Chapter251-The Wrath of the Sun
Primordial Plane.
The Sun—Apollo—had fully descended.
Standing at a great distance, Daniel gazed upon the radiant celestial god, and even he could not help but feel astonished.
Only now did he realize that the version of Apollo he had seen earlier in the labyrinth was merely the tip of the iceberg.
The true form of the solar deity was utterly massive—far beyond what Daniel had imagined.
But beside him, Dark Star Jarvan began to tremble slightly at the sight of Apollo.
It was clear—he had entered a state of excitement, of pure battle-thirst.
"Friend from the future," Jarvan's mind power pulsed with overwhelming emotion, "if not for your help, I don't know when I would've ever had this chance."
"Now please... step back."
Sensing the energy rippling from Jarvan's consciousness, Daniel immediately retreated to a safe distance.
Meanwhile, Jarvan's already enormous form began to expand further.
In just a blink, his size doubled—his mass growing to a truly astronomical scale.
At that moment, without warning, Frost Star appeared silently beside Daniel.
"My friend," she said telepathically, "you're insane. You actually convinced Jarvan to throw himself into battle!"
"I mean, seriously—look at how many stellar you released all at once! You're absolutely incredible."
"But—ah, no time to praise you properly."
"My friend, are you staying? If you're not planning to run, then I'm out of here."
"The battle between Jarvan and Apollo is going to be cataclysmic. If we don't get far away from here, we'll both be caught in the blast radius."
As she spoke, Jarvan's body continued to expand. His outer shell began to darken, transforming into a deep abyssal black.
At the same time, the stellar entities that had once been bound to him suddenly gained their freedom.
They bolted in every direction, fleeing with breathtaking speed.
Jarvan's transformation had broken their shackles.
From this moment forward, these stellar were no longer bound by the ancient laws of the cosmos.
They were free—truly, completely free.
Daniel turned to Frost Star and sent a pulse of mind power in reply:
"Don't worry about me. You go on."
Frost Star hesitated for a moment, then responded:
"Alright, I understand. You're stronger than I thought. But still—be careful."
"Oh, and if the humans run into trouble in the future... make sure to call for me."
"After all, it's thanks to you that I regained my freedom."
Daniel gave a slight nod.
"No problem."
With that, he turned his eyes back to Jarvan, whose expansion still hadn't reached its limit.
Everything unfolding now—this moment, this timing—was simply too perfect.
Daniel had no intention of interfering using [Time Stream].
On the contrary, he wanted to watch this play out in full.
After her final words, Frost Star turned and fled—retreating as fast as she could.
She knew all too well: if she didn't put some serious distance between herself and the impending clash of titans, she would absolutely die here.
Daniel, however, remained.
He wanted to witness this—he wanted to see for himself just how terrifying a battle between Apollo and Jarvan would be.
And then—it began.
Apollo's radiant form blazed even brighter.
His entire body transformed into a pure crimson furnace.
The intense heat twisted the very air around him—no, not just the air, but the space itself.
"Damnable human!"
Apollo's voice roared across the Primordial Plane, shaking the stars.
He was consumed by fury.
He never imagined that Aurelia's ascension ritual would be sabotaged at its most critical moment—
By a single human.
And worst of all...
He had given the Revelation to Daniel with his own hands.
To Apollo, the most devout believer of Aurelia, this was a betrayal beyond words.
If he could, he would scorch every last human from existence with the fire of his light.
At that very moment, the blood moon—the original main actor in this millennial Apocalypse—also radiated with intense rage.
"Apollo," the blood moon's telepathic voice rang out, "do you realize it's night right now?"
"Why have you come to the Primordial Plane?"
"This isn't your time. Are you mad?"
But the blood moon's brilliance was instantly suppressed by Apollo's solar radiance.
Daylight burst into existence across the world—false, blinding, and searing.
A high noon forged in wrath.
The sudden change in light and temperature stunned countless living beings across the cosmos.
They instinctively looked up to the sky.
"Wait—shouldn't it be night right now? Why is the sun rising?"
"The moons are still there too!"
"Sun and moon together in the sky... Is this Apocalypse... evolving?"
Terror rippled through all lifeforms.
A terror too vast to articulate.
"Why? Why are the heavens punishing us like this?"
"All we wanted was to live. Why is that so hard?"
The blood moon's influence had only just faded.
Most creatures still hadn't even realized how they'd regained their sanity.
Many were only just emerging from madness.
And yet... many more still remained consumed by it—
Ravaging everything in sight.
But now, as if that weren't enough, the sun Apollo had descended as well.
One Apocalypse after another.
It was a nightmare that wouldn't end.
High-ranking members of humanity were now staring through their ship windows at the blinding sun above.
They finally understood—
This millennial Apocalypse was far more terrifying than they'd ever imagined.
If not for Daniel, they wouldn't have made it this far.
And now, on top of everything, the sun god Apollo had descended in fury—burning, seething, unstable.
Back in the Primordial Plane,
Apollo responded to the blood moon's accusations with blunt and brutal mind power.
"Blood moon, I suggest you stay out of my business."
His massive solar form had already begun to crack—fractures running through his blazing body.
He was breaking apart.
Violating cosmic law came with consequences.
And yet, he was Apollo.
His strength allowed him to resist complete annihilation, at least temporarily.
Even though he was unraveling, he could still maintain his form for a short while.
Daniel looked up at the furious sun god—and almost reflexively reached for the God of Thieves' dagger.
He thought about splitting Jarvan into multiple copies, multiplying his firepower.
But he paused.
Then he slowly pulled his hand back.
The dagger of the God of Thieves was a card tied to the rules of the universe—
A trump card, a secret weapon.
In this world, most of the gods still existed.
None had truly fallen yet.
If he exposed this ability now...
It could be discovered by other gods.
And if that happened, he would be targeted like never before.
He could still afford to create clones.
But anything that involved divine laws—he had to be cautious.
Extremely cautious.
Chapter252-Fire Lotus
Four thousand years ago.
Because of the arrival of the sun god Apollo, the natural laws of the Primordial Plane were thrown into chaos. The entire realm suffered catastrophic damage.
Meanwhile, one of Daniel's avatars had been sent to the Oden Continent in search of the legendary Fire Lotus Clan.
This was a unique race that had, for countless generations, lived near volcanic craters. They had a single purpose—to wait for the blooming of the mythical Fire Lotus.
Finding them wasn't particularly difficult. Most of the time, one only needed to locate a volcanic crater to see traces of the Fire Lotus Clan.
Daniel spread his mind power and activated the Eye of Insight. Within moments, he locked onto a settlement belonging to the Fire Lotus Clan.
The Fire Lotus was a special material capable of bringing immediate mental clarity. Its effect on mental corruption was extraordinarily potent.
This was the reason why, even though the Fire Lotus Clan was not powerful—in fact, they were quite weak—they had managed to survive on this continent for so long.
There was only one explanation: due to their long-term exposure to the Fire Lotus, the members of this clan had developed an immunity to most forms of mental interference.
As a result, even when the Blood Moon descended upon the world, the Fire Lotus Clan remained largely unaffected.
However, to Daniel's surprise, there were far more Fire Lotus clans on the Oden Continent than he had anticipated.
Along his journey, he had already discovered over a dozen Fire Lotus settlements scattered across the volcanic regions.
Looks like this time... I'll have to play the villain.
Daniel sighed, a helpless expression surfacing on his face.
In the next moment, his figure flickered. In a single breath, he had appeared within the volcanic crater and harvested every last Fire Lotus.
As for the Fire Lotus Clan themselves, they would simply have to pray for their own survival.
Daniel was well aware that his actions weren't exactly noble.
But given the apocalyptic crisis looming in the near future, he had no other choice.
To make up for it, Daniel recorded the soul signatures of every member of the Fire Lotus Clan he encountered. His plan was to resurrect them when the time was right in the future.
