Reborn with Infinity Skill Points, I Enslaved All Universes

After listening to her account, Daniel finally began to piece together the broader context of events.

It was ironic—something the human race had always regarded as a looming threat, the abyss, had in fact been created to protect them. What's more, its very existence was part of the gods' grand design.

For a long while, Daniel remained silent. Then, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked in a measured tone:

"In this grand plan… did you also have a hand in laying down its foundations?"

At the question, the blurred woman before him curved her lips into a faint, ambiguous smile. Her features were indistinct now, but through that smile Daniel could still feel a trace of hidden meaning.

"And who can say such things with certainty?" she replied softly.

"Besides, even if I laid out some pieces on the board, how could they compare to your arrangements, Crossbridge?

Among all of us, whose layout has ever been broader, or more enduring, than yours?

And more importantly—how do you know that our layouts are not, in fact, merely parts of your own layout?"

Daniel lifted a hand to rub his brow, a faint ache stirring behind his eyes. Her words were deliberately convoluted, yet their underlying meaning was clear enough.

If he could traverse timelines, then it stood to reason that versions of himself from the future might also leave behind preparations, shaping events in ways even his present self could not foresee.

"At the very least, that proves I live long enough to reach the future," he muttered.

Her voice, cool and resonant, drifted back:

"Not necessarily. Layouts do not always need the living to sustain them. Even in death, one may leave behind threads, snares, and contingencies."

Daniel conversed with her while simultaneously activating Mental Deduction, running countless simulations and calculations within his mind. Every possibility was weighed, every outcome tested against reason.

At last, he turned to the question that had weighed heavily on him.

"Luna once told me she would stop Aurelia. Tell me, what did Aurelia do? Why did your bond fracture into enmity?"

At his words, the indistinct figure flickered sharply, her form stuttering as if caught in interference. Clearly, she did not wish to discuss the matter.

But after a pause, she began to speak, her tone reluctant yet resigned:

"You must have heard that the Origin Land was destroyed once before."

"Only after we reached the Demigod Rank did we learn the truth—that this destruction was tied to the key for ascending to godhood."

"This revelation came in the years after you left…"

Her voice faltered. Interference was corrupting her message, blotting out pieces of information. Many of her words never reached Daniel at all.

Recognizing this, Daniel raised his hand and cut her off gently. From his storage, he withdrew paper and a pen, offering them forward.

"If you cannot speak of it directly, then perhaps you could try writing it down?"

She hesitated, then accepted the pen and paper, carefully writing out the things she wished to reveal.

But the moment her words appeared upon the page, the ink dissolved. Every line vanished as though devoured by an unseen force.

Daniel's lips twitched involuntarily. This was clearly the work of restrictive rules—boundaries that refused to allow such truths to be expressed.

For a fleeting moment he considered whether another messenger might succeed in transmitting the information. But almost as quickly, the thought died.

No. If it were someone else, they might not even have been able to say this much. The fact that he had received fragments already meant that he was uniquely positioned to be entrusted with them.

The indistinct figure continued in a faltering voice:

"…A god made a move. A near-total manifestation of divine power—of blood and…"

"…the god of blood and flesh…"

"At that time, all of us except Luna had reached Demigod Rank. And yet even with every Demigod together, we could not resist the destruction unleashed by a true god."

"Aurelia as well…"

Her words trailed into static.

Now Daniel could no longer distinguish any meaning at all. Each sound was like a jagged shard piercing his skull. He even felt that if he forced himself to listen longer, his very head might burst apart.

Sensing the strain upon him, she abruptly cut herself off. The distortion faded, and silence reclaimed the abyss.

She sighed lightly.

"Forget it. There's little point in speaking further. It cannot be conveyed."

Her faint smile returned, tinged with helplessness.

"It is not that I wish to keep secrets from you. But there are others who will not permit me to pass this message on. The one who blocks me is likely…"

Her words broke off, but the implication was plain.

"What I have told you, these few fragments, are shared only in confidence. Only here, in this hidden place, could I say even this much."

Daniel inclined his head, accepting her explanation.

"I understand. I can see the difficulties you face. Is there anything else you need to entrust to me?"

Without wasting another word, she raised her hand. A crystal fell into Daniel's palm. It was dense and hard, yet to his shock, it was alive—squirming faintly, pulsing like a heart.

**"This is the key to the abyss. I entrust it to you. With it, you may choose another place to establish an abyss.

But remember: if you shift the abyss beyond the Origin Land, then the Origin Land will automatically revert to its original state."**

Daniel studied the strange mana stone, its form shifting and writhing, impossible to categorize. It was a wholly alien thing, utterly incomprehensible.

Only the great resilience of his soul allowed him to hold it without being overwhelmed.

At that moment, the blurred woman shuddered as though struck by waves of interference. Her body grew translucent, flickering, unraveling.

"It is time to say goodbye."

And in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Her figure dissolved into nothing, and Daniel found himself alone in the abyssal depths.

A cold sweat ran down his back.

The unease in his chest deepened. That had been a god—yet even she had appeared unstable, almost as though she was unraveling or slipping out of control.

If such beings could falter, what hope did lesser ones have?

Drawing in a long breath, Daniel steadied himself, exhaling slowly until his racing heart grew calm again.

Whatever else, this trip had not been wasted. He had obtained valuable information, if only in fragments, and he had received the abyss's key.

That alone made the journey worthwhile.

Turning his gaze outward, he began to observe his surroundings more carefully.

The place was unlike anything else—an exterior world, a strange domain. He had entered through a door, but now that he sought an exit, no portal was to be found.

Daniel's lips twitched. Clearly, the other party trusted him enough to leave him stranded, confident he could find his own way out.

Without hesitation, Daniel summoned the Tree of Faith, opening a connection through its roots. In the next instant, he employed Flashback and pulled himself away from that hidden place.

He did not return to the Myriad-Race Continent.

Instead, he materialized within the abyss itself—standing face-to-face with its sovereign, Malkar, Emperor of the Abyss.

Daniel's eyes gleamed with purpose.

"Malkar," he said evenly, "there is something I need to ask you."