As Damien chose to avoid interacting with others after the incident with Atticus, the rest of the day passed smoothly.
And soon enough, the true first day of the Grand Assembly began.
The forces located within the reaches of the Divine Realm had all arrived, including those of Hidden Death Valley and even Azure Rain Star. It was estimated that the next week or two would be the prime time when most forces would arrive, which meant today was still a relatively relaxed day without many organized activities.
Aside from the training areas and other rooms connected by the corridors of Luxurion, there were three halls open to entertain newly welcomed guests. These halls could each hold over 25,000 people and became the main area for building relationships and networking.
It was a scene equal to a banquet of massive proportions, however, this naturally couldn't go on for months until the main conference.
Damien wondered just how they were going to make it worth these experts' time to stay for the entire duration of the event as he and Elena made their way to the nearest of the halls.
Originally, Damien wanted to take it easy today and let the talk about him die down a bit before showing his face again, but he quickly realized there was no point in hiding.
Unlike other times, the Grand Assembly was filled with only experts. Whether it be the young geniuses who would spread rumors to the ends of the earth or the elders who could see through the truths of the world and verify their words, both would eventually find a way to focus on him.
Especially when his disguise techniques couldn't yet fool Demigods.
'The most I can do is falsify specific parts of my being for a short amount of time like I did for the entry verification, but I'm sure it'll get better with practice.'
Damien juggled his thoughts and entertained idle conversation with Elena as the duo approached the first main hall.
Ceilings nearly a kilometer high, incredibly grand and ornate decoration, and people of such number that they formed a sea; it was exactly what Damien was expecting.
"Let's go see if anyone we know is here. If not, we'll try the other ones," he said.
Elena nodded in acknowledgement and followed him into the hall.
She was also a relatively prominent figure in certain parts of the universe, and she had her own connections, some that reached the level of the Director from Hidden Death Valley.
The two traversed the hall while ignoring the various eyes that turned to them, whether due to their appearances or reputations, until their heads both snapped in the same direction.
"Director!""Commander!"
The duo's voices interlapped, causing them to turn to each other in surprise as the two they called for also turned their heads.
"Damien?"
"Elena?"
Two old men voiced their surprise together. One was stronger and more well-built, with a physique like a bodybuilder despite his aged appearance. The other was shorter and chubbier, but his wild mane-like hair and beard as well as the fierce look in his eyes made it difficult to underestimate him.
They were none other than Alucard, the Director of Hidden Death Valley, and one of Elena's greatest mentors, Commander Huo Xuan of Eien's Divine Graveyard zone.
The two duos met each other and introduced themselves, immediately producing a jovial atmosphere around them.
"You know, I was just bragging to this old fart about the promising seed I found, and he said he had an even better one! Who would've thought we'd encounter the two of you together so soon!" The Director said with a bright smile.
Damien returned his expression and responded, "More than that, Director, I didn't know you had such a contact in Eien."
"Brat, are you worried I'll find out about what you were up to after disappearing?"
"That…"
Damien averted his gaze and greeted Commander Huo in an attempt to change the topic.
"Commander, thank you for everything you've done for Elena. If it wasn't for your help, perhaps I wouldn't have been able to see her again."
He lowered his head sincerely. There were no lies in his statement.
When Elena first arrived in Eien, she coincidentally landed in the most dangerous zone after No Return Pass, the Divine Graveyard.
This was a place where High Commanders were common and Supremes fought on the frontlines constantly to fight off the unbelievable number of powerful Nox who tried to invade through this point.
Divine Graveyard was on the opposite end of Eien from the Blood-Drenched Wilderness, accessible from Hephaestus, the Dwarven Domain. Due to this location, Divine Graveyard was one of the Nox's main focuses, as breaching it meant reaching the main operation center of Heaven's Army.
Here, a lone Elena went through terrible struggles, almost dying several times before she landed on the doorstep of a human camp, bloodied and nigh-lifeless.
Commander Huo, who led that camp, could've left Elena to die there. It wouldn't have benefited him in the slightest to take in someone as weak as her, and it would even be a waste of resources to heal her from such grievous wounds.
However, the Commander still made the decision to save her; out of nothing but the goodness of his heart.
Under this just and powerful Commander, Elena was able to steadily grow into her strength as a 4th class and gain a deeper understanding of her Laws through combat. He turned the Graveyard of Gods into a training ground for a young elite, which was exactly the thing Elena needed most at that time.
She didn't stay in his care for more than 6 months before she was sucked into a hidden realm with a severe time dilation, where she remained in solitude for almost a year training her mental strength, but his influence defined her future travels in the Divine Realm, and his name allowed her to escape many troublesome situations later on.
If there was one person who essentially guaranteed Elena's survival until she met Damien, it was Commander Huo.
The Commander looked Damien up and down, even scanning him a few times with his awareness.
And this time, unlike anything he'd done before, Damien allowed the scan to read most of his being.
"You are her husband?" Commander Huo asked, seemingly disregarding Damien's words of thanks.
"Yes, sir," Damien admitted firmly.
"Hmm…"
The Commander glanced between Elena and Damien a few times, his brows furrowing deeper every time before finally, they loosened.
"Good!"
A smile formed on his face.
"This lass, with the way she acted so cold to everyone, I thought she would be alone for the rest of her life. Now that I know it was because she had already given her heart to someone like you, how could I be any more contented?"
Commander Huo let out a boisterous laugh as he half-waddled over to Damien and patted him on the shoulder with ease that didn't match his height.
"Boy, since Alucard approves of you, there's nothing more for me to say. As for me taking care of your little wife, just think of it as sponsoring a genius. That shouldn't be too hard to accept, right?"
Damien gazed into the man's eyes. They were clear and full of light, the eyes of a true hero.
"I can't accept that." He said.
He turned his attention inward and looked through the Sanctuary a bit before nodding and pulling an object out of the air.
"Senior, please accept this gift of gratitude from me in exchange for what you've done for us."
