Chapter231-Campaign Against the Seed of Chaos
During their exchange,
Daniel could clearly sense that the Dark Star, Jarvan, standing before him, knew far more than he had ever imagined.
After all, until now, he hadn't even known that the Sun had a name—Apollo—let alone the fact that Apollo was also one of the entities involved in this millennium Apocalypse.
No, he didn't even know that the Sun itself could be considered a being with its own identity.
From every possible angle, this particular millennium Apocalypse seemed far more terrifying than any that had come before.
Just what kind of secrets was this world still hiding?
The more Daniel learned, the more questions he seemed to have.
According to Eye of Insight, the message being transmitted by the Dark Star was not a lie—
Which meant everything Jarvan had said was the truth.
After a moment of contemplation, Daniel spoke solemnly.
"I need you to tell me the exact plan," he said.
"And I want to hear everything you know about Apollo in detail."
...
At this point, even Daniel wasn't fully sure where he stood.
He couldn't determine whether letting the Dark Star replace Apollo would be a good thing or a disaster for humankind—or for all races, for that matter.
After all, Jarvan himself was a powerful and ancient threat to all sentient races.
"I understand what you're worried about, Human," the Dark Star replied.
"But you truly have nothing to fear. I will not harm the lives born of the Origin Lands."
"In fact, from a certain perspective, we are on the same side. Our interests are aligned."
"Please believe me. I would never bring harm to your kind."
Once again, the Eye of Insight confirmed that these words were true.
And yet... something still felt off.
Daniel furrowed his brow.
"I want to understand everything—how this all began and how it will end. I hope you'll be willing to tell me everything in detail."
"And as a fair trade, you may ask me anything you want about myself. I'll answer truthfully."
"If this is to be a mutual exchange, I believe honesty is our foundation."
...
Meanwhile, in the Luminous Forest—
Alice had arrived at the Star Upgrade Hall to report the completion of her latest quest.
Upon submitting the results, she received what she had hoped for—an advancement in her innate talent.
Her new ability: SSS-Rank Talent – Doomsday Sharpshooter.
Seeing the notification confirming she had successfully completed her Star Upgrade Quest, Alice finally let out a deep breath of relief.
At last... she could begin catching up to His Highness Daniel's pace.
According to the guidance she had received from her god, she needed to continue increasing her power as quickly as possible.
And so, even amidst the calamity of the millennium Apocalypse, Alice never once slowed down.
On the contrary, she completed her Star Upgrade Quests with even greater urgency—
Especially with His Highness Daniel's full support backing her up.
Exhaling softly, Alice returned to her small wooden cabin and began to pray.
"Great Lord Crossbridge, I pray that I may be worthy of the gifts You have granted me."
Right now, for the entire world of myriad races, the only remaining hope lay in the Infinite Divine Temple.
And truthfully, Alice had received far more from Lord Crossbridge than she had given in return.
As for His Highness Daniel—he had become the person Alice respected the most.
During her long and arduous Star Upgrade Quest, all the sacrifices and offerings required had been made on her behalf by Daniel.
The thought alone filled Alice with a deep sense of gratitude.
"His Highness Daniel is truly a good man," she whispered to herself.
Alice knew clearly that she owed him more than she could ever repay in a single lifetime.
If they managed to survive this millennium Apocalypse,
It would be entirely thanks to the protection of Lord Crossbridge—
And the unwavering help of His Highness Daniel.
There was no doubt. Without Daniel, the terrifying Artist faction alone would've plunged all races into endless despair.
Not to mention the looming threats of the abyssal monsters—
Had Daniel not intervened, they would have overwhelmed the continent long ago.
But thanks to Daniel's timely appearance, everything had changed.
The Artists were annihilated.
Ironically, their twisted experiments ended up benefiting the many races through their research.
As for the abyssal beasts? They had now become living experience farms for awakening warriors.
Alice couldn't help but think: the myriad races owed Daniel far, far too much.
She vowed, from the bottom of her heart, to help repay that debt on behalf of the elves.
She just wasn't sure whether her current strength was enough to make a difference...
A trace of anxiety still lingered in her heart.
...
Though Daniel had already intervened many times,
There were still a number of Seed of Chaos entities lingering in the world.
These Seeds were exceptionally hard to eliminate—
Even Daniel couldn't destroy them in a single instant.
However, that didn't mean he was helpless.
He had sent one of his most trusted subordinates to confront them—bringing along the embodiment of the New Life Domain.
Now that the Seed of Chaos no longer possessed their own domains,
They were vulnerable to domain suppression from the New Life entity.
Though it would still take time to defeat them,
Their destruction was only a matter of time.
And this strategy hadn't even been Daniel's idea alone—
It was the result of collaborative research conducted by scholars from all races.
After all, beings like the Seed of Chaos possessed fragments of rule-based authority.
They weren't easy to kill.
But using New Life to suppress them turned out to be the perfect solution.
Once the Seed of Chaos was trapped in the New Life domain,
Awakeners from every race could join forces to launch a coordinated assault, rapidly reducing its HP.
When the official conscription decree was issued, all awakeners were thrilled.
"Unbelievable! I never thought I'd live to see the day we could actually fight back against the Seed of Chaos!"
"Good heavens—historical records say we always had to flee during past Apocalypses. But this time, we're leading the charge!"
"This is incredible! Even if I die on the battlefield, it'll be worth it! I'm sure my name will go down in history!"
For the first time in countless cycles of destruction,
The races of the world were no longer the hunted.
They were launching their counterattack.
Over ten million awakeners answered the call to arms.
Even the ever-cunning demons sent forth legions of elite warriors—
Because they knew the Seed of Chaos wasn't strong because of raw power,
But because of their unique rule-bound abilities.
And now, with the New Life domain suppressing those abilities,
The Seeds were no longer invincible.
What's more, the spoils of victory would be unimaginable.
Although the Seed of Chaos had a staggeringly high HP pool—over 10 trillion—
That wasn't much against an army of tens of millions.
In fact, each soldier only needed to contribute around 1 million damage.
With the current total enhancements available to awakeners,
That was just a few skills' worth of damage per person!
A voice echoed across the public communication channel:
"Everyone, I won't waste your time with a speech," said the commander.
"The stage is set. Now it's your time to shine!"
Chapter232-4000 Years Ago
Cloud Mine.
While Daniel was still conversing with the Dark Star, Jarvan, a familiar voice echoed in his mind—Alice's prayer.
Prayers like this were capable of traversing planar boundaries.
This was one of the reasons Daniel dared to come to the Undead Lands alone.
Communication through devotees was one of the backup measures he had left for himself.
If an emergency ever arose, Daniel would instruct one of his clones to contact either Alice or Charlotte. They would then transmit crucial information to him through prayer.
And now, the moment had come—Alice's voice had reached him.
"Great Lord Crossbridge, your devoted follower Alice prays to You. I have completed my Star Upgrade Quest."
Daniel had already anticipated the kind of skills Alice would grant him.
Indeed, his status panel now showed two brand-new skills:
[Meteor Shot] and [Starfall Mark].
Naturally, these were the skills after Daniel had fully upgraded them.
Interestingly, both skills were directly related to stellar monsters. Whether by coincidence or not, they each had the special trait of dealing ten times the damage to stellar monsters.
Moreover, once a target was marked with [Starfall Mark], Daniel could bypass all restrictions and instantly teleport to the marked monster's location.
At that moment,
The Dark Star Jarvan continued the conversation.
"Human, my faith lies with the Mist. Have you heard of her?"
Daniel nodded and replied,
"I know her. She's the goddess ranked seventh in the divine order."
"Correct."
The Mist Goddess—known as the most enigmatic deity. No one knew her true name.
Yet despite that, no one dared to underestimate her.
Her presence struck fear into the hearts of many other gods.
