Chapter 591: The Cure: Eden [1]

Elsa was taken aback by those words. She remained silent, trying to grasp the sheer scale of Damian’s ambition. His intention to gather all seven Sin inheritances was already extraordinary, but reaching into Heaven, claiming its powers and becoming the sole God was an entirely different matter.

Her eyes dilated, relaxed, then widened again as the implications slowly sank in. The concept of a single God ruling over Heaven and the Underworld, breaking the boundaries that had separated the two for countless ages, was simply too enormous to comprehend at once.

Thankfully, Damian was in no hurry. He crossed his legs and reached out, causing Elsa’s wine cup to fly into his hand. He took a leisurely sip before drawing another puff from his cigar, alternating between the two while his thoughts wandered toward Velmora.

With the vast resources of Gildreach now under his control, he finally had the means to develop his own realm on a much greater scale. He could strengthen its military, improve its infrastructure and establish the foundations of an empire capable of supporting his ambitions.

However, ruling two realms came with responsibilities he could no longer afford to handle personally. He needed to leave behind clones capable of carrying out his development plans, managing the royal court and making decisions in his absence.

He was no longer the weak demigod who had to appear before his court constantly to ensure his subordinates obeyed his orders. His position had changed, and his methods would have to change with it.

"Alright... Your goals are a bit... Too ambitious but I guess that’s what makes it amazing." Elsa finally broke the silence, a thoughtful expression settling over her face. "And honestly I want to help and I think I have a means in mind."

Damian raised a brow, though he wasn’t particularly surprised. Deep down, he had expected Elsa to offer her assistance eventually. She was the only Goddess among his women, and he naturally held higher expectations for her.

"Let’s hear it." Damian blinked in surprise.

Elsa nodded and began to move, but before her feet touched the floor, she drew her legs back onto the sofa. Her gaze had settled on the crimson eye covering the ground, its enormous pupil staring upward with an unsettling intensity.

Even after everything she had witnessed, the sight of Abyss watching her from beneath her feet was deeply uncomfortable.

"Can you... Get rid of it... It’s disturbing to step on it," Elsa requested.

"I change my mind. She’s not the one," Abyss said immediately.

Damian rolled his eyes while Elsa laughed lightly. The tension that had gathered in her shoulders eased as she watched the darkness covering the room retreat into Damian’s shadow.

The crimson eye vanished with it, leaving the floor and furnishings visible once more. Only then did Elsa notice how unusually thick his shadow was. His shadow seemed deeper than it should have been, stretching beneath his enormous frame like an opening into a place that had no bottom.

Elsa got to her feet and hurried toward a nearby bookshelf. She ran her fingers along several old volumes before pulling out a dusty book with a thick green cover decorated with strange patterns.

A sturdy belt buckle sealed it shut, and the cover looked old enough to have survived several generations of rulers. Elsa returned to Damian and sat on his lap without asking permission, unbuckling the book before flipping through its yellowed pages.

Damian glanced down at her, mildly amused by the sudden familiarity, but said nothing as she searched for the passage she wanted. Eventually, Elsa stopped at an illustration of a massive tree whose branches stretched toward the heavens. Its trunk was so enormous that entire structures seemed insignificant beside it, while its roots disappeared into a landscape filled with strange formations.

"Sealed Artifact 001... Tree of Creation," she said.

Damian’s eyes widened with surprise. He took the book from her and examined the illustration intently, his fingers carefully holding the fragile pages. Something about the tree’s immense scale and shape reminded him of the World Tree he had seen in the Mother Stream. The resemblance was too precise to dismiss as coincidence.

"Doesn’t this look like the..."

"World Tree you see in the Mother Stream... Yes they are identical because the Tree of creation was made it in its image. It is the first sealed artifact in existence in this universe," Elsa explained.

Damian showed no particular reaction to the revelation. He had barely made use of sealed artifacts and knew too little about their origins to appreciate the significance of being shown the first one in existence. To him, the illustration was intriguing, but its connection to the World Tree meant little without an explanation of what the artifact could actually do.

