Chapter 23 Battle in Poor Land Part 6

Ar bit his lip, trying to fight the pain that was stabbing his head. His breath was short, his chest felt tight. The air seemed to disappear and his consciousness slowly faded to the edge of nothingness.

"No. I can't die here."

The thought stuck in his head like a steel nail.

Ar still had Clau.

His twin sister, the only family he had left. If she died, who would protect Clau? Who would make sure his sister was safe from people like Baron Bartemus?

Fear turned to burning determination.

And as the line between life and death grew thinner, something inside him rose.

Braak!

Golden light exploded from his body, breaking Baron Bartemus' grip in an instant. The wave of power swept around him, sweeping in all directions like an unstoppable tidal wave.

Baron Bartemus stepped back with a shocked expression, shielding his face from the blinding light.

In a wild flash of gold, something appeared behind Ar. A huge shadow, vague in shape, but a pair of piercing eyes flashed from the darkness, and a beastly head stared straight at the baron.

Light swallowed the darkness.

And in an instant, Ar opened his eyes, his red gaze shining brighter than ever.

Golden and red light mixed in the air, swirling like an unstoppable vortex of energy.

Ar's eyes glowed bright red, a seething ember, like a wild beast just awakened from its slumber.

For the first time, Baron Bartemus's face lost its arrogance.

The man was stunned. His haughty expression vanished, replaced by a shock he could not hide. His eyebrows shot up and his breath caught in his throat.

"What the hell is this?"

The grip around Ar's neck had disappeared, but his body was still floating in the air, surrounded by an illusion of light that was writhing wildly, as if it had a consciousness of its own.

Crash!

Suddenly, three huge golden spears rose from the ground, each with a brightly glowing tip. Dragon scale carvings coiled along the spear blades, radiating an ancient power that pierced the darkness.

The light from the spearheads pierced the thick fog, signaling the presence of something far greater.

Baron Bartemus narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

"This is... a domain?" he murmured, his voice filled with shock and disbelief.

But the shock quickly turned to anger.

"Impossible!"

With a quick movement, Baron Bartemus released his essence. Flames erupted from his body, spinning wildly and forming the silhouette of a giant lion roaring in the air.

The lion was covered in pure flame, its body glowing red and gold. Its sharp eyes radiated a ferocious aura, intimidating anyone who dared to look at it.

This domain... was a short-range domain created by Baron Bartemus.

Among channelers, a Domain was a realm of absolute power, a small world completely subject to the will of its creator.

Normally, only level 4 channelers were able to create domains. Even for those who had reached level 6 Ascension, the Domain would be perfect, forming an unbreakable reality.

However...

"But him?"

Baron Bartemus stared at Ar with an expression of hatred and shock. His jaw was clenched, his anger boiling.

"A child of Ethel... a scum of the poor people... a level 1 channeler... It should be impossible for him to create a domain."

Yet, before his very eyes, the child had done it.

Baron Bartemus clenched his fists. His heart refused to believe it, but his mind knew that this was no accident.

Ar... the boy who should have been far beneath him... had surpassed the limits that should have been impossible.

"Damned brat..." he hissed.

Baron Bartemus' fire lion domain still stood tall, but something was happening.

His flames began to dim.

No, not dying, but eroding.

Like a small flame swallowed by the dawn, Ar's Dawn Domain erased the lion's existence, swallowing it whole until almost nothing was left.

"That doesn't mean I'll let you live!"

With incredible speed, Baron Bartemus shot forward, his dagger blazing with flames that enveloped the entire blade. Fury mixed with fear overwhelmed him, he had to kill this boy before it was too late.

But... Ar didn't move an inch.

His body seemed to merge with the golden light, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

"What?!"

Baron Bartemus's eyes widened. His heart sank. His target was gone.

"Where are you, you bastard?!" he shouted, his breath catching in his throat.

But... there was no response.

Only the golden light flickered around him, forming a large shadow, ready to pounce on him at any moment.

A flash of light. 

In a split second, Ar appeared in front of Baron Bartemus. His red eyes shone sharply, piercing the darkness of destruction around them. His sword was drawn, its aura shaking the air.

One slash.

Quick, precise.

The blade of his sword sliced through Baron Bartemus' chest, through the heart of the Kaelith man. The point emerged from his back, gleaming in the fading light of battle.

"Urgh...!"

Baron Bartemus groaned, his body stiffening. His eyes widened, filled with undisguised shock.

"Y-You..."

The hoarse voice trailed off.

Ar did not answer. His breath was ragged, his body shaking violently from the effects of the wild mana aura inside his body. It felt as if every vein in his body was on fire, burning from the inside out.

But one thing was certain - he had won.

The fire lion was extinguished.

The domain that enveloped the man was shattered.

The menace that had plagued the Floressia District was gone.

In the golden glow, only Ar's red eyes remained glowing. As if they were the only flames left amidst the destruction.

His floating body slowly descended to the ground. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he immediately felt a heavy sensation. All his strength was gone. His vision was blurred and his knees were weak.

He almost fell, but a hand quickly caught him.

Clau.

"Brother, are you okay?"

The voice was full of fear, but also carried a warmth that kept Ar standing.

Ar took a deep breath, then gave a small smile. His body still felt heavy, but with Clau's help he managed to sit on a wooden chair that somehow remained intact amidst the destruction.

His mana was drained.

Dawn Domain...