“Any chance we can pull another Platijum Lily and steal this realm without using up the Realm Catcher?” Alistair asked, though he already suspected the answer.

  “Not a chance,” Riseth said, shaking her head. “I did read up on this, and the Lily was a special case—not just because it had an entrance in the form of a high-tech door, but because it was situated on a flying island. While the island itself wasn’t crucial, the door was anchored quite firmly to the surrounding landmass, and being tied to a flying island saved us quite some time in careful excavations. As you probably suspected, realms or dungeons with entrances like doors, mirrors, Statues, or other objects and artifacts are far more portable. The most common type, however, are realms with portals fixed to a specific point in space—like this one.”

  She gestured toward the glowing portal. “Moving something like this at our grade is practically impossible. The magical structures binding it here are incredibly advanced. Even with my concept of manipulation and my proficiency in space magic, I wouldn’t know where to start. Unless you’ve suddenly mastered containment magic and can unravel these structures?”

  Alistair nodded thoughtfully. It lined up with what he suspected based on knowledge that had trickled through from the wider multiverse, but he hadn't had the time to read up on it yet.

  He then turned to look at the realm, which was a deep blue and somewhat resembled a swirling maelstrom of magic heavily aspected towards the concept of water and storm. The amount of mana the realm exuded alone would make it worth placing on lacustrine, as it would be highly compatible and raise the quality and quantity of the planet's mana much faster. After giving it some more thought, he replied using the Akashic Link, "I don't think I could even in the next grade, but what are the odds that some of the dragon parts could be turned into an artifact capable of holding a realm?"

  Riseth paused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “It’s possible,” she said, considering the options. “We’d need to consult Denodia—or maybe even reach out to the Synth Alliance. But sharing the fact that we have dragon parts would be unwise. We shouldn’t risk using the Coalition network; it's better to wait until we’re back home.”

  “Agreed,” Alistair replied before glancing at the portal. “How common are realms with entrances like the Lily, anyway?”

  “Not very,” Riseth replied through the Link, crossing her arms. “ As I mentioned, dungeons and realms can be tied to nearly anything—a stone arch, a cave, or even something as small as a marble. High-grade individuals and gods occasionally bind realms to artifacts like wands or rings or fix them to a pillar or similar structure within their territories. Intelligent dungeons are more likely to choose an entrance that suits their nature. But as I mentioned earlier, the most common type is anchored to a fixed point in space.”

  "I am surprised; our Everbright dungeon wasn't tied to a large golden tree or something," Alistair mused, still using the Akashic Link.

  “She still might change the entrance, though I doubt it’s a high priority for Vaerin,” Riseth replied with a casual shrug.

  Their conversation was interrupted as Inquisitor Luitwin J?ger, Elenora's right-hand man, approached with a disciplined group of inquisitors flanking him.

  "Inquisitor Seitz is requesting your presence for the distribution of loot and a situational update," J?ger informed them, his tone clipped and efficient. "My squad and I will remain here to guard the realm and eliminate any Syndicate ritualists attempting to flee."

  Alistair nodded at the man. Inquisitor J?ger’s full suit of crusader power armor obscured most of his features, making it difficult to discern his race. Judging by his stature and the shape of his fully enclosed helmet, Alistair guessed he was either a half-elf or a human or a similar humanoid. The elves within the Ethos Crusade usually wore helmets designed to accommodate their ears—or let them poke out entirely as a matter of pride. Alistair always thought they were just asking to have their ears cut off, though with healing magic, it wasn't something that couldn't be fixed anymore.

  When Alistair and Riseth reached the circle of leaders at the edge of the chamber, his gaze immediately fell on the spy, Syca, who was already waiting for them with an air of impatience.

  “Good, now that everyone of note is here, I’ll give my report so I can leave this shithole,” Syca declared bluntly.

  Alistair raised an eyebrow, clearly not the only one taken aback by Syca’s bluntness. She noticed their reactions and let out an exasperated sigh.

  “I’ve been stuck with these monsters, pretending to be a sex slave for half a year now. Forgive me if I’m a little eager to get the hell out of here,” she said bitterly.

  “Understandable. Carry on,” Elenora said, her tone even.

  “Thank you,” Syca replied, her voice softening slightly. “Unfortunately, your delay allowed most of the elites to escape using their stealth crafts. I couldn’t risk placing a tracker on any of them during my infiltration; the ships were frequently inspected, and my position didn’t provide many excuses to access their hangar. Those who stayed behind were either overly confident in Ekhar’s victory or unwilling to lose access to this realm and its rewards.”

  “It’s fine,” Elenora interjected. “We managed to shoot down one straggler and eliminated Sea Wraith Zia, so the assault hasn’t been a complete failure in this regard.” She gestured toward the portal with a frown. “Does this realm have particularly strong ties to the undead? Most of the individuals stationed here seemed to be some type of undead.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Alistair caught the subtle but unmistakable edge in Elenora’s tone and suspected she might push for the realm’s dispersal if it turned out to be heavily undead-centric. Fortunately, Syca shook her head, dismissing the concern with a casual wave.

  “No, the realm isn’t tied to the undead,” Syca clarified. “They simply have an edge there. Even at lower grades, they don’t need to breathe and are far less affected by being submerged underwater, which is apparently one of the more frequent challenge types that can appear.”

  Alistair groaned audibly. “So it’s an underwater realm after all?”

  “Not quite,” Syca replied. “It’s better if you see for yourself—and maybe talk to the realm’s inhabitants. They’re a little difficult but should be able to explain what you need to know.”

