My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 444: The game of the gods

The relentless suns over the White Sand Shelter blazed fiercely, hurling elongated, piercing shadows onto the pale dunes that reached endlessly to the distant skyline. At the fringe of the towering grass, Ethan positioned himself in the boundary area separating the secure human outpost from the chaotic wilderness of the First Sanctuary.

Atop his head, the Emperor Slime adjusted its position, its see-through purple form reflecting the sunlight like a gleaming amethyst gem.

To anyone watching, Ethan appeared as a pitiful figure. A young man without any armor, without a single weapon, accompanied by a creature that resembled a forgotten sweet treat. Yet within Ethan's thoughts, an intricate network of tactics was weaving itself. He had come not merely to endure. His purpose was to restore a heritage that extended through the cosmos.

A soft hum from the status panel resonated in his awareness, manifesting as a see-through blue display visible solely to him.

[Name: Ethan Di Raizel]

[Rank: Tier 0]

[Beasts: 1. Emperor Slime (1 Basic Gene) | 2. Nine-Tailed Fox (0)]

He reviewed the talent details once more.

The Emperor Slime held abilities in Devour and Space Manipulation. The second one remained sealed until Tier 3, yet Devour served as the supreme advantage. It went beyond mere nourishment. The slime could imitate and extract the core of whatever it absorbed.

Next came the Nine-Tailed Fox, with Charm and Time Manipulation. Though sealed, its possibilities were overwhelming. Should the galaxy discover that one youth controlled access to both Space and Time via his bonded beasts, they would pursue relentlessly to either bind or eliminate him.

"Patience," Ethan murmured to himself. "We lay the groundwork initially."

He ventured further into the rough grass. The blades cut sharply, ready to slice skin if he grew careless.

Before long, a rasping, arid noise reached his ears.

A Sand Rat appeared. The beast was repulsive, its hide resembling weathered leather, teeth stained yellow and serrated. It let out a hiss, its tiny red eyes fixing on the violet mass crowning Ethan's head.

Ethan acted without delay.

He lifted his hand, seized the slime, and hurled it at the rat.

The slime avoided plummeting like a rock. While airborne, it stretched out. From a compact sphere, it morphed into a broad, flat layer of purple membrane.

It draped over the rat like a sodden cloth.

The animal's stifled cries endured just moments. The "Devour" talent operated with ruthless speed. It didn't simply consume. It broke down the prey on a molecular scale.

[Basic Sand Rat consumed. +1 Basic Gene Point.]

[Evolution Progress: 2/100 Basic Gene Points.]

Ethan repeated this method for hours on end.

He lingered near the edge, targeting the frailest creatures of the open lands.

He observed his tally rise: 3, 4, 5... climbing steadily to 10.

However, as the slime covered the eleventh rat, the alert shifted.

[Basic Sand Rat consumed. Maximum points for this species reached. 0 Gene Points awarded.]

Ethan stopped in his tracks, brushing sweat from his forehead.

"So the Master spoke true about variety. The Sanctuary refuses to allow endless farming of the simplest prey. It insists on advancement via assortment."

As the twin suns started their descent, he pulled back to the shelter, the heavens streaked in deep tones of orange and purple bruises.

A strategy was essential.

The rats offered no further value. The next day, he would push farther, maybe toward the craggy formations housing the "Horned Rabbits" or "Stone Lizards".

.....

Ethan found himself in the Land of the Ancients, deep within the Daemon World.

By his side was Rose, her nearness a quiet reassurance, along with Ryugu, the Daemon prince who regarded Ethan with blended admiration and sibling warmth.

"Brother, we've made it here," Ryugu announced, waving toward the vista.

The realm possessed an otherworldly allure.

Suspended isles of vibrant green moss drifted above, linked by cascades that poured skyward.

The atmosphere carried a revitalizing essence, infused with a subtle godly hum that sent shivers across Ethan's flesh.

"Yumiko," Ethan pondered, calling to the AI woven into his spirit. "Who holds the title of strongest among the Daemon race?"

[Everyone above Absolute Continuum beings were sealed off in the divine realm or killed.] Yumiko’s voice resounded in his thoughts. [Currently, a Grade 5 Absolute Continuum being acts as their Supreme Leader. They are powerful, but they are shadows of the true Ancestors.]

