Lord: Sequence Master

In the Void God Prison, Rosen handed a dagger to the Abyssal Lesser Demon in front of him.

This Sequence 9 demon, having only recently begun its torment in the prison, had not yet been twisted into a fanatical believer. The demon grabbed the dagger and stabbed at Rosen's heart, only to find that it couldn't penetrate the basic defenses of the Sacred Lion Windcoat.

Rosen attempted to activate Vengeance Judgment, but unsurprisingly, it failed.

He then removed his upper clothing entirely, transforming the dagger into a pair of Twin Daggers and handing them back to the demon. The frenzied demon slashed wildly at Rosen, striking the same spot repeatedly. Despite its efforts, it only managed to graze his skin. The defensive power of Rosen's Primordial Divine Body was terrifying—even ordinary Sequence 3 beings might struggle to break through his bare defense.

This time, when Rosen activated Vengeance Judgment, it successfully triggered.

He casually retrieved the Twin Daggers and slit the demon's throat with minimal force. The demon's head toppled clean off—the massive disparity in power magnified the damage exponentially, with no upper or lower limit.

The slain demon's remains condensed into a black loot sphere within the Scavenger Space.

Upon opening it, Rosen found a skill crystal for Explosive Fireball.

Normally, killing a Sequence 9 demon wouldn't yield loot, let alone a valuable skill crystal.

However, for Vengeance Judgment to activate, there was one prerequisite: the target had to be designated as an enemy. Enmity required the target to have harmed Rosen, and due to his Primordial Human lineage, even an Abyssal Lesser Demon qualified as "human."

In some sense, Rosen had already broken the Hunter Map's rigid definition of "human."

Suddenly, inspiration struck him—he thought of a bold experiment worth trying.

His vault still housed a Sequence 0 Jar God and the Plant God, now reduced to a crimson crystalline mountain. If he could activate Vengeance Judgment against either, he might truly be able to slay a god.

The Jar God seemed too valuable to waste, so Rosen decided to test the Plant God first.

First, the Plant God needed to inflict harm on him.

Unsure whether rebound damage would count, Rosen brought the Plant God to the Cloud Dream Cave Heaven. There, boosted to Sequence 0 divine strength, he could unleash the full destructive power of Dragon God's Wrath.

He wove countless skills into miraculous auras, densely surrounding the bullet.

Activating Fatal Strike, he layered the skills once more, compressing them into the bullet's core. Then, using the Shatter Weapons skill, he pulverized one of the Twin Daggers, pushing Dragon God's Wrath to its utmost destructive potential.

The bullet, formed from manifested life-essence nen energy, exploded from the barrel and struck the crimson crystalline mountain that the Plant God had become.

The shot burrowed a full foot deep, blasting a gaping hole in the crystal.

Instinctively, the Plant God retaliated, releasing a bolt of gold-red lightning.

Rosen deliberately stepped into the lightning's path, allowing it to strike him directly.

The Sacred Lion Windcoat tore open, and the blast nearly crippled his Primordial Divine Body.

But Vengeance Judgment successfully activated.

After recovering from his injuries, Rosen immediately launched a relentless assault.

The vast difference in power between Rosen and the Plant God resulted in Vengeance Judgment amplifying his damage to terrifying levels.

With each shot, his damage increased by at least several dozen times.

Although Rosen was still a half-baked Sequence 0, the gap between him and a true god wasn't dozens of times—it was more like a tenfold difference for each level. That explained why the Hunter True God had been so obsessed with the Avenger Hunter path.

After hours of relentless attacks, the godhead hidden within the Plant God's body was finally shattered.

The divine essence was obliterated with the last shot, triggering the hunting feedback from the Hunting Authority.

Rosen's divine strength soared from 83 to 85 points.

That wasn't the limit for true gods but merely the cap for the feedback provided by the Hunting Authority, which could only grant so much power at one time.

Still, it was an unexpected bonus. The true treasure lay in the five black loot spheres within the Scavenger Space.

Rosen crushed the first sphere, revealing a complete godhead.

Previously shattered into fragments, it had reformed under the power of Vengeance Judgment.

Crushing the second sphere revealed a pure divine-origin bloodline.

