Aftermath

Shiro stood still, his gaze fixed on the vacant space where Twilight Valentine once occupied, now reduced to nothingness. Not even a speck of dust remained. Twilight Valentine, the Divine Ancestor, was no more—his very essence absorbed by Shiro. What had once been a mad god obsessed with creating the perfect being was now a part of him, and with it, Shiro was now free and unshackled.

As the last remnants of Twilight's essence settled within him, Shiro let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. It was over. The specter that had haunted his thoughts since he woke up in this world was finally gone. But the victory was not as sweet as he had imagined. He felt empty.

Twilight had been a mere shadow of his former self, weakened after escaping his daughter Luminous Valentine's assassination attempt. In truth, Shiro's triumph felt hollow, like a kill stolen from the jaws of a much greater hunter. The overwhelming sense of relief was tainted by the bitter understanding of just how fragile that victory had been.

Shiro's thoughts were a tangled mess of emotions—exhilaration, fear, and a deep, pervasive anxiety. He had come to this world armed with knowledge from his previous life on Earth, understanding the events that were yet to unfold. But knowing the future was a double-edged sword. It gave him foresight but also painted a grim picture of what lay ahead. And now, with the memories of Twilight Valentine flooding his mind, that picture became even more terrifying.

Twilight's memories revealed that the being he had killed was merely a fragment of the original Twilight Valentine, a shadow of the divine entity created by the Star King Veldanava himself. The rest of Twilight had been annihilated long ago, completely erased by the overwhelming attack of Luminous Valentine, his own daughter.

Shiro shuddered at the thought of Luminous's Sanctuary Disintegration. He doubted if he could survive such an attack. But he wouldn't know until he tried. The thought cross his mind for a moment, only for a moment, Shiro just sighed.

He now understood that the attack caused spiritrons—the basic building blocks of all spiritual matter—to decay at an alarming rate, erasing anything in its path at the speed of light. Not even souls could escape its annihilation. The fact that Twilight had survived it, albeit in a weakened state, was nothing short of a miracle. But in the end, that miracle wasn't enough to save him from Shiro's own rise to power.

Twilight's death had been inevitable, yet somehow fitting. Shiro could almost feel a twisted sense of satisfaction from the fallen ancestor. Twilight had been many things—a scientist, a creator, and above all, a madman obsessed with living up to the expectations of his creator. In his final moments, perhaps he had found solace in knowing that he had, in a way, succeeded. Shiro was the culmination of his efforts, a perfect being in all but experience.

And now, Shiro was alone. The memories, the powers, the knowledge—they all swirled within him, a chaotic storm that threatened to overwhelm his very sense of self. He had absorbed Twilight's Unique Skill: *Divine Creator*, with its sub-skills of *Omni Transmutation*, *Synthesis/Separation*, and *Skill Creation*. The possibilities these skills presented were endless, limited only by his understanding and energy reserves.

In addition, Shiro had gained Twilight's *Extra Skills*, each with its own potential:

- *Blood Raise*: Allowed him to bring someone back to life using their own blood.

- *Charm*: Enabled him to hypnotize and temporarily control the thoughts of a target and even alter their memories with suggestions.

- *Coercion*: Evoked pressure through his voice to coerce or intimidate targets, though it could be resisted with enough willpower or countered with another coercion.

- *Paralyze*: Gave him the ability to paralyze a target.

- *Self Regeneration*: Allowed him to recover from nearly any injury over time, even regenerating missing limbs and organs, provided his material body wasn't completely destroyed.

- *Shadow Motion*: Utilized Shadow Space to travel between shadows, reducing distance traveled to zero and acting as a waiting area for Star Wolves.

- *Steel Strength*: Greatly enhanced his physical strength.

- *Transform*: Enabled him to alter his appearance and form, such as turning into bats.

Shiro also inherited a vast amount of magical knowledge:

- *Aspectual Magic*: Manipulated the surrounding magicules or his own reserves to bend nature's laws, with phenomena unaffected by physical factors but vulnerable to Mana Jamming or Holy Fields.

- *Elemental Magic*: Used spirits' power to cast spells following the laws of physics, requiring a contract with elementals and allowing higher-level users to summon and fuse with them.

- *Holy Magic*: Manipulated holy power and purifies magicules using the user's faith, capable of dispelling curses, curing illnesses, healing wounds, and performing miracles of God.

- *Summoning Magic*: Summoned beings from other planes of reality, requiring mastery of spatial magic.

- *Dark Magic*: Used primarily by daemons.

- *Engraving Magic*: Enchanted people or objects with spells, enabling magic usage without specific knowledge or skills.

