Chapter 844

Chapter 844

Amidst the enormous flow, the red sand dragon answered, his immense presence making it seem like the space itself was twisted and time had momentarily stopped.

[My lord. Please, give me a command.]

“...”

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?"

“...”

“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.’