It was surely a being of pure Nonexistence, but he couldn't tell if it was supposed to be terrifying or welcoming.
Its physical form was relatively undefined as it was a being made of pure shadow, but it was lacking an air of intimidation. Rather, the owl-like creature perched on the rock, calmly plucking its shadowy feathers, was a little cute in Damien's eyes.
Did that mean it was safe to approach it? Probably not, but Damien did it anyway. If he had to fight, then nothing would change even if he hesitated and came back later.
He walked into the separated cave where the owl was. It immediately snapped its head in his direction and tilted it in curiosity. The creature instantly noticed that Damien didn't have any innate hostility or greed. His attitude was more one of curiosity and necessary caution.
It flew into the air and hovered there for a moment. Deciding that it wasn't enough, the owl flapped its wings and charged at Damien. He didn't move, as its trajectory was not combative. The owl flew in circles around him as if it were wondering what a person like him was doing here.
'Is this thing like the mist?'
The concept of mist on Existence's side was also a playful entity. It wasn't immediately hostile to anyone, but if it sensed negative energy in the souls of those who approached it, it would not respond kindly.
The mist led Damien where he needed to go when he was approaching the Emperor's Crown. If this owl was also a concept and a guide…
'...do I have to entertain it as well?'
Just as he asked the question, the owl swooped down and landed on his shoulder. It made a strange sound as it turned its head to look at him. "Relax, I'll go. You don't have to scream."
The owl bounced happily.
"What are you up to?" Damien asked, not expecting any kind of answer.
The owl cooed, seemingly displeased with his questioning. It raised a wing as if to point forward, cooing incessantly.
"Relax, I'll go. You don't have to scream."
The owl bounced happily.
Damien didn't expect it to be so expressive, nor did he expect it to be friendly. If the so-called guardian of the treasure was a playful creature , then why were people scared away?
'Did it take a liking to me?'
Damien shrugged. The owl seemed to like the motion as it happily rid his shoulder up and down like it was on a rollercoaster. He ignored it temporarily and followed its directions, moving through the cave. He was forced to break apart the ledge where the owl was originally perched to move deeper into the system. After a few turns in a strangely complex maze of tunnels, he reached another cave that seemed to be his final destination.
The owl hopped off of his shoulder and flew to the end of the cave, landing on a metallic treasure chest that was waiting there.
'Why is something here?'
It was an awfully human way to store a treasure. Naturally occurring treasures weren't wrapped up so cleanly. Usually, they'd just be sitting wherever they appeared, waiting for someone to grab them.
With many questions in mind, Damien undid the latches and opened the chest.
Inside, there was a single book.
[Records of the Absolute]
Its title was intriguing. Damien picked it up carefully, but it was in pristine condition despite the look of wear. The pages were firmly bound and unaffected by the time that ruined the book's cover.
Flipping through it, he read the story. Or rather, it was more of a biography.
'It starts a random cosmos somewhere in the Void.'
That was where the author of this book first met the person known as the Absolute.
It was the author's home cosmos. At the time, he was a Supreme God who was just touching upon Existence.
He realized the existence of the Void, and in his own words, that was the only reason why he was able to perceive that man at all.
He walked the realm casually, as if he had nothing on his mind at all. Everywhere he went, reality itself was morphed, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.
The man didn't seem to care. He continued on his mindless stroll with the same empty smile on his face.
Witnessing the repercussions of that man's presence in his cosmos, the author felt obligated to approach him and ask.
"Why are you doing this?"
The man glanced at him. The smile on his face changed ever so slightly as he responded.
"I do not, for I am not. Young one, are these changes not the result of your own actions?"
It didn't make sense to him at the time. That strange man continued walking, changing the realm as he went.
And one day, he once again disappeared.
Time passed and the changes he made became permanent. That which seemed destructive at first made way for new blessings to spawn. Because of the man, the author's cosmos flourished to a new extent.
But, the author was continuously plagued by that single sentence. For years and years, as he progressed through his comprehensions and mastered Existence, he kept thinking about what that man could have possibly meant.
Because the longer he trained, the more he realized how amazing that man was. He was a true Absolute, a person whose presence alone was enough to morph entire cosmos.
But, his presence was also unrecognizable and nonexistent.
It was through the existence of the Absolute that the author recognized Nonexistence for the first time. It was due to that man's influence that he finally entered this realm.
An Absolute was a being without meaning if not perceived. An Absolute was no different from the Void itself. Therefore, it was because the author perceived his existence that the cosmos was allowed to change permanently and achieve growth.
If not, what would have happened?
The author spent his entire life attempting to understand the Absolute. He felt that only after he did so could he truly reach his potential.
But, no matter how much time passed and no matter how much stronger the author became, he could never understand that man.
He questioned why that man even chose to speak to him. He wondered if there was supposed to be some sort of deeper meaning behind those words. However, he died without ever being able to find out the truth.
This was not a record of the Absolute, but a record of the author's obsession with the man he deemed Absolute.
And, in the end, there was never a proper solution to his problem.
'The words of an Absolute…he tried so hard to give them meaning, but he was simply never able to perceive it.'
The mind of someone who was able to traverse the Void was simply too different from that of anyone else. An Absolute could not be read or measured. Perhaps those words were never even spoken. They may have just flowed due to the man's perception. Reality was changing when the Absolute walked by, so who was to say that the form the man saw was even real?
In the end, the record seemed to be a useless book. The perspective was from an unreliable narrator and there wasn't anything definite about the author's encounter with the Absolute.
Nevertheless, if what the author perceived was true, then it was very exciting news for Damien. After all, the author of this book confirmed the existence of at least one person who had reached the heights that Damien was aiming for.
How could his blood not boil at such a revelation?