Void Evolution System

'It's so…unnatural!'

Damien didn't know how to explain it clearly. More than anything, the process looked incomplete.

Damien had to admit, the speed at which mana flowed into Aishia's wrist node was mind-boggling. Her mana was like streaking lightning the second it was mobilized, rushing through her body.

But she didn't actually have defined circuits to connect her body. Her nodes were strung together flimsily by small currents of mana.

Then, how did they achieve such an effect?

It took more time examining the node itself for Damien to understand the answer.

'This is a massive hub purely for amplification and casting speed. It's like a smaller, less refined version of my Mana Heart that's been granted offensive capability.

The idea was simple. Though the currents through which mana ran from one node to another were small, they were incredibly sturdy. The mana that traveled through it would be forcefully compressed by its size.

After that, the compressed mana would enter the node, and within an instant, it would be amplified and materialized, making that small current of mana into a large blast.

However, it didn't seem like Aishia had the capability to maintain this blast.

Damien very much wanted to ask her to attack him, but when he remembered the current situation, he realized that wasn't possible.

'For now, I'm just waiting for my turn. I should be in for at least a few rounds of torture, so it'll be best to mentally prepare myself.'

Even if Damien had a reasonable alibi, that didn't matter if his interrogators weren't reasonable in the first place.

Judging by the kind of research Evotech was doing, Damien didn't think they'd use any civil means for interrogation.

And frankly, even with his alibi, Damien was suspicious.

He just returned from the outside world, so if anyone had contact with a kidnapper or an assassin, it'd be him. It was likely Long Chen would be tortured as well.

Naturally, Damien already warned his friend about this, but Long Chen was just as resolute as him.

It might've seemed needless, but this interrogation and torture session meant a lot for their plans.

It was no small amount of information Aishia gave, and she was also a genuinely smart person. With Damien's judgement and hers combined, drafting up a rough plan in a few hours wasn't too hard.

'I need to gain their trust with this. If I can act as if I've been hiding my strength…'

Aishia had only the first goal in mind, but Damien was aiming for something else entirely.

After all, his main goal was still known only to him.

***

The time passed quickly, and when house lights finally began turning off for the night, Damien's guards sent three thundering knocks through his front door.

"Professor Damien Grey, please come with us." The one at the front said. He was a large dark-skinned man with a permanent scowl on his face. There was a large scar that ran from the top of his forehead down past his eyes and mouth, only stopping near his chin.

Damien "awoke" from his sleep with a confused expression on his face. "D-David? Can I help you?" He muttered with half-lidded eyes.

The man named David repeated himself. "Please come with us, Professor. There are many people who wish to speak with you."

"So late? What time is it?"

"The time isn't important, sir. These are very important individuals and they cannot be delayed."

After a bit more prodding, Damien finally seemed convinced. He quietly left the bed, so as to not wake Aishia, and equipped his clothing through his personal device.

Tidying up his hair and putting on his glasses, he followed the men out of the house, all the while hiding the traces of derision and mockery in his eyes.

It was only after a great deal of walking that they finally arrived at what looked like another lab. But after they entered, they descended down a staircase similar to the one in Aubrey Price's laboratory.

The underground space was connected to the same sewer system as before. It seemed to run below the entire headquarters. The room they arrived at after traversing the labyrinth, however, wasn't the same as the chimera research lab.

It was a small room that could at most fit ten people, but the inside was lined with torture tools of all kinds. In the middle of the room was an upright table on which the suspect would be chained.

"W-what is all this?" Damien questioned hesitantly. He didn't like what he was seeing at all. These didn't look like the tools of an important executive.

David shook his head. "This is where we part, Professor. I wish you good luck in your meeting."

"W-wait!"

Damien tried to stop David, but he and the other guards had already stepped out of the room. When the door closed behind them, it was immediately sealed and airlocked.

"My, my, you are quite the handsome one." An eerie voice came from behind him.

When he turned around, his eyes landed on an old woman around 50 or 60 years in appearance. Her wrinkled and saggy face was curled into a smile as she looked at him.

"What a shame, what a shame. To rip you apart would be a shame. Don't worry, dearest. When Big Sister is done with you, I'll put you back together and give you a sumptuous meal."

The old woman moved her body in what seemed to be a sensual manner, but the only thing of Damien's that rose was all the food he ate in the past rising up his throat!

But he was forced to hold down his vomit. It wasn't a good idea to anger the woman who'd be torturing him.

"M-ma'am, w-what am I doing here?" Damien asked timidly.

"Ah!"

The woman exclaimed as if she just remembered his presence. "To think I'd make such a simple mistake! Don't worry about a thing, dearest. Big sister will make sure you sleep nicely, and when you wake up, you'll be in wonderland."

The woman twirled in place, her body emitting a strange pink fog that dulled the senses. And as a natural reaction to foreign invasion, Damien's Void Physique moved into action.

But he instantly suppressed it.

At least while he was in Niflheim, he needed to suppress the Void Physique as much as possible. He didn't think he was slick enough to conceal himself from a Demigod.

With his Void Physique suppressed, Damien began succumbing to the numbing gas around him. His vision became hazy, his body became sluggish, and he collapsed onto the floor, the last thing he saw being the old woman's lustful smile.

***

Flash!

In the main building of the West Wing, a pair of striking red eyes flashed open. The man's head whipped to the side, peering through all physical things to see his target.

Unfortunately, the object he was seeking hid itself too fast. He wasn't able to completely pinpoint its location.

But at least he knew it was here.

'It's no fluke. The "seed" has finally arrived. However, will I become food for its growth, or will I be able to conquer it and make it mine? Haha, what an interesting game.'

The man's red eyes gleamed with the color of blood. Just the slightest bit of his bloodthirst was released, but that alone was enough to crumble the structures in his office.

'Hahaha, let us see. How will this seed grow, and how will I be pulled into it? Finally, I see a match worth gambling on.'

The man's eyes closed once more. For now, the seed could maintain its peace. It wasn't quite time for him to make his move yet.