Published at 21st of July 2024 7:40 am

Chapter 1787 Land of Nothingness [3]

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Damien didn't have to look far to see how different the second island was from the first. Rather than small wooden cabins, the buildings here were made of stone and concrete. There were several castles across the land that were built by the many people who had come to this place over the years.

There were established roads, and Damien couldn't see the end of the island with his eyes. It was clearly much, much larger than its predecessor.

There was also a considerable difference in the aura of this place. It was definitely filled with the same energy as the first island, but it was also filled with the aura of life. Already, the population had ballooned in comparison. There had to be several thousand people living on the island at the very least.

It was a little bit soul-crushing to realize this kind of scale. All of these people also reached Existence?

All of them were also aiming to reach Nonexistence?

This was supposed to be a sacred seat that not just anyone could sit on, but looking at the crowds of people Damien could see walking the roads despite just arriving, he couldn't really think of it the same way.

Was it really that easy to reach the place he had to struggle so hard to climb to?

'No.'

It wasn't easy. Not in the slightest. Damien's struggle could actually be considered nothing compared to what someone without his inborn talents would have to go through to reach the same height.

Merely, the Land of Nothingness was a realm without time. People did not age, and people did not die.

They came from different points in time that would never align as the cosmos they came from would never interact with each other.

Everyone here had been here for a very long time. According to Harold, it had been millions of years since they saw their last newcomer.

Which meant that these people were millions, billions, or perhaps even trillions of years old.

They came from different points in time that would never align as the cosmos they came from would never interact with each other.

If the True Void Universe was relatively young, then some of these people could potentially be older than its birth. And it didn't stop there.

Some of these people, in a sense, came from the future. They came from a time that Damien hadn't experienced yet and then spent millions of years in this place. The entire timeline was inconsequential, as anyone and everyone who tried to wield the two energies of Existence and Nonexistence together would be brought to this land.

It wasn't that Damien's path was easy. Damien's path wasn't common either.

None of these people ever thought of reaching the Void. They only thought of controlling the two forces most powerful under it.

After all, anyone who experienced the Void would understand that it was too unfathomable for anyone to control. All existing concepts and all nonexistent concepts became null yet were at the same time fully supported. The pure juxtaposition and dichotomy presented by an all-encompassing entity like the Void simply could not be grasped by the human mind.

'I need to stop doubting myself. I know it's only happening because I've come so far, but seriously, it's getting old.'

Regardless of the justification, doubt was not something Damien would allow into his life.

Not at this stage, not in the future.

He took a few more steps onto the second island. It wasn't as hilly as the first island, but the landscape was similar. There weren't too many trees, but the ones that existed came in all shapes and sizes, none that Damien recognized.

'I shouldn't bank on finding another guide like Harold. That's a newbie exclusive experience.'

The second island was definitely going to be more competitive than the first. The first island's small population forced it to be calm. This place had a large population, all of whom were in competition.

People like the five hooligans from before would show up everywhere. However, Damien would have to deal with them himself if a new group ever appeared.

'Haa, it's a little annoying, but…'

It was a good time to experiment a little.

'How am I supposed to find somewhere to experiment around here?'

He didn't know what kind of currency they used, if any. He didn't want to be in a place with too many people in case his movements attracted attention from unsavory characters.

Unfortunately, this was not a mountainous region, and Damien highly doubted that there was any sort of underground ecosystem. 'I guess I can figure something out.'

Not having access to any sort of mana was extremely inconvenient. However, even this was a good chance for Damien to practice.

'This must be why they built those castles and stuff. Using their power on this realm to influence it is extremely beneficial to their training.'

Damien went over the crest of the hill he was on and into the small valley between it and the elevated land where the closest road was. Putting his hand against the geological structure, he attempted to use Nonexistence to his advantage. 'Barriers do not exist.'

Anything that barred him from his goal was banished into Nonexistence.

Suddenly, a large hole roughly ten feet tall and nearly as wide opened in the hill. The hill itself also changed as it was forced to accommodate Damien's "creation."

'So that works.' Damien thought with a smile.

'Then, can I be bolder with it?'

He willed it with his body, forcing those things that blocked him into Nonexistence. In some sort of twisted way, he was able to use elements of creation with the new energy.

A shoddy cave abode was the result of his efforts. It was large enough to fit him and didn't alert people to his presence. He couldn't necessarily conceal himself from other Nonexistence users, but it was enough if he just moved covertly and kept his energy quiet.

He gathered an invisible aura around him. It did not have a particular quality or quantity. It could not be felt or seen. It was merely there.

As it formed a barrier around him, a territory that it could influence, he enacted the laws of Nonexistence.

'Ignorance…does not exist in my mind.'

It was something he firmly believed. He always knew exactly what was happening in the world as long as he wanted to know. Ignorance was a concept that was not allowed to affect him anymore, and he used that belief to power his energy.

The goal of this move was obvious.

Damien wanted to stretch the limits of conceptual energy manipulation, and he wanted to see just how much he could twist things in his favor.

Ignorance. The concept that could be equated simply to the "lack of knowledge."

When it was removed from the territory entirely…

Well, the realm itself was forced to give Damien any and all information he desired.

Nonexistence was not a power with levels or progression. In the first place, those concepts could not dictate such an esoteric force.

Nonexistence, once attained, would mold to its users and allow anything they could possibly imagine.

As such, the limit to one's power with the concept stood only with the limit of one's creativity.

Damien…was never such a creative person.

But when he was put in contact with such a nonsensically broken form of energy, everything changed.

His mind was burning with ideas, and his body was burning to test them.

First, however, he needed to focus on the "condition" of the second island.

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