She leaned in kissing him deeply and lingering with her body pressing against his in a way that reminded him of their bond.

It won’t because I love you and if she truly loves you too then we can make it work without any issues at all.

Go clear your head and I will handle things here while you take care of what needs to be done for your strength.

Neil nodded while still feeling the weight of it all but trusting her completely after everything they had shared.

He gave her one last gentle squeeze before stepping back with renewed focus on the path ahead.

I need to handle some power progression so I am heading to meet Randy because there are things that can’t wait any longer.

Ileana smiled understandingly as she watched him prepare to leave the domain for the meeting that could change his growth trajectory.

Go and we will be waiting when you return so take all the time you need to figure out the next steps.

Neil left the domain walking through the streets of Settlement Number 2 toward Randy’s central hall with the outer perimeter wall looming behind him.

Torches flickered along its length as his hands stayed in his pockets and his steps remained measured and unhurried on the surface.

But his mind raced faster than any 5th Origin assassin could move while thoughts of Jane the domain and the coming threats swirled together.

Jane showing up like this right after the event chaos and after Caleb’s introduction makes everything more complicated than before.

Whatever the hell he is planning with that lost elven city and Rabid Wolf means the clock is ticking faster than ever.

The recording proved her innocence but does that change everything when I still have feelings for her that pull never went away completely.

But Ileana has been here through the Phantom powers the domain growth and the nights of passion that strengthened their connection.

Cynthia too has her place so adding Jane now feels like it could complicate the harem dynamic in ways that need careful handling.

And I can’t afford complications because enemies are not slowing down with Marco probing his subjects and Randy possibly playing both sides.

The bounty Robert placed before Tred shut it down still lingers as a threat along with that bird familiar watching the domain earlier.

I need strength fast with one more 2nd Order diamond class domain core to evolve it to 3rd Order and push higher soon after.

The mythic class cores I already hold can take it even further to 4th Origin while the Phantom Essence transformation manual needs completion.

Once I hit peak 4th Origin even 5th Origin lords won’t be untouchable anymore but lifespan remains another problem piling up.

Too many threads are pulling at once without any break so the Mantel Stone Realm better deliver exactly what Randy promised it would. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The walk stretched longer in his thoughts with the night air cool against his skin as he passed training grounds where lower-origin subjects sparred under lantern light.

Their shouts and essence flares remained distant background noise while he reached Randy’s central hall with his mind cycled through every possible outcome at least twice.

Randy was lounging in his usual spot inside the grand hall with feet propped lazily on a heavy wooden table and a half-empty mug of something strong in one hand.

The moment he spotted Neil a wide sly grin split his face as he waved him over to the chair opposite with familiar energy.

"Trump card back already I figured you would still be buried deep in that pretty wife of yours after all the drama at the event."

Randy laughed loudly while waving him over to sit and talk about whatever was weighing on his mind this time.

"Sit sit you look like you are carrying the weight of three realms on your shoulders so what is eating you this time."

"More family drama or are you finally ready to hunt like the monster I know you are deep down inside."

Neil sat down heavily with his expression serious but comfortable in Randy’s presence after everything they had been through so far.

The Warden had proven useful even if his motives were not always clear which made these conversations important.

"I need a place to hunt specifically 3rd Origin creatures somewhere I can push hard and farm gene points and shards without too many eyes watching."

"Got anything that fits the bill perfectly for what I need right now to grow stronger fast."

Randy’s grin widened even further with eyes gleaming with that familiar mix of excitement and cunning that always appeared in these moments.

He leaned forward across the table lowering his voice just enough to make it feel conspiratorial and full of promise.

"Oh I have got something perfect for a guy like you trump card because the Mantel Stone Realm is a nasty little pocket dimension not too far from here."

"It requires a quick settlement teleport but I can set that up for you easy with no questions asked at all."

"It is packed wall-to-wall with 3rd Origin beasts and way too many of them for most people to even think about entering."

"The place is a damn meat grinder where 4th Origin lords avoid it like the plague because it is too chaotic with variables everywhere."

"Ambushes left and right and no easy escape routes make it deadly while the 3rd Origins who are brave enough are too scared to set foot inside for long."

"Survival rate is absolute shit if you are not careful or strong enough to handle the pressure inside."

"But for someone like you with that ridiculous growth rate and those phantom tricks I have heard whispers about it will be prime hunting ground."

"Gene points shards and rare materials will be yours in abundance if you come out alive after clearing whole sections."

"No one dares go deep anymore so you could claim whatever you want without anyone even knowing you were there at all."

Randy leaned back in his chair still grinning like a fox who had just spotted fresh prey with clear satisfaction.

"So you in trump card because I can have the teleport ready by morning if you want or sooner if you are feeling impatient right now."

Neil met his gaze steadily as the weight of every decision from the past few days settled into quiet resolve inside him.

"I am in and ready to push my limits in the Mantel Stone Realm as soon as possible."

...

Writing now.

Neil told Ileana before leaving, which was never optional and had never been something he considered making optional.

She listened to everything he said about the Mantel Stone Realm with the particular stillness she reserved for things that concerned her, sitting across from him at the small table near the domain entrance with her hands folded and her eyes on his face the entire time he spoke. When he finished she stayed quiet for a moment, not rushing to fill the space, actually thinking about what he had said before responding to it.

"How deep are you planning to go?" She asked.

"Deep enough to make it worth the trip." He said honestly. "Not so deep that I am being stupid about it."

Ileana considered this with the expression of someone evaluating whether the distinction he had just drawn was meaningful enough to satisfy her, and arriving at a cautious yes.

"Take enough potions." She said. "More than you think you need, and I am not saying that as a suggestion I am saying it as a requirement." She paused. "And take Magnar. Don’t leave him behind because you think he will slow you down, he won’t and you know that."

"I wasn’t going to leave him." Neil said.

She nodded once, accepting this, then stood and went to the supply room and came back with a pack that was considerably heavier than the one he had already prepared, setting it beside his without comment. He looked at it and said nothing, understanding that arguing about the extra weight was a battle with no upside for anyone.

Jane was near the outer edge of the courtyard when he came out with his equipment, standing a little apart from everything with the careful distance of someone still calibrating how much space they were allowed to occupy in a place they had only just been permitted to enter. She watched him check his gear without speaking, her expression doing several things at once that she was not quite managing to keep separate from each other.

He nodded at her once on his way to find Magnar.

She nodded back, and that was the whole of it for now.

Magnar was already outside the domain gate, sitting with his weight back on his haunches and his amber eyes tracking Neil from the moment he came into view. He had grown considerably since the early days of the domain, his frame now carrying the particular density that came from real fights in real conditions rather than training, the kind of development that showed in the way a familiar moved rather than just in how large they were. When Neil approached he made a low sound that was equal parts greeting and question.

"Hunting." Neil told him. "Proper hunting, not the usual."

Magnar’s tail began to move with an energy that suggested this was exactly the right answer.

Randy had arranged the teleportation marker the previous evening, which was the one thing Randy did with complete reliability regardless of his general approach to responsibility.

❖❖❖

Thanks for reading...