[: 3rd POV :]
At this moment, the Will of the Universe had truly made its decision.
Not a simple blessing.
Not ordinary support.
But an Absolute Edict directly centered around Daniel Valenhardt himself.
And the moment the Edict fully manifested across existence, a terrifying truth became clear.
One day, every major faction throughout existence would inevitably collide against Daniel and his reign.
Because what the Universe had just granted him was not something that maintained balance.
It shattered balance entirely.
The Absolute Edict itself was practically a declaration of supremacy.
A protection so unreasonable that if ancient factions discovered its existence, fear alone would immediately spread throughout the cosmos.
Because this Edict had ignored one of the oldest natural laws governing conquest.
The law of equal vulnerability.
Normally, every civilization, world, faction, and realm possessed the possibility of invasion.
No matter how strong they became, there was always risk.
Always pressure.
Always the threat of stronger enemies descending upon them.
That was the natural order of the Universe.
Survival through conflict.
Growth through struggle.
Yet Daniel's Edict had forcibly overturned that principle.
As long as a faction lacked beings capable of comprehending Edict authority, they would never be capable of invading Daniel's reign.
The Universe itself would reject their entry.
That level of protection was horrifying.
It essentially meant that ordinary factions no longer possessed the right to even threaten Daniel's territory.
Only those standing at the highest levels of existence, beings who had comprehended Edict would even possess the qualifications to attempt reaching him.
And that alone elevated Daniel's future reign into something terrifying beyond imagination.
Because now, his civilization possessed something all other factions lacked.
He was guaranteed survival,
growth and protection.
The system immediately understood the implication behind this.
[: Host…this Edict is dangerous on an entirely different scale. :]
Daniel silently observed the flowing cosmic laws around him.
Even he could feel how deeply the Universe had altered reality for his sake.
The system continued seriously.
[: Once your reign begins expanding, every major faction will eventually notice something abnormal. :]
[: No invasions succeeding. No forced breaches possible. Endless accelerated growth. Immortal civilizations protected by cosmic authority itself. :]
[: They will become terrified of you. :]
Daniel remained calm.
But the system was not exaggerating.
Because the existence of such an Edict fundamentally threatened the structure of cosmic competition itself.
The moment Daniel's reign grew large enough, conflict would become inevitable.
Not because Daniel sought war.
But because his existence alone would destabilize the balance maintained across countless eras.
However, this Absolute Edict had not been created without cost.
No...the cost behind it was unimaginably severe.
Because an Absolute Edict of this scale could not be formed through energy alone.
The natural laws of existence themselves resisted it.
The Edict had overwritten too many universal principles.
Protection, immortality, isolation from invasion, exponential evolution and statistical amplification.
All of it together formed something far too unreasonable.
And that was why, the Will of the Universe had paid a horrifying price to force its creation into existence.
The moment Daniel realized this, his expression subtly shifted.
Because he could feel it now.
The Universe had weakened.
Now everything made sense.
The system quietly spoke.
[: The energy consumption alone was not enough to establish the Edict. :]
[: So the Universe compensated using its own lifeforce. :]
Daniel's eyes narrowed slightly.
The system continued heavily.
[: To forcefully establish the Absolute Edict: Reign of Supremacy…the Universe sacrificed two thirds of its remaining lifeforce. :]
Silence followed immediately afterward.
Even Daniel himself froze briefly.
At this moment, Daniel finally understood the true scale of the gamble the Universe had made.
It had not merely supported him.
It had entrusted its survival entirely to him.
If Daniel failed, the Universe would likely perish completely.
And perhaps the most terrifying part of all this…eas the fact that the Universe willingly accepted that risk.
Not out of madness.
But because it genuinely believed Daniel Valenhardt was the only existence left capable of changing its fate.
The surrounding void became strangely quiet afterward.
Then slowly, the voice of the Universe echoed once more.
Far weaker than before.
Yet somehow…far more peaceful.
[: Daniel Valenhardt… :]
[: The future of this Universe… now rests within your hands. :]
Moreover, the situation became even more complex when considering one critical factor.
