Chapter241-Collaboration
In Soros's eyes, the human standing before him posed no threat whatsoever.
At this stage of history, the gap between humanity and the Angels of Gold and Silver was an unbridgeable chasm. It was simply not something that could be overcome through willpower or cleverness.
So in Soros's mind, Daniel was nothing more than a tiny crawling insect—utterly insignificant.
"All right, I have more important matters to attend to. You should head back now," Soros said, his tone devoid of concern or interest. With that, he turned and walked deeper into the sanctum, no longer paying Daniel any attention.
As the angel's figure disappeared into the distance, Daniel stared after him with a rather peculiar expression on his face.
He hadn't expected this turn of events at all.
So Aurelia really had made arrangements in advance. And that "Revelation"—the divine item that symbolized a god's blessing—had originally been intended for this man, Soros.
The corners of Daniel's mouth twitched slightly.
It seemed that he'd gotten unexpectedly lucky. No wonder the sun deity Apollo hadn't suspected anything. Soros had simply arrived too late.
By the time Soros made his entrance, the Revelation had already fallen into Daniel's hands.
Daniel knew very well that once Soros reached the deeper chamber, he would quickly realize that the Revelation had gone to the wrong person.
That meant Daniel's deception was about to be exposed.
He began seriously considering whether he should use [Time Stream] to travel back in time and alter the current timeline. But before he could make a decision, his mind power suddenly picked up a new presence entering his range of perception.
A new entity had arrived.
Daniel instinctively turned his gaze toward the source of the disturbance. There, emerging from the rippling space, was a young girl dressed in a flowing violet gown.
Judging by the subtle distortions in space around her, she clearly possessed some degree of spatial power.
The moment she appeared, Daniel immediately activated [Eye of Insight].
[Kate]
[Level: 500]
[Rank: Demigod]
[Identity: First Devotee of the Luck Goddess]
Daniel blinked in surprise.
This was the first time—apart from encounters with stellar-class beings—that he had ever seen someone surpass the level cap of 300.
"Hello," Kate greeted him warmly, her voice soft and cheerful.
Faced with such open friendliness, Daniel smiled and nodded in return. "Hello."
Kate tilted her head slightly, her clear eyes gleaming as she blinked innocently.
"I'd like to work with you," she said. "Would that be all right?"
Daniel was momentarily taken aback. They had only just met, and this stranger already wanted to collaborate?
He quickly reminded himself: at the moment, he was still under the Veiled Goddess's disguise. To the outside world, he was merely a low-level human awakener with no noteworthy abilities—just 100 levels and completely average talents.
So why would someone like her, a powerful demigod, seek out a nobody like him?
"I'm just an ordinary person," he replied cautiously. "Why would you want to cooperate with me?"
"You may not believe this," Kate said with a smile, "but it's a matter of intuition."
"As a devotee of the Luck Goddess, I've always followed her will and trusted my instincts. And right now, my intuition is telling me that cooperating with you is the right thing to do."
"Besides, I can sense that you possess something I've been searching for."
She gently placed her hand on her chest, then formally introduced herself.
"My name is Kate. I'm the First Devotee of the Luck Goddess. I came here on a mission to find Soros. According to my goddess, I was supposed to eliminate him and seize the Revelation he carries."
"But just as I arrived, I felt a sudden shift. It's as if my mission has already been completed."
Daniel made a show of furrowing his brows in confusion.
"Why would you feel that way?"
Kate merely chuckled, her voice like the tinkling of silver bells.
"I've already told you—it's just a feeling. My instinct."
"Right now, I believe that the Luck Goddess's mission no longer matters. So I've decided to abandon it."
Wait, what?
Was that really how things worked with the Luck Goddess's devotees?
Could they just give up on their divine missions whenever they pleased?
Wasn't that... a little too arbitrary?
Yet deep down, Daniel had to admit—this Kate's instincts were frighteningly accurate. Revelation truly was in his possession.
Despite the calm smile he wore on his face, Daniel's mind was already on high alert.
He was fully prepared to either initiate combat or flee at a moment's notice.
But even then, Kate still managed to sense the tension in his demeanor.
"You don't need to worry," she said gently. "I really do want to work with you. I have no intention of taking Revelation from your hands."
"Honestly, having Revelation in your possession might actually be the best outcome."
"Of course," she added playfully, "that's also just my intuition talking."
Daniel used [Eye of Insight] again. Everything she was saying was the truth.
After a brief silence, he had to admit—devotees of the Luck Goddess were indeed a strange breed.
Their actions seemed to follow no logic or plan—only their gut feelings.
"So, tell me," Daniel said. "What kind of collaboration are you proposing? I don't think it'll be long before Soros returns."
Kate nodded but didn't seem concerned in the slightest.
"My intuition tells me that you can assist my goddess in completing her ascension ritual. Once the ritual is complete, the Luck Goddess will become a true god."
Daniel pressed his fingers to his forehead and rubbed his temples.
"You're certain that your goddess's ritual requires the help of an outsider like me?"
"Absolutely," Kate said with firm conviction. "I'm very sure. And in exchange for your assistance, the Luck Goddess will offer protection to humanity for at least 3,000 years."
"You stole Revelation and disrupted Aurelia's ascension. I can guarantee that Aurelia will now hold a grudge against humanity."
"Soros and the other Angels of Gold and Silver—as well as Aurelia's devotees—are very likely to retaliate against your people."
"So from where I stand, this collaboration is in your best interest. If you help us with the ascension ritual, the Luck Goddess will intervene and shelter humanity from the coming storm."
"I see."
Daniel gave a small nod. He had to admit—she made a good point.
At present, humanity truly lacked the strength to withstand a full-scale reprisal from Aurelia's forces.
Their only hope might lie in aligning with another divine faction.
After a brief period of contemplation, Daniel looked back at her and asked, "What exactly do you want from me? I should tell you—I don't have much time to spare."
"You don't need to do anything," Kate replied cheerfully. "There should already be a special item on your person—something that belongs to the Luck Goddess."
"That's what I believe, based on my instincts."
An item from the Luck Goddess?
Suddenly, a memory flashed through Daniel's mind.
Charles had once given him a gold coin—an artifact of the Luck Goddess.
It could negate a single death, but after using it, the bearer would automatically become the First Devotee of the Luck Goddess.
Daniel had received the coin during his investigation of the City of the Artists, back when he had taken on Charles's commission.
It had even proven useful during the opening of the Primordial Core Weapon's vault.
However, he had activated [Time Stream] at the last moment, thereby sidestepping death—and avoiding becoming the goddess's devotee.
Ever since then, the gold coin had simply sat in his inventory, gathering dust.
Chapter242-Descent of the Devotees
"Is this what you're looking for?"
Daniel reached into his backpack space and retrieved the gold coin once more, handing it over to Kate.
The moment Kate saw the coin, her expression lit up with uncontainable excitement.
"Yes! That's exactly it! I knew my intuition wouldn't fail me!"
"Now, in the name of the Luck Goddess, I'm willing to form a contract with you..."
In the next instant, countless runes of divine origin appeared before Daniel.
[Demigod Rank Contract]
"You only need to hand me this gold coin, and the contract will be established," Kate explained. "In return, the Luck Goddess will protect humanity for 3,000 years."
However, Daniel didn't immediately agree.
He twirled the coin between his fingers, falling into thoughtful silence.
After a moment, he finally spoke.
"I'd like the Luck Goddess to extend her protection to 4,000 years, not just 3,000."
"Do you think that's too much to ask?"
