Damien had been thinking about the Sanctuary for a while, but he hadn't actually visited it in several years.
Even he was underestimating its current state.
Hustle and bustle filled the budding universe.
After the first 300,000 worlds were added, Lynn had a mountain of work on her shoulders, but she took care of it as she said she would.
With Avalon as her base of operations, she managed logistics for the entire sector-sized universe without a hitch.
Well, after a period of turmoil.
It wasn't easy to get people to accept their new accommodations.
Even if their worlds moved here willingly, they were separated into a new place with no knowledge of where they were or what kind of person ruled them.
Naturally, not many could accept this easily.
In the beginning, there was a lot of rebellion. The leaders of those worlds who considered themselves strong refused to subordinate themselves to a new lord.
However, this period didn't last more than a few months.
Elvira and the rest of the Emperors, along with the army they raised, were a force to be reckoned with.
As the administrators of this realm, these leaders had power that others couldn't imagine.
After showcasing it just a bit, they were able to control the majority of the population through fear.
But of course, this strategy didn't work in the long term.
Damien had no interest in building a universe that was filled with internal conflict, a place that raised villains like Immortal Blood Asura.
Perhaps he wouldn't interfere in the direction of their growth, but that was only if it remained positive.
He wouldn't allow these people to ruin the universe he worked so hard to build.
Lynn, as his proxy, understood this well.
Therefore, once the larger problems were quelled, she started instating laws and other means to establish order.
In its simplest form, it was a system of rewards and consequences, but the types of rewards and consequences she offered were so enticing or terrifying that people couldn't help but follow.
It was the start of an era of change.
The fear built up at the start gradually diminished, and as the systems in place for the management of worlds became more refined, the overall satisfaction of the new Sanctuarians only grew.
And then the war started in full.
When the World Cores from the Giant Domain arrived, they were just shells. Their people had gone extinct long ago, and they'd come in hopes of starting over.
The sight of tens of thousands of uninhabited worlds, desolate and empty, was jarring.
And that was only the start.
When those from the Beast Domain joined, and those from the Soul World came later, people began to realize the gift they'd been granted in this place.
When they encountered survivors of the tragedies that struck those sectors and learned of the situation outside, their thoughts on the Sanctuary completely changed for the better.
Because, as its name suggested, this was a haven.
A place of peace.
And none could ruin that peace.
The unity they shared heightened immensely, and Lynn's position became nigh-god-like.
After all, she was both the creator and keeper of peace.
However, she made it clear what her role was.
To the people of the Sanctuary, she was not a God, but a God's apostle.
They had never met the God who created this place. In their minds, he was just a hazy figure, nothing more than an overarching presence that could be felt but not seen.
But Lynn was here.
Nevertheless, dealing with survivors of the catastrophes of the outside world was difficult enough. Lynn couldn't handle it all alone.
She and Elvira formed a perfect team. Their synergy allowed Lynn to focus on the Sanctuary's internal matters while Elvira coordinated their external movements.
Together, they turned this place into a prosperous land unlike any other.
And with its population came many more benefits.
Hidden realms and dimensions started to form in the Sanctuary, which provided growth opportunities to the younger generation.
Along with them, the variety of resources present on the Wild Continent were used to populate manmade Mystic Realms that housed the legacies of old emperors and other great treasures.
It was all coming together.
When viewed from the current position in the timeline, the Sanctuary was already its own self-sustaining universe.
"Even if we do nothing and he stops helping, this place will grow on its own."
The one who spoke was none other than Elvira.
She and Lynn just finished another meeting about miscellaneous duties in the universe, and were currently gazing out into its depths mindlessly.
It was truly incomprehensible when one stopped to think about it, and as people who'd been here for so long, they didn't do so often.
But it really was a universe of its own.
A universe created by a single man.
"Do you think the outside world was created like this?" She asked in wonder.
It was stupid, but she couldn't help but entertain the thought.
"If it was, would it be in its current predicament?"
Lynn's answer followed logic as she always had.
"I guess not, but…"
"Haa…"
Elvira stopped herself.
Just thinking about the outside situation was tiring. It was a miracle that they hadn't incurred too many losses until now.
"No, it is not a miracle. This is the benefit of being associated with an Apostle."
Lynn spoke as if she could read her thoughts.
"He is definitely miraculous, but not to this extent, right? No matter what, he is still a human."
"Human…?" Lynn muttered.
"I wonder about that."
Could a person born from the love of two great Gods be considered human even if that was his lineage?
It was hard to say.
"Plus, this is not his own effect, but the effect of the one backing him. It is mystical. To think 'that thing' could hold emotions. I can't even fathom it."
The Void was a concept Lynn didn't know much about, but she understood its actions based on the past.
It had never shown such movements before.
To provide Damien with so much luck that it directly helped those around him, to help him maintain and build a force like this one…
Just what did the Void want from him?
It was troubling to think about what the future had in store for them.
Perhaps, the Nox were just an appetizer to let them understand the cruelty of reality within the little bubble he'd created for them.
"Say, when do you think he will come back?"
Lynn glanced over at Elvira.
A slight smile formed on her lips.
This woman…
'Never mind. It's better not to say anything.'
"It won't be long. It's already been this long, so…"
"...with less than a month left of imprisonment, do you think he won't come here to understand what happened while he was gone?"
"Mm…"
Elvira nodded with a complicated expression on her face.
She hesitated to speak.
She wanted to say something, but at the same time, she didn't want it to be said.
But in the end…
"I…"
"Hm? What's going on here? You guys having a meeting without me?"
The two women's senses immediately went on alert as they finally sensed the presence that had been behind them for who knows how long.
They almost went into battle mode, but that voice…
They turned around with shock on their faces.
"I'm getting a little jealous."
A man stood behind them with a wide grin.
What kind of timing was this?!
Just the devil, he finally appeared when they called his name.
Damien Void had returned to the Sanctuary.