Those who bore the power of mist... were said to be nearly impossible to kill.
"You may not be aware," Jarvan said, "but the Mist Goddess holds a very conservative stance toward the Origin Lands."
"She doesn't want this realm to fall under the gaze or influence of external powers. In that sense, she stands in direct opposition to Aurelia."
"And that is why I believe we share a foundation for cooperation.
Besides, if you don't work with me, you have no way of defeating Apollo."
"Even if you use forbidden methods to kill him, without someone to take his place, he will eventually reincarnate."
Hearing this, Daniel's Eye of Insight once again confirmed the truth behind the statement.
Though Daniel deeply trusted the effectiveness of his God Rank Skill, he still remained cautious—especially in matters like this.
After a brief moment of reflection, he asked,
"So then, are you saying you're a devotee of the Mist Goddess?"
"Of course I am," Jarvan replied.
"In fact, I've seen you before, Daniel—the man from the future."
Hearing his name spoken aloud startled Daniel. His eyes flickered with surprise.
That Glaton knew his name was understandable—he had ways to gather information from other souls, including those familiar with the Myriad Races' world.
But the Dark Star Jarvan was different. He clearly didn't interact with ordinary souls.
Then how had he come to know Daniel's name?
Especially considering that Daniel had only become "famous" in the past two days at most.
More importantly, why had Jarvan referred to him as a "man from the future"?
Noticing the flicker of doubt in Daniel's eyes, Jarvan continued.
"Human, you've made things far too simple in your mind.
Did you really think I would entrust something as monumental as the assassination of Apollo to a total stranger?"
Daniel furrowed his brow.
A theory had begun to form in his mind.
Then Jarvan added:
"To be precise, I met you 4000 years ago."
"Daniel, you promised to protect the human race.
Back then, you told me—if ever I doubted your identity or intentions, you said I should say this name."
"Durinsolo."
The instant that name was spoken, Daniel's pupils contracted violently.
That name—Durinsolo—was the one he had used as a child in another world.
No one knew it except for his family. No one.
For Jarvan to know it...
It could only mean that Daniel truly had met him 4000 years ago and revealed that name as proof.
So the clue had come from himself all along?
Understanding dawned on him. Daniel stopped hesitating.
"If I agree to your terms," he asked, "can you guarantee that, once you replace Apollo, you won't harm the humans or the myriad races?"
A firm wave of conviction surged through the mental channel from Jarvan.
"I can absolutely guarantee that. However, there are some questions I won't be able to answer."
"You understand, as a devotee of a god, I am bound by certain rules."
Daniel nodded.
He could understand that much.
"Alright," he said. "I understand. I'll make the deal. I'll help you hunt down Apollo. But in return, you must tell me exactly what I need to do."
Jarvan appeared to fall into thought, momentarily pausing before responding.
On Daniel's end, he had already made up his mind.
If all of this truly stemmed from his own instructions in the past, then there had to be a good reason for it.
He might not trust anyone else.
But he trusted himself completely.
And some decisions couldn't wait for all the answers to be revealed.
Sometimes, choices had to be made in the dark.
From what he currently knew, Jarvan's proposal was extremely enticing.
If, one day in the future, Jarvan became a threat—
Daniel could always use Time Stream to return to this moment and make a different decision.
"Apollo is extremely powerful," Jarvan explained.
"Even at the height of my strength, I was no match for him."
"But we can use Aurelia's power. With her help, taking Apollo down will be far easier."
"However, before that happens, you must go back in time and locate Revelation."
"You'll need Revelation to open the gateway to the Divine Lands."
"Through that gate—and with Aurelia's help—we can kill Apollo. That is the core of my plan."
"As for how you acquired Revelation... I honestly don't know.
But when I met you in the past, you already possessed it."
"One more thing—if you happen to meet my past self, please warn him."
"Tell him: If you choose to confront Apollo directly, you will die."
"Not that you need to worry too much about me," Jarvan added.
"That death is also a necessary part of me taking Apollo's place."
"But now," Jarvan continued, "it's time I sent you back."
"Take this scroll. It will transport you 4000 years into the past."
"And the rest... I leave in your hands."
Chapter233-A Different Blood Moon
Daniel felt as if his brain had momentarily crashed.
Never in his wildest imagination had he expected that the Dark Star Jarvan's plan would involve a timeline dating back 4,000 years ago.
Returning to the past?
It sounded... interesting.
Of course, Daniel wasn't particularly shocked by the idea itself. After all, he already possessed Time Stream, and was quite familiar with traveling into the past. To him, revisiting a previous timeline was hardly a novelty.
What genuinely surprised him, though, was that Jarvan actually held another method to return to the past—
A mysterious scroll, appearing as if it were a torn fragment of some ancient blueprint.
It made Daniel curious—what did the complete blueprint originally look like?
Could that parchment possess the power to freely traverse time and space?
Suppressing his wandering thoughts, Daniel spoke up.
"Even if I do return to the past, what exactly am I supposed to do there?"
"And if I act, won't my actions affect the current timeline?"
Jarvan gave him a very straightforward response.
"When you return to the past, you can do anything you want. You could even annihilate the human race if you so desired."
"But no matter what you do, humanity will always survive and evolve into what it is now."
"True history is immutable. Even if you go back, you cannot change its flow."
"You may not understand yet, but 'history' is not just a record of the past—it also represents fate."
"You think you're living in the present, but in truth, everything you do in the past has already been written."
"Let me put it this way: You, me, and countless others—we are all players within the pages of history. Eventually, we'll all return to it. Everything we've done... was predetermined."
These words cast Daniel into a contemplative silence.
It felt like he had caught onto something important—but the more he thought about it, the more it slipped away.
"So basically, I can do anything I want... right?" he asked.
Jarvan responded with a gentle wave of mind power.
"Yes, that's right. When you return to 4,000 years ago, you may think you're acting based on your current understanding, but in reality, you're simply doing what you already did."
"But I must remind you of one rule—within the same timeline, there can only be one of you."
"In other words, no matter what, you cannot alter the current situation."
Daniel frowned.
Something about Jarvan's explanation unsettled him.
If everything was predetermined... then what was the point of struggling?
Was it all just following a path carved by fate, inevitably reaching a destination already scripted?
From this perspective, the scroll's function paled in comparison to Time Stream.
With Time Stream, he could change the present.
With this scroll, he could not.
"So... what if I choose not to go?" Daniel asked.
"Now that's a fascinating question," Jarvan replied.
"Even if most people can't change anything, they also don't have the privilege of going back."
"You're one of the few who does. You're lucky. But if you don't believe me, you're welcome to try."
"According to the tenets of determinism, even if you decide not to go now, you'll return eventually—because history is fixed."
Daniel lapsed into another moment of quiet thought.
He had considered using Time Stream to experiment—
To see what would happen if he didn't go back to the past.
But if what Jarvan said was true, then even if he didn't go now, he might still end up doing it at some later point.
After all, who could truly know what the future held?
After a long moment of consideration, Daniel finally nodded.
"I understand what you mean."
This so-called "fate" seemed like an inescapable loop—like it was intertwined with the very rules of the world.
Still, Daniel hadn't given up hope.
Just because something couldn't be resolved now didn't mean it couldn't be resolved later.
Take Time Stream, for example—its power was enough to defy the heavens, yet it was only ranked 9th in the God Rank Skill Compendium.
What if he could eventually synthesize all the top ten God Rank Skills?
Just how unbelievable would that power be?
Daniel was confident—each of those skills could likely shatter the very laws of this world.
And that's why he wasn't entirely fazed by all this talk of destiny and determinism.
"Alright then," Jarvan said. "Time's almost up. You may proceed."
As he spoke, a shimmering portal opened across his massive surface.
"Take the scroll and step through. But remember—don't linger too long in the past.
One hour spent 4,000 years ago is equal to two hours here in the present."
