[You have entered the domain of the God of Destiny.]
[The Garden of Destiny.]
As soon as these words appeared before Alex, the blinding light that had engulfed him faded away.
He found himself standing on a patch of golden grass.
Before him stretched a massive garden, its vast expanse filled with towering statues of the [God of Destiny].
“That guy really like himself or something,” Alex mumbled.
The statues stood tall and imposing, their eyes gazing down at him as if observing his every move.
All around were vibrant flowers in every color imaginable, their petals dancing in the soft breeze.
Dozens of paths wound through the garden, leading in various directions, but all seemed to converge toward a simple monument at the very center.
The monument was unassuming compared to the grandeur of the statues but somehow radiated a quiet, majestic energy.
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The sky above was a clear, brilliant blue, and the golden sun hung high, casting its warm rays down on the garden.
Everything here seemed serene, peaceful, almost dreamlike.
“Seems like the biggest trap of the century.”
Alex was used to some [Illusion] spells and traps, and some of them worked exactly like this place.
Yet somehow, he knew that it wasn’t one of those.
A god wouldn’t need traps while they were in his domain.
He could simply crush whoever entered.
[Follow the path.]
“Alright.”
Alex’s voice broke the silence.
He began walking slowly toward the monument, his steps measured, taking in the beauty around him.
The path was long, and as he walked, he couldn’t help but feel that running would be a mistake.
There was something about the space that encouraged reflection, not haste.
In the meantime, he decided to deal with everything that needed to be done so that he can focus on what’s ahead next.
Ding!
[You have received 38 billion experience points.]
Alex blinked in surprise, his mind racing.
He had finally decided to claim the experience points he had earned from killing all the monsters and bosses back in the tower.
The sheer amount of experience shocked him.
With that much experience, he was certain his level would rise dramatically. And it did.
As he continued walking, dozens of notifications began popping up one after another.
[You have reached level 401, gaining 4 stat points for every attribute and 5 free points to assign.]
[You have reached level 402, gaining 4 stat points for every attribute and 5 free points to assign.]
[You have reached level 403…]
[You have reached level 404…]
The numbers on the screen climbed steadily.
Level 400 → 401: Requires 317,000,000 experience.
Remaining experience after leveling up: 38,000,000,000 – 317,000,000 = 37,683,000,000.
Level 401 → 402: Requires 319,000,000 experience.
Remaining experience: 37,683,000,000 – 319,000,000 = 37,364,000,000.
And so by the end of it all…
[You have reached level 492 (292,334,821/501,000,000).]
He was almost at level 500 now, but the jump in power wasn’t as significant as it might have seemed.
At higher levels, the difference in power between each level grew more and more, becoming less noticeable.
He did gain 368 points for each attribute as well as 460 free points to assign.
As Alex walked deeper into the garden, the atmosphere shifted.
The peaceful serenity remained, but now there was an anticipation in the air.
In the distance, near the center of the garden under the simple monument that protected from the sunlight, Alex spotted a figure sitting leisurely.
It was the God of Destiny.
He was seated at a stone table, sipping from a goblet of wine, surrounded by dozens of floating screens.
Each screen displayed different scenes from the Universal Descent world.
The god seemed completely relaxed, watching the events unfold, his attention flickering from screen to screen.
Alex approached cautiously, his footsteps soft on the grass.
“Ah, you’ve arrived,” the God of Destiny said with a smile, not even looking up from his screens, “Nice work on clearing the tower. You’ve made it further than most would ever dream.”
Alex stood silently for a moment, taking in the god’s relaxed demeanor.
The God of Destiny wasn’t what he expected.
“Take a seat,” the god gestured to a stone chair across from him. “Let’s talk for a bit.”
Alex hesitated but sat down.
“So, what now?” Alex asked, his voice steady. “What’s my reward?”
The God of Destiny finally looked up, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint.
“Ah, the reward,” he said, setting his goblet down. “I have something in mind. But first, tell me, what do you want?”
[As long as the item isn’t too impossible to get, you’ll get it.]
That was actually the reward for conquering the tower: he would choose it himself.
Alex thought for a moment.
He had considered a few things if such a moment appeared in the future.
He began with the unlikely stuff.
“Well,” Alex began, “I was thinking about the [Annihilation Crucifix]. It’s a powerful artifact, and it would help me a lot.”
The god raised an eyebrow.
“Can’t do that. Try again.”
Alex frowned.
“Alright… How about a [Power Transfer Stone]? It could send my powers to the real world. That would give me a huge advantage.”
The God of Destiny chuckled softly, shaking his head.
“Nooope. Anything else?”
Alex thought again.
His eyes flickered as a final idea came to him.
“A soulstone, then,” Alex said. “It’s the last item I need to participate in the [Dragon Bloodline Trial].”
The God of Destiny sat back in his chair, considering Alex’s request.
“That’s a much more interesting choice,” the god mused. “A soulstone is rare and valuable, but as long as it’s not something that disrupts the balance… I can give it to you.”
“Great,” Alex said, feeling a sense of relief. He had been hoping for this.
“Very well,” the God of Destiny said. “Give me a moment.”
In a flash of light, the god vanished.
Five seconds later, he reappeared, a glimmering gem in his hand.
[Here.]
He tossed the gem to Alex, who caught it with ease and immediately inspected it to make sure it was the real deal.
The gem in his hand shimmered with an ethereal light.
[Soulstone (Artifact)]
It was exactly what he needed. Alex couldn’t help but grin.
With the Soulstone in hand, he now had all the items required to enter the Dragon Bloodline Trial.
His next goal was clear.
The God of Destiny watched him with a knowing smile.
Yet deep down, when Alex stared back at the God of Destiny, he saw some sort of mischievous light in them.
It wasn’t like he wanted Alex dead or that he planned to kill him later.
Instead… it almost looked like that he had expectations for him.