Of the influences making up Heaven's Armies forces in Eien, there were a few powerful options that Damien could join for his plans.
There were two types of influences at the Edge of Existence.
The first was more traditional. These influences were tight-knit and loyal groups who stuck together regardless of the cost. The disciples of these influences tended to have a great deal of pride in their affiliations and would do anything they could for said affiliation's survival.
The second type was far more unorthodox. These influences were massive in scale, having operations spanning the entire universal road that made up the edge of existence. On such a scale, it was impossible to mimic the traditions and bonds of orthodox sects.
These influences took a more mercenary-like approach with their disciples, but maintained a base level of tradition that made it hard to classify them as mercenary organizations.
Of these, Damien would of course rather join the latter. Even if his freedom would still be restricted, he'd be able to act independently with much more ease within a looser power structure.
Considering this, along with distance and time constraints, Damien narrowed his options down to three organizations with branches nearby where he and Ximen Wuhen arrived: Iron Fortress, Hope Organization, and Sanctuary.
'I have to say, I'm a bit partial towards the last one due to the name, but I still have to figure out which one matches my ideals best before making a decision.'
As he'd learned before, regardless of their loose structure, these influences had their own doctrines. Their tendencies were partially reflected in their names, but that wasn't enough to judge them, otherwise, Damien would've long taken the "Hope Organization" off his list.
'They're all in different directions, which is inconvenient, but at least I can observe the general atmosphere of this place while I travel.'
With Eien's gargantuan size, every few hundred million kilometers signified a different domain with a different atmosphere. Since Damien entered from Soul World, he was in a section of Eien called the Blood-Drenched Wilderness.
'This area is well-known for its beast population. It's said that millions of corrupted beasts and Lesser Nox roam these lands. Hopefully, the number of Higher Nox doesn't disappoint either.'
Damien and Ximen Wuhen moved with efficiency since the latter didn't complain about spatial travel at all. Within a few minutes, they'd made it to the Hope Organization branch, the closest of the three to their location.
'Yeah, I should've just crossed it off at the beginning.'
It wasn't bad when he first walked in. The building was structured similarly to the adventurer's guild branches on Apeiron, so Damien actually had high hopes.
But…
'Show mercy to your enemies is one of their golden rules? Hah!'
This rule only applied to non-Nox and/or Nox-affiliated enemies, but Damien couldn't accept it regardless.
'Even a single act of mercy can come back to bite you later. The only reason they can enforce a policy like that is because they're supported by a High Commander.'
Damien shook his head. Of Iron Fortress and Sanctuary, neither immediately made Damien want to reject. His partiality to Sanctuary definitely came into play when he went to make a decision on where to go next, however…
Rumble!
The ground quaked.
Damien's eyes narrowed.
'It's coming from over there.'
Damien grabbed Ximen Wuhen and teleported to the source of the tremors, hiding their bodies with One With Dimension once they arrived.
'As expected, it's a battle.'
Damien spread his awareness and watched the battle in great detail. From what he could see, there was a multitude of forces present. Among them, the three, or rather, two, he was contemplating joining.
'I should stay back for now and observe them. The results of this battle can help me make my decision.'
The enemy was a Nox force consisting of many thousands of Higher Nox and an exponentially larger number of minions.
The number of 3rd class and below fighters on the battlefield was low, but the number of 4th classes made it negligible. A portion of the allied force's troops was delegated specifically to hold off the horde and barrage it with wide-range attacks.
'Interesting. The Iron Fortress members are fighting much more individualistically than the Sanctuary members. The former looks like an unorganized collection of mercenaries while the latter looks like cooperation between a few different skilled squads.'
As Damien observed, he was able to pick apart the strengths and weaknesses of both parties.
Iron Fortress was far better in terms of raw power, but their lack of cohesiveness brought their efficiency down by many points. In terms of moral character, the Sanctuary members seemed more willing to aid their allies than Iron Fortress members, though Damien didn't know whether this was a good or a bad thing.
'Even then, it becomes a deciding factor when comparing the two. It's the daddy issues driving me, isn't it.' Damien joked inwardly.
After meeting his father, he could finally accept the immense longing for family and belonging hidden deep in his heart. It always subconsciously influenced his decisions, but now that he was conscious of it, he didn't know how to feel.
'Whatever, everything is temporary anyway, but it's better to make friends. Who knows what kind of benefits I can reap from connections later on.'
Joining Celestial Star Palace allowed Damien to meet Tian Yang and somehow earn the protection of a Demigod. Even if all other examples were ignored, this alone was enough to justify Damien's desire to form bonds.
But at the same time…
'I'll have to visit their guild branch before making a concrete decision. I really hope our interests align, but if they don't…'
***
'…our interests perfectly align.'
Damien sighed and smiled wryly when he read through Sanctuary's code. Other than basic human decency-type rules, they didn't actually have many restrictions,
'A sanctuary for all, formed to create a sanctuary for all, huh.'
It was a pretty convincing slogan, especially considering that it even had the ability to reel Damien in.
He left the battlefield after observing for a few minutes and went straight to Sanctuary, expecting nothing but disappointment.
What he received was the complete opposite.
Despite the fact that they advised their members to form squads, they didn't force it. People who wanted to travel solo were also welcome, but they had to sign a different contract since their safety wasn't nearly as guaranteed.
'It's just a matter of resources. According to the contract, 40% of the resources I gather will be taken by the guild, but I'll be compensated with achievement points to use on Heaven's Army rewards. It isn't a bad trade, especially because I don't need resources for myself.'
There was no need for hesitation.
Damien and Ximen Wuhen walked to the front desk of the Sanctuary branch and immediately joined the guild, signing the mana contract that bound them to it.
"Great!" The receptionist lady said. "Now that you've become official guild members, there are a few protocols you need to remember. After you've memorized them, you can go to the mission board and pick out some quests to take."
"As stated in the contract, you will be able to move at your own discretion, however, if the guild issues a summons, participation is mandatory. Failure to comply will break the contract terms, thus crippling you through the restriction…"
