Chapter 81: Fast Boats

An odd silence settled over the room after the bold claim.

Honestly, I was surprised. But I had only used the word as a reference from stories back home. It wasn't like I actually understood the technical definition in the current world.

Not to mention, Kazriel called it a domain too. Buuuut, Kazriel was a little kid. Or, at best, someone who had just hit puberty.

"What is it, then?" Asmund asked, breaking the pause.

I deactivated my "not" domain and turned to the leader, waiting expectantly.

But he didn't answer. Instead, he walked around the desk, heading straight for the door. With a smooth motion, he pulled it open. "Both of you, come with me."

'People here don't really make requests, do they? It's a little rude.' Luna mused as I stood.

'No, definitely not many requests.' I agreed.

This time, Asmund fell in behind me as we passed several buildings, moving through the camp until we once again emerged outside.

We kept walking further and further, until the tents and walls behind us shrank into the distance.

At least we didn't jog.

Then, something that completely caught me off guard happened.

The leader flicked his wrist, revealing a green bracelet wrapped snugly around his wrist, glowing faintly. With a light tap, the bracelet flared brighter, releasing small particles of energy that drifted outward, accumulating in a single spot.

'Hey, a bunch of energy is gathering up.' Luna noted.

'Yeah. It's not dangerous though… I think, anyway.' My eyes remained locked on the forming shape.

Slowly, a sleek, elongated vessel took shape in the air.

A boat. Large enough for the three of us to sit comfortably and honestly, even four or five more people could fit.

The leader stepped forward, motioning toward it. "Get in."

I obeyed, stepping into the vessel, my eyes drawn to the hull. A semi-transparent form, flickering with power, created from condensed energy.

Asmund climbed in and took a seat next to the mercenary leader. "Are we going to th—"

"Yes, we're heading to the sect." The leader confirmed, not even sparing him a glance. Instead, his gaze locked onto me. "You will be my guest at the Shattering Sect. They should treat you well, but do not take any liberties you should not."

I nodded. "Understood." Still… something about this struck me as odd. Why would a member of an established sect be leading a mercenary group in a war?

Maybe it was just practicality. More control if you're in charge, fewer chances for the higher-ups to take the blame. Then again… maybe there was bad blood.

Movement. A deep rumble of power vibrated through the vessel, followed by a faint hum, as if the air itself trembled around us.

"AHH!"

I screamed as my heart leapt into my throat. The boat shot upward at a ridiculous speed, launching us so fast that the camp below became nothing more than a speck.

Even the battlefield stretched far beneath us, a swirling mass of motion and destruction.

The air turned frigid, a sharp wind biting into my skin as I tried to catch my breath.

"HAHAHA! See? A spy wouldn't react like that!" Asmund guffawed, clearly enjoying my totally reasonable reaction.

'Your voice went so high. Much higher than usual. Did something bad happen?' Luna asked, her tone genuinely concerned.

I cleared my throat. '*Ahem.* Uhhh, no. And for the record, it's totally normal for male humans to scream like that.'

A pause. 'Peter… I have watched a lot of your shows.'

…Dang it.

Before I could argue, she switched gears. 'Use your Beast Force. I want to see if I can learn to see through your eyes. It is… inconvenient to be blinded so often around powerful people or places.'

I didn't hesitate. Channeling my Beast Force and Precursor Energy, I sent the flow directly to her.

'Thanks! I'm going to train for a bit.'

'Got it. Good luck.' I wasn't sure if she'd pull it off. For me, it was natural to distinguish colors, depth, and shapes. They had always been part of my perception.

But for Luna… those concepts were abstract. At least, when I shared a mind with her, that's how I interpreted it.

"No, not a spy." Janus smirked. "But these moments of periodic silence are odd, aren't they? Not to mention the faces he's making."

Was that a knowing smile?

My heart skipped a beat. "I—uhhhh, I'm just weird."

Why do people always go silent around me?

'Because you're weird.'

'Go back to studying.'

Asmund rubbed his chin. "You got a point."

The ship glided forward at high speed, but not so fast that I couldn't keep steady. I latched onto the first topic I could. "I never got your name!" Smooth. Great change of subject.

Janus chuckled. "I'm Janus. Leader of Quake. Lower disciple of the Shattering Sect."

Uh, wait. "Lower disciple?" That wasn't a high title, no matter what time, place, or illusion I was in. This guy was so powerful, just the grip of his energy had nearly crushed me earlier.

