'Wow…this place is a lot more…futuristic?... than I imagined.'
Damien was currently standing at one of the entrances of the massive facility that housed the Demon Abyss.
He'd spent the past year and a half traveling through Al'Katra, and quite frankly, he was getting tired of the scenery.
After all, the planet was bleak.
The darkness where light could only be perceived through a medium of mana, the air of tragic existence that it carried, he naturally got tired of it as he spent more time here.
Other than the massive fields of Lesser Nox, he only came across five cities during his travels. Using his power to mimic the Karmic Emperor and destroy these cities was perhaps the only source of entertainment he had.
He could even sympathize with the Envoy a bit.
Nevertheless, now that he was at his destination, anticipation filled his veins.
The facility was built with an extreme geometric design of mostly angular shapes and a few spherical posts in the skies above, and overall, it looked bland.
The style was quite advanced from the Nox. It gave a vibe that let people know the purpose of the area. It wasn't for fun, and it wasn't for appeal. It existed for the sole purpose of protecting the most sacred grounds of the Nox Race.
'I've been here for a week or so, and looking at the people entering and exiting, it doesn't seem like the procedures to get in will be hard to pass.'
It was a basic iris scan and fingerprint, along with an identity check based on questions the individual themselves created, so that imposters could be blocked.
But he never saw the Envoy partake in such procedures in his memories, so he could only assume he was an exception.
'Still, I had to check to be sure. As long as they don't question me on anything about the Heavenly World, I'll be able to pass all of these tests without a problem.'
After all, Damien's disguise was perfect. He had completely mimicked the Envoy's appearance down to the finest details and even possessed all of the necessary memories.
'Haa, hesitating at a time like this…it's not like it's unwarranted, but it's so unlike me.'
Perhaps it was because his intuition was ringing bells.
He could feel it in his soul that what he found in the Demon Abyss would completely shatter his perception of the world.
'But that'll happen regardless. At some point, I have to leave the comfort of the lower universe and seek higher peaks.'
Damien understood them.
Those Demigods who decided to stay here instead of ascending, he couldn't critique them as harshly anymore,
The comfort of being at the peak, the comfort of knowing that everything was under one's control and within one's perception; it was addicting.
Even Damien, a man with endless ambition and the qualifications to achieve the impossible, was tempted by them.
But that was the extent of it.
It was just one of many temptations that begged him to become content.
He liked to entertain them, because it felt like he could gain a better understanding of his psyche by doing so, but he would never fold under their pressure.
What reason did he have to do so?
He understood reality.
Even in this moment, if he let his hesitation control him, he'd be putting the entire universe in danger.
Only strength could guarantee true peace, so he would never stop moving forward until he achieved that level where nothing could cause him fear.
He got rid of his concealment and descended to the ground.
The Envoy was an arrogant person. He wasn't someone who'd be lowkey in anything he did.
So Damien confidently walked through the facility's entrance and glanced at the Nox guarding it indifferently.
"Open the door."
The guards didn't even make a sound of protest. Rather, they stopped themselves before they could act prematurely.
Because once they saw the man who spoke, there was nothing they could do except bow their heads and allow his passage!
Damien walked through the first door without problems and encountered the second security layer.
This was where most tests would be held, but of course, he was exempted from them all.
The third gate was an interrogation area where one would be quizzed on the security questions they designed as well as questions prepared by the staff themselves, a double layer of protection.
Damien got out of this with a single glare and finally made it into the facility's main body.
The halls were pristinely white, strange for the Nox, especially considering that there were no white materials on Al'Katra, and there were connecting hallways everywhere.
The materials were definitely stolen from the universe, a fact that put a sour taste in his mouth.
'If it wasn't for the Envoy's memories, I would've gotten lost immediately. Once again, I have to give him some thanks.'
Damien went through a series of twists and turns through an unnecessarily complicated path towards the Demon Abyss.
'It's surprising. The rest of the world doesn't have any protection against outside forces, but even if one went directly to the Demon Abyss through the easiest routes, one wouldn't be able to get to it.'
There were three specified paths per entrance that would truly lead to the Demon Abyss, and each of them forced one to move away from it before moving back in its direction.
If one didn't know the right route, one would walk directly into a trap that would kill them without giving them a chance to retaliate.
'Rather than outsiders, I guess this is protection against other Nox.'
After all, the Demon Abyss was that kind of place.
Damien didn't know what would happen if the Nox came in contact with their force of origin, but it had to be a serious matter if it required this much defense to prevent.
Nevertheless, Damien continued forward for several minutes and passed several Nox beings dressed as scientists, researchers, and guards, all of whom stopped in their tracks and bowed respectfully until he passed.
Until finally, he could see the final door leading to the goal.
'This place…I need to input the code precisely if I want to get in. One slight mistake will expose me.'
Every individual who had access to the Demon Abyss had their own code to open the gate, and this code would change constantly.
Luckily, the changes happened every 5 years, as 5 Abyss years were nothing, and the code in Damien's mind was still valid.
'Phew…it's so easy it makes me more worried, but this is only regular considering my current identity. Calm down, focus, and go. That's all I need to tell myself.
His heart was beating rapidly and his emotions were at an all-time high. This was it.
Behind the large mechanical door in front of him was the goal.
'Alright.'
He steeled his mind and calmed his heart. With steady hands, he moved to start inputting the code.
However, at that moment…
Pshhhhhh!
Steam rolled out over the floor as the 3-meter-thick door whirred to life and receded into the ceiling.
Damien turned his eyes to it in surprise as he watched a group of people walk out into his corridor.
His heart skipped, but he couldn't show it on his face.
'No way a coincidence like this exists…'
Out of all entrances to the Demon Abyss, 16 precisely…
Why did the Saint Emperor have to show up at this one?!
