Apocalypse Cheater

[: Daniel POV :]

Katie's voice cut through the remnants of the battle, her words carrying a mixture of nervousness and shock.

"Daniel... did you just forcefully seal off a connection to a goddess?"

The air seemed to hold its breath as the weight of her question settled upon me.

I turned to face Katie, meeting her gaze with a calm expression.

As I gazed towards her, I noticed that her eyes betrayed and mirrored all of the emotions that she carried.

It was as if there were too many emotions she could express at the same time.

"Yeah, what about it?" I responded as I acknowledged what I had done.

Liviana, standing nearby, joined the conversation, her features mirroring Katie's unbelieving expression.

"That's... something we have never heard anyone done before... so it's kinda, no, it's unbelievable that someone could sever a connection to a goddess."

Their disbelief resonated with the magnitude of the feat.

I could sense the unspoken question in their eyes.

How had I managed to achieve something seemingly impossible?

Well, the answer is simple.

"I had to," I explained, breaking the silence that hung heavy in the air.

"If I didn't forcefully close it, those chains would endlessly chase me," I answered simply.

Seraphina's response echoed in the air, a hint of disbelief colouring her words.

"The way you said it makes it sound like it's easy to break a connection to a goddess."

In response, Katie stepped forward, her demeanour a mix of concern and astonishment.

"You have to understand, it's not easy to break a connection to a goddess, and it's impossible even to touch any powers that have any relation to a god."

As Katie explained, she delved into the fundamental rules governing the interactions between beings beneath a god and the divine powers themselves.

"That's a rule and law between beings underneath a god. Whoever touches the power of a god would dissipate into nothingness''

''Well, it also depends on the gods' intentions, but that's the idea." She explained.

"So, you're telling me that no matter what, I should have perished under those chains...?"

I questioned, the realization sinking in that this encounter had given me the idea of what I would be facing in the future.

I couldn't reach the realm of a god before, but I believe, this time I could make it.

Even so, it's still far away.

After the Transcendent Realm, there are still more Realms to go, and each Realm has its uniqueness.

"That's right...." Liviana voiced her concern with a thoughtful gaze, her eyes reflecting a mixture of admiration and nervousness.

"We know that you're a powerful, monstrous human, the likes of which we've never encountered. But no beings could face off against the gods...unless..."

Seraphina, deep in thought, lightly touched her chin as she pondered the implications.

"Unless...?" I echoed her last word, eager for her insight.

"Unless you are a being equivalent, but by then, you won't even be allowed to exist in this realm, so that's a no," she concluded, discarding the notion of me being a god.

However, she wasn't finished with her words.

"Did...you perhaps receive any Blessings...?"

Seraphina asked, her gaze fixed on me, her eyes betraying a hint of uncertainty.

Even Katie and Liviana focused their attention on me, their expressions silently conveying the revelation was impossible.

"Yeah, I did, and I even received seven of them,"

I revealed and revealing this information isn't going to harm me.

"Moreover, you guys knew that I had even received a stigma from your goddesses, which I have no idea what it does."

I nonchalantly shrugged my shoulders as I answered.

"7 B-Blessings!?"

Katie's exclamation cut through the air, her eyes widening in sheer disbelief.

It was as if the very idea of me possessing seven Goddess's Blessings was challenging the limits of her comprehension. The shock radiated from her expression, revealing the depths of her surprise.

Liviana and Seraphina, too, shared in the disbelief, their eyes mirroring the astonishment that painted Katie's face.

The initial idea of me being a god had already been deemed implausible, but the revelation of having seven Blessings from goddesses was more incomprehensible than being a god.

As the weight of the situation sank in, the three of them exchanged glances, silently acknowledging the extraordinary nature of what I had just disclosed.

I knew how rare it is to have a goddess's blessing and how ridiculous it is to have even seven of them, and that makes me an anomaly.

On the other hand, while there was no official grading system for Goddess's Blessings, some were renowned for their overwhelming power that could break all known laws.

Blessings from Gods like Sun Wukong or Hercules carried such immense power that they could destroy galaxies.

"D-Daniel, do you know what it means to have 7 Blessings!?"

Liviana's voice wavered as she questioned, her eyes reflecting not only fear but also a sense of wonder.

The realization that I held the blessings of seven powerful goddesses had broken their common sense.

"I think we have to explain to him or else he won't get it,"

Katie sighed, her words carrying a sense of responsibility.

The other two saintesses exchanged glances, silently acknowledging the necessity of revealing the mystery for me.

The gravity of the situation seemed to prompt immediate agreement among them.

"In the first place, do you know why Blessings exist in the first place?"

Katie posed the question, and my curiosity piqued.

''Why?'' I was curious as well as why Blessings exists as I never get to find the answer to it.

"The reason is—" Katie began to explain, but just as her revelation was about to unfold, the entire world of Modern Fantasia shifted into a surreal grayscale.

A chill ran down my spine as I felt the abnormality of the situation.

Instinctively, I raised my guard, realizing this phenomenon was far from ordinary.

An impending threat, beyond my current capabilities, was nearby me.

It was the first time in a while since I felt such pressure.

I knew that those beings above couldn't intervene no matter what, hence, I was clueless about this situation.

"What's going on...?"

I muttered in a low tone, scanning my surroundings.

The abrupt transformation of the world left me on edge, and even the three saintesses stood frozen in the world of grey.

I strained my senses, attempting to detect any signs of the unknown enemy, but the ominous silence enveloped everything.

What was happening in this distorted world?

I waited in tense anticipation for seconds.

At the same time, I was using my senses in an attempt to discern the nature of the impending danger.

Yet, to my bewilderment, nothing unfolded.

The eerie stillness persisted, leaving me grappling with uncertainty.

I was frustrated with this situation as I was helpless to even do anything.

Just as my impatience had reached its limit, a sudden interruption manifested.

There was a notification materialized before me.

[: Congratulations, Daniel Bell. You have reached the questioning of Blessings far too early :]

[: However, please don't be disheartened as this is wonderful news. :]

[: As it is too early for you to know about the existence of Blessings, there will be a requirement placed specially made for you to fulfil. :]

[: Do you wish to accept this as a quest? At the same time, since you have reached this stage too early and possess abnormal powers, you will be rewarded accordingly as compensation. :]

[: Do you wish to accept both the quest and rewards? :]

[: If you don't, the existence of blessings would only be revealed until its intended time. :]

As I immersed myself in the contents of the notification, a deep sense of bafflement and astonishment washed over me.

The language used by the system bore an unusual directness.

It deviated from the usual detached tone, creating an eerie sensation that lingered in the air.

The implications had generated an uneasy feeling akin to a sense of a bad omen.

Throughout my encounters with the system, whether in the present or the alternate future, it had never communicated in such a manner.

It was as if the system acknowledged my presence in a way it hadn't before.

I was aware of the threat that I possessed powers, however, the laws from both Modern Fantasia and Earth had shielded me from interference by higher realm entities.

However, that doesn't mean my actions hadn't drawn attention.

It seems like the blessings carry a weighty truth, one that was beyond my level and capacity.

Moreover, the restrictions placed on me suggested that either I was deemed too weak to bear the truth or, more intriguingly, I was far too early than its intended time.

However, the question remains.

To accept the restriction or not, and even if I refused it, I would receive nothing.

Hence, it's better to receive it rather than having empty hands.

''I'll accept the quest'' I declared without any regrets.

At the same time, I looked forward to what I would receive as a form of compensation.

[: You have accepted a Hidden Mission :]