I thought Kazriel was ridiculously strong, someone who I was able to beat with some help. I thought that meant I was already pretty powerful.

But a lower disciple?!

Janus rubbed his hands together. "I've never bothered to take promotion exams, but for the sect… at most, I could be an upper disciple. My age… my talent… they aren't satisfactory."

I frowned. "How old are you?"

My guess was thirties. He and Asmund were both clearly older than me, but neither looked ancient or even middle-aged.

Janus tilted his head. "Hmmm. It's been a while since I checked. I lost track after my first hundred."

My mind went blank.

"…What?"

Asmund, however, just sighed and cracked his knuckles. "Sir, you're still so much younger than me. Your talent is nothing to laugh at."

Hold on... what?

"You were just born at the wrong time." Asmund shook his head. "Had you been in my generation…"

My generation?

"No point in lamenting over helpless ideas." Janus waved a hand. "I was born when I was. I can only be grateful to my parents for that. I was accepted into a top sect and received the care and knowledge of my master for many years."

I know it's a trope, but no one, absolutely no one, had ever mentioned a longer lifespan before.

"I know bu—"

I cut Asmund off. "How could you possibly live so long?"

They both turned to me after my interruption. "What do you mean? With your strength, you must already have a lifespan far beyond the average person." Asmund said casually.

Janus, however, narrowed his eyes. "How old are you, Peter?"

I gulped. Value. If I was younger than Asmund, yet fast enough to keep up with him, someone older than his own leader, then what did that make me?

I took a slow breath. "I'm eighteen years old."

Janus' golden eyes widened, the glow radiating outward, intensifying.

Asmund's entire demeanor shifted. "I called you a kid, but tha—that's impossible." He blinked at me, then shook his head. "You can't be serious. You're not a boy You're a babe."

Janus' voice cut through the tension. "Are you telling the truth?"

A strange urgency filled his tone, a tension that hadn't been there before.

I met his gaze. "Yes."

Janus didn't hesitate. "Asmund, help me out. Peter, hold on tightly. Do not fall."

"…Wha—AHHHH!!"

'AHHHHH!!' Apparently, Luna felt it too.

I wasn't exactly sure how fast we were going, buuuut, I was pretty sure my skin was dangerously close to being peeled from my muscles.

The suffering lasted way too long. I couldn't tell how much time had passed. The cold cut into me, sharper than most other times I'd ever felt it. Eventually, though, the blur of sound and shapes slowed, sharpening into detail.

'Peter?'

'Uggghhhh. What?'

'A warning next time.'

I glanced at Luna. She was a deep shade of red, but she was trying to mask her irritation at least.

'No—' Urp. Nope. Hold it in. 'Not my fault. Sorry.'

'Oh. Got it.' The grass bracelet dimmed significantly. 'I'll go back to training.'

Janus' voice was far too calm for what had just happened. "We're here."

Still dazed, I gazed down through the ship. A valley stretched out below us, cradled between vast, towering mountains. Snow capped the peaks, veins of white cutting through jagged stone.

In the valley's heart, a massive circular pavilion stood, surrounded by smaller structures. Buildings, stalls, or similar things.

I squinted through the haze of my still-recovering vision. "Why the heck did you go so fast?!" I was still struggling to recover.

Asmund laughed lightly. "Sorry, Peter. But if what you said is true… there's no way we could risk someone spotting us in the sky. Even with the boss around."

The vessel descended slowly, and as we dropped lower, the details sharpened. And so did the scale of this place. It wasn't some unbelievable spectacle, but still, seeing a single sect rival the size of a small town felt…

Pretty outrageous.

The closer we got to the ground, the harder it became to see the full layout. The edges of the valley disappeared from view, swallowed by marble buildings, open-air stalls, and gathering crowds. Along with battle arenas.

Perfectly square, their stone platforms etched with markings, standing like silent battlegrounds waiting for their next clash.

But something else caught my attention.

Someone else. They approached us differently than the others. He was deliberate, calm, and effortless.

An old man, his posture straight, his presence imposing without force. A man who carried ancient dignity and wisdom in every step.

He wore a thin gray coat, flowing like a robe, over a white shirt tucked into loose, silken black pants.

But this guy, this man, whom Janus was staring at with undeniable reverence, with something dangerously close to affection in his eyes.

Yeah.

He was flying.