Chapter 47 -47-Start Upgrade Complete

Chapter 47: Chapter47-Start Upgrade CompleteTin-Silver Empire — Lumen Sanctum Academy Marina gripped her [Gnome Communicator] tightly in both hands. A soft flush of red lit up her pale cheeks, the result of uncontainable excitement. "I knew it! I knew Daniel could do it!" "He’d never let me down. He’s not some useless failure!" The nun standing beside her could only sigh, watching Marina practically radiate joy. But Marina, immersed in her emotions, kept talking to herself, not caring about her surroundings. "Did you see it? Daniel just took down that stone World Rank boss!" "He’s defeated all of the World Rank bosses in Whitewild Expanse!" "So? You can’t possibly doubt his strength anymore, can you?" The nun sighed again. There was no arguing with her now. "You’re right, Lady Saintess," she admitted, her tone helpless. Tin-Silver Empire — Outskirts of the Royal Capital Mejir stared at his [Gnome Communicator], falling deep into thought. Daniel’s strength had completely surpassed anything Mejir could comprehend. Trying to catch up to him now was nothing more than wishful thinking—a fool’s dream. After a long silence, Mejir finally exhaled, a quiet smile forming on his face. "I’ve decided. I won’t chase after Daniel anymore." And oddly enough, the moment he made that decision, his spells began to flow more smoothly, his techniques more precise. Though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, deep down Mejir had accepted it: He and Daniel were no longer even remotely in the same league. The gap between them? It wasn’t just like the difference between a man and a beast—it was wider. Wider than the difference between a man and a dog. At that moment, all the students who had once regarded Daniel as a rival revealed similar expressions: a blend of resignation and peace. They returned to their grinding and leveling, no longer burdened by the psychological pressure of competing with him. And strangely, their efficiency improved. But deep within, they had lost something— The will to rise as the strongest. The heart of a champion. Whitewild Expanse — Primordial Land Daniel stood still as he watched [The Fallen Idol] crumble before him, collapsing into thousands of shattered stones. Almost immediately afterward, a message flashed before his eyes: [Congratulations! You have completed the Star Upgrade Quest. You may now visit any Star Upgrade Hall to submit your mission. Upon submission, your Star Upgrade will be officially activated.] Finally. It had taken an immense amount of effort, but the Star Upgrade Quest was complete. What would the upgrade bring? Daniel wasn’t sure, but he hoped it would grant him another surge in power. After pocketing the fallen boss’s loot, he activated a [Town Portal Scroll]. At this point, he had tens of thousands of those scrolls stuffed in his bag. He could afford to be wasteful. Castle Mington A few hours later, Daniel returned to Castle Mington. But this time, something felt different. Technically, Castle Mington belonged to the Tin-Silver Empire. But at the same time, it was also the capital territory of the Mington Kingdom. To be precise, the Mington Kingdom operated under the rule of the Tin-Silver Empire. In the political structure of the empire, several such kingdoms existed under its banner. While the empire ruled in name, each kingdom retained internal autonomy— As long as they paid their dues in taxes, the kings governed their own land freely. That meant Castle Mington could very well become the capital of his own kingdom one day. That thought stirred something inside Daniel. A sense of belonging. It felt like he had returned to his domain. And indeed, there were still countless treasure chests, hidden monsters, elite bosses, and rare events scattered throughout Whitewild Expanse. But Daniel was no longer interested in any of it. After completing his Star Upgrade, he intended to move on—to a more advanced map, a greater challenge. Why waste time picking up scraps here? Yet as he reflected, Daniel couldn’t help but feel a bit of concern. When exactly did his mindset change so drastically? A single gold-tier chest was worth over a million gold coins. And yet, to him now, it felt like picking up trash. Had he... become too arrogant? Daniel shook his head, trying to clear the thought. He checked his [Gnome Communicator] balance. Over 5 billion gold coins. All transferred from the Multiracial Commerce League. That didn’t make sense. Even after selling large quantities of items, the balance shouldn’t be this high. Could it be...? Just then, a message popped up: Sёarᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Your Highness Daniel, congratulations on completing your mission. You have been selected to receive an SSS-tier investment from the Multiracial Commerce League. These gold coins represent our sincerity—please do not decline.] What the—?! An SSS-tier investment? And they just gave him billions of gold coins? Daniel had never even heard of the Multiracial Commerce League offering "investments" before. Clearly, this was just an excuse to give him money. But he wasn’t complaining. There was something undeniably appealing about this kind of blunt generosity. At least for now, Daniel’s mood was absolutely soaring. He had already wanted to maintain a good relationship with the Commerce League. But now it seemed they were far more eager than he was. As for refusing the money? That never even crossed his mind. No matter how strong a person was, having a reliable support network was still crucial. That said, the current priority was clear: Get to the Star Upgrade Hall as soon as possible. Once the upgrade was done, his whole status might change. And if there were any rare materials needed? Well, now he could just buy them—straight from the Commerce League. Daniel’s objective was simple and absolute: Increase his strength at all costs. Even if the Star Upgrade didn’t enhance his talent directly, it would unlock something else— One of the top ten skills listed in the [God Rank Skill Compendium]. That was what Daniel really cared about. In the next second, he vanished on the spot. And in the blink of an eye, he reappeared—inside the Star Upgrade Hall. The hall was packed with adventurers. Whether you were upgrading from one-star to two-star, or two-star to three-star... Everyone had to come here to submit their quests. Despite the bustling crowd, no one paid Daniel any attention. It wasn’t because they didn’t recognize him. It was because the moment anyone looked his way, they would immediately forget his face. That was the power of [Mist]. As long as Daniel wished it, no one would notice his presence. Not even the Human Emperor. Completely undisturbed, he walked straight to the glowing crystal in the center of the hall. He placed his palm on the surface. A familiar status screen appeared before his eyes: [Star Upgrade Quest 1: Clear the Underground Labyrinth – "Whisper of the Moon" (Completed)] [Star Upgrade Quest 2: Defeat 10 World Rank bosses solo – Kill Count: 10 (Completed)] [All Star Upgrade Quests Completed. Would you like to begin the Star Upgrade process?] Daniel didn’t hesitate for even a second. He confirmed. And the very next moment— Streams of radiant light gathered above the hall, cascading from the heavens. But strangely, the light didn’t draw any attention. It was as if something had concealed it from the world. That "something"? [Mist] had done its job once again.