  Alistair raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms, but Syca ignored him entirely, turning her attention to Inquisitor Seitz instead.

  “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to request permission to take my leave. The rest of my report is for my employers,” she said curtly.

  “Fine. We can handle things from here. You’re excused,” Elenora replied, waving her off dismissively. Without so much as a glance at the rest of the circle, Syca turned and departed.

  “Prickly, that one,” Kujo remarked, watching her retreating form.

  “Casualties have been manageable, though regrettable,” Elenora began, ignoring Kujo's comment. “In exchange, we succeeded in capturing the realm and managed to eliminate some minor elites, as well as two individuals with bounties exceeding 300 million [ACG] or 30 million [USC]. Most of the treasures were evacuated by the fleeing elites, but we secured a decent assortment of elixirs, pills, and other consumable treasures. These will be held by the Ethos Crusade and distributed at a later time, assuming this is agreeable to the rest of you?”

  Kujo grimaced at the mention of the casualties but gave a grunt of agreement upon Elenora's suggestion. At the same time, Riseth waved her hand dismissively at the suggestion, clearly uninterested in the specifics.

  “Good,” Elenora continued, her gaze shifting toward the portal leading to the realm. “This brings us to the primary target of this assault.” She gestured toward the realm chamber. “It is time to determine whether this realm was worth the trouble—and whether the Ryser Clan intends to acquire it or leave it to the Coalition, conserving their Realm Catcher for another realm more suitable to their needs.”

  Alistair wasn’t entirely sure what to hope for. If the realm turned out to be exceptional but not aligned with their clan’s needs, passing it up would be difficult. Then there was his personal bias—he couldn’t shake the unease that came with water-based dungeons and realms. The thought of hunting massive underwater creatures gave him slight goosebumps, even though he knew he’d be perfectly fine.

  What truly worried him, however, was the immense mana the realm exuded. It suggested that parts of it might go beyond their current grade, which could either be an incredible blessing or a significant risk—especially on their home planet. While beings from a realm rarely left it, he knew it wasn’t entirely impossible.

  He shook his head, dismissing the idle thoughts. Let’s just see what this Realm is about before overthinking it. Based on the spy's explanation, there are subspaces, which means the beasts cannot leave.

  "I will stay behind and guard the compound. I don't care much for entering a water-aspect realm, and there are some burials to take care of," Kujo said with a somewhat saddened expression.

  Alistair watched as Nomura placed a comforting hand on Kujo’s shoulder before turning to join the rest of the group heading for the realm portal. The Beshin Clan had suffered the heaviest losses during the final assault. While none of their elites had fallen, it was still bitter to see so many promising candidates cut down before they could reach their prime.

  Their own forces had taken significant casualties during the space battle as well. Still, Alistair knew better than to dwell on it. Such losses were an inevitable part of combat and war, especially in a fledgling universe. They couldn’t afford to fall behind or let others grow more powerful unchecked. Strength was a necessity—without it, others would rise to dominance and inevitably lord it over them. And from what Alistair had seen and heard the Syndicates and other factions do, it would be a fate worse than death.

  Alistair and Riseth were the first to step through the portal, weapons drawn and ready for any ambush the ritualists might have left behind. Instead, they were met by the warm, bright light of a sun hanging overhead and a heavy density of mana swirling through the air, its flow carrying a peculiar, methodical rhythm.

  As the rest of the group followed, they began scanning the immediate area, their movements cautious and deliberate as they remained on high alert.

  Alistair took a moment to examine his surroundings. Beneath his feet stretched a pool of liquid mana, perfectly transparent and impossibly deep. Tendrils resembling seaweed swayed far below, their origins shrouded in the depths. Even with his enhanced senses, he couldn’t determine how far down they extended. Curiously, the liquid mana was unnaturally calm and solid enough to walk upon. He crouched, scooping some of the shimmering liquid into his hand and watching as it trickled back into the pool, the ripples it created vanishing almost instantly. The entire pool seemed to center around an intricate formation, its design impossibly complex, pulsing faintly with latent energy far beyond their grade.

  Encasing the pool on two opposing sides were enormous windows that extended far below the liquid mana’s surface, offering a view of what appeared to be a sprawling library or archive. The structure beyond the glass was immense, stretching downward into unseen depths. Towering shelves and stairways lined the space, their tops vanishing into the shadows despite the clear light radiating from the mana-filled pool.

  The chamber and its encompassing structure were crafted from a material that resembled stone but felt distinctly different in both texture and hue. To the untrained eye, it might appear as a blend of cobalt blue and gray, but Alistair’s conceptual awareness revealed intricate colors and patterns beyond conventional comprehension. He often assigned simpler colors to these incomprehensible shades, as most magic appeared to human eyes in shades of purple, a mere approximation of its true nature. He often couldn't be bothered to make up names for each new color he came across.

  To the sides, grand stairs carved from the same enigmatic material spiraled upward, leading toward the heights of the chamber. At higher levels, he noticed additional windows and signs of habitation carved into the walls, though their purpose remained unclear. The entire space exuded an air of quiet, ancient power as if waiting to judge its new visitors.

  "Let’s check it from above," Alistair said, scanning their surroundings. "As pretty as this is, I feel like a fish in a barrel."

  Riseth nodded in agreement, and they swiftly ascended into the air. The rest of the group followed close behind, keeping pace as they rose to get a better view of the enigmatic structure and its surroundings.