The manager function was a list with a single item. Which wasn't very much of a list, now was it? It was like a set that only contained itself.

[Domain Manager]

Unsorted Domains

[Unnamed Domain #01 (I-63)]

It was already at a higher level than I was… No! Bad Ellie, don't feel inferior to an inanimate object.

Am I supposed to name it? Would that boost its power?

I wasn't sure, but I might as well, right? Doing so was no skin off my back.

…

I'll do it later.

I selected [Unnamed Domain #01 (I-63)].

[Unnamed Domain #01 (I-63)]

Size: 12 km² Primary Node Integrity: 100% Primary Node Mana: 67.2% Primary Nodal Feed: +0.3% / Minute Primary Node Alignment: Pactbonded (Forced) Nodes: 143

[Locations added to Imprinted Soulmap]

Total Node Mana: 43.4% Total Node Regeneration: +0.4% / Minute Aspects: Fleshrending, Containment, Defensive, Retribution Dominion: Nature (Winter), Artificial Dominion Subsumption: 13%

Functionality:

Species specific marking

Individuals of the species 'human' are marked upon entry into the Domain.

Retributive Entrapment

Entrapment Nodes will restrict marked targets from leaving the Domain. Attempts to go will be punished with retributive force.

This entrapment will drain Mana from the Domain to enforce itself.

Node/Core Defense

Defense and Primary Nodes are protected from damage through retributive force.

This defense will drain Mana from the Domain to enforce itself.

Ownership Ties

You have claimed True ownership over the Domain by putting a piece of yourself into it. Damage to the Core will be conceptually reflected onto you.

Once Dominion has been completely established, additional features will be unlocked.

Dominion Arbitration

The Authority strength of you and those who have a positive stance towards you within the Domain will be increased in relation to the total Dominion.

The Authority strength of those who break any of the Rules within the Domain will be reduced in relation to the total Dominion.

Rules:

Marked individuals may not leave.

Attacking Nodes is disallowed.

[Active Commands] Unavailable until the Primary Node is synced with Operator

Uhh, why is one of the aspects Fleshrending?

Nothing related to rending flesh even appeared in any of the Domain functions. I didn't remember writing or adding anything that would have caused that either.

Maybe the human symbol added that?

Whatever, that part was unimportant.

I really wish I'd synced with the Primary Node of the ritual before I rushed over here. Whatever that meant. Maybe I should've ask Novi what's up with that.

"Even though it is no longer a hunt for a beast, you still intend to cleanse the curse from this land," Kaede replied, startling me out of my thoughts. I forgot I had asked her a question for a moment. Something about how to kill the other monster, right? I'm really glad the character I'm playing doesn't really have to pay any attention.

"Yes, do you not trust my word? I said I would deal with it, and I will." I replied, looking her way. She seemed to squirm under my gaze.

She was acting differently than before. I wondered what the books she read said of my character. Because she clearly found something out about me.

Actually, were there even any books?

I knew that if I looked, I would find them, but I meant outside my perception. Did anything actually exist here? Did the story go on even when I wasn't around, or was everything just beyond my sensory range non-existent until I observed it, and events just updated the moment I came into contact with them?

I took a deep breath. The Zone was starting to get to me. Pseudo-philosophicalization could wait until later.

"I'm assuming you have nothing then?" I asked. If so, I would have to switch to plan B.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"You wanted to know how to find it. I believe I found the location where the devotee of Nymaris was buried. I'm sure we can find clues there," she said, confirming I'd have to go through with plan B.

"Records from that long ago survived?"

"It looks like it was part of the knowledge passed directly from one keeper to another. Grandpa Rai kept notes on what he intended to share with me…" She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "He always said I'd regret my path eventually. I just didn't think it would be like this."

Well, he definitely knew what was going to happen.

It was starting to get awkward with her crying. I never liked being around people when they became emotional. Just being near her was already uncomfortable. This only made it worse, so it was time to leave.

Also, I didn't want to be near the village with her once Novi got to work.

"Okay, where am I supposed to go?" I said out loud, then sent Novi a mental command to begin in ten minutes.

"He left me clues, but I'm fairly sure I can show you the way. First, we have to find a tree that looks like a…" I let out a sigh and tuned her out. As she got up to leave, I followed along a half step behind her. This is the worst horror story I've ever heard of.

I decided to use this time to examine the Domain menu that I'd been rudely interrupted from by an answer to a question that I had asked.

The first thing beyond Fleshrending that stood out to me was the reciprocal damage I'd receive if the old tree were damaged. Didn't that type of wood break when an Oath was broken over it, too? Did that mean when an Oath was made near it was broken, or when an Oath was broken near it? That distinction was very important to me in terms of its usefulness, but I couldn't actually test it myself. Given I couldn't break an Oath already.

Or at least I hoped I couldn't. Oaths had to have a due diligence policy, right?

I was getting distracted, though. Domains, I was looking at mine.

The Artificial part of the Dominion was interesting. I wondered if that had to do with the Nature of my being brought into what 'Nature' actually meant. I mean, it would make sense. My definition of a Natural Winter didn't actually include any living creatures. A barren planet experiencing Winter would fit.

Actually, it might be the primordial example of my definition. You couldn't exert more control over an environment than one that was completely dead and empty. It would be funny if that were the reason I had a distaste for organic life.

No life for me, thank you.

I wondered what I had to do to increase Dominion.