The Plant God had belonged to a unique race called the Starborn, who were naturally attuned to various stellar authorities and born as deities. As long as they commanded sufficiently powerful stellar authorities, ascending to true godhood wasn't difficult.

The third item was a fragment of the Tablet of Fate.

This artifact originated from the Primordial God Civilization. So did that mean this Starborn deity had lived during or after that era?

The fourth item was a damaged true god-level extraordinary artifact.

It was a bead covered in cracks, though its specific function remained unknown.

Finally, Rosen picked up the last item—it was exactly what he'd hoped for: a miracle treasure.

[Star Chart: Miracle Treasure]

[Grade: True God]

[Miracle Attribute: The Star Chart can anchor stars and create teleportation markers.]

[Miracle Traits: Starborn Infusion, Stellar Evolution, One with Heaven and Earth, Eternal and Indestructible]

Of the three true god-level miracle treasures in Rosen's possession, the Star Chart was the only one he could immediately wield. Since it was a direct spoil of war obtained through Vengeance Judgment, the recognition process had been completed during the formation of the loot sphere.

The Prime World was filled with stars, and though they were numerous, nearly all were claimed by true gods. Some even served as godly domains in the Star Realm.

With the Star Chart, Rosen could potentially travel freely between these stars, seizing resources as he pleased. Even true gods couldn't prevent teleportation through the chart's markers, making it a powerful escape tool when facing formidable enemies.

The Starborn Infusion trait allowed temporary mastery over different stellar authorities.

Meanwhile, Stellar Evolution granted the ability to create stars—a miraculous ability.

Stars acted as the world's protective guardians, like towering shields defending it.

Whether a world had stars determined its strength and defensive capacity.

If the Ancient God True Realm could be protected by stars, the growth of the World Tree would undoubtedly accelerate.

However, creating a star required using at least a Sequence 0 god corpse.

That dampened Rosen's excitement over refining the true god-level miracle treasure, prompting him to shift his focus to studying the rest of his newfound spoils.

Rosen quickly discovered that the damaged true god-level extraordinary artifact could actually be used for Stellar Evolution.

This implied that the bead was likely made from the corpse of a true god.

That wasn't surprising. According to his knowledge, true god-level extraordinary resources were nearly exhausted—easily obtainable ones had long been claimed by successive true gods. The remaining ones were either concealed by their own divine nature or came with acquisition challenges even true gods found insurmountable.

Conversely, hunting down a true god could yield a vast trove of extraordinary resources.

In the Ancient God True Realm, the starry Star Chart hovered above the World Tree, shading it entirely. The damaged true god artifact continuously disintegrated under the Star Chart, fueling the gradual creation of a star. However, it was uncertain when the star would fully form.

Rosen took out the Starborn divine-origin bloodline.

This had two potential uses: creating a third Self-Portrait Avatar at Sequence 1 or feeding it to the Storm Thunderbird.

Though the Storm Thunderbird wasn't growing too slowly—thanks to Rosen sharing the Prime Oil Lamp with all his pets—it remained the only one still stuck at Sequence 4. All the others had already advanced to Sequence 3, steadily growing stronger. The Storm Thunderbird was now on the brink of falling behind and being phased out.

After sensing its current state, Rosen ultimately decided to abandon the idea.

This creature had a docile personality, not suited for forced rapid growth.

Rather than pushing it, Rosen thought it better to capture more Storm Thunderbirds and let his current one manage them in the Ancient God True Realm.

As for the Starborn divine-origin bloodline, it would be kept as reserve paint—or perhaps as future nourishment for Farrah, his vampire companion.

Having accomplished his goals at Hurricane Island, Rosen could directly leave via data transfer.

However, he decided to try taming the Void Pufferfish first.

Taking out his Divine Brush, he painted a door and stepped through, returning to the underground chamber of Hurricane Island.

The Void Pufferfish had already woken up. In fact, it had stirred while Rosen was collecting the divine essence. The fact that Rosen could precisely locate something sealed by its former master clearly indicated he'd inherited the old master's legacy.

"I'll go with you! I'm obedient and eat very little," the Void Pufferfish wagged its tail pitifully at Rosen.

Rosen was surprised, suspecting that the creature possessed a powerful ability to foresee danger.

