Chapter 498 — He’s Gone

Lily’s expression became regretful as she continued.

"The fragment ended there. My ancestor’s final message was cut off at that moment, right before the final battle’s conclusion."

She took a breath.

"We didn’t know what happened next. None of the direct descendants received any further memories, any indication of victory or defeat."

Her hands clenched.

"Days passed with no word, then weeks. The elders prepared for the worst, assuming our Ancestor had fallen along with everyone else who’d answered the Oracle’s summons."

Her eyes found Damian’s face.

"But then survivors started returning home. Wounded Gods, broken Demigods and warriors who’d barely escaped with their lives."

Her voice became stronger, carrying certainty that made the air itself seem to vibrate.

"And from their scattered reports, from the fragments of testimony we managed to piece together, we learned the truth..."

She paused, letting the tension build.

"Against all possibility, against every logical outcome, against even the Oracle’s own predictions of total annihilation..."

Her eyes blazed.

"That world survived!"

She met Damian’s eyes with absolute conviction.

"And every top power in the universe, every God and Demigod and Cosmic Entity that paid attention to such things, they all realized the same truth..."

Her voice became quiet again, carrying awe.

"A single Demigod had managed to fight off a Demon Ruler."

Thump thump thump thump

Silence fell inside the barrier, broken only by Damian’s thundering heartbeat.

’Demigod...’

The words echoed through his mind.

’So it really was Grandpa.’

The pieces fell into place with devastating clarity.

When Felix had told him about his grandfather having fought Demon Rulers, he’d wondered: ’Those beings shouldn’t have had the time to come after Earth. They should be occupied by the Light Bearers, fighting wars across multiple worlds.’

But now hearing Lily’s words...

’It wasn’t the Demon Rulers coming after our world.’

The realization crashed through Damian’s mind with absolute clarity.

’It was Grandpa going after them.’

His hands trembled at his sides as he tried to calm himself down.

Lily watched the understanding dawn across his face, then continued.

"So when my elders decided to send me somewhere safe... "

Her voice pulled him back to the present.

"They chose Earth. After all, which other world could possibly be safer than a world whose protector had proven he could fight Demon Rulers?"

She gestured vaguely at the sky, at Earth itself.

"Not to mention, Earth’s natural dimensional barriers provide additional security against any being above S rank attempting forced entry. Even Demon Rulers would struggle to breach them."

Her expression shifted, becoming complicated as she looked at Damian.

Something like sadness mixed with resignation.

"But who would have thought..."

She shook her head slowly, not finishing the sentence.

"I... understand."

Damian’s voice came out quiet, his mind racing through the information he had gathered so far.

’Our world is special for some reason that humans don’t fully understand. Every race seems to want it, to covet whatever makes Earth unique.’

The pieces clicked together with horrible clarity as he remembered Agatha’s words about Bloodworth family history.

’So why would they allow another being who could fight Demon Rulers to rise?’

His jaw clenched.

’Why would their Seers and Oracles permit the Bloodworth family to produce more monsters when they would eventually stand in their way?’

Snow fell heavier now, accumulating on his shoulders.

’But father broke through to SS rank anyway. Despite all their efforts, despite every obstacle they put in his path...’

His nails dug into his palms.

’The Bloodworth family’s massacre... isn’t as simple as betrayal from the Imperials.’

His eyes became distant.

’In the end, every mystery is related to Earth’s secret, isn’t it?’

He looked up at Lily, the question forming before he could stop it.

"Lily, do you know why Earth is so special? Why every race wants it?"

Lily’s expression shifted, something like frustration crossing her features.

"I wish I knew, nephew."

Her voice carried genuine regret.

"My elders never told me. They just said to stay on Earth, that it was the safest place, but they never explained why the world itself mattered beyond your grandfather’s protection."

She shook her head slowly.

"Dragons have long lifespans and even longer memories, but some secrets are kept by those at the very top." She paused. "Whatever makes Earth unique, it’s knowledge reserved for Gods and ancient beings who’ve lived through eras we can’t imagine."

Damian nodded slowly, filing that away.

