Damien was too great of a card from the start. If he didn't express full disclosure on their first meeting, he didn't think it would be possible to get the other side's help.
"As you have likely seen, our island functions on a system of peace. In order for the greatest number of practitioners to achieve success and to keep our common population safe, we treat the island's trial as a challenge rather than a death game," he said.
"However, as you also know, there are far easier ways to grow. Especially when making use of the Emptiness, the fastest method is always murder."
It was a story as old as time.
A society achieved peace, but there were always people who didn't desire peace. Through a million years of stability, the ire of those people rose and rose until they decided to revolt against the established system and plunge the world back into chaos.
These people were discontent. The increasing levels of the Area Lords made them feel like they had no choice but to be trapped on the island if it maintained its current status quo, so they wanted to tear it down.
If the world was once again enveloped in chaos and they were allowed to kill wantonly, they could rapidly increase their skills without needing to work hard and train.
The common people were off-limits. If any of them were killed, the killer was always immediately found and captured. There wasn't such a thing as getting away with murder on the island.
"As such, those people with high ambitions who are not willing to put in the effort to reach their goals have banded together."
They formed an organization to oppose the three temples, hiding in the shadows and growing steadily over time.
"As we do not die, it is impossible to completely exterminate them. The best we have been able to do until now is gather the ones we find in a prison below the earth, a place from where they will never again see the light."
However, that was until now.
"The tournament in question was originally meant to be a front to both draw them out and make them assume that we are too focused on ourselves to care about them. However, as more of them revealed themselves for the sake of the reward, we realized that their numbers are far higher than we originally expected."
Essentially, the tournament was a trap. The verified members of the temples had been informed that they were not allowed to participate. Some others mixed in with the culprits, of course, but a majority of the tournament's participants were enemies of the third island's society.
The problem arose there.
It was originally planned for the best of the three temples to participate in the tournament as well. Every time they killed an opponent, the tournament arena's formations would revive them inside of a prison.
From there, they would be interrogated and only released if they were found innocent. The rest would all be forced to remain there for eternity.
While the tournament was ongoing, the remaining forces of the three temples would lay siege on the members of the enemy organization and bring the rest of them into custody as well.
The plan was honestly close to complete. Despite the unexpected numbers and other factors, the three temples were more than prepared to take down their enemy. This wasn't the first time such a situation arose on the island, and it wouldn't be the last.
However, the Earth Temple specifically ended up in a predicament.
"Our original participant, Rosalyn, is currently incapacitated after challenging an Area Lord. As she is an impulsive person, it was impossible to stop her in time to tell her about the plan."
"So, basically, you need me to fill in that spot and clean up the idiots who entered the tournament," Damien said.
Karlen nodded as if pleased with Damien's quick understanding.
As mentioned, the plan was practically complete. Damien's help was only needed so that the single crack within was filled.
The matter of clearing out the members of the organization on the island would be handled by the temples. As would everything else.
As long as he filled that spot and properly showed off, defeating his enemies and sending them to the prison, his job was over.
'I don't have a reason to refuse.'
Damien originally believed that he would have to do a ton of work. That was how these things usually went, right?
It was different for a society with a timeless history.
The third island was built on billions of years of struggle. By this point, their strategy for cleaning up rebels was established in a training manual. They really just had to follow the steps and their problems would be solved.
'The more concerning thing is that prison they mentioned.'
It was a ticking time bomb. If they hadn't found a reliable method to kill off their denouncers, then didn't that mean billions of years' worth of criminals were sitting together in that dark place?
Perhaps it wouldn't happen in the next few million years, but at some point, they would find a way to escape.
At the end of the day, they were using Nonexistence too. They only needed one person to become stronger than the person who made the prison to make their big break.
That was an entirely unrelated problem, but Damien still didn't like it.
Considering that there were children on this island who thought of it as their home, he couldn't just be content with letting chaos establish its roots.
This was not just a place of trial like the other islands. It was a true nation.
'I can worry about that later. For now…'
Karlen was eagerly awaiting his answer with eyes that didn't fit a middle-aged man in the slightest.
"I'll do it," he said.
"But you said there would be rewards, right?"
Karlen smiled widely.
"Yes. If you are unable to win the tournament, then we will give you the tournament reward as thanks for your help. If you do win, then we will provide something of equal value alongside it."
There wasn't an established sense of trust between them. To fill that void and make both of them comfortable with working together, it was best to establish a relationship of mutual benefits first.
Damien didn't care about the rewards. Unless it was formed by Nonexistence itself, he wasn't interested in this land's treasures.
Still, he was curious.
The lesser reward was already something that forced so many members of that hidden group into the light.
To say that he would provide something of equal value as well… What kind of cards were Karlen holding onto?
The information itself was inconsequential.
Damien was helping them out of goodwill, though he would never say that to them.
Plus, the tournament was the best way for him to escape the island rapidly.
When they gave him such favorable conditions for a not-so-difficult task, how was he meant to be caught up on rewards? He wasn't that selfish.
Nevertheless, after getting Damien's approval, Karlen stood up and guided him to the door.
"We can talk more extensively about our plans when the festival draws nearer. For now, allow me to show you around our wondrous temple."