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Chapter 844

“...”

The ancient dragon, his eyes large enough to fit dozens of people, lowered his head before Davey.

[Have you made your decision?]

"It had been like this from the beginning," Davey responded.

The dragon fell silent in response as he talked.

"Why did the world come to this when Goddess Freyja is still alive and well? Despite there being a seemingly perfect natural magic circle, the flow of vitality in the world has diminished.”

[It was always going to happen.]

Davey realized she had known from the start but chose to keep silent. He found the evidence to be simple—the newly risen moon and the looming presence of Thanatos had confirmed his suspicions.

"It’s because of this Red Void," Davey said.

One couldn’t create something from nothing. The vitality that once flowed freely across all dimensions was altered when a single void came into existence.

It wasn’t a coincidence that vitality had been steadily leaking through the rifts of the Peslisa continent. The creation of the Red Void, a space formed from vitality, had drained that vitality from elsewhere.

"This isn’t a place of nothingness," Davey continued.

The space that emerged from the establishment of the Goddess Freyja and the breaking of the taboo surrounding her descent.

That was what the Red Void was.

But it couldn’t have arisen from nothing.

[Correct. The vast vitality that once filled the worlds was drawn here when the Red Void was created. The flow of vitality you seek exists here.]

"Do you understand what I’m getting at?" Davey asked.

[If that is what you desire, it can be done]

The dragon answered obediently, though Davey sensed there was more to it.

"Then tell me; why haven’t you done so until now?"

[Because it’s impossible.]

His eyes narrowed at his seemingly certain attitude.

"Why?"

[The authority you possess allows you to become the ruler of the Red Void, but even that doesn’t mean complete domination and control.]

Davey remembered how a mutant had managed to escape his control, and how he couldn’t manifest his authority despite the chaos that had erupted in Peslisa.

The dragon transformed into the form of an old man and warned him.

[Even the first leader, Hercules, couldn’t achieve complete domination over this Red Void. I’m not sure you can either.]

Davey clenched his jaw. "That’s...”

[I also see and hear things. I am aware that the flow of this world has been off-balance. How long do you think it has left?]

"Thanatos is still emitting an enormous amount of vitality, but it’s not enough. At the current rate, the world will collapse in five to ten years.”

[Can you dominate this place in that time?]

Hercules had invested vast amounts of time, yet still had failed to fully dominate the Red Void. Arbit wasn’t sure if Davey, who was weaker than Hercules, could achieve complete control of it within just five years.

The question hung in the air. It was one of the most sincere questions he had ever asked Davey. He stood in silence for a long moment before finally looking Arbit in the eye.

"I’ll figure it out.”

Davey didn’t directly answer his question. After a moment, he continued the conversation.

“No matter how long it takes, once I completely dominate this place, then—”

[Yes, then you can achieve your goal.]

In the end, the Red Void had been the cause of it all. The descending of gods to end the endless conflicts between races had led up to the current situation. Realizing this, Davey couldn’t help but scoff.

"I’ll get there soon, so just wait."

[As you say, I will wait. If you wish to enter the Red Void where I reside, use my minister.]

"Minister?" Davey asked.

[I believe you’ve met my minister before.]

Davey narrowed his eyes in confusion.

‘Who is he talking about?’

[Either way, you will soon meet my minister.]

Then Arbit, who had revealed himself at Davey’s call, disappeared.

* * *

Time resumed once again.

It was surprising to know that time isolation worked on Rho Aias. But Davey later found out she wasn’t in her true form, only a manifestation.

“Davey. Don’t hide it from us,” Illyna said as she stepped forward, her eyes full of suspicion.

“...”

"She’s right. Is there something you can’t tell us about?"

‘Yes, yes.’

He, in fact, couldn’t explain the situation. He knew that if things continued as they were, the world would collapse, or worse—he would be forced to kill the people in front of him.

He couldn’t tell them that.

"Don’t worry, it’s no big deal," Davey said dismissively.

“Nothing?! I know it’s a serious problem; even Rho Aias showed up! Hm?”

She was right. She was the one who had stopped him from pushing himself too far after his return from the Spirit World.

"Where’s the problem?"

"You... You\'re really not going to say anything until the end, are you?"

"This is something that will only cause confusion if word gets out.”

"You... Really," Illyna said while crying softly. Perserque gently comforted her.

"Davey, if you\'ve made this decision, there must be a reason."

"Yeah," Davey responded, turning away without hesitation.

"Davey..." Aeria called out. "Take care of yourself.”

"Thanks," Davey replied.

Rho Aias was waiting for him in the private garden where he often spent his time.

