Vorgath also looked toward the sky, his body unable to move due to the serious injuries, but his remaining eye looked upward.
"So... Youâre a monster wearing human skin. But youâre a monster who protects humans and cares for them despite trying to hide it. I can see that clearly."
The Giantâs voice grew softer.
"And that will be the cause of your death one day. Caring makes you vulnerable and gives enemies leverage.
The moment someone figures out what you actually value, theyâll use it to destroy you."
"I only care about my people. Not humanity in general."
Damianâs response was immediate.
"Iâve killed more humans than Iâve killed Giants, probably. Anyone who threatens whatâs mine dies regardless of their species. My protection extends to a very small circle, and outside that circle, I couldnât care less who lives or dies."
Vorgath stared at him silently for several long moments.
Then sighed with a wet rattling sound.
"...Humans are the most divided species Iâve ever encountered across all my campaigns.
You fight each other more viciously than you fight external threats. You create hierarchies that exploit your own kind. You allow corruption and injustice to fester in your governments."
His remaining eye met Damianâs directly.
"It wonât be long before Giants and the other species conquer your planet. Not because you lack power or capability, but because you canât unite against external threats. Youâre too busy fighting each other."
Damian said nothing, his expression completely unreadable.
Then he leaned closer with his mouth near Vorgathâs ear, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper.
"I know about the Giant clans uniting under a single leader. About the coalition being formed to coordinate the invasion. About the resources being pooled and the armies being assembled."
Vorgathâs remaining eye went wide with shock and horror.
"Thatâs... thatâs classified information. Only the highest-ranking commanders know about the Unification. How could you possiblyâ"
"I know many things I shouldnât know."
Damianâs smile was cold.
"And Iâm telling you this so you die understanding one thing clearly: I will find your Unification Leader... And I will kill him.
Your grand coalition will collapse before it fully forms because Iâm going to eliminate everyone involved in coordinating it."
"Youâre only one human! You canâtâ"
"Watch me."
Damianâs hand plunged into Vorgathâs chest, breaking through armor and ribs, wrapping around the still-beating heart.
"You wonât be watching, obviously. Because youâll be dead. But trust me when I say your leader is already marked for death as well... Itâs just a matter of time before I become strong enough to reach him."
Vorgath tried to speak, tried to warn about the impossibility of what Damian was planning.
PUCHI
But his words died as Damian pulled, the heart coming free with a wet tearing sound, arteries and veins snapping.
The Giant commanderâs remaining eye went glassy, life fading as his heart beat twice more in Damianâs palm before stopping.
Damian stood slowly, holding the massive organ, looking at it clinically.
Then he brought it to his mouth and bit down, consuming the B- rank heart, his Devourer Body Art working to integrate the most potent genetic material heâd acquired so far.
âââââââââââââ
...
Strength: 385 â 400
Speed: 410 â 420
Stamina: 400 â 410
Vitality: 425 â 450
...
âââââââââââââ
The power surge was immediate and intense, his body restructuring itself at a fundamental level, integrating B- rank genetics in ways that pushed him beyond any reasonable human limits.
He could feel it.
He was physically stronger now than most B rank awakeners despite being only C- rank himself.
The Devourer Body Art had done exactly what heâd designed it to do: break human biological limitations by incorporating genetics from other species.
The cost was his humanity, his moral boundaries and his acceptance by normal society alongside some side effects.
But heâd made that choice consciously and he wouldnât regret it now.
Damian turned toward the survivors, his expression carefully neutral despite the blood covering him, despite having just consumed a heart in front of them.
They took an unconscious step backward as he approached.
"The Giants are all dead... This portal is ours now. We will wait for it to stabilize a little and create an opening back to our world, then we go home."
His voice was steady, controlled, showing none of the madness that had consumed him days ago.
"Damian..."
Ryanâs voice came out strained, the military officer clearly struggling with what to say.
"What you did... what you became... weâre grateful for being saved but we need to talk aboutâ"
"No, we donât."
Damian interrupted, his tone flat.
"You donât need to talk about anything. You donât need to understand what I did or why. You donât even need to accept it or approve of it."
He gestured toward the cave.
"You just need to stay alive until we can return home. Thatâs all.
Whether you fear me or hate me or think Iâm a monster doesnât matter. I didnât do this for your approval."
The survivors exchanged troubled glances, none of them knowing how to respond.
Marcus stepped forward, the businessman showing more courage than the others.
"We do fear you. I wonât lie about that. What we watched you do was... beyond anything we thought humans were capable of."
His voice was careful, measured.
"But weâre also alive because of you. Our families will see us again because you did things nobody else could or would do. So... thank you. Even if we donât understand it. Even if it terrifies us. Thank you for saving us."
Damian stared at him for a long moment.
Then nodded once, acknowledging the sentiment without commenting on it.
"Get some rest. Iâll keep watch."
He walked away from them, moving toward the edge of the clearing, putting distance between himself and the people who couldnât look at him without flinching.
Kuro limped over to him, the ravenâs injuries severe but already healing thanks to his bond with Damian providing accelerated regeneration.
Damian didnât understand Kuroâs abilities well. But it seemed he was deeply tied to his own state.
The bird settled on Damianâs shoulder despite his smaller size making it awkward, his presence offering silent support.
âAt least you donât judge me... At least you understand that sometimes survival requires crossing lines.â
Damian sat down on a boulder at the clearingâs edge, looking out at the forest filled with Giant corpses, his mind already working through what came next.
The portal was stabilizing faster, he could open the path back to home soon.
Until then, they were trapped here together.
Ten human survivors and one teenage monster whoâd saved them by becoming something they could barely recognize.
Behind him, the survivors gathered in small groups, their voices low as they discussed what theyâd witnessed, processed their trauma and tried to reconcile being saved by something that terrified them.
"He ate their hearts. Their actual hearts."
"Did you see how he moved? Almost like teleportation."
"He killed almost five hundred Giants together."
"But he saved us! Twice now! Whatever he is, he protected us!"
"I donât know if Iâm more relieved or terrified that heâs on our side."
Damian heard every word despite the distance, his enhanced perception picking up their whispered conversation.
He didnât react or respond.
Just sat there covered in blood, staring at the alien sky, wondering what waited for him when they finally returned home.
âLuna. Mother. Father. The Mafia. Everyone I left behind. What would they think if they knew what I did to survive?
Will they fear me like these survivors do? Will they look at me with horror and disgust? Will they understand that I did what was necessary?
Or... will they see only a monster wearing a familiar face?â
He had no answers.
The sun â or whatever served as a sun in this dimension â began setting behind the strange clouds, casting everything in a deeper shadow.
Damian sat alone with his thoughts and his raven, covered in the blood of five hundred enemies, physically more powerful than heâd ever been.
And more isolated mentally than heâd ever felt.
The price of survival had been paid.
Now he would live with the consequences.
Whatever they turned out to be.