Chapter 1492 Aftermath [3]

Chapter 1492 Aftermath [3]

Six months without Damien.

To Tiamat, it was normal. Damien had a habit of disappearing for long stretches of time here and there when he ended up in situations beyond his control.

Darius was less used to this as he'd spent less time with his brother, however, he'd heard the stories and knew Damien would come back fine.

As for the Gehenna Tribe, it was a bit different.

For the most part, they didn't know how to view him anymore.

They didn't hate him.

Emotional instincts pushed them to antagonize him, since he revived so many people but the ones who died fighting to protect the tribe were left dead.

However, their rational minds allowed them to push back that instinct.

Damien killed a God for their sakes. If he had the ability to bring their people back to life, he would've done it.

As such, the dilemma in their mind became less about whether they should view Damien positively or negatively and more about how they should treat him from now on.

They all saw what he did.

They all witnessed his actions that were practically those of an almighty being.

Did they have to treat him like a God now? Did they have to view him with reverence?

It felt strange since they'd been interacting with him in such a friendly manner until now, but at the same time, it only felt right when the gap between them was taken into account.

Still, as Damien didn't return, this question slowly left everyone's minds.

The traumatic experiences they'd gone through were still fresh in their minds, but they still had to move on.

That was life.

So when Damien finally did come back and that question was brought back to their attention, they were once again stumped.

Damien really did return as if nothing happened.

The thousand years he spent in agony were his alone to bear. They were, at the end of the day, a valid punishment for his actions.

He didn't need pity or respect because he got punished for correcting his mistakes. Therefore, whether it was Tiamat or Thalia, Damien had no plans of telling anyone what happened.

As he entered the tribe's territory six months after everything went down, he found an atmosphere that was still solemn.

The number of people in the village had gone down considerably. They were still somewhat plentiful, and their daily lives were relatively normal, but nobody could ignore the loss of those people.

There was now a massive stone monument at the center of the village dedicated to those who protected them.

And, unlike the generations before her, the deceased Saintess had a statue of her own, a show of respect by the people she once ruled.

The new Saintess, Thalia, was different than most of those who came before her. Fôll0w current novÊls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)

She spent most of her time learning how to lead the tribe from the elders, but she also acted as the tribe's main hunter, bringing in enough resources to help the tribe survive through these harsh times x

Of course, Darius and Tiamat helped, but only minimally.

Damien almost wanted to say something witty, maybe something about how nobody like him existed outside either, but he refrained.

Thalia was right, after all.

He understood her hesitation.

Genuinely, the offer he made to her wasn't one she could ever dare to take. It was far too much of a risk.

Maybe another Damien didn't exist outside the jungle, but several Gods did.

And more than the fact that they existed...

"They are your enemies, are they not?"

Thalia looked straight into his eyes.

And Damien had no choice but to tell the truth.

"They are."

She nodded as if she'd been expecting it.

"I am happy to be your ally. However, if your enemies become my enemies, how will my people survive?"

They wouldn't.

She'd seen it personally the instant she returned from Gehenna.

When someone of that level got involved, there was no future for the tribe but extinction.

Damien watched her as she spoke.

Her hollow eyes, her demeanor that was completely different from the lively self she'd shown him until now...

Yes, in a sense, she'd matured into a ruler.

But that didn't mean she had to lose herself in her role.

And on top of that...

"You're only looking at things on the surface."

Damien swept his hand through the lake's surface, disturbing their reflections.

The offer he made was never as simple as just letting Thalia become the ruler of this territory.

Even he knew that their current strength was pathetic.

But there was one thing Thalia failed to consider.

Damien also wanted the Gehenna Tribe to thrive.

And with the resources he had in his hands...

As long as he could keep them close, he really could help them become something amazing.