"Mom, please move to Apeiron."
The words were simple, but Damien still felt nervous saying them. It was an unknown sensation for him, but it was something akin to disobeying your parents as a child.
Claire looked into her son's earnest eyes as she pondered. After a few long minutes, she decided to speak.
"Why do you want me to move?"
If she spoke simply from her emotions, she would have immediately rejected the idea, but things were different now. Thinking back to the dream she saw last night, she couldn't help but see things from a more logical perspective.
The Damien she saw in her dream was still a boy, but the Damien in front of her now was a man. Either this meant that her dream was false or that it took place at the beginning of his journey.
She was more inclined to believe the latter. Especially with her system window saying her affinity was 'dream', she was sure it wasn't an illusion or anything.
'If that was just the beginning, then what did he go through after that?'
The single experience was harrowing to her. Not only was he left within an inch of his life, but he also watched his arm be torn off and eaten in front of him and he was cast into that gnawing abyss by the dying wolf.
She had some mild trauma from the dream, and she hadn't even felt the pain that came with all those injuries. She had, however, felt the emotions.
Fear, unwillingness, anxiety, and near the end, insanity.
She felt it all and questioned how her son was able to sit in front of her with the demeanor of a normal person. She could only commend his efforts, and out of respect for that, listen to his suggestions.
Damien, on the other hand, was mildly shocked that his mother didn't immediately protest. He had originally expected this to be a long conversation filled with begging, but it seemed it would be much easier than that. Relaxing a bit, he answered her question.
"I have a feeling that earth will be subjected to many catastrophes in the future. And if there is any risk of something bad happening, I don't want you to get caught up in it."
Although he knew she would have a hard time understanding, Damien proceeded to tell her about the happenings at Niflheim.
He explained what Rose and Elena found and also what he had found about the world core. He also talked briefly about the battle with the dark imps and their abilities.
While on this subject, he also had to mention the Nox, albeit only slightly, so she could get a better idea of the bigger picture.
And finally, Damien told her about what happened between him and the world core. This was the first time he was telling the girls about it as well, so he gave more details on this particular matter.
"When I first achieved 3rd class and became a Celestial, I received the ability to use starlight as an energy source or an element. An example of this is how I can harness the flames of the sun."
Damien flicked his finger, creating a small wisp of flame. But the power of this tiny flame was immense, letting the group understand his point.
"I thought this was it, with the rest of the class being an extension on my spatial element, increasing the possibilities. But I was wrong.
"When I was there next to the earth's core, I ended up forming a bond with it. Well, I don't know if bond is the right word, but I essentially became the Star Master of earth."
Both Elena and Claire were aware of the term Star Master. Damien was heavily into cultivation novels as a teen, so he had ranted to both of them about various concepts he found interesting.
Rose was confused by the term, being from another world, but it was quickly explained to her by the rest. Since the concept was generally straightforward, she didn't take much time to catch on.
"Son, does that mean you are the master of earth or something?" Claire asked curiously.
But Damien shook his head. "I don't think it's that simple, and I also don't believe that I have the power to claim myself to be the master of an entire world.
"But what I do know is that I have the potential to become one. And not just for earth, but for countless worlds. This is the path that has been laid out for me."
Claire's eyes slightly widened in realization. Only now did she figure out that her son would be leaving on a journey soon.
"And why do you believe Apeiron is better than earth? Didn't they get invaded long before earth did?"
This time, Rose was the one to answer her. "Auntie, Apeiron is a world filled with peace. Even the beasts stay within their territories and don't rampage and slaughter needlessly. My father is the emperor of the largest human empire on the continent, so your safety can be guaranteed.
"Not to mention, it's been 1000 years since the Nox invaded, and they haven't returned even once."
"I have a theory about this." Damien chimed in, "The Nox faced heavy losses on Apeiron during their last invasion attempt, to the point where they were forced to retreat and recuperate for hundreds of years before they could move again.
"If I'm not mistaken, I believe the Nox will not attack Apeiron again until they have completed the conquest of various other worlds. Perhaps it's a safety precaution, or maybe it's just instinct. But at least for now, Apeiron is safe.
"However, earth doesn't share the same security. It's a small and new world that anyone can use for their own machinations. Just like how Niflheim came, others will too.
"And if the force from the Cloud Plane didn't arrive as well, earth would have fallen long ago."
Claire was beginning to understand why Damien wanted her to leave. She was slightly distressed that he would be putting himself in danger again, but she couldn't do anything about that.
She had been back in this changed world for long enough to gain a basic understanding of how things worked. Strength was king within this vast universe, and Damien needed to gain it.
Even if Damien glossed over it, Elena made sure she knew how hard he worked for her sake. She wanted Claire to be proud of her son's achievements. And indeed, she was proud. Yet, she was also aware of how much of a burden she was.
She was saddened by the fact that she would be a burden to him even after she had woken up, but she couldn't do anything about it. She could only suppress her negative feelings and comply.
'What would you do in this situation?'
She thought about the only man she had ever fallen in love with. A man who was as mysterious as the boundless cosmos and had more charisma than anyone else.
"Claire, our son is destined for greatness," he once said to her. "No matter what, we must support him in his journey. We just raise him to be strong enough to fend off anything that could bar his path."
Sighing, Claire slowly nodded her head. "Alright, I'll move to Apeiron. However, you must come visit me once in a while, or I'll find some way to leave and come spank you like I did when I was little!"
Damien shivered a bit thinking about those childhood days. He knew what his mother was like when she was angry, and he didn't want to see that side of her again.
Damien nodded hurriedly in compliance. Now that he had convinced her, he didn't have any more reservations to move forward on his path.
The group stayed on earth for another day, with Claire lacking her necessities as if she was going on vacation before they gathered in the backyard.
Once again, Damien used the connection he felt with Apeiron to open a portal. The difference was, this time the portal was only big enough for their group to enter together.
'It seems like the portal size depends on us. So Zara's extravagance was the cause last time.'
Damien smiled wryly at this. At least he could be discreet when he used the skill normally. He was a bit flustered last time when they made such a grand entrance.
The group stood in a line, while Zara stayed in Damien's shadow. Although their safety was guaranteed, they still made sure to hold each other so they didn't get separated.
Claire watched the portal in trepidation, but feeling the firm hands of her son and Elena, she steeled herself.
'I can't show them such a weak side, now can I?'
With one final look at the house she had spent so many years of her life in, and with one last reminiscence of the old days, Claire stepped into the portal.
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