After putting on his robe and pulling the hood low over his face, Leo descended the stairs and returned to the tavern hall and without pause, he stepped through the tavern door and into the cool night air.
The streets beyond were narrow and twisted, lined with aged buildings and crooked signs swaying slightly in the breeze. Shadows clung to the corners, and without any familiar landmark, Leo had no idea where he was. Trusting instinct, he turned south, hoping the sea was in that direction.
As he wandered through the maze of alleys, the sound of a girl's scream pierced the quiet.
Immediately, Leo activated his vision spells. Mana flickered in his eyes as his perception sharpened. He traced the scream through the labyrinthine passageways, and after slipping through a narrow gap between two buildings, he entered another alley—darker, more isolated.
There he saw them. Juri and his group of bounty hunters stood around the same elven girl from the tavern. She was pressed against a crumbling wall, trembling. Juri had her pinned—one hand locking both of hers above her head, while the other slid slowly up her thigh beneath her skirt.
"Don't worry," he whispered with a vile grin. "It's going to feel good soon."
His companions were nearby, grinning, laughing, offering no help—only mockery.
"Please… please, no," the elf girl sobbed, tears streaking down her cheeks.
Leo exhaled through his nose, a slow breath of irritation. "Can one night pass without a problem?"
He stepped forward. The hard clap of his boots on stone echoed sharply through the alley, drawing every eye.
The laughter stopped. The men turned, tense, weapons suddenly half-drawn.
"Who the hell are you?" one of them snapped, lifting his sword.
Leo didn't stop. "Someone who isn't in the mood for small talk. Leave the girl. Walk away."
"What did you say? Do you even know who we—"
Before the man could finish, Leo was standing near him, he grabbed him by the face and slammed his head against the wall with a sickening thud. The man collapsed, unconscious before he hit the ground.
The rest froze. All except Juri.
The leader roughly shoved the elf girl aside, letting her stumble to the ground, and strode forward with slow, theatrical flair. "You want to dance?"
He drew a cutlass and charged—not like a brute, but with a strange grace. His movements were fluid, almost like a performance. Each step and twist of his body flowed like choreography, quick and hard to predict.
Leo studied the dance-like motion for a moment, intrigued. But it wasn't fast enough. Juri slashed and Leo calmly stepped back, the blade missing him by a breath.
Juri pressed in again, more aggressive. Leo met the rush with a back kick—but Juri smiled as his body turned to shadow mid-motion, intending to phase through the attack.
Then the impact came. Leo's foot slammed into his gut with full force. The glow of a light enchantment pulsed briefly around his boot as it made contact. Juri was thrown back, rolling across the dirt.
He groaned, coughing, and forced himself up to a sitting position. "How… how did you touch me?"
Leo showed the faint glow on his boot. "A simple light enchantment. More than enough for someone like you."
Juri's men hesitated, then rushed to form a defensive line in front of him. Leo raised a single hand, and a glowing circle appeared in the air—an illusion spell. The spell took hold instantly.
The men screamed and fled into the night, overwhelmed by fear.
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Juri shouted, watching them vanish into the darkness.
When he turned back, Leo was standing directly over him.
Juri flinched. "What… what do you want?"
"I already told you to walk away," Leo said, voice low. "You didn't listen."
"I have money!" Juri gasped. "One hundred gold coins! All yours—just let me go!"
Leo gave a small smile. "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you."
Juri looked relieved—until Leo leaned slightly closer and whispered one word.
"Pain."
A pulse of magic struck Juri. His body twisted and convulsed as a wave of searing agony overwhelmed him. He screamed, thrashing wildly on the ground. Leo turned away without another glance and walked to the elf girl, who was still crouched on the ground, shocked. Gently, he offered his hand and helped her stand.
"Thank you," she whispered.
She looked over at Juri, still screaming and clutching at nothing. "What's happening to him?"
"Just something to help him remember," Leo replied. "A little pain. Enough to keep his hands off people who can't defend themselves."
She studied him, hesitant. "Why did you help me?"
Leo met her eyes and gave a calm smile. "Don't worry, I don't want anything from you. Just get home safe. This hour isn't safe for someone alone."
She nodded, then turned to go—but after a few steps, she paused and looked back.
"Can I know your name?"
"Victor Black."
"I'm Cinti," she said softly, and then ran off into the night.
Leo was already walking the opposite way, one hand raised lazily in farewell. The night was quiet except for the distant barking of dogs and the occasional creak of old shutters swaying in the sea breeze. It took him about half an hour of walking through uneven cobblestone streets before he finally reached the port.
The port was vast and bustling even at this late hour, lit by scattered lanterns swinging from wooden posts and ship masts. Dozen of ships were docked along the long stretch of piers—some small and nimble, others massive with worn sails and battered hulls. Many of them flew pirate flags, symbols of various crews that roamed the seas. Leo searched carefully but found none bearing the symbol he was looking for.
The Avalon pirates had a distinct mark—a skull encircled by an array of blades like a crown of swords. But not a single ship here bore that emblem. Either they weren't in port… or they had changed their markings.
Leo wandered through the alleys and lanes near the harbor, memorizing key corners and turns, tracing possible escape routes and hidden pathways. It was always good to know the terrain. Eventually, after making a full circle and retracing his path, he decided to return to the tavern.
