Void Evolution System
chapter-1806

It was a bit different. Humans somehow managed to accomplish an impossible feat through their existence.

They were not the strongest, nor were they the fastest. They didn't have the highest potential for survival, and they didn't reproduce as fast as some other species.

When viewed objectively from the perspective of someone who believed they were above humanity, the race didn't have anything to offer.

However, that was only from a jaded and arrogant perspective.

It was exactly because humans weren't the best at anything that they were forced to innovate and find ways to survive.

Humanity had an unbelievable instinct to adapt and problem-solve. Even when dragons and other races threatened to wipe humanity out of existence, the human race always became the dominant race of any realm.

Grand Heavens Boundary was split into nine sectors. Those nine sectors had dominant races of their own and other races only appeared in smaller numbers.

However, the Human Domain was always most feared.

They produced the most heroes, and time and time again, they were the ones to solve the universe's crises.

Humanity was a threat that couldn't be explained. It was as if the Void itself was supporting them and allowing them to prosper, but in reality, they did so through nothing but their own efforts and ambitions.

Dragons, on the other hand, were common because of their Myth.

The mythology of the dragon race was just too far-reaching. Every culture had its own form of dragonkind that was either worshipped or treated as an absolute evil.

These dragons propagated all societies across all cosmos whether the race existed in those places or not.

And because of how prominent their Myth became, spanning the infinite realities, they were forcefully implanted into each and every existing cosmos.

They did so not by their own strength, but through the beliefs of others.

It was a bit strange as such a case was rarely seen. Even when Myths became large enough, those species who they pertained to were never able to spread through the entire Void.

For instance, Phoenixes were just as popular as dragons and spanned almost as many cosmos.

However, even as close as the Sacred Abyss, one could see an example of a cosmos with dragons and no phoenixes.

The dragon summoned for Damien to fight was from a distant cosmos that he had no knowledge of, but dragons were especially easy for him to defeat.

After all, they were the same no matter where they came from.

And, if it came to tiers of dragonkind, Damien was at the very top.

His blood which once was enough to call him a dragon still had the effects of those days.

He never lost his draconic breath. And, the suppression he released onto lower draconic beings never faded.

It came from his body and blood directly, so even this realm could not suppress it or remove it from existence.

It wasn't even a fight.

In an evenly matched scenario, Damien might've had serious trouble with this enemy. It was meant to only be attempted by people who were worthy of being gold badge holders. Damien was able to defeat Kura, but what about a gold badge holder who played offensively?

He wouldn't be able to use the same strategies, which meant that the likelihood of failure was far higher.

Unfortunately for those who prayed for his misfortune, Damien didn't plan on dying in this realm.

Anything that ruined the perfect Nonexistence he'd been creating was forbidden, including death and the loss of anything he'd achieved.

The second he saw that dragon, he released his aura and suppressed it.

The dragon kneeled before him, refusing to stand up.

As he stared into its eyes and it felt his killing intent, it was overcome by fear.

The form of a gargantuan beast of black scales was seared into its mind.

And, as if to appease him, it raised its claw and dug out its own heart.

That was a scene that Damien's observers could not forget. "Amazing!"

The black-haired man appeared on the floor right after the dragon killed itself.

"I have never seen such a performance! Brother, are you perhaps a dragon?" Damien shrugged, acknowledging the powerful impression the man gave.

"Not necessarily, but it's wrong to say I don't have any connections to their race."

"Hahaha! Even better!"

The man seemed particularly excited about Damien.

In a peaceful situation, was there a need to be so overjoyed at a powerful challenger?

The answer to that question wasn't nearby. For now, all Damien could do was follow the black-haired man who took him out of the trial room and into an elevator that moved them to a higher-floor meeting room.

"I know it's a bit late, but allow me to introduce myself. I am Karlen Teres. I serve the Temple Master as his Right Hand."

Damien raised his brows in slight surprise. The Earth Temple's master had a Right and Left Hand that controlled a majority of the organization's operations. They were the most important people in the temple aside from the man who ruled it, so it was a surprise to see one of them in front of him the moment he arrived.

"For what reason has someone as esteemed as the Earth Temple's Right Hand come to see me?" Damien asked probingly.

"In a land like this one, can there be any other reason?" Karlen said with a smile.

"I am curious about you, and, of course, there is something I wish to ask of you." "You move fast."

"I like to get to the point when I'm talking to smart people."

Karlen leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and wrapped his fingers together in front of his face.

"Clearing the fiftieth level of the trial may not mean anything to you as you are new here, but that kind of power has never been showcased by a newcomer on this island. Your existence is far more significant than you think."

Naturally, even in a place like this, defeating a dragon was quite a feat.

No, when it was a place like this, it was even more significant than if the same achievement was made anywhere else. That dragon was specifically created to stop newcomers and show them that their power could not compare to the true powerhouses of the island.

That was why there was such a drastic difference between the 49th and 50th monsters.

Not that Damien felt it, since he took the dragon down without any effort.

"You must be aware that you have done more than enough to join our temple. You have also taken every possible reward that we give through the administration trial, so there likely isn't much else that you would want. However, I still want to make you this offer," Karlen continued.

"And that offer is…?"

"Participate in the Grand Competition that is coming soon."

'So it was a tournament arc.'

That was enough for Damien to immediately refuse. He was too old to be doing tournament arcs, for crying out loud!

Nevertheless, before he could speak out, Karlen cut him off.

"There is a grand tournament that will be held between the three temples soon. If you are able to perform well, not only will you bolster our temple's reputation, but you will also be able to rapidly progress through the ranks and challenge an Area Lord."

'That's true.' Damien thought to himself.

If there was one good thing about a tournament, it was that the revolving door of opponents would help him complete this island's challenge at a much faster pace than anything else.

If there was one good thing about a tournament, it was that the revolving door of opponents would help him complete this island's challenge at a much faster pace than anything else.

"If you can take the top spot in the competition, I am willing to reward you with anything in my power."

Karlen's tone was no joke.

But, listening to his earnest request, Damien's mind returned to the same question he had been asking himself previously.

On an island where peace was the main theme, was such desperation necessary?

There must have been a hidden story somewhere. And, though he really just wanted to progress through things as fast as possible…

'...I have a sinking feeling that I'm going to get involved in some really annoying stuff.'