It began with the two of them.
The Second Primal Sovereign was someone who never interacted with others unless necessary, but the Founding Ancestor was different.
It wasn't just her beauty. Something about her aura and atmosphere drew him in and gave him a sense of comfort he'd long lost.
Their relationship was one for the ages and their story was one of many beautiful love stories the universe had told, and its end was exactly as one would expect.
It was a long relationship, but the Founding Ancestor eventually met her end like all beings who couldn't achieve True Godhood.
After almost a million years of happiness, she left the Second Primal Sovereign alone in the world, a small sect she founded near the end of her life the only memento of her existence left.
To someone who couldn't experience emotion, such feelings were like a drug. When its effects wore off, the Primal Sovereign experienced the withdrawals, the desperate wish to see her again.
But he knew more than anyone else that it was impossible.
She was the only person he'd ever taken human form for, and the only one who'd seen him vulnerable.
To make sure he never forgot his feelings for her, he took care of that sect on his own, becoming its Sect Master and raising it into an influence that couldn't be forgotten.
He gave up his rule once the sect was able to stand on its own, making sure the Founding Ancestor was always remembered and her morals never faded, and afterwards…
"He disappeared?" Damien muttered in surprise.
"Mm, even I have no way of contacting him. Unless he wishes to be seen, he might as well be nonexistent," the Holy Master responded with a sigh.
"Then…"
Damien frowned. From the looks of it, the Second Primal Sovereign stopped continuous contact with the sect around there or four hundred thousand years ago, but he was sure this Holy Land was still in contact with the Primal Sovereign group.
Otherwise, their interest in him had no justification.
"Though he has vanished, the others have contacted us occasionally. Whether it be to pass forward his will or for their own reasons, both the Third and Fourth Primal Sovereigns have also established relations with us."
The Prismatic Sun Holy Master answered Damien's unspoken question without provocation, which left him a bit taken aback, but he was sure she was still hiding something.
'The Primal Sovereigns do not move unless they have goals in mind. Prismatic Sun Holy Land definitely has a major secret that's drawing them here, but asking is pointless.'
Damien nodded inwardly.
His relationship with the Primal Sovereigns was still unknown since the Fifth was crazed with greed and couldn't represent their group.
He didn't want to be their enemy, but he had been preparing for a situation where he had no choice.
'But it's not like the Fifth Primal Sovereign. These guys have shown interest in the Void, but not in the same perverted way he did. If I'm not wrong, her next question should be…'
"What is that power?"
She voiced the words he expected, but he naturally wasn't going to answer.
"Let's keep the fun stuff for later, eh?" He remarked with a smile.
"I need to give information at the same level right? Then how about…"
Damien went on to tell the Holy Master about what he learned from Hassan's memories about the Nox, giving her a look into his plans for the future.
"Hmm, how interesting," she said plainly.
It wasn't that she was uninterested, but speaking further on this topic would violate the ceasefire agreement that had only been signed days ago!
After all, Damien was not supposed to meddle in the universe's affairs for this period of time.
This was just the beginning of their conversation, a move to establish a relationship between them. From there, both Damien and the Holy Master asked each other many questions, both large and small.
Damien learned much about the universe's history from her, including the events erased about the Forgotten War and the eras before it.
The Holy Master, on the other hand, received from Damien more information on the Nox than she thought possible to know, as well as a revelation about the universe's true size that had been alluded to by the Primal Sovereigns in the past.
It was more than just a productive conversation. Both of them gained an understanding of the things vague to them that cleared many of their doubts and gave them strings to form theories with.
Knowledge was power, and the knowledge they possessed trumped most of the universe's population.
Nevertheless, they couldn't be completely forthright with each other, and while Damien could tell that the Holy Master was revealing as much as she could without telling him every secret she held, he could also feel her guiding him towards a topic she wished to speak about.
'Haa, women. Can't you just be direct?' Damien thought wryly.
The conversation circled back to the Second Primal Sovereign so many times even a baby could understand her intent.
Begrudgingly, Damien decided to entertain her.
"What do you want from me?" He asked with a sigh.
"You're supposed to show enthusiasm at this juncture."
"Oh! Dear Holy Master, please grant this unworthy genius a quest of the ages! Please tell me what must be done!"
From his tone of voice, one might really expect he was a young and hot-blooded man, but the expression on his face betrayed his disinterest.
"Hmph, I cannot say I am satisfied, but I will settle for this. You really are no fun," the Holy Master quipped hatefully.
Her tone changed immediately after as she finally spoke into existence the very thing Damien so unenthusiastically begged for.
"There is a place you must go…" she began, letting her words become vague mysteriously before continuing.
Damien's eyes widened as she her words flowed out.
If what she was saying was true, then it was impossible for him to resist.
If he didn't go on this trip, he truly could never say he'd experienced an adventure before!
***
Damien and the Prismatic Sun Holy Master's conversation was reaching its peak, and at the same time, the remaining 49 geniuses were finally told the reason they were summoned to this hidden land.
It was because, out of every young talent alive right now, they were the ones worth nurturing.
Prismatic Sun Holy Land was one of the top contributors to the universe's victory in not just the previous war, but also the Forgotten War before it and several wars that took place even before then!
The source of their determination was unknown, but it wasn't possible to deny their contributions and spirit.
For them to do something like this meant the universe was genuinely in need of its younger generation.
It wasn't just a mere saying. Reality often showed that the younger generation rarely had time to blossom into their potential before they were needed, but this time, there was no falsity in those words.
Those who could see through the strings that formed the web of reality had already prophesized it…
…the end of all things, that is.
