CHAPTER 298: CHAPTER298-THE SEMI-PLANES

The Origin Land—there was no longer any doubt in Daniel’s mind—was a place of extraordinary significance.

Yet, as Milla’s explanations had made clear, this world was far larger, far richer in scope, than even Daniel had imagined.

He had already ventured into the Undead Lands. He had also stepped foot in the Primordial Plane, the ancestral homeland of the stellar race. But Milla’s accounts revealed so much more: the Exile Lands, the continent of Noxus, and several other regions with their own distinct and often strange histories.

According to her, there was even a city-state called Zu’an, whose inhabitants had the peculiarly "warm" habit of greeting one another by cheerfully asking after each other’s parents and extended families—though the tone in which she said it made Daniel wonder if there was an unspoken double meaning.

Such a spirited, "affectionate" place sounded amusing enough that Daniel found himself wanting to see it for himself one day. Unfortunately, in his current circumstances, he had no such luxury of time.

Beyond these complete and independent planes, Milla also spoke of another category of realm entirely—something known as semi-planes.

A semi-plane, she explained, was not truly a space capable of existing entirely independent from the main plane.

To put it another way, it could be likened to a colossal, world-sized underground labyrinth. The very existence of an underground labyrinth was, in fact, a type of small-scale semi-plane.

These places had their own distinct laws and governing rules, but they were still inextricably connected to the main world and could not exist entirely apart from it.

Among these, perhaps the most famous semi-plane was Heaven.

Semi-planes, in their natural state, were usually populated by only one species or a very limited number of related species. In Heaven’s case, it was home to the Angel of Gold and Silver race—the very place of their birth.

Only later, with the emergence of the Divine Realm, did the Angels of Gold and Silver abandon their birthplace, leaving Heaven behind.

As Milla described it, Heaven now lay empty, its grandeur uninhabited, as all of its original celestial population had migrated to the Divine Realm.

She went on to say that once an individual reached the Fake God rank, they gained the ability to create their own personal semi-plane.

And once such a construct existed outside themselves, the Fake God would then qualify to attempt the ascension to demigod rank.

Over the thousands of years she had been in service to the Luck Goddess, Milla had traveled through countless such planes and semi-planes, gathering experiences and knowledge from every corner of the world and beyond. Her insight was vast.

By comparison, Daniel—having only just completed his Awakening Ceremony a short while ago—was very much a newcomer to this wider reality.

Listening to her speak was like having the doors to an entirely new world flung open before him.

He could feel his own understanding of the world expanding yet again, his worldview becoming more complete with every passing minute of their discussion.

And while Daniel spoke with Milla, his clones were hardly idle.

In other parts of the Divine Realm, they were deep in conversation with the demigod-ranked prisoners, extracting information and piecing together a wealth of new intelligence.

By the time two more hours had passed, Daniel had not engaged in a single battle, nor had his raw strength increased in any measurable way—but his mind was overflowing with new knowledge and insights.

At some point, the first light of dawn began to seep into the sky above. The dark horizon softened into shades of pale gold and white.

Day was coming. Soon, the sun—Apollo himself—would rise.

Daniel looked up, then turned back to Milla with sincerity in his voice.

"It’s about time," he said. "Thank you. You’ve given me more than I expected from this meeting."

Milla’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"Speaking with you, Lord Daniel, has been a pleasure for me as well. If you ever have the need, we can always have a more in-depth exchange again in the future."

Daniel offered his thanks once more. Without hesitation, he activated the God Rank Skill—Time Stream.

When his eyes opened again, the Tower of Reshaping in the distance had only just been completed.

This time, he immediately used Flashback, reappearing right in front of Milla.

She blinked in surprise at the sudden sight of him, but her astonishment quickly turned into a smile.

"How fortunate, Lord Daniel. I was just about to look for you."

"No need," Daniel replied, his tone calm. "I already know what you intended to say. In any case—thank you."

Before she could respond, his figure blurred and vanished entirely.

In the Divine Realm, Milla, who had just opened a portal for herself, froze for a heartbeat, her mind catching on his words.

No need? Did Daniel even know why she was coming to find him?

But then another thought slipped into her mind—when she had seen him just now, something about him felt... different.

He seemed more mature, more settled somehow, as though he had grown in ways that had nothing to do with raw power.

Could such a change really have happened in the span of only a few minutes?

She knew this wasn’t an increase in strength—it was a change in aura, in temperament.

Ordinarily, such subtle transformations would go unnoticed in so short a time.

But Milla was no ordinary observer. As the Luck Goddess’s devotee, her sensitivity to such shifts was razor-sharp.

That was why her surprise only deepened.

If Daniel could evolve even in the space of a few minutes... no wonder he had achieved such absurd strength in just two days. His growth rate was unlike anything she had ever heard of—perhaps unlike anything that had ever existed.

Back in the Star Upgrade Quest Hall, Daniel once again placed his palm upon the Awakening Crystal.

"Accept the fourth phase of the Star Upgrade Quest," he instructed.

This time, he was surprised—rather than having to wait, the quest details appeared instantly.

[Star Upgrade Quest – Phase Four]

Task One: Obtain at least three items originating from a god. (Completed)Task Two: Reshape all your Star Upgrade Quests to EX-rank.Task Three:Participate in a battle to hunt any creature above level 700.Single-handedly kill a monster of Diamond rank or higher above level 500.Synthesize a God Rank Skill ranked within the top 30.

[Reward]: Unlimited, and immediate ascension to demigod rank.

As he read the list, Daniel exhaled slowly, relief flooding through him.

Finally—finally—the end of this arduous Star Upgrade Quest was in sight.

Milla’s gift to him, it was now clear, had been chosen precisely to help complete Task One. Without those items, this phase might have been far harder to finish.

The other two tasks didn’t seem too difficult—at least in theory.

For Task Two, his gaze naturally shifted to the sun god Apollo. That requirement would be no problem; Apollo’s level was more than sufficient.

The real challenge lay elsewhere—not in killing, but in finding the right targets. Daniel wasn’t even sure if monsters of Diamond rank or higher existed anywhere on the continent.

As for the top 30 God Rank Skills... he hadn’t unlocked anywhere near that level of capability yet.

It was clear that completing this phase would still take some effort.

For now, though, the only immediate action he could take was to reshape his Star Upgrade Quests.

He was free at the moment—so why not complete the task and strengthen himself further at the same time?

Decision made, Daniel once again used Flashback, reappearing within the Tower of Reshaping.

Come to think of it, this was actually his first time entering the Tower.

As he stepped inside, a translucent notification box appeared before his eyes.

[New Reshaping Task detected. Accept?]

[Available Selection: Reshape Star Upgrade Quests from 1-star to 3-star. Please choose!]