NOVPUBWhere Daniel’s gaze rested, an endless expanse of darkness stretched.
To him, it seemed the world should be bathed in this hue, for he had entirely lost his sanity.
As the profound gloom receded, deep within his soul, bound by the Gene Lock, Daniel distinctly felt a new mark imprinted.
It was the mark of Behemoth, taking the form of a colossal skull, indelibly stamped onto his soul.
The murmured voices informed him: this was the Behemoth Maw!
Daniel realized that this mark would become the mightiest weapon in his arsenal.
Much like how the Behemoth had just devoured countless creatures with a gust, it was a weapon of all-consuming power.
Even if he were to perish now and time were to rewind, such an ability would not fade.
It was gained through the understanding of those murmured voices, akin to knowledge and memory.
No matter how many times time rewound, he could never forget it.
Simultaneously, Daniel sensed a power erupting within him, like a volcanic explosion, as a torrent of Spiritual Power surged forth.
In the blink of an eye, it flooded every nook and cranny of his being.
Level up!
Level 3 Evolver!
He felt his body becoming more resilient; even the gastric acid seemed to slow its corrosive effect on him.
His strength escalated once again, and a mere flick of his fist could create gusts of wind.
So powerful!
His strength had multiplied at least tenfold!
If a creature were to appear before him now, he’d undoubtedly want to test the might of this fist!
Moreover, his intrinsic abilities had undergone an evolution.
While levels 1 and 2 were about enhancing one’s abilities, level 3 marked their evolution.
The capability to resist adverse effects had suddenly transformed into a maw.
Maw?
Daniel furrowed his brow, his face awash with bewilderment.
Why ’maw’ again?
Yet, once he grasped the function of this maw, all his uncertainties evaporated like mist.
From the beginning, Daniel’s understanding of his own power had been nebulous.
From devouring all negative effects to becoming immune to any adverse effects, and now turning into a maw that can consume power, including the power of adverse effects.
In truth, his distinct ability had always been about devouring!
It had evolved from merely consuming negative effects to the now potent Devouring Maw, capable of absorbing other forms of power.
Behemoth Maw. Devouring Maw.
These two terrifyingly potent abilities caused Daniel’s combat prowess to skyrocket exponentially!
Not to mention facing a level 3 Evolver, even in front of a level 4 Evolver, he could stand undaunted!
In Daniel’s eyes, a spirited vigor shone.
At this moment, the sensation of being devoured had entirely dissipated.
Dying over a hundred times had granted him both the Devouring Maw and the Behemoth Maw.
To be honest, it was a trade-off that he wouldn’t regret.
Just consider the Behemoth Maw: it can be employed to devour monsters and even Evolvers, converting them into his own power.
This will significantly accelerate his evolution.
Is there anything more defying the natural order than this?
After acquiring the Behemoth Maw, Daniel ceased his attempts to comprehend the murmurs.
He found that no matter how much he endeavored to grasp or even became mad, he couldn’t understand even a single whisper any longer.
Perhaps it was due to his current power level, limiting his comprehension.
It’s like giving an advanced mathematics book to a kindergarten child; no matter how hard he tries, he simply won’t get it.
Behemoth remains truly terrifying.
Evolving to a level 3 Evolver merely allowed Daniel to hold on for a short additional span.
Death once again loomed.
...
[Remaining retrospections within 24 hours: 8.]
As the group approached the final crossroads, all eyes turned to Brooks, awaiting his guidance with the power of the Oracle.
Without hesitation, Brooks began to stride towards the passage on the right.
Just then, Daniel, who had been silent all along, stopped him. "The path on the right is a dead end. We should take the left."
Indeed, the right led straight to the Abyssal Gate, a path of certain doom.
The group paused for a mere moment, then pivoted and headed towards the left passage.
When it came to Daniel, they harbored no doubts. Brooks simply shrugged, nonchalant.
If someone else made the choice, it eased his burden.
At the very least, if the choice was wrong, the blame wouldn’t fall solely on him.
Yet, to ensure the utmost certainty, he still invoked the power of the Oracle, declaring, "Let’s take the left, it’s the way to the exit." With that, he briskly caught up with the group.
After what felt like an eternity, they emerged from the passage.
A wave of excitement surged among them.
"God be praised, there’s a door here! It must be the exit!"
"Trusting Daniel was indeed the right move!"
With jubilant shouts, they raced towards the door.
Daniel’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.
The scene before him was all too familiar. 𝒏𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝒐𝙢
High walls and a silvery door.
It bore an unmistakable resemblance to the Abyssal Gate.
