Silence ruled over Tiamat.
Not peace.
Not emptiness.
But the kind of silence that comes after something unforgivable.
Above the city—
Damian floated.
Still.
Unmoving.
Unfeeling.
Around him—
Souls gathered.
Thousands.
Tens of thousands.
Hundreds of thousands.
They rose like a black tide, twisting into the sky, pulled toward a single point—
Him.
Then—
The Book of Secrets and Knowledge trembled within his mind.
Violently.
Uncontrollably.
Pages flipped.
Fast.
Faster.
Faster—
Until they stopped.
Stars appeared.
One.
Three.
Five.
Seven—
Ten.
The book had evolved.
Ten Black Stars.
Something shifted.
Deep.
Ancient.
Recognizing.
A new page formed.
A title etched itself into existence—
Not written.
Declared.
"Bearer of the Fallen Crown."
Damian didn't react.
Didn't question.
Didn't care.
Pages unfolded.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine—
Twelve.
Knowledge poured outward.
Endless.
Ancient.
Forbidden.
But Damian spoke.
Flat.
Direct.
"Show me what I need."
The book obeyed.
It turned—
To Page Nine.
Words formed.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"There are three processes in which a soul may be revived."
"First—"
"Obtain the Black Pillar from the Underworld."
"—a symbol of kingship."
"Second—"
"Acquire the Summoning Technique of Hades."
A pause.
The page flickered.
"The third requirement will reveal itself upon completion."
Then—
The ink shifted.
Moved.
Changed.
New words began writing themselves.
Not from the book—
But from something beyond it.
"The only one capable of entering and leaving the Underworld freely…"
"…even from the domain of Hades…"
A pause.
"…is the Child of the Fallen."
Damian's eyes narrowed slightly.
The words continued.
Writing in real time.
"The Black Crown must be fully activated."
"To do so—"
"Subdue the Spirit of Death."
The air around him darkened.
"Only then…"
"…will you take your throne…"
A pause.
Heavier than anything before.
"…as the Lord of the Underworld."
"…and the Judge of the Beyond."
Silence.
Damian looked down.
At the city.
At the bodies.
At the stillness.
Then—
He vanished.
Elsewhere — Balisk Continent
Another city.
Far from Tiamat.
Alive.
Unaware.
Reports spread quickly.
Panicked.
Broken.
Unbelievable.
"A man… floating above the city—"
"Everyone is dead—"
"Something wiped out Tiamat—"
The Contractors Association responded immediately.
A team was dispatched.
High-level.
Elite.
Seven figures arrived at the edge of the ruined city.
Their leader stepped forward.
Rod Ranger.
Red hair.
Red coat.
Red everything.
Sharp eyes behind thin glasses.
He walked slowly into Tiamat.
The others followed.
Then—
They saw it.
Bodies.
Everywhere.
Collapsed.
Still.
Heads—
Destroyed.
Rod stopped.
His hand slowly reached his glasses.
He removed them.
Held his mouth.
"…What… did this?"
No destruction.
No battle.
No resistance.
Just—
Death.
His eyes moved.
Then stopped.
A woman.
Beside a car.
A child near her.
Both—
Still.
Lifeless.
Something shifted in his expression.
Behind him—
A girl stepped forward.
"…What kind of person…"
Her voice shook slightly.
"…could do something like this?"
Her name was Mei.
Another voice answered.
Calm.
Blunt.
Jack.
"…Don't you get it?"
He looked around.
At the bodies.
At the silence.
"This world…"
"…creates people like this."
A pause.
"Whether there's a reason or not…"
"…doesn't matter."
He exhaled.
"He did it."
"And no one…"
"…could stop him."
Another contractor spoke.
"…What stage do you think he is?"
Jack didn't hesitate.
"…At least Stage 7."
A pause.
"…and whatever spirit he has…"
"…it's not normal."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Unsettling.
Because deep down—
They all felt it.
This wasn't just a massacre.
It was a warning.
The Great Ruins -
A distortion appeared.
Sudden.
Violent.
Damian fell out of it.
Hard.
His body hit the ground.
Rolled.
Stopped.
For the first time in a long while—
He looked…
exhausted.
He crawled.
Slow.
Weak.
Dragging himself forward.
Toward the cave.
Toward the place where—
She last was.
He reached the entrance.
Barely.
His hand lifted.
Shaking.
A beam of black energy fired—
Sealing the entrance.
Then—
He collapsed.
Unconscious.
Inside him—
The souls rested.
All 300,000.
Stored.
Contained.
And because of them—
Something changed.
Sophie stirred.
Her form reappeared.
Clearer.
Stronger.
More stable than before.
She stepped forward slowly.
Saw him.
Lying there.
Broken.
Silent.
She crouched beside him.
Her expression—
Trembled.
Her hand hovered slightly.
Then gently rested on his head.
"…You idiot…"
Her voice was soft.
Fragile.
She didn't cry.
But her eyes—
Burned with it.
She lifted his head.
Placed it on her lap.
"…You really did it…"
A whisper.
"…for her…"
Silence filled the cave.
Days passed.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Damian didn't move.
But his body changed.
Subtly.
Powerfully.
His presence deepened.
His aura stabilized.
His existence—
Evolved.
Stage 4 — Late Phase.
And more—
His connection to Sophie strengthened.
Now—
He could use full embodiment.
Not fragments.
Not partial.
Complete.
And Sophie—
Could manifest.
Properly.
New abilities stirred within him.
Waiting.
Sleeping.
On the fourth day—
The cave remained silent.
Still.
But something had changed.
Not just his power.
Not just his body.
But the direction of his path.
Because now—
He didn't just walk toward strength.
He walked toward a throne.