"Why did it suddenly appear? All I did was a comprehension session, and now the World Tree is resonating and even integrating with me?" Aldrian pondered. The sudden resonance and integration of the World Tree baffled him. The World Tree, a token of blessing for elves and akin to a domain, resonating with a human like him was an anomaly.
"I'm tied to nature."
He recalled one of the lines he often repeated during his comprehension sessions. When the screen first appeared in front of him, it displayed words he couldn't fully comprehend. Since then, he had let nature take its course, believing that he would eventually solve the mystery surrounding the screen and himself. With this new development, he felt that it might reveal more about his abilities and his domain.
"My domain encompasses all things." he thought, reflecting on his domain. "There is nothing that can escape my view, There is nothing that can escape my sense. These abilities seem to relate to my domain, but 'There is nothing that can escape my will'. It sounds like the ability to impose my will on others or something else entirely?"
Aldrian wasn't sure because he had never tried to impose his will on anything. He didn't even know how to do it, and the ability itself sounded absurd. It's like—
"A God." He furrowed his brows.
"What am I?" he sighed, hoping whatever it was, he wouldn't bring trouble to his family, Unbeknownst to Aldrian, the domain in the secret realm was reacting to him.
Aldrian and Eleine arrived at the two-floor house within the mayor's mansion complex. The root house was surrounded by a flower garden, adding to its serene atmosphere. Upon entering, they were greeted by an interior similar to the main mansion. The maids dispersed to their respective posts inside the house, ensuring everything was in order. Aldrian and Eleine chose rooms on the second floor for themselves, and for obvious reasons, Eleine chose the room beside Aldrian's.
Looking inside the luxurious bedroom with its bathroom and veranda, Aldrian immediately lay down on the bed when he saw it. He felt he needed to rest and relax after the long journey, he could enjoy Balin later. He then closed his eyes to rest his mind.
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The sun dove to the horizon in the west, giving Balin City a beautiful scene, but one person couldn't enjoy it because his eyes were still closed. When he opened his eyes, it was already dark outside, and the moon was shining beautifully in the sky. Aldrian felt his senses sharpen and his entire being more powerful. He looked at the screen to see the change.
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Integrating with the world tree of Balin City....100%
The world tree of Balin city is your domain
Aldrian Aster
Domain : The secret realm and Balin city
Age : 12 years
Cultivation : High Viscount
Current energy : 253,190 (+1.4/15m)
Energy needed for the next stage : 270,001
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Seeing his information, he felt satisfied that he could become stronger faster. Now that he was inside his domain, he felt more powerful than ever, as if his two domains were connected, amplifying his power. Although he still didn't know the exact reason for the world tree's reaction, it was enough for now. He could feel his other domain from here and focused on his secret realm domain, noticing a change.
"The secret realm domain has broken through space and is now in the outside world." he realized, sensing that the secret realm domain had a diameter of 500 meters from the cave he came from.
"Wait, if I can comprehend space and time enough, I can create a teleportation technique to my other domain." he thought seriously, considering its potential usefulness for the future.
"But now maybe I can enjoy this city first." Even though it was already dark, a big city like Balin would come alive with another wave of activity. The city never rested, always offering something for visitors and denizens. Aldrian got up from his bed, cleaned himself, and wore a new set of clothes from his storage ring.
"I need to buy new clothes. I don't have formal attire for meeting someone like the mayor or even the imperial family."
The clothes he had worn since birth were all made by his mother. She used any material available to make his clothes, and the results were never disappointing. He treasured those clothes, but now they were starting to feel too tight, and he needed something suitable for formal occasions.
He came out of his room and knocked on Eleine's door. She emerged wearing an elegant knee-length black dress, already in her disguise. He asked if she wanted to come along, to which she replied firmly, "Of course, young master."
They walked outside the mansion after informing the maids that they would return after their night walk.
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The streetlights, made from some kind of illuminating crystal, lit up the roads of Balin City. They came in various sizes, adjusted for their specific functions. People walked in various places, each attending to their own business. Some were merchants, others were drinking and eating in taverns, while some were simply enjoying the night view, adding to the city's festive atmosphere.
Aldrian walked with Eleine by his side on one of the main roads, observing the hustle and bustle around them. The paved road in the middle allowed carriages to pass, while pedestrian paths on each side provided easier access for passersby. The street was full of people from various races, such as dwarves, humans, elves, and even humanoid beasts—a common sight in Balin City. Aldrian was in awe, amazed by the diversity. His plain clothes made him look like a country bumpkin, prompting some people to giggle and mock at his direction, even with his handsome disguise.
Aldrian then visited a clothing store to buy new clothes for himself and Eleine. At first, she refused, but in the end, she complied with her young master's insistence. They bought many clothes, leaving the owner satisfied. Aldrian now wore an elegant white long-sleeved shirt and black trousers, while Eleine still wore her black dress. They continued to walk until they arrived at the night market, the place where commerce activities were most bustling.
Located in the commerce district, it was where one could find various items such as artifacts, pills, techniques, and other supporting tools for cultivation and other fields of work. Aldrian looked at the various items but found nothing interesting until he noticed a green leaf falling right in front of his feet. When he looked at this leaf, he felt an enormous energy that shouldn't have been there.
He picked it up and looked at it intently.
"What kind of leaf is this?"
Eleine also looked at the leaf with curiosity, but because her senses were not as sharp as Aldrian's, especially inside his domain, she couldn't detect the energy within it. Aldrian felt a connection to the leaf and concentrated his focus on it. Suddenly, his entire being was transported to another place.
This place was a vast grassland mixed with many kinds of flowers. The sky was a dark blue, as if bordering outer space, with no moon or sun in sight. When he looked behind him, he was surprised by the sight of a giant tree. The tree was so huge and tall that its top seemed to pierce the heavens and was out of sight.
When he looked back down, he was stunned by the appearance of a woman looking at him, she was so close that he could describe every feature of her body in detail. She was so beautiful that he had to admit she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, even surpassing his mother. She wore a green dress that reached her knees, her pointy ears resembled those of an elf, her long legs were inviting to the opposite sex and her beautiful blue eyes that captivated him. At this moment, those eyes were moist with tears.
"Tears?" he wondered. He didn't know why the woman in front of him was crying, but he saw her move her lips. He couldn't hear her voice, but he could read her lips. Although he didn't understand her language from her lip movements, strangely enough, he understood what she was saying.
Suddenly, the woman in front of him kowtowed to him, and before he knew it, Aldrian was back at the night market. He was still holding the leaf and looked at it for a moment, confused by what had just happened. He asked Eleine,
"How long have I been holding this leaf?"
"No more than 10 seconds, young master." Eleine answered. She was confused as to why Aldrian asked something like that, but she let it slide because she was used to his bizarre actions.
Aldrian then put the leaf inside his storage ring and continued his night walk. However, he still remembered his vision and the woman's lips movement. She had said,
"Welcome back."