This meant that he was stuck, no matter how much EXP he had he would never be able to breakthrough to rank 3.
He thought that he had limitless growth potential but that was not exactly the case. It seems like the divine shard came with its limitations and conditions.
He could not help but think that it was a deliberate design. Think about it, if someone else got this shard and wanted to simply farm EXP and rise in ranks infinitely they would have no insensitive to gather the rest of the shards.
However, these circumstances forced him into a pinch. The Queen of dusk was a rank 5 being and he was limited to rank 3.
If he wanted to save Celine's soul before the apocalypse he had to get his hands on not one but two more shards to raise his rank limit to rank 5.
There was another problem with this, he was forced to wait for the apocalypse to start if he wanted to achieve rank 5.
This is because only a level 3 world or higher could sustain beings of that rank. As long as he didn't dare to turn himself into a spirit of the two mirrors that is.
However, he was not sure that even then he would be able to bypass the shackles of the divine shard. Honestly speaking it was something that wouldn't be tricked by anything he could think of right now.
In the first place thinking of ways was pointless, instead, he should think of obtaining the next shard.
This meant that he had to put the Origin points he had to use, an unfortunate turn of events but one that couldn't be helped.
but he had to be careful not to overspend. For example, if he first investigated where it was, what if it simply showed him the depth of the earth? Or an island in the sea?
Then he would have to use the trait again and again to get a hold of the proper details. It was a stupid way to lose out on an important resource.
So, the best way was to use it once but for the most outstanding efficiency, he would ask when the best time for him to get the divine shard on Arandos. Although he didn't like to praise himself much but this was actually a brilliant move.
This way he was looking into what 'would' be the best time, not directly looking into a future act that he would do. And on top of that, he would also know two more things, where the shard was and the best time for him to get his hands on it!
As for why he targeted this world's shard? It was obviously the closest and he didn't have to travel to another world to get it. It was only national that he should get the one that required the least amount of work and effort.
Relatively, of course.
Without any hesitation, he used the trait.
Esdras suddenly found himself in a vision, he saw the current world from a bird's eye view. And then time began to move, slowly at first and then so much faster that he couldn't tell what was happening anymore.
He couldn't tell many details except for the first few hundred years and the fact that Arandos was actually flat. And it was the sun that orbited the world instead of the other way around.
After who knows how long the world that only consists of one continent expanded over time to a ridiculous degree. In the past, he could see the two ends of the world but now it seemed endless and ever-expanding.
Finally, the passing time slowed down enough so that he could see some things clearly. The sky had turned blood red and it was raining ash.
Countless corpses littered the earth, bodies without numbers belonging to thousands of races and monsters. Armor and weapons were the only survivors.
This Arandos had three suns and fourteen moons of different colors. Through the veil of clouds and smoke, he caught a glimpse of sparkling planets that were floating above the continent but were in truth smaller in size than the Arandos he was seeing.
'What the… what the hell is going on? Why am I even here? Did I ask the right question?'
Esdras wondered if he somehow made a mistake. Because this couldn't be the best time for him to get the divine shard right? Even he could see that.
Abruptly he saw a system prompt.
[Arandos has completed the ascension to level seven: World plane.]
At this prompt, he heard a screech that tore at his soul despite not being there.
Then he could see a gargantuan serpent in space, it was so massive he could see its silhouette from here. The serpent had nine heads and twelve wings, it opened its mouth and swallowed one of the suns.
Unironically.
Several other figures appeared, despite them being very close on the continent not in space like the serpent he couldn't see their true forms, just blurred silhouettes.
Suddenly in the center of the continent, a great crystal rose from the earth. All the great beings rushed to get their hands on it.
But the closest one to it was the spirit body of Esdras, whose expression now looked uglier than a lamb brought to the slaughter. His eyes were red and blood shot out of his ears. He was screaming in pain as he tried to pull himself back up.
"It's too late," said a voice coming from behind him.
He was dumbfounded, his mind was breaking down. Esdras's vision blurred and he was back in the real world.
'Are you telling me now is the best time to get it? You want me to snatch food from the bellies of the gods and demons? Is this a new way to commit suicide? This is bullshit!'
No, this can't be right. He began to seriously doubt the divination trait.
He did not believe in this evil vision. He used the divination trait again this time he wanted to see another time when he could get it.
But he only saw a blank vision for a moment and knew the trait failed to activate. So….
That was not only the best opportunity to get the divine shard it was also the only time he could get it.