"Friendly reminder: You must return before daybreak. You have five hours total, which translates to just two and a half hours in the past."
Daniel's expression turned serious.
Two and a half hours... not much time at all.
"When I get there, how am I supposed to find you?" he asked.
Jarvan didn't answer directly. Instead, he sent a simple message through mind power.
"In the web of fate, we are destined to meet."
...
[You have passed through the Gate of Time.]
[Requirement for traversal: Possession of god-level temporal law.]
[Your current law: Time Stream.]
[Entry conditions met.]
[Scroll is bound to a fixed destination. Temporal parameters cannot be changed.]
...
As Daniel stepped through the temporal gate,
He was astonished to see the space around him twist and ripple like a whirlpool of memories.
Countless fragments of history flashed before his eyes—
The descent of the blood moon,
The fall of the Abyss Emperor,
The arrival of Kalthor...
Millennia of Apocalypses,
The birth and extinction of countless races.
Each scene played out like a flickering slideshow, swiftly passing through his vision.
Yet what surprised Daniel most was this—
Though he could see these images, he couldn't remember them.
It was as if some powerful law had forcibly prevented these memories from being retained.
The past was not meant to be remembered.
Daniel wasn't too bothered by this.
Most of what he saw were events that had already come to pass—nothing too valuable in terms of intel.
And the few things that might have been worth remembering? He couldn't retain them anyway.
So Daniel shook off his curiosity and continued forward—
Until he reached the end of the time corridor and stepped through the final gate.
The moment he emerged,
The world around him was drenched in crimson.
Above him, the sky was dominated by a massive, scarlet blood moon,
Blazing hundreds of times brighter than anything he'd ever seen in his own time.
The mere sight of it made his chest tighten and his mind grow agitated.
He didn't hesitate.
Immediately, he activated Soul Defense.
As the protective aura enveloped his soul, Daniel's emotions gradually stabilized.
So this... was what the blood moon had been like 4,000 years ago?
So overwhelmingly strong.
Then why—Daniel wondered—had its power weakened so drastically by the time of the current era?
What exactly had happened in the past
to bring about such a change?
Chapter234-Era of the Gods
Behind Daniel, the temporal passage still existed—
Though only he could see it.
After arriving 4,000 years in the past, Daniel's first concern wasn't surveying the surrounding environment.
Instead, he immediately checked whether his God Rank Skills could still function properly.
Most of his abilities were operational—
Except for one: Time Stream.
Daniel furrowed his brow involuntarily.
Time Stream was a skill designed to return to the past.
But now, Daniel himself was the past. He had already arrived 4,000 years ago.
So by its very logic, the skill was unusable—
You couldn't return to the past from the past.
Fortunately, Flashback was still available—
And it was practically in full-map mode.
He could access nearly any location, from the world of the myriad races to even the Abyss and the Flesh Continent.
All things considered, his combat capacity hadn't suffered significantly.
That much was reassuring.
Just as Daniel came to this conclusion, his Eye of Insight detected a familiar presence.
[First Human Emperor: Arthur]
However, Arthur's current state was far from ideal.
Under the influence of the blood moon, Arthur had entered an intense manic state.
[First Human Emperor: Arthur]
[Level: 150]
[Current Status: Frenzied Corruption 99%]
Based on this stat panel, it was clear—
Arthur was on the verge of total madness.
Daniel moved instantly, appearing right in front of him, and activated Soul Defense.
In the blink of an eye, all the abnormal statuses afflicting Arthur dissipated.
His mind cleared, and rationality returned.
He looked at Daniel with confusion, dazed by what had just happened.
After a brief pause, realization dawned.
"Please... help us. Help the human race!" he cried.
Before Arthur could even finish speaking, Daniel once again unleashed Soul Defense, this time casting it in an area-of-effect format.
In an instant, Soul Defense spread across half the plain.
And he wasn't done yet.
Daniel summoned all his Spirits of Skills, each casting Soul Defense simultaneously.
Within moments, the protective skill's influence had expanded again—enveloping vast swaths of land.
Thanks to Daniel's intervention, countless living beings regained their sanity.
It seemed everything was turning for the better—
Until the sky's blood moon suddenly opened its eye.
Thousands of secondary eyes emerged across its surface, each staring directly at Daniel.
In the next moment, all the active Soul Defense effects across the plain were interfered with—some disrupted entirely.
Simultaneously, Daniel felt a barrage of terrifying presences attempting to scan and lock onto him.
[You have blocked the detection of: Child of Darkness.]
[You have blocked the detection of: Abyssal Maw.]
[You have blocked the detection of: Moon Goddess Luna (Quasi-God Level).]
...
In a split second, the Mist—Daniel's divine shielding—filtered out hundreds of detection attempts.
Thanks to the Mist's powerful effect, none of these terrifying entities could pinpoint Daniel's position.
But one thing became clear:
All of their attention was now squarely on him.
Daniel hesitated.
Should he continue casting Soul Defense?
After a moment of consideration, he chose to stop.
Even in his current state, he couldn't be certain of victory against these monstrous entities.
More alarmingly, he had glimpsed a few familiar names among the ones trying to locate him...
Some of the so-called "old gods" were only at Quasi-God level during this era.
But Daniel knew well—
In time, these figures would become true gods.
What startled him most, however, was this:
The God Rank Skill he had released—Soul Defense—had actually been disrupted.
What kind of being had the power to interrupt a God Rank Skill?
Daniel had reason to suspect that it must have been someone immensely powerful.
After all, this was the era 4,000 years ago—also known as the Beginning of Chaos.
Back then, gods still walked the earth and protected mortals.
What Daniel hadn't expected... was that gods literally lived on the continent in this age.
Still, now wasn't the time to test his luck.
With Time Stream sealed and insufficient preparations on hand,
Should he run into a god who wielded control over time, things could go catastrophically wrong.
Daniel resolved to remain cautious. This wasn't the moment to take reckless risks.
With that decision made, he began observing the effects of the Soul Defense he had cast earlier.
Though the skill hadn't remained active for long, it had still affected a massive number of targets.
At least within his sensory range, nearly all partially corrupted beings had been purified.
However, for those already fully corrupted, even Soul Defense had no effect.
This outcome left Daniel deep in thought.
After a pause, he activated Flashback, transporting himself to the City of the Artists.
But this was the past—so the Artist City was still the stronghold of the gnomes.
However, Daniel quickly noticed that the gnomes had already succumbed to the influence of the blood moon.
They had gone completely mad.
He instinctively opened his inventory, intending to use the Primordial Core Weapon to destroy the area.
But to his surprise, it wasn't there.
Only then did Daniel realize—
According to the laws of determinism, the same object could not exist in the same timeline twice.
Many of the Primordial Core Weapon's raw materials had come from gods.
And right now, those gods were still alive.
Therefore, the weapon could not exist in this era.
More accurately—it wasn't just unusable.
The Primordial Core Weapon could not even appear in this timeline.
Daniel himself didn't belong to this era, which was why he could move freely.
But the same did not apply to the weapon.
He sighed in disappointment as he looked over the City of the Artists.
Without the Primordial Core Weapon, he had no way of wiping out the Artists completely.
Though the Artist faction had already begun splitting off from the gnomes,
there was no clear method to distinguish them from ordinary gnomes.
Even if he had the Primordial Core Weapon, it would result in massive collateral damage.
Daniel shook his head, turning his gaze toward the distant battlefield.
Why did the historical records never mention how terrifying the first millennium Apocalypse was?
According to human history, during the first Apocalypse, the myriad races were weak—
Clinging to life by depending on the gods they worshipped.
The human race had been on the verge of collapse,
until a mysterious figure appeared and reversed their fate.
Thanks to this person, humanity survived.
And yet, for some unknown reason...
The historical records never mentioned the presence of gods during that period.
