The night deepened under the shimmering glow of twin moons hanging over the Divine Continent. Clark stood near the palace gates, his eyes calmly observing the distant forest edge where faint glimmers of movement began to emerge.
After nearly five hours of relentless battle, Seraphiel and her crusaders returned.
Their white and gold armor was stained with traces of fog beast blood, but their formation remained tight, disciplined. The crimson marks on their blades told the story better than words — tonight had been far more fruitful than the first hunt.
Seraphiel stepped forward and knelt gracefully before him.
"My Lord, we have returned victorious."
Clark nodded slightly, sweeping his gaze across the group. Lilith stood just behind Seraphiel, her usual cold elegance perfectly intact, though there was a faint glisten of sweat on her brow — proof that even she had exerted herself tonight.
"Eight hundred and twenty-four fog beasts eliminated. No casualties on our side. Everyone's battle experience has improved significantly."
The system quickly updated:
[Battle Results Recorded]
Fog Monsters Eliminated: 824
Loot Collected: 824 Beast Cores, Wolf Meat × 1648, Miscellaneous Materials
He activated the skill divine eyes and....
Hero: Seraphiel — Level 8
Hero: Lilith — Level 6
Crusaders: All Level 14
Clark was genuinely pleased. The growth speed of his team far exceeded the average god. It was a solid foundation being built day by day.
But even so, the fatigue from continuous battles was clear on their faces. Without hesitation, Clark opened his interface and brought up his remaining divine essence.
"Time to reward their efforts."
He activated Restoration, consuming 100 divinity instantly. A radiant pillar of soft golden light burst into existence above the group, washing over every follower present.
The blood and grime faded as wounds closed and fatigue was wiped away. The soothing divine energy reinvigorated both body and spirit.
The system chimed softly:
[Restoration Successful]
10 Divinity Consumed
Party fully healed.
Crusader Loyalty +2
Hero Loyalty +1
The effect was immediate — the Crusaders' eyes gleamed with renewed vigor, their morale rising sharply. Even Lilith's lips curved into a subtle, rare smile.
Seraphiel spoke softly, her voice filled with warmth.
"Your grace, your power brings us strength beyond measure."
Clark simply waved his hand lightly. There was no need for grand words tonight — the results spoke for themselves.
-----------
As the first rays of the morning sun broke across the horizon, a familiar system chime stirred Clark from his light slumber.
[System Notification]
Congratulations! Your Divine Forum contribution has been rated "Highly Valuable" by the Universal Will.
Reputation Increased: +50
You have received: Golden Treasure Chest ×1
Clark sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes briefly as the glowing interface floated before him. His plan to use the Divine Forum had worked perfectly.
The information he had carefully shared on the Divine Forum had clearly triggered significant discussion across the godly realm. His post had been voted on heavily — both out of gratitude and frustration.
High reputation, though largely symbolic at this stage, marked him as one of the few rising gods worthy of attention among the Universal Will's countless newcomers.
He dismissed the interface and stretched lightly. The golden glow of the morning sun filtered through the tall arched windows of the palace, casting an almost divine light over the polished marble floors.
"Finally... a golden chest."
He didn't hesitate.
With a thought, the golden chest materialized in front of him. Its intricate divine carvings seemed to pulse with faint golden light, radiating a sacred aura far beyond the simple silver chest from before.
The lid slowly opened with a soft hum, releasing a burst of golden energy that filled the room.
[Golden Treasure Chest Opened]
100 Divinity
Divine Core Fragment ×10
Discount Card(special) ×1 (50% discount on any one purchase)-
Random Hero Skill Card (special)
But before Clark could even process the rewards, his Divine Multiplier Talent (x1000) activated automatically.
[Divine Talent Activated - Rewards]
Divinity: 100,000
Divine Core Fragments: 10,000
Discount Card ×1 (50%)(special)
Random Hero Skill Card (special)
The golden light intensified briefly as his divine power surged with the multiplied rewards. Even for Clark, who had grown used to his absurd talent, this sight was still astonishing.
"10,000 fragments..." he muttered. "That's… enough for 100 Divine Cores."
The Divine Core requirement for palace upgrades was instantly solved in bulk. The massive influx of divinity also practically refilled his reserves in an instant.
Clark leaned back slightly, allowing himself a rare moment of satisfaction.
He sat motionless for a moment, still processing what had just occurred.
Merely last night, he had burned through the very last drops of his divinity to cast Restoration on Seraphiel and the Crusaders after their long battle. His reserves had been emptied completely — he had 0 divinity left by the time he returned to rest.
And now?
He glanced once more at the system interface.
[Current Divinity: 100,000]
The absurdity of it made even him blink twice.
"From nothing… to this," he muttered under his breath.
The growth was ridiculous even by his standards. His talent had once again proven why it was unrivaled. The fact that this surge came from writing a simple post only made it more astonishing.
"At this rate... even early-stage gods will mistake me for a mid-stage deity," he thought quietly, a small smirk forming on his lips.
His eyes fell on the second reward — theDiscount Card (50%).
"This... might be even more valuable than the divinity itself."
The ability to purchase any item — no restrictions — at half its cost. The potential it offered was terrifying. Expensive treasures, high-grade skills, or even rare materials that most gods couldn't even dream of might now fall within his grasp.
He opened up the Divine Forum next.
The moment the interface loaded, a flood of messages scrolled down rapidly. Notifications were pouring in by the hundreds. His post — written merely to farm some reputation points and obtain chests — had exploded far beyond his expectations.
[Top 10 Trending Posts]
#7 – "Early Divine Skill Selection — Mistakes Many Are Making (Verdant God)"
Usefulness Rating: ★★★★★ (100% positive rating)
Votes: 62, 810,200 and climbing
The section about divine skills had caught the most attention. Thousands of new gods had rushed blindly into buying ordinary skills with divine crystals, sealing their limited skill slots forever.
Now that they realized their mistakes, many were either desperate for a solution or furious for not knowing earlier.
The comment section was overflowing:
Sword Saint of Judgement: "Verdant God, thank you for sharing this! I almost wasted my slot on 'Fireball'!"
Crimson Fang Lord: "Why didn't you post this earlier?! I've already ruined my first slot!"
Silver Moon Priestess: "This information is priceless. My entire faction is following your method now."
Frost River Monarch: "How did you even figure this out so early?! Are you secretly a veteran?"
Burning Sand King: "Verdant God, please post more guides! We'll pay for your knowledge!"
Clark exhaled lightly, observing the reactions with faint amusement.
Most gods were still trapped in the early stages — fighting for survival, scavenging for food, and now realizing that every choice they made might cripple their future growth.
Meanwhile, his own foundation was becoming unshakable.