Void Evolution System Chapter 3

Upon turning around, Damien found himself facing a man in his late twenties with blonde hair and green eyes, whose expression was clouded with arrogance.

“No thanks, I’ll pass—you should find someone else to handle that.” Damien answered with a casual air, though he was secretly praying he hadn’t just run into a spoiled Young Master from some major corporation. Unfortunately, his luck failed him.

“Hmph! Who gave you the right to speak to me in such a manner? I am Jin Horten, successor to the Horten conglomerate! When I give an order, you obey!” the haughty man barked.

Damien let out a weary sigh. Even after the world was flooded with mana, the Horten conglomerate remained a dominant force in global technology. They possessed the influence to dismantle his life and the lives of his acquaintances without facing any consequences.

Sighing once more, Damien began to follow the man. “I can only wonder what other disasters my pathetic luck has in store for me today.”

As he arrived at the front-liner assembly with Jin, Damien was met with looks of pure contempt from nearly everyone present. He ignored them entirely. When he glanced at Elena, who was struggling to mask her shock, he could only offer her a faint, helpless grin.

“Listen up!” Jin shouted to the crowd. “I am Jin Horten, and I will be commanding today’s expedition.” He paused for a moment, clearly relishing the stunned expressions of the hunters as they recognized his prestigious background.

“This gate is officially classified as B-rank, but it is highly probable that the boss is a 1st class beast. Success depends on us proceeding with extreme care to ensure the gate is closed.”

Throughout his briefing, Jin repeatedly glanced toward Elena in an attempt to charm her; however, she maintained her typical stoic demeanor.

While Jin droned on about the tactical plan, Damien stared at the gate with fascination. It appeared as a swirling vortex of deep blue, attribute-less mana, maintaining its form by drawing in the ambient mana from its surroundings.

This is how Gates typically sustain themselves. However, once all the mana within a fifty-meter radius is consumed, the structure can no longer stabilize and inevitably collapses.

Usually, this collapse results in a mana implosion that levels the surrounding area. In certain instances, it triggers a dungeon break, allowing beasts to exploit the destabilized barrier and invade Earth.

Though such events are rare, they have historically wiped out entire cities. Consequently, the Guild Association established a strict regulation: no gate may remain unpurified for more than a single week.

Gazing at the gate, Damien felt a strange pull toward its mechanics. He gradually fell into a trance while observing the phenomenon.

‘It’s never explicitly stated, but these gates clearly utilize the spatial attribute to function. The gate’s suction is reminiscent of my Void Body; it absorbs external resources to sustain its own existence,’ Damien realized.

‘If my Void Body operates on a similar logic, what would occur if I bypassed my consumption limits? Could that be the path to true Cultivation and strength? If that’s the case, then how—’

His internal monologue was violently interrupted when a heavy kick sent him crashing to the dirt.

“Hey! You useless piece of trash, if you aren’t going to pay attention, why are you even here?”

Damien glared at Jin with eyes full of resentment but remained silent, vowing that he would eventually grow powerful enough to settle this debt. As it happened, Jin wasn't even saying anything of importance.

The strike was merely a way for Jin to feed his superiority complex. Damien cast one final look at the gate before pretending to focus on Jin’s speech.

Inwardly, however, he was still fixated on his Void Body. ‘A way to become stronger. Even if it’s just a theory, it’s the first real progress I’ve made in years. The problem is finding a source of energy massive enough to test it.’

He continued to dwell on the concept, letting Jin’s words flow in one ear and out the other until the briefing concluded. As the group began their final preparations, Elena approached him.

“Are you alright? That prick is only in charge because of his family name. If it weren't for that, I would have already—” Seeing that Elena was on the verge of losing her temper, Damien smiled softly and patted her head.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about it. Without his family, he’s nothing. Why should I waste energy on him instead of focusing on my own growth?”

Elena’s face flushed, but she didn’t pull away. “W-well, whatever! If you’re okay with it, then I am too.” Despite her dismissive tone, she placed a hand on Damien’s chest and began casting a healing spell.

Damien chuckled at the gesture. “Now that you’re done worrying about me, shouldn’t you get ready for the raid? It wouldn’t do for our famous War Priestess to be caught off guard, would it?”

Her blush deepened at his teasing, but since he was right, she quickly hurried off to finalize her gear.

Damien watched her depart before turning his gaze back to the gate, his face hardening. ‘That sense of dread has only intensified now that I’m closer. No matter. If things go south, I know I can escape, but...’

Damien looked at Elena once more. ‘Even if I have to push my body to the breaking point, I have to ensure she gets out alive.’

He called her his best friend, but in truth, she was his only friend. Since the day of the awakening when everyone received their powers, the social order had shifted drastically.

While those with useless abilities were cast aside and the powerful formed their own elite circles, Damien existed in a lonely middle ground.

He was rejected by both groups, and Elena was the sole person who stayed by his side. Reflecting on it, he felt a renewed sense of gratitude toward her.

Steeling his nerves, he stood up to join the vanguard. A fierce fire of determination ignited in his eyes. He would protect himself, and he would protect Elena, regardless of the cost.

As his resolve solidified, the space surrounding his frame began to slightly warp. Whatever awaited him inside this dungeon would mark a turning point; whether it led to salvation or ruin, only the future would reveal.