’So even the Primordial Dragons don’t know. Or at least, they didn’t share that information with their younger generation before scattering them across the universe.’

He exhaled slowly, breath misting white.

’If not for that secret... maybe things would’ve been different. Maybe other races would’ve welcomed another being who could protect them from the Demons instead of trying to destroy his family.’

But something else nagged at his attention, a detail that didn’t fit the pattern.

’Lightbearers never tried anything against our world. Even knowing how special Earth is, even having the power to attempt conquest.’

The question hung unanswered in his mind.

’Is it because Grandpa saved their world? Some form of debt or honor that prevents them from moving against us? Or is their nature genuinely different from every other race?’

Before he could pursue the thought further, Lily’s voice cut through his spiraling analysis.

"So whatever path you have chosen, nephew..."

Her expression became deadly serious, all playfulness vanishing.

"Don’t underestimate your family’s main Law of Blood either. It is what allowed your grandfather to stand where gods fell."

Her eyes bored into his with intensity that made him straighten unconsciously.

"That Law is your birthright, your inheritance from a being who changed the universe’s balance through sheer will and power."

Damian nodded slowly, her words settling into his mind with weight.

’I need to find time to visit the Bloodworth estate.’

The thought came with certainty.

’There must be some answers there, knowledge about the Law of Blood that I cannot access anywhere else.’

His hands clenched at his sides.

’If I’m going to face what is coming, if I’m going to protect my family and stand against everything trying to destroy this world...’

His crimson eyes blazed with determination.

’Then I need to unseal my Innate Blood Manipulation Skill. And I need to understand more about its principles...’

Lily’s hand rose, making another gesture.

The barrier shimmered, then dissolved into nothing.

Sound rushed back in, the whistle of wind through snow-covered buildings.

"Well then, I should get going before mother thinks I’m up to no good again." She smiled, warmth returning to her expression. "Take care of yourself and try not to die before we meet again, alright?"

She turned around without waiting for his response, preparing to leave.

Damian’s voice came out before he could stop it, barely above a whisper.

"Tell Grandma..."

Lily paused, not turning back but clearly listening.

"Tell her that her daughter will be back soon."

The words hung in the cold air between them.

Lily remained frozen for three heartbeats.

Whoosh

Then she vanished, her form blurring and disappearing in a rush of displaced air.

But her voice entered Damian’s ears anyway, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.

"I think she would want her grandson to be safe as well."

The words hung in the frozen air as Damian stood alone before the massive gates.

After some time, his hand moved towards his spatial ring, pulling out a cigar specially imported from the Eastern Region.

He lit it up using his Aura, drawing smoke deep into his lungs.

Then he sat down right there in the snow, his back against the cold gate.

’I never thought... I would miss my past life.’

The admission came with a strange weight.

His crimson eyes tracked the moon’s pale glow, watching clouds drift across its surface.

’Every day was shitty in that world... Waking up wondering if today would be the day someone would finally put a bullet in my head.’

He took another drag, the ember glowing bright in the darkness.

’Scraping together influence from nothing, building an empire on corpses and fear...’

The cigar burned steadily between his fingers.

’Being a simple Mafia Boss in an ordinary world...’

His lips curved into something bitter.

’It was far better than whatever the fuck I’m caught up in now.’

Snow gathered on his shoulders, in his hair, melting against the warmth of his body.

’Demon Rulers who can kill Divine beings easily... Gods fighting across entire worlds. Seers and oracles manipulating timelines to prevent anyone from changing the future they want...’

He exhaled smoke slowly.

’In the entire universe, so far only the Lightbearers don’t seem to be my enemies, right? Everyone else is either already against me, or will be soon enough.’

The thought came with dark amusement.

’And the one being who could have stopped all of it, who proved he could stand against the worst the universe had to offer...’

His hand tightened on the cigar hard enough to crack it slightly.

’He’s gone.’

He took another drag.

’Why did he keep saving everyone anyway? First the north, then humanity, then even the Lightbearers...’

The moon disappeared behind thicker clouds, plunging the area into deeper darkness.

And Damian sat there alone in the snow, carrying questions that had no answers.