Even so, he knew that his actions might spark outrage. Some would condemn him. Some would hate him. But Daniel didn't have the luxury to care.
His conscience might protest. His heart might waver. But in the face of this cruel and unforgiving world, Daniel could only march forward.
If he failed to increase his power as quickly as possible, it wouldn't just be him who perished—it would be all the races in the future.
Now, Daniel had already become a sovereign among the myriad races.
And behind him, he no longer bore just the hopes of humankind, but of over ten thousand races spread across the realms.
Sacrifice was inevitable.
If someone had to pay the price, then it would have to be the Fire Lotus Clan.
Daniel did not see himself as a saint. Nor did he believe that his actions were born out of righteousness.
To put it bluntly, this was simply the result of being forced by circumstances.
Only by growing strong could he hope to change the fate of others.
Continue being weak, and destruction was guaranteed.
"I'm sorry... Fire Lotus Clan. I promise I'll find a way to bring you back."
Daniel knew very well that the moment he took away all the Fire Lotus from the craters, the Fire Lotus Clan would lose their protection—and very likely fall into madness.
So yes, his actions were definitely inappropriate.
But even so, his decisiveness did not waver.
In the blink of an eye, all the Fire Lotus within the volcanic crater were stored inside Daniel's backpack dimension.
Meanwhile, deep underground, in the hidden cellar of a Fire Lotus Clan village—
The members of the clan were huddled together, trembling with fear.
With the Fire Lotus shielding them, they had barely managed to retain their sanity.
But the terrifying scene outside continued to haunt them. Even the protective aroma of the Fire Lotus was beginning to fade.
The Fire Lotus Clan was too weak. Even their strongest member—their so-called "emperor"—had only just reached level 100.
Then, suddenly, someone noticed something alarming.
"The scent of the Fire Lotus... it's growing weaker..."
Worse still, the ominous Blood Moon's glow was now starting to pierce through the protective wards made of Fire Lotus essence.
"What's going on?! Why is the Blood Moon penetrating our barriers? We made those from Fire Lotus!"
"Damn it! Who took the Fire Lotus from the volcano?!"
"What did you just say!? The Fire Lotus was stolen?! You—what the hell were you people doing?!"
"We guarded that place for generations—how did someone beat us to it!?"
"Who would do something so vile?!"
After leaving the volcanic region, Daniel began inspecting the spoils of the day.
This time, the harvest was definitely worth it.
In fact, thanks to obtaining the Fire Lotus, he now had the materials necessary to synthesize a brand-new God Rank Skill.
Finding a quiet spot, Daniel opened the interface for his Random Skill Codex.
A new skill appeared:
[Reflective Shield]
Effect 1: All attacks that strike the Reflective Shield will be reflected back to the attacker in their original form.Effect 2: The shield reflects both energy-based and physical skills.Note: This God Rank Skill only reflects attacks below True God level. It is ineffective against assaults from genuine gods.
Required Materials: [Omitted]
"Would you like to synthesize this skill now?"
"Yes."
"Would you like to immediately max out this skill?"
"Yes!"
After just a few breaths, a new entry appeared on Daniel's status interface.
[Counter Shield]
Though it differed from the previous version by only a single word, the fully upgraded version had become immensely more powerful.
[Additional Effect]: Reflected attacks now return 300% damage to the attacker.
Having completed this task, Daniel scratched his head unconsciously and began to ponder.
This trip to the past—four thousand years ago—should now be complete, right?
He had already retrieved Revelation.
He had already informed Dark Star Jarvan of the future events.
With these objectives completed, perhaps it was finally time for him to return to the present.
After a moment of thought, Daniel made his decision.
He activated the Flashback skill and instantly appeared near the Space Gate.
However, the very moment he re-emerged into this area, Daniel immediately noticed something off about the sky.
It was deep into the night.
And yet, the brightness of the sky had reached a blinding extreme.
To put it plainly—had Daniel not possessed an extremely powerful physical body, the sheer radiance of this light would have blinded any ordinary person instantly.
Within the Primordial Plane, Daniel now bore witness to a catastrophic battle.
With his own eyes, he saw Dark Star Jarvan hurl himself at the sun without hesitation.
In turn, the Sun God Apollo unleashed a violent counterattack.
The shockwaves from this celestial battle engulfed the entire Primordial Plane in flames.
These were no ordinary flames—they were flames born of Apollo himself.
Their temperature exceeded normal fire by trillions of times.
Countless stellar entities, even those not directly involved, were annihilated by the residual impact alone.
It had to be said—Apollo and Jarvan were on an entirely different level compared to other stellar beings.
Their might was overwhelming.
At that moment, Jarvan suddenly roared out:
"Apollo! In the end... you still lost."
"From the very moment you descended here... your defeat was already sealed!"
Chapter253-The Arrival of a God
In the Primordial Plane, the violent eruption of solar energy swallowed Dark Star Jarvan entirely in the blink of an eye.
Watching this from a distance, Daniel couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. He had always believed Jarvan to be incredibly powerful, a true stellar being among the mightiest. And yet, in front of the full power of the Sun God Apollo, Jarvan was no more than a moth rushing toward flame.
One collision.
Just one violent impact, and Jarvan was completely obliterated—body shattered, existence erased.
At the same moment, the clash between these two celestial forces shook the very fabric of the Primordial Plane. Daniel could hardly believe his eyes as he watched spatial cracks open across the sky—space itself tearing apart from the pressure of their battle.
And beyond one of those spatial rifts... Daniel saw something unbelievable: it was the labyrinth—the same place he had traversed earlier.
This was beyond anything Daniel had predicted. The laws of this world, the boundaries between realms, everything was collapsing under the weight of this cosmic struggle.
There was no doubt—Apollo's power was monstrous.
Even the Blood Moon, which had once cast its dreadful glow over the world, was now retreating under Apollo's blazing wrath. It dared not compete with such an overwhelming presence.
Yet, even though Jarvan's body had been destroyed, Apollo's rage did not diminish. Instead, he let out a furious, thunderous roar that echoed across all of existence.
"Damn you, Jarvan!"
"You bastard!!"
Daniel was taken aback. It was one thing for Apollo to be angry during battle—but now? He had already slain Jarvan. Why was he still so enraged?
There could only be one explanation.
Jarvan must have taken something from Apollo at the last moment—something crucial. That would explain the Sun God's uncontrollable fury.
His flames surged outward, his divine light becoming ever more blinding. His body swelled to unfathomable size—hundreds of times larger than before.
Looking up at the sky, Daniel could see that Apollo's form had grown to engulf an enormous portion of the heavens.
For the mortals down on the ground, today's events felt nothing short of the apocalypse.
The blazing sun above them seemed poised to burn the entire world into ash.
How could anyone possibly survive such destruction?
All across the continent, the land had turned into a hellish sea of fire.
Apollo's intentions were crystal clear: since the human race had dared deceive him, he would make them pay the ultimate price—total annihilation.
His scorching flames roasted the ground, and in mere moments, countless lives were reduced to cinders.
No one could withstand this devastation—not even the most powerful beings.
Even Kate and the devotees of the Luck Goddess, as mighty as they were, struggled under the onslaught of Apollo's solar wrath. If not for the divine shelter of the Divine Temple, they would have perished like the rest.
Inside the Divine Temple, where the divine protection remained intact, the people were safe—for now.
But even so, when the First Human Emperor looked out upon the burning land, despair took root in his heart.
"Can the human race really survive for another 4000 years in a world like this?"
"Did Daniel give me false hope? Has humanity already been wiped out in the future?"
The sun in the sky grew ever brighter, and Apollo's presence filled nearly one-third of the entire sky.
Scorching heat waves swept across every inch of the earth.
The scene resembled the end of days.
Under such conditions, how could humanity survive for another four millennia?
