'Haa…'
Peace of mind.
The past few months completely disallowed Damien from feeling it, and though he had gone longer without a moment of peace, the pressure of the battlefield made the feeling completely different.
It was a relief to sit in a field and enjoy the day.
Peace wasn't a right, it was a privilege earned with hard work.
With the little bit of it that Damien had earned, he completely checked on Theavel and became informed on the current workings of the Original World.
Of course, the majority of his day was occupied by Xue'er, who was more than just a little annoyed by his lack of care for her.
He abandoned her in Theavel for several months or even years on end, and through that time, she'd grown almost a head taller.
That malnourished little girl Damien once knew was no more.
Every time he saw her interact with the other Theavel denizens, a warm smile unconsciously surfaced on his face.
She was a beloved princess among all the races, and a leader of the children who lived nearby.
And more than that…
'Her spirit mastery is increasing naturally. It's like she gets stronger by breathing.'
The way Xue'er interacted with spirits made it seem like she should've been born one of them. In fact, Damien had to double-check her status to make sure she wasn't a halfbreed of some sort.
But when it wasn't his own status, the system never lied. Xue'er was truly a full human.
Nevertheless, after entertaining this uselessly talented adopted sister of his, he perused Theavel's five continents and explored its cities.
A population of a few million wasn't much, but with every year that passed, that population saw a dramatic increase. At this point, there were surely over a few hundred million populating the lands at this point in time.
And this also included the survivors that'd been rescued from Calypto. They alone numbered nearly a hundred thousand.
The sights of Theavel truly affirmed Damien's will to continue how he'd been moving. His approach towards the Sanctuary was the right one.
This world was beautiful, and it was natural. It felt like the atmosphere was more complete because the world was allowed to develop on its own, rather than in his image.
'Everyone is thriving together. It's quite surreal to see this place grow.'
It wasn't just the world itself or the population that changed.
Firstly, the Storm Heavens Minor Realm acted as a perfect place for denizens to temper their bodies, and perhaps even acquire lightning affinities. It was a place that could build one's foundation so one could properly step on the path of a practitioner.
Other than that, and far more importantly, a major upheaval took place not long after Theavel's creation.
Dungeons.
The newly established World Core did its job perfectly, and Theavel transformed into a beginner world. Dungeons appeared on its surface, and beasts began to roam, created through them.
A natural ecosystem was created, and the general population finally had a way to grow and level up.
With this, the overall level of Theavel's troops saw a sharp increase. The 4th classes that were so rare to see became slightly more common, and the number of 3rd class and below soldiers grew with every year.
'With the current trajectory, it should only be a few more years before I have an elite army of my own…'
Damien smiled at the thought. Being under someone else's command truly didn't suit him, and while being a commander didn't suit him either, he didn't need to recklessly take that position.
'I'll have to start talent scouting.'
Before the army grew stable, he needed to find a strategist and a commander who could lead them to victory.
Only then would he truly become an emperor.
'The night sky looks dull.'
Damien's gaze pointed at the starless sky.
How could there be any scenery when Theavel was the only world in existence?
'A budding universe, huh…'
It was still just the start. Eventually, the entire sky would be filled with stars. Celestial bodies would span further than even an absolute being could perceive.
That was Damien's goal.
'Has it come time to leave already?'
It was truly a fun day.
The improvements to Theavel were one thing, but more than that, this was likely Damien's first time truly interacting with the common people living in his domain.
It was an odd feeling. They had no idea who he was, yet they treated him with such generosity. The society built on Theavel was completely different from that of the Real Plane.
It warmed his heart.
Damien was extremely content with the type of people and environment his world had budded.
And now that he'd seen it all…
"…STER!"
"Hm?"
Damien quirked his brow at the scream that echoed from the distance.
"…ASTERRRR!"
His face turned pale.
'Don't tell me…'
"MASTERRRRRR~!"
'She found me.'
The abundant body of a certain demon princess appeared over the hill. She was clearly out of breath and covered head to toe in sweat, but the fervent aura emanating from her body could be felt several meters away.
Damien smiled wryly. 'Well, I guess I won't regret leaving anymore.'
His body immediately vanished.
If it was to dodge the clingy obsession of a certain maid that he completely regretted taking in…
He would use any means necessary.
***
The juxtaposition between Theavel and Calypto almost convinced Damien to endure the obsessive love of a woman he'd been diligently avoiding, but this feeling was pushed down instantly.
The warmth of Theavel stayed in Theavel, but it left Damien with energy that he didn't have before. It cleared the mental fatigue that made him dread moving forward, and allowed him to focus on what needed to be done.
As he'd planned earlier, his first stop was Baek Woojin.
The duo sat across from each other in a cafe within one of the academy starships in the fleet. They were both silent, as if waiting for the other person to speak first.
That silence was eventually broken by Baek Woojin himself.
"Why did you come visit me? We are not so acquainted for you to care about my well-being."
"Sheesh, there's no reason to be so uptight is there? The battle ended already, you know."
"The war never ends."
"But the battle does."
"And that matters because…?"
"Naturally, if you don't rest your mind between battles, won't you die from carelessness one of these days?"
"I will never lose control over my mind."
"Alright, enough of this."
Damien sighed and massaged his forehead. Dealing with a prude like Baek Woojin was the hardest. Truly, nothing got through their skulls.
Damien shook his head, his eyes turning serious.
"I can heal your sister."
"You've said this before, yet you have shown no proof of your words."
"Didn't you say the previous battle would attest to my credibility?"
"…"
Baek Woojin didn't speak. Although he hadn't been there himself, he knew all about Damien's deeds. Tales of his heroics spread all throughout Heaven's Army like wildfire as soon as the situation died down.
His credibility truly couldn't be doubted.
In the hearts of countless soldiers, the purple-eyed genius was a hero.
Baek Woojin's gaze softened.
He let out a tired sigh.
"Tell me, what do I need to do?"
