Free Web NovelChapter 320: Damian’s Decision
"Your wives are trying to drag you off the planet. I think now is the time to wake up," Lin Qui said from the stone platform where he always sat.
Damian lay on the bed of flowers with his gaze fixed on the dark sky above, exhaustion written plainly across his face. The battle had not merely drained his demonic force. It had exhausted him physically, spiritually, and mentally.
He had fought six demigods, endured the direct pressure of a God, awakened more of his Asura bloodline, and still forced himself to remain standing until the battle was over. Even within this peaceful place, where the air smelled faintly of flowers and the world remained untouched by the chaos outside, he could still feel the weight of everything that had happened pressing against him.
He needed time away from the outside world because he already knew what would happen the moment he woke up. Hazel would complain about security. Ruby would complain about the enemies who had dared attack their home. Racheal would complain about him fighting alone.
Damian had survived an entire night of demigods, formations, domains, and divine pressure, yet somehow the thought of facing his wives afterward felt more exhausting.
"They will not dare," Damian muttered as he rolled his eyes and crossed his legs beneath him.
His gaze remained on the moon hanging above the flower field. For some reason, he always preferred making this place nighttime. The moonlight was softer than sunlight, and the silence felt deeper beneath it. There was something strangely relaxing about lying beneath that pale glow, as if the darkness itself understood that he wanted nothing from it.
"The outcome of everything. Does it bother you?" Lin Qui asked.
Damian remained silent for a moment. He had not truly considered the consequences of killing Mudhhibb and Bachi until the moment they died. During the battle, they had simply been enemies standing in his way. Yet after everything ended, he began to understand what their deaths meant.
They had not been random demigods. They were core followers of Gluttony, the same way Hazel, Racheal, and Ruby were his own core followers. If someone killed one of his wives, he would not care about excuses, circumstances, or reason. He would hunt them down and destroy everything connected to them.
"Should I be?" Damian asked, answering Lin Qui’s question with one of his own.
Lin Qui smiled bitterly. Damian looked wild even when he was resting, his dark presence never fully fading, while Lin Qui remained the complete opposite. He was elegant in a way that went beyond appearance. There was beauty in his calmness, in the way he spoke, and in the patience behind his eyes. He did not carry Damian’s sharpness or violent confidence. He carried the quiet composure of someone who had seen too much and learned to accept what could not be changed.
"Your situation is unique," Lin Qui said gently. "You have one God trying to kill you and another protecting you for no clear reason. Either one would be enough to terrify most people."
"At least you are honest," Damian replied before raising a brow. "Why would he help me?"
"Pride?" Lin Qui said, sounding uncertain. "I know he has a soft spot for humans, especially when they are being bullied or ganged up on. He is straightforward in that regard, so perhaps that was enough."
Damian blinked in surprise. It was the first good thing he had ever heard anyone say about Sol.
"You make him sound like a good person."
"Well, he is," Lin Qui answered without hesitation. "Sol was a boy who lost his world to monsters at a young age, so it is only natural that he hates anything nonhuman. It would be unfair to judge him solely by how he treats other races. If you truly wish to understand what kind of person he is, then you should listen to the humans he has saved rather than the monsters who hate him."
"True," Damian said after thinking about it.
Judging someone through the perspective of their enemies would always make them look worse than they truly were.
Lin Qui watched him quietly before continuing.
"I am not saying he will actively protect you. But people will hesitate to approach you because they are unsure of what he might do, but that does not make him your ally. You can remain on this planet for now, but you must be prepared to leave if necessary."
Damian nodded slowly and released a tired breath. The experience from the previous night had left him uncertain about what came next. For the first time since returning to Earth, he had seriously considered leaving. The planet was no longer safe, and every major power in the underworld now knew where he was.
Still, he had gained far more than he lost.
Through the power of the Abyss, he could now summon Bachi and Mudhhibb as allies. Two more demigods had been added to his side. He had awakened part of the Asura bloodline, gained new abilities, and received two hundred talent points from killing them. One hundred talent points for each demigod. When he thought about it that way, the risk had been worth it.
"Fighting is a good way to grow faster," Lin Qui said as though he could read Damian’s thoughts through his expression. "I am sure you understand the risks."
Damian nodded again, though his mind had already drifted elsewhere. He lay beneath the moonlight for an unknown amount of time, listening to the silence and allowing himself to rest before the world outside demanded his attention again.
Eventually, the flower field faded and the moonlight vanished. The peaceful world dissolved into darkness as Damian opened his eyes inside the real world.
His joints ached as though he had spent an entire day training beyond his limits. Every movement felt heavy, and his body carried the dull soreness of someone who had been pushed far past exhaustion. Still, Damian casually reached for the bloodied cloth covering his eyes and pulled it away.
The world before him was blurry.
He frowned and blinked several times, but his vision remained unclear. The outlines of furniture, walls, and figures around the room looked distorted, as though he were looking at them through a layer of water.
"It did not heal?" Damian muttered.
"Fool. Injuries caused by deities are not something you can regenerate from easily," Rin’s voice came from the bedside stand.
Damian gave him no response. He did not even look toward the fox. Instead, he slowly rose from the bed and walked toward the wall mirror. His reflection was blurry at first, so he leaned closer and closer until his vision began to clear enough for him to see his own face.
His eyes had turned gray.
The color had faded from them as though his pupils had been scorched from within.
"So we cannot see a God’s face," Damian said as he finally turned toward Rin.
"Or call his name," Rin replied with an exhausted sigh. "You saw how that turned out for Jugra."
Damian frowned and glanced toward the mirror again, where the dark night sky could be seen beyond the glass wall. He had been asleep for most of the day.
"What happened afterward?" he asked calmly.
"The Kosak royal family said their final farewell to Rah and returned to the underworld. Your security has also been increased to one hundred personnel. That was your wives’ idea."
Damian did not look surprised.
"The girls. Where are they?"
"Setting up the tenth protection barrier today," Rin answered while rolling his eyes.
Damian sighed. This was exactly why he had stayed asleep throughout the day. Who would want to deal with this kind of drama after surviving a battle against demigods?
He walked toward the couch near the glass wall and sat down before crossing his legs. The moonlight outside reflected faintly against the glass, while the distant forest remained dark and still.
"So what now?" Rin asked. "The girls are scared."
"We will be alright. There is no reason to panic yet," Damian said without hesitation.
After thinking about it for an entire day, Damian had made his decision. He would continue fighting. Killing two demigods had given him two hundred talent points, and every battle pushed him closer to the strength he needed. The attention surrounding him was dangerous, but it was not necessarily a bad thing.
If the underworld wanted to keep sending enemies after him, then Damian would keep taking their power.
