CHAPTER 346: CHAPTER346-HUMAN EMPEROR’S TRIAL

When it came to the God Rank Skill known as Shifting World, it would be impossible for Daniel to say he did not long for it.

Anyone standing in his position would desire such an ultimate ability.

Yet the problem was obvious: even if Daniel truly wanted to synthesize it right now, he simply did not have the required materials.

Still, reaching the demigod rank had brought him at least one undeniable benefit.

A new perception had awakened within him.

Daniel now possessed the ability to clearly distinguish which items in the world could serve as materials for synthesizing God Rank Skills.

This was a profound change.

It meant that even if a particular God Rank Skill had not yet been unlocked in his skill compendium, Daniel could already identify the exact materials needed for it.

The only limitation was that although he could recognize the materials themselves, he could not yet determine which specific God Rank Skill each belonged to.

Unlocking the corresponding record in the compendium was still required in order to match the materials to the right skill.

Even with this limitation, Daniel felt deeply satisfied.

At the very least, the ability allowed him to gather crucial materials far in advance, long before he would actually need them.

That alone would drastically increase his efficiency in synthesizing powerful God Rank Skills.

In the past, while exploring the world, he had come across countless strange objects.

Some of them had slipped through his fingers because he had not understood their purpose.

There were times he had looked upon a mysterious fragment, a crystal, or a strange plant, only to discard it without hesitation.

Only now did he realize that many of those things had been extremely valuable synthesis materials.

Some of them were not even recognizable as materials at all by ordinary standards.

They had simply looked like useless junk, forgotten in the wilderness or buried in ancient ruins.

Now, however, Daniel could see them for what they truly were.

This was not only convenient, it was potentially life-changing.

Although the majority of the divine power he had inherited through his godly seat was still rather weak and borderline useless at this stage, he knew one truth clearly:

as long as he could step fully into the demigod level, everything would improve drastically.

It was only then that he would truly be able to unleash the full potential of his divine seat and wield divine power effectively.

Within the continent of myriad races, demigod-rank individuals were not overly common.

But when one looked beyond—to the surrounding continents and countless islands—they were not considered rare either.

Godhood itself was finite.

The divine authority of any given domain was fixed in quantity, never expanding.

That meant the more individuals who shared in a divine seat, the smaller each person’s share of divine power would be.

It was like a watermelon being divided among a group.

If there were only ten people, each could have a slice.

But if there were a hundred, then each would only receive a mouthful.

The dilution was inevitable.

Therefore, if Daniel wanted to stand above the rest, he could not rely solely on inherited divine power.

He needed to continue advancing, strengthening himself, and climbing higher on his own merits.

That was the only true path to dominance.

Thinking along these lines, Daniel gathered his scattered thoughts.

Then, with calm resolve, he stepped into the Star Upgrade Hall.

As the newly recognized Human Emperor, he could already feel the weight pressing down upon his shoulders.

The burden of responsibility was heavier than ever before.

In particular, the advancement of the entire human race had now become Daniel’s central priority.

For him, the elevation of the human species was directly tied to his own personal rise.

As the humans grew stronger, so too would he.

It was an inseparable bond.

Suppressing his restless emotions, Daniel chose to check the requirements of the advancement quest.

Lines of sacred text appeared before his eyes.

[Human Advancement Quest]

[Current Progress: Human Emperor’s Trial – Stage Three]

[Quest Requirements:]

Possess three or more vassal races.

The Human Emperor must reach demigod rank, and the human race must have at least five demigod-rank awakeners.

[Quest Reward:]Upon completion of Stage Five of the trial, the maximum level cap of the human race will increase to Level 300, and the humans will unlock their unique racial blessing.

At present, the humans had only just stepped into the ranks of the mid-tier races.

That recognition had come only because Daniel himself had completed so many crucial quests along the way.

Across the entire continent of myriad races, every other race—apart from humanity—was still considered low-tier.

Daniel rubbed at his temples thoughtfully.

He now possessed the authority of the Human Emperor.

By definition, the Human Emperor’s Trial was the great test that only the Human Emperor could undertake.

