Chapter 401 -401-An Invitation from the Chaos Humans
Chapter 401: Chapter401-An Invitation from the Chaos Humans
The Chaos Star Sea!
In Daniel’s eyes, it was an extraordinarily high-level grinding zone.
The entry threshold alone was enough to eliminate the overwhelming majority of living beings.
Only those at the peak of the Divine-grade or above possessed the strength to traverse its endless expanse.
Hidden within this sea of stars were countless powerhouses and unimaginable treasures.
Every being capable of surviving here stood among the absolute elite of their respective universes.
It would be a lie to say Daniel had never been tempted by this place.
For a long time, he had planned to thoroughly explore the Chaos Star Sea once he had the time.
Unfortunately, there was simply too much on his plate.
The system’s current quest chain was relentless.
The moment one mission ended, another immediately followed.
Treasure hunting and exploring ancient secrets would have to wait.
There was, however, one thing he knew with absolute certainty.
The final reward for this quest chain was a Universe Fragment.
No matter what happened...
That was a treasure he absolutely had to obtain.
...
Outside the Chaosverse, a massive tide of refugees had already formed.
Wave after wave of living beings poured outward.
No one cared about factions.
No one cared about allegiances.
Every single survivor shared only one thought—
Get as far away from that cosmic meat grinder as possible.
Inside the Chaosverse itself...
The fighting had long since reached an unimaginable scale.
The forces of the Chitin Universe attacked with savage ferocity, forcing the mortal enemies known as the Order Faction and the Chaos Faction to temporarily unite against their common invader.
What had once been a conflict between two rival factions had evolved into a full-scale war between two entire universes.
The scale of the conflict was beyond comprehension.
Battles involving over a thousand Oracle-grades were now considered nothing more than localized skirmishes.
During the largest engagement so far...
More than ten thousand Oracle-grades had been deployed by both sides combined.
Ten thousand Oracle-grades.
That single number had nearly exhausted the entire military strength of both universes.
It also shattered every historical record for the largest gathering of Oracle-grades ever seen in battle.
Hundreds of Oracle-grades perished during that campaign alone.
Thousands more retreated bearing wounds that would likely never heal.
If even Oracle-grades suffered losses on such a scale...
Then the fate of those below them was even more horrifying.
Hundreds of millions of Divine-grade powerhouses clashed across countless battlefields.
Billions upon billions of quasi-Sages surged forward and fell back like endless tides.
Again and again...
The war shattered every preconceived notion held by the surviving inhabitants of both universes.
A Supreme-grade warrior wasn’t even qualified to be considered cannon fodder here.
At least cannon fodder could delay the enemy for a brief moment.
A Supreme-grade expert would simply disappear the instant they entered the battlefield.
The sheer scale of the war spoke for itself.
By this point...
The conflict had already exceeded what the overwhelming majority of participating forces could endure.
Both sides had simply exhausted themselves.
Neither possessed the strength to continue pressing the offensive.
Taking advantage of this rare lull, countless terrified survivors fled the battlefield.
If they remained any longer...
The next corpse lying upon the battlefield might very well be their own.
Far above the universe...
The mysterious Black Coffin continued its endless struggle against the Bell of Destiny.
The two supreme treasures remained locked in a seemingly eternal stalemate.
Countless living beings silently offered their gratitude toward Lord Sorys.
Had he not restrained the Bell of Destiny...
The Chaosverse would have been sealed completely shut.
There wouldn’t even have been a crack through which anyone could escape.
At every moment...
Starships continuously emerged from the Chaosverse before disappearing into the endless depths of the Chaos Star Sea.
Yet during his entire journey...
Daniel had not encountered a single vessel heading toward the Chaosverse.
His was the only starship sailing alone against the fleeing tide.
As the ships passed one another, the escaping survivors couldn’t help turning to stare.
Their expressions mixed disbelief with utter confusion.
"Has that guy lost his mind?"
"At a time like this... someone actually dares head toward the Chaosverse?"
Their voices carried almost absurd disbelief.
"We’re risking our lives trying to escape..."
"And he’s charging straight inside."
"Heh... there really are all kinds of people in this sea of stars."
"Perhaps that lord possesses enough strength to roam the Chaosverse without fear."
"Whatever..."
"May the stars watch over our lives."
"As long as he doesn’t drag us into whatever madness he’s chasing."
"Forget him."
"Just keep running!"
...
Before the barrier surrounding the Chaosverse...
The weakened seal created by the clash between the Black Coffin and the Bell of Destiny emitted a faint humming sound.
Activating several Sacred Arts, Daniel infused them throughout his body.
With both hands, he tore open the unstable crack, widening it just enough for passage.
Then he guided the Imperial Bow Ark through the opening.
Once again...
He entered the war-torn universe.
The sight before him was one of complete devastation.
After countless cataclysmic battles, the Chaosverse had become almost unrecognizable.
Wherever Daniel looked, shattered remains of Life Worlds drifted through space.
Broken stars floated silently amid the void.
Entire star systems had been riddled with holes by countless Sacred Arts, leaving behind scenes of heartbreaking destruction.
Many systems had even been drained of every last trace of energy.
Silent.
Lifeless.
Completely devoid of living beings.
It was utterly different from the first time he had arrived.
Back then...
Although the Order Faction and Chaos Faction had fought almost every day, the universe had still possessed an untamed vitality.
It had felt like boiling water—violent, chaotic, yet full of life.
Now...
Only desolation remained.
Comparing the prosperity and order of the Myriad-Star Cosmos with the endless wasteland before him...
The Chaosverse resembled a civilization burned to ashes by eternal war.
It was a forsaken kingdom abandoned even by the gods.
The once-flowing rivers of stars had long since dried into lifeless channels.
...
The Imperial Bow Ark steadily advanced through the ruined universe.
Suddenly—
Beep!
Beep! Beep!
A series of urgent alerts sounded from one of the communication devices Daniel carried.
He frowned slightly before remembering where it had come from.
It was the communicator Dustin had given him back in the Prosperous Astral Realm.
Its purpose had been to allow members of their group to support one another whenever necessary.
"Dustin?"
Raising an eyebrow, Daniel immediately activated the artifact.
Soon, a familiar voice echoed from within it.
It carried both surprise and delight.
"Faustus?"
"You actually came back?"
Dustin’s astonishment was unmistakable.
"I honestly thought you’d wait until this war was completely over before returning."
"I have a few matters that require my attention here."
Daniel answered calmly.
"By the way..."
"This artifact can also detect the locations of the others?"
"That’s right."
Dustin replied frankly.
"As long as you’re somewhere within the Chaosverse, all of these communicators can sense one another."
"I see."
Daniel nodded in understanding.
"Perfect timing."
Dustin chuckled.
"The Chaos Humans have wanted to invite you over for quite some time."
"We just never found the right opportunity."
"Now that you’ve returned..."
"Would you like to visit our settlement?"
"Oh?"
Daniel fell into thought.
The Chaos Humans...
They were the prehistoric ancestors of humanity from countless civilizations before modern Earth.
The humans of Earth and the Chaos Humans shared the very same origin.
Even today, countless ruins they had left behind remained scattered across Earth.
Long ago, they had ventured into the Endless Starsea.
They first established themselves within the Myriad-Star Cosmos.
Later, after offending a Great Oracle-grade, their Forefather led the entire race away from the Myriad-Star Cosmos and settled within the newly born Chaosverse.
After the passage of countless ages...
The humans of Earth had finally stepped onto the path leading toward the Endless Starsea as well.
Now...
For the first time...
The bloodlines of humanity, separated by countless eras, finally had the opportunity to reunite.