Chapter235-The Whereabouts of Revelation
At first, Daniel had thought the first Millennial Apocalypse was nothing more than a chaotic scuffle among weaklings—a time of primitive skirmishes where no real power had yet emerged. But reality proved otherwise.
This was not a primitive era of fumbling battles, but a full-scale war of the gods.
Gods he had never encountered before, whose names were not even recorded in the modern era, appeared one after another on this very continent. Though they were only at the Demigod Rank during that era, their power was still overwhelmingly formidable and beyond doubt.
"Could it be," Daniel pondered, his expression serious, "that the reason humanity back then had no knowledge of these divine conflicts was simply because they lacked the qualifications to witness such battles?"
That explanation seemed the most plausible. If the ancient humans were not powerful enough to perceive the war of gods happening right above their heads, that would certainly explain the absence of historical records.
But now, those same gnomes that had once existed peacefully had already fallen under the corruption of the Blood Moon. Their future was destined—to become the twisted Artists who would wreak havoc upon all the myriad races.
Well, so be it. If one believed in determinism, then his presence here wouldn't change anything. The future would still unfold as it was fated. With that in mind, Daniel turned his attention to the task at hand.
No longer hesitating, he immediately took action. Drawing upon the dagger bestowed by the God of Thieves, he created a clone of himself—an exact duplicate, capable of executing tasks in parallel.
After all, as Dark Star Jarvan had explained moments ago, nothing Daniel did here would influence the future timeline. That meant, in effect, he had complete freedom to act however he wished.
With no constraints, Daniel had no reason to hold back. He would proceed according to his own rhythm—decisive and relentless.
His clone, formed in an instant, reappeared before none other than the First Human Emperor—Arthur.
At that very moment, Arthur was using the human communication network to broadcast a global announcement. It was an address celebrating humanity's miraculous survival.
Just moments earlier, a mysterious entity had intervened and saved their entire species from utter annihilation. No one could comprehend who had done it, or why—but that didn't stop the survivors from rejoicing. A race that had stood on the brink of extinction had been granted a second chance.
And it wasn't just humanity who had benefited from this divine protection. Numerous other races—the elves, the blood clan, the gnome race—had also been shielded by the power of the soul and had managed to survive.
So, when Arthur saw Daniel reappear before him, he was overwhelmed with emotion. Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees in reverence.
Though he was the sovereign of humanity, a man of immense prestige and noble standing, he knew full well the enormity of what this mysterious figure had accomplished.
This was a benefactor who had saved their entire species.
Such a debt could not be measured, nor repaid. The only thing Arthur could do was kneel in heartfelt gratitude.
Daniel gently lifted him back to his feet and spoke with calm authority.
"No need for such ceremony. It was merely a small effort on my part. But now, I need to ask you something—something important."
"Please, ask whatever you will. I shall answer truthfully and completely."
"I wish to know," Daniel said, his tone grave, "whether you've ever heard of something called Revelation. If you know of it, I need you to tell me where it is."
Even 4,000 years in the past, Daniel couldn't afford to waste time blindly searching. He had only two and a half hours here, after all. That meant the most efficient way forward was to ask someone with reliable knowledge—and who better than the Human Emperor?
"Revelation... Let me think," Arthur replied, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "Perhaps we might find clues from the Pope. He oversees the ancient scriptures and holy records passed down from the gods."
Turning behind him, Arthur shouted, "Pippin! Come here at once!"
In the next moment, a figure adorned in papal robes appeared before Daniel.
Daniel couldn't help but note how frail this era's awakeners were. Even their flight speed was sluggish, like snails crawling through the sky.
Arthur quickly stepped forward to make introductions. "This is the man who saved humanity. If not for his intervention, we would have been wiped out."
To this day, Arthur had no idea where Daniel came from. And truthfully, he had no desire to uncover Daniel's secrets. This was a being of immense, perhaps divine, power—far beyond his comprehension.
In Arthur's heart, he had already come to a conclusion: the figure before him was, in all likelihood, directly connected to the gods themselves. Nothing else could explain such overwhelming strength.
Meanwhile, upon hearing Daniel's inquiry about Revelation, Pippin fell into deep thought.
"Yes," he said finally, "Revelation is indeed mentioned in the divine canon left behind by the gods. In fact, we too had hoped to locate it and use it to request aid from the Goddess of Gold & Silver—Aurelia."
"Based on clues in the scripture, we managed to locate a ruin where Revelation might lie."
"However," he added regretfully, "the guardian of that ruin was too powerful for us to overcome. We couldn't even breach the entrance. And so the plan was eventually abandoned."
Hearing this, Daniel began forming a plan in his mind.
"Give me the coordinates of that ruin," he said.
...
Moments later, Daniel used Flashback to teleport to a spot near the ruin. As soon as he arrived, a familiar sensation washed over him.
This place—he knew it well. It was the future site of the Abyss.
But right now, it had yet to transform. It was still just part of the human northern frontier, a land that Daniel would one day rule.
To the west, beyond the borders of the northern territories, stretched another vast continent. According to ancient legends, that continent was known as Oden Continent.
Currently, Oden Continent and the Myriad Races Continent were still part of a single landmass, connected by a long, narrow corridor.
...
Daniel scoured the area for any trace of Revelation. But after an exhaustive search, he came up empty-handed.
Could it be... that Revelation wasn't located on this plane at all?
A strange thought suddenly popped into his mind.
Raising his head, Daniel activated the newly acquired Starfall Mark, placing a celestial mark on the sun—Apollo.
If the Abyss hadn't yet formed, perhaps the only place capable of holding such a divine artifact... was the Primordial Plane—the birthplace of the stellars.
"Could Revelation be hidden within the Primordial Plane?" he wondered aloud.
With nothing to lose, Daniel decided to try. Channeling the power of Starfall Mark, he bent space and traveled instantly across planes.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived in a completely desolate place.
Beneath his feet was a colossal sphere—the Primordial Plane itself. The origin of all stars.
Strangely, this was Daniel's first time setting foot here. And it was nothing like he had imagined.
The energy here was incredibly pure and segregated. Light remained as light. Darkness stayed as darkness. All the elemental forces existed independently, each occupying their own clearly defined domains.
Up above, countless stellar bodies were being forged. One by one, they spun slowly in space, forming and rotating as they were born.
Even with Daniel's current strength, he could only perceive the happenings on three nearby stellar bodies.
Each of these stars was, without exception, above level 300.
Further in the distance, even larger stellar entities drifted by, dense and immeasurable. Stars upon stars, countless in number—like an ocean of celestial lights stretching beyond the horizon.
Amid this sea of stars, Daniel's sharp senses detected several unique entities.
[Sun: Apollo]
[Moon of Blood]
[Black Moon]
[Dark Moon]...
He had to admit—the Primordial Plane was far more powerful and expansive than he had anticipated.
Yet, to his surprise, Flashback still worked in this place!
Which could only mean one thing—
The Primordial Plane... was indeed connected to the Origin Lands.
Chapter236-Frost Star
Just then, Daniel suddenly felt it—a chilling sensation, as if he had been locked in the gaze of something vast and ominous.
The Blood Moon had turned its attention toward him.
Spread across its vast, crimson surface were tens of thousands of grotesque eyes, and at this moment, every single one of them was fixed directly on Daniel. The oppressive feeling of being stared at by such a monstrous celestial body sent a ripple of unease through him.
Daniel paused, momentarily stunned. Then, as if in bitter amusement, he let out a quiet chuckle.
"With the shrouding effect of Mist," he muttered to himself, "even a god can't spy on me. How could a mere Blood Moon possibly see me?"
But something was wrong.
Daniel quickly noticed that the Blood Moon's gaze, though intense, carried no trace of Mind Power—no probing, no perception, no attempt to reach into his thoughts or essence. It was a passive stare, not an active detection.
