Every official in the hall heard the exchange between Daniel and Governor Loka.

Their reactions varied. Many were reluctant to accept that almost all the merit would belong to Daniel, while they received only the remnants of the campaign. However, none dared object. Daniel’s earlier execution of the Chief Inspector had already demonstrated how decisively he dealt with resistance. Now he had added an impossible military achievement to that display of authority.

The matter was settled immediately.

Loka prepared an official report describing the destruction of the main Tribulation-Ash Army and the local government’s responsibility for eliminating the survivors. He handed the document to Daniel, who pressed his Supreme Commander’s seal onto it with the token issued by the Holy See.

Once the record was complete, Daniel prepared to leave without delay.

His work in the Heavenly River Starfield was finished. Upon returning to the Holy See, he could use this merit to obtain a permanent imperial appointment. That appointment would grant him Realm-Crosser Points and, even more importantly, a Racial Talent for humanity.

Those rewards were far more attractive than remaining in Uma Plane to listen to local officials flatter him.

Daniel boarded his Emperor-class sacred vessel and set a course for the Imperial City. The ship crossed the starfield at astonishing speed. Before long, the familiar ancient capital appeared ahead.

The moment he entered the city, he went directly to Prince Dorek’s residence.

Dorek still looked thin and somewhat fragile, but the hesitation that had once surrounded him had faded. Daniel briefly explained the result of the mission and instructed him to prepare for the political consequences. Then they waited for the Holy See’s official decree.

"I should be the first realm-crosser to receive a formal position within the Holy See," Daniel thought, his eyes flashing with anticipation.

Dorek, meanwhile, was overwhelmed by the report.

"Teacher truly is invincible within this age," he said with open admiration. "You completed a mission that troubled countless imperial experts as though it were nothing."

The Tribulation-Ash Monsters had driven the local government into despair, yet Daniel had suppressed them without meaningful assistance from a single official of Uma Plane. He had relied entirely upon his own treasures and combat strength.

If Daniel had been a high-stage Oracle-grade expert, the result would still have been impressive. But he was genuinely Divine-grade. The disparity between his Rank and his achievements made the feat almost unbelievable.

Daniel merely smiled at Dorek’s praise.

He knew the victory had not been effortless. He had consumed a significant portion of the Oracle-grade treasures obtained from the Golden Holy Mountain. Their value amounted to an enormous number of mountain points and Origin Crystals. Even with sufficient points, many of those treasures could be acquired only when the mountain happened to possess stock.

Still, the anticipated reward made the expenditure worthwhile.

The Holy See responded quickly.

An imperial envoy arrived at Dorek’s residence and publicly read the Eternal Emperor’s decree. Daniel was granted a formal sixth-rank position: Inspector of the Oracle Hall.

Along with the appointment came several rare materials and a system reward.

[You have obtained 5,000 Realm-Crosser Points!]

Daniel had previously accumulated one hundred points from killing another realm-crosser. With the new reward, his total rose to 5,100.

He immediately opened the points interface.

This time, the larger balance unlocked information that had previously been hidden. At last, he saw the object he had crossed the River of Time to find.

[Great Universal Will Fragment]

[Grade]: Supreme

[Restriction]: Only realm-crossers may use this item.

[Effect]: Upon use, advances the user’s Spacetime Law by one stage.

[Current Location]: Imperial Treasury

[Exchange Price]: 100,000,000 Realm-Crosser Points

Daniel stared at the price.

One hundred million points.

Realm-Crosser Points were restricted by the Great Dao and could not receive Millionfold Boost. Accumulating such a number through official salaries, missions, or kills would be extraordinarily difficult.

Then a smile appeared on his face.

"Now that I know where it is, I no longer need to obtain it through the exchange shop."

The fragment was stored inside the imperial treasury. If Dorek became the next Eternal Emperor, obtaining it would be simple. Daniel would not need to spend a single point. Given Dorek’s trust in him, the prince would almost certainly grant the request.

Daniel had found a far more efficient path.

Dorek, however, was not satisfied with the appointment.

The envoy had barely departed when the prince frowned and began complaining.

"Teacher, something is wrong within the Holy See. With your merit, you should have received a sixth-rank position carrying real authority. Why were you given the title of Inspector of the Oracle Hall?"

He paced across the chamber.

"The Oracle Hall holds a transcendent position within the empire. It is where the Oracle-grade experts gather. An inspector assigned there sounds impressive, but in reality it is an empty office. No ordinary official dares investigate the true powerhouses of the hall."

Dorek’s anger grew.

"Prince Lucian has cultivated in the Oracle Hall since childhood. Someone from his faction may have interfered and replaced the powerful position originally intended for you. Yes, that must be what happened."

Under the original plan, the best outcome would have been Daniel’s entry into the Imperial City Defense system. With his achievement, a single recommendation from the capital’s governor could have placed him in a position controlling troops, investigations, or strategic resources. That would have created a powerful foundation for Dorek’s future struggle.

Even a lesser result should have provided some practical authority.

Dorek had spent enormous resources cultivating contacts within the Holy See. Those connections should have been able to secure a useful sixth-rank post without difficulty. Instead, Daniel had received a dangerous ceremonial appointment.

Prince Lucian was widely believed to be the strongest and most talented of the imperial princes. He had lived and cultivated within the Oracle Hall for years, and many of its experts favored him. To the empire, the Oracle Hall was practically Lucian’s greatest supporting faction.

Daniel belonged to Dorek’s camp. Sending him into Lucian’s territory could hardly be considered a reward.

Worse, the title of inspector did not allow Daniel to supervise the Oracle-grade experts themselves. His authority extended only over the administrative and service organizations assigned to support the Oracle Hall.

In simple terms, he was a high-ranking overseer with no power over the people who truly mattered.

Rather than granting Daniel influence, the position placed him in a vulnerable location where Lucian’s supporters could watch every action he took and manufacture mistakes at will.

Dorek could see only a trap.

Daniel, however, remained calm. The appointment was not what they had expected, but every position created opportunities. If someone had deliberately placed him inside the Oracle Hall’s sphere of influence, he intended to discover why and turn the arrangement against its creator.