Kate was momentarily stunned.
He was... negotiating?
Negotiating a divine contract?
This was supposed to be a pact with a god—since when did mortals get to bargain?
She suddenly felt like she was being taken advantage of.
But her gaze involuntarily drifted back to the gold coin in Daniel's hand.
That coin was far too important.
Her intuition screamed at her—this gold coin played a crucial role in the Luck Goddess's ascension ritual.
What her intuition hadn't told her, though, was that Daniel would try to haggle over terms.
"My human friend," she said cautiously, "I advise you to think carefully. Without the Luck Goddess's protection, your people will never survive the coming Apocalypse."
To this veiled threat, Daniel responded with utter composure.
"Don't worry. Humanity will not perish."
Kate frowned. She genuinely couldn't understand where this confidence was coming from.
"Why are you so sure?" she asked. "Your race is so weak that Aurelia doesn't even need to lift a finger. Soros alone could wipe you all out with a flick of his hand."
Daniel just smiled faintly.
"That's also a matter of intuition. My instinct tells me that humanity won't be destroyed."
His voice was calm, but inwardly he was sneering.
What a joke.
He was someone who had traveled back from the future. If anyone knew whether humanity survived or not, it was him.
Just as Kate was about to continue persuading him, her expression suddenly froze.
A divine command echoed in her mind.
"Agree to his terms."
It was the Luck Goddess herself.
Kate immediately straightened, her demeanor shifting entirely.
She turned to the empty air beside her and bowed reverently.
"I submit to your will, great Goddess."
Then she faced Daniel, her expression solemn.
"According to your request, the Luck Goddess has agreed."
Daniel nodded lightly.
Before him, the divine contract changed. The protection duration shifted from 3,000 years to 4,000 years.
This time, Daniel had nothing more to add.
Based on historical calculations, today was May 31st, Year 1004.
That meant he had just secured an additional four years of breathing room.
And within four years, Daniel was confident that his strength would rival that of the gods themselves.
After all, it had only been two and a half days since he underwent the Awakening Ceremony.
By the time those four years were up, he might no longer need the Luck Goddess's assistance at all.
"Contract established."
Daniel said the words, then tossed the gold coin into Kate's waiting hands.
"I'm leaving the protection of humanity in your hands now."
"You can count on us!" Kate replied, full of sincerity.
She was about to say more when suddenly—
A thunderous roar erupted from behind them.
"You damned human!!"
A blur of golden fire streaked toward Daniel.
Soros had returned, now completely consumed by fury.
His entire body blazed with terrifying golden flames. Within a blink, Daniel was engulfed by the fire.
The enraged Soros wanted to make him pay in full for his deception.
Not just destroy his body, but annihilate his soul as well.
But just as the flames closed in, a silver barrier shimmered into existence, isolating Daniel from the attack.
He was completely unharmed.
On the other side of the barrier, Kate smiled beautifully.
"Leave this to me now," she said gently. "You should be able to leave safely."
However, Daniel didn't make a move to leave. Instead, he asked,
"Are you sure you don't need my help?"
"I'm fairly certain I don't," Kate replied. "But if you're willing to help, all the better."
"My intuition tells me... you're not the kind of man who dies easily."
As she finished speaking, the sky split apart with another flash of divine golden light.
A new figure descended from the heavens, radiating immense power.
[Archangel Michael]
[Level: 500]
[Rank: Demigod]
[Faith: Goddess of Gold & Silver Aurelia]
[Position: Aurelia's First Devotee]
Daniel was stunned.
Even Aurelia's First Devotee had descended?
And that wasn't the end of it.
Countless streaks of golden light rained from the heavens.
The Second Devotee, the Third Devotee... one after another, they arrived.
Aurelia had dispatched nearly all her devotees.
They completely surrounded Daniel in a golden siege.
Despite this overwhelming scene, Daniel remained calm and unbothered.
"To send so many after me... Aurelia must really think highly of me."
Beside him, Kate remained composed as well.
The Angels of Gold and Silver that had arrived were mostly above level 300.
In comparison, someone like Soros—merely level 300—was a small fry among them.
The First Devotee of a god essentially represented their highest combat capability.
Kate narrowed her eyes slightly, preparing for battle.
"Do you need to escape?" she asked quietly.
"Heh."
Just then, a spatial ripple formed in the void.
A portal opened, and out stepped a yawning cat-girl.
"If there's gonna be a fight, this kitty's not missing out!"
[Luck Goddess's Third Devotee — Mira]
At the same time, a brilliant meteor streaked across the sky and crashed nearby.
From the crater rose a massive stone giant.
[Luck Goddess's Second Devotee — Comet]
"Ouch... I think I bumped my head. Where the heck did I land?"
"Kate, what's going on? Why are so many angels trying to mess with you?"
"Come on, confess—you didn't flirt with the Goddess of Gold & Silver Aurelia, did you?"
Chapter243-Battle of the Devotees
"You damned bastard! How dare you insult a god?!"
With a furious roar, a barrage of divine attacks rained down upon Comet.
Despite his towering frame, Comet's movements were surprisingly agile. He dodged the incoming attacks with ease, nimbly weaving through the storm of strikes.
"You winged freaks are as hot-tempered as ever," Comet grumbled, stretching his limbs as he moved. "You almost singed me, but luckily, I've always had good fortune."
High above, the Angels of Gold and Silver hovered in formation, their expressions grim. Something was wrong.
They couldn't figure out why every attack aimed at Comet veered slightly off course. None of the skills landed where they were supposed to.
What's more, even the damage they did manage to inflict was mysteriously reduced.
On the ground, Daniel observed everything quietly. With [Eye of Insight] activated, he quickly uncovered Comet's little secret:
[Blessing of the Luck Goddess (Passive Skill)]
[All incoming attacks have a high probability of deviation and reduced damage.]
"Tsk, you flying freaks really are quick to anger," Comet taunted. "What's wrong? Did Kate not only seduce Aurelia but also mess around with all of you too?"
"She's just a woman. You're all the same gender. Probably not your type, huh? Why don't you try me instead?"
Golden flames surged across the sky in response.
The Angels of Gold and Silver burned with rage. Though their faces remained composed, their eyes blazed with fury, on the verge of unleashing chaos.
And just as tensions reached their peak, the rest of the Luck Goddess's devotees arrived at the battlefield, each through their own unique means.
Unlike Aurelia's uniform army of Angels of Gold and Silver, the Luck Goddess's devotees were a diverse bunch, drawn from various races and civilizations.
Hovering at the front of Aurelia's forces, the leader of the Angels—the archangel Michael and First Devotee of the Goddess of Gold and Silver—fixed a cold glare on Kate.
"Kate," he said, voice low and icy. "Are you certain you want to protect this human?"
Kate responded with a dazzling smile.
"I'm not just protecting this one human," she replied cheerfully. "I'm protecting all of humanity."
Michael's expression darkened instantly. His tone grew dangerous.
"If that's your answer... then prepare for war."
No sooner had the words left his lips than battle erupted.
In a blinding instant, an apocalyptic clash unfolded between both sides.
Michael's first strike alone gouged a canyon into the surface below, splitting mountains and seas with a single slash of radiant golden energy.
"Impressive," someone remarked in awe. "As expected from Aurelia's First Devotee."
The voice was fleeting and familiar. Michael frowned.
He couldn't sense who had spoken—the speaker had cloaked themselves from detection.
Suddenly—
[Mind Hunt]
Dozens of daggers appeared out of thin air and plunged toward Michael.