It had obediently hibernated here for 20,000 years, preferring the confines of Hurricane Island rather than venturing out.

Had it left earlier, the current successor to the Hunter True God would likely have slaughtered it upon discovery. Now, if the Void Pufferfish had refused, Rosen had already prepared to kill it to ensure secrecy.

The Void Pufferfish had probably sensed that disobedience meant death, hence its desperate tail-wagging and compliant attitude.

With its active cooperation, Rosen successfully contracted the Void Pufferfish as a Sequence 3 pet.

Its combat abilities were weak, not even surpassing many Sequence 2 beings.

However, its escape capabilities were unmatched, and its defensive prowess was terrifying. Moreover, the Void Pufferfish Toxin it produced was one of the rare poisons capable of affecting space, excelling at corroding and breaking down spatial barriers.

Upon entering the Ancient God True Realm, the Void Pufferfish immediately refused to leave—it truly had mastered the ability to predict danger.

Rosen had no intention of bringing the Void Pufferfish into battles. As long as it could serve as a meat shield or a decoy during critical moments, it was good enough.

Finally, Rosen packed up the entire Hurricane Island—after all, the whole island was composed of Sequence 6 Wind Iron Megarocks.

In the natural rainforest of the Thunder Empire, Rosen stopped after capturing just a few Storm Thunderbirds.

The Thunder Empire valued these creatures far more than expected. If he continued, it would surely alert the empire's officials. Clashing with the current Thunder Emperor was no trivial matter—given that they had a legitimate reason, they would undoubtedly unleash the Sequence 0 Thunder Horn, an extraordinary artifact of terrifying power.

Though the Thunder Horn was just Sequence 0, the strength of extraordinary artifacts varied greatly even within the same level.

Support-type artifacts were generally the weakest, while defensive types lacked offensive power. Offensive artifacts capable of enhancing personal strength were most common, but those that could harness the power of an entire nation couldn't be measured by level alone.

Especially considering the Thunder Empire was directly under the World Government, provoking them over some Storm Thunderbirds was not worth it.

Rosen decided to target purely wild Storm Thunderbirds instead.

However, their habitats were all extremely dangerous; otherwise, humans would have long since captured and domesticated them.

Currently, the only place with a large population of wild Storm Thunderbirds was the Storm Strait Forbidden Zone.

Through data transfer, Rosen arrived on the continent nearest to the Storm Strait.

Boarding the Dragon's Fury, he set sail, spending half a month before finally approaching the Storm Lighthouse near the Storm Strait.

The lighthouse stood on the open sea and was specifically built to monitor the Storm Strait. It was a Sequence 3 extraordinary structure.

Demi-gods who ventured into the Storm Strait often gathered there to exchange intelligence and resources, making it a bustling hub.

However, it had no connection to the Spirit Realm Deep Web, as the Storm Strait was a place where the Spirit Realm and reality intersected.

During his journey, Rosen had thoroughly reviewed all available information on the Storm Canyon.

The origin of the canyon was unknown, likely a remnant of a past civilization.

Archaeologists speculated that the Storm Canyon was once a massive supercontinent rivaling the Holy Continent in size, but a war between two true gods had torn it apart.

The central fracture eventually rose in elevation, forming the canyon, and for unknown reasons, the area became a perpetual storm zone.

There was no ash shrouding it—even ash could not approach the Storm Canyon.

Coupled with the fact that the Spirit Realm Deep Web did not extend to this region, the World Government's control over the area was weak.

This made it easy for alien true gods and evil gods to project their power near the Storm Canyon.

Many of the relatively safe areas harbored hidden cults of evil gods. There had even been instances of alien true gods descending upon the canyon.

It was certain that a Sequence 0 alien god was concealed somewhere in the region.

Thus, Rosen had no intention of acting ostentatiously upon his arrival.

From a distance, he had already stowed away the Dragon's Fury, switching instead to the Feathered Serpent Warship to approach the Storm Lighthouse.

Upon entering through the base of the lighthouse, he directly arrived in its internal Spirit Realm.

The realm wasn't large, spanning only a few dozen kilometers, but its spatial strength was enough to withstand an all-out Sequence 0 assault.

Clearly, it also served as an emergency shelter.

