Isla's ability, as Elena claimed, was uncanny.
The moment she was given a task, she sniffed the air a few times and set off, dashing into the environment without giving the group any time to rest!
It was at this time when Damien and the girls also had time to look at the scenery around them.
From the outside, flying against its slope, the upper part of Skyrend Mountain didn't look much different from the bottom portion, aside from its size.
It was a rocky surface that didn't seem to contain any life, and one would question why they couldn't see the enemies they were expecting when they ascended it.
However, it wasn't such a simple surface.
Hidden within the rock were plains of green, an ascending landscape that was filled with lush and vibrant flora, along with its own ecosystem of animals.
Animals, not beasts.
For the first time since he fell into the First Dungeon, Damien saw regular animals that weren't influenced by mana.
Deer, rabbits, goats, small birds, and many other harmless creatures populated these plains, creating a sense of peace and true nature in these hidden spaces.
But at the same time, their existence was an oddity.
After all, every living being would be affected by mana in some way. Even mortals had lifespans over 150 years because of its effects.
Seeing untransformed animals wasn't impossible, but it was almost as rare as…
Well, there was no need to say more.
As Damien and the girls followed Isla, they were welcomed into what was like a second world in the clouds.
They crossed over hills and through valleys, they traveled peaceful plains and even thunderous rivers on their way to the Blessing Shrine.
Roughly an hour later, Isla finally stopped.
Her nose went into the air, her front paw rising slightly off the ground.
Sniff!
Sniff!
Her eyes shot open, sparkling like gems.
Meow!
She mewled excitedly, rushed forward, and leaped into the air!
"Isla!" Elena yelled out in panic.
After all, the cat just jumped off a cliff!
She and the rest rushed to the cliffside and looked over its edge, but all they could see was darkness!
"I guess we're jumping again," Ruyue sighed.
"Of course we're jumping!"
Damien raised his foot off the ground and calmly fell off the cliff.
"I'll see you at the bottom!"
The cat just fell into an abyss! There was no time to waste!
Ruyue sighed again, accepting her fate of always ending up in the underground, and followed suit with Elena and Rose.
Sia looked over the edge with a raised brow, watching the group fall and shaking her head.
'There is no fear of danger in their bones.'
Shrugging to herself, she gracefully walked off the edge, using mana to slow her fall and maintain this grace.
Considering their past experiences, Damien was expecting a long fall and a dark cave, but he was entirely wrong.
Just a few hundred meters into the fall, winds picked up around them.
Winds filled with the mana of space!
'Aha, so that's what happened!' Damien thought as he grinned to himself.
It wasn't an abyss, but a gateway!
The swirling winds were like silver rivers flowing through the air. They wrapped around the group, and in the next instant, they vanished.
Shining sunlight forced them to avert their gazes, making them aware of the change of scenery.
The space was just as flourishing as the world outside, a small and nondescript plain filled with flowers, grasses, and a myriad of harmless fauna.
The only thing adding some spice to the area was their very goal, the Blessing Shrine.
It was a square platform roughly 30 meters in length made out of a cream-white marbled material, raised 1 meter off the ground with steps lining its sides leading up to its surface.
Each corner was decorated with a statue made of the same material, representing the figures of warrior-like beings from antiquity.
And of course, the main shrine graced the center of the platform. A small structure made of glossy wood, it was almost unworthy of the atmosphere created around it with how plain it was.
But that was its charm.
For some reason, it's subtleness made it all the more sacred, as if it didn't need a grand appearance to convey its worth.
"The base was created by man, while the shrine's existence remains unknown. The dichotomy is meant to represent humanity's perception of the shrine against its perception of man."
Sia spoke up, slowly making her way towards the structure.
"It is called the Blessing Shrine because of its heavenly ability: to grant one the blessing they need the most. It was said to have disappeared from existence long ago, but in reality, it relocated to this Severed World."
As her explanation continued, more than the shrine, the mysteries around her grew.
But it was clear she had no desire to share.
After all, the relationship they'd established remained one of business, never crossing that boundary.
"There is no specific method to receive a blessing. It is said that one will only be blessed when the shrine deems them ready."
She got on her knees and adopted a praying posture, closing her eyes.
"Then what do we do until it makes that decision?" Damien asked.
Sia opened her eyes and glanced at him stoically.
"Pray."
She went back to her activities after that, leaving the group to figure out the rest themselves.
"Well, I guess it's that easy?" Damien muttered.
"It seems so, but we can't be sure," Ruyue replied.
"True, but we have time right now. Shouldn't we take the chance?"
"Do we have time? I thought you…" Rose said, her voice trailing off.
But Damien shook his head.
"Regardless of my personal feelings, our growth comes first. Even if I answer the questions in my mind, it won't matter unless we can survive the coming war, right?"
Damien wanted to return to the Human Domain because he had several questions to ask his mother, but the question of his existence was something he could infer about.
What he desired was confirmation.
But as he said, confirmation meant nothing if he lost his chance to go to the Heavenly World by dying in this war.
He had enemies both inside the universe and out, with a large number of them being Demigods.
It wouldn't be possible before his battle with the Saint King, but Damien's current goal was simple.
To ascend to Divinity as swiftly as possible with enough qualifications to possess extreme strength able to match those who'd been in the realm for decamillenniums.
And naturally, he refused to do it alone.
He smiled as he led the girls up the stairs, taking his place on the shrine with them to his sides.
Zara and Isla also did the same, laying down behind the group.
'The Blessing Shrine will give you the blessing you need most.'
That's what Sia said, but Damien had to wonder.
Could it really give him what he needed?
As someone who'd been forced to introspect and gain an understanding of himself for so long, Damien had long known what his greatest weakness was.
But he didn't know any way to fix that weakness but time.
Damien was curious if the Blessing Shrine was really a heavenly-descended entity that could read through the veil of the Void and understand him.
'All you have to do is pray, huh…'
It seemed simple, but…
'How…do I do that…?'
