Chapter 162 -162-Surpassing the Predecessors, Outpacing Two
Cloudcrest Peak.
Boom!
Daniel plunged headfirst into the towering mountain.
For the first time, he allowed himself a small sense of relief.
"Keep going up!"
He didn’t dare relax for even a moment. Entering this area didn’t guarantee absolute safety.
To be truly safe, he had to reach the summit!
Coincidentally, his class change quest required nothing more than reaching the top.
At the foot of the mountain, he hadn’t felt much pressure, and so he dashed upward recklessly.
Whether he could actually reach the summit... he gritted his teeth.
"Summit means survival; fail to reach it, and it’s death!"
Meanwhile, the three supreme-grade warriors were in pursuit.
Seeing Daniel climbing, their expressions instantly fell.
This majestic mountain bore harsh seals left by ancient supreme beings.
The stronger one was, the heavier the suppression they suffered.
Conversely, the weaker one was, the looser the restraint.
Now, the three supreme-grade warriors at the mountain’s base found their proud Strength advantage turned into a burden.
Catching Daniel here was almost impossible.
"Should we continue striking to kill him?"
Kiroli glanced sideways at his companions.
The Shadowkin warrior shook his head slowly.
"Fighting here would consume every ounce of our Strength a thousandfold compared to the outside."
"Exactly. If we expend too much here, we’ll never catch him."
The human supreme-grade warrior also voiced his objection.
Kiroli snorted coldly. "So we’re reduced to chasing him on foot?"
"At the moment, yes. Just do our best. The rewards and penalties for this quest aren’t severe—do what we can, leave the rest to fate."
The three supreme-grade warriors came to a decision: they had no choice but to climb the mountain.
But soon, they realized they were not the only ones ascending the peak.
"Jonas?!"
Kiroli exclaimed in surprise.
"This guy always stirs up trouble in the mid-grade battlefields. Every time he gets a privilege, he comes to climb this mountain."
The human warrior smiled.
"That should be Harris, the prodigy of the Starlight Folk."
"Heard he’s been noticed by the gold-grade Sacred Mountain, groomed to become a rising star of the new generation."
His tone carried open admiration.
"Harris only needs to step into supreme-grade to reach the Astral Ranking. Then all factions will notice him. That gold-grade Sacred Mountain has keen foresight, moving first."
Kiroli’s face showed disdain.
"So what’s so impressive?"
"It’s just relying on a prestigious background. If I were a Starlight Folk, I’d be stronger than Harris!"
The other two shook their heads repeatedly.
The universe was never fair. The Starlight Folk, as the apex race, produced only a few individuals each generation. But over time, they could awaken ancient bloodlines and inherit ancestral legacies, soaring to become the strongest of their era.
Other races simply couldn’t compare.
...
Meanwhile, Daniel looked back.
The three supreme-grade warriors had indeed caught up—but their speed was still slower than his.
His heart eased slightly.
Although he didn’t fully understand the mysteries of Cloudcrest Peak, he reasoned:
If reaching the summit was this difficult, there must be special restrictions.
As it turned out, his gamble had paid off.
He didn’t linger on speculation, continuing to climb with focus.
But the higher he went, the more he felt an invisible force dragging at his limbs.
Opening his attribute panel, all his stats appeared normal.
Yet the suppressive power was undeniably real.
He shook his head and pressed on.
After a while, fatigue set in.
His legs felt as if bound by invisible chains, every step requiring immense effort.
Up ahead, not far from him, two other figures were struggling upward.
"Harris?"
He didn’t know them personally, but the Empyrean Faction’s prodigies had mentioned one of them—a remarkably powerful individual.
Even so, their pace was far slower than his.
Daniel was slightly surprised.
Though exhausted, he was still moving with considerably less strain than the two ahead.
Jonas was near his limit, drenched in sweat as if he had just been dragged from water.
Harris fared no better, gritting his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.
Yet, no matter the difficulty, neither showed the slightest hint of giving up. They persevered relentlessly.
Seeing this, Daniel’s mind stirred.
Isn’t life like this?
The more treacherous the path ahead, the more one must grit their teeth and endure.
A great warrior never yields easily.
Just like himself, living another life carrying the regrets and unfulfilled ambitions of his previous ones.
He was willing to stake everything for the fate of humanity—no matter the setbacks, he would keep moving forward.
He continued his ascent.
Soon, he surpassed Harris.
Huh?!
Harris stared blankly at Daniel’s retreating back, his mind in utter disbelief.
After all his struggles, he had been overtaken by a latecomer?!
It was inconceivable.
Moreover, the one surpassing him was a prodigy of the same generation.
He had been revered as "Unrivaled of His Generation," and this "same generation" spanned the entire universe, not just a single world!
Yet this suddenly appeared human prodigy overtook him with such ease.
Harris could hardly believe his eyes.
"What kind of joke is this?"
"Who is he, really?"
"Could he be... Faustus?"
The moment he was surpassed, his composure nearly collapsed.
Jonas also noticed someone overtaking Harris behind him.
Yet he himself could not take another step.
Hands pressed to the ground, gasping for air, he suddenly forced a smile.
"Harris, what face do you have left to claim you’re the pinnacle of your generation?"
"This person must be Faustus. Tsk tsk... how does it feel to be humiliated like this?"
Harris’s face flushed red, his lips coldly curling, while a bitter taste of envy rose in his chest.
Daniel glanced back curiously at Harris as he heard Jonas speak.
Indeed, this was Harris.
But surpassing him didn’t stir any strong emotions in Daniel.
It was only natural—nothing worth remarking.
After all, Harris had moved so slowly.
However, that other young man seemed even slower.
Daniel casually glanced at him, then pushed forward a few steps, leaving Jonas behind as well.
Uh...
Jonas stared blankly at Daniel effortlessly overtaking him.
His face burned like he had been slapped across the face.
"No way! This human... overtook me so easily?"
"This is absurd!"
He gave a bitter laugh, watching Daniel’s figure grow distant.
"Hmph, and you still dare to criticize me?"
"I thought you were impressive, but you’ve been surpassed too!"
Behind him, Harris’s voice carried a gloating tone.
Yet his eyes remained locked on Daniel, filled with jealousy and unwillingness to yield.