Chapter 80: A Domain?

After a struggle, I barely managed to push myself upright, just as a group of strangers approached Asmund and me.

"Asmund, are you serious? This kid took out a Starborn?"

Though Asmund had defended me earlier, he apparently had no interest in making me sound impressive now. "Well, it's not like he fought her head-on," he admitted with a shrug. "Even I would struggle against someone like that."

The group burst into laughter before one of them scoffed, "Struggle? Please. You'd come back in pieces... if anything came back at all."

I wasn't sure what part of that was funny, but I'm probably the last person who should be judging comedy.

"So, who exactly is she?" I asked, pointing to the girl with a gaping hole in her skull.

Silence.

One woman arched a brow before glancing at Asmund. "…Is he serious?"

Even Asmund looked at me in disbelief. "You don't know?"

He stepped forward and placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "Must be from pretty far out, huh?"

Great. Even in an illusion, I don't fit in. "That didn't answer my question."

Asmund let out a gruff chuckle. "I don't know who she was, but that emblem she carried? It marks her as—"

Before he could finish, the creak of massive gates cut him off.

A moment later, Lester appeared, panting. "He's waiting for you two."

Asmund didn't hesitate. He motioned me forward and stepped through the gate.

The difference was immediate. Instead of the rough, makeshift tents and dirt paths, I was met with solid buildings, stone chimneys puffing dark smoke, and the rhythmic clang of hammers striking metal.

A fortified settlement, not a battlefield camp.

People moved with purpose. Some sharpened blades at whetstones, others scrawled across massive sheets of parchment, sketching tactics or taking inventory. The air smelled of iron, sweat, and fire.

"What do you think they'll give us?" Luna mused.

"No idea, but hopefully something useful." My gut tightened. Too many here had speed comparable to mine. Too many had abilities like Spiritual Weapons.

"Not to mention that terrifying fire," Luna added.

I looked around, feeling a strange sense of detachment.

Wait… I blinked. Just my normal vision. No True Sight. No deeper connection.

'Oh!' Luna flared with excitement. 'NO PRIVACY!'

'How could you possibly see this as a good thing?!'

'More entertainment.'

Great. The more our minds fused, the more permanent it became.

'HEY!' Luna paused, then chirped, 'Just think, maybe one day, you'll be able to see just like me!'

Oh yeah, that would be nice. 'Can you see like me?'

'…No.'

'Do you think I would ever be lucky enough to get an actual benefit from a mental intrusion?'

'…No.'

Before I could continue questioning my parasitic companion, Asmund cut in.

"Hey, kid. Stop being strange. We're almost there."

'He's right. You are strange.'

I ignored her. "You never answered my question."

We stopped in front of a modest wooden building, a single entrance barred by a thick wooden door.

Asmund shrugged. "This is more important. We can go over details later." With that, he shoved the door open.

The moment I stepped inside, everything changed. A prickling tension crawled up my skin and the air vibrated with energy.

"Sit." The voice came from a single man behind a desk, his dark form backlit by the flickering glow of a single torch.

I walked forward slowly, each step tempting me to activate my Precursor Sense and my True Sight.

'Don't bother,' Luna muttered. 'I can barely see here. No way you'd be able to separate what's going on.'

That did not make me feel better. I flicked a glance at Asmund. At least this was his leader. There was no reason for him to be afraid. Right?

Nope.

Sweat beaded on Asmund's brow as he squeezed into the seat next to me, his movements stiff.

The man's dark eyes locked onto me.

"You killed the girl?"

My gaze flickered to the medallion gleaming in the torchlight on the desk.

"Sir, he us—"

"I didn't ask you."

The leader's voice cut through the air, silencing Asmund immediately.

I swallowed. "I—I did, yes."

"How?"

Alright. I'd been told before, know your worth. There weren't any points to bargain with here, but… "How much is that information worth to you?"

Luna hummed in approval. 'Oooh. Getting brave.' Then, almost lazily, she added, 'I didn't mention this, though you might've guessed… He's the reason I can't see.'

As if that information did anything to calm my pounding heart.

"I see." The air shifted and a suffocating pressure surrounded me, wrapping around my body like an invisible grip, heavy with power.

"A new recruit with such power. Where did you say you were from?"

I forced in a breath. "This is how you reward your members?"

"Only if they're actually members. And not spies." The words came out cold, just as the pressure around me tightened.

Spy? Did I really look like one? The air thinned, and I started to struggle for breath. But I was done being pushed around. 

