Alistair glanced at the spot where Sotarr had stood mere moments ago, shaking his head.

  "He seemed more involved than usual," Alistair mused.

  Riseth tilted her head thoughtfully. "I’m surprised he shared as much as he did. Perhaps something has changed on his side."

  Alistair shrugged, turning back to the realm and his family members, who were finishing their analysis. "It doesn’t really matter as long as it works to our benefit."

  "It will take time for things to settle after the retaliatory strikes," Riseth added, "some of them are still ongoing. Should we explore this realm now or monitor the situation?"

  "I’ve been itching for a fight," King said with a slight edge in his voice. "Also, Rovari has been dropping hints that I should give her some space."

  Rovari let out a huff, crossing her arms, her gaze fixed on the spot where Sotarr had disappeared. "His part is done for now, and I’d rather not have him bothering me during nesting."

  Alistair chuckled, clapping King on the back before nodding to Rovari. "Of course you are. Congratulations to both of you on your first brood."

  King stood a little straighter, but he still struggled with his smile, which was kind of unnerving. Rovari nudged him in the side, causing him to look confused.

  "Thank you, Patriarch; I will be sure to ensure the safety of the hatchlings," Rovari replied, bowing deeply, showing much more respect than she had previously.

  "Be sure to call us once they hatch. I’d love to see the little ones hatch," Riseth added with a bright smile.

  Rovari hesitated before answering. "The Clan Matriarch and Patriarch are, of course, welcome, but I would prefer some privacy, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t invite too many people."

  Melissa and Juliana approached, having followed the conversation keenly. "I hope the two of us may join as well," Melissa asked, giving a polite nod.

  "And who are you two?" Rovari questioned, her eyes narrowing.

  "Oh," Alistair said before placing his hands on his mother’s and sister’s shoulders. "This is my mother and my sister, Melissa."

  Alistair’s mother smiled and gave a polite bow. "You may call me Juliana."

  Rovari’s expression shifted to one of shock before she bowed deeply. "I didn’t mean to offend the Patriarch’s Blood Matriarch and Kin."

  Melissa glanced at Rovari but chose to let it slide for now while their mother was already fussing over the dragoness.

  "It’s quite alright. Hormones and can get the better of any of us, and it’s understandable that you would be protective," Juliana said, guiding Rovari toward the exit.

  Alistair wasn’t sure if hormones played a role, but he wouldn’t pretend to understand a dragon’s psyche during pregnancy or a broody period. Honestly, he wouldn’t question it if it were another species either. Deciding that silence was the wisest course, he said nothing. Melissa caught his eye and shrugged before following their mother.

  James stepped up next to Alistair, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "They don’t do it for the records, and I think the system recognizes that," James remarked. "Both specialize in nurturing, and I’m sure assisting a dragoness with her first clutch of hatchlings will come with serious benefits and titles. Melissa already mentioned that helping Zephi grow stronger earned her a title. Helping the hatchlings once they are here is bound to be a great boon."

  Alistair followed his brother’s gaze. While their mother and sister were much weaker than him in terms of raw strength, their levels matched his own, which was impressive. His brother, too, was weaker but had reached an even higher level through consistent hard work despite his usual grumbling. Alistair also couldn’t help but notice that the safe, comforting feeling he had always associated with his mother had taken on a magical quality as it permeated through her aura, soothing the minds of everyone around her.

  James coughed, pulling up the readings he had taken earlier. "It’ll take me some time to fully analyze the realm and the effects of the Realm Catcher, but I can already tell there’s more than just water, storm, and their related concepts at play. There’s quite a lot of space, arcane, and time magic as well. This realm seems capable of creating endless subspaces, each filled to the brim with magic. The highest reading I measured indicates Grade 2 magic at work."

  James patted Alistair’s shoulder before heading toward the exit, glancing over his shoulder as he spoke. "Try not to die in there. Some of these readings are insane. If you two encounter monsters two or more grades higher, I’d recommend abandoning the subspace immediately. Not every creature in there will be out for blood, but there’s no guarantee they won’t be either."

  A smirk played on Alistair’s lips, one he noticed mirrored on Riseth as they waved James goodbye.

  "You heard my brother. I think it’s high time we challenge ourselves again."

  "Good," Riseth replied as she summoned Fluffy, the serpent appearing in a shimmer of light before draping itself over her shoulders. "The Syndicate cowards running away before we could get most of them has left me itching for a good fight."

  "What are we waiting for then? I hardly got to test this new body of mine," King said with enthusiasm.

  Riseth glanced toward the exit, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "And here I heard you already took it for a spin," she teased.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  King grew flustered, struggling to come up with a response. Before he could manage, Alistair and Riseth laughed, stepping through the portal, leaving him sputtering behind them.

  When they arrived in Nivareth, they immediately ascended high into the air, taking in the massive Realm Lotus below. The magic around them swirled excitedly, and they watched as King’s dragon form emerged from the gate. His gaze shifted curiously to the liquid mana beneath him, inspecting his claws and noting that, strangely, they weren’t wet.

  A moment later, he looked up and joined them with a few powerful flaps of his wings, closing the distance in mere moments.

  His eyes were drawn to the Lotus and the storm beyond, and he was filled with wonder. His earlier prepared retort was completely forgotten. They hovered near the edge of the storm, waiting in silence for the next flash of lightning to illuminate the outline of their first potential challenge.

  They waited with bated breath, their senses reaching out into the storm, feeling swirling storm and space magic rage before them.

  Suddenly, the magic seemed to calm and coalesce in a much less violent manner yet became incredibly energized as a flash illuminated the entire storm wall in front of them. Alistair could make out the outlines of an island with either a mountain or a volcano at its center; the magic he sensed was intense, slightly higher than his own grade, but it seemed manageable.