The results of the trial would then determine what rewards, advancements, or transformations the entire human race would receive.

But as Daniel noted that he was only in the third stage of the trial, a peculiar expression crossed his face.

Was the Human Emperor’s Trial truly so difficult?

When he examined the records of past challenges, he made a startling discovery.

With the exception of Human Emperor Odin, none of the former emperors had managed to complete more than the first stage.

Odin himself had managed to reach the second stage, but even he had halted there, refusing to push further.

The meaning was clear.

Odin had realized that the difficulty of the third stage was simply too much for him to overcome.

So he had chosen to give up, resigning himself to the limits of his time.

As a result, the human race had remained stagnant, unable to progress further.

There were many matters Daniel could entrust to others.

But when it came to the Human Emperor’s Trial, this was something that only the emperor himself could achieve.

Perhaps that was the real reason Odin had long sought to pass on the position of Human Emperor.

He had known he would never succeed in pushing the trial further.

Looking at the current requirements, Daniel quickly realized one thing.

The condition of "three or more vassal races" had already been fulfilled.

At this moment, nearly every other race on the continent of myriad races had been subjugated, all of them becoming vassals of humanity.

The second condition required the Human Emperor himself to be at demigod rank.

That was not a problem either.

Daniel was already a demigod—indeed, at the very peak of the demigod rank, just one final step away from advancing to the full demigod realm.

The last condition was for the human race to possess five demigod-rank awakeners.

Daniel raised his hand and began to count.

First, there was Merlina, the First Mage of humanity, who now barely qualified as one.

Then there were his two loyal devotees—Alice and Charlotte.

Charlotte had recently completed her inheritance of a divine seat, and through prayer had even reported this fact directly to him.

Adding to them was Human Emperor Odin, whose strength had already crossed into the realm of demigods.

That made four in total.

Including Daniel himself, the number was exactly five.

And even if the count had been short, it would not have been a problem for Daniel.

With his current resources and authority, training another demigod-rank powerhouse would not be a difficult task.

The conditions were, in essence, already met.

After weighing everything, Daniel instantly understood the truth.

The only missing piece for the Human Advancement Quest was simply the Human Emperor’s Trial itself.

Without hesitation, he chose to accept the trial.

The acceptance, of course, had to be confirmed through the Star Upgrade Hall.

But just as Daniel initiated it, an unexpected event occurred.

Before the Human Emperor’s Trial could officially activate, another notification appeared first.

[Star Upgrade Quest: Demigod Rank Phase]

[Quest Grade: EX]

[Quest Objective:]Become the ruler of your race, and complete all nine stages of the Emperor’s Trial.

[Quest Rewards:]Maximum level cap increased to Level 250.Virtual God Tower unlocked.Unlimited blessings from the Divine Temple.

Upon seeing this new Star Upgrade Quest, Daniel’s lips curved into a faint smile.

This was actually a blessing in disguise.

The new Star Upgrade Quest overlapped perfectly with the Human Emperor’s Trial.

That meant that by completing one, he would simultaneously complete the other.

Two sets of rewards for the same amount of effort.

It was, without question, a stroke of luck.

The thought of luck caused Daniel’s mind to drift momentarily.

He could not help but recall the image of the Luck Goddess.

There was no denying it—the power of gods was simply too overwhelming.

Daniel reminded himself once again: he had to continue working relentlessly.

Only by raising his strength further, and ultimately ascending to become a true god himself, could he ever hope to relax.

Until that moment came, there would never be true safety.

For above his head, countless unseen gods were already preparing, each one plotting the next great calamity.

Their shadows loomed over the world, each a potential disaster waiting to unfold.

Suppressing these turbulent thoughts, Daniel did not delay any longer.

He immediately activated Flashback, the teleportation technique.

In the next instant, his figure reappeared.

He stood before the entrance of the Human Emperor’s Trial.

It had been a long time since he had last seen this place.

The ancient stone walls of Castle Mington rose before him.

"Castle Mington," Daniel murmured softly to himself.

"It has been far too long."