Just like the first island, there were no guidelines on the fifth.
The only information these future Supremes learned was that they needed to purify their Nonexistence. Other than that, they were on their own.
So, from Damien's perspective, what needed to be done to achieve that level of purification?
'I really don't know.'
Purifying Nonexistence wasn't necessarily a thing that could be done. It took whatever form it took based on one's experiences. Damien's Nonexistence was pure because he'd never polluted it in the first place.
But, for those who made it this far with a polluted concept, the situation was different.
They had to establish methods to purify Nonexistence before attempting it.
It wasn't much different from forming a Divinity. The people in this realm had to find out what Nonexistence meant to them. After establishing that in their core, they could chase it. Their efforts would pay off and the influence that external energy had on them would be decreased.
That was why this island was the hardest of the five.
Damien already established that Nonexistence wasn't just a concept to him. The way he interacted with it as if it was a living being with its own emotions and the lessons he learned from its faces in the process had already defined his "Divinity" in that sense.
What about others? For those who didn't receive the same enlightenment as him, it was impossible to define a concept like Nonexistence and personalize it.
'But this is the ideal environment to do it.'
This island was unique in that it wasn't polluted by any kind of aura. When people died, they wouldn't leave behind stains on the environment as they did on the other islands.
These experts had the benefit of being able to die as they pleased because they would not lose their energy in the process. This way, they could test and test and test without worrying about their strength depreciating.
Damien smiled. He had been staying away from death for that exact reason, but the freedom this island gave him allowed him to drop that worry. If he was able to die continuously, he would be able to practice like never before.
He first entered a city just to see what the atmosphere was like only to learn that it was mostly desolate.
The people here didn't have an interest in social lives. None of them gave up like the people of the third island.
At almost all times of all days, they were busy training, focusing on themselves.
Occasionally, there would be festivals and gatherings, but none of them were currently happening. As such, rather than focusing on the people, he decided to first find a place for himself to stay for the next few years.
He wasn't joking when he said that there wasn't a single inch of unclaimed land. The entire island was turned into a sprawling city to save space and contain all of the people living there.
It was a little funny to think that all of these experts were practically living in studio apartments, but that was beside the point.
Damien didn't want to go through the annoying processes of finding a place to live within the city. It was a general rule of thumb that if one found empty space, one could claim it. He chose that method instead.
Spending some time exploring the island was a good practice for him. Over the next few months, he met some of its people and interacted with them, learning more about the culture of this island.
And, more importantly, he found that it was impossible to claim any space. The beaches were kept empty on purpose as they were places where newcomers landed, and even the mountains and volcanoes were covered in claimed properties.
How was Damien meant to find a quiet place to practice?
He knew that his movements weren't going to be quiet. No, he was planning to die many times in the pursuit of his goals, so he needed the space to properly do so.
'The land isn't an option. The sea isn't an option. Then, I'm left with the sky, right?'
Damien was curious about why aerial architecture wasn't considered more often. In such an overcrowded place, wasn't it obvious to think outside of the box?
He was correct in that aspect, but he underestimated the difficulty of taking ownership of the Land of Nothingness' sky. 'I guess this is my first training method.'
As it turned out, the sky was barely different from the sea. It was made of pure Nonexistence. Though it allowed people to traverse through it if they had enough power, it was still murky and undesirable terrain.
If Damien wanted to build in the sky, he needed to first conquer it.
That was when his training began. He gave up on finding accommodations and flew into the air on his own. His connection with Nonexistence allowed him to stay in the airspace without being inhibited.
To do more than that, naturally he needed to practice.
He started by sitting down in the sky and meditating, becoming one with the atmosphere.
Slowly, he released his territory and expanded it to cover more and more space. It started as just a platform to support his weight, but he was eventually able to encompass several thousands of square feet for himself.
What started as nothing more than a foundation became more and more robust with time. Building vertically was more difficult than building horizontally, but it was also a task he completed with enough effort.
Damien didn't need much. He built a small cottage on the side where he could rest while keeping the rest of the space flat and turning it into a training ground.
His actions drew a lot of attention. The people living under him were quite curious about why there was a shadow over their homes now, and the people who saw it from a distance couldn't hold back their curiosity.
The denizens of this island began to approach Damien. Some of them were hostile, but most held an attitude of curiosity.
They wanted to know how he made it all possible. They wanted to learn from his accomplishments and achieve more like scientists hungry for a new find.
The fifth island was filled with people who had been on a dreary search for answers for far too long to still have passion. Damien's presence reignited the spark they felt when they first arrived in the Land of Nothingness.
For these people who had been living stale lives without progress for so long, the appearance of a newcomer who refused to think like them was a blessing.
Because, maybe by watching that newcomer execute his wild plans, they could find their own paths as well.
Just like the third, the fifth was a place that Damien liked a lot.
And, since the plan was to spend a decent amount of time here, he decided that it would be a good idea to become familiar with the residents. Damien's house in the sky became something of a meeting place for the people in a matter of one year. It expanded rapidly, making room for others to train and try things without fear of repercussions.
The sky became synonymous with prosperity and experimentation.
It all happened within a year. And frankly, even Damien was confused about this rapid development.