Just call me Thor

537  You’re doing very well

Maxen was originally slated to be the second-generation potential Supreme Being?

This revelation caught Mike completely off guard.

Apollo, noticing Mike's confusion, continued to explain.

"Many years ago, the human race was in a dire situation. Nathan's son, Maxen, had shown exceptional talent from a young age and was seen as the next leader of humanity..."

In their previous conversation, Mike had already learned about the origins of talents.

Talents were fragments of the Supreme Source.

Even SSS-grade talents were merely more complete fragments, nothing more.

Powerful individuals like Maxen, Cedric, Calderon, and even Gregory, who had undergone three awakenings, all possessed SS-grade talents that were incredibly strong, standing out among others of the same tier.

If there were no Supreme Being in their generation, some of them could very well have been chosen as potential Supreme Beings.

Especially Maxen—he was a force to be reckoned with.

"Because Maxen's performance was so outstanding, when he was about to turn 18, my instructor convened a meeting of the human race's most powerful individuals..." Apollo spoke with a seriousness that made it seem as though he had witnessed the events firsthand.

In fact, Apollo had arrived on Earth with the Tower of Truth over 300 years ago.

To be precise, Apollo hadn't just heard about these events—he had even participated in some of them.

Apollo recalled, "The result of the meeting was to place Maxen in a cryogenic chamber, putting him into hibernation for several years. The plan was to wake him when the next SSS-grade talent appeared, so he could participate in the talent awakening." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

At first, Maxen had been against the idea.

In his mind, the sooner he awakened, the sooner he could fight on the battlefield.

Potential Supreme Being? SSS-grade talent? All of that could wait.

But after a "conversation" with Shadow Nine—one that left Maxen bruised and battered—he reluctantly agreed.

With his mind changed, Maxen entered the cryogenic chamber, where he slept for nearly a century, only waking up 172 years ago.

In fact, Mike could understand and even support Shadow Nine's decision and approach.

On one hand, Nathan's death in the Supreme Abyssal had made him a hero to the human race.

The human race couldn't afford to mistreat Maxen, nor could they dishonor Nathan's legacy.

Even if others had different ideas, Shadow Nine, Calderon, Cedric, and Morpheus would never allow it.

On the other hand, Maxen was simply too powerful!

At the time, everyone believed that as long as Maxen participated in the awakening, the SSS-grade talent would undoubtedly be his!

And in truth, Maxen didn't disappoint anyone's expectations.

In the history of the human race, aside from the Supreme Beings, Maxen was the strongest of his tier.

Before he met Thor, Maxen had been riding high on his reputation!

But while Maxen was in hibernation, he had no idea that a boy named Mars had been born in a peaceful corner of the world.

Amid the backdrop of the Blood War between the human race and the demon race, this boy named Mars grew from an infant to a child, and from a child to a young man.

Then, 172 years ago, Mars, now 18, signed up for the talent awakening.

Mars and Maxen both placed their hands on the Truth Core Crystal at nearly the same time.

In the end, the Supreme Source chose Mars, and the legendary life of Supreme Being Ares began.

Meanwhile, Maxen only awakened an SS-grade talent.

After hearing Apollo's explanation, Mike nodded slowly, finally understanding the full story.

When it came to who would awaken an SSS-grade talent, the human race's powerful individuals didn't have the final say.

What they could do was identify promising Supreme Being seeds, put them into hibernation, and wake them at the right time to participate in the talent awakening, gambling on a possibility.

At the time, everyone had placed their bets on Maxen.

But then Ares appeared, shocking everyone at first, and then filling them with joy.

Maxen was strong, but Ares was even stronger!

Maxen, who hadn't become the potential Supreme Being, had no regrets or complaints. He only wanted to grow stronger and take to the battlefield as soon as possible to avenge his father.

As Apollo finished his story, a sudden thought struck Mike, and he realized another possibility.

"Bro, does that mean the so-called supreme power is actually the result of the human race's deliberate choices?"

Think about it—SSS-grade talents appeared once every hundred years, and the human race had figured out this pattern.

Based on that, any Supreme Being seeds under the age of 18 could be approached by the authorities and asked to sign special agreements.

