NOVEL NEXT Chapter381-Returning to the Castle
After feeling the changes within himself, Daniel turned his attention to the second phase of the quest.
[Phase 2 Quest Objective: Kill a Fake God who has fully completed the ceremony.]
[Quest Reward: Level cap increased to 300, God Rank Skill Compendium, 20th God Rank Skill.]
Upon reading this, Daniel paused for a moment.
"Can't say this quest is really giving me any leeway," he muttered.
Daniel scratched his chin with a resigned look on his face. Right now, he was at level 250 and was still only at Demigod Rank. He hadn't yet unlocked the ability to advance to Demigod Rank, yet the Star Upgrade Quest was demanding he kill a Fake God.
The catch wasn't just any Fake God—it had to be one who had completed all the ceremonies, a peak Fake God who was just a step away from Demigod Rank!
"I have to admit, this quest is pretty over-the-top," Daniel mused, shaking his head in disbelief.
Daniel used Flashback, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself on the Storm Sea.
However, the familiar castle from his memories had completely vanished.
At this moment, Daniel felt an odd sense of spatial confusion, likely from using Time Stream so many times.
After all, the time he had spent in the castle had far exceeded his time in the real world. So, it was impossible for him not to feel some nostalgia.
But Daniel knew well and remained calm. After all, he was a part of this era and, more importantly, the Human Emperor of this time.
Aurelia!
Suddenly, Daniel recalled his conversation with Aurelia. Perhaps it was because of their past relationship that Aurelia hadn't acted against him back then.
But he still wondered whether Aurelia could truly affect this world.
And what limitations did Luck Goddess Luke have on her?
These were questions Daniel couldn't answer for certain, at least not in this era.
He had no intention of using Time Stream to go back to the moment he had met Aurelia. Confronting a god was still a massive pressure for Daniel.
Just as he was about to leave, a small island appeared before his eyes.
In the center of this island, a familiar castle appeared in his line of sight, as if this forgotten corner of the world had suddenly been rediscovered.
"The Mist... was all of this your doing?" Daniel thought to himself.
He knew full well that only a true god, one with mastery over the domain of secrets, could shield his perception.
Without hesitation, Daniel appeared near the castle.
This place still looked similar to how it was 15,000 years ago, except for the disappearance of the Life Elder Tree.
As for where the Life Elder Tree had gone, Daniel only had to look up to see the World Tree in the distance.
At this moment, the castle was entirely empty.
Although he had been standing here just minutes ago, returning now was like stepping into the future—15,000 years later.
The passage of time felt overwhelming, and Daniel felt an indescribable sense of emptiness wash over him.
On the long table inside the castle, Daniel found four letters.
Despite the seals on them, he was able to open them with ease. It was clear these letters were meant for him.
[Crossbridge, how are you? Kartora said you would come back to see us. But I couldn't wait for you because I've reached Demigod Rank. I'm leaving now.]
The second letter was from a later time.
[Luke and Aurelia had a battle. I'm not sure what caused it, but it seems they were trying to kill each other. I don't know what to do. I tried to stop them, but after that battle, Aurelia left. Luke wouldn't tell me why they fought.]
[Crossbridge, I don't know why things turned out like this. Even though I've reached Demigod Rank, I still can't help with anything.]
[I really wish you were here. If you were, I'm sure you would know what to do.]
The third letter was from an even later time.
[Crossbridge, I've reached god rank now. How are you?]
[I'm leaving now. There are things I have to do. I must stop Aurelia.]
The fourth letter made Daniel frown.
[I am...]
[Now I've become a god.]
[Crossbridge, hurry to... be careful of the inner god. Also, open my room.]
What was all this about?
Daniel rubbed his forehead, his mind drifting back to the moments with Luna.
But what troubled him most was the last letter.
What was the Mist trying to make him do? Why were so many important details obscured?
Yet, despite the confusion, this last letter still provided a vital clue.
Be careful of the inner god!
But was this warning too early for him now?
Forget the inner god—right now, even if a Demigod Rank appeared, Daniel would still have to use Time Stream to find a way to resolve it.
And from the information Daniel had gathered so far, the power of the inner god seemed to surpass even that of a god!
But… "open my room?"
Daniel narrowed his eyes, new thoughts forming in his mind.
After putting the letters away, Daniel turned to look at the other side of the long table.
Besides the letters, something else had been left behind.
[Lucky Clover]
[Effect: Increases luck value to 11 points.]
[Current Status: Time locked.]
It was clear that this was Kartora's creation. She had used her ability to fix this lucky clover in place.
This was a gift from her and the others.
Without hesitation, Daniel used the lucky clover, and his luck value immediately reached 11 points.
Additionally, Daniel found an old-looking hourglass. This, too, had been left by Kartora.
[Broken Hourglass]
[Effect: Can reset the release time of a domain three times.]
Kartora truly was a thoughtful one.
Daniel muttered under his breath, then stood up and headed toward the Mist's room.
Previously, the Mist had often been overlooked, so Daniel had never visited her room.
A quiet and reserved girl, she had become even more forgettable because of the Mist.
As Daniel thought about this, he appeared in front of the Mist's room door. At that moment, a thick, faint gray mist enveloped the door!