Advent of the Three Calamities

Chapter 761: Returning [2]

"...We're back."

I looked at the familiar estate and paused. In all honesty, I didn't expect to arrive at the estate without any problems. I had expected to arrive after a lot of struggle, but contrary to what I had expected, we managed to arrive after four days of travel.

'Is it because I've underestimated my skill, or is there something else at play here?'

The only thing I could think of was Leon's parents.

Perhaps their warning had worked...

'But given the expression that Leon made back then, I'm not so sure.'

This entire situation smelled fishy.

The issue was that I couldn't prove this. Especially when Leon's skill didn't seem to detect anything.

"It's hard to ignore something like this. For now, I should closely monitor the Empire's movements. They are obviously related to the traitor that Sithrus and Noel had talked about. I needed to figure out the motive behind their actions, and..."

I paused, looking at the ring on my finger.

"...They'll be coming for me. Of that, I'm sure."

"Is this where the two of you live?"

The old man's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Turning to him, I nodded.

"Yes, this is our estate. We're here."

"Great."

His steps started to hurry.

"...I'm tired from all the traveling. I'd like to get some rest. If you would be so kind as to host me, I'd be very grateful."

I turned my head in Linus's direction.

He groaned.

"I'm also tired..."

"I know."

"Can't you do it?"

"I've got other stuff to handle, unless you want to take care of it."

Linus's face changed a couple of times before he eventually relented and nodded his head.

"Fine."

He nudged the old man with his head.

"Follow me. I'll lead you inside."

"Thank you."

The old man followed Linus into the estate as the maids and butlers hurriedly came out not long after. Tracing their parting backs, I looked at Leon.

"What do you think?"

"About...?"

"Him?"

Leon remained quiet for a moment. He then shook his head.

"I'm not sure."

"Your skill saying anything?"

"No."

Leon shook his head once more.

"Nothing."

"Are you sure your skill isn't worthless?"

Leon's lip twitched as he glared at me. But I wasn't really joking. This guy's skill... It had yet to work once. "Let's set your skill aside."

I continued to trace the old man with my eyes.

"There's something suspicious about the old man. You should keep on guard."

No matter how I looked at it, the old man was suspicious. The only reason I even let him into my estate was because I wanted to keep close watch of him.

Whether this was a good idea or not, I wasn't sure. However, if the old man was truly not just a good blacksmith and something else, I'd be able to figure out more answers regarding the situation.

'He's suspicious for sure, but I also don't think he's on their side. I'll have to observe carefully.'

"Oh, right."

Suddenly recalling something, I looked at Leon.

"I've been calling him old man the entire time. Do you know what his name is?"

Leon stood quietly, his mouth opening and closing multiple times.

In the end, he shook his head.

"No..."

***

The old man's name turned out to be Harnold.

I managed to figure this out from Linus.

The moment he entered the estate, the first thing he did was take a shower before passing out in one of the guest bedrooms. Receiving the information from one of the maids, I headed towards a private training area where I sat down on the floor and closed my eyes.

"I've reached the Seventh Tier. I now need to start working on the Eighth Tier."

For one to reach the Eighth Tier, they needed to achieve something called 'Domain Integration.'

This was a step where one would integrate the domain into the real world.

I looked at the book in front of me.

"Domain Integration is when a person can use the full power of their Domain directly, without needing to create or summon the Domain itself."

I was already aware of this part.

Domains were powerful. However, they also had massive drawbacks. Not only did they consume a high amount of mana, but one needed to enter the domain for it to be fully effective.

It was just like the Madhound of Presepe that I had fought a while back.

Things would've been a lot easier had I used my domain and had him inside. Unfortunately, because of the range in which he operated, it was impossible for me to get him into the domain.

On top of that, there was a small timeframe during which a domain would start and envelop its target. If the target managed to escape within that window, the domain would become essentially useless.

As good as a domain was, there were simply too many drawbacks.

