The gap between them was simply too vast. There was no chance of escape. Boom. The ground shuddered violently as a wave of scorching heat descended nearby. The crushing pressure that followed made Merrick feel as if his lungs were being squeezed shut. It was terrifying. Just as Merrick was certain he was about to meet his end, a clear, calm voice suddenly rang out. "Merrick, why are you so tense?" "Huh?" Merrick's eyes flew open. In the next instant, he saw a tiny figure standing right beside the feet of that monstrous creature. If it wasn't that brat Nighthale, who else could it be? "This…" Merrick stared, dumbfounded. His mind went completely blank. He had no idea what kind of connection Aiden had with that horrific being, but the fact that the two could stand so close without anything happening already said more than enough. Wait. You even managed to build a relationship with something at that level? Whoosh. A gale erupted as the creature spread its massive wings, transforming into a streak of blazing red light that vanished into the horizon. "My God…" Only then did Merrick finally relax, shakily wiping the sweat from his brow. To be honest, he had never felt such overwhelming despair in his entire life. Not even when he had been locked onto by the Inferno Dragon's forbidden spell. His clothes were soaked through, sweat plastering itself to his back. "That thing… You brought it out of the Temple of Hephaestus?" Merrick swallowed hard and stared at Aiden in disbelief. "You little punk, you actually didn't die?""Merrick, that's a bit harsh," Aiden said with a grin. "I've got one big advantage. I'm hard to kill." He waved his hand casually. "A mere Temple of Hephaestus couldn't do anything to me." Merrick was speechless. The way this kid showed off was infuriating. And yet, Merrick couldn't come up with a single word to argue back. So irritating. "Tell me," Merrick said, shaking his head, curiosity getting the better of him. "What exactly did you run into inside the Temple of Hephaestus? Did you see a god?" "I did," Aiden replied casually. Not only had he seen one. He had killed Hephaestus himself. But that was obviously not something he needed to share with anyone else. "You actually met a god, and I didn't even get to go in," Merrick groaned, thumping his chest in frustration. "If I'd gone in too, I could've at least grabbed some benefits."His mood was completely wrecked. Why did this kid get to rake in all the rewards inside, while he had to risk his life outside playing bodyguard? How could the difference between people be this big? Merrick's emotional turmoil didn't concern Aiden. What mattered now was something else entirely. He took out a single drop of Divine Blood and let it fall into his palm. Buzz. The instant the blood touched his skin, golden light erupted outward, engulfing him. At that moment, Aiden looked like a golden war god, dazzling and unreal. The absurd spectacle left Merrick staring in a daze yet again. What is this kid up to now? In the next second, crisp system notifications chimed in Aiden's ear. 'Ding! You have bathed in Divine Blood and obtained Hephaestus' divinity.''Ding! Due to the infusion of divinity, the potential of your class "Fortune God" has been awakened. Class successfully advanced.' 'Ding! Due to the infusion of divinity, the potential of your class "Divine Beastmaster" has been awakened. Class successfully advanced.' "As expected," Aiden murmured. With a thought, he confirmed what he had suspected all along. The advancement of both classes was tied to one thing. Gods. No, to be precise, it was divinity. This was the true key to unlocking class advancement. Aiden summoned his Class Panel. 'Class: Fortune God' 'Innate Talent—Fortune Flux (Level 2): The most fundamental ability of the Fortune God is wealth generation. The marks you carry increase by 2% each day.' 'Innate Talent—Fortune God (Level 2): As the Fortune God, you reject all monetary loss. After death, none of the items you carry will drop.' 'Innate Talent—Divine Prosperity (Level 2): As the saying goes, money nourishes a person. You possess immense wealth and exceptional fortune. Luck Points +60.' 'Innate Talent—Absolute Aura (Level 2): No matter how ugly someone is, as long as they spend freely, they suddenly look handsome. You now radiate an overwhelming presence and charm. Charisma Points +60.' 'Innate Talent—Power of Wealth (Level 2): The Fortune God is still a god. You wield divine power. For every 1,000,000 marks spent, gain +1 random attribute point. Daily cap: 1,000 points.' 'Innate Skill (Active)—Rich Man's Defense (Level 2): As the Fortune God, money is your shield. Upon activation, you gain shield points equal to 10% of the marks you currently possess. This skill has no cooldown and is immune to shield break, execute, instant death, and similar special effects. Note: When taking damage, your marks will be consumed proportionally.' After advancing, every class ability had been strengthened across the board. The increase in power was not just incremental. It was a massive leap.Especially Rich Man's Defense. The ratio had jumped directly from 1% to 10%. After everything that had happened with Hephaestus, even with the Undying Phoenix's protection, Aiden had still lost a considerable amount of shield points. The marks he had left on him now totaled roughly 800 million.