CHAPTER 138: CHAPTER138-FALLEN MOUNTAIN GIANT

"Your Majesty, if I’m being honest, the gap between me and Daniel is still quite significant," Alice admitted, her tone neither proud nor self-deprecating—just honest.

"At least for now, I can’t even enter the Abyss, let alone think about killing an Abyss King."

Hearing Alice’s words, the Elf Queen silently nodded. As the strongest figure among the elves, she herself had the confidence to slay an Abyss King—but only if it were on the surface. Once inside the Abyss, however, everything changed. Even for her, there was no certainty of success. In that twisted, hostile domain, power alone wasn’t enough.

After a brief moment of reflection, the Elf Queen took the initiative to ask a question.

"Do you think it’s possible that Daniel is actually a devotee of the gods?"

Alice shook her head immediately.

"I’m afraid I don’t know anything about that, Your Majesty. But aside from that, I did want to discuss the matter of the materials required."

"Very well. I’ll authorize you," the Elf Queen said with a sigh.

After a moment of hesitation, she handed Alice a scroll bound with deep green ribbon.

"Alice, this contains confidential information of the elven race. I do not wish for anyone other than you to see it."

"You are the heir to our elven throne. Knowing about these materials is within your right."

She paused, then fixed Alice with a solemn gaze before continuing.

"To gather all the materials you need, you’ll have to hunt and defeat World Rank bosses that inhabit our elven territories."

"Return and make your preparations. When you’re ready to initiate the hunt, let me know."

"But don’t take too long," she warned. "The Millennium Apocalypse could arrive at any moment. The stronger you become before then, the greater your chance of survival."

Later, Alice returned to her secluded wooden cabin nestled in the woods. Once inside, she shut the door tightly, then immediately reached for her communicator to update Daniel on recent events.

"Lord Daniel, the elven race has also begun preparations to construct an Anygate."

"I heard from Her Majesty that this blueprint may have something to do with you?"

At that moment, Daniel was still in the Abyss Kingdom, engrossed in a dice game with Sarko.

From the start of their match until now, Sarko hadn’t won a single round. Daniel, meanwhile, had cleaned him out, acquiring all sorts of valuable items.

When Alice’s message came in, Daniel finally set down his dice and opened the materials file she had attached—one that listed the World Rank bosses the elves would need to defeat.

At first glance, they didn’t seem too difficult to deal with.

But then, Daniel’s sharp eyes picked out something... unusual.

Among the list was a peculiar entry: a World Rank boss with a silver crown icon next to its name.

A Silver Rank World Boss.

[Fallen Mountain Giant]

Level: 150 (Silver Rank)

Habitat: Nebula Valley

Description: Once a peaceful giant, now corrupted by a miasma of decaying energy. The corruption has driven it to madness, leaving it in an unstable state. Its stats fluctuate wildly due to its fractured mental state.

HP: From 1 billion to 50 trillion (Note: the higher its HP, the weaker its aggression.)

Exclusive Domain: Rock Domain – Seals your movements using unbreakable stone formations.

Skills: Giant’s Throw, Bewitching Cyclopean Gaze, Earthquake Tremor, and others.

Note: Current research on the Fallen Mountain Giant remains in its infancy. Elven citizens are urged to exercise extreme caution.

Silver Rank World Boss?

Daniel’s brows furrowed instinctively.

He recalled seeing similar classifications back in the Royal Academy. These Silver Rank bosses were extremely rare—practically mythical. But when they did appear, their strength was monstrous.

And Silver Rank wasn’t even the end of it.

Above it were Gold Rank, Platinum Rank, and even Diamond Rank bosses.

According to ancient texts, during the human race’s golden age, they had been able to fend off Gold Rank bosses. As for Platinum and Diamond? They remained legends—entities theorized but never confirmed.

Still, even the presence of a Silver Rank World Boss like the Fallen Mountain Giant was enough to terrify most people.

Though it was listed at just Level 150, Daniel noticed something deeply disturbing:

The data showed that all other World Rank bosses paled in comparison to this one. In fact, when placed side by side, they seemed like mere elite mobs.

The difference in numerical stats was staggering—tens of thousands of times apart.

Put simply, even an army of 100,000 ordinary World Rank bosses wouldn’t be able to defeat a single Silver Rank boss like the Fallen Mountain Giant.

It was the equivalent of ants charging a human. There was no contest—they weren’t even in the same league.

But...

There was a saying in the oldest human texts: "Enough ants can bite an elephant to death."

In other words, even a Silver Rank boss—overwhelming as it was—wasn’t invincible.

As Daniel finished reviewing the scroll Alice had sent, a different concern surfaced in his mind.

His third Star Upgrade Quest was about to enter Phase 2.

He didn’t yet know the exact requirements of the next mission.

But what if—just what if—it demanded him to slay a Silver Rank World Boss?

That could prove... problematic.

He was fairly certain the elven race would be willing to assist him if asked.

However, fighting a boss of this level would cost the elves dearly. The loss of their warriors could be catastrophic.

Daniel had no desire to drag them into a deadly war just to satisfy his own personal quest.

Moreover, given how his previous Star Upgrade quests had gone, this next phase would most likely require a solo kill.

So he made a decision.

He would hunt and slay the Silver Rank World Boss alone.

If he succeeded, he wouldn’t just advance his quest. He’d also eliminate a major threat to the elven lands.

When that happened, the elves would certainly be grateful. And he would have solidified their alliance even further.

A win-win scenario, no?

Daniel continued chatting with Alice for a bit longer, though his answers grew increasingly vague.

Alice noticed.

Something was off.

"Lord Daniel... are you... preparing for something?"

And then it hit her—an impossible thought.

"He couldn’t possibly be thinking of soloing the Silver Rank boss, could he?"

The idea sent a chill down her spine.

That was far too reckless.

Based on the elven records, even when their entire warrior class attacked with full strength and optimal formation, a Silver Rank boss could only be taken down under favorable conditions—and even then, the losses were devastating.

If luck turned against them? Total failure. Heavy casualties.

But Daniel was thinking of fighting it alone?

Had he really grown so powerful after inheriting the will of the gods?

If so...

He had become truly terrifying.

The legendary Lord Crossbridge—a man who feared nothing, who could do anything.