6 months Damien spent in Iris' soul space.
It wasn't 6 months spent exclusively on "physical" relations. It could be considered time spent to deepen their bond now that their feelings were clear.
But Damien couldn't spend all his time here, nor could Iris be distracted by him forever.
After all, her soul was still healing. She needed to focus on supporting its growth if she wanted to truly harness its potential when she returned to the real plane.
Iris' soul went through a qualitative change. Though it was the same soul, its form was so different that, to Iris, it felt like a completely new soul had been housed in her body.
It held power she had yet to comprehend, and her already monstrous talent would soon become absolutely incomprehensible.
To acclimate to it, she would need a year or two at the very least.
Damien opened his eyes in the real plane and smiled.
The past half year was great. It was satisfying, peaceful, and fulfilling, a break he'd desperately needed for over a decade now.
He felt refreshed, but now that he was back here, feeling the air of the Ancient Battlefield on his skin…
'...I'm angry.'
He was extremely furious.
To think the Nox dared to target him and the ones he loved.
It wasn't strange from them. Obviously they would've done it at some point. However, the fact that it had such a great impact brought him back to reality.
'I got too content with my growth. I was okay knowing I could kill most of the people here, but that isn't enough.'
His real enemies were still too strong. His real enemies could still slap him to death even with all his growth.
"Can you watch over her for me?" He asked into the air.
"There will be no problem."
A voice responded.
It was the Ancient Sovereign, who had been protecting them thus far.
He would still need to. The wrath of the Heavens didn't lessen in the time that passed. News of the strange phenomena encompassing this area had already spread throughout the Ancient Battlefield, but the Ancient Sovereign's presence kept all prying eyes away.
Even the Nox Emperors couldn't stand up to him, so why would anyone else try?
'It would be nice if I could bring him into the battle, but that's impossible.'
The Ancient Sovereign would never interfere in worldly affairs without a good reason. And as a person without connections to the mortal world, finding a reason to move him was nigh impossible.
Damien had to do the work himself.
'Though, I prefer it this way.'
The solution to all problems was strength.
Damien looked at Iris lovingly. He pulled several items out of his subspace and created a beautiful living space for her, including a bed, a blanket, and a temperature regulation system created through arrays, to give her body a comfortable environment while her soul healed.
Once she was settled in, she truly was a sleeping beauty. She had a kind of radiance that was hard to resist.
'Well, to me, they're all like that.'
Wasn't that why he worked so hard to protect them?
Their radiance was what made him whole.
'But if I want to make sure they stay safe, this isn't enough.'
He didn't have anything to worry about now that he had the Ancient Sovereign's promise. Orion would likely also come here to help protect Iris' body while she healed.
So…
'I need to ascend.'
Damien clenched his fist.
Iris wasn't the only one who gained from their consummation.
He got something he never expected to see so early.
'Assemble.'
He flicked his finger and sent mana into the air.
With his precise command, it changed shape and transmuted into multiple physical constructs, which were then put together before a final product dropped into his hand.
'It's been a while since I saw one of these.'
Damien grinned.
He was currently holding an earthen hot weapon, a true firearm that didn't have any connection to mana and was purely powered by force and heat.
And it was formed through his own power.
The power of Creation.
'Wow.'
Damien threw the gun away and let it disperse into mana again.
This phenomenon hadn't happened many times before. He didn't gain Yin from Ruyue or Illusion from Rose.
He couldn't quite explain why he could only gain affinities and the likes on certain occasions, but if he had to rationalize it, it was likely due to his position.
When he was close to the element, or when it was the rational next step in his progression, he'd gain it. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to form a connection with it during the "act."
But that was beside the point. He truly didn't care about the "how" or "why." Since he had it, he would use it to its full potential.
And with Creation, this was especially the case. Now that this force was under his control, he could feel it.
He was just a single step away from Divinity.
If he wanted to end this battle, if he wanted to get revenge, and if he wanted to accomplish his goals, he had to ascend to Divinity as soon as possible.
The only answer was battle.
Damien set out immediately after giving Iris one last look.
'Before she comes back, I'll also be at that level.'
He had at least two years and at most five. It was more than enough time.
Damien's advent on the battlefield this time wasn't going to be like last time.
He was going back to his roots. He was going to become the warmonger he was in the past, a slaughterer on the battlefield.
And he was extremely excited for that.
He was eagerly anticipating the expressions of those in this place when they realized his existence.
***
Of course, Damien and Iris weren't the only ones on the Ancient Battlefield. While they were moving outside the bounds of the true war, it progressed without them.
The current number of combatants had gone down severely.
There were roughly 5000 Nox Demigods remaining, while the Grand Heavens Boundary forces were reduced to roughly 3000.
It wasn't a great ratio, however, it was far better than it was at the start.
Most traitors had been killed, and while the remaining Lords were all powerhouses, all the remaining allied Demigods were as well.
The battlefield had shrunk considerably. The massive space was now much, much smaller, but it was still expansive enough for one to spend several days traveling without meeting another living being.
Nevertheless, the situation was no longer stale.
The bases that existed at the start of the war were far past the boundary now, so all participants were forced to either fight or hide in caves.
It reached a point where the climax was approaching.
It was almost time for the central area to become the main battlefield.
When that happened, there would be no running or hiding. The remaining forces would have no choice but to fight until only one side remained.
Nevertheless, that was a story for the future.
As of now, a year passed since Damien set out on the battlefield.
And rumors about his existence began to spread.
Just as he declared before leaving, he was going to make an impact that couldn't be ignored.
He was going to strike fear into the Nox's hearts.
And he was going to become the bane of their existence.
It was that simple.