As if Daniel could sit out a battle of this scale.
But just before the daggers struck, a golden barrier flared into being around Michael's body, deflecting every blade effortlessly.
The counterattack came in a flash—an arc of golden swordlight hurtled toward Daniel.
Yet at the crucial moment, a demon in a top hat stepped from the void, twirling a staff in his hand.
With a single strike, he knocked the divine attack away and deflected the golden energy.
But the demon didn't linger.
After just a few seconds of exchanging blows with Michael, he swiftly retreated and ducked behind Kate.
"Kate, boss, I'll leave that guy to you."
In the blink of an eye, the battlefield descended into chaos.
Devotees from both sides clashed in brutal combat.
There was no denying it—Aurelia's angels possessed superior raw power. In terms of sheer strength, the Luck Goddess's forces were outmatched.
But something odd kept happening.
Whenever the Luck Goddess's side was about to be overwhelmed, unexpected variables would shift the tide—attacks missing, spells fizzling, terrain collapsing in just the right way.
Time and again, fortune tilted the balance back in their favor.
After several such exchanges, Michael began to notice the pattern. His brows knit in frustration.
If this continued, the battle would never end.
The Luck Goddess's followers were just... too lucky.
Suddenly, a sultry voice tinged with amusement interrupted his thoughts.
"Worried about the situation?"
"You've forgotten something important—you're still in the middle of a fight!"
Kate's eyes twinkled as she spoke. She raised her hand and pressed it lightly against the outer surface of Michael's golden shield.
By the time Michael realized what was happening, it was already too late.
He had made a critical mistake.
A blunder that someone at his level should never have allowed.
"I guess I got lucky," Kate said sweetly. "You got distracted at just the right moment."
Her slender fingers clenched slightly—and cracks spiderwebbed across the golden barrier.
"So what if you break my shield?" Michael growled. "You think that's enough?"
His focus narrowed entirely on Kate, ready to fight her with his full strength.
But in that moment of concentration, dozens of ethereal daggers pierced into his body from every direction.
[Sanity Value -1%]
Michael's face changed instantly.
He had completely forgotten about Daniel.
His full attention had been locked on Kate, leaving him open to a perfectly timed strike.
This was the second time he'd made a mistake in a single battle—a situation unthinkable for someone of his caliber.
"I guess I'm pretty lucky too," Daniel said with a calm smile.
The golden shield around Michael reignited, but it was too late.
Daniel's goal had already been achieved.
As long as Michael had been struck by [Mind Hunt], the lingering contamination debuff would begin eroding his sanity.
——
Primordial Plane.
Daniel stood atop the surface of the Frost Star, looking mildly perplexed.
"Have you been accelerating this whole time?"
"Of course I have!" the Frost Star replied, voice tinged with panic. "Do you think I dare slow down?"
"I can feel it. Apollo—the Sun—is out for blood!"
"This is insane! Who pissed him off so badly that he's ignoring all the laws of the Primordial Plane just to come here?"
"If we don't move faster, we'll be ash before we even reach Dark Star Jarvan."
Daniel's eye twitched slightly at the frantic rant.
"Yeah," he muttered, "pissing off the Sun God Apollo... that was definitely unexpected."
"Unexpected?! That's all you have to say?!"
The Frost Star sounded utterly exasperated.
"Do you have any idea how close I was to death?!"
"Damn it, is Apollo insane?!"
Chapter244-Dark Star Jarvan
Listening to Frost Star's grumbling complaints, Daniel could only smile wryly. There was no way he could outright admit that he was the one who had provoked Apollo, the Sun God.
But just then, Daniel felt a familiar energy fluctuation.
In front of him, a massive black stellar body appeared in the void.
"My human friend, we've arrived," came the low, resonant voice.
"Now you can freely communicate with Jarvan. Don't worry—I won't interfere."
"If you need me to take you back later, just call for me."
With that, Frost Star's massive form disappeared into the distance, leaving Daniel alone with the legendary being.
"Jarvan, I've come to speak with you," Daniel said, sending out his mind power to initiate contact.
On the other side, the enormous Dark Star Jarvan momentarily paused when he sensed Daniel's presence.
In the next instant, Jarvan locked onto Daniel's position. Daniel, too, released a portion of the veiling fog that hid his true identity.
"A human?"
"So that's why Frost Star broke protocol and came into my domain."
"I suppose Apollo's wrath must be related to you, then?"
Faced with Jarvan's question, Daniel didn't hesitate to admit it.
"Yes. It was me."
He then relayed the rough sequence of events to Jarvan, including what had happened with the Revelation and the battle among the god devotees.
"I see," Jarvan rumbled, his massive body slowly rotating in space.
"So, what is it you're trying to tell me? I can sense you don't belong to this time."
Hearing this, Daniel remained expressionless.
"So you do know," he said calmly.
"In fact, it was you—your future self—who told me that you would one day have to battle the Sun and fall in that confrontation. This conflict is necessary if you are to ultimately take his place."
"You also told me that we would meet again in this era. And that if I needed to prove myself, I should say this name..."
...
Daniel shared everything he had come to say.
For a long moment, the Dark Star Jarvan said nothing, drifting in silent contemplation.
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, the war among god devotees had grown ever more intense.
The clash of divine powers shook the land itself. The sheer magnitude of their battle was enough to ravage continents.
The destruction they unleashed rivaled even the might of the Primordial Core Weapon.
Yet despite the chaos, it was clear that the Luck Goddess's devotees were doing their best to minimize the collateral damage caused by the Angels of Gold and Silver.
And as time passed, the strength of the angels began to wane.
Their kind could not remain in this world indefinitely. Their presence here was forced, a violation of the natural order.
If not for the fact that this matter involved Aurelia's ascension ritual—an event of immense importance—they would never have descended.
For every angelic arrival carried a cost.
Elsewhere, some of the Luck Goddess's devotees were leading humans into her Divine Temple, transforming it into a temporary sanctuary for humanity.
While Jarvan remained silent, the world was undergoing tremendous changes.
And then—it happened.
A blinding burst of light tore open space itself.
Apollo, the Sun God, descended into the Primordial Plane.
"...I understand now," Jarvan finally said. "I will believe you, human."
"But you must understand something in return. In order to fight Apollo, I will be violating the laws that govern the stellar order."
"As a consequence, the 4 trillion stellar bodies orbiting around me will be released from my control."
"This means that in the future, we will face a common enemy together."
"I believe these stellar entities may prove useful to you someday."
Having said that, Dark Star Jarvan sent out a vast pulse of mind power to the surrounding stellar bodies.
"All who orbit me," his voice boomed across the void, "you shall find your release today."
"Remember well—it is because of this human that you are being set free."
At Jarvan's declaration, countless stellar beings turned their attention to Daniel. In response, Daniel temporarily lifted the veil concealing his form.
"I have made a pact with this human," Jarvan continued. "He wishes for your freedom—so that you may be unbound from the restrictions of cosmic law."
"In exchange, I ask that you, in the distant future, come to the aid of humanity when they are in peril."
"As stellar beings, I know you long for freedom. But you must understand—freedom always comes at a cost."
Jarvan's mind power stirred a tidal wave of emotion.
The stellar entities had never imagined that one day they might attain true autonomy.
No matter the cost—they would gladly pay it.
"Lord Jarvan, I accept this pact!"
"I too will protect humanity in the future!"
"Freedom—grant me freedom, and I will give everything in return!"
...
Far away, in the timeline Daniel had come from, time continued to flow.
