clan who had been in the temple moments ago—gone.
Her own body now stood outside a vast and majestic Divine Temple that seemed to tower into the heavens.
For the first time in her life, Charlotte felt... small.
Inside the grand temple, on a raised platform, stood a colossal throne.
But the throne itself was obscured—shrouded in layers of divine mist, concealing the figure that sat atop it. All she could make out was a silhouette, veiled and distant.
It was Daniel.
He sat upon his throne, calmly observing Charlotte from above.
An SSS-rank talent. Indeed, this girl was one of a kind.
And by now, Daniel had noticed a peculiar pattern: SSS-level awakeners didn't appear randomly. They always emerged in tandem with great apocalyptic threats—especially in the lead-up to the millennial Apocalypse.
And interestingly, it seemed that nearly every major race had produced one such talent in recent years.
Take Charlotte of the blood clan.
Charles from the demon clan.
Ally of the orcs.
Alice of the elves...
Every single one had appeared in just the last few years.
Daniel had made it a point to pay close attention to each of them.
So far, his Infinite Divine Temple had only one official devotee. But he intended to change that.
He needed more.
"Charlotte," he spoke.
His voice boomed through the temple, echoing with divine power.
Charlotte froze.
Her mind went blank for a moment—but then the realization struck her like a thunderclap.
The figure before her—the one sitting on the throne—wasn't just anyone.
He was a god.
The great Crossbridge himself.
Charlotte's body stiffened, and for a second, she didn't dare move or speak.
Just moments ago, she had been internally mocking the idea of worshipping him.
For any believer, such thoughts were deeply disrespectful.
She hadn't said anything aloud—but this was a god. Surely he had already read her mind.
The more she thought about it, the more her heart sank.
Are you seriously this petty? You're a god!
And as that irreverent thought slipped into her mind, she instinctively lowered her head even further.
No, no, no. I've done it again.
She was spiraling. She'd just had a fleeting thought and already she was pulled into this divine meeting.
Now, face-to-face with a god, she couldn't stop thinking rebellious thoughts.
Was she doomed?
In the space of a few seconds, Charlotte imagined a thousand different ways she might die.
From the throne, Daniel silently observed her.
His expression was unreadable.
With his increasing power, Daniel now had access to even deeper control over the Infinite Divine Temple. He could easily perceive the thoughts and intentions of anyone standing before him—Charlotte included.
In his presence, she had no secrets.
But the thoughts she was having...
They were amusing, to say the least.
Even now, standing before a god, she was still boldly herself—unapologetically proud, and entirely unafraid to question power.
Daniel found it oddly refreshing.
"An honor to meet you, great Lord Crossbridge," Charlotte finally said, bowing slightly.
Despite her earlier panic, she'd managed to collect herself.
Daniel looked at her for a long moment before speaking.
"The millennial Apocalypse is drawing near," he said. "I need a few devotees—ones who can carry out my will across the many races."
His words were calm, but the weight behind them was immense.
After interacting with Ally of the orcs, Daniel had started to understand what it meant to be a god.
The other gods, too, were rallying their own devotees—preparing for the looming calamity.
So this speech wasn't just a performance. It was a strategy, a doctrine.
What the other gods truly wanted, or why they feared the Apocalypse so greatly, Daniel still didn't know.
But it didn't matter.
He would imitate their ways—for now.
He would play the part of a god... until he became one in truth.
Chapter187-The Tsundere Devotee
"So what you mean is... you want me to assist you?"
"That's right."
In the blink of an eye, Charlotte understood exactly what Daniel was asking of her.
Even though her body was still trembling instinctively in the presence of a god, she was doing everything in her power to maintain a composed expression.
"If I become your devotee, will there be any limitations placed on me?" she asked cautiously.
"I'm destined to become a god myself. If becoming your devotee will strip me of that qualification, then I must decline."
Charlotte did her utmost to state her stance clearly, but deep down, her fear only grew stronger.
She understood all too well that the one standing before her—Daniel—could decide her life or death with just a single thought.
To a god, someone like her was nothing more than an insect.
