Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 780: The last Remaining Continent

"So, they're all converging on us," Daniel's voice resonated with an unnerving calm, almost as if the words were merely a whisper lost to the air.

Elisira remained before him, but a subtle shift had occurred in her gaze. She had anticipated a different reaction from him – perhaps surprise, a flicker of worry, or even a surge of excitement or scorn. Yet, she observed none of these.

Only this profound stillness, this peculiar sense of acceptance. It evoked a disconcerting feeling within her. How could anyone face such a dire situation with such composure? Was he utterly fearless? Was his confidence in his prowess absolute?

But how? Regardless of one's strength, no individual could stand against an entire continent. However, the words that followed from the man before her were even more astonishing.

"If the whole continent descends upon us, then this will conclude much more swiftly," Daniel continued, as if articulating a long-held thought.

A sense of relief, even a hint of elation, was discernible in his tone. Naturally, the princess's pronouncement brought him joy. If the entirety of the continent was to pursue him, wouldn't that mean he could nourish the tree further, thereby hastening the completion of its fruit?

And all of this pointed towards a singular outcome: he could conquer this floor sooner and depart from this place.

Elisira's brow furrowed slightly. She still did not grasp his complete meaning, but one thing was profoundly clear: this mindset… was far from ordinary. No one would contemplate such matters when the collective might of a continent was mobilizing for their demise.

Could this man be a raving lunatic, utterly oblivious to his predicament? Or perhaps…

"What is it that you truly desire? Where do you hail from? It's impossible for you to be from the other two continents, is it? That simply cannot be…"

"So, who are you, really? Why is it that you wish to safeguard this tree? I refuse to believe, not for a moment, that it's merely due to boredom."

Daniel regarded her with a trace of amusement. His golden eyes, catching the dim forest light, seemed to possess a newfound depth, as if an unseen, unfathomable presence stirred within them.

"Tsk, tsk, you cannot procure all answers without offering something in return. You may proceed first." His reply was disarmingly simple.

"Tell me more about this continent." A brief pause, then he inquired, his tone unchanging.

Elisira remained silent for several seconds. The question struck her as peculiar, not due to a lack of knowledge, but because it was entirely unexpected. For the first time, she perceived a genuine sense of his ignorance.

Yet, she hesitated. Should she divulge the information? But she could not depart without receiving an answer!

Her innate curiosity had intensified, almost beyond her control.

'Ughhh, Mother always warned me that my curiosity would be my undoing one day.' She sighed, lamenting her fate.

"As you are aware, this… is the final continent." She drew a quiet breath and commenced her explanation.

Her gaze briefly shifted from Daniel, settling upon the tree, as if it too held a piece of the answer.

"The Holy Empire… stands as the nexus of all things. It is a theocratic governance established under divine mandate, dedicated to repelling and combating the encroaching force of corruption."

"I mentioned the Divine Prophet earlier… a voice purported to transmit the gods' will directly. Whatever pronouncements she makes… are regarded as immutable decrees." She paused momentarily, as if carefully selecting her words.

"You have directly defied one of her most crucial decrees, an act that has galvanized the entire continent."

"Our mission is straightforward… at least in principle." Elisira continued.

A wry smile briefly graced her lips before vanishing swiftly.

"To eradicate the corrupting beasts… and to preserve what remains of this world."

"Who are the most formidable?" Daniel tilted his head slightly.

The intelligence he had gathered thus far was largely familiar, with the sole exception being that this continent was the last remaining one.

This revelation carried but a single, unambiguous implication, made clear by the girl's words: the other continents had already fallen. If he were to venture a guess, he would attribute their destruction to the corrupting beasts.

"Well, providing a comprehensive answer is challenging. The continent harbors numerous powerhouses, such as the Eternal Warriors and individuals who have approached the threshold of divinity, mere steps away." Elisira's response this time was more immediate.

"And, indeed, they are the strongest, yet there exist certain figures… whose very names suffice to halt any conflict. For instance, the Divine Prophet, or my father."

"Should a public decree be issued… they too would mobilize, with the exception of my father, naturally." She paused briefly, then appended this clarification.

A brief silence descended between them. However, this quietude held no significance for Daniel. His expression remained utterly unchanged.

He had obtained crucial information, yet nothing that could not have been deduced through logical inference without direct questioning.

It was evident that this world's power structure differed from his own, but he possessed little desire to delve into the intricate details. His primary objective was simply to protect this tree.

Yet, there was one aspect that piqued his curiosity.

"Has anyone challenged the Prophet's command before me?" After a brief pause, he voiced another question.

Elisira hesitated this time, her gaze dropping as if contemplating the gravity of speaking of such a forbidden topic.

"One person…" Her voice faltered.

"I don't know his name. Perhaps no one does, as it is a subject of taboo!"

Daniel observed her more closely.

"Centuries ago… the Divine Prophet decreed the destruction of an entire city, claiming it was tainted by corruption and had incurred the gods' wrath," Elisira continued, each word resonating with significant weight.

"Yet, a single individual dared to object."

"He declared… 'If even one human soul still draws breath in that city… then this decree is unjust.'" Her eyes briefly met his.

"The entire continent rallied against him. Events unfolded with astonishing speed… He put up a fierce resistance, causing many casualties. He even denounced the Divine Prophet as a demon and vowed to end her. And then…"

"Naturally, he was eliminated," she stated, exhaling slowly.

Daniel remained silent this time, his gaze intensifying slightly. He found himself siding with the defiant, taboo figure over the Divine Prophet.

A moment later, he posed his next inquiry:

"Describe the state of your continent and the ongoing resistance. Have they achieved any success?"

Elisira responded after a noticeable delay, her tone shifting as if she were no longer a princess, but merely a weary soul.

"It is not going well."

"The corrupted beasts grow in number daily… Cities are falling one after another… Our borders are being pushed back…" Her words spilled out in a cascade.

Her breath hitched slightly.

"Of the three continents, two have been annihilated. And we… we are the sole remaining continent."

The ensuing silence was more profound than any that had preceded it.

Daniel looked at her, his mind drawing parallels.

His own world had experienced devastation. One continent was lost. However… the overall balance had not been shattered. Resistance persisted, and in fact, was making progress, with the situation largely under control.

His conclusion was straightforward: this world was either inherently weaker, or the incursion of corrupted beasts was more effectively managed in his original reality.

But before this contemplation could fully crystallize, Elisira spoke again.

"We fought back… we truly did."

"Until… the heavens tore asunder."

"A great rift… manifested."

Her gaze slowly lifted, meeting Daniel's directly.

She delivered her final statement with a weight that seemed to signal the end of all hope.

"And from its depths… he emerged."