In fact, without the protection of the Luck Goddess, they probably wouldn't even survive another forty minutes.
Was this the true end of the world?
Just when all life across the land was slipping into despair, something miraculous happened.
A gentle breeze began to blow—light and warm—and within moments, it swept across the entire continent.
In a matter of seconds, the overwhelming flames that had engulfed the world were extinguished.
Greenery—a symbol of life and rebirth—began to sprout anew from the scorched earth.
And then, something even more unbelievable occurred.
From the sky, a golden rain began to fall. But it wasn't ordinary rain—it looked exactly like shimmering gold coins descending from the heavens.
A calm, soothing aura spread across the world.
The air itself felt lighter, filled with an inexplicable sense of joy.
For a moment, it felt like this day had become the luckiest day in history—a day of fortune for every race, for every living being.
Though no one knew exactly what it meant, the instant they witnessed this phenomenon, an instinctive realization emerged in their minds:
A god had been born.
At that moment, every creature—mortal or divine—heard the same name resound in their minds:
[Luck Goddess — Luke]
Simultaneously, the entire world underwent a massive transformation.
The golden rain that fell from the sky turned into rare materials, treasure chests, magical items, and all sorts of miraculous artifacts as it touched the earth.
Even Apollo, burning with rage only moments ago, suddenly calmed as he sensed this terrifying divine aura.
He immediately began shrinking his massive form, reining in his power.
But just as the world seemed to be settling, a second overwhelming presence descended.
Golden and silver radiance enveloped the earth, lighting up the heavens and piercing through the firmament.
In only three seconds, a second god emerged.
[Goddess of Gold & Silver — Aurelia]
As Aurelia completed her ascension into godhood, a beam of holy light suddenly descended from the sky.
It streaked downwards—unwavering and precise—aimed directly at the First Human Emperor.
His heart leapt in terror. For an instant, he was certain he was about to die.
But just as the divine light was about to strike, it veered off course—as if pulled by an unseen force—and curved mid-air.
Instead of striking the emperor, the beam crashed down into the Endless Sea.
A massive explosion followed.
The moment the light touched the sea, a titanic portion of the ocean evaporated instantly.
There wasn't even time for the water to boil—it transformed directly into vapor.
Daniel, still in the Primordial Plane, turned his gaze toward the sea.
Where there had once been calm, there was now a gigantic void, a bottomless chasm where the ocean had once been.
The sea surged to fill the gap, but it was insatiable—as if the void could never be filled.
Daniel even began to suspect that this divine strike may have punched a hole directly into the abyss itself.
What stunned him most was the sheer scale of the damage. The crater created by Aurelia's attack was larger than all the continents combined.
Daniel's pupils constricted. He had never imagined that the power of a true god could be so horrifying.
Had that beam landed on land rather than sea, the entire continent would have been obliterated in an instant.
"Aurelia!" Daniel called out.
"I suggest you calm down. If you intend to harm the human race, I will not stand idly by."
"You know me—I'm a man of my word. And only by honoring promises can we continue to prosper."
"Also, using brute force to bypass the rules for your ascension... don't you think that's risky?"
"If we're talking raw combat power, I'm not your match. But in your current state, are you really prepared for a battle?"
"Aurelia... how about we make a bet?"
"If we fight here and now... who do you think will fall first?"
Chapter254-Departure and Return
The voice of the Luck Goddess was light and pure—soothing, gentle, and entirely unlike the usual imposing tones one might expect from a god. Instead, her voice carried the charm and energy of a cheerful young girl.
Daniel couldn't help but recall the statue of the Luck Goddess that he had seen before. The statue, too, depicted her as a vibrant, youthful maiden. Now, her voice matched the image perfectly.
On the other side, Aurelia, the newly ascended Goddess of Gold and Silver, responded swiftly to the Luck Goddess's words. Without hesitation, she issued a command to retreat.
Even the Sun God Apollo, though clearly unwilling, dared not go against a divine decree. As much as he simmered with dissatisfaction, he obeyed without question.
It was at this moment that Daniel suddenly noticed something peculiar. Standing beside Aurelia were several angels he had seen during the previous war between the devotees.
Back then, Daniel had personally used [Mind Hunt] to mark them with a persistent mental corruption debuff—a lingering contamination meant to weaken and slowly unravel them.
But now, that effect had been completely lifted—cleansed by none other than Aurelia herself.
A system notification popped up in front of Daniel, confirming the removal of the debuff.
Daniel sighed with slight regret. So mental corruption, while incredibly potent, could still be purified—but only by a god.
He had originally thought that Aurelia, not yet being a true god at the time, wouldn't be able to cleanse such an effect. Clearly, he had underestimated her. Or rather, he had misjudged the timing of her divine ascension.
Meanwhile, the towering figure of Apollo began to shrink steadily in the skies above.
The massive cracks covering his divine body—cracks caused by the backlash of universal law—were also rapidly healed under Aurelia's power.
A strange stalemate now gripped the world.
Though things appeared calm on the surface, the atmosphere was tense—oppressively so. As if the entire world was holding its breath.
After all, two true gods stood facing each other. Who in their right mind could remain unbothered by such a scene?
And yet, no one dared intervene.
As a result, the scene froze in eerie silence.
Even those once driven mad by the Blood Moon's corruption had gone quiet.
Daniel, observing all of this, couldn't help but wonder:
"Should I just... sneak away now?"
After all, this was a confrontation between gods—something far beyond his current level. He was, at best, a bystander, and getting involved would be foolish.
Just then, his mind power picked up on something.
Right there, at his feet, a four-leaf clover had sprouted on the ground.
Four-leaf clovers were universally known as symbols of good luck, and more than that—they were iconic representations of the Luck Goddess herself.
On instinct, Daniel activated [Eye of Insight] to inspect it.
[Lucky Four-Leaf Clover]
Effect: Permanently increases Luck by 20 points.
"Thank you," Daniel murmured inwardly.
Items that could increase Luck were incredibly rare, even by divine standards. They were exceedingly hard to come by—something you could only stumble upon by pure chance.
And yet here it was, right in front of him.
If this wasn't the deliberate doing of the Luck Goddess, Daniel would eat his own shoes. There was no way this was mere coincidence.
Without hesitation, Daniel picked up the Lucky Four-Leaf Clover.
Then, using the God of Thieves' Dagger, he carefully divided it into thirty parts—a technique he had perfected to maximize value from rare resources.
He immediately consumed one of the fragments.
Another notification appeared:
[Your Luck has increased!]
+10 Luck
Daniel was quite pleased with the result.
This bonus alone was equivalent to what the second-ranked devotee of the Luck Goddess might possess. For someone who wasn't a formal devotee, that was a remarkable boost.
However, right at that moment, Daniel sensed a powerful mental force scanning his body.
This spiritual sense was immense—overflowing with divine majesty.
It was Aurelia's divine awareness.
Truthfully, this was Daniel's first time experiencing the spiritual pressure of a full-fledged god.
In an instant, a tremendous weight fell upon his shoulders. It felt as though a hundred thousand eyes had opened in the void, all of them focused solely on him—piercing, silent, and watchful.
Daniel felt as if his very soul was being scrutinized.
His instinct told him that the [Mist] that usually protected his true self was now at risk of being unraveled.
But fortunately, the Mist held strong.
Even under the direct divine scrutiny of a god, it remained stable and impenetrable.
Still, Daniel could tell that Aurelia possessed some kind of insight-type ability, likely a high-level detection skill.
However, he was nearly certain that it was not a God Rank Skill.
His reasoning was simple: the Mist's effect was specifically described as being able to block the divine perception of gods, but it made no guarantees against God Rank Insight Skills.
Therefore, if Aurelia had possessed such a skill, the Mist might not have held up.
Daniel concluded that while Aurelia had powerful spiritual vision, she had not yet acquired a divine-level Insight Skill.