Just as Charlotte was convinced that this exalted being would scoff at her bold condition and reject her outright, a deep and commanding voice echoed in her ear.
"Of course you may."
Hearing that the god had no intention of obstructing her ambitions, Charlotte quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, as if a thought suddenly struck her, she took the initiative to ask another question.
"Oh great god, may I ask... how many devotees do you currently command?"
Daniel had no intention of hiding such things from her.
In fact, he had even been honest just moments ago when discussing the subject of godhood.
After all, he wasn't a god himself yet—how could he possibly know what the requirements were to become one?
"Besides you, there's the elf Alice... and my inheritor, Daniel."
Daniel?
Charlotte's eyes flashed with surprise.
That name again?
"Wait... if I choose to become your devotee, will I still have the chance to surpass you in the future?" she asked quickly, her tone probing but serious.
The question gave Daniel pause for a brief moment. But he still responded with warmth and gentleness.
"I place no restrictions on the personal growth of my devotees. If you possess the strength, then anything is possible."
Charlotte, like a child with endless curiosity, immediately launched into another round of questioning the moment she received an answer.
"Then, if I become your devotee... what do I need to do?"
"Continue to grow stronger. The stronger, the better."
To Daniel, the role of a devotee had evolved.
They were no longer mere followers or tools to be used for gathering resources—they were living, breathing, and constantly updating skill books.
There was no longer any point in asking his devotees to provide materials or tributes.
After all, the kinds of materials he needed now were so rare that not even his devotees could possibly procure them—not from the surface world, and certainly not from the abyss.
The further Daniel progressed and unlocked more pages of the God Rank Skill Compendium, the more he discovered that the top-tier skills required materials of terrifying rarity.
Some of these items didn't even exist in the known world.
Because of that, Daniel had stopped relying on his devotees for materials entirely.
What he truly needed now were devotees who could continue to grow stronger—preferably at an alarming rate.
The stronger they became, the more powerful and diverse the skills Daniel could acquire.
Take Alice, for example. Daniel's current primary offensive method was actually a heavily enhanced version of her exclusive skill.
If Alice didn't exist, Daniel's output would be significantly diminished.
So in Daniel's eyes, devotees were no longer just subordinate entities—they were critical sources of high-level skill acquisition.
"With your current strength," Daniel said calmly, "there's no way you could accomplish the tasks I would assign you."
"Use every second to become stronger. Only once you've grown powerful enough will you be eligible to take on my missions."
"Right now, you're simply not qualified."
Charlotte's fists clenched unconsciously.
She was the most powerful member of the entire blood clan. She had always held an unshakable confidence in her strength.
And yet today... her strength had been dismissed so casually.
The feeling of being looked down upon made Charlotte extremely uncomfortable.
But even she had to admit it—when standing before a god, her current power was laughably insignificant.
"Then tell me," she asked sharply, "if I agree to become your devotee... what can you offer me in return?"
Despite the barrage of questions, Daniel showed no signs of impatience. Instead, he answered with calm composure.
"I can grant you access to God Rank Skills."
"Beyond that, I can also provide you with additional support—such as resurrection."
"If you happen to die out there, I can bring you back."
Charlotte's eyes widened with surprise at the mention of resurrection, and a brief glimmer of excitement flashed across her face. But she quickly regained her composure and responded solemnly.
"Oh great god, I understand your terms. And now, I am willing to pledge my loyalty to you."
"I, Charlotte, am willing to become your devotee—provided you grant me the strength I desire."
"I also vow to carry out your commands to the best of my ability."
To Charlotte, temporarily submitting to someone stronger wasn't the end of the world.
What she truly yearned for was power—an unstoppable, unrivaled strength.
So pledging allegiance to a god was, in her eyes, a worthwhile trade.
After all, through this devotion, she could obtain that strength much faster.
No one craved power more than Charlotte.
No one desired ascension more than she did.
And as for Daniel? Charlotte didn't view him as a master to be revered. She saw him as a conduit—a source of the power she desperately sought.
Still, despite that, Charlotte was fully willing to execute the tasks Daniel gave her.
This was, at its core, a transaction.
Daniel would provide her with strength—and in exchange, she would complete his missions.
