In the end, 40 days weren't enough to achieve what Damien wanted to achieve. The forces he was trying to control were out of reach for even Demigods, let alone mere lower existences like himself.
His improvements mainly took place mentally. He was comprehending the path forward so that he could walk it properly without making the same mistakes in the past.
But this was enough.
He didn't need to gain strength in a single month. He had at least another seven to continue improving himself to reach where he wanted to be.
And he was perfectly content with what he'd gained so far. Even if there wasn't a substantial increase in his current strength, his road forward would be much breezier because of the training he did now.
This type of forethought wasn't something he possessed before. Growing into his intelligence allowed him to make a decision that benefitted his future and allowed him to grow as a person.
What better result was there than this?
At the end of the day, what mattered more than any sort of material power was mentality. Damien's mind which was a broken mess from long ago was healing and growing, his mental state was stabilizing into something that actually helped him rather than hindered him as it had done in the past.
And his mental state was always his greatest weakness. Insecurity made him miss out on opportunities, trust issues made him miss out on relationships, commitment issues made him miss out on love with his wives; he didn't need to list out every single facet of his life that had been ruined by his mental issues to understand their significance.
Fixing himself meant fixing everything else. There was nothing more that needed to be said.
Damien walked out of the Spacetime training zone with a refreshed smile on his face. He'd been feeling this freeing sensation ever since he began solely focusing on improvement again.
He'd been growing in strength through practical experience for so long that he almost forgot the pure joy of taking time to himself to sort out his thoughts and train.
That alone time, that peace, was something he'd never forget again.
Sadly, it wasn't something that could continue forever.
Training and practical experience went hand in hand. While training alone could achieve results, without testing these results in actual combat, they were pointless.
What was the point of an attack that took multiple seconds to charge in a battle where every millisecond counted?
Unless he could fight until he cut that activation time down or fight until he learned to multitask and control his opponent's movements before the attack was ready, there was no point in even having it in his arsenal.
There was a reason Damien avoided using his larger and more powerful attacks in combat more often than not. There was a reason he only used Starfall for environmental destruction rather than actual combat.
His current training was too esoteric for its abilities to translate well in combat. Unless he could experience it personally, he would only be carving a useless path.
Therefore, his steps led him to the battle arena.
The battle arena was a large open-air colosseum that could seat tens of millions of spectators, though that was only a matter of circumstance. The ring itself was already ten thousand kilometers long, so one could imagine how large the stands surrounding it needed to be to maintain its shape.
Still, this amount of space was necessary. In a battle between experts, a mere 10,000 kilometers only accounted for a few steps at most.
The battle arena's atmosphere was raucous as always. The roaring cheers of geniuses as they watched the ongoing battles shook the ground and raised the earth. The blood-boiling atmosphere caused one to thirst for combat, thirst for blood.
Even Damien was partially infected by it.
The battle arena functioned on time slots, with the Pawn Bracket taking place early in the morning and the Emperor Bracket taking place deep into the night. Though, not all this time was used every day. After all, Emperor level geniuses didn't appear casually. When they battled, it was always a scene that filled the stands to the brim.
Instead, the main matches that took place in the battle arena were usually of the Pawn and Knight brackets. A few thousand geniuses at the very least would always be present in the stands, utilizing the betting booths as a way to gamble for quick contribution points.
Today was such a day where the crowd was low. The ongoing matches weren't spectacular at all, mere showings by weaker and younger geniuses trying to establish a name for themselves.
It was in this atmosphere that Damien arrived. As someone who still only ranked in the 40,000s on Heaven's List even after his prior mission completion, he was forced to start at the very bottom and climb his way up.
After registering his name and rank, he made his way to the waiting area for the fighters. Sitting in the room, he calmly observed these young geniuses and their battle styles.
'Hmm…weak. This one doesn't have the potential to go beyond 3rd class. I wonder how he made it to Hidden Death Valley?'
'Ohh, this one could do well if she improved her fighting style. Her wind element is actually focused more on power than speed, but she's conforming to the usual beliefs on how wind should be applied and limiting herself. I wonder when she'll learn otherwise?'
'That kid…they're actually not bad? I've never seen someone utilize fire as an armament rather than a projected attack. How interesting…'
As he watched, he became more and more fascinated by these young geniuses. Despite their obvious flaws and weakness, most of them had immense potential and unique elemental abilities that could put them at the top of Heaven's List one day if they worked hard enough for it.
It was just unfortunate that most of them would die before they reached their full potential. Even those who survived would likely not put in the necessary pain to reach the unimaginable heights he projected for them.
This was the reality of the universe, especially the universe in its current war-torn state.
As Damien remained in idle thought, hours passed by. The fights in the arena continued, and the riveting atmosphere became more and more pronounced every time a new genius raked up a winning streak.
Whoosh!
A wind arrow was fired from an archaic wooden bow. The arrow turned into tens and thousands, filling the entire arena's area and blocking off the archer's enemy from any escape routes.
BOOM!
The arrows naturally found their target in such an impossible situation, leaving the other competitor riddled with holes. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed, turning into holographic light as his body was transported out of the arena and reconstructed.
"Winner: Ray White!" The announcer yelled with vigor. The archer, Ray White, had just achieved 9 wins. He was only a single win away from being able to challenge the Overlord.
Unfortunately…
"After a 10-minute break to recharge his energy, our rising star Ray White will face his final match before potentially battling the Overlord! The unfortunate soul who's been summoned to face him…a newcomer called Damien Void! Place your bets! Grab your seats! And get ready for a ferocious showdown!"
The announcer's words caused another roar of cheers from the audience as they followed his words. As Damien walked into the arena, he almost felt sorry for his opponent.
'What a shameful coincidence…well, if you're truly that strong, you should be able to reach this point again once I'm gone.'
With a light smile on his face, Damien arrived in the center of the field. As he waited patiently, 10 minutes easily passed.
Ray White entered the field again. His short brown hair rustled in the wind and his amber eyes shone with a light of determination.
He'd reached this point with pure effort. He wasn't some Holy Land genius, but instead someone who'd been scouted from the wider universe by a recruiter like Atticus.
Now that he was here, he would let the world know his name.
He was only one victory away, and he didn't plan to lose his streak easily.
With Ray White and Damien facing each other on the stage, all that was left was for the match to start.
The arena went quiet.
The crowd held their breaths waiting for their champion to achieve his victory.
"Match: Start!"
The announcer's voice rang out.
The crowd cheered.
And then…
"Sorry about this."
Damien's voice quietly perforated through the atmosphere.
He didn't move at all.
Space constricted.
The poor Ray White who was still at the early stages of 3rd class didn't even know what hit him.
In the next instant, he appeared outside of the arena.
The silence that followed was especially glaring.
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