"Is this what you’re looking for?"
Daniel reached into his backpack space and retrieved the gold coin once more, handing it over to Kate.
The moment Kate saw the coin, her expression lit up with uncontainable excitement.
"Yes! That’s exactly it! I knew my intuition wouldn’t fail me!"
"Now, in the name of the Luck Goddess, I’m willing to form a contract with you..."
In the next instant, countless runes of divine origin appeared before Daniel.
[Demigod Rank Contract]
"You only need to hand me this gold coin, and the contract will be established," Kate explained. "In return, the Luck Goddess will protect humanity for 3,000 years."
However, Daniel didn’t immediately agree.
He twirled the coin between his fingers, falling into thoughtful silence.
After a moment, he finally spoke.
"I’d like the Luck Goddess to extend her protection to 4,000 years, not just 3,000."
"Do you think that’s too much to ask?"
Kate was momentarily stunned.
He was... negotiating?
Negotiating a divine contract?
This was supposed to be a pact with a god—since when did mortals get to bargain?
She suddenly felt like she was being taken advantage of.
But her gaze involuntarily drifted back to the gold coin in Daniel’s hand.
That coin was far too important.
Her intuition screamed at her—this gold coin played a crucial role in the Luck Goddess’s ascension ritual.
What her intuition hadn’t told her, though, was that Daniel would try to haggle over terms.
"My human friend," she said cautiously, "I advise you to think carefully. Without the Luck Goddess’s protection, your people will never survive the coming Apocalypse."
To this veiled threat, Daniel responded with utter composure.
"Don’t worry. Humanity will not perish."
Kate frowned. She genuinely couldn’t understand where this confidence was coming from.
"Why are you so sure?" she asked. "Your race is so weak that Aurelia doesn’t even need to lift a finger. Soros alone could wipe you all out with a flick of his hand."
Daniel just smiled faintly.
"That’s also a matter of intuition. My instinct tells me that humanity won’t be destroyed."
His voice was calm, but inwardly he was sneering.
What a joke.
He was someone who had traveled back from the future. If anyone knew whether humanity survived or not, it was him.
Just as Kate was about to continue persuading him, her expression suddenly froze.
A divine command echoed in her mind.
"Agree to his terms."
It was the Luck Goddess herself.
Kate immediately straightened, her demeanor shifting entirely.
She turned to the empty air beside her and bowed reverently.
"I submit to your will, great Goddess."
Then she faced Daniel, her expression solemn.
"According to your request, the Luck Goddess has agreed."
Daniel nodded lightly.
Before him, the divine contract changed. The protection duration shifted from 3,000 years to 4,000 years.
This time, Daniel had nothing more to add.
Based on historical calculations, today was May 31st, Year 1004.
That meant he had just secured an additional four years of breathing room.
And within four years, Daniel was confident that his strength would rival that of the gods themselves.
After all, it had only been two and a half days since he underwent the Awakening Ceremony.
By the time those four years were up, he might no longer need the Luck Goddess’s assistance at all.
"Contract established."
Daniel said the words, then tossed the gold coin into Kate’s waiting hands.
"I’m leaving the protection of humanity in your hands now."
"You can count on us!" Kate replied, full of sincerity.
She was about to say more when suddenly—
A thunderous roar erupted from behind them.
"You damned human!!"
A blur of golden fire streaked toward Daniel.
Soros had returned, now completely consumed by fury.
His entire body blazed with terrifying golden flames. Within a blink, Daniel was engulfed by the fire.
The enraged Soros wanted to make him pay in full for his deception.
Not just destroy his body, but annihilate his soul as well.
But just as the flames closed in, a silver barrier shimmered into existence, isolating Daniel from the attack.
He was completely unharmed.
On the other side of the barrier, Kate smiled beautifully.
"Leave this to me now," she said gently. "You should be able to leave safely."
However, Daniel didn’t make a move to leave. Instead, he asked,
"Are you sure you don’t need my help?"
"I’m fairly certain I don’t," Kate replied. "But if you’re willing to help, all the better."
"My intuition tells me... you’re not the kind of man who dies easily."
As she finished speaking, the sky split apart with another flash of divine golden light.
A new figure descended from the heavens, radiating immense power.
[Archangel Michael]
[Level: 500]
[Rank: Demigod]
[Faith: Goddess of Gold & Silver Aurelia]
[Position: Aurelia’s First Devotee]
Daniel was stunned.
Even Aurelia’s First Devotee had descended?
And that wasn’t the end of it.
Countless streaks of golden light rained from the heavens.
The Second Devotee, the Third Devotee... one after another, they arrived.
Aurelia had dispatched nearly all her devotees.
They completely surrounded Daniel in a golden siege.
Despite this overwhelming scene, Daniel remained calm and unbothered.
"To send so many after me... Aurelia must really think highly of me."
Beside him, Kate remained composed as well.
The Angels of Gold and Silver that had arrived were mostly above level 300.
In comparison, someone like Soros—merely level 300—was a small fry among them.
The First Devotee of a god essentially represented their highest combat capability.
Kate narrowed her eyes slightly, preparing for battle.
"Do you need to escape?" she asked quietly.
"Heh."
Just then, a spatial ripple formed in the void.
A portal opened, and out stepped a yawning cat-girl.
"If there’s gonna be a fight, this kitty’s not missing out!"
[Luck Goddess’s Third Devotee — Mira]
At the same time, a brilliant meteor streaked across the sky and crashed nearby.
From the crater rose a massive stone giant.
[Luck Goddess’s Second Devotee — Comet]
"Ouch... I think I bumped my head. Where the heck did I land?"
"Kate, what’s going on? Why are so many angels trying to mess with you?"
"Come on, confess—you didn’t flirt with the Goddess of Gold & Silver Aurelia, did you?"