Charlotte had long since accepted the idea that power came at a cost.
If not for that conviction, she wouldn't have come to the Infinite Divine Temple in the first place, hoping to become a god's believer.
And the moment she accepted, a glowing prompt appeared before Daniel's eyes:
[You have gained a new devotee. Total number of devotees: 2]
[You have acquired the following skills: Ascension Summon, Sacrificial Ritual Circle, Blood Transfer...]
Seeing the list of new skills, Daniel's lips curled into a slight smirk.
Surpass me? Do you think it's that simple?
Charlotte had no way of knowing that her exclusive skills had already been learned and mastered by Daniel.
Worse still, because of Daniel's unique bonuses, he could wield Charlotte's own skills with greater power and efficiency than she ever could.
"All points maxed out," Daniel muttered.
He felt no resentment toward Charlotte's proud and challenging attitude.
On the contrary, he was quite pleased.
He wanted Charlotte to maintain her fiery drive.
Because the stronger she became, the more powerful Daniel would become as well.
With such a diligent and determined devotee, perhaps it was time to give her some proper guidance.
Daniel wasn't concerned about her catching up to him.
What he did worry about was the possibility of getting a lazy, unmotivated devotee instead.
Even the most gifted follower would be useless if they lacked drive and strength.
All they would offer him were basic and low-tier skills.
So yes—he preferred someone like Charlotte.
Someone ambitious.
Someone who would stop at nothing to grow stronger.
Because the stronger Charlotte became...
...the stronger he would become too.
Chapter188-A Leap in Power
[Ascension Summon]
Effect 1: When you use a skill to summon a minion, there is a chance that the summoned creature's rank will be upgraded.
Effect 2: All of your summoned creatures will automatically be promoted by one rank.
[Sacrificial Ritual Circle]
Effect 1: Sacrifice your summoned creatures to call forth a more powerful being. The more you sacrifice—and the stronger the creatures you sacrifice—the more powerful the summoned entity will be.
(Kind reminder: Summoned beings that exceed your control limit may enter a berserk state and attack indiscriminately.)
[Total Enhancement]
Effect 1: Your summoned creatures deal triple damage.
Effect 2: Your summoned creatures passively gain a tenfold increase in all attributes.
[Blood Transfer]
Effect: When one of your summoned creatures is defeated, all of its attributes will be transferred to another summoned creature.
Upon seeing this string of new skill prompts, Daniel couldn't help but curl his lips into a satisfied smile.
He had to admit—this newly acquired devotee had brought an immense boost to his power.
Before, Daniel's [Abyssal Summoning Spell], even when fully leveled, could only summon monsters at the level of a typical boss.
But now, with the support of [Ascension Summon], Daniel could directly summon Silver-Rank world bosses!
And that wasn't the limit.
With the probability-based bonus of [Ascension Summon], he even had a chance of summoning Gold-Rank bosses.
What did this mean?
It meant that Daniel's summoned creatures would become so powerful that even a Human Emperor would have difficulty dealing with them.
A Gold-Rank boss was an entity even a Human Emperor couldn't casually solo.
And this wasn't even the ceiling for Daniel.
He could activate [Sacrificial Ritual Circle] and offer up those Gold-Rank bosses in sacrifice, summoning beings of even higher tiers.
Of course, the stronger the summoned entity, the higher the risk of it going berserk—but for Daniel, that risk was negligible.
Why?
Because he had [Time Stream].
If things got out of control, he could simply activate it and reverse the situation in an instant.
Besides, Daniel's summoned creatures weren't average—not even close.
Thanks to the combined effects of [Total Enhancement], their base attributes were ten times higher, and their damage was tripled.
To top it all off, there was [Blood Transfer], a nearly unbeatable skill.
Every time one summoned creature died, its attributes were transferred to another.
In other words, if Daniel continued summoning and sending his creatures into battle, their power would snowball with every casualty.
To put it plainly, in a battle where Daniel led summoned creatures...
...the more his enemies killed, the stronger his remaining summons would become.
It was a terrifying escalation loop—endless and unstoppable.
How was anyone supposed to deal with that?
