CHAPTER 341: CHAPTER341-STAR UPGRADE QUEST COMPLETED

Almost without realizing it, Daniel turned his head slightly, his gaze shifting toward the blazing sphere of Apollo. Rivers of dark corruption—the dreaded Filth of God—were seeping outward from the celestial body’s vast surface. Thick and tar-like, they writhed and oozed into the void, carrying with them a malignant aura that could corrode everything they touched.

The only small comfort amidst this grim spectacle was that Apollo, the once-resplendent Sun, had been completely suppressed. For the first time in what felt like endless days of tension, the oppressive atmosphere lightened, and even the heaviest of hearts began to relax.

Milla, standing not far from Daniel, finally allowed herself to loosen her shoulders and exhale. A trace of relief showed on her fair features.

But just as the two prepared to let their vigilance fade, something strange occurred. On the surface of the dripping black ichor, faint glimmers of light began to flicker. They shimmered like dying embers trying to resist the inevitable dark.

Fortunately, these lights proved fleeting. After a brief, ghost-like existence, they faded into nothingness, vanishing as though they had never been there. The Filth of God that had already spilled was swiftly contained, collected into sealed containers. For the time being, at least, they posed no great threat to the Ten Thousand Races Continent.

Daniel spoke calmly, though his voice carried weight:

"Milla, I’ll leave the rest to you."

Milla gave a reluctant nod, her lips curling into a helpless half-smile.

"Alright. I understand."

At that moment, another voice echoed from across the battlefield. Dark Star Jarvan, a cosmic giant whose shadow covered the abyss, rumbled in reply:

"Do not worry. I have a way to temporarily deal with the Filth of God."

Jarvan’s form had already swollen beyond recognition. His size had multiplied so many times that he now stood nearly equal in bulk to Apollo himself. Of course, this was partly an illusion: Apollo was collapsing, his once-vast body shrinking under the weight of defeat and injury.

Jarvan’s voice reverberated like rolling thunder:

"These are the missions entrusted to me by His Eminence, God. Aurelia’s petty calculations will never succeed!"

Hearing this declaration, Daniel finally allowed himself to let out a quiet breath of relief. It seemed clear now that a bitter rivalry existed between the Luck Goddess and Aurelia. Their schemes clashed against each other, their traps and counter-traps grinding like gears. And from what Daniel could tell, the Luck Goddess had openly and deliberately acted against Aurelia’s ambitions.

On the sidelines, Kogmaw yawned, revealing jagged, monstrous teeth. His tone was that of a bored predator deprived of prey.

"I thought I’d finally get to stretch my claws today. Looks like I won’t be needed after all."

Daniel chuckled softly, though he maintained his iron grip on the bindings suppressing Apollo.

At that instant, a familiar chime sounded in Daniel’s mind. His quest log had updated. The long-awaited notice appeared before his eyes—

The Star Upgrade Quest had been completed.

Daniel looked up once more at the fading Sun. Even stars—beings of unimaginable size—possessed the instinctive desire to survive. Apollo, despite being bound and torn apart, fought desperately for life. Yet no matter how fiercely he resisted, his efforts proved utterly futile.

Hemorrhaging power, struck down by Daniel’s suppression and Jarvan’s endless devouring, Apollo had no hope left. The star’s wounds were too deep, his strength too far spent.

The last dazzling flare flickered across the heavens before finally dimming into twilight. Then the enormous body of Apollo went dark, his light extinguished.

Simultaneously, Dark Star Jarvan opened his cosmic maw and began the solemn act of consuming the fallen Sun.

Daniel did not linger in the abyss to watch. With a flicker of his body, he vanished, reappearing instead within the Star Upgrade Hall. Apollo’s fate was now Jarvan’s concern. Daniel’s purpose lay elsewhere.

He had something far more important to complete—his long-awaited Star Upgrade Quest. This quest meant everything.