Ethan gave a nod.

He prepared to inquire about their accommodations from Ryugu when an abrupt, chilling frost pierced his core.

It was as though a massive eye had snapped open at the midst of his mind, gazing straight into his soul.

[Master! Warning! Warning!] Yumiko’s tone spiked into a piercing alert.

[The eyes of the Creator of the Fate Race are on you right now. He is weaving a web around your destiny. I can detect a malicious intent.]

Ethan went rigid.

Ryugu caught the shift and paused. "Brother? What's wrong?"

"Hold on," Ethan replied, his tone hushed and threatening.

[Master, the consciousness of a Proto-Deity Ascended realm is trying to force a mental bridge,] Yumiko informed.

[They are persistent. What is your command?]

"Let him speak," Ethan decided. He sought to uncover his foe's identity.

At once, a voice like the rumble of shifting continents boomed inside his head.

It carried the antiquity of ages, burdened by endless time, and laced with unwarranted superiority.

"Hello, little anomaly. How are you?"

Ethan held steady.

He squinted, staring into emptiness.

"Who are you?"

"Oh? Quite composed, eh?" The voice let out a laugh, echoing like an avalanche. "I am your god. I am the one who scripts your words and charts your course."

Ethan let out a scoff, sharp and derisive.

"Clever quip. Now reveal your true self. I lack patience for riddles or hunches."

The voice grew edged.

The haughtiness lingered, yet a trace of annoyance slipped in.

"I won't debate my own creation. Allow me to propose a deal. I desire you to act as a 'Player' in my stead. Champion me within the Game of the Gods."

"And should I decline?"

"Then the 'Fate' I craft for your family becomes a brief, gory downfall. They will perish. All of them. Yet should you claim the top reward, I shall erase them from my sight eternally. They gain freedom from me."

A wave of icy rage surged through Ethan, though he reined it in.

He wielded great strength, but facing a Proto-Deity, he amounted to a mere insect now.

Time was what he required.

"What sort of game do you mean?" Ethan questioned, his thoughts already weighing the perils.

The voice burst into a thunderous, scornful guffaw.

"Hahahaha! I sensed your devotion to family. Humans prove so fragile with stakes involved. I appreciate that. It simplifies your guidance."

The voice pressed on, shifting to a detached precision.

"The game represents a supreme ordeal. Each God Clan dispatches their elite contenders to the World of the Trial. It unfolds in the Transcended Tower."

"The Tower spans 10,000 floors," the voice detailed. "Each level forms a unique realm with distinct laws, physics, and threats. You reincarnate into every floor. You endure a full lifetime there, maybe centuries in span. Your goal: locate and seize the Divine Artifact hidden in that floor, then proceed upward."

"10,000 worlds?" Ethan queried. "That spans eons."

"Within the Tower, time bends as a mere guideline, not a law. You experience those existences, harvest that wisdom, and upon summiting, the ultimate victor claims a Supreme Treasure, fusing all artifacts. Deliver that prize to me. Retain the other gains. Moreover, I bestow upon you a role in a God Clan. Additionally, you might awaken your personal law, or I provide one prior to the trial, stretching across 10 trillion kilometers—like a Proto-Deity’s law strand. For a speck like you, it's a path to draconic might."

The voice fell quiet, allowing the proposal's gravity to sink in.

Ethan remained mute.

The proposition cut both ways.

Serving this entity meant bondage, but triumphing in the trial promised strength to one day slay the controller. Furthermore, his law craved amplification. Thus, it presented a true chance.

His family filled his mind.

He recalled his sister-in-law, ensnared in the Apocalypse Race's tangled politics.

"I require no fabricated law from you," Ethan stated resolutely. "My power rises on its own merits. But I set a term. My sister-in-law dwells among the Apocalypse Race. Wield your sway to shield her and guarantee her security until my return from the Tower, and I'll join your contest."

Silence stretched long.

Then, the timeless voice chuckled anew, tinged with real intrigue this time.

"A daring youth. You spurn a deity's boon yet bargain for a woman's survival? Hahahaha! Fine. I accept your conditions. Your sister-in-law stands inviolable. In return, you become my pawn on the field. Ready yourself."