With that mystery resolved, he made up his mind.
It was time to leave.
Gods were clashing. He was just a mortal—a very special mortal, yes—but a mortal nonetheless. There was no need to get entangled in divine disputes.
"Farewell... you crazy place."
He muttered softly to himself, then swiftly made his way toward the Space Gate.
Only after stepping through the gate did Daniel feel the crushing pressure lift from his shoulders.
The aura of the gods was overwhelming. He was nowhere near ready to stand against that level of power.
Moments later, Daniel reemerged—4,000 years in the future.
Standing before him once more was Dark Star Jarvan, who immediately transmitted a message to him via mind power.
"You're back."
"Yes," Daniel nodded.
He then looked at Jarvan with sincere gratitude.
"Thank you. Truly. For everything."
Whether it was allowing him to travel back in time or summoning powerful stellar allies, Jarvan had played a crucial role in all of it. Daniel knew it was important to show his appreciation.
Besides, this trip had been incredibly rewarding.
Jarvan, as ever, replied with his usual stoicism.
"If you truly wish to thank someone, thank Her Excellency, the Luck Goddess. Everything I've done was in accordance with her divine will."
Hearing this once again, Daniel's brows furrowed slightly.
There was something strange in Jarvan's words, a subtle implication.
So Daniel decided to ask directly:
"Was there some kind of deal made between me and the Luck Goddess?"
Jarvan responded calmly:
"That's not a question for me. That's between you and Her Excellency."
"And to be honest, Her Excellency's intentions are not something we followers are ever privy to."
"Besides, have you forgotten something? For the past four thousand years, I've been stuck here in the Undead Lands. Even if I wanted to gather information, it would've been nearly impossible."
Having said that, Jarvan handed Daniel a small, sealed box.
"This is the Soul Scroll you were looking for. You may take it now."
Daniel nodded and accepted it.
Then, carefully, he combined the two parts of the soul scroll together—completing the artifact at last.
Chapter255-Mass Resurrection
With a gentle flash of ghostly blue light, the Soul Scroll in Daniel's hand was finally restored to its complete form.
This ancient artifact now contained detailed records of all sentient beings' lifespans and essential life experiences. However, it was important to note: this scroll was only a record—a ledger of the past. It could not alter fate or rewrite history.
"Finally, it's complete..."
Daniel exhaled a long breath of relief.
To synthesize the ultimate resurrection ability—Grand Resurrection—he had gone through a tremendous amount of trouble. Traveling across time, braving divine wars, negotiating with stellar beings... this had been no easy feat.
But the result was worth it. At last, the final piece was in place.
After storing away the scroll carefully, Daniel turned to face Jarvan, who stood before him in silence.
"Jarvan," he asked seriously, "are you able to resurrect on your own? Do you need my help?"
Jarvan showed no change in expression. Calm and composed as always, he replied:
"I've already made the necessary preparations for my resurrection. You don't need to trouble yourself."
Daniel nodded silently, respecting the choice. He didn't press further. Instead, he double-checked his backpack inventory and found that all the materials he had brought back from 4000 years in the past were still intact.
A quiet wave of relief washed over him.
"Now then... what's next?"
He looked up, eyes focused.
"If my guess is correct," Daniel said aloud, "the Divine Realm should have descended by now."
Jarvan nodded, confirming his suspicion.
"Correct. All you need to do now is invade the Divine Realm, locate the Gate to the Lands of the Gods, and trigger Aurelia's attack."
"The goal is to ensure that her divine strike hits the Sun God Apollo. That should be enough."
Hearing this full plan, Daniel's mouth twitched.
Wait—what?
How was he supposed to "ensure" that a god's divine strike landed on another god?
Apollo and Aurelia were clearly on the same side. Why would she attack her own ally?
Daniel couldn't help voicing his doubts.
"This plan... doesn't it seem a bit sloppy to you?"
Jarvan didn't seem fazed. In fact, he smiled faintly.
"The plan was given to me by Joss."
Joss—a former devotee of the Luck Goddess. To be precise, he had once held the second devotee position.
Currently, that position was held by none other than Charles, one of Daniel's oldest companions.
Since the plan came from one of the Luck Goddess's chosen, maybe—just maybe—it wasn't as reckless as it sounded.
Still, the whole thing felt flimsy, like a gamble more than a strategy.
Daniel could only chuckle helplessly in the end.
"Alright, alright... fine."
Were it not for the fact that the plan came from a Luck Goddess devotee, he wouldn't even consider going through with it.
But those affiliated with Luck always had a strange way of making the impossible... work out. The universe just bent in their favor.
Even so, Daniel wasn't the type to pin all his hopes on others.
The real reason he dared accept this task was because he possessed a trump card—the God Rank Skill: [Time Stream].
If things went completely off the rails, or if the plan failed catastrophically, he could simply activate Time Stream and rewind back to this exact moment.
Having made his decision, Daniel bid farewell to Dark Star Jarvan, then activated [Flashback] to return to the entrance of the Undead Lands.
In an instant, he passed through the gate—and was once more back in the World of Ten Thousand Races.
But just as he arrived, his eyes widened at the sight above him.
The skies were filled—absolutely flooded—with angels. Swarms of radiant beings hovered above, and surrounding them were dozens, even hundreds, of stellar entities.
These stellar beings were launching full-scale attacks against the angels, and the angels, who were originally prepared to descend and wreak havoc on the land below, were now forced into a desperate air battle.
With a single glance, Daniel understood exactly where these stellars had come from.
This—he owed to Jarvan.
Had he not agreed to the contract back then, there would be no stellar reinforcements today. And without them, the world might already have been in ruin.
With the stellars holding off the bulk of the angels, Daniel didn't feel the need to intervene just yet.
The Angel Army of Gold and Silver had been stopped cold.
The stronger angels were stuck in the sky, locked in battle.
Only a few of the weaker angels managed to slip through and descend to the ground.
But for the vast coalition of races, that wasn't a serious threat.
Thanks to New Life's support, as well as attacks from the top awakeners across all races, these low-tier angels were wiped out almost instantly.
"Seems like I won't need to step in just yet."
Daniel thought to himself, then blinked across the battlefield—arriving directly at Charles's corpse.
Even though Daniel had left an alchemically-enhanced avatar behind in the World of Ten Thousand Races, that clone had been equipped with full memory-sharing capabilities.
He wasted no time.
Reaching out, Daniel absorbed the memories and instantly understood what had happened.
"So that's how it went..."
He nodded slightly, already mentally preparing to synthesize the Grand Resurrection.
Without hesitation, he activated the crafting process.
A brilliant burst of light illuminated the land.
Grand Resurrection: Synthesis Complete.
But Daniel already possessed this skill.
Moments later, another prompt appeared:
[Skill Upgrade: Grand Resurrection → Mass Resurrection (Max Level)]
[Mass Resurrection]
Effect 1: Revives all targets within a specified radius and fully restores their pre-death attributes. No cooldown.
Revival Radius = 1% of Spell Power (in km²).Note 1: Current max resurrection level = 300 + your own level.Note 2: If a target's body no longer exists, a new identical one will be generated.Note 3: If the original body exists, resurrection may occur in that body, fully healing all injuries.Note 4: Resurrection zone can be user-defined. All revived beings will reappear within this area.
Reading this, Daniel couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.
As expected of a fully maxed-out God Rank Skill—the power was astonishing.
Not only could he now perform mass revivals, but he also no longer had any cooldown restrictions.
And what did that mean?
It meant that, as long as Daniel desired, he could theoretically revive every sentient being that ever existed in this world.
Even the level cap restriction had been lifted. He could now revive any creature up to 400 levels, and 99.9% of all lifeforms wouldn't surpass that.
As for the revival range, even if it was just 1% of his current Spell Power, it was already enough to cover the entire territory of the human race.