These Supreme Being seeds would, like Maxen, enter hibernation and wait for the right time to be awakened and participate in the talent awakening.

And in each generation, there would definitely be one SSS-grade talent!

At the same time, the mass awakening of Supreme Being seeds would naturally signify the prosperity and strength of the human race!

Supreme Beings and supreme power were mutually reinforcing, choosing each other in their respective eras!

Apollo confirmed Mike's speculation.

"Correct."

Morpheus's generation was an exception.

In Ares's generation, only Maxen had received this treatment.

But in Apollo's generation...

"And in my generation, no Supreme Being seeds were awakened from hibernation," Apollo revealed.

The reason was simple—Apollo had been on the verge of death and had no choice but to awaken his talent.

The human race's powerful individuals had long known about Apollo's existence, and they knew that if Apollo awakened his talent, it would most likely be an SSS-grade talent.

As a result, no Supreme Being seeds were awakened from hibernation in his generation.

Even without becoming a Supreme Being, Apollo had exerted immense pressure!

Similarly, before Thor appeared, the human race didn't know who the potential Supreme Being of this generation would be.

So, a large number of Supreme Being seeds were awakened from hibernation and thrown into this era.

That's why Thor's generation was filled with so many geniuses!

It had to be said—the human race's leadership had incredible foresight and courage.

After surviving the Blood War, they had begun laying the groundwork for the next century, planning for the long term...

The reversal of the human race's fortunes against the Abyss wasn't the result of a single day's work, nor was it the achievement of just one generation.

It was the result of 300 years of continuous struggle by multiple generations!

Having cleared up the mysteries surrounding Maxen, Ares, and supreme power, Mike felt some of his questions had been answered.

But a bigger question now loomed in his mind.

When talking to Apollo, it was best to be direct.

Apollo didn't understand, nor did he care for, roundabout conversations.

So, Mike asked bluntly,

"What about me?"

...

Mike hadn't expected his question to leave Apollo in silence.

Mike was a transmigrator from another world. No one else knew this, but Mike was well aware of it.

And Apollo was also fully aware of Mike's unique origins.

Mike had once considered coming clean to Apollo about this, but Apollo had cut him off.

Since then, the two had reached an unspoken agreement not to discuss the matter.

But after learning the secrets of the Supreme Source, SSS-grade talents, and supreme power, Mike couldn't help but ask the question.

What about me?

Was Mike's SSS-grade talent predetermined, or was it just a coincidence?

After a moment of silence, Apollo finally spoke, giving Mike an unexpected answer.

"I am not omniscient."

This was the first time Mike had ever heard Apollo admit that there were things he didn't know.

Why Mike? Why the Eye of Truth?

Apollo didn't have the answers.

From Apollo's perspective, everything had happened naturally.

Apollo had been on the verge of death, so he had no choice but to awaken his talent.

After awakening an SSS-grade talent, he naturally became a Supreme Being.

And after becoming a Supreme Being, it was only natural to wait for the next potential Supreme Being to appear...

To Apollo, it didn't matter whether it was Mike, Mick, or Mack—the result would still be the same: Apollo would face the Supreme Demon God in a final battle.

But...

While the starting point and the endpoint remained the same, the journey would be different!

If Mike had been replaced by someone else, many things would have unfolded differently.

Shadow Nine would have been a dutiful protector, rather than risking his life to enter the Supreme Abyssal...

Calderon would have gotten his wish and died in battle in the First Abyss...

Ares would have intervened more often, slaying more demon gods...

Apollo would have quietly sat on the 99th floor, waiting for the next potential Supreme Being to rise, waiting for the Supreme Demon God to appear, and then heading into the final battle...

Mike's appearance had changed the fate of many people.

Fortunately, these changes had all been for the better.

After learning the truth, Mike's question wasn't just about the origin of his SSS-grade talent—he was also asking Apollo:

*How am I doing?*

How was Mike doing as a potential Supreme Being?

Apollo had been the previous generation's test-taker, and the Supreme Demon God was the final examiner.

Mike was about to clarify his meaning, knowing that Apollo might not pick up on the subtext...

But before he could, Apollo's voice came from the 99th floor.

"You're doing well."

