For Daniel, killing these so-called Favored was never the difficult part—the true challenge was locating them.
Tracking their movents, identifying their disguises, and predicting their appearances required more than just brute force. It took precision, intelligence, and a wide-reaching information network.
Still, the reward for this particular mission was nothing to scoff at.
A guaranteed God Rank Skill—ranked beyond 80th.
Not bad at all.
The only question was... would the reward include both the skill and its full synthesis recipe with materials?
Daniel considered this for a mont but didn’t dwell on it too much. Compared to acquiring a single God Rank Skill, he was far more interested in the transformation that would co after completing his Star Upgrade Quest.
Still, he had to admit—being awarded a God Rank Skill for just the first phase of the quest was already extraordinarily generous. Typically, early-stage mission rewards were ager at best—ant more as encouragent than true power-ups.
Which begged the question: If the first phase awarded a God Rank Skill ranked in the 80s, what incredible treasures would be granted in the second and third stages?
The thought alone made Daniel’s long-dormant excitent return with renewed intensity.
But first, he had to focus on the task at hand—hunting down the Favored.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t sothing he could afford to do personally. The process would be far too ti-consuming, and his schedule was packed with higher priorities.
So instead, he opted for a more efficient route.
He picked up his communicator and began flipping through his contact list. After a brief search, he selected a particular na and began typing:
"Regarding the royal title matter—would it be possible for us to discuss it face-to-face?"
"I’m currently in Castle Mington. I’ll be available in two hours. I also want to inquire about the whereabouts and details regarding the Favored."
At that very mont, the Human Emperor was en route to Terra Fortress.
Located in the deep southern regions of the human domain, Terra Fortress had once been the crown jewel of all civilizations—a city of unmatched prestige and prosperity. But now, it had gone completely dark.
All communication lost.
Even the Human Emperor himself felt the need to investigate what exactly had occurred.
Yet just as his journey began, he received Daniel’s ssage.
After reading it, he halted his procession.
He had already dispatched an elite team to investigate Terra Fortress. His presence wouldn’t change the outco significantly.
But eting with Daniel, a newly ascended True God’s inheritor—now that was a rare and valuable opportunity.
Truthfully, the Human Emperor had long wanted to speak with Daniel in person.
As for the eting ti—two hours later—that was perfectly acceptable.
He replied without hesitation:
"Understood. We’ll et in Castle Mington in two hours."
"Regarding the Favored, I’ll have my secretary compile all relevant intelligence and deliver it to you during our eting."
The Human Emperor wasn’t at all surprised that Daniel had taken an interest in the Favored.
When one’s strength reached Daniel’s level, it was only natural to begin touching the edge of the divine.
Contrary to common belief, the gods weren’t united.
They had their own factions, rivalries, and secret wars.
More disturbingly, gods and demon lords weren’t always enemies. Their relationship was more complex than opposition. In fact, the Human Emperor knew a terrifying truth:
Before the last millennial apocalypse, a group of gods had joined forces with demon lords to assassinate a reigning God-King.
Clearly, the god backing Daniel was not soone content with stagnation. He had ambition.
Back in Castle Mington, Daniel saw the reply flash across his communicator and nodded slightly.
"Understood. Thank you very much."
He put the device away and glanced at the ti.
00:00. Midnight.
Unknowingly, yet another day had co to a close.
Looking back on everything that had happened, Daniel felt he had achieved quite a lot today. Of course, he had also spent a great deal. Between materials, potions, and divine trades, his resources were thinning out.
His next step would be to replenish his funds and begin gathering the remaining materials required for God Rank Skill synthesis.
He was just about to set off for another underground labyrinth when—
The ground suddenly trembled violently beneath his feet.
An earthquake?
Daniel’s expression shifted as his body staggered from the unexpected jolt. Fortunately, his Agility stat was incredibly high, and he quickly maneuvered to a safe spot.
"What in the world is going on?"
Climbing to a nearby rooftop, Daniel took in the full view of Castle Mington.
Only now did he realize the entire city had been affected by the tremor.
Even the Star Upgrade Hall had visible cracks along its walls. Civilian hos had been shaken to the brink of collapse. So had already fallen, while others leaned dangerously in disarray.
Even the grand avenue at the city’s center showed spidery fractures, splitting the paved stone like a cracked mirror.
Sothing was terribly wrong.
Terra Fortress.
At the stroke of midnight.
From the do-like ceiling above the subterranean city, a cascade of fireworks suddenly erupted into the air.
And at that sa instant, a manic voice echoed across the fortress, blaring from hidden speakers in every direction:
"Art. Beautiful, perfect art!"
"You pitiful mortals are about to witness the greatest masterpiece this world has ever known!"
"Rejoice! You are the lucky few who shall bear witness to a mont of eternal glory!"
"Rember our na! We are—The Artists!"
Grand Scholar Quinn’s expression twisted the mont he heard that cursed na.
He had guessed right.
It was them.
Only those lunatics could conceive of sothing this monstrous.
Frantically, he urged the gnos and all other races present in the fortress to flee at once.
But it was too late.
BOOM!
A deep, thunderous sound erupted from the massive circular steam engine buried in the city’s heart.
In the blink of an eye, a blinding sphere of light appeared at the center of Terra Fortress—like a miniature sun.
The crowd stared, stunned.
"A sun? Down here?"
That was impossible.
Terra Fortress was underground. There shouldn’t be any sunlight.
But before anyone could comprehend the situation, a massive shockwave surged outward.
It moved like a tidal wave of annihilation.
Fortified structures—crafted to endure earthquakes and magical strikes—were shredded like paper mache.
Entire districts collapsed in a heartbeat.
Within seconds, Terra Fortress had been leveled.
And that wasn’t all.
Even those residents who had fled early were not spared.
The shockwave moved faster than sound.
They didn’t even hear the explosion before their bodies were reduced to dust.
Not just the fortress—seven surrounding satellite cities were caught in the blast radius, each one devastated beyond recognition.
Even the land itself, once reinforced by gnomish geo-engineering, crumbled inward.
Their defensive formations, forged over centuries of craftsmanship, didn’t even have ti to activate. The detonation overwheld them instantly.
It was like watching soap bubbles under sunlight—one touch, and they were gone.
The power of destruction ran rampant.
And in just a few short seconds, Terra Fortress had vanished from existence.
Not even a scream remained.
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