Granted, in the grand scheme of the World of Ten Thousand Races, that wasn't particularly massive.
But Daniel had something else in mind.
Instead of reviving physical bodies, he was considering a different approach altogether.
"Why not just revive their souls instead?"
He smiled.
Chapter256-The God's Design
The idea of resurrecting souls had been part of Daniel's plan from the very beginning.
His reasoning was simple: compared to physical bodies, souls were light, compact, and most importantly—they didn't need to eat, drink, sleep, or excrete. Not only were they energy-efficient, but also easy to organize. They could even be stacked in three dimensions if necessary.
From this perspective, Daniel's most efficient strategy was to head back to the Undead Lands and gather as many souls as possible into one location.
That way, although his resurrection radius remained the same, the number of beings he could resurrect would increase tenfold—at the very least.
In fact, even that was likely a conservative estimate.
Possibly, the actual increase could be even far greater!
With this in mind, Daniel immediately activated [Flashback], teleporting to a vast expanse of open land in the northern frontier of human territory.
Without hesitation, he marked this area as a resurrection point.
This wasteland was enormous—comparable in size to the entirety of the human domain.
It had remained largely untouched, not because it was uninhabitable, but because there was nothing here that was particularly coveted or strategically significant. As such, the humans had never made serious efforts to develop or claim the region.
But its spaciousness made it perfect—absolutely ideal—as a mass resurrection site.
In fact, Daniel didn't plan to stop there. He intended to set five resurrection points across human lands—in the east, west, south, north, and center.
And not just the humans—he'd already set up numerous resurrection zones for the other races as well.
Of course, no other race's territory matched the scale of the human domain.
But still, Daniel's journey had taken him through every corner of the Ten Thousand Races' World.
He had no choice. The number of souls he intended to bring back was staggering.
Thankfully, he possessed the God Rank Skill [Flashback], allowing him to teleport instantaneously from one place to another.
Setting up the resurrection zones was remarkably fast, and took almost no time at all.
In mere minutes, Daniel had established over a thousand resurrection points.
But he didn't stop there.
He also deployed rulers and emperors from each race to the surrounding areas, assigning them to receive and reintegrate the souls as they were brought back to life.
After all, once resurrected, those souls would need time and guidance to rejoin their societies and rediscover their place in the world.
So why had Daniel set up so many resurrection points?
It was quite simple.
Under normal circumstances, a resurrection zone and its corresponding point should match perfectly. That is, one resurrection point is sufficient to handle an entire regional resurrection.
He could have just used a single point per race.
But Daniel had different intentions.
He was about to resurrect all the souls from the Undead Lands, which meant an astronomical number of beings would be brought back to life—far exceeding the capacity of any single resurrection point.
Moreover, his resurrection would not be race-specific.
Souls from all races would be revived in bulk and together.
And let's be honest—reviving them was already an act of great benevolence. It wasn't realistic for Daniel to also shoulder the burden of micromanaging their resettlement.
So the most practical thing to do was to let the souls return to their original territories—their homelands, their kin.
That was the motivation behind Daniel setting resurrection points across all territories.
Just as he finished, something unusual caught his attention.
Inside his inventory, he noticed a peculiar potion—a vial with an odd shape and a glowing aura.
"Wait... is this a shield potion?"
But he had no memory of acquiring it.
Daniel's brows furrowed. He couldn't accept the idea that someone—or something—might have accessed his backpack without his knowledge.
The potion looked valuable, yes, but the security breach was alarming.
Was this something one of his avatars had picked up?
Frowning deeply, Daniel reached out with his soul and scanned the memory logs of all his avatars, searching for a clue.
He quickly found the source.
The potion had been gifted to him by Charles.
"Charles? That scheming merchant? Why would he be so generous?"
Suspicion only deepened.
Charles wasn't known for giving anything for free—ever.
So Daniel activated [Eye of Insight] to inspect the potion, expecting to uncover some trap or hidden cost.
But to his surprise—nothing.
No hidden curses. No fine print. No trace of malicious intent.
Instead, the item description stunned him even more:
[Divine Shield Potion]
Crafted personally by the Luck Goddess. Enhances the effectiveness of all shield-based abilities.
Daniel's mind immediately went to his newly acquired God Rank Skill: [Counter Shield].
That ability was powerful—it could reflect all attacks back at the attacker, but only those below god level.
Against gods, Counter Shield was ineffective.
But Daniel had a gut feeling that sooner or later, he would be forced to face off against a god—maybe even multiple gods.
In that scenario, Counter Shield would be nearly useless.
But now...
This potion—this seemingly random gift—was clearly intentional.
The Luck Goddess must have known in advance what he would face.
Daniel scratched his head, then shrugged.
"Free stuff is still free stuff. Can't hurt to try it."
He drank the potion.
The moment he did, Counter Shield evolved. Not just in function, but in name as well.
[Reflective Shield]
Effect: Generates a divine shield in front of the caster.Can block attacks from gods.Upon impact, reflects the incoming energy to any designated location.
Reading the description, Daniel's expression twitched.
Especially when he remembered that absurd plan Jarvan had shared earlier—the one about tricking Aurelia into attacking Apollo.
"Could it be... the Luck Goddess predicted all of this in advance?"
Terrifying.
Absolutely terrifying.
That level of foresight wasn't just strategy—it was divine manipulation.
Daniel shook his head, but didn't stay idle.
In a blink, he arrived at the Undead Lands.
Then another blink—and he appeared in the heart of the City of the Undead.
At that moment, an elderly soul wandered across the street.
So old that his form had begun to decay into murky, indistinct wisps.
Then, Daniel appeared before him, reaching out gently and casting a cleansing light.
Holy energy burst forth—soft but radiant.
The old soul was instantly purified, his form regaining clarity and vitality.
"You've worked hard," Daniel said quietly, a tinge of reverence in his voice.
This soul wasn't just anyone.
He was the First Human Emperor.
At the same time, the emperor slowly regained consciousness, rising from his hazy, confused state.
When he opened his eyes and saw Daniel standing before him, shock overtook his face.
"It's you... my savior... it's really you!"
Chapter257-The Surprised Spirits
When he saw that the First Human Emperor in front of him actually recognized him, Daniel nodded slightly in acknowledgment, considering it a greeting.
At the same time, the other Human Emperors of the human race, along with many powerful Awakeners, were all summoned by Daniel. Even the archbishops from various generations of the Church were gathered around him.
And the reason they were all called together was obviously because of the resurrection.
These souls more or less already knew Daniel's identity in their hearts.
However, before officially beginning the process, Daniel raised a question first:
"Before we begin, I want to ask all of you something. After the end of the first Millennium Apocalypse, the Holy Scripture you used—was it the version that I had revised?"
The moment he said this, the faces of the archbishops present immediately showed confusion and shock.
What did that mean?
The scripture they had been devoutly following for so many years—had actually been altered by someone?
Meanwhile, the expression on the face of the very first Archbishop was solemn as he answered:
"Yes. Ever since your departure, this matter has been treated as the highest-level secret."
"Even Archbishop Pippen never disclosed this to anyone."
"This secret has only been known to the Human Emperors of each generation."
The First Human Emperor nodded as well and continued:
"We've always had eyes and ears within the Church. Even the prayers they utter daily are monitored by our agents."
"And this secret—that the scripture was altered—has been passed down only among the Human Emperors."
Hearing this, Daniel gave a satisfied nod.
According to what the Eye of Insight was showing him, none of them were lying.
However, the archbishops nearby all showed drastic changes in their expressions.
"The scripture was revised? What does that even mean?"
"So all this time... the Holy Scripture we've used wasn't the real version?"
Daniel could clearly sense that the questions from these archbishops carried no deception or pretense. Their reactions were completely genuine.
At that moment, the First Human Emperor explained further:
"Ever since your departure, we kept the fact that the scripture was altered completely hidden."
