On a small island submerged within a sea of clouds, there stood a small cabin with humble origins. And within that cabin, a man sat cross-legged, submerged in deep concentration.
‘This isn’t right…where is that feeling…’
His thoughts raced constantly, unable to slow down for even a second. That feeling used to be so vague, but after a month of tireless effort, he was getting closer and closer to realizing it.
“Haa…” The man’s eyes slowly opened, revealing a mix of amethyst and red as he sighed in frustration.
‘Failed this time as well…but I’m close. If I just stumble upon a single spark to guide my way, I’ll get there in an instant.’
He shook off his thoughts and stood up, exiting the cabin and going to sit at the shore of the small lake outside. As he did so, he stared past the trees blocking his vision into the cloud layer outside.
‘Phew…to think it’s been an entire month. That old lady still won’t let me leave.’
Damien sighed again. Truthfully, he woke up not even a full day after the catastrophe he caused. After all, the reason he fainted was only that that Demigod woman knocked him out. The problem stemmed from the woman in question. No matter what he tried, she wouldn’t let him leave the island. Instead, she would come back every day to ask him the same question.
“How did you do that?”
The water in front of him twisted into the face of a woman and spoke. However, at this point, Damien wasn’t even scared anymore. This woman would always pop up in the most random ways, so he had long gotten used to it.
Damien rolled his eyes in response to the question. “I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with this. I already told you I just got a little spark of insight.”
The woman scoffed. “A little spark of insight? Do you even understand how arrogant you sound?! Even if you’re the Star Master, it’s wholly illogical for you to grasp even an entry-level understanding about Laws!”
“Ah, so that’s what it was. Why did it take you a whole month to finally fess up?” Damien questioned back.
The woman looked at him with a deadpan look in her eyes. “Kid, if you didn’t realize what you’d done even after having a Heavenly Tribulation summoned to smite you, you’d be too much of an idiot to be the Star Master.”
Damien smirked at her words. It wasn’t like she was wrong, he always had an inkling about what he did. But getting confirmation from a Demigod was the best way to affirm his thoughts.
“So that lightning was a Heavenly Tribulation, huh. I guess the universe didn’t like that I was overstepping my bounds? Sheesh, if you’re going to behave like that, then don’t create a genius with such heaven-defying talent like me.”
Damien flicked his fingers, summoning a black and white streak of lightning. The instant it appeared in the world, space collapsed and Damien’s hand was burnt to ashes.
As Transcendent Regeneration did its job growing his hand back, Damien turned his attention back to the shocked face of the female Demigod.
“What? Surprised?” He said gloatingly.
The female Demigod didn’t reply immediately. She stared at his regrowing hand and stammered to get her words out.
“You…you…ARE YOU CRAZY?!” She finally managed to roar, the panic in her voice evident.
“Not only were you blasphemous enough to try and control Laws using your own power as a 3rd class, you even stole the Tribulation Lightning that came to kill you?! Wait, in the first place, how did you manage to steal lightning belonging to the Heavens?! This is preposterous!”
Damien looked away, bored. Although he hasn’t heard this speech before, he had been anticipating it for a long while already. The second he realized the identity of the lightning residing in his Mana Heart next to his Void Flames, he knew this moment would come.
‘It’s not like I even wanted that lightning or anything. It just kept charging into my body and feeding itself to the Void Physique. Isn’t that basically just giving me a free lunch?’
Well, considering the pain he had to go through to acquire the lightning, it wouldn’t be apt to call it a “free lunch.” But at the same time, since he was too focused to even register that pain, it was wholly apt to do so.
Still, he didn’t voice his thoughts out loud. If the woman in front of him knew what he was thinking, he was guaranteed a beating.
Damien shook his head wryly. “Lady, when do you plan to release me from here? I have duties to attend to on the surface, you know.”
The female Demigod crossed her arms defiantly. “And why should I let you go? I’ve never seen a human as interesting as you before. Also, I have a name, so call me by it.”
This time, it was Damien’s turn to stare at her with a deadpan expression. From her demeanor, not a single person would assume that she was a being with insurmountable power. Also…
“How am I supposed to call you by your name if you haven’t even told me that name yet?”
She was quite the airhead sometimes. He didn’t know whether it was an act or not, but if it was an act, she was an Oscar-level actor.
The female Demigod quirked her head to the side and widened her eyes. A literal lightbulb made of mana appeared on top of her head.
“Ah! How could I forget?” She straightened her posture and did a slight curtsy. “This one is called Tang Lingzi, but you can just call me Sister Lingzi since I like you!”
“Is this how a Demigod is supposed to behave?” Damien questioned suspiciously as he watched her. “Aren’t you supposed to be all high and mighty?”
Tang Lingzi’s expression abruptly changed at his words. Her eyes became piercing and cold, her precious demeanor vanishing completely. As she looked down on him from above, it truly looked like she considered him an ant she could crush without even a hint of effort.
“Then, do you like this attitude better?”
Even the way she spoke changed. It wasn’t necessarily her tone, but the power behind her words that changed. Every word impacted Damien with almost physical force, nearly causing his ears to bleed.
Damien shook his head and dispelled the pressure he was feeling. Naturally, it was only possible because of his Star Master status.
“No, the other version is easier to talk to. I didn’t think you could make that kind of face.”
“Right? As expected of me. Making humans cower is nothing.”
Tang Lingzi’s demeanor reverted to how it previously was in an instant, making Damien roll his eyes yet another time.
His gaze panned the island once more. In the past month, he’d gotten incredibly used to this peaceful scenery. As he stared into the lake below, he suddenly remembered something.
“Right, where’s that so-called “cute disciple” of yours?”
Tang Lingzi smiled slyly. “Oho? Ohoho? You’re calling my disciple cute? Did you really fall for her at first sight?”
Damien looked back at her placidly. “I was clearly mocking the way you call her. How do you expect me to fall in love with someone I haven’t even seen or talked to yet?”
Tang Lingzi’s sly smile widened. “Oho? You haven’t seen or talked to her? Are you sure about that?”
Damien’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean? How can I interact with someone whose been on this hidden island their whole life? Who is she anyway?”
“Hmm…not telling! She’s away running some errands right now, so you’ll never get the chance to take her heart!” Tang Lingzi said with a wink.
Damien’s brow twitched incessantly. If she wasn’t going to tell him anything, why bring it up in the first place?! Besides, why did she immediately assume that he wanted to do her disciple? He didn’t know how much longer he could stand this constant teasing of hers.
“I really do need to leave, though. I only have 5 months left before I start for a new journey, so I need to wrap up all my loose ends before then.”
Hearing him change the topic, Tang Lingzi’s eyes became serious. No matter how powerful or eccentric he was, he was still a country bumpkin in the end.
“You think you can leave? It seems you don’t understand the state that your body is in right now.”