Chapter 1339 Ranks Above

Michael didn't think he was wasting the title's effect by asking such a question.

After all, there was never any guarantee that the Origin Will would answer him in the first place. The title only granted him the ability to actively seek its presence. Whether the Origin Will chose to respond was an entirely different matter.

What was guaranteed, however, was that the more frequently he used the effect, the greater the possibility of being ignored.

It was precisely because of this uncertainty that Michael had never used the title despite possessing it for such a long time.

He had simply left it untouched, allowing it to collect dust among his other titles even when there was no shortage of things he wanted to know.

The secrets of the Land of Origin, the mysteries surrounding Infinite Evolution, and countless other questions had crossed his mind at one point or another. If he had used the title whenever he encountered something confusing, he might have exhausted whatever patience the Origin Will possessed long ago.

But now things were different.

He had finally encountered a question important enough to justify using it. The existence of a realm beyond Demigod wasn't merely a matter of curiosity. It concerned the future of his cultivation.

If Rank 5 truly represents the limit of every known advancement system, then what happens when I eventually reach that level?

Would I be forced to remain a Demigod forever?

He had been wondering about this mystery for a long time, but he hadn't dared ask Jester to calculate the answer, fearing the undead might die the moment it attempted to do so.

Seconds passed after Michael asked his question.

However, no answer came.

The office remained quiet, and the panel displaying his title showed no changes.

"…"

Michael sighed.

As expected.

He wasn't particularly surprised.

He was just about to lament his unfortunate luck when an invisible gaze descended upon him.

Michael immediately straightened in his chair.

He recognized this sensation.

It was an incredibly profound gaze, one that seemed to originate from somewhere beyond his understanding. There was no hostility within it, nor was there any particular warmth.

It was simply observing him.

The Origin Will!

Michael's eyes widened slightly.

He wasn't a stranger to this sensation, and there was no mistaking its source.

So it actually worked.

Michael suppressed his excitement.

However, attracting the attention of the Origin Will and receiving an answer from it were two entirely different matters.

For all he knew, this mysterious existence might simply observe him for a moment before withdrawing its attention.

Considering that Michael had directly asked about a realm whose existence seemed to have disappeared from countless cultivation systems, there was no telling whether the Origin Will would be willing to reveal such information.

Michael remained seated, waiting patiently.

A few seconds passed.

The gaze didn't disappear.

But neither did anything else happen.

Don't tell me it's really going to ignore me…

Michael felt somewhat helpless.

Still, he didn't dare repeat his question.

If it heard me, asking again won't accomplish anything.

And if it hadn't…

Well, there was little Michael could do about that.

He could only wait.

Just as he was beginning to believe that nothing else would happen, a faint fluctuation passed before his eyes, followed by a translucent panel.

[Unified Advancement System: Rank 6 - True God.]

"…"

Michael's eyes widened with excitement as he clenched his fist.

Rank 6!

It exists!

The realm he had spent so long wondering about actually existed!

And its name was exactly what he might have expected from the distinction between Demigods and actual Gods.

True God.

Michael silently repeated the name.

He had considered several possibilities for what the realm beyond Demigod might be called, but seeing the answer directly acknowledged by the Origin Will was an entirely different experience.

Before he could properly organize his thoughts, another panel appeared beneath the first.

[Unified Advancement System: Rank 7 - Primordial Being.]

Michael froze.

What?

Rank 7?

There's another realm beyond True God?!

It wasn't the possibility of another rank that surprised him. After all, he had asked about the ranks beyond Demigod.

What surprised him was that the Origin Will had actually gone further, revealing another rank without any apparent hesitation.

Primordial Being…

Michael stared at the words.

Unlike True God, which was relatively straightforward, Primordial Being was a term that carried a different implication.

Primordial.

The name alone sounded extraordinary.

Of course, Michael wasn't foolish enough to assume he understood the characteristics of the realm simply from its name.

Still, the revelation was astonishing.

Even True Gods aren't the end?

Michael suddenly felt that his previous understanding of supernatural power had been far too limited.

He had spent so much time wondering whether anything existed beyond Demigod, only to discover that the Origin Will recognized at least two higher ranks.

Soon, another panel began forming before him.

[Unified Advancement System: Rank -]

The text suddenly stopped.

"Hm?"

Michael frowned.

For some reason, the panel hadn't finished displaying its contents.

Then, without warning, the notification flickered.

[Unified Advancement System: Rank - ▓▓▓▓▓]

The characters on the panel began distorting.

What's going on?

The entire panel started trembling. Strange symbols flashed across its surface, appearing and disappearing so rapidly that Michael couldn't make sense of them.

[Unified Advancement System: Rank - ▓▓▓]

[Unified Advancement System: Rank - ▓▓▓▓▓]

[▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓]

"…"

Michael stared at the notifications in astonishment.

He had witnessed system panels behaving strangely before, particularly when Jester's original form had nearly killed him, but this situation was different.

The information wasn't simply being withheld.

It appeared as though something was interfering with its presentation.

Or perhaps the Origin Will itself was encountering some kind of restriction.

Michael couldn't tell.

The first two panels suddenly began flickering as well.

[Unified Advancement System: Rank 6 - True God.]

[Unified Advancement System: Rank 7 - Primordial Being.]

Both notifications distorted.

Then, in the next instant, all three panels disappeared.

At the same time, the profound gaze that had been observing Michael withdrew.

Everything returned to normal.

The office was silent once more.

Michael remained seated, staring at the empty space where the notifications had appeared.

"…"

Several seconds passed before he finally reacted.

"What the hell?"

He had finally received an answer from the Origin Will. Not only had it confirmed the existence of Rank 6, but it had also revealed Rank 7.

Yet just as it was about to disclose something else, the entire exchange had abruptly ended.

Rank 8…?

Michael slowly leaned back in his chair as countless thoughts raced through his mind.

The sudden disappearance of the panels was already strange enough, but what concerned him more was the possibility that he had stumbled upon something he shouldn't have known.

A trace of fear gradually welled up within him.

Don't tell me I've touched upon some kind of taboo?

It wasn't an unreasonable concern.

After all, Michael had experienced enough of the supernatural world to understand that certain knowledge could be dangerous. And considering that even the Origin Will's response had seemingly encountered some kind of interference, he had every reason to be cautious.

*

A/N: Sorry for the slow update. Real-life issues strike again. Fortunately, it's the weekend, so I'll have more time to write!

Thank you for the continued support!