The people of the lower universe had a skewed perception of the Heavenly World.
Because it was a plane outside their understanding, they exaggerated it massively and used it as a scapegoat to cover their cowardice.
Therefore, to lower universe existences, the Heavenly World was a terrifying place where one could die at any moment despite the power they accumulated before going there.
They allowed fear to control them and keep them away from this beautiful place.
But, at the same time, they weren't wrong.
The Heavenly World had a LOT of Divinities.
There were so many Gods they couldn't be counted, and for those below their level, even trying was impossible due to the scarcity at which they appeared in the public eye.
As for Demigods, the numbers were practically the same as 4th-class existences in the lower universe.
They were a plenty, and they were so varied that Demigods should've had their own power system to define them.
No two low-rank Demigods would have the same power, and no Demigod could be judged until their Divinity was revealed to the world.
Also, it was a very long journey to make it from a Demigod to True Godhood. It was more taxing than becoming a higher existence from a lower existence, and even the greatest geniuses took at least ten thousand years to make the journey.
Still, they needed to reach Divinity from somewhere.
The only reason there could be so many Divinities was because the number of lower existences was even more plentiful.
So even if one ascended and became average or less than average amidst the crowd, as long as one was able to put down their pride and slowly acclimate to the world, it was entirely possible to regain that past position without much danger.
The problem was arrogance. After being of high status for a long period of time, nobody wanted to return to commonness and become irrelevant. Nobody wanted to be treated normally, because even Demigods weren't held on high pedestals in this world unless they truly earned their title.
Lower universe Divinities who ascended, aptly named Ascenders by the Heavenly World denizens, needed to learn how to adapt.
That was really the only thing holding them back.
Because while they were unaware of this truth, they had talent that stood out even in the Heavenly World.
The act of reaching Divinity and ascending from the lower universe was enough proof of that.
Putting aside the difficult conditions one had to endure to reach that point, ascending itself was a sort of cleansing process that would transform one's body and soul and bring out their full potential.
Only Damien didn't experience this since he technically "descended" from the Void rather than "ascending" from the lower universe.
But, that was beside the point.
Three days had passed since Damien passed the test and joined the expedition party for the Vanishing Dunes.
And the time to depart had arrived.
***
A strange rumor began to spread through Asteron.
As the expedition party made their way out of the city, they couldn't help but overhear the countless rumors that appeared over the past few days, talking about how any and every young Demigod in the city had been beaten down by a single person.
The craziest part? That person's identity was still unknown. Even those who watched the fights firsthand couldn't remember anything about their identity, whether it be gender or appearance.
The rumor definitely gained a lot of traction, but by the time people started to really speculate about that person's identity, the expedition party was long gone.
And the person they were speculating about as well!
Damien stood in the midst of the crowd without doing anything too special.
The conditions of the Heavenly World made Demigods more similar to mortals than they ever could be in the lower universe. There also weren't restrictions on their power usage, so they had both more freedoms and more consequences to deal with.
The expedition party needed to take a break every few days or weeks to rest, and there were people specifically designated to take care of food and accommodations for them as they traveled.
It took two weeks for them to reach the cusp of the desert with their speed, even though they all had the power to reach it in just a few days.
Nevertheless, Damien was trying to stay a part of the group, so while he didn't really speak to the rest, he didn't try to stand out and make a name for himself either.
He wanted to see how these people cooperated and moved.
When they entered the desert, things became more serious.
Beasts started attacking, and the expedition party took shifts fighting and defending as they continued to move.
It was interesting seeing Divinities move like normal people. Damien was so used to seeing them on pedestals, raised above the masses, that when it came to this, he felt it was a bit bland.
There were definitely positives. The Norn Family made sure the expedition party remained united for the most part. With their leadership, the cooperation led to progress lower existences couldn't have imagined.
Their power also wasn't small. The beasts that attacked them weren't all lower existences. There were plenty of Demigod beasts that had developed sentience who attacked their party for various reasons, and seeing how they were subdued definitely gave Damien a lot of knowledge about Divinity itself.
However, his main takeaway was different.
'This is suffocating.'
Damien was never really a team player.
There were times when he worked with others, and if they could form a good relationship, the partnership ended up as a net benefit.
But Damien never preferred this kind of cooperation.
He got the feeling that, if he moved alone, he would've already been at the Vanishing Dunes looking for the Norn Clan's 2nd Young Master.
Besides, his strength was definitely enough for him to stand on his own properly.
'Is there a problem with moving alone?'
Around the time the first month passed, he began to consider it.
He decided to be part of the expedition party because he was still new to this world. He didn't want his arrogance to control him and get him into another situation where he stared death in the eye. But if he had to be honest, he was bored.
These people couldn't benefit him at all, and he didn't see any proper chances to form relationships with them that would be beneficial.
He just didn't click with their personalities, nor did he feel the need to stay by them.
It was a bit difficult to find reasons to stay in the party, and when he realized that, he decided to be bold.
'Nobody will notice if I slip away, so I should just go.'
The Vanishing Dunes were why he came, and saving the 2nd Young Master wasn't something he needed help with once he got there.
Damien was an adult now. He didn't really feel the need to have people around him at every waking moment to feel secure.
He was tired of all the networking, and he'd prefer if he only did it when it was necessary.
Therefore, he started looking for an opportunity to vanish.
And soon enough, that opportunity came on its own.
