The reactions across Grand Heavens Boundary were just as expected by both Damien and the Saint Emperor.
The power of a generalized opinion was immense. While people would inevitably try to uncover details and flesh out said opinion, they would always do so under the bias they hold for or against it.
The true situation with the Corrupted World Cores couldn't be revealed to the public for obvious reasons, but it was impossible to hide their disappearance.
A disappearance that even Heaven's Army could only explain away with a promise that they were in the midst of investigating, such a scene could only be considered a miracle!
Corrupted World Cores were the last visible trace of the Nox in Grand Heavens Boundary. It didn't matter if there were still traitors lurking about, the fact that they had no presence anymore was something celebrated by the masses.
A miracle…didn't someone claim they would create a miracle not too long ago?
Nobody actually thought Damien caused this phenomenon, but the coincidental timing happened to shed light on him as well.
This was a so-called "good omen."
A good omen that supported Damien, a good omen that backed his bold declarations and feelings towards the universe.
Many people began moving within minutes of the situation panning out. Both forces from the Nox and the allied forces arrived at the locations that once held those World Cores and began searching for any clue that would reveal the logic behind this illogical instance.
However, there was nothing to be found.
It was truly as if the Corrupted World Cores never existed in the first place!
***
It wasn't like nobody had an idea of what was happening. It was illogical, sure, but those who knew Damien couldn't put it past him.
Unfortunately, the man in question was nowhere to be found, so their questions could only remain unanswered.
Currently, Damien stood in the spatial distortion around the Human Domain with six purple-black masses roughly the size of dodgeballs orbiting his body.
He grinned as he watched them move.
'What an interesting trait.' He thought to himself.
[Law Controller] essentially turned World Cores into Hassan's playthings. With his toys passed to Damien, who was much more experienced in such things, a myriad of possibilities revealed themselves.
This was one of such paths.
Hassan's trait intrinsically linked him to the base functions of the world. He himself was being used as Holy Light Star's World Cores, so the similarities in their functions could be inferred.
Such control made it possible for Damien to "absorb" these celestial bodies.
In normal cases, this would have been a grand phenomenon consisting of the World Cores breaking down and flowing like rivers through the universe until they reached his body, but how could he allow that?
Using a combination of Spacetime Laws, Void Breathing, Universal Law, and the [Law Controller] trait, Damien created his second miracle.
The constructs floating around him now were a product of confining those World Cores in subdimensions and compressing them.
Now, the only thing left to do was absorb them.
'Hmm…but they feel a bit disgusting like this.'
The command Damien gave was "shatter and be reborn."
Neither of those things had happened yet.
His eyes narrowed. He pushed more mana into the subdimension holding the cores and forced his will upon them.
'It doesn't matter what you used to be, you are nothing more than my power now.'
In this case, his power was absolute.
These egoless constructs could not deny him any more than their base capabilities allowed.
Crash!
Like glass shattering, the Corrupted World Cores shattered into wriggling black shards.
Damien deployed Universal Law to meet these shards, purifying them of outside influence and returning them to their original form.
He was already familiar with the method.
The Saint Emperor left him a way to learn it on Calypto.
Time flowed strangely in the distorted space, but in the outside world, it took no more than half an hour for all six cores to return to their bright blue appearances.
The Sanctuary was no longer in dire need of population.
These were going to be used entirely for personal strength.
'Devour'
He'd never attempted something like this before.
Devouring World Cores was something he'd only dreamed about.
Who would've thought he'd receive such a great opportunity?
Streams of iridescent blue mana entered his body in waves. They changed his physical structure like he was mutating and they integrated with his mana, turning it into a greater form of energy.
Surprisingly, there was no pain.
Unlike his previous experiences, Damien currently felt like he was floating on a bed of clouds, a river of pure energy.
It carried his mind to a different plane where the mysteries of the universe were clearer than glass.
But, in all honesty, there was nothing much to say about this transformation.
Damien had been through this process dozens of times. Even though the form of energy was different, the essence of it all was the same.
It was strength. Strength closing in on the level of "absolute."
It took an entire week for Damien to internalize the mana he devoured. His mind was filled with new comprehensions and his body was itching to try them out.
His current mission was perfect for this.
What he was chasing now wasn't pure strength, but an understanding of the great truth. The strength he gained as a byproduct of this pursuit was massive, but it was not the direct effect.
The knowledge Damien gained this time was about the universe's base processes.
The strength he gained was—
'I have five years to spend thinking about power. Right now, I need a break.'
Damien stretched his body and extended his awareness.
'Not bad. The time dilation isn't that pronounced here.'
5 days passed in Grand Heavens Boundary.
'However, it looks like it's started already.'
Utter slaughter consumed Eien's borders on the day after the fated duel. At this level, it could still be considered contained, but the dam would flood into the universe soon enough.
'I should get started too. I'm afraid they'll get pushy if I wait too long.'
Damien smiled, raising his eyes as a sudden idea came to mind.
'At a time like this, wouldn't it be pretty funny to check what the system thinks?' He thought to himself in amusement.
The last time he checked, it was already goofy, but right now, he was certain the system was more confused than ever.
'Try your best to evaluate me.'
His smile widened into a grin.
The system was not an enemy, but why did he feel oddly competitive right now?
Perhaps because that entity was the only one who could read him. It was the only one who knew about his connection with the Void from the very start.
His relationship with it was stringent nowadays, but he'd never forget how it allowed him to gain a foothold in the world when he was still budding.
'I wonder if I can meet it one day…'
It was a stray thought, but one that held more value than even he realized.
Nevertheless, he delayed it no longer.
With a light of anticipation in his eyes, he allowed that word to surface in his mind.
'Status.'