"To maintain secrecy, we never left behind any documentation. Not even Pippen mentioned it to his successor."
"And as time passed, this revised scripture naturally came to be seen as the original."
After listening to this, Daniel gave a small nod of approval.
"You've done well."
"As things stand now, the Church indeed poses no real threat to humanity."
"But to play it safe, let's wait until after this Apocalypse ends before we resurrect Pippen."
Having clarified this matter, Daniel then used his authority as the Lord of Soul City and issued a mass announcement to all souls:
[All souls, return to Soul City immediately.]
[I will open the Gate of Rebirth. Every one of you shall be resurrected!]
...
Upon seeing this announcement, all the conscious souls present were instantly dumbfounded.
Was their Lord insane?
"I've been dead for over a thousand years... and you're telling me I can be resurrected now??"
"Stop joking around! I've finally made a name for myself in the Undead Lands, and now you want me to go back to being alive?"
"Dude, weren't you more powerful when you were alive? Why hesitate?"
"Wait, wasn't resurrection only possible through rare revival scrolls? Even those have heavy restrictions!"
"If resurrection is really possible... that's incredible!"
In reality, the Undead Lands were far from pleasant.
Although this realm had mimicked many forms of entertainment from the world of the living, the spirits had no physical bodies—so they could feel nothing.
Because of that, the recreational activities offered in the City of the Undead had virtually no participants. They were kept running probably just as a nostalgic reminder of life.
These souls were relatively fortunate, all things considered. Most lived monotonous, repetitive lives year after year.
Under Glaton's relentless exploitation, they had to work nonstop just to continue existing.
Simply surviving here demanded everything they had.
All in all, the Undead Lands were dull and depressing. Compared to the world of the living, the gap was insurmountable.
And deep within their hearts, all these souls yearned for the realm of the living. They longed to be alive again.
This intense yearning was not unlike the abyssal creatures' desire to reach the surface.
So countless souls had hoped—desperately hoped—that one day, they could be resurrected.
But in reality, Glaton held absolute control over the right to resurrection.
Only a select few souls were permitted to reincarnate via the Gate of Rebirth.
Yet after the initial shock of Daniel's announcement, some spirits began to question its authenticity.
However, even with doubts, their actions told a different story. They rushed toward the City of the Undead at incredible speeds.
After all, whether it was real or not—they had to see it with their own eyes.
Soon, large groups of souls began gathering near the teleportation circles, eager to reach Soul City as fast as possible.
"An announcement from the city lord? Since when did Glaton become so kind-hearted?"
"Hey man, are you forgetting something? Glaton isn't our city lord anymore. He's been replaced by someone named Daniel."
"Oh, really? I must be getting old... so much that I've forgotten so many things."
The one speaking was a murky, dim soul. As time passed, the longer a soul remained in spirit form, the more impurities it would accumulate. Its purity would fade, and its consciousness would grow increasingly sluggish—until eventually it vanished altogether.
But just then, a young spirit suddenly interjected into their conversation.
"Daniel... Did you just say the City of the Undead's new lord is named Daniel?"
In that instant, many nearby souls began to stir excitedly.
They were all newly-deceased spirits—some of them had perished only days ago in the recent battles against the angels.
Because even the weakest of those angels who had just descended still carried a terrifying level—at least Level 200.
That kind of power was absolutely overwhelming to most races in the multiverse.
Despite the best efforts of many Awakeners, countless civilians were still slaughtered without resistance.
And so these civilians arrived in the Undead Lands, many still dazed and disoriented. And then suddenly, they heard that name—Daniel.
Wait a second...
Why would His Highness Daniel appear in the Undead Lands?
Did that mean... Daniel had died?
No. That couldn't be.
The Daniel in the Undead Lands... surely must be just one of his many avatars.
Chapter258-Mass Resurrection
Among all the countless souls...
There was one whose reaction was completely different from the rest.
Because at that moment, he was utterly dumbfounded.
That's right—it was Charles!
He had only just become a soul after sacrificing his life to summon stellar reinforcements. Yet barely moments after his death, he received a message from Daniel.
Wait, what?
Why was Daniel here?
And even more shockingly—he was going to resurrect all souls?
When did Daniel become the Lord of the City of the Undead?
Hadn't he always been in the real world?
Just two hours ago, they had still been holding a meeting together, discussing how to counter the angels.
How, in the blink of an eye—between a first-class transformation and now—had Daniel become the lord of the City of the Undead?
In truth, Charles had long received the mission from the Luck Goddess.
He simply hadn't told anyone and had mentally prepared himself for death.
From his perspective, as long as he served the Luck Goddess, even dying wasn't a big deal.
Yet what he hadn't expected at all was that right after dying, he would be told by Daniel... that he could come back to life again.
All that psychological preparation he'd done over the years... was it all for nothing?
And yet, despite his astonishment, Charles harbored no doubts about Daniel's message—in fact, he believed in it completely.
Because he knew Daniel well. He was a man who always did what he said.
No matter how implausible the announcement might seem, Charles would choose to trust him without hesitation.
So, without any further thought, Charles stepped onto the teleportation array and set off toward the City of the Undead.
But just as he arrived at the city, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.
At the same time, a gentle blue light enveloped his soul.
Charles felt as if he had returned to the moment of his birth, wrapped in warmth and comfort.
He let out a tired yawn, his body and soul feeling completely at ease.
So sleepy... Maybe I'll just sleep a little...
But just then, a message appeared before his eyes:
[Please select your resurrection location.]
Charles froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Within his field of vision appeared a vast, detailed world map of the Myriad Races.
Thousands of resurrection points dotted the map, each glowing faintly as if to attract his attention.
Then, another message followed:
[Your physical body is intact. Would you like to revive using your original body?]
[Please make your selection quickly. You will be revived at a random location in 10 seconds.]
Charles made his decision after a brief moment of thought:
"I'll revive in the Northern Frontier of the Human Realm."
He had already completed the mission entrusted to him by the god.
Now, his next objective was to complete his Star Upgrade Quest as soon as possible and strengthen himself further.
...
Meanwhile, in the City of the Undead, Daniel was casting one skill after another without any pause between them.
With each use of Mass Resurrection, countless undead were transformed back into living beings.
Most of these souls chose to be reborn at the birthplaces of their own respective races.
"This is the world of the living... I've actually been revived!!"
"It's unbelievable! I can continue my plans now!"
Amidst the ecstatic cries, one Artist looked around at his surroundings.
He hadn't expected that there would even be a resurrection point near Artist City.
But that was a good thing—it made returning to his lab much more convenient, so he could continue his mad experiments.
His eyes glowed with a crazed light. Even after being resurrected, the madness in his mind hadn't diminished in the slightest.
"I'll create even stronger weapons! I will destroy this world completely!!"
But just as he was spiraling into his madness, a flash of sword light streaked through his vision, and his head flew cleanly from his body.
"Seriously... These Artists are out of their minds!"
The one who spoke was a top-tier Awakener, exhaustion visible on his face.
And just like him, many others were stationed around the resurrection points.
This was one of the measures Daniel had arranged when setting up the resurrection system—he knew that not all who returned would be allies.
There would be enemies among the resurrected as well.
The duty of these Awakeners stationed at the revival sites was simple: eliminate the enemies immediately.
Thankfully, these enemies were easy to identify. Most had been twisted by various forces during their undead existence, and upon resurrection, they emerged completely unhinged.
Daniel had no intention of showing mercy to these maniacs.
"The first batch of resurrections is complete. Begin cleansing the mad ones."
No one had anticipated that the first thing awaiting them after resurrection wouldn't be a celebration—but a bloody purge.
Any who were deemed enemies of the Myriad Races were killed on the spot, often before they could even react.
Even those few who narrowly escaped death were stopped before they could leave the resurrection zones.
Because—there was one more step.