Though he had traveled to the past, the future did not stand still.
In fact, for every minute Daniel spent in the past, two minutes elapsed in the future.
By now, one hour had passed since his departure.
The sky grew ever brighter with golden light.
The supreme Divine Realm had broken through the world's barriers and was now fully manifesting.
From the heavens, the Angels of Gold and Silver looked down upon the realm below.
"It's been so many years... and finally, we descend once more."
"Glory to our great mistress, Aurelia! We have returned!"
"Look at the state of this world—pollution and filth everywhere. It's revolting!"
More and more angels poured from the Divine Realm.
At the same time, countless mortal creatures below turned their eyes toward the sky.
At this very moment, every living being wore a solemn expression.
They knew it in their hearts: the Thousand-Year Apocalypse... the true Apocalypse... had arrived.
In the capital, the Human Emperor slowly raised his head to gaze at the descending Divine Realm.
Its size was staggering—large enough to blanket the entire world.
"So... they've arrived at last," he murmured.
There was a deep sense of awe in his heart. But he also knew—this was the beginning of the final war.
Eight hours had passed since humanity's ascension attempt.
In that short span of time, three new awakeners had reached level 250.
Among them—shockingly—was Mejir.
The Human Emperor had never expected it.
He instinctively attempted to contact Daniel, but received no response.
"Looks like this Apocalypse is even more pressure than we thought..."
Over the past two days, humanity had experienced a meteoric rise, largely due to Daniel's strength and efforts.
The Human Emperor had even begun to consider stepping down and handing the crown to him.
After all, it was Daniel who had risen to the occasion, taking the full weight of the Apocalypse upon his shoulders.
But now?
He had vanished.
Where... had Daniel gone?
Chapter245-Descent of the Angels
The Human Emperor tried once again to contact one of the incarnations Daniel had left behind in this world.
But each of those incarnations acted like puppets on strings—executing only pre-programmed orders, completely unresponsive to any attempts at communication.
In an instant, all the pressure that had once been shouldered by Daniel now fell squarely back onto the Human Emperor's shoulders.
"I really thought," the emperor muttered to himself, "that with this Thousand-Year Apocalypse, my role had finally come to an end... I could finally enjoy retirement."
"But it seems I'll have to keep going after all."
A faint smile of helplessness appeared on his face, but it quickly faded. A moment later, his expression grew grim and serious. Humanity was on the brink of extinction—he couldn't afford to show even the slightest sign of weakness.
Immediately, the Human Emperor issued a global command—an imperial edict bearing his seal.
"All awakeners not currently on special assignments are to assume combat-ready status."
"All human and allied races are to enter Level 1 Battle Alert."
For humanity, Level 1 Alert meant the highest possible war footing.
According to protocol, all resources were to be centralized. Everyone, regardless of class or background, was to prepare for total war.
This alert signified one thing: humanity stood on the precipice of annihilation.
Survival—and a desperate will to fight—became the only meaningful goals.
As long as even 1% of the population survived, humanity would not be extinct.
No matter the cost, there would be no retreat.
Once the decree spread, countless awakeners across the continent of myriad races adopted solemn expressions.
"My god... Level 1 Battle Alert?! I've never seen this in my entire life!"
"Same here! I've lived over two hundred years and I've never encountered this before!"
"Let me give you a little history," one veteran whispered grimly. "Level 1 Alert is only issued during species-level extinction events."
"As far as I know, the last time this alert was activated was during the previous Thousand-Year Apocalypse."
"You mean a thousand years ago?! No wonder I've never heard of it..."
In mere moments, the entire continent had mobilized.
All eyes turned skyward—to the descending figures of the Angels of Gold and Silver.
No one knew how long they had waited. But finally, the first of the angels set foot upon the earth.
The Angels of Gold and Silver had officially descended.
And for many of the awakeners present, this was the first time they had ever seen an angel up close.
They were, in truth, breathtaking.
The Angels of Gold and Silver possessed an overwhelming beauty, exuding a natural air of holiness and grandeur. Behind each one, majestic golden wings unfurled, shimmering with divine light.
So... these were the beings known as gods' chosen race?
They looked so divine—so utterly out of place in this grim, war-torn world.
One of the angels lifted his head, eyes gazing toward the direction of his celestial homeland.
"It seems the laws here still haven't fully lifted," he murmured.
"The more powerful the being, the stronger the suppression..."
"Very well. Then allow me to be the first to begin the purification of this world!"
He raised a single hand slowly. At his fingertips, a massive sword of pure gold condensed into existence.
"Praise be to Lady Aurelia. Allow me to cleanse this land of its filth and ignorance in your name!"
But just as the angel prepared to bring down his golden blade, a sudden downpour of luminous arrows fell from the heavens.
The angel's expression darkened as he sensed the overwhelming energy bearing down on him. With a swing of his massive sword, he unleashed a golden arc of energy upward to intercept the attack.
Blade met arrows in a thunderous collision that shook the skies.
And then, from the air above, a lazy voice echoed:
"Meow~ So what's so special about angels? I honestly don't get where you people get your pride from."
A sudden hurricane formed in the sky, moonlight shining down in radiant beams.
The Angel of Gold and Silver's expression turned heavy.
"The devotee of Moon Goddess Luna?"
"Correct, meow~ Surprised you recognized me!"
Ally stretched lazily, a relaxed smirk playing on her lips—but her eyes sparkled with icy contempt.
"You're not even one of the god's main devotees. That makes you cannon fodder at best. So now that you've met the First Devotee of Moon Goddess Luna, why don't you drop to your knees and beg for mercy?"
With that, Ally activated her [Insight] skill, scanning the angel before her.
...
[Joshua]
[Level: 198]
[Race: Angel]
[Innate Talent: Grade B]
[Description: An utterly unremarkable, average angel.]
Joshua was, to say the least, disappointing.
He wasn't even level 200. His talent grade was only B. Weak, unimpressive, and certainly unworthy of facing someone like Ally—an SSS-tier awakener and Luna's First Devotee.
"Well, that's enough talking. I don't feel like wasting words, meow. Let's get this over with!"
Without waiting for a response, Ally launched herself into battle, intending to end this fight in one swift move.
But just as she moved to strike, the situation abruptly changed.
A flood of angels suddenly descended all around her.
Though most of them hovered around level 200, they still posed a significant threat.
Being members of a superior race, Angels of Gold and Silver enjoyed racial bonuses that often gave them an edge over other awakeners.
Among the group, Ally even spotted two individuals with S-grade talents.
Meanwhile, Joshua, the angel she had just mocked, launched a counterattack of his own.
Ally twisted her body effortlessly and dodged the strike. With reflexes honed through years of battle, she retaliated with her own skill—swift, precise, and lethal.
Her power overwhelmed him in an instant. A single attack tore through Joshua's chest.
Yet surprisingly, he didn't die right away. Instead, he grinned.
"That's it? Looks like you're not as strong as I thought."
And then, finally, his HP hit zero.
His body disintegrated into a flurry of golden feathers and vanished into the wind.
But Ally's face did not relax in the slightest.
Because more and more angels continued to descend upon the world.
Even as Moon Goddess Luna's First Devotee, Ally had needed to exert near-full power to eliminate one mid-level angel.
How was she supposed to deal with the hundreds—no, thousands—more?
No.
She looked around sharply and her pupils suddenly shrank in alarm.
It wasn't just dozens.
It wasn't even thousands.
The once-open sky was now crowded—absolutely choked—with angels.