Finding it again wasn't easy. He had to ask directions from a few locals, each giving vague or half-drunken answers, until finally he recognized the crooked sign above the entrance.
When he stepped back inside, the tavern was much quieter than before. Most of the rowdy crowd had disappeared, leaving only a few late drinkers and the soft murmur of private conversations. Leo walked toward the stairs, but Gerard's voice stopped him.
"Victor, can I have a moment?"
Leo turned and walked over to the bar where Gerard was wiping a mug with a rag that had long since given up being clean.
"Sure," Leo replied calmly.
"I heard from Citni that you helped her. Stopped Juri and his bunch."
Leo raised an eyebrow. 'She told him already?'
"You heard right," he said.
Gerard nodded slowly, his expression sincere. "I just wanted to say thank you. That bastard's been getting worse. If there's anything I can help with, just say the word."
"There is one thing," Leo said, leaning a bit closer. "I'm looking for someone. A pirate."
Gerard raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't narrow it down much. This city's practically built on pirates."
"His name is Arthur Avalon."
The name hit like a stone dropped into still water. Gerard's expression darkened, and he put the mug down with a little too much force.
"What do you want with him?" His voice held a hard edge now. "You a bounty hunter too?"
Leo smiled lightly. "No. I'm not a bounty hunter. I'm more like… an old friend."
Gerard's frown deepened, but after a moment, he seemed to weigh Leo's words. "Friend, huh?"
He scratched his beard in thought. "I don't know where Arthur is. But I know someone who might."
Leo straightened. "Who?"
"The greatest merchant in the city. Knows everything and everyone. If anyone has information on Avalon, it's him. He's usually hard to meet, but I can get you in. He owes me one."
"What's his name?"
Gerard grinned. "Victor Leon."
Leo blinked. "Victor Leon?"
Gerard chuckled. "Yeah. Funny coincidence, right?"
Leo repeated the name under his breath, amused. "Victor Leon…" Two Victors.
"I'll tell you the time of the meeting by tomorrow."
Leo gave a small nod before turning away and heading upstairs. Once inside his room, he checked the traps and wards he had set earlier, ensuring everything was secure. Only then did he step into his domain.
There was still a great deal to do before he could even consider hosting a proper meeting. One of the most important tasks was to read the book Alexia had given him. He summoned it with a thought from his bag, and it appeared in his hand.
Domains: A Path to Godhood.
He traced the title with his fingers for a moment before opening it. After flipping through the introduction and a few pages of general information, he finally arrived at the first chapter.
Its title read: "What is a Domain?"
The book was describing the concept of Domains with the tone of a patient teacher, weaving its knowledge through metaphors, observations, and warnings.
It began by stating that Domains were not places in the way people understood places—not castles, not forests, not fields of battle or glory. A Domain was the echo of one's soul cast into a higher layer of existence, slowly formed and shaped through force of will, deep understanding, and vast amounts of mana. Only those who reached A-rank could begin this long and delicate construction, and even then, many would never complete theirs.
The book explained that the true location of a Domain floated near Ethereon, the realm of higher laws, where even the gods walked carefully. It was a place just outside the touch of the mortal world, yet intimately tied to it.
At its core, a Domain was the result of connection. Not just between mana and mind, but between the soul and the hidden laws wrapped around the world like invisible rings. These laws—called the Bindings by some—governed everything. A Domain allowed its creator to reach for one of those rings and, if strong enough, pull it ever so slightly closer.
The chapter didn't explain how to build one. It claimed no mortal words could. But it spoke in symbols: A Domain begins with stillness. A place inside oneself that is untouched by doubt, where understanding becomes shape and shape becomes law. There, the first stone is set.
Most of all, it warned the reader to never rush. Many who forced their Domain into being without proper understanding created unstable realms that collapsed—sometimes dragging their owners with them. A Domain, it said, is not an achievement. It is a mirror. And if you do not understand what you truly are, you will not survive the reflection.
The last lines of the chapter were etched in silver: "To reach beyond the world is to invite its laws to gaze upon you. Build with care. Build with truth. Or not at all."
Leo closed the book gently, letting the weight of the words sink in.
'So, whatever or whoever's eyes are out there… they can be dangerous even during the act of creation. Which means a domain, no matter how vast or powerful, is still limited.'
According to what he'd read, a domain existed suspended between the mortal world and Ethereon—a kind of tethered plane, anchored just outside of reality. That sentence alone explained why so many dangerous beings could sense a new domain's presence. They lingered in the thresholds between realms, waiting—hungry—for a breach they could exploit. His domain was not invisible, not untouchable.
Even more intriguing was the concept of the laws—vast, unseen forces wrapped around existence like threads in a tapestry. The book explained that no matter how powerful a person became, they could only pull those threads ever so slightly closer, like brushing fingers against a tide too massive to turn.
That line sparked a storm of questions in Leo's mind. What exactly were these laws? How many existed? Were they fixed or fluid? Were the gods bound by them—or above them?
Then he remembered a sentence—just a whisper in passing, from his first encounter with Selvanna.
"There are laws in this world that even gods cannot defy."
A smile curved his lips, equal parts wonder and dread.
"Laws… that even gods cannot defy." His voice echoed through the vast, white expanse of his domain, swallowed by the silence like a stone sinking in deep water.