“WHY THERE ARE RATS IN MY TOWER!?”

  Tower Master Baharir looked like a scholarly young man with brown skin, which was typical of Zetelians. The young man looked high-class and very well-off based on his clothes and accessories. The four-colored cape that he wore was especially eye-catching. That person was visibly fuming as he repeatedly stomped a quivering dog beastfolk.

  “WHAT ARE MY MEN DOING!?”

  His men were fighting the invaders of course, including the Executives. The old bestfolk had told him that but not good enough for the Tower master it seemed. The dog beastfolk grandpa, since he looked like a grandpa with his bushy white beard and everything, asked for mercy over and over again.

  “Tch,” Baharir stopped his elder abuse for the time being. “Have a ‘meeting for a minute’ they say and this happened. Fuck! An hour later and look at the damage these cultists have done. There will be consequences for this, mark my words.”

  “Ahh, the scent of conflict, the touch of danger... such a delight. Don't you agree, Tower Master?”

  A red-robed person walked out of the meeting room. He, according to his voice, went around the bloodied and bruised dog beastfolk caretaker to the Tower Master.

  “If you like it so much, do me a favor and wipe out these rats. I’ll give you adequate rewards,” Baharir said.

  “Hehehe,” he chuckled. “Alas, my master forbade me to... overindulge. My duty here is strictly business. I trust these new complications will not hamper our deal?”

  “Of course,” Baharir replied with a harumph. “You’ll have your child soldiers. Come with me. I’ll clean up the trash along the way.”

  The two entered an elevator, descending from the Tower Master’s office. The elevator was the only way to his office near the tower’s top. It was designed by the man himself. Bahrir enjoyed putting the impression in everyone’s mind that he was the elite among elites, the highest authority in his tower.

  As soon as the elevator doors split open, Baharir’s head was hit by a bullet.

  The camper had been waiting for this exact moment. In his hands he had a big-ass firearm. Those in the know would categorize it as a high-caliber anti-materiel rifle.

  That was when Viers thought to himself: Boom, headshot!

  ***

  Viers’ firearms were produced by a System. Once upon a time, there was an otherworlder with a firearms-centric System that Viers killed with extreme prejudice. Just because the fool flaunted his guns and bullets like a cowboy in the Wild West. Viers punished him with a fitting isekai welcome.

  Sigma’s soul, still in Viers’ possession, had long been plumbed dry for his usefulness. His ego had been shattered and his only use to Viers was using said soul to access the remnants of the System. It didn't function like it used to when he was alive, but it was still capable of producing firearms and bullets for a price. The currency that the System required Viers produced using souls. Souls were so versatile in the hands of a skilled soulmancer.

  The very first firearm that Viers obtained from the System was a six-shooter revolver that he named Little Friend. Frankly speaking, it was an old model, the power also wasn't very good. Even with the best bullets he had, against high Level Pathseekers it would have minimal uses.

  But was Viers limited to one revolver? Of course not!

  The concern was the souls. Viers needed those souls, the human ones, for his soul cultivation. He also used non-human souls in great quantities for various things. He preferred personal growth over emphasizing his use of guns. Besides, he had no intention of becoming a stupid otherworlder like Sigma was. There were dangerous beings in this magical world that took interest in such things. Simply put, guns were not a high priority for Viers.

  But during his three years of secluded training, through the Arcanum Club and some other channels, Viers had gotten ample amounts of souls to branch out his repertoire.

  While the System’s gun selection was massive, Viers limited himself to a few types, such as close-ranged and long-ranged, all-purpose and specialized.

  What he used just now was one of his new firearms, the high-powered anti-materiel rifle. He knew Baharir would use the elevator to come down and camped appropriately. There were two targets, but he knew which was the Tower Master. He made the shot from around fifty meters so it wasn't exactly long-ranged sniping but Viers emphasized power against these superhuman Pathseekers.