Yet, looking back, they only saw one pathway.
This meant they might have mistakenly taken a wrong turn in the darkness, ending up back at the far right passage.
Just as Mike was about to open the door, Daniel interjected, "Don’t. Let’s turn back."
Mike instantly withdrew his hand, startled.
Everyone obediently followed Daniel, retracing their steps to the three-pronged intersection.
This time, they chose the middle pathway.
However, at the end of this route, they were once again met with the Abyssal Gate.
Seeing the familiar high walls and door, Mike couldn’t help but voice his confusion, "What’s going on? How did we end up here again?"
Brooks chimed in, "If both paths lead here, maybe we’re meant to go through this gate. Should we give the door a look?"
Daniel replied with an unwavering calm, "Turn back."
Reluctantly, the group pivoted, retracing their steps once more.
Having explored all three paths at the last intersection and finding them leading to the Abyssal Gate, Daniel speculated that the real exit might be hidden in one of the previous intersections.
So, the group went straight back to the starting point, beginning again from the initial fork, making fresh choices with every pathway.
Yet, a spine-chilling pattern emerged: No matter which path they chose among the dozen intersections, they inevitably ended up at the Abyssal Gate.
The crease in Daniel’s brow deepened.
What was the reason behind this?
Could it be that the architects of this labyrinthine passageway intended for them to enter the Abyssal Realm?
Or perhaps, these mazy routes were designed by the monsters, with their sole intention being to lead Evolvers to their doom.
But if the monsters wished for the Evolvers’ demise, they could easily mount a large-scale assault on the human world, annihilating humanity with ease.
Having witnessed the Abyssal Realm, Daniel knew they possessed such power.
So, why resort to such a redundant approach?
Suddenly, a realization struck Daniel.
The pyramid couldn’t possibly be the handiwork of the monsters, for within one of the chambers lay a portrait of Rebirth Corporation’s Godfather.
This meant that to unravel the mysteries of the pyramid, they might need to seek out the Godfather of the Rebirth Corporation.
However, their immediate concern was finding a way out of this confounding place.
Daniel’s gaze settled on the towering wall before him.
Confronted by the inescapable Abyssal Gate, he calmly turned to Brooks, who stood beside the door, and said, "Open it."
If every path led to the Abyssal Gate, it meant the true exit would only reveal itself once the Abyssal Gate was opened.
Without hesitation, Brooks flung the door open.
Whoosh!
A fetid gust assaulted their senses, immediately followed by a dense and writhing cacophony that exploded like malevolent specters seeking vengeance.
The complexions of Brooks and the others shifted drastically as they hastily retreated.
In the next heartbeat, a relentless tide of maggot monsters poured madly from the Abyssal Gate.
"Attack!"
Brooks drew his weapon and charged forward, with the rest quickly following suit.
Yet at that moment, Daniel issued a starkly contrasting command: "Run!"
Fight?
Those damn creatures were endless. Even if they fought to the point of utter exhaustion, they’d scarcely make a dent in their vast numbers.
As the group was consumed by a battle fervor, Daniel’s words made them falter mid-step.
Faced with the surging wave of monstrosities, no one hesitated any longer; they all turned and ran.
Daniel, however, leisurely turned around and began to stroll forward.
Though the maggot monsters were swift, swarming all around him, they meticulously avoided him.
Under the influence of the Behemoth Maw, these creatures dared not approach Daniel, opting instead to skirt around him.
This created an uncanny spectacle.
Brooks and the others were in a frenzied dash, pursued by the monsters.
But there was Daniel, casually walking through the teeming sea of creatures, a palpable vacuum of about a meter in radius forming around him.
The contrast between the two scenarios was strikingly clear.
Julia suddenly realized Daniel wasn’t running with them. Her face paled in shock, "Where’s Daniel?"
From amidst the horde of monsters behind them came Daniel’s calm voice, "I’m here."
Panic immediately seized the group.
They assumed that Daniel was ensnared by the maggot monsters and contemplated rushing back to his rescue.
But the situation was starkly different from what they had envisioned.
There was Daniel, sauntering effortlessly through the mass of creatures, his leisurely pace reminiscent of someone taking an after-dinner stroll.
Alex hastened his steps, urging, "Let’s move faster. Clearly, Daniel doesn’t need our concern."
As Brooks ran, he would occasionally glance back at Daniel.
It wasn’t concern that filled him, but a potent cocktail of envy, admiration, and resentment.
"Unbelievable," he muttered, "You can’t judge this guy by normal standards. He’s like some sort of monster boss."