That made no sense.
What exactly was going on?
Although the situation puzzled him, Daniel chose not to take any chances. With a snap of will, he activated his God Rank Skill—Time Stream.
In an instant, his body reversed through the folds of time, returning to the exact moment before he had entered the Primordial Plane.
Without hesitation, he uncorked a vial of Golden Invisibility Potion and drank it in one swift motion.
The effect of the potion was simple: complete transparency. Once consumed, the user's physical form would vanish from view, making them invisible to the naked eye and difficult to detect unless one possessed exceptionally powerful Mind Power.
Normally, this kind of potion would be completely ineffective against high-level entities like the Blood Moon. But Daniel had an ace up his sleeve—the God Rank Skill Mist. With Mist concealing him, even divine beings struggled to pierce through the veil. Combined with the potion, it was virtually impossible for something like the Blood Moon to detect him, even with the weakest-grade invisibility.
After ensuring his concealment, Daniel returned to the same coordinates in the Primordial Plane.
Even though he was now in a completely invisible state, the Blood Moon once again shifted its enormous field of vision toward his exact position.
"Looks like it didn't actually see me," Daniel murmured, his eyes narrowing.
"But this is still way too unnerving."
Given the Blood Moon's immense size, even a simple glance from one of its many eyes was enough to make Daniel feel like he was being watched through a divine telescope. It was a gut-wrenching sensation.
To verify his theory, he deliberately moved to another location. Yet the Blood Moon's gaze remained fixed on the original spot, not following his movement.
That confirmed it. The Blood Moon wasn't staring at him—it was merely observing a specific place. Its gaze had nothing to do with Daniel personally.
With this revelation, Daniel finally exhaled and allowed himself to relax a little.
He then turned toward a different celestial body in the distance—Dark Star Jarvan.
Though not as radiant as Apollo, Dark Star Jarvan still exuded a fearsome and commanding aura. Even from this great distance, Daniel could sense the enormous power emanating from him.
And despite how far apart they seemed, the Primordial Plane was home to Anygates—gateways that could bridge space in an instant.
That meant one thing—it was time for Daniel to arrange a meeting with the Dark Star of 4,000 years ago.
From their earlier interaction, Daniel had already learned that even within the realm of stellars, beliefs varied. The gods and celestial entities aligned themselves according to different creeds, forming distinct factions.
This hinted at a crucial truth—not all stellars were necessarily enemies.
With that in mind, Daniel cast his gaze toward one of the neighboring stellar bodies nearby.
[Frost Star]
Race: Stellar Monster
Birth Level: 300 (Non-upgradable)
...
Every stellar was born at level 300—a terrifying fact. They were powerful from the very beginning. However, their strength came at a cost. From the moment of their birth, their paths, actions, and very existence were predetermined. In other words, they were bound by the laws of creation itself.
Though mighty, they were shackled by fate.
Daniel turned toward the Frost Star and sent out a greeting using his Mind Power.
"Hello there."
The Frost Star was immediately startled.
A sentient voice—unexpected, unfamiliar—had reached out to it. Reacting with surprise, it instinctively scanned its surroundings with Mind Power, but found nothing. Not a trace.
"Who's there?!" it demanded, voice tinged with suspicion.
The Frost Star looked around warily. In the Primordial Plane, the orbital paths of each stellar body were fixed and predictable. The few stellars it could currently perceive were all familiar to it. None of them would have sent an unexpected greeting.
Then, a second wave of Mind Power gently rippled across its perception.
"Just a passing traveler," Daniel replied calmly.
As he spoke, he slightly lifted the veil of Mist cloaking his presence. That was all it took.
In the very next moment, Frost Star detected him.
"A human?!"
"You're a human?!" it gasped. "What are you doing in the Primordial Plane?!"
Frost Star was stunned. The idea that a fragile and diminutive species like humanity could even reach this realm was absurd. Let alone someone who could conceal themselves within it.
Daniel offered a pleasant smile and responded, "I flew here. I'm actually looking for Dark Star Jarvan—I need to speak with him. Would you happen to know how I could reach him quickly?"
At those words, Frost Star's curiosity ignited.
"You flew here?" it exclaimed. "That's unbelievable! Tell me, how fast are you exactly? From what I know of humans, even your strongest members crawl like snails compared to real celestial beings."
Daniel's lips twitched.
The Frost Star wasn't wrong. By comparison, the human race was pathetically weak. Even Arthur, the first Human Emperor—arguably the peak of human strength in this era—was a slowpoke next to him now.
But still, the truth stung a little.
Frost Star continued its line of questioning, clearly fascinated.
"If I were to estimate, a human would take roughly 100 billion years to reach the Primordial Plane from the surface. Tell me—how long did you take?"
Daniel winced slightly at that figure. He had known the distance was vast, but not that vast.
It was only thanks to the power of Starfall Mark that he had traversed the space in an instant. And for that, he owed Alice a massive favor. If she hadn't awakened that ability, he wouldn't be standing here right now.
But that realization led to a deeper, more unsettling thought—how much of all this had truly been coincidence? Was it all fate, predetermined and inescapable?
"I didn't keep track of the time," Daniel answered vaguely, "but it was definitely far."
Frost Star observed him silently for a moment, then spoke again.
"You're an interesting little creature. You're the first non-stellar I've ever spoken to."
There was no hostility in its voice—just curiosity, and a quiet warmth.
"If you really want to meet with Dark Star Jarvan, it's not that difficult," Frost Star offered. "Help me break free from the restrictions that bind my existence—release me from the laws that dictate my motion. If you do that, I can take you to him."
"Ten minutes. That's all I need. In ten minutes, I'll have you standing in front of him."
"But let me be clear—this doesn't mean we're allies. I'm merely your transport. Whatever discussion you have with Dark Star Jarvan afterward is none of my concern."
Daniel gave a small nod, accepting the terms.
"Alright. Tell me how I can help you."
Chapter237-Rome and Cattle
With a few simple instructions from Frost Star,
Daniel finally understood how he could break free from the chains of the stellar laws that had been restraining Frost Star.
The method was deceptively simple: all Daniel had to do was eliminate the few surrounding stellar entities around Frost Star. Once they were removed, Frost Star would temporarily regain a certain degree of freedom to act.
However, despite the apparent simplicity of the plan, Daniel could only respond with a helpless smile.
It seemed that breaking the laws of the universe was never an easy task. What's more, Frost Star had made it very clear—he couldn't lift a finger to help.
Nevertheless, Daniel still agreed to the cooperation.
After all, what was most important to him right now was still the goal he had set from the start: meeting Dark Star Jarvan.
Once the cooperation was sealed between the two parties, Daniel's body flickered and he teleported next to one of the nearby stellar entities.
Almost at the exact same time, he activated the dagger of the God of Thieves and summoned all of his clones.
...
Simultaneously, Daniel performed a location switch with one of his clones.
Now, the task of besieging the stellar entity was entirely handed over to his army of avatars, while his true body had already returned to the abyssal zone.
Strictly speaking, the abyss didn't exist in the current timeline yet.
The true emergence of the abyss would not happen until 1,000 years later, during the Second Millennium Apocalypse.
It was during that cataclysm that this entire region was engulfed by the abyss.
So then—where exactly was Revelation?
Daniel's real body fell into deep thought. But then, a spark of insight lit up in his mind, and his eyes instantly brightened.
He had traveled all the way to the Primordial Plane but still hadn't found any trace of Revelation.
Could it be that his entire line of reasoning from the beginning had been flawed?
Perhaps Revelation wasn't hidden in some deep, mysterious realm.
What if it had been inside the underground labyrinth all along?
This sudden idea got Daniel excited.
With the growth of his power, it had been a long time since he last visited the labyrinth.
