Asgard had fallen deep. Damien realized this as he fell deeper into the rabbit hole that was the Outer Wilds.
Perhaps the organization was truly just at one point, and perhaps their goal was to destroy Niflheim, but that was no longer true. After generations of oppression and bitter struggle, someone at the top finally caved.
What Asgard was now was essentially a mere subordinate power to Niflheim. However, because of their immense strength, they were able to maintain a modicum of free reign.
Perhaps this free reign was what called the Cloud Plane forces over, or perhaps it was a trap from the start.
Nevertheless, after searching through and destroying hundreds of subsidiaries, Damien was finally able to learn all this.
After all, a select few of these facilities were being used for Chimera Research. Of the hundreds that he searched, no more than 10 were used as such, but even this was a considerable amount.
It made Damien hopeful. If he kept searching and looting these subsidiary companies, he might even be able to acquire clues about the Core Extraction project. This was the best piece of news he'd understood since stepping into this world.
And following the rampant excitement that surfaced with this news, Damien's assault on the subsidiary companies became fiercer and fiercer. He drew closer and closer to his goal, until finally...
"Found it." He muttered under his breath.
Damien's gaze rested on a small room no bigger than a closet. Inside there was a single holographic computer-like device, the rest of the room being filled with junk.
The owner of this room was a classic shut-in just like those from earth. But his true job was far more dangerous.
Damien sat down at the computer. His eyes shook slightly as they skimmed through the reports on the screen.
'This is...insane.'
It was the very Core Extraction research he was searching for. Damien's current location was within a transfer point where information was forced to pass through before arriving in Hub City Avalon due to the strange corrosion effect of the Outer Wilds.
As for this closet-like room and the computer within, this was where the transfer took place.
Naturally, this facility was massive. There were plenty of 3rd class guards and even some 4th classes stationed to protect the transfer point. But the transfer point they protected was a fake.
The true transfer point was the closet room, a place where none would ever suspect. Even Damien was only able to find it because he sensed the aura of a 4th class guarding the room in concealment.
But now, that 4th class was trapped in a cocoon of Void Essence. His body was slowly corroding, merging into the nothingness.
This feat wouldn't have been possible if the 4th class was at a slightly higher level, but 4th classes weren't just cabbages on the side of the street.
Raising them was incredibly difficult. And even if larger organizations like Niflheim had many 4th classes, not many of them surpassed the early stages of early 4th class, the first 50 levels.
The ones that were raised past this level were talents the organization invested heavily in. The rest would be assigned to their duties and then left alone. If they wished to grow further, they could only do so through effort.
Regardless, this disparity was the reason Damien was able to smoothly enter this place. Though, he still questioned why they didn't position a stronger guard at the transfer point.
These idle thoughts passed through Damien's head rapidly, but he didn't have any attention to spare them. His entire mind was focused on the information in front of him.
'The Core Extraction project is so simple, yet so insane. This plan is one that came directly from the Nox, unlike other projects. Even the Chimera research was merely an attempt by humans to recreate 3rd class and below Nox beings, the ones who lacked spiritual intelligence.'
There was nothing to be said about the goal behind the Core Extraction project. And even if the motive was in question, knowing it wouldn't be of any help at the moment.
Damien's focus was on the gritty details in the report that outlined progress and experiment notes. Actually, this report was extremely comprehensive and easy to understand, almost to the point that it made Damien suspicious.
But it only took until Damien reached the end of the report for his suspicion to be confirmed. Signed there was the single name of the one who wrote the report, Lynn Carter.
Damien's eyes narrowed. The way this report was written was more like Lynn attempting to explain the Core Extraction project to a layman rather than someone who'd been working on it for ages.
With how coincidental it was that Damien found Lynn's report at this moment, he suspected whether or not she planned it this way.
But for something like that, she would need an ability similar to foresight.
Damien shook his head to clear away his thoughts. Before he speculated about Lynn, he needed to confirm his suspicions first. And to do that, his body flashed away, moving in the direction of Hub City Avalon.
***
Damien's movements were brash and arrogant, perfectly mirroring his personality. There was no hesitation in his step, and his unplanned movements made it difficult for those tracking him to truly find him.
The Two Death Gods of the Outer Wilds became living legends while Damien continued his work. The forces of both Niflheim and Asgard were becoming warier and more hesitant to enter the Outer Wilds.
Damien didn't realize the kind of effects his actions had on society. Once he stopped caring about these things, he never considered them again.
Tensions between Niflheim and Asgard rose exponentially. The two organizations had already had many minor scuffles in recent days, it wouldn't be long before things evolved into a full-blown war.
The powder keg was already filled and just waiting to be lit, and the two Death Gods in the Outer Wilds served as the match.
With the arrogance of these two organizations, even if they knew that the current war was being instigated, they had no desire to stop it. This instigation was giving them probable cause.
And in fact, when another month passed by, Niflheim and Asgard began a full frontal war. 4th classes clashed above important facilities, ground troops slaughtered until no man was left standing.
According to Damien's understanding of Asgard, they'd never move so blatantly. Being half-subordinated to Niflheim, they wouldn't dare to kill off the other side's experts.
But this war clearly showed that he was mistaken in his view. The relationship between the two behemoths was far more twisted than he could've ever expected.
Unfortunately, Damien didn't receive any information about the war as he had cut off contact with the world. Even the many communication devices he had were dumped in the Sanctuary so their signals wouldn't be transmitted.
At the moment, Damien stood idly in the streets of Avalon. His mouth moved as he munched on a delectable fried meat snack and walked around.
Even if he knew of the chaos he started, he wouldn't have changed his plans. Currently, his main priority was Core Extraction.
And depending on what he found in Avalon, the trajectory of coming events would drastically change.
