Void Evolution System

It was definitely a beautiful structure. Just…nobody could say what it actually was.

It was biological. Two large leaves rose high into the sky and wrapped around the tree. The intricate details of their structure could be seen clearly as the black sun shined through. The small veins that lined them seemed to pulse like they were alive.

The tree itself was also raised far out of the ground. There was a hill where there used to only be flat ground, on which even the roots of the tree could be seen from a distance as it was so far above the rest of the forest.

That hill was where the rest of Damien's creation resided. It contained almost no black dirt. The tree's roots sunk into the structure itself, as if it was mounting itself on top.

In this state, the hill seemed to be adorned by some sort of mechanical masterpiece. It was split into several sections, each made of a complementary material that didn't exist in this realm. There were small spaces between each of them that contained bone-like structures that held them together.

The massive leaf wing structures were directly linked to the hill. Clearly, they were also involved in whatever mechanism the entire structure was meant to be.

The only thing that set it aside from the environment was its clearly man-made nature.

It was not an abode. It was not a sculpture. It didn't have any noticeable purpose. If anyone looked at it, while they would surely appreciate its strange beauty and the way it melded into the environment, they would still call the artist himself insane.

What was the purpose of something like this?

There were sounds of gears turning, of processes being undertaken below the ground level.

Through the gaps in the segment, it was possible to see just a slight piece of the inner workings, which were complex enough to confuse even experienced engineers.

Damien sat on the hill that was lightly dusted with black dirt to help the beasts become familiar with it and patted its surface.

"You'll be in charge of this place when I leave."

He didn't get a response, but the slight vibration in the hill was enough.

He knew the being he created could hear him.

"Protect the beings who live here. Protect the legacy of this sacred place. And, protect my name."

Rumble!

If one could see below the dirt, one would finally be able to see the nature of Damien's creation.

Its entire body seemed to be made of mossy rocks. Its shell, which the great tree resided on, was segmented and filled with different colored minerals, but in the light they all seemed to reflect and refract to form a specific pattern, one that would become familiar as time passed in this realm. Four massive legs dug deep into the earth. They were at least several hundreds of feet long, supporting the massive body of the being that was even larger and wider.

It was essentially a giant, mechanical, walking turtle. The leaves cocooning the tree were obviously not to help it fly, but to be used to attack invaders and defend the tree.

There were several other attack mechanisms embedded in its structure. Each different material used on its shell contained different abilities, all of them based on Nonexistence.

Damien created a being that would be invincible in this place.

And, on the off chance that something terrible happened to Death's Hold, it could stand up and take the entire forest away on its back, protecting its legacy and inhabitants.

This was an absolute mechanism to ensure that the sanctity of the forest would never be destroyed in the future. At the same time, it left a massive mark of Damien's presence on the land.

In the event that it was forced to move after he left, then the amount of meaning it would give the only crest that identified the creator was also monstrous.

It was a being that met all of Damien's criteria.

Because of that, it was not easy to build in the slightest.

The entire landscape had to change. Damien was forced to learn a great deal about manipulating Nonexistence and the land itself.

Over the past two years, he gained more than enough experience to be confident moving on to the next island.

The connection he'd formed with Death's Hold was enough. He wanted to start interacting with more experts who were actually worth something, but the second island wasn't the place for that.

He could wait to start getting friendly with his fellow Nonexistence users until they became rational people worth maintaining contact with.

On the second island, they were either absorbed in work, absorbed in depression, or absorbed in malice.

Really, was there a point in staying for longer?

Even the enemies he expected to face became a nonissue with the forest's aid. 'It was a good time.'

Regardless, just like the first island, the second island taught him something that made him far more familiar with the concept.

As he felt the pull of the next island calling to him, he looked at the forest one last time and smiled.

'This is my doing.'

The current appearance of the forest, grand and domineering, was entirely his doing.

He couldn't help but be proud of his accomplishments.

With that pride leading the way, Damien approached the shore of the second island and took a step.

The concept of distance once again disappeared.

On this occasion, the next island didn't easily approach. It scanned him and deemed him worthy of crossing before it allowed him to make the trek onto its surface.

He had the proper qualifications. In a sense, he'd outdone the people who built even the most intricate castles.

After all, the mechanical components inside of the turtle giant's shell were not just for show.

They allowed the turtle itself to support an ecosystem.

Through its legs, it could absorb nutrients and energy from the land around it. With those mechanisms working their magic, those nutrients and energy could supply the beings living on its shell with ample sustenance to stay alive and thrive.

It was an isolated ecosystem, a mechanical monster, a weapon of mass destruction, and a bastion of absolute protection.

On top of all of that, it could move and had sentience!

How could any mere castle compare to it?

Damien made an achievement that surpassed anything done on the second island since its inception, and for that, he was properly rewarded.

The smile remained on his face as he left the lands of the second island and stepped upon the third.

From behind, several people who noticed his movements watched.

All they saw was the silhouette of a young man with black clothing and hair disappearing from sight.

That was the only hint they received about who the owner of that mysterious symbol was.

Perhaps they planned to act up now that he was gone. Maybe they believed that Death's Hold would return to its prior state without him.

It would be fun to see their reactions when they learned otherwise.

Unfortunately, Damien wouldn't be able to see it.

He was already busy on the third island, after all.

Because the instant he landed, he found himself being attacked.

'Just as I thought…' he said to himself as he set a domain of his own.

'...it won't be so peaceful from now on.'

The "beginner" period was over.

Now, Damien was also considered an experienced member of this land.

And, according to the rules of the third island's trial…

…he would be fighting other experts for the foreseeable future.

It was definitely bound to be more interesting than anything that happened thus far.

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