But now that he thought about it, humanity was still relatively weak in this era. If Revelation could be found by humans during this time, that meant the location couldn't be excessively dangerous.
And the underground labyrinth was exactly the kind of place that was both accessible to humans and sufficiently secretive.
Looks like it's time to go back to his old profession.
With that thought, Daniel once again created two more clones.
One was tasked with scouring the labyrinth at high speed in search of Revelation's whereabouts.
The other clone, on the other hand, flew toward the Oden Continent.
In the original timeline, 4,000 years in the future, Daniel had been unable to break through a certain barrier due to the existence of the God of Flesh.
But since he was now 4,000 years in the past—and the God of Flesh had yet to be born—he had an opportunity.
Thus, Daniel ordered his clone to fully uncover and map out the entirety of the Oden Continent.
As the clone arrived over the continent, Daniel started sensing some very curious things.
There were races here that he had never seen before—elemental lifeforms of all kinds, as well as massive, frenzied beasts.
One couldn't deny that, during the first Millennium Apocalypse, both major continents of this world were home to an incredible variety of species.
However, after several millennia of apocalypses, the total number of races remaining in the world had dwindled to merely 10,000.
And even that was a generous estimate. Many of those so-called "ten thousand races" were already on the verge of extinction. The only reason they hadn't disappeared completely was because some powerful Sovereigns were still holding the line.
But truthfully, their foundations were fragile. Annihilation was only a matter of time.
Even so, it didn't take Daniel long to form a judgment.
It seemed that the first of the Millennium Apocalypses wasn't as "mild" as it might have seemed at first glance.
On the contrary—it must have been terrifyingly destructive.
Otherwise, why would so many races have vanished from the world?
And in the future, even the entire Oden Continent would become nothing more than nourishment for the God of Flesh.
Just then, Daniel sensed something unusual.
He immediately swapped places with the clone inside the underground labyrinth.
[Meteor Arrow Rain]!
A deluge of light arrows poured down from the skies, blanketing the entire subterranean space in the blink of an eye.
At this point in time, the labyrinth wasn't nearly as difficult as it would become in later eras. The strongest boss that appeared here was only around World Rank level. Against Daniel's current strength, these creatures were practically nothing.
Feathers of light fell from the sky, and countless monsters were instantly struck down where they stood.
Even the so-called gatekeeper monster was effortlessly dealt with by Daniel.
But just when Daniel was expecting that monster to drop Revelation as loot—
To his surprise, a portal appeared where the creature had died.
And beyond the portal was yet another underground labyrinth.
...So we're doing nesting dolls now?
Daniel's mouth twitched slightly.
Without hesitation, he stepped into the next layer of the labyrinth.
But the instant he entered, he was bombarded with a blinding white light.
The radiance was so intense that he instinctively shut his eyes.
Had it not been for his considerable strength, just that beam alone would have been enough to blind him.
At the same time, Daniel summoned the Holy Codex—the one gifted to him by the Grand Archbishop.
Of course, the Archbishop had been very eager to give it away... so eager, in fact, that he fainted on the spot.
Ahem.
Flipping through the Codex, Daniel quickly confirmed his suspicions.
At this point in time, the beings known as "gods" had not yet fully ascended to true godhood—they were still at the Demigod Rank.
But what exactly was the difference between a Demigod and a God?
Daniel didn't really know.
Still, he had a vague intuition: it might be related to the concept of domains or divine territory.
Of course, Daniel was still far from godhood himself. At best, he could only make guesses.
With his current strength, let alone being a Demigod—he hadn't even touched the threshold of demigod rank yet.
Even so, what he read in the Holy Codex made him frown unconsciously.
According to the records, in order to obtain Revelation... he had to defeat Apollo.
Only now did Daniel finally understand what this second labyrinth was.
He immediately summoned another clone and sent it in ahead while activating his Eye of Insight to examine the source of the blinding light.
[Sun God Apollo]
Initial Level: 800
Current Status: Dormant
Description: Every 12 hours, he returns to the Primordial Plane to sleep. One of the most powerful stellar entities in existence.
Faith: Light, Gold, and Silver
...
Seeing this, Daniel instantly understood who the final boss of the second labyrinth was.
Although Apollo hadn't yet become a god, just the fact that his base level was 800 made him outrageously powerful.
Daniel thought about his own situation—he had been grinding day and night for two full days, and had only just reached level 100.
And here was Apollo, lounging around at level 800 from the start?
It was like they were born in two completely different worlds.
As the saying goes: some people are born in Rome. Others are born to serve as cattle.
This difference... was simply absurd.
Chapter238-The Distance of a Light-Year
Due to the fact that Apollo was still in slumber, he hadn't launched an attack on Daniel yet.
But even though there was still a vast distance between the two, Daniel could already feel waves of searing heat washing over him.
And just within a few seconds, his HP was completely depleted. It was only thanks to [Dance of Death] that this clone hadn't instantly perished.
Almost at the same time, Daniel summoned all of his [Spirit of Skills].
He was now fully prepared to make a move against Apollo.
And his plan was simple—his only option, really—he would use [Mind Hunt] to completely corrupt Apollo.
As long as the target was below godhood, mental corruption would still take effect.
However, there was a prerequisite for using [Mind Hunt]: Daniel had to land a slash on the target's physical body with his dagger.
The biggest problem now was that just being in proximity to Apollo, even at such a distance, was already burning him.
So how could he possibly get close enough?
After a brief moment of thought, Daniel retracted his [Spirit of Skills].
"If what Dark Star Jarvan said is true, then no matter what, I should be able to obtain the Revelation."
"But I still feel that fatalism is a bit unreliable... What, am I supposed to just sit here and do nothing, and the Revelation will magically appear in my hands?"
Daniel looked toward the distant Apollo. Right now, the only method he had that could possibly reach the opponent was [Mind Hunt].
Yet even so, Daniel wasn't confident that Apollo would just hand over the Revelation willingly.
After a brief deliberation, Daniel decided to attempt communication with Apollo.
The blazing flames continued to roast his entire body.
But before awakening Apollo, should he reveal his true form?
After a moment of consideration, Daniel used the [Gift of the Veiled Goddess] and transformed himself into the appearance of Pipon. At the same time, he began to recite the contents of the holy scriptures.
"Oh great Lady Aurelia, I offer my prayers to You..."
As Daniel's voice echoed in the void, the temperature radiating from the sun—Apollo—increased even further.
The reason Daniel chose this method to awaken Apollo wasn't on a whim. It was based on real records.
According to the Artists' writings, the holy scriptures could not only guide believers but also awaken followers of the gods.
That's why Daniel decided to try this approach.
Of course, if this method failed, he had no problem resorting to [Mind Hunt] to forcibly awaken Apollo.
This was just a test—if it didn't work, he'd try something else.
And sure enough, as Daniel continued his prayer, Apollo slowly began to awaken from his slumber.
"Is it already daytime? Aurelia?"
Apollo's consciousness was immense and terrifying, radiating heat that could incinerate entire worlds.
To be honest, this was Daniel's first time facing the sun directly.
As some of the surrounding mists dissipated, Apollo finally perceived Daniel's presence.
"You are not Aurelia!"
As those words fell, a blazing light erupted from Apollo's body.
In the blink of an eye, a scorching white beam enveloped Daniel.
Yet Daniel remained unmoved. He was currently in the [Dance of Death] state. As long as the opponent wasn't a true god, it posed no danger to him.
"I am indeed not Lady Aurelia. But Her Grace has sent me to retrieve the Revelation."
Apollo withdrew the intense light and began probing Daniel's condition using mind power.
After a brief examination, Apollo's will returned to calm.
"Please forgive my rudeness. For someone to reach this place... it must mean you are the most devout follower of Lady Aurelia."
"I believe... there is no need to verify your identity."
