Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent

After receiving the [Soulstone] (Artifact), Alex finally had the item he had been searching for all this time.

It was the key piece he needed for the [Dragon Bloodline Trial].

With it in his possession, there didn't seem to be much else to do here.

"Can I know your name?" Alex suddenly asked, as he couldn't really check the status window.

"Kaelios," The God of Destiny said without hesitation.

"Alright," Alex said, looking at Kaelios, "is that all?"

Kaelios smirked.

"Of course not."

The God of Destiny raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

A brilliant burst of light descended from the sky, illuminating the garden.

From the light, a small, golden token floated down slowly, shimmering as it approached Alex.

"This is the Token of the Tower."

"Take it if you want. It doesn't hold much value to me anyway."

"Thanks," Alex replied, reaching out and grabbing the token.

He kept his expression neutral, suppressing the excitement bubbling inside him.

The last thing he wanted was for Kaelios to think he'd do anything crazy to claim the item since that would mean another crazy game.

Without hesitation, Alex placed the token into his [Digital Inventory Watch], securing it alongside his other treasures.

Kaelios chuckled softly and snapped his fingers again.

A chair materialized beside his hammock, seemingly crafted from a mix of silver and golden threads.

"Here."

"You can rest here if you want. I don't mind the company."

Alex paused.

Most gods he'd encountered, whether directly or through his past life, were sadistic, manipulative, and cruel.

To them, humans and players were nothing more than pawns or toys.

But Kaelios didn't feel like the others.

Despite his games and theatrics, there was no malice in the air, no aura of bloodlust radiating from him.

In an act that surprised even himself, Alex accepted the offer.

He cautiously approached the chair and sat down.

Kaelios watched him with a raised eyebrow but said nothing.

For the next thirty minutes, the two sat in silence, observing the dozens of floating screens around them.

Each screen displayed different parts of Universal Descent, players fighting, bosses rampaging, and entire regions undergoing cataclysmic changes.

Finally, Alex broke the silence.

"Hey," he said.

"Hm?" Kaelios responded, not looking away from the screens.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Kaelios tilted his head, pretending to think.

"Hmm… Why not? I'm feeling generous today."

He clapped his hands, and in an instant, all the floating screens vanished.

"Three questions."

"You can ask me three questions about anything you want to know." Experience more tales on empire

"And I'll answer truthfully. Whether it's about my weakness or the weaknesses of the other gods, I'll give you the truth."

He leaned back in his hammock, grinning like a mischievous child.

Alex narrowed his eyes. "You're serious?"

"Completely."

The opportunity was too good to pass up.

Information about the gods was something Alex desperately needed.

His encounters with them in this life were already far more frequent than in his past one.

In his previous life, he'd only interacted with two gods: the [God of the Abyss], whom he and a massive team fought, and the [God of Darkness], right at the very end.

But now, less than a year into Universal Descent, he had already crossed paths with several gods.

"Alright," Alex said, leaning forward. "First question. How many gods and goddesses are there? I want all their names and any information you have on them."

Alex didn't know if Kaelios to give such information.

After all, he said he would tell the truth, but lying was always possible.

And yet...

Kaelios clapped his hands, and twenty glowing panels appeared in front of Alex.

"There are twenty gods in total, including me."

[Here's the list:]

[God of Destiny, God of Light, God of Darkness, God of the Abyss, God of Elements, God of Life, God of Death, God of Nightmares, God of Fear, God of War, God of the Moon, God of Destruction, God of Hatred, God of Swords, Goddess of Fate, Goddess of Luck, Goddess of Love, Goddess of Wrath, Goddess of Eternity, Primordial Goddess.]

Kaelios gestured at the glowing panels.

"That's all the information I can give you right now. I don't know their levels or specific powers, but those are their names."

Alex silently committed the list to memory.

These were the beings he would have to face if he wanted to stop the coming cataclysm.

"That's one question down," Kaelios said, his grin widening. "What's next?"

Alex hesitated, his mind racing with possibilities.

Finally, he asked his second question.

"What is your goal in all of this? What are you planning to do?"

Kaelios' expression darkened for a moment, but then he smiled again, this time more subtly.

"If you're talking about the collapse of humanity or whatever the others are planning, I'm not really interested in that."

"Huh?" Alex blinked.

"I mean, sure, most of the gods are involved in that mess. But me? I couldn't care less."

"Some of us, like me, don't see the point in playing their little games. I'd rather watch from the sidelines."

Kaelios leaned back, his tone casual.

"That being said, you should be very careful around the others. If they even suspect you're trying to oppose them, they'll come for you without hesitation."

"As for why they're doing all this? I don't have all the details, but I know this much: they've been conquering worlds for a very long time. Universal Descent is just another tool for them to shape a new world in their image."

"And apparently, this world is the last one before they finish what they wanted to do."

Alex clenched his fists.

The gods weren't just toying with humanity, they were treating entire worlds as disposable.

Why was Earth the last one? Alex didn't know.

It was surely bad, though.

Kaelios' nonchalant attitude about it all only made it more frustrating.

"Alright," Alex said, his voice steady despite the anger building inside him. "Last question."

He took a deep breath, considering his options.

There were countless things he wanted to know: the locations of the gods, the secrets of Universal Descent, the true purpose of the game.

But instead, he asked something more practical.

"How do I kill a god more easily?"

Kaelios raised an eyebrow, then burst into laughter.

"Oh, I like you." He sat up, his tone turning serious yet always with a calm face, "Alright, here's your answer."

"There are many ways to kill a god. Crush their hearts, destroy their souls, sever their heads, starve them, break their wills, cut their limbs..."

Kaelios listed off method after method, his voice calm but laced with amusement.

"We're not invincible. If our HP drops to zero or our soul is completely destroyed, we die."

"Some gods, like the God of Life and the God of Death, are considered "immortal." But even they have weaknesses. You just have to find them."

"That's all I can tell you."

He leaned back, smiling.

"Your three questions are up. I hope you're satisfied."

Alex wasn't satisfied with the third answer, but he still nodded.

The information he'd gained was invaluable.

"Thanks," he said, standing up. "I'll be going now."

But just as he turned to leave, chains made of pure lightning shot out from behind Kaelios' hammock.

They wrapped around Alex, locking him in place.

"What the—?!"

Kaelios smirked, his eyes glowing faintly.

"You're in my domain."

"You don't leave until I give you permission."

Alex gritted his teeth. "What do you want?"

Kaelios leaned forward, his expression serious for the first time.

"You've asked me your questions. Now it's my turn to ask one."

"Who... or rather, what are you?"

Alex's heart raced.