There was no denying it—the skills brought by Charlotte were ridiculously powerful.
Daniel was even starting to wonder: if he continued sacrificing high-tier summons, could he eventually summon something beyond Diamond Rank?
From previous experience, he knew that [New Life] was incredibly close to the level of a god—and even that was only considered Diamond-Rank.
So then... could there be something beyond Diamond?
Daniel had never even heard of such a rank.
But at this moment, his curiosity burned with intensity.
If he truly managed to summon something beyond Diamond-Rank...
Wouldn't that make him completely invincible in this world?
Of course, there was a condition: the summoned creature must not lose control.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be just Daniel in trouble—the entire world could be plunged into catastrophe.
Daniel took a deep breath and quietly collected his thoughts.
At that moment, a realization dawned on him:
Compared to God Rank Skills, devotees were actually more important.
Because while God Rank Skills offered focused and powerful abilities, devotees provided comprehensive enhancement.
One gave overwhelming force in a single area.
The other offered holistic growth.
Combine them together...
...and you got Daniel.
Though he didn't possess a summoning-type awakening talent, it was no exaggeration to say that Daniel had already become the strongest summoner among all known races.
Even Charlotte, a true summoning-type expert, could no longer compare to him.
Looks like going forward, he needed to pay far more attention to recruiting devotees.
Meanwhile, Charlotte remained oblivious to the dramatic change she had just brought to Daniel.
She would never have imagined that by offering her allegiance, she had granted Daniel such an enormous power boost.
"You may return now," Daniel's voice echoed calmly. "As for the information you sought, I've left some small gifts in your memory."
Now that she was his devotee, Daniel had gained a certain degree of control over her.
In the blink of an eye, Charlotte found herself back in the Infinite Divine Temple.
Her kin surrounding her didn't seem to notice any change.
She rose slowly, her movements graceful and collected, and silently exited the temple.
As she walked, her mind was spinning, trying to process what had just happened.
Did I really... just become a god's devotee? Just like that?
Looks like I, Charlotte, am indeed destined to become a god myself!
That thought sent a thrill through her heart.
She soon noticed several newly acquired skills within her body.
And when she quietly examined their effects...
Her breath caught.
Especially when she sensed the presence of a skill—[Abyssal Summoning Spell].
Her entire mind went blank for a moment.
No way... there's actually a summoning skill this powerful?
All her life, Charlotte had prided herself on her summoning techniques.
She had even believed that not even gods could outmatch her in this field.
But now, in just a moment, that belief was utterly shattered.
The sheer power of [Abyssal Summoning Spell] made her doubt everything.
In her current build, most of her skills revolved around enhancing her summoned creatures.
But her base summoning ability itself wasn't particularly overwhelming.
This was a known weakness of summoner-type awakeners.
But now—now that she had access to [Abyssal Summoning Spell]—everything was different.
And that wasn't all.
Charlotte also discovered another God Rank Skill buried within her memory.
For the first time, she experienced what it meant to witness both the grace and the might of a true god.
Perhaps in Daniel's eyes, she wasn't even as significant as an ant.
But sooner or later, she would grow stronger.
Strong enough to match—no, to surpass—that god.
"Oh great Crossbridge, Your Grace..." she whispered under her breath.
"I will follow in your footsteps... until the day I surpass your power."
Charlotte had always admired strength.
To the point of obsession.
In her heart, only the powerful were worthy of her respect.
And as she pondered her next steps—how to further elevate her strength—a figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
A human.
And not just any human.
A face she had seen countless times across the communication networks.
Daniel.
"Please do not resist," Daniel said with a calm yet commanding voice.
Charlotte's eyes narrowed, her tone wary.
"What do you want?"
Chapter189-Cuteness and Tsundere
After effortlessly restraining Charlotte, Daniel flickered through space and brought her to a desolate, barren dimension.
The moment he released the restraints on her, Charlotte instinctively prepared to summon her creatures.
But before she could even react—
A dagger pierced directly into her chest.
Oddly enough, she felt no pain.
Instead, she watched in astonishment as another body separated from her side.
In the blink of an eye, two Charlottes stood before Daniel.
