Chapter 148: More Powers
[: 3rd POV :]
As the stars shimmered faintly above him, their lights reflected on the assortment of treasures laid out before him.
Each reward pulsed faintly, radiating colours beyond mortal comprehension.
He exhaled slowly.
"So... these are the rewards, huh?"
He crouched down and ran his fingers across the first object, a crystalline shard that seemed to contain entire universes within.
[: Divine Shard :]
- A necessity and key material to unlock Divine Essence for a Being to become a Divinity after surpassing the Mythic Rank.
It looked almost delicate, a sliver of translucent brilliance, so small yet impossibly heavy.
He felt its presence tugging at his soul, a whisper resonating deep in his consciousness.
He picked it up carefully, turning it between his fingers.
It refracted light into thousands of spectral threads, each one singing with divine resonance.
As soon as his skin touched it, he felt something stir.
His heartbeat slowed, his breath became still. It was as though the universe itself held its breath with him.
He closed his eyes.
Warmth spread through his palm, crawling up his arm like threads of light weaving into his veins.
"Divine Shard..." Daniel repeated softly, rolling the translucent crystal in his palm.
It wasn’t merely an item; it was a piece of divinity itself.
"System," he said, narrowing his eyes, "the reason why there are no beings above the Mythic Rank on this planet... is it because this planet itself is a low-tier world?"
[: That’s right, Host. :]
[: In order for this planet to ascend from a low-tier to a mid-tier world, certain requirements must be fulfilled. :]
Daniel’s brows furrowed.
"Requirements?"
[: The planet itself, long ago, was eligible to evolve. However, it was sealed. Its connection to the Will of the Universe was severed. :]
[: Only recently has that connection begun to heal. :]
"So, what’s stopping it from evolving now?"
Daniel pressed, staring out through the balcony toward the vast continent beyond.
[: The Spirit of this planet, its consciousness, is wounded. The battles, the corruption, and the invasion of higher entities have torn at its soul. It needs time to heal. :]
Daniel’s expression softened.
"So even worlds can suffer."
He looked at the Divine Shard again, a small, fragile-looking crystal that could open the path to Divinity.
Yet now he understood... it wasn’t time.
"Then, I guess this one’s not for me to use yet."
He closed his palm and stored the shard in his inventory.
"I’ll wait until the world is ready."
Next came the Mythical Essence, a vial filled with liquid that shimmered like molten galaxies.
[: Mythical Essence :]
- An essence that consolidates your entire existence, from your stats to your bloodline and abilities. It may trigger an evolution beyond comprehension.
He uncorked it, and the scent alone made his head light, ancient, clean, like the first breath after creation.
"Guess there’s no harm in trying," Daniel muttered softly, then drank.
The moment it entered his body, silence fell.
His vision faded into a boundless void.
He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, yet he wasn’t suffocating.
Instead, he felt everything.
His bloodlines, his mana circuits, his powers, all pulsed together in perfect harmony.
Then it began.
A calm ripple spread outward from his core.
His skin glowed faintly, etched with intricate symbols that appeared and vanished like ripples on water.
His bones resonated like living crystal, his heartbeats echoed like thunder.
The sensation was not pain; it was transcendence.
His body wasn’t evolving; it was refining.
He could feel his strength folding in on itself, condensing, multiplying, then stabilising into perfect equilibrium.
Every trace of wasted energy, every imperfection, every instability, gone.
He opened his eyes slowly, and for an instant, reality trembled.
The world around him flickered between states, colour and void, time and stillness — and then settled once more.
Daniel exhaled, watching faint steam escape from his lips.
His body felt lighter, yet infinitely stronger.
His heartbeat alone sent ripples through the air.
"So this is what it means to consolidate everything..."
He flexed his hand, the air distorted with a faint hum, space itself trembling with his motion.
"It feels... divine."
He smiled faintly, almost disbelieving.
"I didn’t expect this much from a single vial."
[: Due to the effects of Mythical Essence, all of your stats have reached 1 Quadrillion. :]
[: Additionally, the 2nd Form for each of your powers has been unlocked. :]
Daniel’s eyes widened. "All... of them?"
He clenched his fist, the air around his hand warping like heat waves.
He recalled the devastation his first forms had already caused.
"If the first form already destroyed continents..." he whispered. "...then what would the second form do?"
His heart raced.
It was terrifying and exhilarating.
"I suppose," he said softly, "if I ever have to use them... it’ll mean something far worse than war is coming."
He sat down, closing his eyes to steady the flood of energy within him.
