It was silent.
Even the Impulse Waves became nonexistent once the 2nd Primal Sovereign's wound healed more.
The dream world was still, the lifeless organisms inhabiting it frozen in time.
The function of this place was weakening, because it's entire purpose was to contain the destructive energy of the Saint Emperor's mana and expel it in waves.
Damien quietly injected Void Mana into the creature's body.
At this point, he'd been doing this for hours.
The prior conversation came to an end after roughly 30 minutes, and Damien hadn't spoken a word since.
He had to take time for himself right now.
Dreams and reality, just why did they have to be so different?
Dreams could reflect reality. They could create imaginative depictions of one's desires based on reality, an ephemeral reflection of the World of Dreams.
Yet, reality didn't easily accommodate one's dreams.
The Severed World's existence was magical for a reason.
Damien had dreams. He had dreams he never voiced to this day because he didn't want reality to know what he was planning.
For whenever he voiced his dreams, that very reality crushed him.
His question was loaded.
Was the universe dying?
What he meant to ask was if it was inevitable.
And the Primal Sovereign didn't answer helpfully at all.
'What may considered an end can also be a beginning…'
He thought back to those words.
So in the end, was it inevitable?
For the end to be considered a beginning the end first had to come.
Damien and everyone else worked hard to protect what they had now. Regardless of new beginnings or anything of the sort, wouldn't the end that marked it take everything from them?
The 2nd Primal Sovereign once had a dream. A dream of happily living with a family of his creation, separated from the troubles of the world.
But that dream was taken from him by an inevitable reality.
The same thing happened to Hassan.
The same thing happened to the Azure Dragon.
The same thing happened to Alaric.
At every stage of power, Damien met a figure far more powerful than him who he took as inspiration. These beings fought for their dreams until their last breaths, but reality still claimed them.
Most of them were dead, and the 2nd Primal Sovereign…
Damien sighed.
The creature's attitude was different from the rest due to the nature of his existence, but Damien wasn't optimistic about the future of their relationship.
After all, his original mission was not to just find the 2nd Primal Sovereign, but to enlist his help.
Yet, not only did the beast not mention the Fifth Primal Sovereign, Damien's original talking point, even once, but he also evaded the topic of the current situation throughout their conversation.
Damien was stumped.
'My predecessors all either gave up or died. In pursuit of their ideals, they wasted their lives.'
It was a cruel view, but the truth nonetheless.
If any of them decided to escape and live quietly, they would've survived and likely lived happily while accepting reality.
This included Hassan.
If he never used his talent, he could've lived safely after being abandoned on the Dead Star.
'I hate this line of reasoning.'
They were his thoughts, but Damien knew better than anyone.
He would never take the safe route either.
He would never give up on his ambitions because external forces said it was impossible.
Because in his mind, it wasn't impossible until he decided it was or died.
Still, the weight of reality bore down on his shoulders. It tried to crush his dreams into nothingness and push him into a path of security.
He had one.
He had the Sanctuary.
If he retired to Theavel and never returned to the Real Plane, he could live the simple and fulfilling life he suggested for the rest.
All these thoughts culminated in a single conclusion.
'Is it possible?'
Was he dreaming outside his capabilities, or should he trust his talent and determination?
Should he try to save the universe, or should he walk his own path?
'Am I strong enough?'
A question Damien never asked himself before today; he was finally forced to consider it.
And his answer?
'It doesn't matter.'
It was too late.
If he turned back now, he'd turn his back on everything he'd built until now.
He wasn't willing to do that.
The empire he'd created within his own body and the connections he'd formed by walking this path, he didn't want to give them up.
'Reality is harsh. The truth is harsh. But if I was going to let that stop me, I would have just killed myself in the dungeon.'
He had to change the way he viewed the situation.
He had to be colder.
His expression calmed. His eyes became focused.
'If it's not possible, I just have to force it.'
It took him a bit to remember.
He was no longer this version of himself.
The version of him that would re-enter Grand Heavens Boundary…
'…that version of me can do it.'
The Damien who no longer had weight dragging him down and could exert the full extent of his power, the Damien who understood the truths of the universe better than almost everybody…
That Damien could do it.
'Alright.'
It took some time to calm down, but his mind was stable now.
He almost felt like he was worrying needlessly, but his concerns were entirely valid.
Since when was it logical for a single man to carry the fate of an entire universe?
Especially when that universe had so many other talents, why did it seem like he was the only one who could make a difference?
He never felt the weight of the world because he never stopped to think about what he was carrying.
Understanding reality and establishing the dreams he wanted to influence it were both important, because after going through both of these steps, after understanding both the consequences and benefits of his actions, he could accept the responsibility he had.
It no longer mattered what other options he had, nor did it matter what he wanted to do.
'I have a role to play.'
He was special, but he wasn't that special. Even he had a place in this universe.
Therefore, unless he wanted to topple it all, he had to play that role.
Damien smirked to himself.
'I could always be the villain in situations like this, but that really goes against my identity. Acting villainous is too cringe, what with all the reminders of my dark past…'
He laughed a bit and shook his head.
The Primal Sovereign's Avatar Body was almost healed, and though Damien didn't know its situation in reality, his job was almost done.
His mind felt refreshed after that bout of introspection. The things that were shackling him from the shadows had been wholly accepted into the light.
He stood up and stretched his body.
'Shall we get to the main task then?'
He opened his mouth to speak, yet…
Whoosh!
A being materialized on the peak.
She looked between Damien and the 2nd Primal Sovereign with a smile on her face as she spoke.
"Hello! Is it my turn to enter now?"