“You knew everything from the start, didn’t you?”

“...”

She remained silent for a moment, gazing down at the territory. Then, slowly, she turned to face him and nodded.

"Don’t go," she pleaded softly.

"I have to," Davey replied.

"Five hundred to a thousand years. I can extend the world\'s time by that much.”

She was offering a thousand years when Thanatos could only delay the collapse by ten years max.

Davey knew his lifespan was long, but he had no desire to linger in this world for centuries. Even if Illyna and Perserque were powerful, having achieved the 8th Circle and wielded the Continuum-Attacking Blade, he knew their lifespans weren’t as long as his.

Davey had no intention of living that long, either.

The conditions seemed perfect on paper. After all, he realized it didn’t mean much to him what would happen to the world after he died. He imagined that it would be better than him having to gamble with his life. It was the optimal path for him to live a normal human life without resetting.

But...

“There’s a price, isn’t there?” Davey asked.

“That’s...”

“The cost might be your disappearance... or something even worse."

It only seemed natural for there to be some catch. If she extended time, he figured it’d cost her existence. She would disappear without a trace, and this time, it would be final.

“Are you really going to sympathize with the dead?” she asked as she placed her hand on her chest. "You could miss out on the happiness you currently enjoy."

It was either between Rho Aias, who had already died, or the living. Davey couldn’t make up his mind.

She tried to persuade him. "You\'ve done more than enough. I never thought you\'d make a moon and create such a vast channel. Now just leave the rest to me."

She stroked his cheek, her eyes filled with warmth and sadness. "We will protect you."

Taking a step back, she extended her hand toward him, gesturing for him to grab hers. "I will erase your memories of all of this. You can live peacefully, without suffering."

Davey reached out, trembling, to her hand glowing with devil mana. He knew that if he accepted, his memories would be forcibly altered or sealed away, just like when he had been consumed by madness in the past. If that were the case, perhaps he could find true happiness.

But...

Sizzle!!

"What?!" Rho Aias gasped as her mana was suddenly consumed by his Predatory Assimilation. She stepped back, both literally and figuratively taken aback.

"Davey!"

Her devil mana was similar to the Death Lord’s power that he possessed. It wasn’t an exact match, but it was close enough to trigger a reaction. Without hesitation, Davey scattered her mana.

"Maybe you’re right, Rho Aias,” Davey admitted.

"Then why—"

"Even if it takes a thousand years, or even ten thousand years..." Davey said in a serious tone. "I refuse to sacrifice anyone else just so I can live comfortably. I can fix this..”

This was the karma he had to bear, forged from the teachings of all the heroes in the hall.

* * *

As the time for her manifestation ran out, she was summoned back to the hall. She seemed burdened by guilt, unable to convince Davey in the end. But he sent her off with a gentle smile.

“Hercules may have been stronger than me—in terms of sheer force, at least,” Davey remarked.

Hercules had possessed endless evolution as his essence. But Davey had a wider range of abilities.

He had reached his pinnacle through evolution. But Davey was planning on drawing on dozens of different powers that had potential on par with his own.

Davey could solve the problems that Hercules hadn’t been able to solve because of a lack of expertise in magic and sorcery. He could overcome them by using holy power, spirit magic, devil magic, elemental magic, and everything else he had at his disposal.

After he sent Rho Aias on her way, tears streaming down her face, he spent time with Illyna, Perserque, and Aeria as if nothing had happened. He dedicated three days of his time to be spent with them, leaving them exhausted.

As they peacefully slept, he slipped away from the castle late at night under the cover of darkness.

"Davey," a voice called out.

Perserque had been waiting for him, her senses sharper than anyone else’s.

"I can’t take you with me," Davey said softly.

"I know," she replied, her voice calm. She approached him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest.

"Will it take long?" she asked, her voice muffled against him.

"It won’t take long," Davey reassured her.

"Will it be dangerous?"

"It won’t be dangerous.”

"You... You\'ll come back, right?" her voice trembled slightly.

"I will."

She didn’t press further. Instead, she simply looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, a soft smile gracing her face. "Go."

"Per...”

"When you’re done with all of this," she continued, her voice steadying, "leave everything else behind and let’s go have fun.”

"Fun...”

"Yes. There are so many things I want to do. I want to visit the tourist spots of Earth from your past life, experience the culture there, play games on one of those computers, and enjoy a peaceful picnic under the Divine Tree of Tionis.”

Even with tears in her eyes, she kept smiling.

"It’s so unfair," she added quietly. "You’ve shed so much blood to protect this land’s fragile stability.”