  Sure enough, even bullets made from shards of Level 5 soul only gave Baharir a bloody forehead. Still, he seemed to have taken quite a bit of damage. He would love it if GRLL’s (Grim Reaper Love Letter) debut reduced everything above his opponent's neck to fine red mist. Alas, it was not meant to be.

  Baharir, enraged, tackled Viers as if he was a red-eyed bull. They broke the walls until they were outside. Baharir let go of Viers, consigning him to a grim fall. They were very high up after all. Unlike Level 5s, Level 4s couldn't fly. However, Baharir was able to hover in the air, using some kind of ability or item.

  Viers was no less resourceful. He clung to the mostly vertical walls and ran upward as if he was traversing flat ground.

  The two clashed in a melee until they both were at the tower’s top, where the terrain facilitated an earnest battle. Baharir asked some questions during their trade of offense and defense such as who he was and what he wanted but Viers didn't answer him. He was simply fighting using his strength, like a lion using all its strength even when hunting a rabbit.

  Viers had proved to be a much more difficult foe than Baharir initially believed and made a decisive move, Domain activation.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Viers answered in kind, laughing maniacally as if he had been waiting for the moment for a long time to say the words.

  The two Domains clashed for supremacy over rewriting reality.

  Imaginary Domain – Sea of Life and Death!

  ***

  “Ooh... Oooooohhh! What is this? This is not Victa, the readings are all wrong! An unknown! I want to know! I have to know!”

  Within a black space, Jessica was surrounded by green-white strands of energy. Vibrant and full of life, these strands slowly spread in all directions, flowing. Her aura had risen exponentially. Her lustrous silky long black hair, unusually tied back for this occasion, swayed from the wind pressure. Behind her dolphin mask, was a face full of fighting spirit.

  Imaginary Domain – Lifestream.

  Despite being inside Jessica’s Domain, the mad doctor didn't seem to be nervous or concerned. He already fixed his neck which should be broken for all intended purposes. He did it manually with his hands.

  With the shining eyes of a boy looking at a new toy, Reseh tried to touch the stream of energy that flowed close to him but he was unable to touch it. The strands repaired themselves and continued spreading, slowly but surely, the black space of the Domain became bright and fantastical.

  “Is this life energy? But it’s different from life affinity and life Artes...” The doctor gleefully used his gadget to take measurements. “I’ve got it! A different facet! Fascinating! If this can be harnessed, I can make so many breakthroughs in my research!”

  Jessica slowly crumpled her fingers into a fist, firm and proper. Power was welling up from inside her. On her left upper arm appeared two mystic markings, the first glowed red and the second orange: Jessica’s opened chakras. The glow was visible through the sleeve of her enchanted garments.

  “I beg you, woman! Be my experiment! Let me open your chest up! Your heart is the source, right? Or is it the spine? Either way, I promise you’ll be alive and awake during the process, isn't it great?”

  Jessica wished to hear his words no more. Empowered by Victa and Qi, she struck Reseh with her fist, only to be blocked by an invisible forcefield. However, when her fist landed, the sound and force it produced was as if Reseh was struck by an industrial wrecking ball.

  “Ohh! An increase of 402% compared to your first attack. Marvelous, woman!”

  Jessica didn't stop. She struck the barrier a few more times without pause. With the Arte Heroic Momentum, the longer the combo chain, the greater the force.

  It didn't take long until cracks appeared in Reseh’s barrier. His composure was finally disturbed.

  “What a beast,” he gasped. “Imaginary Domain – Perfect Laboratory!”

  Jessica jumped back in anticipation of the enemy’s move. She witnessed a blinding rectangle akin to an opened door appear beside the doctor. From the name, it appeared it wasn't a direct clash type of Domain. As she suspected, the doctor wasn't a fighter-type Pathseeker.