Tens of billions... no, hundreds of billions of angels!
Their sheer numbers blotted out the heavens, a divine tide crashing down upon the world.
And the worst part?
Every single one of them was at least level 200.
Ally shivered involuntarily.
This... this was the true arrival of the Apocalypse.
Could the races of this world... really survive it?
Chapter246-Shadow of the Angels
The Blood Clan.
Charlotte looked up toward the sky.
Just moments ago, she had completed her Star Upgrade Quest.
But at this very moment, her expression was anything but joyful—because she could see, looming high above, countless Angel of Gold and Silver figures blanketing the sky!
What kind of joke was this?
It had only been a few minutes, and yet the Angel of Gold and Silver had already filled the entire sky. From this distance, they looked like vast swarms of golden locusts.
However, these angels did not immediately descend. They merely floated silently in the air, suspended above like a divine curtain, motionless.
Yet simply by standing there, the Angels of Gold and Silver exuded a crushing pressure that sent chills down everyone's spine.
Charlotte unconsciously clenched her fists.
"Crossbridge was right... I'm still far too weak."
At the same time, the inter-species communication network had erupted into chaos.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Dear god! Are there actually this many Angels of Gold and Silver?!"
"I can't even count them! There's no end in sight!"
"Are we talking about billions here? Surely at least a few billion, right?"
"A few billion? Bro, you clearly have no grasp of scale. I specialize in spatial measurement. The current count of Angels has already surpassed 400 billion—and the number is still climbing!"
"What did you just say?! 400 billion?! Come on, don't mess with us! The entire human population is only 30 billion!"
"You're wrong. To be precise, it's already passed 500 billion now."
"..."
In an instant, all sentient beings across the myriad races instinctively turned their gazes skyward.
The number of Angels of Gold and Silver was far beyond their worst imaginations.
To put it plainly, the total population of all the intelligent species across the cosmos combined didn't even exceed 500 billion.
And yet the Angels of Gold and Silver... were still multiplying!
How are we supposed to fight this?
This has to be a joke, right? A millennial-scale Apocalypse like this—how could the myriad races possibly survive it?
For a moment, a sense of profound dread was etched into the faces of everyone across the universe. The expression on the Human Emperor's face was particularly grim—darker than ever before.
Beside him, the emperors of the various races had already convened.
"Human Emperor, what should we do next?" asked the Demon Emperor. His usual joking demeanor was gone—his face had turned cold and stern.
"There are so many Angels of Gold and Silver... Even if all our awakeners fought with everything they had, it would be hopeless!"
"If each one of them is over level 200, then just a few million would be enough to wipe out humanity."
"Sure, humanity has grown exponentially lately. We now have hundreds of thousands of awakeners over level 200."
"But even so, when compared to the overwhelming might of the Angels of Gold and Silver, it's nothing. A drop in the ocean."
And they all knew—the only reason humanity had advanced this quickly... was because they were effectively cheating.
With Daniel's use of the Infinite Divine Temple and the blessings of the Void Tower, humanity's awakeners had advanced at supernatural speed.
As for those Angels floating silently in the sky—not a single one of them was below level 200.
"Human Emperor... it feels like we've already reached a dead end."
A grave expression lined Human Emperor Odin's face.
"So what if we have?" he said solemnly. "As rulers of our races, even if it costs us our lives... we must never give up."
Though those were his words, his body trembled ever so slightly.
Because even in his heart—he could not see a path forward. Not a glimmer of hope.
The current situation, without the slightest exaggeration, was an extinction-level catastrophe for all species across the universe.
If there was still a single thread of hope left... it lay with Daniel.
But with things as they were—what difference would Daniel's return even make?
The Angels of Gold and Silver now filled the sky completely. Even if one were to unleash the power of a Primordial Core Weapon, it wouldn't be enough to wipe them all out.
And once these angels fully descended, any attempt to use the Primordial Core Weapon would risk massive collateral damage—likely taking innocent lives with them.
From what they could see now, their only possible hope of turning the tide... lay in the use of the Primordial Core Weapon.
Without it, even if Daniel returned in person, there would be no way for him to eliminate so many Angels of Gold and Silver alone.
Standing to the side, the Blood Emperor also bore an expression heavy with unease.
He turned to the Human Emperor and asked, "Can you tell me—where has Lord Daniel gone?"
The Human Emperor shook his head expressionlessly.
"I'm not exactly sure either. But didn't Daniel just say it himself? He needs to leave temporarily... and during this time, it's up to us to hold the line."
Upon hearing these words, despair crept over the faces of the assembled emperors.
Was this some kind of cruel joke?
Over 500 billion Angels of Gold and Silver were hovering just above their heads—and they were expected to "hold the line"?
The only silver lining—if one could call it that—was that the Angels of Gold and Silver had yet to descend en masse. They merely waited in silence, as if anticipating something.
Occasionally, a few angels would drop down from the sky.
Fortunately, dealing with those few wasn't a major challenge for the gathered emperors.
Thanks to the teleportation aid of Anygate, they could arrive at various locations with great speed.
But even then, the number of descending angels was steadily increasing.
The emperors of the myriad races were quickly becoming overwhelmed.
Still, they understood clearly—As emperors of their kind, they had to stand at the front.
If they dared to retreat even half a step, it would be a catastrophic blow to their people's morale—a wound the race might never recover from.
"No matter what, it's our turn to step forward."
"This might be our final battle. Maybe it won't change the ending... but at the very least, we'll have given it everything we had."
"Let's hope... after this war, we'll still be able to sit here and talk again."
...
At this point, the angels descending from the sky weren't too many. In fact, many of them hadn't even reached level 200.
To the myriad awakeners, these Angels of Gold and Silver weren't entirely impossible to defeat. For the stronger ones among them, dispatching such enemies was still manageable.
Especially for those who were followers of the Infinite Divine Temple—awakeners who had reached level 200 and beyond. For them, cutting through these angels was like slicing through butter.
After all, they carried the divine buffs granted by the Infinite Divine Temple.
Even those who hadn't yet reached level 200 could still challenge these angels across levels. As long as they were under the influence of the temple's divine buffs, slaying a level 200 angel wasn't out of the question.
So overall, although the pressure was immense, the myriad races had not yet lost the upper hand. In fact, they faintly held the advantage on the battlefield for now.
But everyone knew the truth—
Those dense legions of angels still suspended in the sky... they were the real threat. The true enemy had yet to descend.
Chapter247-The Descent of the Stellar
Compared to the more than 500 billion Angels of Gold and Silver in the sky,
the angels currently descending could only be described as minor nuisances—utterly insignificant in the grand scheme.
For the top-tier powerhouses of the myriad races, wiping them out posed no real challenge.
And yet, despite this, the hearts of the awakeners remained filled with despair. They couldn't even sense the presence of hope.
After all, the power disparity between the two sides was glaring and undeniable.
"Damn it! We're completely outmatched! Are these Angels of Gold and Silver toying with us?"
"I can't take it anymore! I'm going to fight them to the death!"
"Thinking back now... it's almost laughable, isn't it? We struggled and fought so hard these past days—what was it all for? In the face of overwhelming power, we're nothing but ants."
"I just reached Level 100. How could I possibly fight them?"
"We're out of time. If we had another hundred years, maybe then we'd have a fighting chance."
"Damn it! Why didn't Lord Daniel appear sooner!?"
It must be said—Daniel's appearance had indeed made the myriad races stronger.
But the time he had given them... was simply too short.