From Apollo's perspective, only the most faithful believer could hold the scriptures and stand before him.
As for whether the scripture could be stolen? That possibility was practically nonexistent.
Even if it was stolen, it wouldn't matter, because only the most devout could activate its true power.
Temporary conversions wouldn't cut it.
This was why Apollo let down his guard toward Daniel.
After all, even someone as powerful as Apollo had never imagined that someone could perfectly disguise themselves as Pipon—
Or rather, this wasn't even a disguise. Daniel had outright cloned the real Pipon.
Even if Lady Aurelia descended in person, she wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
That was why Apollo's attitude toward Daniel suddenly became reverent.
"Her Grace sent me to collect the Revelation," Daniel said.
"This is the key step for her ascension to godhood."
Upon hearing that, a flicker of hesitation flashed through Apollo's divine mind.
"Lady Aurelia... is truly going to ascend to godhood?"
"I understand. You are indeed Her most faithful servant."
"But the Revelation is of great significance. I must verify your identity."
Hearing Apollo raise the matter of verification again, Daniel frowned slightly.
"This is a crucial moment in Her Grace's ascension. I do not wish to waste time on you."
"If Her ascension fails because of your delay, will you take responsibility for that?"
Daniel's voice was commanding, exuding the kind of authority that didn't see Apollo as an equal at all.
Upon witnessing this, Apollo immediately stopped hesitating.
"In that case... I shall entrust you with the Revelation."
"Truth be told, the Revelation holds no power on its own. It only works when in the hands of Lady Aurelia and her kin."
"Moreover, Her Grace once told me that if someone came to awaken me, I was to hand over the Revelation. It seems that person... is you."
Hearing Apollo's words, Daniel was utterly dumbfounded.
He had initially thought it would be extremely difficult to fool Apollo—he'd even been prepared to use [Time Stream] to attempt countless times until he gained his trust.
Yet to his surprise, just one exchange was all it took for Apollo to trust him completely.
This was going a little too smoothly, wasn't it?
For a moment, Daniel even started to suspect that there might be a hidden trap somewhere in all this...
Meanwhile, back on the Primordial Plane,
Daniel's clone was traveling toward a stellar body near the Frost Star.
Although Frost Star had said the distance was quite close, from Daniel's perspective, this "close" was still incredibly far.
For the first time, Daniel truly felt that his speed wasn't enough.
After all, the distances he now needed to cross were no longer limited to a planet's surface—
But the space between stars!
Daniel vaguely remembered a unit from his original world—something called a light-year.
One light-year was equal to nine trillion kilometers.
Daniel had a growing feeling...
That sooner or later, he'd have to deal with distances measured in light-years.
Chapter239-The Mad Stellar
After several minutes had passed, Daniel finally arrived near one of the stellars.
This stellar was relatively close to Frost Star, so it didn't take Daniel long to reach it. However, just as he was preparing to strike, a violent surge of mind power suddenly erupted from within the Primordial Plane.
With a deafening boom, all of the stellars abruptly ceased their movement!
In that instant, countless stellars began communicating with one another in alarm.
"That's Apollo's aura. Why has he awakened during the night?"
"Could it be that daylight is about to begin?"
Elsewhere, the frost giants also began to panic.
"If Apollo returns to the Primordial Plane now, we'll all be burned to ashes!"
As chaos spread among the stellars, Daniel saw an opening and didn't hesitate.
In the blink of an eye, he summoned all his Spirits of Skills.
[Mind Hunt]!
Within just a few seconds, hundreds—if not thousands—of wounds had appeared on the surface of the stellar in front of him. Its sanity value (san) was dropping at an alarming rate.
Daniel had considered using conventional skills against this stellar. However, this creature was level 300 and possessed absurdly powerful attributes. If he were to use normal skills, it would be like scratching an iron wall with fingernails—utterly ineffective.
Putting aside the concept of rule-based power, this stellar could easily be categorized as a Fake God-tier monster.
Unfortunately for it, stellars lacked the ability to control laws of reality. That was the key difference.
And so Daniel gave up on "scratching" and went straight for the mental core—using Mind Hunt.
All he needed was to inflict ten thousand wounds with his dagger.
Once that threshold was reached, the stellar would plunge into utter madness.
At that moment, the targeted stellar began to realize that something was wrong—especially when a Contamination debuff appeared on its body.
It was utterly baffled. Why... Why am I suddenly being corrupted?
Frantically, the stellar unleashed its powerful mind power to search its surroundings. It didn't take long for it to detect Daniel's presence, who was still in the midst of launching his fierce assault.
"A human?!"
[Sanity Value Decreased: 16%]
???
Sensing something terribly wrong with its condition, the stellar launched a counterattack in an instant.
A massive surge of oppressive force and fear-based skills rained down upon Daniel.
But due to the blessing of Soul Defense, these skills were completely ineffective against him.
Daniel didn't slow down for even a moment—his assault continued without pause.
Suddenly, on the surface of the stellar's body, a sharp and gleaming longsword began to condense.
Its tip pointed directly at Daniel.
"Human, you're courting death!"
[Judgment Sword]!
Daniel didn't hesitate. In an instant, he used Flashback to dodge the attack.
And the moment he avoided the strike, he used Flashback again to return to his original position—resuming his relentless offensive.
The stellar's sanity was dropping at a pace that made one wince.
At this point, the stellar began to panic.
"Human, what are you trying to do?"
"Do you understand the terrifying consequences of attacking me?"
But Daniel's response was utterly emotionless.
"I'm just borrowing your life for a bit. Don't be so stingy, alright?"
...
With Daniel's unrelenting attacks, the stellar's san value had now dropped by over 40%!
"Human, be honest—did Frost Star send you?"
"I knew that guy was always scheming something. He must've made some kind of deal with you!"
"Can't you stop for a moment? Whatever conditions he offered you, I can match them!"
Now, the stellar was in full-blown panic. It even began trying to negotiate with Daniel.
In the Primordial Plane, although the stellars were all born here, their relationships were far from harmonious.
They existed in constant competition with one another. If one stellar wished to gain true freedom, it would have to kill the other stellars related to it.
That's why this stellar immediately guessed that Frost Star had collaborated with Daniel.
However, Daniel didn't respond to any of its pleas. He simply maintained the rhythm of his attack.
Compared to the nimble Daniel with his Flashback, this stellar was like a punching bag—completely unable to fight back.
Moreover, due to the limitations of the rules of this plane, the stellar couldn't even move its massive body easily.
At this moment, it was consumed by despair.
It knew very well—its fall was only a matter of time.
It couldn't even cry for help.
The other stellars nearby? Every single one of them looked on with predatory eyes.
Besides, even if they wanted to help, the movement restrictions kept them from interfering.
[Sanity Value Decreased: 60%]
[You have been inflicted with Minor Contamination. Your movement has become erratic.]
[Sanity Value Decreased: 80%]
[You have been inflicted with Moderate Contamination. Random confusion effects may occur.]
[Sanity Value Decreased: 90%]
[You have been inflicted with Severe Contamination. You are becoming deranged.]
[Sanity Value Decreased: 95%]
[You are now in a state of high confusion.]
[Sanity Value Decreased: 100%]
[Your mind has been erased. Only madness remains.]
...
After an intense flurry of attacks, Daniel finally succeeded in killing his first stellar.
Strictly speaking, this was also the first creature ever killed using Mind Hunt.
The stellar before him had fully succumbed to madness.
Just then, a burst of mind power came from Frost Star, delivering a message directly to Daniel:
"Human, you're amazing! I knew you could do it! I wasn't wrong about you!"
"There's still one more. If you take it down too, I'll take you to meet Jarvan immediately!"
Frost Star could feel the restrictions upon itself growing weaker.
But it still wasn't enough.
Upon receiving the message, Daniel didn't respond.
He simply activated Flashback again and arrived in front of another stellar.