Due to its limited space, the realm housed only a small town of several thousand people.

The weakest among them were Sequence 4, while Rosen detected a Sequence 1 powerhouse.

Those at Sequence 4 weren't even qualified to enter the Storm Canyon.

Most of them served the demi-gods passing through the Storm Thunder Lighthouse, while others fished for extraordinary resources blown from the canyon into the surrounding sea by hurricanes.

Rosen strolled around the small town and purchased two expensive items.

One was a specialized directional compass, an extraordinary artifact essential for navigating the Storm Canyon, where hurricanes raged and thunderclouds loomed, rendering conventional orientation impossible.

The second was a map. Although crude, it highlighted areas near the canyon's edge where cults of evil gods were likely to appear.

There were no marked locations for resources or treasures—no one would sell maps like that. As for topographical maps, the ever-changing terrain of the canyon made accurate records impossible.

Rosen was about to leave the Storm Lighthouse when a Sequence 4 rogue suddenly blocked his path.

"Sir Demi-god, interested in buying some intel?" the rogue asked quietly.

"What kind of intel?" Rosen asked casually, scrutinizing the rogue.

The rogue eagerly began his pitch. At first, Rosen didn't care much, but as the rogue continued, he found himself purchasing a rather expensive piece of information:

Recently, a number of Godspawn had been gathering at the Storm Canyon. Their unusual gathering implied something significant was happening.

Although Rosen could invade the Spirit Realm Deep Web, the information there was vast and impossible to cover comprehensively.

Even his Intelligent Magic Eye only monitored pre-set keywords.

After setting "Godspawn" as a keyword, Rosen quickly found out the reason.

Someone had discovered a Veska Life Stone in the seas near the Storm Canyon.

Veska was one of humanity's greatest alchemists and one of the founders of the Potion Sequence.

The Veska Life Stone was an alchemical creation of paramount importance to Godspawn.

It allowed them to break free from the constraints of their bloodline heritage.

Godspawn were born powerful, thriving early on, but later became shackled by their parentage.

If their parents were Sequence 0, advancing to Sequence 0 after reaching Sequence 1 became exponentially more challenging.

Thus, news of a Veska Life Stone attracted widespread interest among Godspawn.

Although the information was several years old, Godspawn continued to arrive because Veska's alchemical laboratory had yet to be found.

Unless decades passed without any clues, the Godspawn wouldn't give up on Storm Canyon.

Rosen frowned slightly. The more Godspawn that gathered, the more attention the canyon would draw from deities and true gods alike.

It seemed prudent to move swiftly after entering the canyon, capture the Storm Thunderbirds, and leave immediately.

The Storm Canyon spanned tens of thousands of miles in width.

Rosen chose a random entry point, braving the hurricane as he ventured inside.

Some had considered entering from the canyon's sides, but it was impossible.

The two halves of the fractured supercontinent had completely chaotic spatial structures.

Moreover, there was no clear boundary between reality and the spirit realm in the canyon.

Attempting to break in from the sides often led to accidentally entering the depths of the Spirit Realm instead.

Aside from true gods, even other deities couldn't force their way in from the sides.

As for the canyon's two entrances, the rear entrance led directly to the Spirit Realm.

Thus, the front entrance was the only viable option.

Along the way, Rosen saw nothing but flying debris, roaring winds, and torrential lightning storms—virtually no safe place to stand.

Most demi-gods traversed the canyon's edge through underground routes.

Rosen, however, boarded the Dragon's Fury, ignoring the storms and lightning as he headed straight in.

Several days later, the Dragon's Fury approached the outermost region of the Storm Canyon, known as Thunder Bay.

This relatively safe bay area was shielded by surrounding rock formations from the raging storms.

Only thunderstorms remained, making it a favorite nesting ground for Storm Thunderbirds.

Many demi-gods gathered here to capture the elusive birds.

Rosen waited there for over half a year, having arrived a bit too early.

In the past two weeks alone, more than a dozen demi-gods had shown up.

Among them were both human and alien demi-gods.

Surprisingly, no conflicts had broken out—everyone was here for profit.

If fighting was inevitable, it would only happen after capturing the Storm Thunderbirds.

(End of Chapter)