Only a day or two at most—far from enough to develop real strength.
The newly awakened fighters had already begun wailing in despair.
Those who still retained some measure of strength joined the battle with the mindset of dying together with the enemy.
Even the devotees of the gods had now joined the fray.
To them, killing these weaker Angels of Gold and Silver wasn't all that difficult.
With a single skill, they could effortlessly wipe out entire swaths of angels.
And yet, their expressions remained grim.
Because the god-devotees knew far better than anyone else—just how terrifying the true Angels of Gold and Silver were.
Ally had become a paragon of killing efficiency, having slain who knows how many angels already.
Perhaps dozens... or maybe hundreds, even thousands.
Still, despite her incredible results, a heavy sense of pessimism clouded her heart.
"Great Moon Goddess Luna... surely You would not let us fall into despair... would You?"
"But given the state of things now—how can we possibly turn this around?"
...
Amid the mountains,
Charles lifted his gaze, staring at the seemingly endless tide of Angels of Gold and Silver.
Even now, he did not display a single shred of fear or despair.
His stance was firm.
As if he truly believed that the countless Angels of Gold and Silver before him were not to be feared.
In his hand, he held a scepter—a symbol of divine authority.
"Oh Great Luck Goddess, I shall carry out Your will and open the path to the Primordial Plane."
"Let the stars descend upon us now!"
With this prayer, Charles raised the scepter high above his head.
"Devotee elders—lend me your power! Help me open the gate to the Primordial Plane!"
"Let the Gate of Time and Space open now!!"
As Charles chanted, dazzling lights began to flicker in the sky.
He could feel it clearly—his life force was rapidly draining away.
All around him, anything alive—whether animal, plant, or monster—suddenly withered to dry husks.
And all that vital force... was surging directly into the tip of his scepter!
The brilliance in the sky aligned with the light from the scepter, gradually connecting into a single glowing line.
Then, almost at the same moment, a deafening explosion echoed through the heavens!
In the blink of an eye, a massive dimensional gate tore open in the sky—so vast it seemed to swallow half the firmament.
The terrifying part? The interior of this dimensional gate was pitch black, a void so powerful that it twisted the surrounding space.
Even light, once it entered, could not escape.
It emanated an irresistible, horrifying gravitational pull.
The Angels of Gold and Silver, sensing this anomaly, all turned their heads upward to the sky beyond.
"What is that?"
"Why do I feel such intense pressure?"
"Could it be... that something even more powerful lies beyond that dimensional gate?"
The Angels of Gold and Silver exchanged nervous whispers.
But before they could process what was happening—
A massive stellar entity erupted from the gate, surging forth at unimaginable speed!
Its velocity far exceeded anything the minds of mortals could fathom.
People often assumed that the larger something was, the slower it moved—but this stellar violated every natural law.
To the observers, it was nothing more than a golden flash—
And in that instant, it smashed through a massive cluster of Angels of Gold and Silver, erasing them entirely.
But only the strongest beings present could truly understand—
Those Angels hadn't been killed by impact...
They had been torn apart by warped spatial forces.
When the stellar moved, it didn't simply fly—it twisted the very fabric of space.
Those unfortunate Angels had been sucked into turbulent space-time currents,
Their bodies shredded like paper by spatial distortion.
The sudden change stunned all the awakeners of the myriad races.
They all instinctively lifted their heads to the heavens.
And what they saw—
One stellar after another pouring from the dimensional gate!
In the blink of an eye, countless stellar descended from the sky!
The scene was like something out of an apocalypse.
Just witnessing it sent chills down everyone's spine.
The Angels of Gold and Silver that still lingered in the skies could no longer maintain their earlier calm and composure.
Panic and fear overtook them.
"What the hell is going on!? Why are stellar suddenly falling from the sky!?"
"Damn it! Get away from me—I don't want to die!"
"My love... you were just standing beside me a moment ago. I can't believe this happened..."
...
In the ancient era—Primordial Plane.
Daniel stood before Dark Star Jarvan, expressing his gratitude.
"Thank you... truly, my friend."
He never expected such a tremendous gift.
Dark Star Jarvan, hearing his thanks, only stirred slightly—his colossal form shifting like a mountain.
"There is no need to thank me," the being said. "If thanks must be given—give them to my Lord."
Daniel nodded solemnly.
Then, without hesitation, he entered into contract with the stellar.
...
Meanwhile, in the Divine Temple of the Luck Goddess, ancient human era—
The majority of the surviving humans had taken refuge inside the Divine Temple.
Only within these sacred walls could they receive the full protection of the Luck Goddess.
As for the followers of Aurelia—
They were barred from entering.
At this moment, in a quiet corner of the Divine Temple,
The first Human Emperor was speaking with Daniel.
"So... your name is Daniel?"
This first emperor of humanity was not particularly powerful.
To be precise—he wasn't even as strong as a modern-day Level 100 awakener.
From this alone, one could see—
Humanity had, in truth, come a long way over the years.
Chapter248-Daniel's Mission
Daniel gazed at the First Human Emperor standing before him,
his expression gradually turning serious.
"In a certain moment in the future, after your death," Daniel said solemnly, "you will be sent to the Undead Lands and imprisoned by the Undead Lord, Glaton."
"For a very long time, I might not be able to help you."
"So, you need to be mentally prepared for that eventuality."
Hearing Daniel's words, the First Human Emperor fell silent.
He remained motionless for a long time before finally asking a question.
"May I ask you... are you from the future?"
Although the First Human Emperor was not particularly strong, he still held the authority of an emperor—and more importantly, he was a very intelligent man.
After a brief conversation with Daniel, he had already deduced a portion of Daniel's origins.
Daniel did not attempt to hide the truth. He simply nodded and admitted his identity.
After all, Jarvan had already told him: once you go back to the past, you can do whatever you want.
So Daniel had no intention of restraining himself. He would act as he pleased.
At that moment, the First Human Emperor asked another question.
"If it's not against any rules... could you tell me what era you came from?"
"Of course, if you're bound by temporal laws or divine restrictions and cannot reveal such things, I understand."
From the perspective of the First Human Emperor, for Daniel to return to the past, he must have used some extraordinary means.
And such means often came with significant limitations.
So he would understand if Daniel couldn't answer.
However, Daniel merely smiled faintly and replied,
"There are no such restrictions. I come from 4,000 years in the future."
"Four thousand years..." The First Human Emperor's voice trembled slightly. "Then—may I ask, how is the human race doing in your time?"
Daniel maintained his gentle smile as he answered:
"Humanity is doing quite well. In fact, we've become the leaders of all the myriad races."
Tears welled up in the old emperor's eyes. He was overwhelmed with emotion.
"That's wonderful... truly wonderful..."
"I always believed the human race would have a bright future!"
Though he was emotionally moved, the First Human Emperor quickly reined in his feelings.
Within seconds, his expression had returned to one of solemn dignity.
"Please tell me—what would you have me do? I will give everything I have to help."
Since Daniel had returned from 4,000 years in the future, it was only natural to assume his purpose was to change humanity's destiny.
And thus, the First Human Emperor was ready and willing to cooperate fully with Daniel's plan.
Daniel, on his part, made no attempt to hide what he needed.
"I do require a few materials," he said calmly. "May I ask if you recognize them? And if so—can you tell me where I might find them?"
As he spoke, Daniel retrieved a list of materials from his spatial backpack.
Every item on the list was without exception a key component required for synthesizing God-Rank Skills.
Many of these materials, while perhaps mundane or obscure in this era, would become impossibly rare—if not entirely extinct—in the future.
