Kieran sat with his back against the **Territory Core**, his chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. His blood-streaked jacket was shredded, his right arm throbbing with pain from the wolf's bite. The skin around the wound was darkened—raw and inflamed—but no longer bleeding. The **Core's residual energy** had sealed it, leaving only a faint scar and a dull ache.
The silence that followed the battle was **deafening**. The only sounds were his ragged breathing and the faint hum of the Core behind him. The ground was scorched with blackened ichor, and the broken corpses of the wolf-beasts had already dissolved into **dark mist**, absorbed into the Core's hungry mass.
Kieran stared at his **bloodstained hands**, watching faint traces of violet light flicker across his fingers—a lingering aftereffect of the **Arcane Siphon** talent he had just activated. His limbs still trembled from the surge of borrowed power.
For a moment, he didn't move.
He **let the adrenaline fade**, feeling the exhaustion settle into his bones. The fight had been **too close**. If he hadn't activated Arcane Siphon, he would have been shredded like tissue.
Slowly, he wiped the sweat and grime from his face with the sleeve of his torn jacket.
**"This place is going to kill me,"** he muttered under his breath, forcing a bitter chuckle.
Then, the system interface blinked again.
---
**[Dominion Status Updated]**
**Core Stability: 80%**
**Dominion Points: 135**
**Troops: 1 Wraithborn Sentry (Tier 1)**
**Summoning Power: Unlocked**
**Talent Progression: 2% (Arcane Siphon)**
---
Kieran's eyes narrowed as he read through the system details. **135 Dominion Points.** Enough to summon more troops, but not nearly enough for large-scale reinforcement.
Still, it was **a start**.
The Territory Core flickered with renewed energy, stabilizing slightly from the influx of absorbed power. Faint veins of **obsidian crystal** crept further across the jagged stone ground, expanding the Dominion's claimed territory by a few feet.
He forced himself to stand. His legs were stiff, his muscles screaming in protest, but he shook it off. **He couldn't stay idle.**
The system flashed another notification.
---
**[Dominion Talent: Arcane Siphon - Upgradable]**
**Effect: Absorbs enemy life energy upon kill, restoring Dominion Points and empowering troops.**
**Upgrade Cost: 100 Dominion Points**
**Enhancement: +40% energy absorption, +10% troop strength upon activation.**
---
Kieran's eyes narrowed.
**The smart move was to upgrade it.** With stronger monsters undoubtedly lurking in the expanse, the ability to **absorb more power from each kill** could mean the difference between surviving and being slaughtered.
But it would also cost him most of his Dominion Points, leaving him with only enough to summon a handful of basic troops.
He glanced at the wraithborn sentry hovering nearby. The spectral soldier's armor was cracked and worn from the battle, its chains faintly dripping with ethereal flame. Its head **tilted slightly**, watching him with unseeing eyes.
"Not yet," Kieran muttered, shaking his head.
The sentry let out a low, distorted hiss, as if acknowledging his command.
**Troops first.** Then upgrades.
He accessed the **summoning menu** and scanned his options.
---
**[Summoning Menu: Troop Selection]**
- **Wraithborn Sentry (Tier 1)** – 25 Dominion Points (Spectral warrior, chain-bound sentinel)
- **Dusk Hound (Tier 1)** – 30 Dominion Points (Agile shadow beast, tracker)
- **Graveborn Archer (Tier 1)** – 40 Dominion Points (Undead archer, skeletal precision)
- **Void Revenant (Tier 2)** – 75 Dominion Points (Dark entity, high lethality)
---
Kieran's eyes lingered on the **Void Revenant** option. **Tier 2** sounded promising, but summoning a single, costly troop would leave him dangerously short-handed. He needed **numbers**, not just power.
He did the math quickly.
**135 points.**
He could summon **three wraithborn sentries** and still have 60 points remaining. Enough for **two Dusk Hounds**—scouts that could help him **patrol the territory** and detect threats.
It was a gamble, but **he needed scouts** just as much as he needed soldiers.
"Summon," he commanded.
The Core **flared violently**, its violet energy slashing through the darkness like a blade. **Six portals** opened around the Core, and from the swirling void, the troops emerged.
The **three wraithborn sentries** were near-identical to the first—spectral warriors clad in broken armor, draped with faded remnants of chainmail. Their skeletal faces were obscured by jagged helmets, and their **chains hissed with dark magic**.
The **two Dusk Hounds** were lean, sleek beasts of **darkness and bone**, their forms partially incorporeal. Their black fur shifted like smoke, and their eyes were dimly glowing orbs of **pale silver**. Despite their shadowy appearance, they **moved soundlessly**, gliding over the stone ground with fluid, feline grace.
The interface flickered again.
---
**[Troop Summoning Complete]**
- **3x Wraithborn Sentries**
- **2x Dusk Hounds**
- **Current Dominion Power: 60**
- **Territory Range Expanded: +25 meters**
---
Kieran took a slow breath, **satisfied**. It wasn't much, but it was enough for now.
He turned toward the Dusk Hounds. Their silver eyes stared at him with unnatural stillness.
"You," he called out, pointing to the larger of the two. "Scout the northern perimeter. Alert me if anything approaches."
The hound immediately **vanished into the shadows**, its smoky form slithering into the jagged terrain like an ink spill.
Kieran turned to the second one. "You patrol the outer edge. Keep your distance. If you see anything you can't handle, fall back. No heroics."
The hound blinked once, as though it understood. Then it **dissolved into the mist**, its body almost melting into the landscape.
Satisfied, he turned to the wraithborn sentries.
"You three," he said, motioning toward the Core, "guard this with your lives. No one gets through."
The spectral warriors silently bowed their heads. Their chains **rattled faintly** as they took up defensive stances around the Core, circling it in slow, deliberate motions.
For the first time since arriving, **Kieran felt somewhat stable**. The Dominion Core was protected by a **defensive formation**, and with the Dusk Hounds patrolling, he'd have **early warning** of anything nearby.
Still, his gut churned with unease.
The **Oblivion Expanse** was too quiet.
Too still.
He turned toward the horizon, staring out at the **crumbling ruins** in the distance. The jagged spires pierced the storm-choked sky, illuminated only by the faint red flickers of the **crimson lightning**.
**That place…** It called to him.
He knew he should stay near the Core. He needed to **fortify** his territory. Expand slowly and carefully. **Playing it safe** was the smart move.
But **the ruins held answers**. He could feel it in his bones.
His fingers traced the scar on his forearm—the mark left by the wolf's bite. His jaw clenched slightly.
**He wasn't here to play it safe.**
---
**Kieran Reese was here to conquer.**
Without another word, he summoned his **Dominion interface** and marked the ruins on the map.
He turned to the spectral sentries guarding the Core.
"Hold the territory," he ordered. "If I'm not back by sunrise, you'll know I didn't make it."
None of them reacted. They wouldn't. They were bound to his will.
He turned away, drawing a jagged blade of stone from the earth. **A crude weapon**, but better than bare fists.
And then he walked into the darkness.