Void Evolution System

Somewhere in the streets of Terra around ten minutes later, a completely disguised Damien could be seen smiling to himself.

He was looking at a badge that looked quite inconspicuous in his hands due to its dullness. To others, he looked like nothing more than a boy who had just received his challenger badge.

However, Damien saw a different picture.

He was worried for a moment. As his clone was technically a different entity, he didn't know if it would be able to level up his badge. It would be a problem if he was away investigating when the tournament started and his clone couldn't take his place.

Luckily, this event proved that worry unfounded. The change was slight since the two men weren't particularly skilled, but as the owner of the badge, Damien noticed it.

The clone would do just fine. It seemed like the realm accepted it as part of his power.

'Then, I can focus on doing my own thing.'

While the clone went to clean up his mess and apologize to the Temple Master, Damien left the vicinity of Terra on a journey to a place wanderers never dared to approach.

The prison was conspicuous in the same way as Death's Hold.

The land within several tens of kilometers was dyed a black and red color. It was uninhabited by anything other than the manor in the center that looked like an island amidst a bloody sea.

Immediately upon entering this area, one would feel one's body becoming sluggish. The closer they approached the manor, the more the effect would grip their souls.

He was only an Area Lord in name. In reality, this environment would suppress even the strongest platinum badge holders to the point where the Prison Master could kill them with a flick if he so desired.

Damien took some time to reach it. Terra was quite far, so even with his fastest methods of transportation, it took him two days to arrive at its boundary.

The manor was not meant to be approached, but those with enough strength and tenacity could indeed reach it.

'Still, I understand why the Prison Master remains unchallenged.' f

He was only an Area Lord in name. In reality, this environment would suppress even the strongest platinum badge holders to the point where the Prison Master could kill them with a flick if he so desired.

Damien took some time to reach it. Terra was quite far, so even with his fastest methods of transportation, it took him two days to arrive at its boundary.

When he did, though, he was able to walk without facing the same problems as others.

It was not because of the Void's influence, but rather a product of Damien's actions in the Land of Nothingness.

The environment itself had accepted him in a way similar to how humans designated "close friends."

As such, Damien wouldn't be inhibited by others unless it was absolutely necessary for the trial.

He was "trusted" by the realm, a status nobody knew was possible to reach.

He made the difficult and oftentimes days or weeks-long journey to the center of the area look easy when he finished it in a measly hour.

Walking up the manor's steps, he knocked on the door and waited politely.

"Oh? A challenger?"

A voice came from the other side no more than a minute later. The large door opened, giving way to an aged wizard-like man.

"And who might you be?" He asked as he looked over Damien.

"Sir, I am not a challenger. I am merely someone who wished to meet you," Damien responded, putting his hand to his chest and bowing slightly.

"I see…"

A strange light glimmered in the Prison Master's eyes.

"Very well. Come in. It isn't as if I have a better way to spend my time."

Whether it was out of curiosity or something entirely different, the Prison Master didn't show Damien any signs of aversion as he invited him into the manor. "It is not a very welcoming place, I know, but make yourself comfortable. I will join you shortly."

Damien nodded at the Prison Master, who walked away without looking back. 'Does he trust me?'

No, it was just that he knew Damien wouldn't be able to do anything he wasn't allowed to.

'That must be the confidence of someone who's allegedly been guarding this place for an uncountable period of time.'

How many visitors had he received? How many did he fight, how many tried to deceive him, and how many showed good intentions?

The Prison Master had lived long enough to experience every unique experience. He could act on his whim confidently precisely because Damien was nothing more than a cornered rabbit from the very moment he entered the manor.

'It's an undeniable truth, but it still hurts my pride a little.' Damien thought as he observed the many paintings and art displays along the walls.

'It's a manor that only one person has ever and will ever live in, but it's oddly decorated with images of and representing everyone but him.'

There was a wall dedicated to the challengers that had defeated the Prison Master before. When an observer came close to any single piece, their mind would be sucked into a projection of that battle so they could view the great feats of this realm's past heroes.

There were only six of them to ever exist, and each of their battles was spectacular.

On another wall was a remembrance of those who faced eternal death on the island. It was a wall filled with names, a blank canvas intentionally left empty so that their names were the only thing one could focus on. Even at this moment, Damien saw a name appear.

It was someone who'd given up on life. From piece to piece, from wall to wall, the Prison Master's manor remembered different people, places, and events through the presented art.

However, other than the scenes of his defeat present on the first wall Damien saw, there wasn't a single trace of the Prison Master himself.

'Why?'

"It is because I am insignificant."

As if he heard Damien's unspoken question, the Prison Master entered the room and gave him an answer.

"These people are heroes. They are practitioners with hearts that must be acknowledged, places with extreme importance to our island's heritage, and events that shaped everything we know now. Among them, I am no more than a passing memory, as this manor and what lies beneath it are the only reasons for my existence."

"I'd say that 'reason for existence' is exactly what makes you as important as everything else here," Damien responded, turning around to face him.

The Prison Master smiled slightly.

"That may be so, or it may not. However, young man, you have not come to merely speak to an old man like me, have you? I can sense that your intentions are not bad. Tell me what you seek."

It was clear that the Prison Master was trying to change the subject, but Damien wasn't going to push the topic. The Prison Master's perspective on life and his own meaning was for him to decide. Damien had his own opinion, but he could tell that it would do nothing to change how the man thought.

As such, he nodded and went along with his flow.

"Yes, I have actually come with a bit of an odd request. I have been struggling in my training lately, and I was hoping to find new inspiration in places that an ordinary man cannot reach. I have already climbed the volcanic spires of the far east and explored the rugged snowfields of the North. This is where I've chosen to come next."

It was an explanation filled with lies, but Damien needed something to justify his request.

After all, his request was quite absurd.

"Please allow me to take a tour of the prison you guard. I believe that I will gain great inspiration from seeing its structure and mechanisms."

Damien spoke it with confidence, but even he knew how stupid he sounded.

"Please allow me to take a tour of the prison you guard. I believe that I will gain great inspiration from seeing its structure and mechanisms."

Damien spoke it with confidence, but even he knew how stupid he sounded.

Why would the Prison Master ever let anyone see the prison's mechanisms? Wasn't that the same as giving military secrets to a random gamer in a very niche community and expecting them to not share it with everyone they knew?

In Damien's opinion, he was going to get rejected and would need to take a roundabout path to see the prison for himself.

But, surprisingly enough…

…the Prison Master's reaction wasn't bad…?

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