CHAPTER 359: CHAPTER359-THE ROYAL MUSEUM

Through the words of the grand scholar, Daniel finally understood where he now stood.

This was a place known as the Royal Museum, a sacred library that only sovereigns could ever set foot in.

The grand scholar beside him seemed to have been alone for countless years, and so he greeted Daniel with surprising warmth and enthusiasm.

"Young Human Emperor, congratulations," the old man said kindly. "You may not know this, but entering the Royal Museum is by no means easy. There are many rulers across this world, yet only a few have ever crossed this threshold."

He paused, his cloudy eyes reflecting memory.

"In my recollection, only Aurelia... and one rather hideous fellow came here before you. Aside from them, you are the third."

At those words, Daniel’s expression changed.

The Goddess of Gold and Silver, Aurelia, had been here?

Almost instinctively, Daniel asked, "Grand Scholar, may I know... can emperors of other races also enter this museum?"

But the old man only shook his head gently.

"I am sorry, but I cannot answer that question. If you seek answers to anything, you must find them in the books. Within these shelves, all knowledge is recorded."

"As for passing this stage of the trial—it is simple. I will ask you a few questions. Answer them, and you succeed. I can even tell you now that every answer is contained within the books around you."

"A kind reminder: this place may only be entered once. You have half a day. After twelve hours, I will question you. Whether you succeed or fail, you will no longer be able to remain."

"How much knowledge you can remember in your mind will depend on your own ability."

"Now, young emperor of humanity, let us begin the countdown."

Daniel’s first instinct was to extend his psychic perception, to pry into the old man’s thoughts. But to his surprise, the grand scholar’s mind was as clear as a mirror, utterly still, without even a ripple of stray thought.

So Daniel gave up on that approach and nodded calmly.

"Very well. I understand."

At that moment, he realized something important.

The so-called Human Emperor Trial was not merely a test of strength or will. It could also bring opportunities—treasures hidden in disguise.

What one gained depended on sensitivity and awareness.

The Royal Museum before him, Daniel could feel, contained nearly every book in the world. To humanity, this was not just valuable—it was priceless. A treasure greater than any weapon or skill.

So yes, the trial was also a chance.

And how much knowledge he could harvest in these short hours depended only on himself.

But Daniel had confidence. For him, memorizing enormous volumes of information in twelve hours was nothing difficult.

He had done something similar long ago, in the Artist’s City, when he consumed entire libraries with his prodigious memory.

Without hesitation, Daniel snapped his fingers.

Several of his clones appeared instantly. With their help, recording all the books would be no problem—time-consuming, perhaps, but well within his ability.

The supposed time limit meant little to him anyway. After all, he possessed Time Stream.

Even if each reset erased what he had gained physically, the memories etched into his mind would remain. What was read and understood was his to keep, across any shift of time.

Facing such a relaxed task, Daniel even allowed one clone to depart, manifesting within the desert ruins.

There he reached out a hand and gently patted Charlotte’s head, smiling faintly at the soft, fur-like texture of her hair.

"Congratulations," he said warmly. "You’ve become demigod rank. You’ve done well."

There were two reasons he had come to her in this way.

The first was simply to offer congratulations. Her progress was clear, her rise undeniable.

But the second was far more serious. He needed to understand why a demigod had suddenly attacked her. Was this just coincidence, or was there a hidden hand moving behind the scenes?

Daniel was not worried about one random demigod. What he sought was to uncover whether Charlotte had already drawn the attention of some great power.

Among gods and their devotees, conflicts were commonplace. That Charlotte had been targeted was not unusual.

But what surprised him was that the scorpion-man demigod had no background at all.

His record was clean. He was not the pawn of some greater figure.

Daniel sighed in resignation at the discovery. With a wave of his hand, he allowed Charlotte to kill the scorpion-man outright and claim his divine seat.

It was of little use now, but in her future ascension, such a seat could prove invaluable.

Seeing Charlotte strike decisively, her strength shining without hesitation, Daniel nodded in satisfaction.

"Charlotte, you are stronger than I expected. It seems I have nothing to worry about on your side."

He spoke with her a little longer, then triggered Time Stream, returning once more to the seventh trial space.

There, the grand scholar reappeared before him, just as before.

The knowledge within the Royal Museum was staggering. Entire fields, entire histories, meticulously preserved. For every relic, there was a corresponding book. For every topic, a detailed archive. This interwoven structure made understanding easier.

And yet even so, the sheer depth of it all was overwhelming.

Even Daniel, with his immense intellect, felt stretched thin. He realized at once that if the greatest human scholars were gathered here, they too would be utterly dumbfounded.

They might recognize every word, but the connections between them would elude their grasp. These were concepts beyond their level, frameworks of knowledge too advanced for their comprehension.

It was the kind of wisdom that could only be absorbed slowly, piece by piece, across generations.

The range of subjects astonished him as well. The books covered every conceivable field, some familiar, others alien and esoteric.

Normally, one would focus on areas aligned with one’s own strengths, but Daniel was not bound by such conventions.

He welcomed everything. Every branch of knowledge, every scrap of insight—he would take them all.

And with countless clones and the infinite loops of Time Stream, he fully intended to devour this museum whole.