A day went by after the Overlord battle in the arena.
During this time, Damien had to deal with a great deal of troublesome matters. The fame he acquired from the battle wasn't light, but many believed it was undeserved.
Still, he was able to refuse a majority of the duel requests that came his way. After all, his Heaven's List ranking skyrocketed into the top 20 after he defeated Leon.
Though their battle wasn't ranked, his feat was still recognized by the academy, and his ranking was manually adjusted to match it.
Aside from this, Damien also had to deal with his new standing.
The announcer's question at the end of the battle…
Naturally, he answered by becoming an Emperor. Why would he willingly put himself below those Holy Land geniuses?
If they were truly a bunch of pretentious brats who rigged the King Bracket to preserve the "sanctity" of the Emperor Bracket, he would thoroughly destroy them one by one and humble them.
Though, this was a matter for another time.
After acclimating himself to the various benefits he gained from becoming an Emperor, Damien went straight to his Star City residence and submerged himself in planning.
There were only a few hours left until he left Hidden Death Valley, after all.
'Zara agreed immediately when I mentioned the warfront…the academy must be suffocating for her.'
There were practitioners of all races on Death Emperor Star, including those from the Beast Races, but Zara never fit in with them.
Beasts who reached 4th class tended to embrace civilization, becoming no different from humans when they didn't utilize their beast forms.
But Zara wasn't like that.
Even though she maintained more human mannerisms and a civilized lifestyle, she never shunned her bestial heritage. Zara's nature was carnage, and in an environment like Hidden Death Valley where killing was disallowed, she was forced to suppress this nature.
The battlefield was her home.
'I guess we aren't much different in that aspect.' Damien thought with a wry smile. Though he enjoyed the comforts of Hidden Death Valley far more than Zara, he also clearly felt its restrictions.
With his new status especially, his presence became more defined. It felt like there were eyes on him at all times.
As someone who was used to moving uninhibited, this naturally didn't sit well with Damien.
'I didn't come here for Hidden Death Valley, I came for Death Emperor Star. Unfortunately, time isn't on my side. If I want to explore more of this mysterious and deadly world, I'll first need to amass more power and enhance my comprehension. Going to the battlefield is actually the perfect path for me to take if I want to boost my growth.'
Practical combat was just as important for digesting comprehension as it was for consolidating strength. Using an ability over and over again would ingrain it into one's mind and make using it almost instinctual. In the same way, the more one exercised their comprehension practically, the further it would deepen.
Damien smiled in anticipation. In 4 more hours, he'd finally get to experience the battlefield he'd been hearing about ever since he was a young genius on Apeiron.
He closed his eyes and didn't think further.
For now, he needed to rest his mind and achieve peak condition before his time came.
***
4 hours was nothing. As Damien's strength grew, his perception of time changed as well. Days felt incredibly short, and months felt like they'd pass in a flash.
He tended to live on a day-by-day schedule, never giving himself a moment of rest. This was the only way he could stay grounded.
Because before he exited training to visit the duel arena, he didn't even realize a month and some had passed since he began his regimen.
This was dangerous.
He had places to be, things to do, and a plethora of responsibilities on his plate. If he ever got too immersed in a task and faded into his natural perception of time, his perception of those responsibilities would also begin to fade.
He wanted to see Rose and Ruyue, he wanted to see Elena again now that he'd grown and rekindle their love. He didn't want to become a monster who disregarded these emotional matters as he became absorbed in training and time.
Currently, Damien stood in the central area of Hidden Death Valley, directly under the trench from which he first entered the academy. Zara stood next to him with a look of wonder on her face.
"Is it really that cool?" Damien asked with a smile.
Zara looked over at him with a frown. "How could it not be? Just look at it!"
Damien shrugged. He could understand where her marvel came from. After all, they were currently standing underneath a wonder of technology unlike anything they'd seen before.
It was a starship spanning countless tens of kilometers. It was shaped somewhat similarly to an aircraft carrier, but its design was much smoother. As it was built to withstand the chaotic starry sky, most of its facilities were located inside the ship instead of on its surface. Though, there was indeed a deck since 4th class beings could survive in the starry sky by using their mana as protection.
Its hull held a silver sheen from the beautiful metal that created it, and blue lines of mana snaked across its surface as it floated in the air. It was so stupidly futuristic that even Damien was somewhat surprised by its appearance.
Still, he could never be truly excited by starships. As someone who possessed transportation abilities far outstripping these devices, he could never appreciate the convenience that their invention brought to the masses.
But, he could definitely appreciate their weaponry.
Although the starship was floating, its isolation barrier wasn't active, allowing Damien's awareness to penetrate its surface. He could clearly see the various armaments lining the ship's interior.
As the two stood, their surroundings were slowly filled with people. Damien was given a special mission, sure, but this expedition didn't involve him alone.
A force of 5,000 students ranked from the 100s to the 10,000s on Heaven's List was also enlisted in this mission. These students had been through the Hell Hole's brutal training, and expeditions like this one were used by the academy to test their growth.
When all 5,000 finally arrived, the starship descended and gracefully landed on the ground.
A small portion of the ship's side slid apart and revealed its interior. From there, a massive and gruff man exited.
"Soldiers, board the ship!"
His words were succinct and without emotion. He was a commander in front of his troops, and he expected nothing from them other than his orders followed.
And just as he expected, the 5,000 geniuses immediately got into formation and boarded the starship in an orderly fashion.
Damien and Zara stood at the end of their line.
Boarding that starship would signal the start of another monumental chapter of their lives, their first introduction to war.
Damien couldn't tell whether he was excited or nervous, but he truly felt jittery now that the moment was upon him.
But…
He wasn't a coward. He refused to be one.
Even in front of this massive change, he refused to show fear.
He stepped forward.
And along with the rest of those accompanying him to Calypto, he confidently boarded the starship.
