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nThe fact that they were in the middle of a city only served to make the devastation more pronounced.

nBuildings crumbled into pieces and the ones closest to the impact site completely disintegrated. The ground caved and even the subway system underneath it was destroyed. As for Jin, not even a shred of his clothing remained intact.

nDamien would never take innocent lives with his own two hands. The only reason he was bold enough to act in such a way was that he had already confirmed that the vicinity was clear of civilians.

nAs for the heroes who were watching from the distance, they were saved from the aftershocks by the old man’s barrier. Well, all but one of them. The idiot named Bryce that had caused Damien so much trouble was inadvertently killed by the residual impact of his attack.

nIt wasn’t a matter of coincidence, rather it was Bryce’s own idiocy that killed him. He had refused to hide behind the barrier after learning that the man in front of them was Damien. His denial of the truth caused him to die a meaningless death.

nDamien gazed at the destruction with a profound look on his face. He felt something within him dance with joy while the area around him was destroyed, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

nDamien was satisfied that he had finally received reparations for the events of the past, and the truth is, he had been waiting for this moment. If one thought back to the previous 4 years, Damien had never killed another human being.

nIt could be argued that he killed the first 3rd class he met back on Apeiron, but that man ultimately died by Zara’s hands. It wasn’t out of some misplaced sense of justice or due to a strong moral compass, it was much pettier than that.

nDamien wanted the first human he killed to be Jin. He saved that spot for the man who both caused him to endure immense suffering and gain equally immense benefits. Specifically for this purpose, Damien had refrained from making any enemies in the past 4 years.

nAnd he really didn’t feel anything about the fact that he had killed another human. It was a bit too late for Damien to feel an existential crisis or question himself for something as small as this.

nHow much had he slaughtered over the last 4 years? How many lives had he taken? After growing close with Zara, he didn’t view beasts as simple fodder anymore. This feeling increased when he met Ethan and the beast empress.

nThey were all beasts or descended from beasts, but they were no different from humans. Beasts at 3rd class even had matching or superior intellect compared to average humans, so why would he consider them as inferior beings?

nDamien’s mentality was largely apathetic to others, especially his enemies. Killing was simply the way of the world. The beast half of him wholeheartedly believed this and his human half resonated with it as well.

nWhether or not his actions were the right choice, he didn’t care. If what he did today came back to bite him as consequences in the future, he’d deal with those consequences.

nHe didn’t care in the slightest for the lives of people who weren’t close to him. Jin had to die. That was that. What was happening on earth was a separate matter

nDamien took a slight glance at the old man once more before speaking. “I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

nHe called Zara, who had shrunken enough to not cause mayhem, and hopped on her back. However, he soon found that there was an extra passenger.

nWhen he turned around, he saw not one but two beautiful girls looking back at him. One of them had a sly smile on her face while the other was trying her best to hold back her tears.

nGazing at the familiar blue-haired beauty in front of him, Damien had to admit that he missed her. He knew his feelings had intensified due to the legacy tomb trial, but even without that he still missed her.

nHe had thought about it before they returned. He felt it was unfair to Elena that his feelings sprouted for a fake version of herself. No matter how realistic the illusion was, in the end, it was still an illusion. So, he spent some time getting rid of those intrusive feelings.

nBut even without them, he still missed her. Only after seeing her in front of him once more did he realize how true this was.

n“Long time no see,” he said with a smile, “how have you been?”

nDamien’s words were light, but it was enough to break Elena’s last shred of resistance. She jumped forward and hugged him as tight as she could. Damien also reciprocated, glad to see his friend after many years of separation.

nWhen Damien was taking care of Jin’s matter, Elena had talked with Rose about the past 4 years. Although Rose left most of the details for Damien to explain himself, she did make sure to mention that they were together.

nAnd Elena immediately felt downcast about it. She had waited 4 years harboring her feelings for him, but he had come back with a woman by his side already.

nBut she couldn’t accept it. Even if she knew in her heart that it was the truth, she still couldn’t accept it. And being the woman she is, her competitive nature flared.

nEven if Damien had a woman already, it didn’t mean she couldn’t stay with him. Even if it wasn’t a romantic relationship, they were still best friends. She would do her best to keep that bond.

nAnd so, she hugged him with all her strength. She didn’t want him to leave her again.

nRose watched with a slight smile on her face as this happened. She felt like teasing her first love rival, so she didn’t mention anything about the concept of harems simply to see what happened, and she wasn’t disappointed.

nElena had told her about her determination to stay at Damien’s side as his best friend, and Rose had happily accepted. ‘Hmm, let’s see how long she can suppress her feelings. I say it’ll be 6 months at most.’

nAfter a good 10 minutes that Elena spent silently crying into Damien’s chest, the two of them separated as they began to talk.

nDamien naturally glossed over his time in the dungeon, and mostly explained his travels in Apeiron, while Elena told him of her dungeon adventures and the changes on earth.

nAs they talked, Zara continued to fly until they finally reached the destination of Damien’s second and most important matter on earth. It was something he didn’t want to delay in the slightest.

nIt was time to heal his mother.

nThey arrived at the hospital silently, and Damien entered his mother’s room through its window while the girls waited patiently for him outside.

nWhen he arrived, he ended up staring at the familiar face he hadn’t seen in many years. It was a face he dearly missed. And since Elena had been consistently paying her hospital bills, she looked the exact same as the last time he’d seen her.

nWith tears in his eyes, Damien spoke. “Mother, your son has finally returned.”

nHe took one bottle of Elixir out of his inventory and carefully began pouring it into her mouth. There would usually be some sort of problem or responsibility that prevented him from curing her so fast, but Damien wasn’t the type to care about any of that.

nHe had moved with this main goal for the past 4 years, even if he had sidetracked slightly, so why would he delay it when he already had the opportunity? It would utterly stupid if he even considered prioritizing anything else, especially after the illusion trial.

nAs he poured the Elixir down her throat, he gently injected his mana into her body to help her process its effects. She was still in a coma, so she wouldn’t even be able to swallow on her own. The last thing Damien wanted was to accidentally kill her due to carelessness.

nHe put his utmost concentration into maximizing the effects of the Elixir, losing track of everything else around him. Time passed quickly, and after 10 minutes, he was finally finished.

nHe stepped back and watched carefully, awaiting the results. However, he was saddened to see no changes.

nHis mother still lay on the bed as if peacefully sleeping.

nBut if Damien was able to see the changes going on inside her body, his mouth would be gaping wide enough to fit a fist inside.

nHer organs were strengthened, followed by her bones, muscles, and flesh. Her body reached a level stronger than the average first class.

nMana bloomed within, filling every pore of her skin and rejuvenating her system, removing the deficiency that plagued her.

nThe system wasn’t lying when it said the effects were more pronounced on mortals. Damien’s mother even seemed to age backward, looking in her late 20s rather than the 50 years she had lived. It was clear to see why Elixir was considered a heavenly medicine.

nDamien had closed his eyes, silently waiting for a reaction. Even if he was someone who could kill without batting an eye or cause large-scale destruction on a whim, he was scared stiff at the thought of his mother not waking up.

nAnd luckily, his prayers were answered. The preliminary effects of the Elixir ended, and stillness returned to the room.

nIn the next instant, her eyelids fluttered and slowly opened.

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