  A man walked out from the shining door. At least, something that resembled a humanoid male. The thing had the head of a human male, but one of his eyes was a transplanted monster eye. There was a stitch mark on his neck. The torso was from a red-furred tiger beastfolk. Each limb was from a different monster, except for his left hand. It was entirely made of metal and monstrously shaped. He was twice as tall as Jessica. His face was expressionless, like an unfeeling machine. She was able to sense his qi so he definitely was alive, but she’d never felt such a gruesome, mismatched qi before.

  “Behold my greatest masterpiece! Number 11, capture that woman alive!”

  The chimera man obeyed wordlessly. His eyes focused on Jessica. The power he exuded was undoubtedly a Level 4, furthermore, above that of Doctor Reseh.

  Level 4 high at least, plus whatever modification and tricks the doctor put in him.

  Normally, a Level 4 low like Jessica would feel despair due to the strength difference. However, Jessica felt only pity.

  “Poor soul. I’ll set you free.”

  Arte - Seven Chakras: Third Circle!

  Jessica’s power spiked even further! The green-white stream became even brighter. A third mark appeared on her upper left arm, with the color of yellow.

  The gadget the doctor held, beeps repeatedly. His eyes widened before the gadget exploded.

  “Ha!!”

  The chimera man and Jessica threw a punch at the same time. Based on the size, it was like an adult striking a child. Their fist clashed, even though it was flesh against flesh it produced the sound of two metal bars colliding and created an energy shockwave.

  “Khh!”

  Jessica winched with pain and drew her fist back.

  The chimera man’s right hand exploded with blood and gore.

  “My masterpieceeeeee! How is it possible? With Number 11’s augmentations, he should be dominating another Level 4 high; how could he lose against someone with a lower spec!?”

  An Imaginary Domain was closely related to the cultivation manual, the Profound Codex. Jessica met Viers quite late so she thought it was too late to change her Profound Codex, but Viers gave a fitting one to her so readily. She could swear the Profound Codex was custom-made for her and fit like a glove. How could it be? Since the Big Boss story of the Arcanum Club was a lie, that the Big Boss and the Little Boss were actually the same person, did Viers make a Profound Codex?

  Thanks to her new codex her journey to Level 4 was as smooth as it could be, but the thought bugged her. Was there anything he could not do?

  Before becoming Level 4, Viers and Clarissa gave her a period of special training and supervised it in minute detail. When she showed them her Domain, Viers gave it the name Lifestream. Jessica wondered if there was a deeper meaning.

  At any rate, Jessica’s Lifestream was an upgrade over her qi-less Domain that her father had. For better or worse, her Domain was tied to her seven chakras.

  So far she has opened three in total. The first was Viers’ doing but since then, she’d opened two more. Each was more difficult than the last. She wondered if she’d ever opened all seven.

  Imaginary Domain came in all varieties. Reseh’s Perfect Laboratory seemed to be tied to his craft. Jessica’s Lifestream was more simplistic. In fact, one of the simplest of Domain effects: strengthening.

  Jessica had opened three chakras; these three gave her passive boosts on their own. When she actively used them using the Seven Chakras Arte, she became stronger.

  The strengthening effect of the chakras was at its maximum when Lifestream was active simultaneously. When she tapped into her first chakra, Muladhara, her power doubled. With Svadhisthana, her powers doubled yet again. And again with Manipura.

  At the moment, her power was eight times stronger. Simple yet powerful. If she didn't use her Domain, even with three chakras active she wouldn't reach that height.

  However, Jessica couldn't maintain the activation of three chakras for long, the Third Circle of her Arte. It was the strain. Adding the simultaneous activation of Domain, the burden on her body, Victa, and stamina was too much.

  But Jessica didn't have a choice. The chimera man was truly powerful. The doctor used high-end resources and funding from the Magisterium to create him. Without pushing herself this far, she wouldn't be able to win. It wasn't only her life that was at stake here.

  “I’ll finish this quickly,” Jessica took her stance. Her Victa and Qi were at maximum. The red, orange, and yellow markings on her upper left arm, which were actually Sanskrit characters, shone powerfully.