"There's no time. I'll explain later," Daniel said casually, as though none of this required any further elaboration.
Without giving Charlotte the chance to question him, Daniel summoned the Spirit of Skills and unleashed a barrage of devastating attacks on the duplicate Charlotte.
[Shared Life]: When receiving lethal damage, you may choose for one of your summoned creatures to take the hit in your place.
The duplicate Charlotte immediately triggered this skill, sacrificing one of her summons to avoid death.
And this was only the beginning—she had over a hundred summoned creatures.
So long as her summons weren't entirely wiped out, theoretically, she could never truly die.
But under the deluge of Daniel's meteoric onslaught, Charlotte endured a rapid and relentless series of fatal blows.
Each time she would have died, a summoned creature stepped in to take the hit.
And just like that, in the span of mere seconds...
Over a hundred of Charlotte's summons were obliterated.
Which also meant that Charlotte had "died" over a hundred times in the blink of an eye.
The real Charlotte, watching from the side, was utterly stunned.
Her thoughts were in total disarray as she watched her own duplicate annihilated so effortlessly.
What is going on?!
She had absolutely no clue what Daniel's intentions were.
Just then, Daniel finally opened his mouth.
"It's complicated to explain. You can just take it as the will of a god."
He didn't bother fabricating an elaborate excuse.
He simply tossed out the name of "god" and let it serve as the reason.
The truth was, his motive was actually rather straightforward: he needed a divine-grade material.
One of the pages in the God Rank Skill Compendium, ranked 46th, required the following for synthesis:
[Ten-Thousandfold Summon]
Required material: Corpse of an SSS-tier summoner who is also a god devotee ×1
Truly, a bizarre and specific requirement.
And strangely enough, Charlotte happened to meet the condition perfectly.
Which left Daniel with no choice.
Hearing Daniel's explanation, Charlotte only grew more bewildered.
She couldn't understand what he meant at all.
But perhaps some things didn't need to be understood.
Sometimes, it was enough simply to obey the will of a god.
After a brief moment of silence, Charlotte's expression turned serious.
"Daniel, should I take this as... some kind of warning from you?"
From her perspective, having her own doppelgänger killed right in front of her could only be interpreted as a show of dominance—or worse, intimidation.
What shocked her even more was that the copy had almost identical strength to her.
This only confirmed that Daniel's purpose had been to deliver a message.
Reflecting on her earlier attitude, Charlotte found it understandable.
Maybe the god himself didn't care.
But as the god's inheritor, Daniel would certainly be dissatisfied with her behavior.
Daniel, for his part, couldn't be bothered to clarify.
"Think of it however you like," he replied indifferently.
Charlotte fell silent for a few seconds, then straightened her posture and spoke in a firm, almost ceremonial tone.
"You have nothing to worry about. I would never betray Lord God."
"This is a transaction. He grants me strength. In return, I carry out his will."
"I understand your position as the god's inheritor. If you have any commands, speak them, and I shall obey."
"You are strong now, but I believe it won't be long before I surpass you."
Daniel stared at the serious girl before him. Her petite stature and adorable face made her words sound oddly out of place.
There was an unexplainable cuteness to it—this tiny girl, so solemnly declaring that she would surpass him.
And then, quite suddenly, a mischievous thought bloomed in Daniel's mind.
He leaned down slightly, gazing at her with a playful half-smile.
"What if I told you... I won't allow you to ever surpass me?"
"W-what?"
Charlotte froze, completely caught off guard by such a ridiculous statement.
She had never even considered such a scenario.
"I-I-I..." she stammered, repeating herself multiple times without managing to form a full sentence.
She had made a vow to the god—a vow of equal exchange. She would become a devotee in return for the power she so desperately craved.
But—but still...
The entire reason she'd agreed to serve was because she wanted to grow stronger.
Now this man—Daniel—was telling her that she'd never be allowed to surpass him?
Her cheeks turned bright red in frustration and anxiety. Her lips trembled, and tears began to well in her eyes.
She looked as though she might cry at any moment.
Finally, she mumbled softly:
"Lord Crossbridge said... he wouldn't restrict a devotee's growth..."
