Chapter 448: Chapter448-Alice’s Decision
In the end, Daniel still made his decision.
He not only planned to let Alice remain in this era but also intended to initiate the second phase of Project Hope—this time selecting a portion of the awakeners from among humankind.
After the first Project Hope, humanity’s awakeners had already come to understand its significance and the benefits it brought.
So when this new plan was announced, it immediately stirred an overwhelming wave of applications.
This time, Daniel was extremely generous—he directly offered ten billion slots.
Yet even so, the number of applicants far exceeded his expectations.
To say that only one in ten thousand would be chosen wasn’t an exaggeration—it was an understatement.
Ten billion demigod-rank awakeners descending upon this world might not be the most formidable army imaginable, but it was undeniably a force to be reckoned with.
However, lacking true top-tier combatants meant that if they were to encounter a Fake God-level being, or even a true demigod, this vast army of ten billion could very well be annihilated.
After all, when comparing beings of entirely different levels of existence, numbers cease to have meaning.
It’s not as if a million ants could bite an elephant to death.
According to Daniel’s estimation, this era could at most sustain ten billion divine seats—and that was already the limit.
Keeping more people here would bring no additional value.
If they could not transcend their limits and ascend to demigod rank, then their fate would ultimately be the same—to grow old and die in this time.
Daniel’s resurrection technique, after all, could only revive those whose natural lifespan had not yet reached its end.
If a person’s natural life had already expired, even if Daniel performed resurrection upon them, they would perish again the instant after being revived—dying from the same inevitable cause of time.
Daniel made sure to explain all of these matters clearly to those participating in the plan.
Then, from each of them, he collected a single strand of hair.
In the future—at some distant point in time—he would use these to resurrect them.
This, too, was one of the cards he reserved for himself.
Once the ten billion awakeners were settled in the oasis, Daniel made a formal announcement to them all:
[If you are unable to obtain a divine seat, you may voluntarily surrender your life.]
[When I return in the future, I will resurrect you all.]
Daniel’s Project Hope was not meant to send these awakeners to their deaths.
On the contrary, his true purpose was to give them a chance—to let them find the power of hope that could help them transcend themselves.
But if they could not seize that opportunity, then all they could do was wait—wait for the day when Daniel would return, and perhaps grant them another chance.
After he had finished arranging everything, Daniel turned to look at the elf standing beside him.
"Alice," he said softly, "from now on, humanity will be entrusted entirely to you."
Alice nodded with emotion. Daniel’s trust moved her deeply, but it also made the weight upon her shoulders all the heavier.
"I shall follow your will, Your Majesty Daniel," she said reverently.
"Someday in the future, I will lead a powerful human army before you, and we shall offer our strength to you."
Hearing this, a gentle smile appeared on Daniel’s face.
"No matter what happens," he said, "survival must always come first.As long as life remains, there will always be another chance, won’t there?...Alright. It’s time for me to go."
Alice bowed deeply before him, then turned and departed.
After she left, the awakeners followed her lead, stepping onto the ancient lands of this primordial era.
They spread out across the land like flocks of sparrows, scattering in every direction in search of their own destinies and opportunities.
Another portion of the awakeners chose instead to stay with Alice.
Together, they explored the Land of Origin, eventually discovering a region rich with resources and spiritual energy.
There, they began building a settlement—a city-state that would one day become the foundation of humanity’s civilization in this world.
Daniel did not interfere with their efforts.
Instead, he wandered idly through the land, simply observing.
After all, this era was fascinating—a world far vaster than the Land of Origin he was familiar with, perhaps dozens of times larger.
But after wandering for a while, he grew somewhat bored.
He found no particularly valuable materials here, and the creatures of this age were relatively weak.
Even Fake Gods were rare in this time; as for demigod-rank beings, Daniel searched far and wide and found none at all.
In this era, Daniel could confidently say—he was invincible.
Yet the very tranquility of this world made it ill-suited for training or combat growth.
On the other hand, that same tranquility made it an ideal place for rest and leisure.
For Daniel, this was a peaceful haven.
But for the awakeners of humankind, this era was a land of both peril and promise.
Here, the inheritance of divine seats was far easier to obtain.
Yet the battles that erupted over those inheritances were frequent and brutal.
The law of the jungle ruled supreme—the weak were devoured, the strong survived.
Still, if any of the human awakeners were slaughtered before his eyes, Daniel would never sit idly by.
He might be detached, but he was not heartless.
Nevertheless, he believed that their most dangerous days would come after his departure.
But even then, he would be able to avenge them in the future, should the need arise.
Meanwhile, the arrival of so many awakeners also brought about a new phenomenon—the widespread propagation of faith in the Infinite Divine Temple.
That faith, originating from Daniel’s empire, began to spread rapidly throughout this era’s civilizations.
And through it, humanity’s influence began to take root in this ancient world.
Daniel, standing above it all, quietly watched events unfold.
From his lofty vantage point, gazing down at countless living beings, he suddenly felt as though he truly were a god—a being who overlooked all creation.
For reasons he could not quite explain, watching the endless cycle of life and death among these fragile creatures brought him a deep, serene calm.
It was as if life and death themselves had lost all power to stir his emotions.
Beyond his occasional wandering, Daniel also helped Kartora gather fragments of time.
These time fragments served not only to enhance Kartora’s power but also to shorten the cooldown period of their dimensional portals.
After all, the further they traveled toward the original world, the more energy their journeys consumed—and the longer the waiting time between portals would grow.
The two of them—Daniel and Kartora—thus spent their days in this era, busy yet content.
They would stand together and watch the glow of the setting sun fade beyond the horizon.
They would greet each dawn with quiet excitement, savoring the birth of another day.
Without realizing it, they had lingered in this era for a full three months—three months of tranquil coexistence between two beings who had transcended time itself.
And so, the second phase of Project Hope began—a seed of destiny planted deep within the soil of the past,waiting silently for the day when Daniel would return and awaken it once more.