The question gnawed at Kingsley's mind, refusing to let go no matter how hard he tried to push it aside.
If everyone on Earth had truly been transferred to this strange world, then his family members must be here too.
His siblings, his niece, his nephew—each one of them could be experiencing the same ordeal. The thought filled him with a deep sense of dread.
As the eldest sibling and an uncle to four, he couldn't ignore the possibility of them being in danger.
"Kingsley, focus!" he growled, slapping himself hard across the face. The sting forced him to return to the present. He couldn't help anyone if he ended up dead.
Looking at the endless stream of messages flowing through the [Chat] system, Kingsley knew his initial plan to find his family was hopeless.
With nearly seven billion people talking at once, any message he sent would vanish into the abyss of newer messages before anyone could see it.
"So, this is my next best option," Kingsley muttered, turning his attention back to his abilities.
"What exactly does [Domini] mean? Wait… is this Latin?" he thought aloud, trying to recall fragments of Latin he'd picked up during his years in Catholic school.
"Domini… Domini… doesn't it mean 'Lord' or 'Master'? Or maybe 'King'? Whatever—it doesn't matter. Why would my ability be named Domini?"
---
Name: [Domini]
Rank: ???
Description:
An ability of unknown origin, now owned by the Lord [Kingsley]. As the name implies, the user of this ability is God within his or her realm or territory. The user has the power to create, destroy, and alter anything within the territory. However, this comes at a price:
Limitations:
- The user cannot leave their territory.
- The user is unable to use the ability on themselves.
Note: This ability is tied to the user's territory level. Please work hard.
---
"What?" Kingsley blinked at the screen, stunned. The description was absurd. The ability essentially made him a god, but the limitations were suffocating.
"No wonder the system didn't bother giving me any help," he muttered, shaking his head.
"And wait—is this the [Lord's Eye] ability?" he wondered, noticing the new holographic window floating before him.
He hadn't intentionally activated anything, yet the screen appeared as if it had responded to his thoughts.
"Does the [Domini] ability work with thought, too?" he mused aloud.
Experimenting, Kingsley focused his mind on activating the ability. A sudden burst of bright yellow light erupted from his body, radiating outward in all directions.
"What the hell was that?" he muttered, startled.
As the light faded, Kingsley barely had time to process what had happened before a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his head. The headache came and went in an instant, leaving behind a flood of information.
"Is this… my territory?" he asked in disbelief, sifting through the newly acquired knowledge. It was as if the system had downloaded a map of his domain directly into his mind.
---
All territories have been given.
Generating all beginner buildings...
---
Lord [Kingsley] is exempt due to certain circumstances. He shall not receive any basic buildings or advanced ones.
---
Kingsley stared blankly at the system message.
"Of course I'm exempt," he muttered bitterly, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. He had no troops, no barracks, and now no buildings.
Despite the crushing disadvantage, Kingsley forced himself to stay calm. The headache, the burst of light, and the system messages all pointed to one undeniable fact: he had activated [Domini], and his territory was his to command.
"This is my realm," he murmured, determination hardening his expression.
"If the system wants to screw me over, fine. But I'll figure this out."
For the first time since arriving in this world, Kingsley felt a glimmer of hope. His abilities, limited as they were, gave him power. He just had to learn how to use it—and fast.