CHAPTER 169: CHAPTER169-ENEMY OR ALLY?

After receiving the coordinates Daniel had just sent, the Human Emperor stood frozen in disbelief.

And when Daniel casually told him that he was currently inside the Artist City, the Human Emperor felt his entire body go numb.

No wonder the Artist City had seemed strange earlier, as though it had been ransacked...

And now you’re telling me—you were there the whole time?

In other words, you’re the one who robbed the place?!

Good heavens... you’ve actually robbed the entire Artist City!

Though the Human Emperor grumbled inwardly, full of complaints and speechless awe, he quickly regained his composure and issued orders.

According to the intelligence Daniel had just transmitted, the Artists themselves weren’t particularly powerful in combat.

Their overall strength was only around Tier 15.

Moreover, the coordinates Daniel provided marked the locations of various Artist hideouts.

What Daniel hoped for was that the Human Emperor would command human experts to root out and eliminate the scattered Artists.

As the newly appointed mayor of Artist City, Daniel now had full access to all its classified documents and secrets.

No refuge, no contingency, no safehouse could remain hidden from his eyes.

Meanwhile, upon receiving the intelligence, the Human Emperor acted without delay and issued an imperial order.

The strongest warriors of the human race mobilized with precision and efficiency, swiftly setting out to complete their objectives.

But even as he orchestrated the operation, the Human Emperor couldn’t shake a strange feeling creeping over him:

It was as if... he were just an executor. And the one truly in control... was Daniel.

Wait a minute—let’s be clear about something here.

Who exactly is the Human Emperor?!

...

"All citizens of the human race, hear this—cease all evacuation efforts immediately."

"We have received new information confirming that the diamond-rank entities are friendly units."

"They have come to aid humanity in battle."

The moment this announcement was broadcast, those who had been desperately fleeing froze in place, dumbfounded.

What was going on?

We were just told to flee for our lives—now the narrative has flipped again?

And this... this was way too ridiculous!

Diamond-rank creatures—on humanity’s side? Really?

Wait a minute...

There’s only one explanation.

It must be the gods.

Only divine beings could summon forces of such terrifying power.

Human chatter exploded across the communication network. Wild speculation ensued.

But the general consensus was clear: this was divine intervention.

Then, suddenly, a post surfaced that sent shockwaves across the net:

"What if... just maybe... these were reinforcements summoned by His Highness Daniel?"

The post hit the network like a thunderbolt. It was as if someone had tossed more firewood into an already boiling cauldron.

The forums erupted.

"If that’s true—if this really was His Highness Daniel’s doing—then it wouldn’t be too surprising, considering how long he’s been quiet."

"Exactly. I’ve always believed in him. Daniel has pulled off the impossible so many times already!"

"But don’t you think this is too much? Diamond-rank reinforcements? Are you telling me Daniel summoned those?! That’s insane!"

"Yeah, I agree. There’s no way. That kind of power is beyond human capacity. Not even Daniel could possibly manage this!"

But before anyone could escalate the debate further, the Human Emperor himself issued a public statement confirming the truth:

"Those diamond-rank entities were indeed summoned by Daniel."

For a moment, all of humanity went completely silent.

Wait... are you serious?

You’re telling us... this is real?

Daniel—His Highness Daniel—actually did this?

He summoned monsters that even legends dared not whisper about?

Daniel, you legend!!

I worship you, Your Highness!!

In an instant, humanity’s collective emotion flipped.

The fear and despair of earlier were swept away by wild celebration and admiration.

Everyone understood one thing now:

With twenty-one diamond-rank allies at their side, the human race had become a force to be reckoned with.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that humanity could now wipe out every other race on the continent if they so desired.

With such overwhelming strength, even the terrifying Millennium Apocalypse could no longer guarantee their destruction.

They now had a real chance at survival.

And for that, Daniel had performed a deed of immeasurable merit.

...

Artist City.

At that moment, Daniel was occupied with a rather simple task:

Eliminating the Artists.

As the Spirits of Skills and Daniel’s clones launched a coordinated strike, the sky above Artist City became a cascading torrent of streaking light.

It looked like a rain of falling stars.

Only... this "meteor shower" brought not beauty, but death.

Many of the recently awakened Artists hadn’t even figured out what was happening before they were instantly slaughtered.

Their belongings fell from their bodies in a clatter of loot.

Daniel didn’t bother sorting through it—he simply activated a rarely-used skill, [Forceful Convergence], to absorb it all at once.

It would have been too much of a hassle to pick them up manually, after all.

Of course, Daniel had no intention of destroying the Artist City entirely.

Was he kidding?

This city was the culmination of millennia of Artist research and sacrifice.

To erase it all would be the very definition of waste.

Besides, he was now the city’s official mayor, with full administrative authority.

It would be foolish not to utilize the city’s facilities.

Still, Daniel didn’t wipe out every single Artist without discretion.

The low-level ones—weak and of no value—were killed on sight.

But the higher-tier researchers... Daniel spared them, for now.

Not because he intended to let them live, but because he wanted to extract everything useful from their minds before they died.

These researchers had blood on their hands—countless lives lost to their experiments.

Daniel had no illusions about that.

But the knowledge they held was invaluable. It was something the human race desperately needed.

His plan was simple: drain every ounce of worth from them, and then dispose of them. No waste, no mercy.

Daniel’s thinking was crystal clear.

To survive the coming Millennium Apocalypse, humanity would need to level up at any cost.

He had a vague but growing premonition:

This cycle’s Millennium Apocalypse would be unlike any that came before.

According to historical records, in previous Apocalypses, the gods might descend—but they never interfered directly in mortal affairs.

This time, however, the gods had already begun their maneuvering before the Apocalypse had even officially begun.

Daniel didn’t know what had changed.

But he was certain of one thing:

The gods knew something he didn’t.