"The group going on the monster hunt will only consist of those above A-rank," Leo said, his voice firm and clear.
Alina's expression faltered. She knew she wasn't ready for a mission like this. She was still too weak, still struggling to harness the powers tied to the Creator. Even if she pushed herself, reaching A-rank was a distant goal. At best, she might make it to B+. It was a long road ahead, and she wasn't there yet.
Leo pause for a second before adding. "The team will include me, Arthur, Elna, Luciana, Briva, and our newest members, Paul, Vanessa and Dave."
Arthur's brow furrowed. "What about the others?"
"Liane and Dave will stay behind in the city," Leo explained. "They'll help Alina and Arlasan to guard the town in case any monsters try to attack while we're dealing with their mother."
While her brow furrowed in concentration, Luciana spoke up. "Do you have a plan to deal with that creature?"
"We'll discuss tactics and preparations later," Leo said, his face suddenly tightening with a hint of concern. "Right now, the bigger issue is what comes next."
Briva tilted her head slightly, sensing the seriousness in Leo's tone. "What comes next?"
Leo exhaled, his gaze hardening as he spoke. "In two to three months, the God of Light will break free from his seal. We need to be prepared for that."
A heavy silence settled over the room. Marco, his worry clear, was the first to ask what everyone was thinking. "How are we supposed to prepare in such a short time?"
Leo leaned forward, his voice thoughtful but resolute. "The Creator's domain doesn't work like the maze, but time here moves differently too. From now on, we can use this place for training. I'll set up a schedule that works for everyone. Marco, Alina, and Liam will train under either me or Arthur."
He paused, making sure everyone understood the gravity of what he was saying. "For every three hours you spend here, only one hour will pass in the real world. But there's a trade-off, the effort will be three times as exhausting."
Marco's expression tightened. "So we're pushing ourselves harder and getting less time to recover."
Leo nodded. "Exactly. You'll need to manage your energy carefully, or it'll wear you down faster than you can handle."
Everyone sat in silence, digesting Leo's words. The weight of their next steps hung heavy in the air before Leo continued, breaking the quiet.
"One more thing," he said, voice steady but carrying a hint of finality. "Arthur and Luciana, there will be a portal in your domains, inside that structure. It will connect your domains here. You'll be able to come and go freely."
Luciana's brows furrowed in disbelief. "How is this even possible? I've never heard of two domains being connected like that before."
Leo gestured toward two structures in the distance. The group followed his gaze, their eyes widening as they saw the changes on the two towering forms. One structure glowed with a radiant golden hue, the other bathed in a deep, fiery red. The two structures were linked by wooden bridges, which arced toward the massive tree of Ilandra at the center of the place.
"As I said, we're all now connected through the Creator's domain," Leo explained, his tone matter-of-fact.
He had no idea how it worked, but the result was clear. It was a connection Leo hadn't planned for, but it had come to pass nonetheless.
Leo's gaze hardened, shifting back to the group. "Once we deal with the monster, we'll split into teams. Alina will stay here and work with the others to take the lead in the Shadowland. We need to purify it even more and prepare for when we attack the orcs."
Alina nodded, the responsibility heavy but resolute on her face.
"Liam," Leo continued, turning his attention to him, "once you've finished with your plan, send a message to Captain Edmond. The name of the God who will save them will soon be known."
"I used my influence and delayed the tournament a little, but it is in one week," Liam explained.
Leo acknowledged this with a short nod. "If you need anything, just let me know." Then, he looked to Marco, whose expression remained serious.
"Marco, you'll do the same thing, but in the North. Your first stop is to go to Count Errenor," Leo instructed.
Marco's eyes narrowed, suspicion flaring. "There's a battlefield between me and him."
Leo smiled slightly, as if to reassure him. "Don't worry. Elna and I will join you there."
He paused for a moment, then continued with a more thoughtful expression. "Arthur and Briva, you'll go to the Magic Kingdom and assist there. We can't yet spread the name of the Creator there."
Arthur, always quick to think, raised a suggestion. "Wouldn't it make more sense for Briva and me to go to Count Errenor and for you to go to the Magic Kingdom? Your relationship with Alexia Clayden could be useful there."
Leo considered this for a long moment. Arthur's suggestion was logical, but something felt slightly off, like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit. After a few seconds, he nodded. "Alright. We'll do that."
His gaze shifted to Luciana, who had remained silent until now. "Luciana, you'll head to the Kingdom of Light and join Liam."
There was no objection. The plan was set. Leo stood, the meeting officially concluded. In one short gathering. What had seemed impossible just days ago was now their reality.
They had a lot of work to do.
…
Over the next few days, while Leo and the others quietly prepared for the attack, Marco reached a firm decision. He went to his training master and explained that he would no longer attend the scheduled sessions. He needed uninterrupted time inside the Creator's domain, where he could focus fully on refining his abilities. Liam had enough time, though his own plan pressed close, only three days remained before he put his main plan into action.