"All resurrected individuals, please enter the Gate of Judgment ahead of you. Only by passing judgment will you be granted true rebirth."
"The Gate of Judgment only identifies major crimes, so there's no need to worry."
Upon hearing this broadcast, most of the resurrected souls remained calm.
Only a small fraction suddenly turned pale, trying to flee on instinct.
But the moment they tried to move, the high-level Awakeners outside the gates swiftly struck them down.
This Gate of Judgment was a mind-reading formation created by a team of psychology-specialized Awakeners.
Its function was straightforward—by asking targeted questions, it could determine whether the person in front of it had committed heinous acts.
In addition, Daniel had assigned a group of scholars to match every known historical criminal with those appearing through resurrection.
Though tedious, the work was of the utmost importance to all races.
Because reviving a criminal or a monster could bring untold devastation to any one of them.
Back among the crowd of resurrected individuals, people were already eagerly talking:
"This is amazing! I'm alive again! I'll pass the Gate of Judgment now—I want to go home!"
"Damn... I've been dead for 2,000 years. My home probably doesn't exist anymore, but I still want to see my homeland again!"
"Can I please go through the Gate first? I'm in a hurry!"
"It feels so good to be alive. Thank you, Lord Daniel! It's a shame we'll probably never get to see him again..."
"No matter what, the next time I die, I'll personally thank him!"
Chapter259-A Small Gift
The Continent of Myriad Races was in an uproar around the resurrection point.
Countless newly revived beings were staggering out from the Gate of Judgment, one after another.
After successfully passing through the Gate and undergoing the soul's evaluation, each of them received a Survival Guide, a simple booklet meant to help them adjust to a world they hadn't seen for millennia.
Yet the moment they opened it and saw the current year printed clearly at the top, their expressions were instantly filled with shock and disbelief.
"Wait... I've been dead for that long?"
"I can't believe it... I actually get to see the sun again after two thousand years... But... why does the sky look nothing like what I remember?"
Another resurrected soul tilted his head back, his face twisting in confusion.
"You're right! The sky should be blue, but... why has it become gold and silver?"
"And those winged... people flying in the sky... Are they the so-called angels from the ancient legends? But why are they fighting against the stellar beings?"
The resurrected ones watched the battle in the heavens with slack-jawed awe, unable to process the overwhelming changes in the world around them.
None of them had ever imagined that two thousand years after their death, the world would have transformed into... this.
A portion of the newly revived quickly flipped through the Survival Guide in their hands, eager for answers.
When they reached the second page, a familiar name leaped out at them:
"His Highness Daniel, Emperor of the Myriad Races."
They froze.
"Wait a second... that name... it sounds familiar!"
"Familiar? Of course it's familiar! Don't you remember? The City of the Undead—its lord was also called Daniel!"
The moment this statement was made, every single resurrected being present went silent, stunned into a collective pause.
Something felt terribly, terribly wrong.
"Hold on... how could a living man have entered the Undead Lands?"
Their hands trembled slightly as they hurriedly flipped to the third page, where Daniel's personal record was listed in full.
**"The Great His Highness Daniel, awakened just two days ago.
Upon his awakening, he created the Anygate, subdued the Abyss, and destroyed the Seed of Chaos.
He is both the hero of humanity and the Emperor of the Myriad Races..."**
The entry went on for three or four entire pages, filled with a litany of titles and achievements that had been piled upon him by countless races in just two short days.
The resurrected stared at the text in sheer numbness.
"This... this is an awakener?"
"No way. In our era, even the most peerless geniuses couldn't possibly reach this level of strength!"
"You're telling me he suppressed the Abyss in just two days?! What even is this Abyss you speak of?"
Murmurs and arguments rippled through the crowd, each resurrected being voicing disbelief or confusion as they continued reading.
Then, on the very next page, they realized something far more terrifying.
They noticed the date.
"Wait... today's date... Isn't this the exact time of the Millennial Apocalypse?"
Horrifying realization dawned on their faces.
"Does that mean... those things in the sky... are part of this Apocalypse?"
The Survival Guide quickly confirmed their fears.
Yes, the Millennial Apocalypse was upon them.
And this time, the invaders were none other than the legendary race: the Angels of Gold and Silver.
The brief surge of excitement from their miraculous resurrection drained from their faces, replaced with despair.
"We just got brought back... and now we're supposed to face the Millennial Apocalypse?"
"How the hell are we supposed to survive this?!"
Meanwhile, high above the skies of the continent, the battle between the stellar and the angels had reached a fever pitch.
The heavens were a battlefield of light and fire.
Although the Angels of Gold and Silver were a higher race by birth, their ordinary soldiers were still no match for the ferocity of the stellar.
The weaker angels were utterly incapable of resisting the stellar's assault.
One after another, massive explosions sent wings and golden feathers raining from the sky.
Corpses plummeted to the ground like a macabre storm.
Yet as the angelic ranks faltered, some of the stronger angels finally stepped forward.
Their eyes burned with fanatic devotion, and they began chanting prayers, empowering themselves with the holy force of their deity.
"O Great Goddess of Gold and Silver, grant me your divine power!"
"Die, you abominations!!"
A brilliant beam of golden radiance streaked across the sky, piercing straight through the core of a stellar being.
The stellar were unique existences.
From the moment of their birth, they possessed tremendous power, but they were cursed with no potential for growth.
They would remain exactly as they were until the day they perished.
So even though many stellar fought ferociously, the combined might of the angels began to claim victims.
Several stellar detonated into starlight, leaving nothing but shrapnel in the winds of war.
Still, not a single one of the stellar despaired.
"To roam free for four thousand years... every second was worth it!"
"After being imprisoned for tens of billions of years, I stopped wanting to live long ago. These four thousand years of freedom were more than enough!"
"Killing angels is the least we can do to repay Daniel!"
Even when a stellar faced inevitable death, they would self-destruct—and the resulting explosion was even more devastating than a Primordial Core Weapon.
The weaker angels nearby were shredded instantly, their bodies and wings scattered in bloody mist.
On the battlefield, the expressions of the angelic elites darkened into gloom.
"These damned stellar... and they dare defy us?!"
Among the Angels of Gold and Silver, one figure finally took center stage.
Vinícius.
A high-ranking member of the angelic race, Vinícius was a Level 500 powerhouse, the absolute maximum for any upper race.
Indeed, for upper races like the Angels of Gold and Silver, the level cap was fixed at 500.
And they had already reached this peak four thousand years ago.
In other words, for four millennia, their strength had hardly changed—because they were already standing at the summit.
Vinícius' voice thundered across the battlefield, brimming with cold fanaticism:
"All who dare obstruct the descent of Her Majesty, the Goddess of Gold & Silver, Aurelia, are heretics destined to die!"
"I shall personally send each and every one of you to the depths of hell!"
Six pairs of radiant wings flared behind him, glowing with a dazzling golden light.
His aura rippled like a sun about to go supernova.
Another angel tried to speak reason.
"Vinícius, don't lose yourself to rage. This battlefield is no place for the ordinary angels. Order the lower ranks to withdraw!"
Vinícius hesitated, his jaw tightening—then finally gave a curt nod.
With a single resonant command, he ordered the retreat.
"Faithful of Her Majesty Aurelia, return to the Homeland of the Gods!
Leave these heretical stellar to the Council of Angels!"
As the common angels withdrew, Vinícius raised his massive greatsword high above his head.
Golden runes flared to life along the blade.
[Divine Punishment Descends]!
In the blink of an eye, a colossal column of holy light erupted from the heavens.
Tens of thousands of stellar were pierced simultaneously, disintegrating before they could even self-detonate.
They became nothing but drifting, sparkling dust.
Vinícius gazed upon the carnage with chilling indifference.
"No matter the era... the strong will always remain the strong.
Did you really think these trash stellar could match the true might of the angelic race?