"Ellie?" Kaede asked, snapping me out of my thought process.

I looked up at her and signalled for her to say what she was thinking.

She just stared at me. After a moment's beat, I realized she probably couldn't read Rootgestures. I'd just gotten used to being around Autumn… I've got to prioritize finding them as soon as I'm done here.

Oh, right, I was doing a thing, "I forgot you humans don't understand Natural languages. Yes?"

"I think we're here."

'Here' was apparently right next to what appeared to be a hole in the ground. It looked like one of those spots where the kind of people it should be legal to throw rocks at dumped their trash.

"You're sure?" I slackened my hold on my aura and sent a blanket of it feeling around in the hole. The only thing of note was a patch of bare stone in the very centre.

Though there was something odd about that bare patch.

"Yes, this is just west of the glowing lumenfrolls." She looked down at some notes she had taken out at some point. "Then it should be at the bottom of the worlow."

She's just making those words up, isn't she?

"Very convenient that it ended up being inside my Domain," I said, mostly to myself, then hopped down.

Holding out my hand, I was about to remove my staff from my Inventory when a feeling of foreboding washed over me.

With a cough, I muttered in Rootspeech while I pulled it out, "Summon staff."

The staff appeared in my hand with a green flash, and I could have sworn I felt someone smack the back of my head. But when I glanced back at her, Kaede hadn't even jumped down yet. Just the Zone being a dick... probably.

Grabbing the staff, I took control of the puck of snow on the ground over the odd rock and threw it over the side.

As I bent over the stone, it appeared to be some kind of marker. The surface was covered in symbols I didn't recognize—some sort of wiggly lines that formed a rats' nest. The system translation was doing nothing, which meant these were either nonsense or in a language based on Mana.

"Do yo—Holy shit, make some noise when you move, please." I squeaked. Kaede was crouched down next to me, looking over my shoulder. Her head was close enough that I could stick my tongue in her ear… Why did I think of it like that?

"These look like representations of a Thread structure," she said with a hum.

"I've heard that term before… What does it mean?" I asked, I knew it had come up at some point. Maybe something Autumn mentioned?

"The Thread is a structure that underlies the entirety of reality. It is affected by the presence and activity of souls. It is said that the story of the w—" Kaede was cut off as the world stuttered, a burst of TV static crackling through the air. Her body glitched, repeating the same motion in a jittery animation loop.

Then it fixed itself, "I'm not sure what the Thread is. Only what it represents."

I decided to ignore that.

"So what does this tell us then?" I asked.

"Well, we're at the right place. The Thread is well known as being an expression of storytelling."

"So go ahead and dig it up, is what I'm hearing." Converting some of my Mana into Earth Mana, I grabbed the rock and yanked on it. Only for that to spectacularly fail, as it didn't move an inch.

"Wait, did you hear that?" Kaede asked, looking out into the forest. I hadn't heard anything, but I wasn't going to discount what she was saying. Not while I was still ON-CAMERA.

[You have less than a minute to find nine alternatives]

"I'm pretty sure something found me. Give me a moment before you start," I replied to Novi, then turned up the amount of Mana I was feeding into my ears and eyes.

The landscape lit up like it was daytime, and Kaede's breathing sounded like it was coming from a quarter inch from my ear.

"I'll check what it was," I whispered.

With a completely necessary flick of my staff, I created a pillar of ice under my feet. Allowing me to rise out of the hole silently.

Looking around, I saw nothing but normal forest as far as the eye could see. Damn, really? Was it just supposed to be a moment of tension, not the first sighting of the monster?

"I don't see any—" I was cut off when my body automatically ducked, wind whipped past my cloak as I barely avoided being skewered straight through my Core by something moving very quickly.

My hardly used [Evasive Reflex Systems] just became my favourite Skill. I spread my Authority out over the area.

"Did you see it?" I asked Novi, then blanketed the area with my Authority so I could feel for any changes.

[Nope, it was moving too quickly for me to get eyes on it]

I tried to call for Kaede to help, but quickly realized my mouth wouldn't open. The Oath prevented me from even asking for her assistance. When I said I'd handle it for her, that apparently meant on my own.

I felt like I was missing something obvious because 'handling it completely alone' wasn't in the strict wording of what I'd offered. In fact, it was barely even implied.

Maybe it was a mindset thing? I intended for her to be the largest contributor because she was at a higher level than I was.

Hopefully, she would get the hint when I started tearing the forest apart.

Raising my staff, I sent Winter into it to support the underlying Cold and Ice Mana. Then, with a twirl of the staff over my head, I called out a move.

"Crystalized Vengeance!" The ritual circle on my body connected to the Domain pulsed up as an immense amount of Mana was pumped through it. I guessed that was the Retribution for the attack I just dodged.

Shards of ice hissed into existence around me as I spun the staff, then, as one, launched themselves in every direction. The air crackled as they embedded into bark, branches, rocks, and the ground itself. For a moment, nothing happened, but just as I was beginning to feel underwhelmed, a cascading shriek of shattering ice echoed through the forest. Everything that had been struck froze solid as Cold Mana unloaded from the shards, followed by the shards setting off a chain reaction when they exploded.

As to why they exploded, I had no idea. Maybe the Domain's interference?

[Killed Lyrebird I-21]

Oh, neat, a kill notification.

A harsh, mechanical shriek cut through the stillness.

Ah, there it is.

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