That was why Daniel was taking this opportunity to ask the First Human Emperor.
Perhaps he could help him gather new and otherwise unobtainable materials.
As for altering the course of events—Daniel didn't have much desire to change the timeline.
According to the theory of fatalism, anything he did in the past would ultimately have very little impact on the future.
However, two categories did make exceptions to this rule: knowledge and materials.
Knowledge could be stored in Daniel's mind.
Materials could be stored in his spatial inventory.
So his plan was simple: explore the City of Artists thoroughly.
Maybe he'd find something new.
More likely, it would be a fruitless endeavor.
Meanwhile, the First Human Emperor began examining the material list in earnest.
But he hadn't expected the list to be so complex.
The deeper he read, the more tightly his brows furrowed.
Many of the listed materials... he had never even heard of.
In fact, he found some of them downright unbelievable.
Take the third item on the list, for example—"Heart of a God."
Are you serious?
Is it even possible for someone to acquire a material like this?
Still, this task had been entrusted to him by Daniel.
And Daniel had traveled back 4,000 years for the sole purpose of gathering these materials.
That alone was proof of how important they must be.
So the First Human Emperor did his best and continued reading.
In the end, he was able to recognize and identify a small portion of the materials on the list.
At that moment, he pointed to one of the entries.
"This one—Fire Lotus. We have some stored in the human race's treasury."
"The Fire Lotus must be harvested from deep within volcanic regions, where a race known as the Fire Lotus lives. You have to defeat them to acquire this material."
"They're located somewhere within the mountain ranges to the west. As for the rest of the materials—I've only heard of them in legends. I have no concrete leads."
Daniel nodded as he listened.
The western mountain range... that was, in the future, the Oden Continent—the Continent of Flesh and Blood.
In his time, Daniel had no way of entering the Continent of Flesh and Blood.
But from what he could tell now, the two continents were still joined together.
That meant, for him, this wouldn't be a problem.
Especially since his avatar was already moving in that direction, scouting the area.
Upon hearing this, Daniel nodded again.
"So that's how it is. I understand."
Without another word, Daniel walked toward the entrance of the Luck Goddess' Divine Temple.
Outside the temple stood two squads of elite guards.
These guards were significantly stronger than ordinary humans—each one was at least Level 200.
This proved that even 4,000 years ago, many powerful individuals still walked the world.
They simply remained hidden, their strength tied to the service of gods.
Daniel looked at the guards and spoke.
"By the command of the Luck Goddess, until the millennial Apocalypse ends—you are not to let anyone leave."
With that, he turned toward the First Human Emperor.
"I leave this place to you. Stay here—and wait."
Then, without waiting for a response, Daniel's gaze shifted to a nearby figure—Archbishop Pippen.
He raised his fingers—and with a casual snap, a dagger appeared, poised at Pippen's throat.
"Aurelia is extremely dangerous."
"Now I'm giving you two choices. Either you stick to your faith—and die..."
"Or... you accept my revised version of the Holy Scripture."
Chapter249-Pippen's Choice
Daniel had long since discussed the issue of faith with the devotees of the Luck Goddess.
The conclusion he had reached was simple: as long as one did not use the original scripture for prayer, there would be no risk.
This was because, to gods, only the original version of the scripture could establish a true connection.
If the scripture had been altered, then that communication link would be cut.
That was precisely why Daniel chose to modify the scripture—
Because at this point, Aurelia had already become an enemy of the human race.
And if one insisted on continuing to worship an enemy of their people...
They might as well just slit their own throat.
Daniel's dagger rested coldly against Pippen's throat.
The threat was simple, unspoken—and absolute.
Those standing nearby instinctively took a step back.
All of them knew very well—
It was because of Daniel's intervention that they had been saved.
If he hadn't stepped in, they would've ended up just like those poor souls—consumed by madness, transformed into mindless beasts.
Daniel was their savior.
To these people, he had earned their unconditional trust.
And now, having heard Daniel's words, the crowd turned hostile almost instantly.
They directed waves of hostility toward Pippen.
It didn't matter how powerful Pippen once was—
It didn't matter that he held the exalted position of archbishop.
Now, he was being shunned.
Pippen's body trembled violently.
He had never imagined that the god he had worshipped with unwavering devotion... was in fact the enemy of humanity.
It took him quite some time to process this internal collapse.
Only after some mental reconstruction did he slowly speak:
"If... if possible... could I take a look at the contents of this revised scripture?"
Pippen still had faith in Aurelia.
But Daniel's declaration had left him shaken to the core. He needed to see the truth with his own eyes.
Without hesitation, Daniel handed him the modified scripture.
Pippen accepted it and began reading carefully.
He quickly discovered that the revisions weren't as drastic as he had expected.
Much of the scripture's original phrasing remained intact.
But having read the original countless times before, Pippen was quick to notice what had truly changed—
The prayer passages.
Although their meanings hadn't shifted dramatically, the wording had been fundamentally altered.
And because of that, the connection to Aurelia had been severed.
To Pippen, this change did not pose a theological issue.
After pondering for a while, he finally nodded and said,
"I'm willing to accept your terms."
Hearing that, Daniel snapped his fingers.
In an instant, the dagger at Pippen's neck vanished.
Daniel had already used the Eye of Insight to verify that Pippen was telling the truth—
There was no deception in his words.
Still, just to be safe, Daniel issued a warning:
"Regardless of the circumstances—you must remember this: from now on, the scripture in your hands is the only scripture your church will use."
"All future prayers must follow the modified contents to the letter."
He then turned to the First Human Emperor and added:
"Starting today, anytime a follower engages in prayer, you must assign someone to monitor it."
"The old scripture is no longer permitted. Only this version shall be used."
Hearing how gravely Daniel spoke, the First Human Emperor's expression also turned serious.
"Rest assured. I will enforce this to the letter."
...
Elsewhere, in the depths of the labyrinth,
the battle between the god-devotees raged on.
It was a fight of unimaginable intensity—one that threatened to tear the very fabric of the maze apart.
After suffering corruption from Daniel's [Mind Hunt] once before, Michael no longer dared to let his guard down.
He poured every ounce of his strength into battling Kate.
It had to be said—Kate's luck was nothing short of monstrous.
Time and time again, Michael had gained the upper hand.
Yet somehow, Kate always managed to turn the tables—seizing victory from the jaws of defeat.
From a purely statistical standpoint, Kate had no business being Michael's equal.
In terms of raw power, she was far inferior.
And yet, she had an uncanny ability to exploit even the slightest opening—
Amplifying minor advantages into critical opportunities.
Because of this, the two god-devotees—despite their significant strength gap—were locked in an evenly matched battle.
Their attack frequency was incredible.
With each blink of an eye, dozens of skills would be unleashed.
Explosions echoed across the landscape without pause.
The earth trembled under the fury of their divine war.
Michael didn't dare underestimate his opponent—not anymore.
He fought with full focus, fully aware of how dangerous Kate truly was.
But just then, a familiar silhouette appeared behind him.
"My dear brother... why are you here?"
That single moment of distraction was all it took.
Michael's attention wavered—his instincts questioned what he was seeing.
And then it hit him.
That couldn't possibly be his brother.
His brother couldn't be here.
This was a trick.
It had to be an illusion—or worse, an impersonation.
Kate saw the opening and didn't hesitate for even a second.
"Die!"
She unleashed a powerful skill—conjuring countless beams of light that converged upon Michael, forming a massive cage of divine radiance.