- *Illusion Magic*: Combined aspectual and elemental magic to manipulate the spiritual body, affecting senses or causing damage.

- *Soul Magic*: Manipulated world laws concerning elements, used by Elemental souls.

- *True Dragon Magic*: Magic intrinsic to True Dragons and those possessing their factors.

Despite these vast new abilities, Shiro was still just a novice. The sheer magnitude of the power he had acquired was terrifying. He could alter matter, merge abilities, create entirely new skills from nothing—yet all of this felt like handling a double-edged sword. One wrong move, one lapse in concentration, and he could bring about his own destruction.

Shiro spent the next few months in isolation, away from the prying eyes of the world. He needed time—time to integrate Twilight's powers, to understand the vast and profound knowledge now at his disposal. Each day was a battle against his own limitations, pushing himself to the brink as he learned to wield the powers of a god.

Through intense meditation and rigorous practice, Shiro began to master the intricate workings of his new abilities. He delved deep into the mysteries of the universe, manipulating soul energy and transforming it with *Omni Transmutation*. The first time he tried to create something tangible, he failed miserably. But he persisted, gradually honing his skills until he could transmute materials at will, shaping them into weapons, garments, or anything else he desired.

*Synthesis/Separation* was even more challenging. The concept of merging two opposing forces to create something entirely new was mind-boggling. But with time, Shiro learned to combine abilities, forging skills that defied logic and reason. He experimented with merging fire and water, creating steam that could scorch the very air, and fused light and darkness, creating a blade that could cut through both physical and spiritual matter. The potential was limitless, yet it required a level of understanding that pushed Shiro to the brink of madness.

*Skill Creation*, the most dangerous of his abilities, was also the most tempting. With it, Shiro could create any ability he desired, limited only by his imagination and energy reserves. But he knew that power without control was a recipe for disaster. So, he exercised caution, experimenting with minor abilities before attempting anything truly world-altering.

Yet, despite the incredible power he now wielded, Shiro was not complacent. He knew that in the grand scheme of things, he was still a mere novice, a fledgling god among beings who had existed for eons. True Dragons, Primordial Daemons, Angels, Phantoms, Cryptids, True Heroes, True Demon Lords, Saints—these were entities with power and experience far beyond anything Shiro could comprehend. He might be strong by human standards, but in the world of the divine, he was still an infant, barely scratching the surface of what was possible.

But Shiro was determined. He refused to let his newfound power go to waste. He had no intention of becoming another madman like Twilight Valentine. To survive in this world, he needed more than just raw power—he needed control, discipline, and above all, knowledge.

To that end, Shiro decided to create a new trait, one that would help him navigate the treacherous waters of divine power. Drawing on the full extent of his abilities, he sacrificed a significant portion of his energy to create *Anti-Skill*—a spiritual constitution that could be turned on and off at will. *Anti-Skill* would allow him to nullify, negate, suppress, or "seal off" all spiritual and magical forces or phenomena that he came into contact with. It would even allow him to counteract kinetic energy, making him nearly invincible against most forms of attack.

But Shiro wasn't content with just defense. He wanted to ensure that he could shut down even the most powerful of his enemies, so he designed *Anti-Skill* to be able to seal off a majority of skills, including Ultimate Skills, Ultimate Gifts, Ultimate Enhancement, Administrative Authority, Godly Authority, and more. By doing so, he could render even the most god-like beings powerless, at least for a time.

The creation of *Anti-Skill* took a tremendous toll on Shiro. He felt his energy reserves plummet as the new trait took shape within him, solidifying into a formidable force that would serve as both his shield and sword. But as he stood there, panting from the exertion, Shiro knew that he had taken a critical step towards ensuring his survival.

With *Anti-Skill* at his disposal, Shiro felt a surge of confidence. He was still young, still inexperienced, but he was no longer helpless.

But even as he reveled in his newfound power, Shiro could not shake the lingering sense of dread that haunted him. The memories of Twilight Valentine were a constant reminder of the dangers that lay ahead, the monstrous entities that would not hesitate to crush him if given the chance.

Shiro sighed, rubbing his temples as he tried to push those thoughts aside. He had come this far—there was no turning back now. The future was uncertain, filled with both promise and peril, but Shiro was determined to face it head-on. He would not let fear rule him, nor would he allow himself to be consumed by the power he had gained.

As Shiro stood on the precipice of a new chapter in his life, he looked forward to the future. The world was vast, filled with mysteries and challenges beyond his imagination. But Shiro was ready. He had the power, the knowledge, and the will to shape his own destiny.