The Absolute: Humanity's Second Chance

Forget about it. Hence he kept quiet and just enjoyed the wholesome experience of siblings.

Moments later, dinner was served and everyone began digging in. And once more, the food was amazing and of great taste.

"Senior, once you get time, you should give the others their own treasures. They will need them in due time, and they should get accustomed to them. As for senior third, senior six and little nine, I'll deal with them." Damien said.

He was busy tasting more of Juliette's dishes, and giving her his honest reviews. And the young lady nodded at whatever he said. Even if it was a bad review.

"I'll do just that, little brother. Don't worry, you can always rely on big sister. Remember that." Anne said, pushing her chest out in pride.

"...Please don't make me reconsider." Damien sighed, then a moment later, he waved his hand and a black skin tight, well crafted body suit for women appeared.

Speed Conduit (Unique)

It had an amazing design, with thin lines flashing lightly on it. "And mom, I've also got you this as well. I had a friend craft it according to your aesthetic taste."

He said, and the suit slowly flew towards Esther, who put her cutlery down. "Couldn't you have done this after dinner?" She reprimanded, yet still took the gift.

"Thank you Dammy. I love it." She bloomed at it. Especially as she felt close to it, and was very eager to give it a try.

"...Old man, this one's for you." He said, waving a large furry coat towards David. The coat was made up of bear skin, with its exterior having soft heavenly fur.

Undaine Bear Coat (Unique)

"...I honestly didn't expect you'd have something for me too." David said in shock, taking the coat into his hands. He didn't know how to feel right now.

"If you don't mind, I can take it back."

"Ah, no. Thanks, I'll keep it." He said. He mostly felt strange, but not uncomfortable. In fact, he felt more than accomplished as a smile barely crept up on his face.

"Juliette... I'll leave yours for another day." Damien said, and Juliette obediently nodded. "It's fine. I wouldn't want to snatch away the spotlight when it's not my day either way."

She chuckled to herself, and Anne nodded. "She's right, but I was really curious what you got her little brother. Is it a ring for marriage proposal? Huh, huh?"

"Yes."

"Wait, what? Seriously?!" She exclaimed in shock, but Juliette bitterly smiled. "He's just joking senior sister."

"He isn't. They already signed a marriage contract of sorts." Esther said.

"They also went on their honeymoon." David added.

"Huh? Huuuuuh..?!"

"Auntie!! Uncle!!"

"Haaa~...I really, shouldn't be here." Damien thought in absolute regret. At least, he was on the right track of becoming absolute.

Just not his desired one.

~~~

After dinner, Anne bid farewell and left. Even when Esther suggested she stay for the night, she humbly denied and left after affectionately bidding everyone farewell.

The Gray family then went to their own bidding, Juliette and David taking care of the table and the dishes, while Damien floated hundreds of meters within the sky.

"..."

He looked down on the Shade Stronghold, watching as the night lights beautified the entirety of their new environment.

The Stronghold had five cities, the one Damien staying at being at the far back, and also close to the back walls. It was the main city, and also the largest out of them all.

It was two to three hours away from the entrance, meaning that the Romanian Envoys were almost about to arrive.

The other four cities were each located at cardinal directions of the Stronghold. And in between these cities were towns, villages and even danger zones such as the flarizards homes.

These creatures were like goblins, breeding like wild animals, and birthing a bunch every mating season. Worst of all, they had four mating seasons every year, which was quite the mystery.

They were the major threat of this Stronghold, and also the major source of life essence at this current stage of accepting The Primordial Source.

And all of these, were protected by the circular walls that were tens of meters tall, and almost ten meters thick. Every kingdom had such walls protecting them, making it a Stronghold.

"...You seem bothered." An ethereal voice drifted towards him from behind. The voice was sweet, soothing and intoxicating... a heart's perfect medicine. And a melody to the Heavens. "Are you okay?" It asked.

"More or less." Damien replied, not turning around as he knew who it was that stood behind him. After all, how could he not tell the voice of his own woman?

"More or less, he says." She floated besides him, and gave him a bright smile. "You seem more bothered to me, and less at peace. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Damien said, looking deep into her heterochromic eyes, "I was just suddenly reminded of the previous timeline. And it made me wonder... what if–"

"It won't." Juliette said with utmost resolve, cutting off his words. "This timeline will definitely not be the same as your previous one. Believe me."

"...That's not what I was wondering."

"Oh..." She blushed in embarrassment, and hurriedly covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry, I was too forward with my conclusions."

Damien subconsciously let out a smile as he gently brushed her hair. "But I believe you. I wont suffer in this timeline when I have you, and everyone by my side."

"..."

Juliette blushed harder at those words, and his hand gently brushing at her hair. And this went on for a while longer, until Damien added, "But the main reason I came here was to glimpse at the Fate and Destiny of our race."

"Our Fate and Destiny?"

"Yes. Do you want to stay with me?" Damien inquired, but Juliette lightly shook her head. "I... I can't. I have something I'm working on, and... it's a surprise."

"...Alright. Suit yourself." He said, then added as he stopped brushing her hair, "I'll join you for the night. Unless you'll still be busy even by then?"

"Nope. I'll be available for you."

"Nothing will happen though."

"Oh..." She pursed her lips, and cutely scoffed at him before floating back down.

Damien watched her leave with a playful smile on his face. As for satisfying her demands, he'd do it when she was really looking forward to it, and not when she was joking.

Like now. She also knew about this, which was why she had no qualms yet.

After a while, Damien then focused on why he came here in the first place. Taking a look at the destination that humanity would reach, and what paths it would take to reach it.

"Alright, let's go then, let's begin." He said, activating the newly obtained Unique Ability, Prophet of Humanity.

His eyes immediately burst out with pink and purple luminescence, that rivaled that of stars in its intensity and beauty.

Following that, he suddenly saw the world in a different light. As pink mist. As purple luster. As vigorous particles. As quintessential strings. As beauty itself.

"..."

He found himself appearing within a dark zone full of only a minority of colorless, that dominated its interior. Yet that only added more to its beauty.

And within the beauty he saw, the numerous quintessential strings interlinked and connected to one another in a unique pattern. While the source of each one was a human below him.

'So this is the path of each human? And them connecting and interlinking creates a path of this Stronghold's humanity?' He assessed, watching as a few of these quintessential strings had connections stretching beyond the Stronghold itself.

The major ones being the Romanian Envoys, and the minor ones being people like the Adams household that had connections with other Kings and Queens of other Strongholds.

'Every interaction, leads to an influence on the fate of a person. And the influence affects the destiny of their path... I see.' He thought in amazement.

He knew Fate, Destiny and Karma, but they weren't things he dwelled in too much. Hence learning more about them now, made him exclaim in shock, wonder and astonishment.

But that was not all. The quintessential strings themselves were made up of Unique particles, that when Damien glanced at them, felt like they were put together uniquely.

And if he were to just... rearrange them, he felt like that string's intended path... would be altered completely.

'So Fate can be rearranged, and once rearranged, it will redirect one's destiny..?' He mused, and taking this theory into practice.

He vanished and reappeared besides a quintessential string that moved throughout the void like a snake. This path was of a homeless child, who according to it, would lead her to die not long from now.

The reason was because this quintessential string interlinked with another quintessential string, which belonged to a group of dangerous men around this region.

But Damien didn't focus on that though, and instead used his Mana to forcefully move one particle making up the quintessential string. He moved it, and put it in another location of the quintessential string.