NOVEL NEXT Chapter283-Dancer on the Blade's Edge
"Daniel, why do you insist on sabotaging our plans?"
"Four thousand years ago, it was because of you that our Angel of Gold and Silver race failed to ascend alongside Her Majesty Aurelia!"
"You have no idea what we are truly trying to accomplish. Everything we've done—it's all for the salvation of life in this world!"
"It was you! Your foolishness is the reason all beings in this world have suffered endless calamities!"
"Daniel, you are the true enemy of all races!"
The Emperor of Angels roared furiously, his voice thunderous with indignation. Yet on the other side, Daniel's face twisted into a strange, unreadable expression.
Because what he had just confirmed through his Eye of Insight shocked even him—the Emperor wasn't lying.
Everything he had just screamed… was actually the truth.
So what did that mean?
It meant that, in the Emperor's worldview, the only way to "redeem" all life was to purge it—to cleanse every living creature and turn them into obedient slaves of the Angel of Gold and Silver race.
As for those "ugly" races, in his eyes, they simply didn't deserve to exist.
The angels, as always, stood tall and proud, regarding themselves as superior. Never once did they consider the actual desires, struggles, or perspectives of the other races.
To Daniel, such an ideology was irredeemable.
He didn't need to say more.
Their paths, their beliefs, were fundamentally incompatible.
There was no common ground.
"Emperor of Angels," Daniel said flatly, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade, "save your high-minded rhetoric."
"The fate of the myriad races should be determined by themselves."
"What gives your Angel of Gold and Silver race the right to decide the life or death of other species?"
"This world belongs to all races, not just to you. And it certainly doesn't need your so-called salvation."
"Let's call it what it really is—invasion."
The moment the words left his lips, Daniel launched his attack.
In the blink of an eye, countless daggers materialized around the Emperor of Angels.
Concealed by the effects of the Mist, his Spirit of Skills had remained hidden—until now.
It was time to strike.
Sensing the incoming danger, the Emperor instantly raised his guard. Six wings unfolded from his back and wrapped around him like an unbreakable cocoon.
When fighting Daniel, one could never be too careful.
Even if he didn't look overwhelmingly strong, this was the man who had survived a god's attack. That alone warranted maximum caution.
He understood the old saying well: Better safe than sorry.
In a flash, the daggers summoned by Mind Hunt slammed into the Emperor's shields.
A crisp, continuous clashing sound echoed in the air.
It had to be said—the Emperor of Angels was far stronger than Michael had been back in the day.
Daniel's current attacks couldn't even break through the first layer of his defenses.
But then again, the Emperor had over ten thousand defensive layers surrounding him!
Seeing that, Daniel's eyes widened in disbelief.
What the hell? Are all these angelic bastards secretly turtles? Why is their shell so damn thick?
I'm just a harmless little Level 100 awakener, and you're casting more shields than there are stars in the sky? Isn't that overkill?!
Meanwhile, the Emperor of Angels was just as stunned.
Wait a second…
Why are Daniel's attacks so weak?
They weren't just underwhelming—some of them barely even registered!
The nearby Archangels were beginning to notice it too.
None of them intervened. For now, they simply observed the duel in silence.
The battle was intense, the attack frequency absurdly high, but the actual damage being dealt? Virtually zero.
Every time the Emperor struck, Daniel would instantly dodge by using Flashback.
It was like trying to hit a mosquito with a cannon—but this mosquito could teleport!
How were they supposed to land a hit?
After experiencing god's terrifying assault, Daniel had learned his lesson.
He no longer took risks.
If he could dodge, he would dodge.
Only if he had absolutely no other choice would he even consider taking a hit head-on.
Seeing their Emperor's attacks fail repeatedly, the surrounding Archangels could no longer remain idle.
One after another, they unleashed their powers toward Daniel.
Among them, the Judgment Angel, who was in charge of punishment, acted decisively.
Chains of divine energy shot toward Daniel, seeking to bind him completely.
Seeing the ambush closing in, Daniel immediately activated Flashback again, vanishing from the spot and relocating to a safer place.
But just as he appeared at his new location—
A blade gleamed in the shadows.
The Wise Angel, who had remained silent all this time, moved at last.
He struck with surgical precision at Daniel's back, aiming for a fatal blow.
The truth was—he had long ago predicted where Daniel would appear.
He had been waiting.
And the moment Daniel showed up, he attacked—giving him no time to react.
Faced with an unavoidable strike, Daniel didn't hesitate.
He triggered the God Rank Skill: Time Stream, rewinding himself to the moment before he used Flashback—and chose a new location entirely.
But even that wasn't enough.
Before he could recover, he was entangled by another foe—an armored angel who struck without warning.
These Archangels were Level 500.
Their base stats were astronomical compared to Daniel's.
Despite the broken utility of Flashback, the Sea of Resurrection was still a finite space.
And within the Divine Realm, the Archangels had the ability to teleport at will.
After several quick jumps, Daniel was finally caught mid-transition.
The one who struck him?
Vinicius—his old rival.
This blow was devastating.
Daniel's health bar dropped by more than half from a single hit.
His face turned pale.
There was no sugarcoating it—fighting opponents 400 levels above you was a monumental challenge.
It wasn't just hard.
It was borderline impossible.
All the HP he had so painstakingly stacked up over time… gone in an instant.
I really need to level up… fast.
That was the only thought in Daniel's mind as he once again activated Flashback.
But this time, things had worsened.
Seven Archangels had surrounded him completely.
No matter where he teleported, they were right there, waiting.
There was now only one way out—he had to leave the Divine Realm.
But if he left, how would he defeat the Emperor of Angels?
He didn't want to retreat.
So once more, Daniel activated Time Stream, returning to the moment before Vinicius had struck him—and narrowly dodging the blow.
It was this tactic alone—this constant manipulation of time—that allowed him to barely stay alive.
Yet what shocked the Archangels was not his survival.
It was that Daniel was surviving at all.
Even within the Divine Realm, even against enemies hundreds of levels above him…
He kept dodging.
He kept escaping.
He kept dancing—on the blade's edge.
And they couldn't believe it.
No matter how many coordinated strikes they launched… Daniel always found a way out.