Authority of Edict was not something that existed in isolation.
It was not a simple power structure.
It was a tier of existence that directly interfered with universal law itself.
And that meant one thing.
If a being possessed Edict authority…they were no longer bound by ordinary conquest rules.
The Will of the Universe silently acknowledged this reality as its voice echoed once more.
Because the true question was not whether factions could invade Daniel's reign.
The real question was whether Edict wielders would ever be willing to challenge another existence holding similar authority.
And that answer was not simple.
The Universe itself had already sacrificed an unimaginable portion of its lifeforce just to manifest a single Absolute Edict.
So what would it mean for beings who had already comprehended Edict authority?
To oppose another Edict wielder would not be a casual war.
It would be a clash of laws.
A confrontation between absolute declarations.
And in such battles…even victory carried consequences.
Because any Edict-level conflict would inevitably force both sides to expend their authority to its limits.
And once that happened, they would enter a weakened state.
A temporary collapse in their control over absolute law.
And in that moment of weakness…other Edicts, other factions, or hidden existences waiting in silence would strike.
The Universe understood this perfectly.
Which was exactly why it had made its gamble.
Daniel Valenhardt was not meant to be a passive beneficiary.
He was meant to grow rapidly enough to stand at the center of this impending storm before it fully erupted.
That was the only viable path left.
That was the reason behind the Absolute Edict in the first place.
Not comfort.
Not safety.
But acceleration.
The Universe's final attempt to push Daniel forward before its remaining lifeforce diminished further.
Then, its voice echoed again.
But this time, something different appeared within it.
[; The Will of the Universe has made a decision that it will not announce your achievements publicly as a means of protection. :]
The surrounding space flickered faintly as those words settled into reality.
This was not celebration anymore.
This was concealment.
A protective silence imposed across existence itself.
[; The Will of the Universe can only assist you at this stage, Daniel Valenhardt… :]
The voice softened.
Not weaker in authority.
But exhausted.
As though speaking itself was becoming increasingly difficult.
[; The Universe hopes that you meet its expectation…and that one day…we will meet again…when you are ready… :]
The final words lingered longer than the rest.
Not as a command.
Not as a declaration.
But as something closer to a farewell.
A promise left suspended within collapsing strength.
Then slowly, the presence began to fade.
Not abruptly.
But gradually.
Like a vast consciousness retreating back into the depths of existence after overextending itself beyond its limits.
Daniel remained silent
.
His gaze lifted slightly toward the endless sky above.
As though he could still feel the lingering presence of something far beyond that space.
"…One day, we will meet again, huh."
His voice was quiet.
Not surprised.
Not doubtful.
Just reflective.
A calm acceptance of something inevitable.
Then, after a brief pause, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I look forward to it."
The wind above the broken heavens of the world drifted gently as his words settled into silence.
And somewhere far beyond perception, the weakened will of the Universe drifted into stillness once more.
Afterwards, Daniel smiled as he returned to where Mika and the girl were.
The moment he arrived, Mika immediately looked at him with a knowing smile.
"Without a doubt, that is your doing, right?"
She tilted her head slightly, her tone calm but certain.
"I mean, there is no one else I can think of."
Her eyes narrowed faintly in amusement.
"After all, who else could heal an entire planet from the aftermath of that corruption? Only you can do something like that."
Daniel did not directly answer, but his expression gave a quiet confirmation.
On the other hand, the girl whose body had been completely consumed by corruption earlier was now fully restored.
Her skin was healthy again.
Her breathing stable.
Her eyes bright and lively, as though the suffering she endured moments ago had been nothing more than a distant nightmare.
She looked around in amazement before focusing on Daniel.
"Big brother… was that you?"
Her voice carried innocent curiosity and awe, her eyes shining with small stars of admiration.
Daniel lowered his gaze slightly toward her.
"Do you feel better now?"
The girl immediately nodded with enthusiasm.
"More than ever!"
Her response came instantly, full of energy and relief.
Daniel gave a faint nod.
"So now… are you ready to join us?"
For a brief moment, the girl paused.
But there was no hesitation in her expression.