Stellar... are nothing but refuse!"
His arrogance was absolute, his confidence unshaken.
But then—
A playful, mocking voice whispered right next to his ear.
"Do you truly believe... that all stellar are garbage?"
Vinícius' eyes flickered in surprise.
His instinctual reaction was to unleash his mind power, sweeping the battlefield for the intruder...
Nothing.
Not a single trace.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it:
A circular alchemical device, hovering silently behind him, emanating an ominous light.
And along with it... came the words that would chill any warrior's heart:
"Here's a small gift for you."
Chapter260-The Astonished Gnome Race
BOOM!!
The Primordial Core Weapon exploded in an instant—
Not just a single detonation, but one after another in rapid succession!
The deafening blasts shook the heavens, prompting countless beings on the continent below to instinctively raise their heads and look skyward.
In the boundless firmament, a colossal fireball suddenly blossomed, its incandescent glow splitting the sky.
Then came a second... a third...
A chain reaction of fiery suns burst into existence, each surrounded by a field of terrifying, unstable energy.
Under the oppression of that immense power, even the fabric of space began to tremble and distort.
Fortunately, the detonations took place at extreme altitudes, so the shockwaves did not directly scour the land below.
If the explosions had been any lower, the very surface of the Myriad Races Continent might have been obliterated.
As the flames and shockwaves of the Primordial Core Weapon dissipated, Daniel's gaze locked on Vinícius, the high-ranking angel before him.
Just like the last time he faced Mikael, a familiar barrier of divine energy enveloped Vinícius' form.
But Daniel noticed a critical difference:
This time, the barrier was not invincible.
Tiny cracks had already begun to spread across its surface, like fractures in glass under unbearable pressure.
"Such a... powerful attack..."
Vinícius glanced down at his quivering protective shield, his voice carrying equal parts awe and grim acknowledgment.
Then his cold, golden eyes locked onto the human standing before him.
The moment his vision focused and he recognized Daniel's face, Vinícius' pupils contracted sharply.
"Daniel!"
"So, you are here after all..."
"Then there can be no doubt—you are our enemy!"
His roar echoed across the skies, and the brilliance of his six pairs of wings flared once more.
He raised his massive greatsword, its blade now blazing like a miniature sun, and pointed it directly at Daniel.
"It is because of you... you vile creature...
that we, the Angels of Gold and Silver, were barred from following Her Majesty Aurelia into the Divine Realm!"
Seeing Daniel's face had triggered four thousand years of accumulated hatred, hatred that the angel could barely restrain.
Meanwhile, Daniel offered no words in reply.
He simply observed in silence.
At that precise moment, the air around Vinícius was disturbed by an unusual mechanical whirring, like the synchronized turning of countless gears.
Then, from all directions, silhouettes of Primordial Core Weapons appeared, surrounding the angelic powerhouse completely.
This was the Primordial Core Weapon X99 array.
"I wonder..." Daniel's calm voice finally emerged, carrying a hint of cold amusement,
"can you withstand it this time?"
"Goodbye, little angel."
In the next heartbeat, Daniel invoked Flashback and vanished from the battlefield.
Against a Level 500 angel, he had to admit—
The opponent was terrifyingly strong.
Even the mighty Primordial Core Weapon could not guarantee a kill with a single strike.
That divine protective barrier, though cracked, was absurdly durable.
"If one blast isn't enough," Daniel thought,
"then the only problem... is the yield."
When the yield is insufficient, compensate with numbers.
He had already prepared ninety-nine Primordial Core Weapons.
If that still didn't work, he would simply double or triple the bombardment.
To Daniel now, these superweapons were practically disposable consumables.
He could throw as many as he wanted—
The only real concern was whether detonating too many at once might blow up the entire continent along with his enemies.
If that happened... well, that would certainly create a "memorable" incident.
Even so, Daniel hesitated only for a moment before committing.
He still held a sliver of caution, but the enemy needed to die.
High above, the countdown reached zero, and the skies erupted once more in cataclysmic brilliance.
A chain of explosions bloomed into a sea of fire, filling nearly half the visible sky.
To the resurrected veterans who had survived the first Millennial Apocalypse, the sight was horrifyingly familiar—
It was as if Apollo, the Sun himself, had gone mad all over again.
Terrifying.
Absolutely terrifying.
And as Daniel had expected, Vinícius could not survive the combined force of ninety-nine simultaneous Primordial Core Weapon detonations.
When the final fireball dispersed and the gale of destruction faded,
there was not so much as a single speck of ash left behind.
"I have to admit," Daniel mused silently,
"those Artists were insane... but the weapons they created are beyond belief."
If not for the sleepless efforts of those mad inventors,
if not for their obsession with building devices capable of world-ending destruction,
Daniel would never have had such a decisive killing tool in his arsenal.
Meanwhile, across the Interracial Communication Network,
a flood of real-time news about the ongoing Millennial Apocalypse filled every feed.
"Current situation stabilizing:
Total S-rank awakeners across all races now exceeds one billion."
"Breaking:
Number of awakeners above Level 200 surpasses two million, and is rising rapidly."
"Headline:
His Highness Daniel returns in force, delivering a fatal blow to the angelic invasion!"
The headlines scrolled endlessly, each one more surreal than the last.
As more and more resurrected individuals finished reading their Survival Guides,
they logged into the communication network—
and immediately froze in utter disbelief.
"This... this can't be real!"
"A billion S-rank awakeners? That's impossible!"
In their time, S-rank awakeners were the pinnacle of talent,
a rarity across every race in the world.
Even if you gathered the elites of the elves, humans, beastkin, and demons combined,
tens of thousands would have been considered an astonishing total.
Yet now, the network proudly proclaimed: One. Billion.
"This has to be fake news!"
"Then why does it have an official verification stamp...?"
"Someone, please, tell me—
what in the name of the gods happened to this world?!"
The resurrected felt like strangers in their own era.
And among all the newly revived, none were more stunned than the gnomes.
For the gnomes, technology and information networks were practically their own children.
They had designed much of the infrastructure themselves.
Worse, they had only been dead for... two days.
By all logic, nothing in the world should have changed that much.
So why—
Why did everything on the network feel completely unrecognizable?
"S-rank awakeners... one billion...?
Who the hell is writing this nonsense?"
By their calculations, across the entire Myriad Races Continent,
there had barely been tens of thousands of S-rank awakeners.
But now, the number supposedly reached a billion.
Where did they come from?
And then there was the Anygate.
A device capable of ignoring all restrictions, allowing seamless transit across realms.
Even for the brilliant gnomes, this was unthinkable technology.
How had the world advanced so far in just two short days?
Had they resurrected into an entirely different reality?
The Survival Guide provided another shock:
The Void Tower.
"A structure capable of upgrading innate talent?"
The gnomes nearly fainted.
Such a concept had never even existed in their theoretical models.
And then there were the countless new buffs and enhancements,
systems and features that had never existed in the old world.
Not to mention...
"Why in the world are people paying to enter the Abyss?"
"The Abyss is a nightmare zone—we used to avoid it like plague!"
"And now... you're telling me it's a ticketed attraction?!"
The gnomes' minds spun in chaos.
They felt as though the world had abandoned them,
leaving them behind in an era that no longer wanted them.
And then came the final blow:
The reports of the terrifying monsters roaming the continent—
creatures collectively known as New Life.
The aura they radiated was so horrifying that even veteran gnome engineers trembled...
Yet the network insisted:
"These are our own.
They belong to the Myriad Races."
In that instant, the gnomes questioned reality itself.
"Did we miscalculate?
We must have died for two thousand years, not two days..."
Even the recently deceased gnomes—dead for only forty-eight hours—
already felt hopelessly out of sync with the world.
As for the ones who had been dead for centuries or millennia,
they simply could not comprehend anything they saw.
The new era was too alien.
Too fast.
Too terrifying.