'Still got one charge.'

'I don't think killing anyone would help my case, Luna.'

I gritted my teeth, forcing the words out between strangled breaths. 

"I—ugh. I don't know how important these Starborn are—" I struggled to speak, forcing air into my lungs. "—But would a spy really kill one? And then throw themselves into a completely vulnerable position in front of this guy?"

I tried to tilt my head toward Asmund, but my body refused to move.

The leader's gaze flicked to him. "What stage is he at?"

Asmund scratched the back of his head. "I really can't tell, sir, but honestly? This kid… I don't think he's smart enough to be a spy."

Rude.

'He's right. You would be terrible at fitting in a crowd.'

Asmund shrugged. "I mean, the kinds of questions he asks would give him away in an instant."

The leader's gaze locked back onto me.

"What stage are you in?"

"Stage?"

A long sigh. The energy around me dispersed. "You're either a great actor… or completely ignorant."

I flexed my fingers, testing my movement again.

"Let's just say I know almost nothing about this area." I exhaled, keeping my voice even. "I'm from… well, really far away. Don't even know where exactly. I've traveled a lot." Not technically a lie. Which meant I didn't have to work too hard to sell it.

The man studied me for a long moment before finally speaking. "I see." There was still skepticism in his expression, but at least I wasn't about to get crushed to death. "Let's talk about your reward, then. Asmund?"

Asmund straightened. "Uh. Yeah. Right. I'd like to visit the Realm of Eternal Fire."

There was a pause. "Even with an achievement like this…" The leader trailed off, then shook his head. "Never mind. I'll figure it out. The Elder will have to approve, after seeing the medallion and considering your previous achievements."

'DO NOT pick whatever the Realm of Eternal Fire is!' Luna ordered.

The leader turned to me. "What do you want?"

"Uhhhhh." I hesitated. "I don't really know what I can get."

"Kid, with your power, you should pick an elemental realm," Asmund advised.

But the leader shook his head. "You have worked for a long time. You deserve the chance to develop an essence. I can spin it to the Elder to allocate the resources, but for him…"

So he needed more justification for me? I leaned forward slightly. "My techniques. My methods. I don't know what this essence is, but if it can make me stronger, I want it."

'No FIR—'

'I'm going with water, Luna. If there even is such a thing.' I cut her off before she could finish. I wasn't an idiot.

'Debatable at best.'

Elemental Essence, whatever it was, sounded like something that had to help me absorb different kinds of World Force.

The leader's expression shifted. "Your methods?" Then, as if deciding he was done with subtlety, he waved his hand.

The torch snuffed out instantly and at the same time, a powerful yellow aura flared above us, illuminating the room.

"Good." He smiled, and for the first time, I got a clear look at his full appearance.

Short-cropped brown hair, a square jawline, and most unsettlingly, eyes that glowed with golden light, flecks of green swirling inside them. I don't mean gold-colored either. They were literally glowing.

It was… unnerving.

The man's piercing gaze settled on me. "Then first, how did you manage to kill such a powerful figure?"

I shrugged. "Well. It's really not that complicated. I just made an object imitating Spiritual Weapon creation and fired it."

He shook his head. "That's not what I mean. How did she not notice it?"

Before I could answer, Asmund cut in. "We were quite a distance away. Really far. And we sped up the object with wind abilities."

The leader nodded. "Then tell me then, how exactly did you control an object moving that fast, from such a distance?"

Alright. No need to be vague. I wanted whatever rewards they were willing to give me. Though, if I was being honest, I wasn't entirely sure if any of this even warranted a reward. I was banking more on my cultivation methods being valuable.

No harm in showing more though… I hope.

"Like this." I ignited my internal flame and activated my domain at full power. "My domain gives me an enormous boost in control." My voice remained steady, but the air around me trembled.

"It allowed me to extend a thread of Force almost directly to the girl."

A heavy silence.

"…That—" Asmund stared at me, his expression shifting from shock to something closer to fear.

"Peter, that was dozens of meters."

But the leader reactions was different. His eyes weren't filled with shock or disbelief. They were filled with something else entirely. Something I couldn't even begin to describe.

His body stiffened as he stood. Then, he took a shaking step back.

His voice, once firm and composed, came out in a hoarse whisper. "Th—that's impossible."

Asmund hesitated, then stepped forward. "Sir, are you alright? I know it's rare, but I've seen others his age with a doma—"

"That's not a domain."