As Daniel stood before the Lord of 5 Elements, the god-king’s expression shifted from arrogance to dread.
The moment he realized the magnitude of Daniel’s power, a chilling thought crept into his mind—escape was no longer an option. No matter how much he tried, he found himself completely unable to flee.
Cornered, the Lord of 5 Elements did what any powerful being would: he attacked the most visible threat—Daniel.
Yet, to his utter disbelief, the god-king was effortlessly subdued.
Two casual strikes from Daniel were enough to leave him dazed and humiliated.
A god-king, brought low in the Mortal Realm?
It was unthinkable.
“Impossible,” the Lord of 5 Elements murmured, staring at Daniel with wide eyes. “How… can someone this strong exist in the Mortal Realm? I am a god-king! This shouldn’t be happening…”
But the reality of the situation left no room for doubt.
Daniel’s overwhelming power forced the god-king to confront a truth he had never considered before—that death could come for him even here.
From Daniel, he could feel the distinct aura of mortality intertwined with absolute dominion.
It was a stark reminder: if he failed to provide satisfactory answers, Daniel would not hesitate to kill him. And worse, Daniel clearly had the means to do so.
“Let me guess,” Daniel said, breaking the tense silence. “The trap set for me in the Sacred Time River—that was your doing, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” the Lord of 5 Elements admitted, his tone subdued. “That was me.”
He hesitated briefly but continued, sensing that honesty was his only way to survive. “When I was observing the Mortal Realm, I noticed something unusual. At some point, the boundaries of this realm became… obscured. It was unprecedented, so I investigated. Unable to enter the Mortal Realm directly, I placed a trap in the Sacred Time River, hoping it would resolve the anomaly.”
The god-king’s words revealed a subtle shift in demeanor.
His arrogance was replaced by humility, even fear. He no longer referred to himself with grandeur, opting instead for a more deferential tone.
“The trap had two purposes,” he explained. “If you were caught in it, you would no longer be able to interfere with my plans. And if you managed to escape, it would mean you possessed power far beyond the limits of this world, making you incapable of further disrupting my designs.”
The Lord of 5 Elements had planned meticulously, accounting for every possible outcome—or so he thought.
What he hadn’t anticipated was Daniel’s unique advantage: the ability to forge artifacts like the Ring of Origin, which allowed him to integrate seamlessly into the world’s fabric.
This unforeseen variable had unraveled the god-king’s carefully laid schemes.
“Since that’s the case,” Daniel said, his voice laced with barely contained fury, “let’s settle old and new grievances together.”
The chilling intent in Daniel’s eyes left no room for misinterpretation.
The god-king had not only set a trap for him but had also threatened the very world Daniel had sworn to protect.
If not for Daniel obtaining the forging method from the Dragonscale Bank, he might never have returned to the Main World.
The thought of what could have been filled Daniel with cold rage.
Sensing Daniel’s murderous intent, the Lord of 5 Elements panicked.
“Wait!” he pleaded, his voice trembling. “I know secrets about this world—its uniqueness, its hidden truths!”
Daniel paused, his curiosity momentarily overriding his desire for vengeance.
The serpent had mentioned the world’s exceptional nature before, but the specifics had remained elusive. “Go on,” he said coldly.
The god-king nodded rapidly, eager to prove his value. “This discovery wasn’t mine alone. I learned of it during a conversation with another god-king. This world… it’s shrouded in an unusual energy. Even from the God Realm, it stood out as different, as though it were encased in something unnatural.”
He hesitated, sweat forming on his brow, before continuing. “That god-king told me that many terrifying entities monitor worlds like this—those capable of ascension.”
“Ascension?” Daniel’s gaze sharpened.
“Yes,” the god-king stammered. “Just as a mage ascends from the Mortal Realm to the God Realm, a world can ascend to a higher state of existence.
Such worlds draw the attention of powerful beings.
But this world’s Will of World died long ago, erasing its chance for ascension.
That’s likely why it fell under my jurisdiction instead of attracting those entities.”
His voice dropped to a near-whisper. “That’s also why I wanted this world so badly.”
Daniel absorbed the information in silence. “So,” he murmured, almost to himself, “once a new Will of World emerges, the possibility of ascension returns.”
The Lord of 5 Elements flinched. “No! That’s impossible. The world’s consciousness is gone—completely extinguished thousands of years ago. It cannot come back.”
“How can a world ascend?” Daniel asked abruptly.
The god-king hesitated but eventually answered, “Typically, it’s done by consuming higher-tier rules. For example, my 5-Element Treasure could serve as nourishment for this world’s ascension.”
The thought clearly pained him, but he pressed on, desperation evident in his tone. “I could even search for more items in the God Realm to assist you.”
Daniel narrowed his eyes. “This form of yours—it’s just an avatar, isn’t it? Killing you here wouldn’t harm your true body. So why are you so desperate to tell me all this? Are you lying to me?”
“No! I swear!” the god-king exclaimed. “This avatar isn’t just a projection. It carries a quarter of my strength and a significant portion of my divine soul. Its destruction would severely harm me. I wouldn’t dare deceive you.”
His voice broke slightly as he added, “This avatar took me centuries to forge. I thought it would be an easy mission, but… I never expected to encounter someone like you.”
Daniel’s piercing gaze lingered on him before finally softening. “Fine. I’ll let you return to the God Realm—but only if you fulfill your promise.”
“Promise?” The god-king quickly recalled his earlier vow to help Daniel find resources and information necessary for the world’s ascension. “Yes! I’ll do it. You have my word!”
The relief on his face was short-lived.
Before he could fully relax, Daniel added, “However, your actions—harming this world, targeting its inhabitants, and even plotting against me—cannot go unpunished.”
The god-king paled. “I… I understand. I have millions of divine stones. I’ll give them to you.”
He hastily produced a box filled with radiant stones and handed it to Daniel.
Opening the box, Daniel casually compared its contents to his own reserves, unimpressed.
“That’s it?” Daniel asked, his tone icy.
“You misunderstand! These aren’t mana stones. They’re divine stones! Each one is worth a million mana crystals!” the god-king protested.
“Anything else?” Daniel asked impatiently.
The god-king, now visibly distraught, reluctantly handed over every valuable item he had stored in his avatar.
It was only after this final act of submission that Daniel relented, planting a seed of his soul within the god-king’s avatar.
“This seed will let you contact me with any news,” Daniel said. “But if you try anything… I’ll find you in the God Realm, and you know how that ends.”
The Lord of 5 Elements nodded vigorously. “I swear, I’ll keep you informed.”
With that, Daniel released the god-king from the mini-world and returned them both to the altar. Without a moment’s hesitation, the Lord of 5 Elements fled, not daring to look back.
As Daniel watched him disappear, a faint smile played on his lips.
The god-king had been humbled, but the road ahead was still fraught with challenges—and opportunities.