Daniel, on the other hand, waved his hand dismissively and said with shameless bravado:
"That's what Lord Crossbridge said—not me. I'm not him."
Charlotte stared at him in disbelief.
Are you for real?
Was he seriously trying to override the god's decision?
Even the god himself had promised not to interfere with her progression!
What gave you, a mere inheritor, the right to contradict him?!
This was outrageous—utterly outrageous!
Scoundrel! Bastard! Scum!
"I-I-I... Fine! I'll listen to you, okay?!" she finally blurted out, her voice cracking.
"We, of the blood clan, value our promises above all. Once a promise is made, we will honor it."
"Say it. You bastard... What do you want me to do?"
Her words were laced with tears, and wet trails already streaked her porcelain cheeks.
She had never imagined that someone like Daniel could exist—so shameless, so unreasonable.
Seeing the girl he had bullied into tears, Daniel found it even more amusing.
He lifted his hand and gently rubbed her head.
At the same time, he activated Eye of Insight to check her status:
[Charlotte]
Age: 16
Level: 100
Faith: Infinite Divine Temple
...
Charlotte's early awakening could be attributed to a fundamental difference between the blood clan and humans.
For members of the blood clan, the Awakening Ceremony was completed from the moment they were born.
So technically, Charlotte had been an awakener for sixteen years already.
Even so, she was still just a child.
Which was why Daniel didn't take her earlier words too seriously.
She was young. Naive.
And above all, she was the blood clan's most exceptional genius.
To her, believing she could rival or even surpass a god wasn't delusional—it was natural.
But she was just too innocent.
Clearly, she had grown up under the protection of her elders, sheltered from the brutal realities of the world.
To her, power was everything—strength solved all problems.
Fortunately, the first powerful being she encountered was him.
If it had been someone else, she might have suffered a far worse fate.
Daniel sighed lightly, and with a rare gentleness in his voice, said:
"Alright... alright. Don't cry anymore. I was just teasing."
"You should keep getting stronger, okay?"
Chapter190-Another Continent
Daniel had never expected that a single careless comment would end up costing him half an hour—just to comfort a crying child.
Fortunately, he had plenty of clones, each busy with different tasks, so spending thirty minutes wasn't a significant problem.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Charlotte had finally calmed down after being coaxed for a while.
But almost immediately afterward, a surge of fiery anger ignited in her chest.
That damned bastard... that scoundrel—he was teasing me the whole time?!
Charlotte felt a wave of indignation swell up within her. Her delicate mouth parted to reveal two sharp, pearly-white tiger teeth. She bared them with an adorable fury, preparing to lunge forward and bite Daniel on the neck.
But Daniel's reaction was too fast.
Just as Charlotte was about to launch her adorable "attack," his figure vanished from sight.
She swung her small, clenched fists in the direction where he'd disappeared, frustration boiling over.
That damned guy is treating me like a child!
I'm strong, alright?!
But then, she recalled the earlier scene—the one where her duplicate was annihilated in an instant by Daniel's skill.
She was powerful, yes... but could she really stand against Daniel?
If he had been attacking her instead of her copy, wouldn't she already be dead?
That thought dampened her fiery temper, and a small pout crept onto her face.
Sigh... looks like I'm still not strong enough. I need to get stronger... and fast!
After successfully collecting the materials he needed from Charlotte, Daniel reappeared deep within the abyss.
"My old friend, Malkar," Daniel greeted warmly. "We meet again."
As soon as Malkar sensed Daniel's presence, his massive body visibly trembled.
By now, he had fully realized the terrifying nature of the human race.
There was even a vague and instinctual fear taking root in his heart.
At the same time, Daniel's figure manifested right in front of Malkar's towering form.
"Actually, the reason I'm here today is quite simple," Daniel began, smiling.
"I just want to ask you a casual question."
"My friend," Malkar replied cautiously, "you may ask anything. I will answer to the best of my knowledge. Of course, regarding the Undead Lands, I still haven't been able to uncover any information. It's not that I don't want to help you."
Hearing Malkar's explanation, Daniel chuckled lightly and shook his head.