Over the past year, Liam had driven himself as far as he could. He strengthened his body, sharpened his skills, and rose through his family's ranks with careful effort. Each step earned more of his father's trust, all of it building toward this single moment. But the Creator's power he carried was still unstable. He intended to ask the Creator for aid, knowing that control mattered as much as strength.
After leaving the Shadowland, Paul wasted no time. He began shaping his domain, testing its limits and structure through constant effort. Progress came slowly; a domain required focus and time, not haste. From Leo, he learned the proper way to pray and prepared himself to pledge to the Creator before the mission began.
Luciana and Arthur devoted their time to their domains. They practiced opening the portal again and again until the motion felt natural. Alongside that, they studied the summoning spell that allowed them to call others into the Creator's domain for training. The spell obeyed a strict rule, it only responded to those who had already pledged.
Briva continued to struggle. Her domain still far away, and her transformation drained her more than it helped. Elna, however, came close to forming her first true connection with Ethereon. When the connection finally held, a massive presence brushed against her awareness. Leo believed it matched the fragment of the Creator's domain that Arthur and Luciana carried.
In the end, they chose to delay the exercise schedule until Liam completed his plan, ensuring their timing remained deliberate and precise.
…
At what passed for night in the always-dark Shadowland, Paul moved quietly into one of the empty rooms. The space stood bare and silent, its stone walls swallowing sound. He knelt at the center of the room, rested his hands on his thighs, and drew a slow, steady breath. After a moment, he closed his eyes and whispered the words under his breath.
"The Creator, an eternal presence, neither good nor evil, bearer of both light and shadow, who forged balance from chaos and gave form to the formless.
From nothing, You spoke.
From chaos, You sculpted stars.
In shadow, You placed the seed of light;
In light, the promise of shadow.
The Creator, who sees without eyes,
Whose voice echoes in silence,
Guide me as You guide all."
When Paul opened his eyes, the room was gone.
He stood in a vast white expanse. Before him rose a throne, its shape half-hidden by thick white and red mist that curled and shifted like living smoke. From within the mist, two red eyes stared down at him, steady and unblinking.
Paul lowered his head and bowed.
"I came here to pledge myself to you."
A parchment appeared in the air before him, hovering at chest height. The words etched themselves into its surface as a voice filled the space, not loud, yet impossible to ignore.
"Bind your name to mine. No other god shall you call upon, nor any altar kneel before but mine alone. Should you betray this covenant, white fire shall consume you, body and soul, and your name shall be forgotten."
Paul did not speak. He reached out, grasped the floating pen, and signed the contract without hesitation.
Pain struck him a heartbeat later. He dropped to one knee as it surged through his body, sharp and relentless, but he did not cry out. Years spent surviving the maze had hardened him; he endured and held his position. For a brief instant, his vision blurred, and his eyes flashed red before returning to normal.
"Now go," the voice said. "Bear the weight of what you have received."
The white expanse collapsed around him.
Paul found himself back in the empty room, still kneeling on the stone floor. He slowly raised his hand and clenched his fingers. Power moved through his veins, carried with his blood, heavy but controlled. It did not push him to S2, but the change was undeniable. His strength had grown.
Now, all that remained was to shape his domain.…
…
Liam paced back and forth inside his room. Tonight was the night. He stopped only to check his equipment again, running through the list in his head for what felt like the thousandth time. The Volcryst Gauntlet rested beneath a white bandage wrapped tightly around his arm. The bandage carried a fire-resistance enchantment, enough to contain the gauntlet's constant heat so it would not burn through the fabric or his skin.
Leo had given him one hundred fire-explosion traps. Liam had already planted every single one beneath the underground arena, spacing them carefully and memorizing their positions. Tonight, many noble families would gather there. They would drink, laugh, and place bets while their failed children fought and died for entertainment. That was what they expected to happen.
They had no idea what waited beneath their feet.
Even with the creature's help, Liam knew the limits of his strength. At best, the transformation would raise him to B-rank. That alone would not be enough. Among the noble families and their guards stood at least three or four A-ranks, fighters with experience and resources far beyond his own.
If the traps failed to kill them all, he had only one remaining option. He would call on the members of the Gathering. Leo had already given his approval for that much. Leo had also hinted that additional help might arrive if things spiraled further out of control.
Liam forced himself to breathe and steadied his thoughts. There would be no turning back once the night began.
…
While Liam remained lost in thought, he failed to notice the faint distortion forming above his head.
A portal opened without sound. Leo's figure emerged slowly, then vanished just as quietly. A second later, he hovered high above the city of Flesa. Cool air rushed past him as he steadied himself and looked down.
His gaze went first to his family's home. The urge to visit them pulled at him, sharp and familiar, but he forced it down. It was still too dangerous. If anyone connected him to them, they would become targets.
After a moment, Leo turned his attention toward Edmond's Paladin Association. His expression hardened.
Then he disappeared.
A second later, he stood before the massive gates of the church, stone looming above him as the night remained silent.