However, Michael's shield remained intact.
Her attack didn't penetrate.
But the fake "brother" behind him launched an attack at that very moment.
"Damn it!!"
Michael roared with fury.
He was growing tired.
On one hand, he had to defend against Kate's relentless assaults.
On the other, he had to remain on constant alert for Daniel's sudden ambushes.
It was exhausting—mentally and physically.
Even a god-devotee as powerful as Michael was beginning to crack under the pressure.
He had already felt the horrifying effects of Daniel's spiritual corruption once before.
He knew how dangerous [Mind Hunt] was.
Which was why he had to remain vigilant—constantly watching for signs of Daniel's presence.
But Daniel had no intention of focusing solely on Michael.
Why should he?
There were plenty of Angels of Gold and Silver in the vicinity—many of them were god-devotees.
Targets abounded.
So in a flash, Daniel shifted his attention and launched his [Mind Hunt] against other angels instead.
Michael might've been well-defended—his shield practically impenetrable.
But the same couldn't be said for the others.
To Daniel, their defenses were laughable.
They were completely unprepared for spiritual warfare.
They had no chance of resisting the assault.
And so, one by one, Daniel marked the Angels of Gold and Silver with [Mind Hunt].
Not long after, the signs of spiritual collapse began to appear.
Several weaker angels began to crack—
Their pupils flickering between clarity and madness.
And then, unbelievably—
Some of them even turned and attacked Michael.
What in the world was happening?!
Chapter250-The End of the Devotee War
"You fools, get a grip and snap out of it!"
Michael roared in fury, his voice shaking the air. But instead of resolving the situation, his distraction gave Kate another opportunity to land a sneak attack—successfully.
Daniel, standing nearby, of course, would never let such an opening go to waste.
In an instant, both opponents pressed the offensive, and even someone as powerful as Michael began to accumulate visible wounds on his body.
But despite being injured, Michael refused to turn on his corrupted comrades.
No matter how reckless or dangerous they had become under the effects of Daniel's [Mind Hunt], he would not strike them down.
It wasn't due to some deep compassion or mercy in Michael's heart.
Rather, it was because Aurelia—the Goddess of Gold and Silver—had explicitly forbidden her devotees from harming each other.
So even though he wanted to put an end to their rampage, he had no choice but to find ways to subdue and restrain them instead.
This, naturally, came at a cost—Michael himself took additional damage during the process.
By now, he clearly understood—continuing this battle any further was meaningless.
Without hesitation, Michael issued the command to retreat.
And at that moment, he had also fully realized something else—
That Daniel, the human, was the true threat.
In fact, from a strategic standpoint, Daniel might even be more dangerous than Kate.
In order to prevent the total annihilation of Aurelia's devotees here and now, Michael had no choice but to call for a full withdrawal.
However, just as he gave the order—
Kate's next attack struck.
"You still don't get it, do you? You can't afford to get distracted when fighting me!"
Seeing the crack in Michael's focus, Kate didn't hesitate for a second.
She unleashed another offensive, capitalizing on the exposed weakness.
Michael gritted his teeth and fought back with all his might.
Though he took further injuries in the process, he managed to escort the remaining devotees out of the battlefield.
What he didn't know, however, was that the devotees of the Luck Goddess had already anticipated this.
And they had laid a massive trap just for him.
"Gate of Banishment!"
"Goodbye, Michael. Try to come back soon."
In the next instant, a silver-white gate suddenly opened up behind Michael—
And without any resistance, he was swallowed by it.
The entire battle, from beginning to end, had lasted barely twenty minutes.
It began quickly—and ended even faster.
After the dust had settled, Kate turned to Daniel and spoke with admiration in her voice.
"I really didn't expect this. It's all thanks to you. Your ability is ridiculously powerful—it can even suppress the Angels of Gold and Silver."
If not for Daniel's [Mind Hunt], this battle could've dragged on for much longer.
And the outcome might have involved horrendous casualties.
From a pure combat power perspective, the devotees of the Luck Goddess were clearly no match for the Angels of Gold and Silver.
Of course, the war wasn't truly over yet, and the ultimate outcome remained uncertain.
But for Kate, it was already a miracle that none of her allies were seriously injured or killed.
Even more miraculously, they had stumbled upon a way to help the Luck Goddess ascend to become a true god.
"Well then, Michael the idiot shouldn't be bothering us again anytime soon," Kate said, with a rare lightness in her tone.
"He's been banished to a very distant plane. Even if he manages to return, it'll take him at least half a day."
"Now, my job is to deliver this gold coin to Her Majesty, the Luck Goddess."
As she spoke, Kate glanced up at the sky.
Logically, it should've been the dead of night.
But for some strange reason, the sun—Apollo himself—was blazing overhead, illuminating the entire land.
Kate chuckled and teased, "My friend, you've really outdone yourself—summoning even the sun to witness your battle."
"Still, my instincts tell me there's nothing urgent going on in the Primordial Plane, so I won't be going there."
"You can rest assured—Michael and his kind won't head there either."
"In fact, they're probably being summoned back by Julie as we speak."
"As for the humans—don't worry. We'll handle everything."
Daniel nodded slightly in response.
After experiencing this battle, he had gained a much deeper understanding of the power held by the Angels of Gold and Silver.
He had layered many stacks of [Mind Hunt]'s psychic corruption buffs on the more powerful ones.
What remained to be seen was what they would become... 4,000 years from now.
"Got it. Thank you," he said quietly.
After a brief pause, Daniel seemed to recall something and added, "By the way, I have a question I'd like to ask you."
"I've been wondering about the classification of gods—how does it really work?"
"Why are there so many terms like demigod, sub-god, fake god, proto-god, and god?"
He had heard all these names before, but the actual distinctions remained unclear.
Did they mean what he thought they meant?
Were they formal stages of ascension or just arbitrary labels?
...
Meanwhile, in the Primordial Plane—
Daniel had already formed contracts with the stellar entities.
And from them, he had learned an interesting truth:
Each stellar also possessed their own belief systems, gods, and associated cults.
Even though they couldn't grow stronger in the conventional sense, they still held onto their faith.
Their faith was pure.
What they hoped for was simple—
That their chosen god, once powerful enough, would help them break free of the cosmic laws that bound them.
Freedom.
That was all the stellars ever wanted.
And for that—
They were willing to do anything.
The logic of the stellar race was brutally straightforward.
To them, all effort must yield results.
Everything must be balanced—gain must come with loss, and loss must lead to gain.
So when Daniel gave them the possibility of freedom,
they swore, without hesitation, to repay him with absolute loyalty.
Jarvan had truly given Daniel a monumental gift.
After the last of the contracts had been finalized,
Dark Star Jarvan turned to Daniel and asked once more,
"Friend from the future, is there anything else you wish to say?"
Daniel smiled and shook his head.
"Nothing for now. But if possible, I hope that after your death, you'll look after the humans trapped in the Undead Lands."
"Oh, and there's someone named Glaton—he's the current ruler of the Undead Lands. If you find the time... give him a good beating for me."
Upon hearing this, Jarvan radiated waves of delighted spiritual energy.
"No problem, my friend. When I get to the Undead Lands, I'll make sure to rough him up a bit—just for you."
Daniel nodded, then paused to mentally review if there was anything else he had to say.
A few moments later, he spoke again.
"Oh right—one last thing I should probably mention."
"The reason I was able to come here... is because the future version of you sent me back in time."
"So... don't forget the Scroll of Time and Space, okay?"