"That's not what I came to ask. In fact, I've already found the Undead Lands."
Truthfully, Daniel's clones had already followed all the relevant clues and thoroughly investigated the area.
"Malkar, what I want to ask is something related to the abyss itself."
"Are you aware... that there are upper races residing within the abyss?"
"I'm merely making conversation," Daniel added casually. "Don't read too much into it."
Upon hearing these words, Malkar glanced at Daniel's ever-gentle and harmless-looking smile and finally allowed himself to relax.
After a short pause, Malkar decided to share what he knew.
After all, the information Daniel was asking about wasn't exactly confidential.
"In the abyss," Malkar explained, "there are only mid-tier races. There are no upper-tier races."
Daniel maintained a faint smile on the surface, but deep down, he was deeply disappointed.
What a pity!
If Malkar had turned out to be from an upper-tier race, Daniel could have simply killed him to complete a Star Upgrade Quest.
While killing Malkar might still present some difficulty, Daniel was confident he could do it.
But if the target wasn't from an upper-tier race... then there was no need to act.
Now the question was: Where could he find an upper-tier race?
Daniel found himself growing frustrated. While he had traveled to the abyss personally, his other clones hadn't been idle—they had been traveling among the myriad races, searching for any leads related to upper-tier races.
And the reality was... cold and brutal.
Across the myriad races, aside from the human race—who had only just been promoted to mid-tier—all the others were still lower-tier.
In other words, he hadn't even found a single clue about upper-tier races yet.
After a brief silence, Daniel looked at Malkar again and asked,
"Is there a possibility... that any of your races might evolve into upper-tier races?"
Malkar froze.
Wait... what?
Was Daniel trying to hint at something?
Whether it was his imagination or not, Malkar felt a chill run down his back.
Daniel noticed the hesitation in Malkar's expression and took the initiative to clarify:
"Relax. I mean no harm. In fact, as a fellow resident of the abyss, I'd like to help the abyss grow stronger."
"If there's a race in the abyss that's close to advancing into an upper-tier species, maybe I could offer them a bit of assistance."
Truth be told, Daniel's understanding of the abyss was still limited.
The species he had encountered were all relatively common ones.
But given how long the abyss had existed, it was reasonable to assume that there might be some powerful yet reclusive races hidden deep within its dark corridors.
Daniel's plan was simple: help such a race ascend to upper-tier status—and then, when the time was right, kill their monarch to complete his quest.
If he didn't use such a workaround, Daniel really had no idea how else to complete the Star Upgrade Quest.
Especially considering he didn't even have a lead on the existence of upper-tier races.
After pondering for a moment, Malkar finally spoke again.
"My friend, even the strongest species in the abyss is still only mid-tier. We are still a long way off from upper-tier."
"But we do appreciate your willingness to lend us a hand."
Though he was unsure what Daniel's true intentions were, Malkar could tell from his tone that he genuinely wanted to help the abyss evolve.
That in itself was enough to confirm something else: the abyss could not possibly be a threat to the human race.
If it were, Daniel would never consider offering assistance.
After a brief moment, Malkar revealed one of the conditions required for racial promotion.
"To be elevated to an upper-tier race," he said, "one of the requirements is to occupy at least 9% of the surface world's territory."
"But under the current circumstances... we can't even leave the abyss."
Daniel frowned as he heard this.
That's unfortunate.
He had always maintained a sense of wariness toward the abyssal species.
There was no way he would allow the abyss to gain a foothold on the surface.
Even though 9% might not sound like much, it actually amounted to 100 times the area of the northern human frontier!
There was simply no way he could allow the abyss to take such a large chunk of land.
Just then, a thought crossed Daniel's mind—something buried in the depths of his memory.
He suddenly looked up and asked,
"In that case, why not go to the other continent?"
According to ancient records from the Artists, Daniel had uncovered a long-buried secret:
The abyss was connected to two continents.
And long ago, those two continents were once part of a single landmass.
Which meant that the abyss not only served as a route into Daniel's own continent...
...it could also provide passage into the Oden Continent.
In other words, while the abyss couldn't threaten Daniel's domain, it might still be used to invade Oden.