The Absolute: Humanity's Second Chance

"Adonis, huh?" Damien murmured out to himself at her words, but Bella was still able to pick out his winds even within the chaotic winds.

"Yes. She should be there with him for the coming month." Bella added, not questioning Damien about where they were going.

The young man just called for her, and claimed that a mission was available for her. As for the reward that was capable of attracting her from her young mistress...

"...junior brother–"

"As promised, you can call me little brother. Or Dammy. Whatever flows better along your tongue." Damien cut through her words, as the always apathetic Bella Gray, showed a bashful side of her.

Yes. One of the reward for this mission, was complete access to calling Damien affectionately. And him also acknowledging her as an older sister.

"Okay. I'm not sure of the contents of the mission, but take care of me, Dammy." She said, slightly gazing at him from the corner of her vision.

"Mhm. I'll also be in your care, elder sister." Damien responded, waving his hand across him, as the space in front of them ruptured apart.

It shattered like a mirror, before collapsing onto itself to create a pool of endless abyssal darkness. A sort of darkness that would eat away at one's sanity by just glancing at it.

"Let's go." He said, going into the void pathway that he called forth, with Bella choosing to follow after him without hesitation.

She knew her junior brother would never hurt them. Though he never, not once, showed clear affection to them, he never showed hatred as well. None at all.

In fact, from parents, to the whole Gray House, Damien never really opened up to them. He never liked the way they raised him.

Nor did he like the fact that he had to share his parents with a group of others. He also felt, one-sidedly, that their affection was fake. If he could not show love to his own blood, he didn't believe that people unrelated could do the same.

But within the previous timeline, events took place, that showed him how much these people, these self-proclaimed siblings of his, loved him so much.

Even his parents changed at some point. He just ignored the changes back then. Plus, living without them, made him appreciate them more.

'I don't want to admit it, but I missed all of them at some point. I had immense regret because they existed, yet I never acknowledged that.' He thought, as in this lifetime, he chose to indulge in their love.

Even if he did not completely feel the same way, he could at least reciprocate. For someone who lost everything, and spent decades by himself.

He wanted to have everything, and spend centuries, nay, millenia, with a lot of them. Be it Flint and his people, the Gray House, his family, Juliette, the Vermillions, Adonis... and many more to come.

He will not be alone.

And the first step to that... was opening up.

Well, it was still unbelievable to others.

"I honestly didn't expect such a day to come." Bella's voice echoed out throughout the air, as she made her exist out of a murky whirlpool of darkness behind her.

"...Maybe I matured?" Damien offered a response, as he stood at the edge of what she would consider a cliff.

"Matured..." She repeated that word, as her gaze spun around her. She marveled at the vast land that was empty all around them.

As far as her gaze could see, the gaze of a Grandmaster at the peak of pure mortality, that stretched on for two miles, there was nothing.

The sight of a Grandmaster could accurately see anything within two miles. That including a subtle change of expressions, or a finger twitch. Yet within such a range, Bella saw nothing.

No trees, no grass, no shrubs, no sources of water, no hills, just a clear landscape. "Yeah. I realized that at the end of the day, you all love me dearly. The least I could do, is reciprocate." Damien explained.

From where he stood, before him was an endless world of darkness below. They were standing at the edge of a cliff. One so tall, they couldn't see the bottom from here.

It was as if they stood at the edge of the world. And below them, was the bottomless pits of hell.

"...I see." Bella responded, coming to stand besides him. She could barely see a thing below her, but Damien could.

As a Mythic Profession, a being at the same level as stronger demigods, his sight could accurately see anything within sixteen miles.

Then taking into effect his foundation as an Ascendent Human, his natural eye sight increased by five times. Then his [Wisdom Eye] unique skill further passively increased it by a hundred times.

He could clearly see anything within a range of 8,000 miles. And even though his gaze could not reach the bottom, since the cliff was still taller, he could still see the half-prosperous town 3,000 miles from here.

A town of around three million residents, all merrily going about their day. 'The town of Ívaldi, the gateway towards the city of Svartalfheim, the city of craftsmanship... Flint would love this place.' He thought to himself.

He then turned around, and walked away from the cliff. Bella did not waste time, and chose to follow after him.

She could not see anything anyway.

"Ah, by the way, we are in Norland." He said, and though a bit shocked, Bella robotically nodded her head.

Since childhood, her younger brother could do it all.

Swordsmanship? Mastered. Spearmanship? Mastered. Axe mastery? Mastered. Hand to hand combat? Mastered. Assassination? Mastered. Whip mastery? Mastered.

Name it, and he mastered it.

What of teleportation?

"I cannot cook. Well, not professionally. I cannot perfectly clean a house. I cannot knit clothes. Not at all. Nor sew them." Damien abruptly spoke, then added, "I'm not perfect. There are things even I cannot do. So elder sister, I'll be in your care."

"...Mhm. You are in good hands." Bella responded, slightly lowering her head as the sun was reflected through her glasses, obscuring her shaken gaze.

Being called elder sister... felt so nice.

Damien pretended not to be aware and continued, "There's the capital region of Norland, Asgard, four to five thousand miles from here. Taking your speed to account, we can arrive there in a minute or two. Five to ten minutes if we relax."

He said, and Bella nodded her head in agreement. Seeing as she was ready, Damien took off to the skies, and she chase after him at quite a relaxed pace.

The distance both of them covered within an instant, being inhuman. And yet one was still 100% mortal, while the other had at most deificated 50% of their overall being.

Yes. Damien was not a god, true, but he was 50% higher being. He was 50% closer to ascending to higher leagues altogether.

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

Their bodies shattered the sound barrier, as the both of them were miles away by the time the sonic booms shook the air.

But questions still had to be asked. Questions such as this; "How are we going to enter through Asgard? Unlike other cities, the Gray House failed to infiltrate its circles. Same with Alfheim. They are too intricately protected." Bella inquired, as her doubt was clear.

The Gray House had identities within most Strongholds. And in each Stronghold, they may, or may not have a subsidiary force under them. Nobles for example, or low leveled influential beings.

Their aim was not world conquest, but a means to obtain information. But as time progressed, distance between each Stronghold increased, thus also decreasing loyalty from their subsidiary forces.

Those working within Asgard, might have betrayed them. Their loyalty was not full proofed.

Bella had her doubts, but Damien did not seem bothered. "Don't worry too much. The Sigyn household is still relatively loyal to us. And I'll use their status to grant us both identities."

"But for that, we must first enter the city of Asgard. And I've already manipulated Destiny to fit our circumstances." He concluded, and though not completely understanding the concepts mentioned, Bella nodded.

Destiny, huh?

She wondered, now skeptical about it's existence and influence. In this time and age, anything, and literally anything... 'Was possible.' She thought to herself, as they continued onwards.

~~~

At the same time.

Outside the capital city of Norland.

A very luxurious coach made its exist out of the city, at quite the terrific speed. Behind it, a squad of knights in silver armor and royal capes chased after.

They rode on bulked war horses, that were 25% larger than ordinary war horses from earth. Their speed also being faster.

The knights clutched tightly onto the reigns of their war horses, as the wind assaulted their bodies without a care. No comfort nor peace for any of them.

And their princess did not seem to care about their overall well being. The coach did not decrease its speed.

Meanwhile, inside the royal coach charging forth at quite the high speed, the young and pretty princess, Loptr, furrowed her brown in displeasure as she thought.

'How hateful..!!' She thought about the occurrences that took place in the past months.