Daniel paused for a moment, then gave a small nod.
The Multiracial Commerce League truly understood business—and had excellent foresight.
If one calculated the full potential, the profit Daniel could bring to them far exceeded anything they were offering him now.
But at the very least, they had demonstrated respect—a gesture that naturally warmed him to their cause.
In truth, a mere 2 billion gold coin transaction wasn't enough to directly earn a white card from the League.
One must never underestimate the significance of a white card issued by the Multiracial Commerce League. Even across the entire Tin-Silver Empire, these were rare treasures.
To put it plainly, the League had only ever issued twenty white cards across all races.
And many of those were held by demigod-ranked powerhouses.
That was how precious and exclusive they were.
This alone made it abundantly clear how highly the League regarded Daniel.
After all, while demigods were undoubtedly powerful, they were not unique. There were several scattered across the myriad races.
But Daniel?
A tier-3 adventurer, who had taken the first kill of a World Rank boss?
There was only one.
So it was only natural that the League would view him as a long-term investment.
White card in hand, Daniel departed the League without delay.
He still had unfinished business—the Star Upgrade Quest had not yet been completed.
Six more World Rank bosses remained.
He had no time to waste.
Back in the League's Castle Mington headquarters, Manager Harry was still overseeing the mountain of spoils alongside his subordinates, busily categorizing and appraising each item.
Suddenly, their Gnome Communicators all lit up simultaneously.
[World Rank Boss: Bio-Cyborg Fiend – Slain]
[Level: 30]
[Slain by: Daniel]
[Time Taken: 0 minutes 3 seconds]
"So it really worked!"
Daniel exclaimed in excitement, his eyes glinting with fresh inspiration.
Just moments earlier, he had conducted a new experiment, layering [Thunderfall Shield] with [Great Fireball].
The result?
Not only had Great Fireball retained its explosive effects, but the interaction with Thunderfall Shield had greatly increased the probability of triggering special effects.
It was as though combining elemental forces created unexpected resonances—new synergies he had yet to fully explore.
Even with just a single trial run, the impact had been shocking.
The towering Bio-Cyborg Fiend had its entire HP bar wiped out in seconds.
Daniel was beginning to lose track of just how absurd his own damage output had become.
As the monstrous machine-beast collapsed in a thunderous heap, he quickly moved to gather the spoils.
As expected of a World Rank boss, the loot was once again incredibly rich.
Thousands upon thousands of items—while many were mundane—still held considerable resale value.
Still, Daniel couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.
He'd secretly hoped that this time, he might obtain the elusive Tome of Mastery linked to The Infinite One.
But clearly… he was thinking too optimistically.
The drop rate for such a treasure was minuscule to begin with.
And when one considered the fact that the world contained over a thousand different talents, the odds became laughably slim.
Still, he shook his head and pressed forward.
There was no time for wishful thinking.
The Star Upgrade Quest remained his top priority.
And more importantly… the final reward was a God Rank skill listed in the top ten of the entire [God Rank Skill Compendium].
Just the thought sent a thrill down his spine.
After all, every God Rank skill he currently possessed ranked in the 90s—and even those had proven earth-shatteringly powerful.
A top-ten-ranked skill?
He couldn't even begin to imagine what it could do.
Fuelled by this drive, Daniel didn't stop moving.
The next World Rank boss was some distance away, and he needed to move fast.
Even on the road, he wasted no time.
With every step, thunder crashed around him—and every bolt that fell added a sliver of vitality to his being.
+100 HP
+100 HP
+100 HP
…
The increments were small, but they added up.
Anyone who gave it some thought would quickly realize: the [Ode to Life] passive skill wasn't just effective—it was quietly incredible.
Think about it.
Normally, leveling up granted you around 100 HP.
But now, every time Daniel killed a new monster species, he gained 100 permanent HP.
If he dedicated even just one day to HP farming, grinding through as many unique mobs as possible…
It wouldn't be hard to stack hundreds of thousands of HP.
The only limitation was the variety of creatures available in the Whitewild Expanse.
But Daniel didn't intend to waste time on HP farming.
Even so, during his current travel time alone, he was gaining about 5000 HP per second.
And soon, the numbers began to spike.
900,000… 1.2 million… 1.5 million!
Within minutes, thanks to travel and the 100,000 HP reward from defeating another World Rank boss, his maximum health had skyrocketed to 1.5 million.
He could barely contain his satisfaction.
Not long ago, just a flick from the Stoneback Colossus had nearly ended him.
But now?
Even if the beast headbutted him, it wouldn't matter.
With the increase in base HP came a dramatic boost to his natural regeneration and resilience.
Steadying his emotions, Daniel finally looked up at the still pool of water before him.
Had it not been for the system's notification, he would never have believed that this unassuming pond was, in fact, the location of the next World Rank boss.
Far away, within the imperial palace of the Tin-Silver Empire, the Human Emperor lounged atop a throne of living flesh.
Dozens of courtesans—soft-skinned and fragrant—nestled around him.
But he seemed entirely disinterested in the pleasures of the flesh.
His brows furrowed in visible frustration.
"What the hell is that brat Daniel doing?"
"Why can't I track him at all?"
"I even used my exclusive imperial surveillance skill—and still, no results. Not a single thread of intel. How is that possible?!"
"…Unless…"
A shadow passed over his face.
There was only one explanation for behavior this abnormal.
Daniel must have acquired a true divine inheritance—a God-tier Talent.
There was a world of difference between demigods and true gods.
Though the names might seem similar, the gap was far wider than between mortals and adventurers.
A true god-tier powerhouse…
Even in the long annals of the human race, only two or three such figures had ever existed—and even they were shrouded in legend, their deeds unconfirmed.
"Could it be…" the emperor murmured, eyes narrowing.
"…that the human race is about to birth a true god-tier being?"
A chill ran down his spine at the thought.
But then his eyes drifted toward the corner of the room—toward the ancient calendar that tracked the turning of the ages.
Year 4000, Western Calendar.
His pupils contracted.
"Could the Fourth Apocalypse… truly be upon us?"