To be a Daughter of the Void meant more than just being Damien's spouse.
While Damien was something like an "apostle" of the Void in Grand Heavens Boundary, he wasn't yet at a level where he could contact the Void's will and control it.
The Daughter of the Void title and the seed that initiated its blooming wouldn't manifest in the bodies of every woman Damien had relations with, only those the Void approved of.
This was why the seed would only show its presence in the very final moments before death, saving the woman in question and presenting her with power.
Those who were worthy of the seed's existence were recognized by the Void itself as people with potential.
As for the identity of this potential and how it would be used for the Void's elusive agendas…
That was something that could only be discovered in the future.
Elena was undergoing a cohesive transformation far above the level of something like body reconstruction and almost approaching a race change like Damien underwent when he achieved Samsara.
However, there was no such thing as a free meal.
For the Void to give her such a profound blessing…whatever it required from her would definitely be harsh enough to balance it.
***
Creak!
The door creaked as Damien pushed it open, revealing the luxurious setting of the room within.
It was filled with the most pristine furniture and decoration, along with the top physicians of the Golden Dragon Clan who were keeping close watch on the black and white cocoon lain on the massive bed.
"Sir Teacher!"
One of the nearby physicians recognized Damien and slightly bowed his head in greeting. The others also turned and gave their short greetings before continuing their work.
Although it couldn't be compared to Elena, Damien also had a certain status within the palace. He was young, powerful, charismatic, and mysterious, making many wonder about his origins and identity.
He'd only spent a few days with the palace staff, with the rest of his time occupied with teaching Astoria before they left, but it had been enough to strike an impression, especially with the grand entrance and proceeding show he put on in front of the Emperor.
Still, he hadn't shown his face enough to warrant such high-quality treatment like Elena was receiving.
His role as a teacher wasn't very well respected at first, but now that the war was over, who would dare show Damien disrespect? Even if he couldn't do anything for the princess' growth, his own power and character were already exemplary enough!
Of course, Astoria's contributions hadn't yet spread amongst the common populace, so these people didn't know about her rapid growth, or else their reception towards Damien would've been far, far warmer.
Despite the size of the clan, they had a surprising amount of loyalty and a very familial bond that one didn't usually find amongst larger and more powerful influences.
"What's the situation?" He asked the first physician, curious about what they'd found so far.
The physician handed over a tablet filled with information for Damien to skim as he began to explain.
"It is impossible for us to penetrate this cocoon with any of our latest artifacts and technology, so we haven't been able to probe it at all. However, it has become clear through external observation that the cocoon is quite literally metamorphosizing the individual within."
He tapped a few times on the tablet, bringing up a series of research results gathered over the past 5 days.
"By our calculations, the cocoon is made up of mostly solidified Life Laws, but the main structure is supported by an unknown substance. More than being unable to investigate, our tools were directly disintegrated by this substance, so we decided to stay away from it in further experiments."
It was just a fancy way of saying they didn't know anything.
Damien glanced over at the cocoon in understanding, approaching it with the physician.
'No wonder I'd been feeling strange since I first saw it. This cocoon is supported by Void Mana.' He. thought to himself.
It was a little silly that he knew more about the situation than the professionals, but what could they do? This simply wasn't a medical or scientific problem.
Damien had personally experienced his own share of cocoons. They were very clearly the Void's favorite way to initiate an evolution where it intrinsically changed one's body into something else entirely.
'Last time I was in a cocoon, the Void cleansed my chuuni, so something good is probably happening to this person too.'
He smiled to himself as he reached out, brushing his hand against the cocoon's smooth surface. Gently, he tried to insert his mana into its surface.
Bzzt!
'Hm? Rejecting me?'
Damien's brow raised in surprise. This was the first time he'd ever seen the Void outright reject his touch, making him ever more curious about the individual inside.
'I guess whatever's happening in the cocoon is only for that person to experience. Well, it's not like it matters. Nobody will gain more advantages from the Void than me, anyway.'
As the owner of the Void Physique, Damien was definitely a bit baffled that the Void was showing its presence so easily, and even more so that it was supporting another being.
'Hmm, if it's like this, there's no point in me being here. I can only wait until they wake up to ask about it.'
Damien turned and thanked the physician who gave him the information he desired before walking towards the door and leaving the room.
However, just as he closed the door behind him…
VOOM!
A huge burst of mana violently whipped the door back open, slamming it into the unprepared Damien's body and pushing him back a few steps.
"What's happening?!"
"Everyone calm down! Watch the readings and respond accordingly!"
"Set up barriers! We don't know if this reaction is hostile!"
Damien rushed back into the room to the sound of the physicians desperately trying to adapt to the change in the situation,
The cocoon was glowing fiercely with pure white light, emanating a suffocating density of vitality into the surroundings.
'This is…Samsara?!' Damien thought with widened eyes, but soon corrected himself.
'No, there are no Death Laws involved in this, but that Life Law fluctuation alone has the same complexity as my Samsara Intent! That's amazing!'
Life was only a part of the whole in Damien's Samsara, so purely in terms of the element, Damien actually lost out in comparison to this fluctuation!
His heart raced at the connotations, and under his unbending gaze, the cocoon slowly melted and dispersed into the air.
Flash!
The light became blinding, even hindering Damien's perception before dying down.
Now, instead of a cocoon, only a single person remained on the bed.
Her eyes shot open, immediately scanning the room and assessing her surroundings before…
"…!"
Her expression morphed into astonishment as her gaze landed on a specific figure.
And that figure shared her emotion, unable to rationalize what was happening.
Damien and Elena looked into each other's eyes.
Silence filled the room.
A reunion after almost so many grueling years of loneliness…finally, it was taking place.
