As Clark admired the peach orchard gently swaying under the afternoon breeze, a sudden, deep chime echoed across the heavens.
[Universal Will Announcement - Divine Continent]
"Attention all Gods — the Training Function has now been unlocked."
"Gods may now initiate Divine Skill Training:
10 Divinity per hour
500 Divine Crystals per 5 minutes"
"Note: This function allows for accelerated proficiency improvement in currently owned skills."
Clark's eyes gleamed with interest.
"At last," he thought. "A perfect chance to familiarize myself with the power of divine skills."
Without delay, the interface shimmered before him. Both of his newly acquired skills appeared:
Restoration (Lv. 1)
Starfall (Lv. 1)
He selected Starfall and confirmed his choice.
"Commence training — 1 hour."
[10 Divinity deducted]
The world around Clark warped instantly.
His surroundings vanished, replaced by an endless expanse of darkness. A boundless void space — isolated, silent, weightless.
Before him, two glowing panels materialized:
[Training Mode Selection]
Free Mode — unrestricted practice.
Battle Mode — simulated combat.
He calmly chose Free Mode for now.
A faint hum vibrated through the void as the system initialized his training field. Before him, countless glowing geometric platforms floated across the dark space, targets suspended mid-air at varying distances and heights.
Clark extended his hand, his heartbeat steady.
"Starfall."
At his command, the empty heavens above the void shifted.
A faint golden ripple spread outward like concentric rings on a calm lake. From far above, starlight began to converge — specks of brilliant light swirling in a majestic spiral.
The lights condensed into a luminous sphere, its surface pulsating with concentrated divine essence.
The swirling star hovered for a brief moment before suddenly descending. As it fell, its brilliance intensified, trailing an elegant tail of burning light across the void.
BOOOOOM—!!
The moment it struck the designated target zone, a deafening blast reverberated through the space. The entire void shook as brilliant waves of light exploded outward, evaporating the geometric platforms instantly.
The simulation automatically repaired itself after each impact.
Clark silently observed the spectacular display.
The spell wasn't merely destructive — it was beautiful.
The massive divine force, the precise targeting, the crushing area of effect — everything exuded the overwhelming majesty of a God-level technique.
[Training Feedback: Starfall — Proficiency +10%]
Clark narrowed his eyes.
"At just level 1, the consumption is enormous. 2000 Divine Essence for each cast(20 divinity)."
He glanced at the floating information panel that kept updating his progress.
"With 440 Divinity left after purchasing my skills, I can't afford to cast this endlessly."
Yet even as he evaluated, deep down he understood:
this was true divine power.
Not the petty normal skills that many struggling gods were forced to purchase. These were abilities designed for gods who could dominate entire regions.
"No wonder wars between ancient gods dragged on for centuries," Clark muttered. "When fueled by endless divine essence, skills like these could annihilate entire armies."
He prepared to cast Starfall 9 more times, watching as the majestic stellar light once more gathered above.
With each cast, his understanding of the skill grew, but so did his caution. Without steady faith income, no god could sustain the usage of divine skills for long.
[Proficiency +10%]
Clark stood silently in the endless void space, his focus entirely locked on the swirling divine energy above.
Once more, he extended his right hand.
"Starfall!"
The heavens responded instantly. The golden light spiraled and condensed again, forming the majestic sphere of celestial energy. Without pause, it descended like a meteor from the heavens, crashing upon the designated target with overwhelming force.
BOOOM!
[Proficiency +10% — Current Proficiency: 20%]
Clark barely allowed himself a breath before summoning the next cast.
"Again."
The golden sphere reformed, larger, denser, more stable with each repetition. Each impact illuminated the void with its devastating brilliance, forcing the floating geometric platforms to disintegrate again and again.
The system messages kept chiming:
[Proficiency +10% — 30%...]
[Proficiency +10% — 40%...]
[Proficiency +10% — 50%...]
The void continued to tremble under the constant bombardment. Every cast drained 2000 Divine Essence, but this was training—here, only simulated divine essence was consumed.
Clark's movements grew more fluid, his understanding of the divine mechanics behind Starfall deepening with every cycle.
[Proficiency +10% — 60%...]
[Proficiency +10% — 70%...]
[Proficiency +10% — 80%...]
[Proficiency +10% — 90%...]
Finally, on the tenth cast, as the radiant sphere smashed into the target one last time:
[Skill Proficiency 100% — Starfall has leveled up to Lv.2][New Effect: Area of effect increased to 10 meters. 1% chance to trigger True Damage.]
A bright pillar of light descended upon Clark as the skill evolved before his eyes. He immediately opened the system interface to check the changes:
[Starfall — Lv. 2]
Divine Essence Consumption: 4000
Effective Radius: 10 meters (up from 5 meters)
Additional Effect: 1% chance to inflict True Damage (ignores all defense)
Cooldown: None (cast based on Divine Essence reserves)
Clark's expression froze.
"Consumption 4000? It doubled!"
His fingers tightened slightly. The majestic power of Starfall Lv.2 was undeniable, but so was its terrifying drain on resources. At this rate, even a single round of prolonged battle would empty most lower gods entirely.
He quickly did the math. With his current reserves, he could only cast Starfall a few times before being completely dry.
"The power scale of divine skills truly reflects the laws of this world," he muttered. "In the end, everything burns through divinity."
Clark's eyes narrowed slightly as a faint grin curved his lips.
"The range has doubled… and now the possibility of true damage."
While the 1% chance seemed small, even a single strike ignoring all defenses could decide the outcome in a battle between gods.
"At this pace, once my divine essence reserves increase, this skill alone will be terrifying."
He exhaled slowly, calming himself. The price was high, but the strength gained was worth it.
"This is what separates gods from mortals."
The void remained silent, but in that stillness, Clark felt himself one step closer to truly grasping the terrifying weight of divine power.
He waved his hand to dismiss the current Starfall interface.