This was why this skill was essential. By integrating the domain into the world, one would essentially get rid of all the disadvantages of a domain, besides the high mana expenditure.

"Achieving this state is exceptionally difficult, as it requires the practitioner to shatter their own Domain in the process. Precautions can be taken to prevent the domain from completely fading in case of failure."

I drew a cold breath upon reading.

This...

"I'm going to have to shatter my own domain?"

What kind of absurd concept was this?

'As far as I'm aware, once a domain shatters, it can never be grown again. I'd have to develop a new one, and the damage that I'll sustain will set me back for years. I might even regress all the way to Tier 4.'

Suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense.

Like the severe lack of Tier 8 users in the world. Jumping from Tier 7 to Tier 8 was an absurd step. One that could very likely cost my entire life.

"It seems that even though my domain will shatter, I'll still be able to use it after I reach Tier 8. Hmm... This part is?"

I paused before a certain section in the book.

"Precautions can be taken to prevent the domain from completely fading in case of failure."

My brow jumped up.

"...Oh. So it's not all that bad."

I looked at the next part, and my face stiffened.

"While the domain may be preserved, the user will sustain grave injuries. They'll very likely be out for

quite some time... Ha. Ha."

I didn't even know why I was laughing.

This criterion felt absurd to me.

"So, in the end, even if I manage to preserve my domain, I'll still be bedridden for a long time... Assuming I don't lose a Tier in the process. Taking this into account, it's obvious that I won't have many chances to

try and reach the Eighth Tier."

I groaned. This wasn't what I was expecting upon reaching Tier 7.

"...There's also the fact that I've yet to fully develop my domain."

To some extent.

I possessed two domains. While I had achieved some degree of mutuality between the two domains, I

had to fully integrate the two together. If I were to reach Tier 8, I'd either have to shatter two domains, discard one domain and focus on one, or shatter the integrated version of the domains.

The first option was obviously a no-go.

"The risk of shattering one domain is already bad enough. Two...? That's like asking for a certain death.

I'd rather not do that."

This left me with only two options.

Discard one, or integrate the domains properly.

The choice was obvious.

"Shatter the integrated one."

This meant that I now had to focus entirely on integrating the two domains so that instead of being two,

they fully became one.

But this was easier said than done.

"I've been trying to integrate the two domains for quite some time now. While I have achieved some

success, there's still a small sense of rejection from them. I've been struggling to understand what I'm

missing."

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes.

Immediately after, something stirred beneath me as a black film spread outward, swiftly engulfing the

entire room.

Feeling the changes around me, I opened my eyes again as the world around me was surrounded in

darkness.

The darkness, however, merely lasted for a few seconds until orbs appeared in all directions.

With each step forward, a hand emerged beneath my feet, rising to cushion my steps as I continued to

walk.

I understood that the key for my domain to upgrade was the orbs.

In a sense, the orbs function like a book of enchantments. Each one holds a distinct property, and when absorbed, that property is transferred to the hands.

This thought made me pause.

"Wait."

I placed my hand under my chin and started to think about the situation. Shortly thereafter, I raised my

head to look around me. Towards the numerous orbs that floated in the air, as my heart suddenly started

to speed up.

"I've always used the skill with the thought of attacking in mind, but what if that's not the only thing it can

do? What if...?"

I started to concentrate.

Extending my hand in the direction of the orbs, something started to stir in my mind. The orbs all shook, vibrating on the spot as I felt each individual one that levitated within the domain.

Then-

"Come."

The orbs stopped vibrating.

**Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!**

They all shot in my direction shortly after.

Instantly, my vision was overwhelmed by a torrent of colors. Thousands upon thousands of orbs hurtling

straight toward me, in an overwhelming sight.

Even as the orbs hurtled toward me, I stayed calm, keeping my focus on my hands. Almost instantly, their

color shifted, darkening until they were completely black. I maintained my focus while imagining a book.

Indeed.

I was planning on creating my own book.

One created entirely by my domain. (More chapters in Buyers club for TMT)