Elsa facepalmed and let out a defeated sigh. "I forgot you have only aware of the spirit world for 12 years, ten of which you were unconscious."

She started to stand, apparently intending to gather her thoughts, but Damian tightened his arm around her waist and prevented her from moving away.

"Stay where you are and explain," he said gently.

Elsa’s face flushed red. She cleared her throat and adjusted herself on his lap before continuing, determined to focus on the matter at hand rather than the warmth of his arm around her.

"Anyways... Sealed Artifact 001 is located in my home world which is believed to be the ground of creation, where all the origin races were formed. At the center of it all is Eden, where the Tree of Creation resides." Elsa explained. "It’s believed that fruits from this tree, can not only prolong life but grants eternal life..."

Buzz!

Damian’s eyes widened. He abruptly rose to his feet, lifting Elsa into his arms along with him. She let out a startled scream and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck to keep herself from falling, while Damian stared down at her with an intensity she had rarely seen directed at anything other than an enemy.

"Can it heal my damaged soul?"

Elsa nodded firmly. "Not only can it heal your damaged soul, it gives true immortality that cannot in the sense that your body and soul possess regenerative properties. Even if damaged again your soul will heal itself."

For a moment, Damian felt as though the weight pressing against his soul had finally begun to lift. He had spent years searching for ways to overcome the limitations imposed by his damaged existence, and the prospect of a fruit capable of restoring his soul while granting true immortality was almost too good to ignore. If Elsa was correct, the Tree of Creation could solve both his immediate problem and the greater threat hanging over his future.

However, Elsa paused, and the uncomfortable expression that crossed her face immediately caught his attention.

"However, there are a few problems," she admitted after a moment of silence.

Damian’s eyes narrowed. Of course there was a catch. Nothing capable of granting true immortality could be obtained without some complication, especially in a universe where the most powerful beings guarded their advantages with ruthless determination.

Puff!

Abel appeared on the sofa, his small pitch black dragon body settling against the cushions as his crimson eyes fixed on Elsa with a stern gaze.

"I was wondering if you were going to bring up the problem." He shifted his attention toward Damian, his expression unusually grave. "It’s not a small problem, it’s the whole problem!"

Damian’s eyes widened. He had rarely seen Abel react so strongly to anything, and the dragon’s warning immediately dispelled the hope that had begun taking root in his mind.

"What’s up?" Damian asked.

Abel levitated into the air, his long body gliding forward until he stopped directly in front of Damian. His crimson eyes met Damian’s, and for once, there was no trace of his usual condescension or casual indifference.

"To cut things short ... Eden is located on the planet Abode, the first planet which is currently the direct territory of the Supreme deity!"

Damian felt as though he had gone deaf upon hearing that name. His arms and legs weakened, though he forced himself to remain standing, his grip on Elsa loosening only slightly.

"What?" he blurted out.

"Yes... The planet is under the control of the supreme deity who passed it on to the next supreme deity after his or her demise. Each supreme dusty eats the apple of life gaining true immortality and that’s why each supreme deity is extremely powerful our normal demon lords can’t match them in strength. Only a perfect demon lord can hope to stand from on equal levels terms with this being," Abel explained.

Buzz!

Damian shuddered, countless thoughts racing through his mind. The fruit that could repair his soul and grant him immortality was not simply hidden behind a dangerous journey or guarded by a powerful monster. It was the source of the Supreme Deity’s immortality, protected within a world that belonged directly to the being who possessed the highest authority in existence.

Elsa tightened her grip around Damian’s neck, drawing his attention back to her. Her expression had grown solemn, and she began explaining the part of the story that Abel’s warning had not covered.

"Abode was our home planet and when Lazarus gained the greed Inheritance we fled the place, afraid to die at the hands of the supreme deity the moment he finds out about our existence. We wandered world and eventually came to Gildreach when he became a God." Elsa began. "The reason why Lazarus put those mining and labour groups in noble positions wasn’t because he lacked the ability to attract competent allies but because he needed wealth more than allies."

"How?" he asked.

The story was becoming much more complicated than he had expected.