Instead, she straightened herself slightly, as if trying to look more serious.
"Of course I am ready!"
Even though Erika was still very young, she was not naive.
She had already experienced enough to understand one simple truth.
Daniel was not an ordinary existence.
If anything, he was something far beyond anything she had ever encountered.
And if someone like that was offering protection…then refusing it would be far more dangerous than accepting it.
Besides, she had already felt it.
That strange sense of safety when near him.
It was not something she wanted to lose.
Daniel nodded once.
"Alright. Then we begin now."
Mika had already explained the process to Erika beforehand, so there was no confusion.
Slowly, Erika's form began to change.
Her physical body dissolved gently, not in destruction, but in transformation.
What remained was a small purple core, glowing faintly with life.
It floated forward carefully, as though guided by instinct itself.
And then it drifted toward Daniel.
The moment it reached him, it fused with his existence core without resistance.
Deep within the inner realm of Daniel's core, an unimaginable space unfolded.
A vast domain where existence itself felt structured and alive.
At the center of it stood a massive tree.
It radiated a calm yet ancient presence.
A structure that could only be described as the Tree of Sanctum.
Its branches stretched endlessly, as though connecting countless layers of existence.
And as Erika's core entered this inner realm, one of the branches gently extended toward it.
The branch moved slowly, almost carefully, as if acknowledging a new life.
It wrapped around Erika's core softly, not restricting it, but embracing it.
Then, with quiet gentleness, it guided the core into its designated place within the structure.
Inside this system, Mika's core was already present.
Now Erika had joined as well.
The process was smooth.
Natural.
There was no conflict of consciousness.
No devouring of identity.
No resistance between existences.
It was not a forced merger.
It was integration.
A shared existence within Daniel's domain where each core retained its individuality while becoming part of a greater structure.
Mika felt it too.
Her expression shifted slightly.
"So that is how it feels…"
Daniel glanced at her briefly.
"Any issues?"
Mika shook her head softly.
"No… just strange. In a good way."
Outside, the changes were even more dramatic.
As Erika's world and Mika's world began fusing together under Daniel's authority, reality itself trembled.
To the inhabitants of both worlds, the skies began to fracture.
Space itself seemed to crack apart like glass under pressure.
Planets appeared to draw closer, as though two massive bodies were preparing to collide.
At first, panic spread.
Fear of destruction.
Fear of annihilation.
But quickly, that fear was suppressed.
The Fifteen Rulers acted swiftly, spreading information across both worlds.
And Erika herself, despite her small stature, made an announcement to her people.
There was no destruction.
There was no invasion.
It was a fusion.
A transformation.
A controlled evolution.
Slowly, panic turned into confusion.
Then acceptance.
Eventually, even anticipation.
Because they could feel it.
This was not an end.
It was an upgrade.
And then it happened.
Both worlds collided.
Not in destruction.
But in perfect synchronization.
Two planetary existences merged into one unified world.
And yet, even after merging, two consciousnesses remained in control.
Daniel, Mika, and Erika could all feel it clearly.
Their existences resonating with the newly formed world.
The atmosphere trembled slightly, but not violently.
It was more like reality adjusting itself.
From the perspective of those living within the world, the sky shifted constantly.
New continents began forming.
Lands with entirely different elemental properties emerged.
Regions of fire, ice, lightning, and pure mana formed naturally.
The density of mana itself increased dramatically, making breathing feel different, almost richer.
Resources that had never existed before began appearing naturally across the surface.
Everything was changing
.
Everything was evolving.
And yet, there was no destruction.
Only growth.
The people of both worlds eventually understood.
This was not something to fear.
It was something to be grateful for.
Meanwhile, Daniel observed everything calmly before speaking.
"I guess now that this is settled…"
He turned slightly.
"Time to return and plan the next round of conquering."
Mika exhaled softly, then nodded.
Erika followed quickly with an eager expression.
"Yes!"
As Daniel turned away, the newly fused world stabilized behind him, glowing faintly with renewed vitality.
And far beyond that moment, across the silent reaches of the Universe, beings who had remained hidden for countless eras began to stir once again.