But this time, something felt off.
Daniel could sense a powerful presence rapidly approaching.
His instincts immediately told him to evade.
And just then, the previously maddened stellar appeared out of nowhere!
However, this time, its target wasn't Daniel—it was the stellar in front of him.
The method of movement used by these stellars was unlike anything Daniel had seen.
Despite being located in opposite directions, the maddened stellar had somehow teleported across the plane and appeared here in the blink of an eye.
Its hostile intent was locked firmly onto its fellow stellar.
Meanwhile, the rational stellar let out a furious roar:
"Damn it! What the hell are you doing?!"
Chapter240-Warp Travel?
This was the first time in Daniel's life that he had ever witnessed a battle between stellars.
Not long after, the frenzied stellar he had observed earlier clashed violently with another stellar, fighting with complete abandon. The sight was jaw-dropping. They tore into each other with unimaginable ferocity, throwing their massive bodies against one another with reckless disregard for self-preservation.
Seeing this, Daniel became deeply aware of just how terrifying his skill [Mind Hunt] truly was.
What made it even more alarming was the fact that even though the stellar's mind had been ravaged and broken, it didn't die. Instead, it descended into a state of unrelenting madness, unleashing devastation on everything around it.
If [Mind Hunt] was used carelessly, it could cause consequences far worse than anticipated—perhaps even catastrophic.
This prompted Daniel to think about another possibility: what if he used [Mind Hunt] to destroy Apollo's mind power and plunged him into complete insanity?
Would that mean Apollo would launch indiscriminate attacks, mindlessly destroying everything in sight until either all was reduced to ruin or he himself was annihilated?
That would be a disaster—not just for Daniel, but for the entire world.
As he considered this, Daniel's gaze shifted back to [Mind Hunt], and his expression grew increasingly serious.
Clearly, [Mind Hunt] was not a skill to be used lightly. Especially not against powerful beings—he would need to exercise extreme caution. If a single misstep led to the loss of control and a catastrophe ensued, it would be a grave mistake, one that might outweigh any potential gain.
Even as this warning echoed in his mind, Daniel wasn't overly worried. After all, if things truly spiraled out of control, he still had the God Rank Skill [Time Stream], which would allow him to return to the past and undo the damage.
While these thoughts occupied him, the battle between the two stellars intensified. Their massive bodies smashed into each other, cracking, crumbling, and shattering under the pressure of their attacks. In less than ten minutes, both of them were already close to exposing their star cores.
The very sky trembled.
Meanwhile, Frost Star—hovering nearby—was visibly more relaxed. Daniel could feel it through the change in the stellar's aura.
"Human friend," Frost Star's voice echoed in his mind, "I can feel it now... freedom is within reach. This is our moment to leave."
"Though I'm not sure what happened exactly, it seems Apollo has awakened, and not in a stable state. Your arrival is perfectly timed."
"I will take you to Dark Star Jarvan now. Even if Apollo is fully conscious again, Jarvan will remain unaffected by his influence."
Daniel nodded, glancing back one last time at the two colossal stellars still locked in combat.
The sight was unlike anything he had ever seen. The sheer intensity of it burned itself into his memory. He couldn't help but feel a deep sense of awe.
What a sight... The battle between stellars was nothing short of magnificent and terrifying.
As this thought passed, Daniel activated [Flashback], instantly teleporting to Frost Star's side.
He landed atop the massive stellar and was again struck by how enormous Frost Star really was. Standing on its surface felt like standing on a planet—it even had vast oceans covering parts of its body, much like Earth.
Daniel glanced down. The waves shimmered faintly beneath a starlit glow.
Frost Star, for its part, glanced back at the still-fighting stellars with a flicker of unease, then turned toward Daniel once again. This time, both its tone and gaze were much more respectful.
"My friend," Frost Star said, "Are you ready? Then let us depart!"
No sooner had the words fallen than Frost Star surged forward with a sudden acceleration.
The powerful force of propulsion made Daniel stagger slightly, barely managing to keep his footing. He had to brace himself as the entire space around them seemed to ripple.
Ahead of them, the very fabric of space began to collapse inward.
Frost Star's massive frame distorted and twisted—space around them bent like a tunnel, warping unnaturally. Within moments, they were traveling through a spiral of collapsed dimensions.
Daniel's eyes widened in disbelief.
"This... this is spatial curvature acceleration," he muttered. "It's just like those sci-fi movies I used to watch..."
So this kind of travel was real. Not just theoretical—it could actually be achieved!
Finally, Daniel understood why Frost Star, despite its massive body, had confidently claimed he could reach Dark Star Jarvan quickly.
It all made sense now.
Meanwhile, deep within the labyrinth, Daniel had just retrieved the Revelation from Apollo.
As soon as it touched his palm, Daniel felt a strange sense of unreality—almost as though this were all a dream.
Is this it? he wondered. This Revelation that's supposed to be so important?
Wasn't it said to be extraordinarily difficult to obtain?
Yet he had it now, and it hadn't even been that hard.
...
After Apollo left the underground labyrinth, Daniel restored his original appearance. He was preparing to investigate the labyrinth more thoroughly—there might still be clues or hidden secrets left behind.
But just as he returned to the center chamber, a golden and silver glow shimmered into view.
A powerful figure suddenly materialized in front of him—a being with resplendent wings and glowing eyes.
An Angel of Gold and Silver.
[Soros]
Race: Angel
Level: 300
Faith: Goddess of Gold & Silver, Aurelia
Description: An enforcer among the Angels of Gold and Silver, Soros possesses supreme authority and unwavering loyalty to the missions assigned by Goddess Aurelia.
Soros stared at Daniel with a confused expression.
"A human? Why are you here?"
Daniel, momentarily stunned, was at a complete loss for words. He hadn't expected to encounter an angel so soon—certainly not in such a sudden manner.
Then, a thought struck him.
Without hesitation, he activated [Time Stream], rewinding time by one second.
In that split moment, Daniel also used [Gift of the Veiled Goddess], altering some of his identifying information. He transformed himself into an ordinary, unremarkable human awakener.
Now disguised, he re-entered the labyrinth.
This time, when Soros asked, "Human, why are you here?" Daniel was ready.
He smiled gently and responded with respectful sincerity, "I am a devout follower of the great Goddess of Gold & Silver, Aurelia. After reading the sacred scriptures, I was moved to come here to pay homage to my divine Lady."
"Unfortunately, the guardians of this place were far too powerful. I am no match for them..."
As he spoke, Daniel adopted a suitably frustrated expression, giving the impression of a humble, well-meaning pilgrim.
Then he lifted his gaze, pretending to take notice of Soros for the first time. His eyes widened in feigned surprise.
"Honorable one! You are so radiant and holy... Could it be... are you one of the legendary Angels of Gold and Silver? A divine envoy of Her Grace, Aurelia?"
"It must be so! Surely your presence here means that the great Aurelia has entrusted you with a sacred task—one of immense significance!"
Daniel's flattery worked like a charm.
Soros's face softened into a pleased expression. It felt good to be praised—especially by a seemingly harmless mortal.
The angel's eyes glowed faintly with pride as he responded, "So, you are a follower of Her Grace Aurelia."
"You're right. I have indeed been sent here under Her divine orders."
"Aurelia is on the verge of ascending—soon, She will become a true god. I've come here to retrieve an item of immense importance."
"Once I obtain the Revelation, I will be able to help our Lady step into the divine realm itself. After that, She will reign as a true god, with dominion over Her own divine domain!"
Soros's voice trembled with excitement. The thought of helping his Goddess achieve full godhood filled him with pride.
Despite being a high-ranking angel, he reached out in a friendly gesture and patted Daniel's shoulder.
Even though humans were among the lowest of races, Soros was in a good mood and thus treated Daniel with a rare cordiality.