NOVEL NEXT Chapter292-The Star Upgrade Hall
The Demon Dragon Nidhogg was not accustomed to feeling fear. Yet now, a heavy unease coiled deep in his chest.
The sun, Apollo—that was a name that carried weight even among the most ancient of beings. A force so immense that even Nidhogg himself, a creature whose very name struck terror into continents, would think twice before becoming its enemy.
But Daniel had just told him, without hesitation, that Apollo would be their next opponent.
And worse—this would not be a distant battle. The sun, Daniel said, would rise soon.
That meant… the Emperor of Angels they had just slain had not been the final boss at all.
On the other side, Milla, noticing how tense the great black dragon was, reached out and patted his massive, scaled shoulder lightly.
"Relax," Milla said with a faint smile, his tone calm to the point of nonchalance. "There's no need to worry. This little problem is already well within our ability to handle."
The casual way he said it made the contrast between his words and Nidhogg's anxiety all the more stark.
After that, Milla turned his head toward Daniel, who stood a short distance away.
"Dark Star—Jarvan—you've met him already, right?"
Daniel gave a small nod.
"Yes. I've met him. There's no problem there."
Milla didn't press further. The plan for dealing with Apollo had been his idea in the first place, and it was Milla who had shared the details with Jarvan. There was nothing more to clarify.
But Nidhogg still wasn't reassured. Watching the two of them speak so casually about fighting the sun made his scales prickle.
"Are you certain there won't be a problem? That's the sun we're talking about!"
The dragon's voice was a low rumble, but there was an edge to it. Apollo's level, his realm of existence, was far above theirs—above almost anyone's. The sheer scale of difference between them was so great it was absurd to even compare.
Nidhogg had never imagined that one day he would find himself preparing to battle the sun itself.
Milla, however, was the very image of composure. Instead of answering with more words, he simply gave the dragon's leg a friendly pat, his palm tapping the thick plate of scale armor on Nidhogg's knee.
"Trust me," Milla said, his tone warm but unwavering. "It's fine. Everything is under control."
Then, turning back toward Daniel, he added,
"Lord Daniel, I have something for you. This is part of a divine arrangement. The great Luck Goddess herself instructed me that the next time I met you, I was to pass these on to you."
As he spoke, Milla reached into the personal storage space that functioned as his backpack. One by one, he drew out three distinct items and held them out in both hands toward Daniel.
[Bracelet of the Luck Goddess]
[Hair of the Moon Goddess]
[Gift of the Mist Goddess]
After presenting them, Milla's lips curved into a small, almost wistful smile.
"You know," he said, "I've been keeping these safe for over a thousand years. Today, I finally have the chance to personally place them in your hands. That's… quite a heavy responsibility, when you think about it."
Daniel accepted the three items carefully, his own expression taking on a rare solemnity.
Through the Eye of Insight, he could sense it immediately—these were no ordinary treasures. Each one radiated the unmistakable essence of divinity, their surfaces almost humming with restrained, terrifying power.
"Moon Goddess Luna… Mist Goddess… and Luck Goddess," Daniel murmured.
The connection between them seemed clear—they belonged to the same camp. Allies, perhaps even sisters in divinity.
If that were the case, what of the other gods? Were they part of a rival faction?
It was impossible to know for certain yet. The information he had gathered so far was far from sufficient to draw firm conclusions.
But there was one thing Daniel knew beyond doubt: the Goddess of Gold & Silver Aurelia and the Luck Goddess stood on opposite sides of the great divine divide.
When there are too many unanswered questions, the simplest method is to ask someone who might know more. And who better than Milla, standing right in front of him?
"Can you tell me," Daniel asked directly, "why the Luck Goddess wanted to give me these things?"
Milla shook his head slightly.
"The will of the gods is not something we devotees can question. Our role is simply to obey. I am merely fulfilling the command I was given."
After a pause, he added with a faint glimmer in his eyes,
"Still… I have a feeling that once this task is complete, I will be closer than ever to stepping onto the path of the Fake God."
Daniel didn't push the matter further. He stored the three divine relics in his own spatial inventory, making a mental note of their potential significance.
His gaze then shifted to the prisoners who remained nearby.
"All right, I understand. What are your plans from here?"
These were people—no, beings—who had been confined for far too long. After their release, they had been immediately swept into a titanic battle. Now, for the first time in ages, they stood in relative peace.
It was only natural that they would wish to savor the taste of freedom.
"Lord Daniel," one of them said, "we plan to wander for a while—to feel what it is to be free again."
Daniel inclined his head.
That was fine. The Angel of Gold and Silver race was broken. All their elite combat power had been destroyed.
With the Sea of Resurrection gone, there would be no revivals.
The remnants were nothing but small fry—easy enough to deal with. Daniel had no intention of wasting his own effort on them. Instead, he would leave them as live targets for the awakeners of the myriad races.
After all, fighting against a higher race, especially one of high level, was an irreplaceable training experience.
With that decision made, Daniel turned to Milla.
"Milla, open a portal for them. Let them leave the Divine Realm."
Then he added a firm reminder:
"Now that all the races are under my protection, I ask that you do not harm them."
The prisoners nodded. With their level of strength, they had no interest in bullying the weak. And to harm someone who was under Daniel's protection was not only foolish—it was dangerous in the extreme. No one here was stupid enough to take that risk.
One by one, under Daniel's farewell gaze, the freed prisoners stepped through the portal and vanished into the world of the myriad races.
Daniel himself did not linger. Without ceremony, he activated the skill Flashback and disappeared from the spot.
Northern Frontier of the Human Empire – Winterhold Castle
A ripple of light heralded Daniel's arrival in the Star Upgrade Hall.
The place was bustling—more lively than he had ever seen it. The air buzzed with voices, laughter, and the sound of boots on polished floors.
A great tide of new awakeners was surging upward in power at a staggering pace. It was as though someone had strapped rockets to their growth. In mere hours, they could reach maximum level, then immediately accept a new Star Upgrade Quest.
Through trial and error, these newcomers had already discovered an important truth:
Even if your talent had the potential to advance to a higher rank, it was better not to rush into the Void Tower to complete the advancement task right away.
Why? Because once your talent evolved, your Star Upgrade Quests would grow significantly more difficult.
And for most awakeners, a harder Star Upgrade Quest meant a much higher risk of death.
So someone had devised a different strategy:
Ignore talent advancement for now. Focus entirely on leveling up as quickly as possible. Reach maximum level in the shortest possible time.
At max level, you wouldn't just have raw power—you'd also have invaluable combat experience.
Then, and only then, tackle the talent advancement quest. By that point, your strength would be greater, your skills sharper, and the danger would be reduced considerably.
The result was a Star Upgrade Hall that throbbed with energy—not just from the excitement of high-level veterans, but from the eagerness of fresh recruits.
They were all striving toward the same goal: becoming stronger.
That, more than anything, explained why the hall was packed shoulder-to-shoulder.
To Daniel, however, the size of the crowd mattered little. He had a privilege that made it irrelevant—he could access a private reception room whenever he wished.
That privilege had been something he'd deliberately arranged with the Human Emperor, ensuring that when he was working on a Star Upgrade Quest, no one could disturb him.