“...”

“You’ve given up so much to lead the battles against the demons to the right direction.”

Perserque knew how much he had been through, and she didn’t want the ending to be something both of them hated.

"So.”

She went silent for a while before speaking up again.

"So don’t you ever die or get hurt... and you better make it back safely.”

Davey held her hand tightly, feeling the warmth of her trust.

"Don’t worry. I still have a baby to name, and so many things I haven’t done yet. I want to go to an amusement park with you, play games together, and explore all of Tionis—eating all the food we can find. I’m not leaving until we’ve done it all."

He showed her the ring on his finger, the one symbolizing their unbreakable bond.

"The power of Josiah Frances is unique, even among the Vampire Lords. As long as this ring stays intact, you’ll know I’m alive. So don’t worry about me—I’ll come back.”

"The other two are going to be disappointed.”

“I’ll make it up to them once I get back.”

“Hehe.”

Anyone who saw what Davey was doing might think he was being naive or foolish. But Davey couldn’t let any more heroes sacrifice themselves.

He left Perserque behind and silently left the castle. He didn’t mention matters such as what to name the child or the issues regarding Heins Territory in case he didn’t make it back, as he knew he’d return.

Davey completely left the territory, leaving Perserque silently sending him off in the distance. Once he was far enough away, he summoned Time Spirit Altair.

“I hope you remember what I asked for.”

[It’s a foolish move.]

“I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry about it.”

[Not sure who you think is worried. But I’ll honor the deal. Thanks to you, the Spirit World is stabilized. Right now, I’m free to my power without limitations.]

“Good.”

[However, you should know that the longer I maintain my power, the more spirit mana I will demand from you, contractor. In fact, even from the start, I’ll consume a massive amount of mana.]

Davey nodded at his warning. He understood that severing and isolating the flow of time between the Red Void and the dimension of Goddess Freyja was no small feat.

[Even so, I can’t freeze time entirely. For every year there, an hour will pass here.]

“...”

If Davey spent ten thousand years in the Red Void, ten thousand hours would pass here. Since a day here was twenty four hours, it would roughly be about a full year. But over time, the temporal gap would weaken. Eventually, he might not return at all. Or worse—even if he did, everyone here might already be gone.

Even so, Davey had already made up his mind.

“I’ll be back.”

Doing something without certainty was a gamble. But what he was doing wasn\'t gambling; it was certain. He was determined to make it so.

The power of Time Spirit Altair began to spread across the world.

Just as Davey prepared to summon Arbit once again to find the minister he had mentioned, an unfamiliar voice called out to him.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

A voice he had heard before but couldn’t put his finger on echoed.

“You are...”

Caught off guard, Davey turned to face the speaker.

“Come with me, Lord. I will guide you to my master.”

The woman, with a sword hanging from her belt, bowed her head politely toward Davey. She fixed her gaze on him with her emotionless face. She then drew her sword and traced a circle in the air.

“Weren’t you human?”

“I was. But now...”

She was just a being bound by a contract with Arbit. A human who had once gained the power of a Celestial Maiden. She now stood before Davey, opening the way to the Red Void.

“Quite the liar, aren’t you?”

She had pretended to know nothing, yet had known everything all along.

Without a word, Davey followed her into the void. The moment they stepped inside, the air around them shifted drastically.

Then—

Thud!!

With a deafening rumble, a massive dragon appeared before Davey, bowing his head in submission.

“To my lord I offer my boundless respect. I, Arbit, Mediator of Sand, humbly pray to the new god who shall reign as the Lord of the Void.”

Arbit, who dealt with a different power of time from Altair, let out his overwhelming power. The minister who had guided Davey—an Awakened One from Earth—grimaced in pain.

“What do you mean ‘god?’ I’m good just being a lord. I’m sorry, but there’s something I need to do first. And send her back, too.”

“She will aid you with future endeavors.”

“You can’t just kidnap people and expect me to go along with it. Send her back immediately.”

“Ugh... As you command...”

With a quick gesture, Arbit opened a rift and returned the girl to her world. Then, turning to Davey, he asked:

“And what task might you need to accomplish?”

“Hercules probably tried to handle everything on his own.”

In fact, forget probably—Davey was pretty sure. But he had no intention of following in his footsteps.

“I’m going to do things my way.”

“Lord...”

“I’m going to show those psychotic lunatics who created the so-called Davey O’Rowane exactly what kind of monster they’ve made.”

At his words, Arbit let out a heavy sigh.

“Lord, just don’t end up regretting what you said.”

‘Heh, as if that’s enough to make me nervous.’