Because once completed, it would raise his level cap to 200. That breakthrough represented a transformation of inconceivable scale.

A brilliant system message unfurled before his eyes:

[Congratulations. You have completed the Star Upgrade Quest.][Reward obtained: Demigod Throne – Divine Skill.]

After endless trials, Daniel had finally crossed the threshold. The quest was done. The reward was his.

Light swirled around him, and when it faded he found himself standing once more at the northern borderlands of the Human Empire.

Yet tranquility had not returned.

From the abyssal rift at the edge of the frontier, waves of monsters continued to surge outward. The invasion did not slow; if anything, it grew fiercer. Daniel realized quickly that the abyssal tide was not about to end anytime soon.

But the human Awakeners did not despair. In fact, none of them wished for the abyss monsters to disappear. To them, these creatures were the greatest opportunity fate had ever bestowed.

The abyss was their crucible. Each kill, each shard of abyssal essence, allowed them to refine their talents and elevate their ranks. Those who dreamed of evolving their gifts into S-tier talents relied entirely on these monsters as stepping stones.

The only problem now was simple scarcity. There were not enough monsters to go around. Lines of Awakeners literally queued to enter the rift, waiting their turn as though it were some mundane hunting ground. The scene was both absurd and strangely comical—an entire generation of warriors reduced to waiting in line for their destiny.

But just as the Awakeners fought happily, harvesting their prey, a sudden brilliance tore open the sky.

Daniel appeared.

Without a word, he lifted a hand. A single skill surged forth.

In an instant, a storm of luminous arrows rained down across the abyssal skies.

The downpour lasted mere seconds, yet its devastation was beyond belief. Half the invading monsters were annihilated where they stood. Most had not even taken a single step out of the abyss before being reduced to ash.

Kill notifications flooded Daniel’s vision:

[Your level has reached 125.][Your level has reached 138.][Your level has reached 149.]...

In only five seconds, Daniel had rocketed all the way to Level 200—the new maximum.

And with it came the recognition of his new station. He now bore the mantle of a Demigod.

Curious, Daniel instinctively opened his status panel. His gaze swept over the refreshed state window. New divine labels glowed proudly:

[Throne: Divine Skill]

[Current Tier: Demigod Rank]

[Your Throne may evolve to True Demigod level, but requires further Star Upgrade Quests.]

[You have gained new divine blessings.]

A list of gifts followed:

Material Discernment: Instantly identify any material’s essence.

Soul Synthesis: Sacrifice a fragment of your soul in place of materials to forge a God-Rank Skill. Yet once the soul is restored, the forged skill shall vanish.

Limit Break: All limits on the number of skills you can learn have been removed.

Damage Amplification: All damage dealt by you is magnified tenfold.

Daniel exhaled slowly, absorbing the immensity of these rewards.

The Demigod tier was indeed formidable. Still, after reviewing the details, he realized it was not insurmountably powerful. The strength was vast, yes, but still within comprehension. Compared to the authority of a true God, the Demigod rank was like a child in kindergarten—a student who had only begun his lessons.

For a fleeting moment, doubt stirred in Daniel’s mind. Had he truly become a Demigod? Yet recalling the other Demigod-rank beings he had encountered, he reassured himself. They too had not been incomprehensibly strong. Their greatest advantage lay in the possession of divine power, which gave them a natural suppression over any Awakener who lacked it.

True transformation, Daniel reasoned, would only come once he reached the full Demigod level, where divine essence itself underwent qualitative change.

His eyes, however, lingered on one particular ability: Soul Synthesis. The effect intrigued him deeply. To forge God-Rank Skills by burning away fragments of one’s own soul? It was dangerous, yet promising. After all, as long as resurrection remained possible, the soul would eventually be restored. And once that happened, the temporary skill would vanish—but by then, perhaps, its purpose would already be fulfilled.

Daniel’s lips curved slightly. The path of a Demigod had only just begun.