"Don’t be so tense. You’ve merely run into a fixed obstacle, that’s all."
At that very moment, a calm voice sounded amid the raging, violent aura, strikingly out of place against the chaos.
Instantly, Inner God Daniel’s blood-red gaze snapped toward the source of the voice. There, a blurry figure was slowly solidifying, its outline becoming clearer by the second.
The owner of that figure was no one else but a clone of Knowledge Daniel.
"What the hell is going on? Why did things turn out like this?!"
"You idiot! Do you have any idea that you’ve completely ruined everything?!"
Inner God Daniel roared in fury. His violent mind power condensed into something almost tangible, like a storm of pressure that slammed straight toward the clone.
Yet in the face of Inner God Daniel’s rage, Knowledge Daniel’s clone did not move an inch, as if utterly unconcerned. He looked at him calmly and then explained in an even, unhurried tone:
"It seems you still haven’t grasped the situation. The reason your path has been blocked is precisely because that strongest Daniel has also devoured his own Inner God."
"And because of that, he has obstructed your advancement."
"According to the supreme laws, no matter how many worldlines exist, there can only ever be one Inner God."
"Only one?"
Inner God Daniel’s fury instantly found an outlet. In that moment, he understood— from the very beginning, he and the strongest Daniel had been destined to become enemies.
This meant that between him and that man, only one could truly become the Inner God.
"I’ll kill him!"
Inner God Daniel’s voice overflowed with killing intent. Since his path of ascension had been sealed off, then he would simply shatter the obstacle blocking his way.
Knowledge Daniel’s clone seemed to have anticipated this reaction. He spoke again, attempting to dissuade him:
"Be careful. He’s not easy to deal with. Don’t act on impulse."
"If you need help, you can call on me at any time."
"Heh."
Inner God Daniel let out a cold laugh and shot the clone a disdainful glance.
"Kill him? I need your help for that?"
"He’s nothing but a useless piece of trash who hasn’t even reached godhood yet. So what if he’s devoured an Inner God?"
In his view, the strongest Daniel had only gained an early advantage by relying on some special edge. Now, however, he himself had already stepped into godhood and was on the verge of entering the true Inner God realm. Crushing the strongest Daniel would be no different from crushing an ant.
Knowledge Daniel’s assistance was entirely unnecessary. And even if the strongest Daniel were to miraculously reach godhood, Inner God Daniel still wouldn’t believe himself to be inferior.
After all, in his own eyes, his combat power had always been the greatest of all.
Yet at that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Inner God Daniel’s mind. His crimson gaze sharpened, locking firmly onto Knowledge Daniel’s clone.
"If I’m not mistaken," he said slowly, "you... haven’t stepped into godhood yet, have you?"
Knowledge Daniel’s clone did not hesitate in the slightest. He nodded.
"That’s correct. I’m still preparing. But given my current state, it may be very difficult for me to enter the god realm."
"Compared to you, my strength is still far from sufficient."
That answer was like a key, unlocking a dark, hidden box within Inner God Daniel’s heart.
The savage smile on his face grew thicker, and the black Inner God power surrounding his body began to stir restlessly.
"I see now."
He extended one hand, his palm facing the empty void before him. That Inner God power began to flow outward along some invisible thread, spreading toward the other end of Infinity Possibility.
"Found you."
Inner God Daniel bared his teeth in a feral grin, his smile stark and chilling. Following the transmission point of Infinity Possibility, he directly located where Knowledge Daniel’s true body was hiding.
In the next instant, his figure flickered—and vanished from the spot.
At the same time, within Knowledge Daniel’s worldline, Inner God Daniel’s figure suddenly descended before Knowledge Daniel himself.
For the first time, Knowledge Daniel’s expression changed. Yet what surfaced was not fear, but surprise.
"What are you trying to do?"
"What am I doing?"
Inner God Daniel laughed, his laughter tinged with madness.
"The threat posed by the strongest Daniel is out in the open. He wants to kill me, and I want to kill him. That’s fair enough. Our battle will be a straightforward, honorable confrontation."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Knowledge Daniel, the killing intent in his eyes no longer concealed.
"But you’re different."
"A scheming bastard like you, who operates from the shadows, is far more dangerous than him."
"So before I deal with him, I need to eliminate you—the greatest hidden danger of all!"
As his words fell, the laws of the entire space trembled under his will. Knowledge Daniel spoke urgently:
"Killing me will bring you no benefit! Our true enemy is the strongest Daniel!"
"We can continue to cooperate. I can help you—truly!"
"I just don’t want to die. I’m begging you, please, don’t kill me, alright?"
"Beg me?"
Inner God Daniel looked as though he had just heard the funniest joke imaginable. He raised his hand, black energy capable of destroying gods gathering rapidly in his palm.
"Too late."
He gave the other no chance to speak further. That terrifying energy was about to erupt.
Inner God Daniel’s instincts screamed at him that killing Knowledge Daniel was the most correct decision he could possibly make.
Just as he believed everything was about to be completely settled—
In the very next moment, the divine power in his hand—the power that had been vast, boundless, and capable of tearing everything apart—suddenly vanished.
It disappeared out of thin air. Gone without a trace. As if everything that had just occurred were nothing more than an illusion.
The smile on Inner God Daniel’s face froze.
He lowered his head, staring at his own hand, then tried to mobilize the power within his body—only to discover that his divine power had been completely drained, not a single thread responding to his will.
At the same time, the Knowledge Daniel who should have been panicking now wore a completely different expression. The urgency and pleading were gone, replaced instead by deep regret.
"Ah..."
Knowledge Daniel let out a soft sigh, his gaze falling on Inner God Daniel with helplessness mixed with a sense of disappointment, as though lamenting wasted potential.
"I had hoped you would grow into the most perfect state possible. But now, it seems the plan must be advanced ahead of schedule."
He looked at the stunned Inner God Daniel, his eyes carrying the appraisal of someone admiring a valuable object.
"Still, this body of yours is indeed very powerful."
"I like it very much."
A chill rose from the depths of Inner God Daniel’s soul. At last, he realized that he had fallen into a trap from which there had never been any escape from the very beginning.
"What did you do to me?!"
His voice trembled, carrying a trace of fear that even he himself hadn’t noticed.
A faint smile appeared on the face of Knowledge Daniel’s clone, tinged with mockery.
"Nothing much."
"I simply left behind a few little tricks when I gave you that False God Rank Skill Scroll."
"It seems my initial analysis wasn’t wrong after all. Inner Gods like you are flawed from the moment of their birth. That’s why—even if you devour the original body—you can never be as intelligent as it was."
In that moment, Inner God Daniel finally understood the horrifying truth.
From the very first step of cooperation, from the instant he accepted that so-called gift, everything had already been decided.