Mike: ???

Before he could fully process his surprise, Apollo continued.

"No, that's not right."

Apollo shook his head.

"You're doing very well."

Hiss—

Mike found himself overwhelmed by a mix of emotions—surprise, joy, fear, and anxiety.

Surprise, because Apollo had actually understood him!

Joy, because Mike had earned Apollo's approval.

Fear, because Apollo's increasingly human-like behavior was progressing too quickly.

And anxiety, because Mike hadn't expected to receive such high praise, leaving him feeling a bit flustered.

In short, these emotions hit Mike all at once, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

"Calm down, calm down!" Mike took a few deep breaths, nearly falling off the white cloud.

Before Mike could say anything else, a yawn echoed from inside the tower.

"I'm tired."

Mike respectfully replied, "I'll take my leave then. You should rest."

"Alright."

As the white cloud gently descended, Mike reflected on their conversation, his thoughts growing heavier.

He wasn't proud of his accomplishments.

Whether it was single-handedly defeating the Progenitor of Ghosts, turning the tables on the Eighth Demon God, capturing the Chaos Prince, or supporting Poseidon...

All of these were just small contributions, nothing worth boasting about.

What weighed on Mike's mind was the fact that Apollo seemed to be on the verge of figuring things out!

According to previous theories, once Apollo fully accepted the idea that he was human, he would revert to being an ordinary person.

And that butterfly would gain power equivalent to the World Source, which was currently held by Supreme Being Apollo!

In other words, the human race would lose Supreme Being Apollo, and the world would gain a butterfly with the power to rival a Supreme Being!

This was not good news for the human race.

The current Supreme Demon God was not the same as the one from 300 years ago!

Three hundred years ago, when Morpheus appeared, the Supreme Demon God had been unable to break free from his seal. The Supreme Source had still been contested by many old Progenitors, leaving the Supreme Demon God too preoccupied to deal with Morpheus.

But over the past 300 years, the Supreme Demon God had appeared twice, each time being severely wounded by the human Supreme Beings.

And each time, the Supreme Demon God had taken the opportunity to rid himself of some of his own problems.

He had cut away the rotten flesh and festering wounds from his body.

Though the Supreme Demon God was now lower in level and weaker in rank, his combat power had only grown stronger!

The Progenitor of Ghosts, who had been rejected by the Supreme Source, was a prime example!

In the foreseeable future, this process of elimination would only accelerate, and the Supreme Demon God would grow even stronger!

Time was running out!

From Mike's perspective, whether for his own survival or for the greater good, he needed to gain the power to fight before Apollo's transformation occurred!

Nine-star Lord, or even Ultimate Lord, would no longer be enough for Mike!

He needed to find a way to touch the threshold of Supreme.

[At this point, we recommend the fourth awakening of the Eye of Truth.]

Mike ignored the Eye of Truth's suggestion.

Awakening his SSS-grade talent was something Mike definitely planned to do, and it was a high priority.

The last time he had forced a third awakening, Mike had paid a steep price.

One of the costs had been that he couldn't enter the 90th floor or higher, preventing the Eye of Truth from undergoing a fourth awakening.

Fortunately, Apollo had stepped in and resolved that issue, allowing Mike to move forward.

Talent, level, class...

Mike had already pushed all of these to their limits!

But when he asked the Eye of Truth how to maximize his combat power, the answer was always the same:

Awaken, awaken, and awaken some more!

Mike needed to find another path, a different way forward.

If Mike tried to figure it out on his own, he'd probably drive himself crazy without finding a solution.

So, he decided to rely on one of his traditional virtues—asking for help.

Taking out his communicator, Mike dialed a number.

"Professor Gregory, it's Thor. Are you busy? I'd like to meet and discuss something."

"Alright, I'll meet you at the Trade Secret Realm."

As agreed, Mike made his way to the Trade Secret Realm and met with Professor Gregory in a private room.

After Mike explained his situation, Gregory's eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"You want to get stronger... faster..."

Thor's request had touched on one of Professor Gregory's blind spots!

After a moment of contemplation, Professor Gregory sighed and said helplessly,

"Among all the known potential Supreme Beings, you're already the fastest-growing one."