  "Do we take this or wait for something different," Alistair called out.

  "We take this!" King announced as he headed for the storm.

  Riseth gave him a toothy smile as she, too, headed for the storm before it was too late, and Alistair shrugged, following them into the storm.

  The storm buffeted them briefly, but the overwhelming wash of space magic was far more intense than the storm could ever be. Alistair was certain they were traveling an incredible distance and wondered why a subspace would feel so distant. He let the magic flow past him, breathing in its essence and feeling his Sunforge Stomach refine some rather intriguing essences. But before he could dwell on it further, he emerged onto a beach under a night sky, overcast by the dense fog and clouds that encompassed the island. The strange fog he had just exited receded behind him, curling around the island like a protective shroud.

  Nearby, Riseth and King stood inspecting the island, their attention focused on the intense magic saturating the area. The entire island’s magic was as rich as the gathering and refinement formations around Rathos. Alistair could make out a single formation deeply intertwined with the looming, inert volcano ahead of them.

  At the center of the formation stood the volcano, its surface dominated by massive crystalline spikes of orange and purple. These jagged formations jutted outward, all angled toward the volcano’s crown, clearly an integral part of the greater magical structure. Above the volcano, a swirling storm of spatial magic churned, contained in a perfectly toroidal—donut-like—shape. The storm thrummed with immense power, its influence blanketing the entire island in a disruptive, almost oppressive energy.

  Alistair could feel the magic’s effects immediately. His teleportation and flight skills, far less powerful than his other skills, would not be sufficient to overcome the forces at play here. However, his mastery of telekinesis and kinetics skills remained unshaken, his refined control too precise, and his affinity and skill rank far too high to be disrupted by the storm’s interference.

  Alistair couldn’t believe how the oppressive magic seemed to overshadow the sweltering heat and heavy humidity of the environment. As his senses extended outward, he caught the faint sounds of insects buzzing and small animals rustling in the undergrowth. Then his focus sharpened on the unmistakable presence of several Grade 7 monsters lurking within his sphere of perception. Their predatory gazes were locked on him and his companions, but none dared to approach—yet.

  “They’re afraid of me,” King said, his voice a low growl tinged with warning. “But I doubt this will last long.”

  Alistair pulled out his new poleaxe while Riseth withdrew Jack from storage as the strange humanoid creatures began to rise from the underbrush and waters around them.

  A quick identify revealed their species: [Skoc - lvl ??]. They resembled a mixture of goblins and poison dart frogs, their brightly colored bodies vivid against the lush greenery of the island. Despite their striking appearance, Alistair couldn’t sense any poison concepts. Their long, lanky limbs and frog-like forms were offset by maws lined with sharp, glass-like teeth, which they bared as they advanced.

  Alistair estimated them to be a lower-tier species, but the gap in grade between them was clear. Still, excitement stirred at the thought of testing himself against such creatures. He knew he would have to rely on skill and technique to bridge the difference in strength as his defensive skills likely wouldn’t hold up against their sheer power if he wasn’t careful.

  A cacophony of gurgling screeches erupted around them, shattering the tense standoff as the monsters charged.

  Alistair and Riseth moved to intercept a group coming from the side, ensuring King had space to fight. With a deep inhale, King unleashed his breath attack, black flames infused with the weight of curse magic roaring over the sand. The intense heat fused the white sand into jagged black glass as the cursed flames washed over the charging Skoc. Their agonized screams filled the air, some retreating at incredible speeds to escape the relentless flames while others leaped over the attack, swarming toward King’s massive form like ticks closing in on a dog.

  King spun with unnatural grace, his plated body and claws erupting in the same black fire as his blade-like tail slashed through multiple jumping Skoc, cutting deep and sending them hurtling away.

  Some managed to cling to him, their powerful claws digging into his scales and struggling to tear them off. He roared, taking to the air, snapping and burning those foolish enough to hold on.

  Alistair and Riseth engaged the Skoc on the ground, quickly realizing they had a much harder time even wounding them.

  Alistair parried a swipe, the claws scraping along his poleaxe as he struggled to rob all of its momentum due to the difference in grade. Forced to adjust, he shifted into a different stance of the Aegis Stride to compensate for the gap in power.

  Fortunately, the clash also provided an opportunity for his ability to store immense amounts of kinetic energy to truly shine. He felt an incredible surge of force flow into him as multiple spheres, filled to the brim with kinetic energy, sprang from his body.

  "Eat shit, you oversized murloc-looking motherfucker!" Alistair roared in glee at the power coursing through his body, a wild grin spreading across his face. Adjusting his grip to bring the hammerhead of his poleaxe into position, he planted his foot firmly and channeled two of the kinetic spheres into his next strike. The blow smashed into the Skoc’s chest, shattering it and sending the creature hurtling through the air. As it flew, Alistair triggered a Wilhelm scream from his Akashic Soundboard, the sound echoing across the battlefield and thoroughly enraging the remaining Skoc.

  The shift in their focus momentarily eased the pressure on Riseth, who had been struggling to land any meaningful blows. She was hard-pressed just to evade the beasts’ wild, rapid swings, each one threatening to tear chunks out of her.

  He heard multiple chimes, one of them signaling a title upgrade as he felt himself level up. The Skoc he had sent flying succumbed to its wounds after crashing into a distant rock formation on the beach, barely managing to crack it—a testament to the environment’s ambient magic reinforcing even the simplest objects.

  He spared a glance toward Riseth, relieved to have taken some of the pressure off her. His concept was much better suited for fighting above his weight class, but her wild grin eased any lingering concerns. He watched as she hamstrung one of the distracted Skoc, her dragon-bone chainsword tearing through its flesh and muscles despite the difference in grade.