Next, he reached for an orb that glowed with soft, golden radiance.
It pulsed rhythmically, almost like it was alive.
[: Fragment of Light :]
The orb’s surface rippled as his fingers approached.
Warmth, gentle, familiar, brushed his skin.
It reminded him of the warmth of his mother’s touch, of Rika’s laughter, of sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
He let it rest on his palm.
"Light, huh? You and I... are usually on opposite sides."
He chuckled softly.
"Let’s see if you can handle me."
The orb dissolved in a burst of golden mist, and light surged into his body, blinding, pure, sacred.
His chest glowed with radiance, and for a heartbeat, his Void essence flared in response, dark and bottomless.
Two opposing forces collided within him, Light and Void, yet neither devoured the other.
Instead, they intertwined.
Black and gold veins formed patterns across his arms, glowing faintly before vanishing beneath his skin.
The air around him shimmered, part illuminated, part devoured.
A paradox made flesh.
He could feel balance inside him, something ancient yet new.
"Light and Void in harmony..." he whispered.
"Who would’ve thought?"
[: Congratulations, you have consumed Fragment of Light and have obtained the effects :]
[: You have gained Authority of Light, Warrior of Light, Element of Light, Pillar of Brilliance, and due to your bloodline, the Fragment of Light has resonated and has given you, Ecliptic Nihility :]
His gaze moved to the next object, a glowing violet shard pulsating like a heart.
[: Shard of Mana Essence :]
It hummed faintly, each pulse resonating with the mana veins of the entire world.
Daniel could feel the call, every drop of mana in the air responding to its presence.
When he absorbed it, the world itself reacted.
The magic in the atmosphere thickened instantly, swirling around him.
His mana core expanded, not by size, but by depth.
It no longer felt like a container. Instead, it became a living, infinite current.
He gasped softly.
Mana flowed through his body like liquid lightning, calm, obedient, yet immeasurably vast.
It wasn’t just power anymore; it was dominion.
[: Congratulations, your mana has increased tremendously and has granted you ’Mana Authority,’ granting you dominion over all lesser mana flows. :]
Daniel grinned faintly. "Dominion over mana itself, huh? I could get used to that."
He raised his hand, the lights of the palace dimmed, as though reality itself paused to listen.
He clenched his fist, and the magic returned to normal, following his will perfectly.
He laughed quietly.
"So this is what real control feels like."
The next item was a translucent blue crystal, the Crystal of Water.
When he held it, his breath fogged, and droplets began forming in the air, responding instinctively to his presence.
He pressed the crystal to his chest and allowed it to merge.
The sensation was... peaceful.
Water flowed through him, not physically, but spiritually.
His heartbeat synchronised with the rhythm of the tides, his blood carrying the calm persistence of the ocean.
His body grew colder, but not lifeless; instead, it felt alive.
Then, without realising it, he moved his hand.
Water droplets gathered from the very air, forming into a thin veil around him before dispersing gently.
The faint mist that followed wrapped him like a soft aura.
[: Congratulations, your affinity toward the Element of Water has reached the ultimate level, and you have gained a passive ability: ’Hydra’s Serenity’ — automatic restoration through water molecules and the ability to regenerate limbs through moisture. :]
He smiled faintly.
"Hydra’s serenity... huh? So this is the blessing of water."
He could sense it; wounds could be healed instantly with moisture, and fatigue could be cleansed by the flow of water itself.
His vitality had grown immeasurably.
The last object was the most ominous.
The Crystallised Blood of a Fallen Saint.
It pulsed faintly, whispering hymns of sorrow.
The air around it was heavy, sacred, as though mourning itself had taken form.
Daniel looked at it quietly.
He pressed the crystal to his heart.
The blood melted into him like liquid flame, burning through his veins with holy heat.
His breath caught; light and agony fused in every cell.
For a moment, he saw visions: a battlefield of angels, a dying Saint raising his hand toward the heavens, and a tear of light falling into oblivion.
And then, silence.
When Daniel opened his eyes again, faint golden patterns had formed along his skin.
His body felt lighter, stronger.
His heartbeat carried a divine rhythm, one that healed wounds before they could even form.
But there was something else, a warmth in his soul, radiant and pure.
The Saint’s essence hadn’t vanished; it had become one with him.
[: Congratulations, you have absorbed the blood of a fallen saint and have gained the following skills :]
- Saint’s Requiem
- The Heavenfall Effect
- The Birth of Blasphemy
- The Blinding Sin
- Epitaph of the Saint
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