Well, that does make sense, doesn't it? "Okay, since I have spent a month sleeping, why not hang out today and I shall ask some questions, and you will answer."
Dria thought for a moment before she smiled. "Ok, but I might be asleep tomorrow the entire day, so I am happy spending some time with you today."
I smiled and held her hand as we walked to the living room. My throne looked the same as always, and the futons around seemed cold, I sighed and returned to my throne, sitting there comfortably.
I saw Dria walking along, I thought she was going to sit on one of the futons but instead, she walked straight to me, climbed onto the armrest of the throne, and then settled herself on my lap, curling up like a cat.
"The throne is the warmest spot," she said, her voice a soft hum. "Your connection to the domain makes it a focal point for all the energy. It's like a personal sun."
I couldn't help but smile, a warm feeling spreading through my chest. I gently put my arms around her, a gesture of comfort and acceptance. "Alright, my personal sun. I have some questions for you."
She chuckled at my actions. "Holding me like this makes me feel much more comfortable...well anyway, ask away my Overlord."
My lips twitched at that remark, but I didn't truly mind. "Ok, what's the deal with the system?"
"You mean your character page. Well, it's just there. Every living creature has it. No one really knows its origin." She said, closing her eyes for a moment.
So the system was just... therehuh, well, it does sort of make sense. "That's a vague answer though, are you sure that you aren't just drowsy?"
Dria pouted. It looked cute, though I could actually see it properly. "I'm not Drowsy, I have a normal sleep interval I must abide by so I can fully recover."
I chuckled at her pout. "Alright, alright, I get it. No more questions about your sleep schedule. How about this: what do you know about the other overlords? The ones with the War and Civilisation domains."
Dria shifted on my lap, getting a little more comfortable before answering. "Most Overlords are... different from you. They are beings of immense power, but their personalities are often twisted by their domains. The War Overlords are filled with a lust for conquest. Their domains are brutal places filled with monstrous creatures and a constant power struggle. They see the world as a game, and other domains are just resources to be conquered."
She shivered slightly, a rare sign of unease from her. "The Civilisation Overlords are more complex. They're more like caretakers, as I told you before. They live among their people, guiding them and protecting them. But even they can become corrupted by their power. They can become tyrants, or they can become so obsessed with their people's well-being that they lose their own individuality."
"But they're not all bad," she added, a faint smile on her face. "Some of them are benevolent, wise rulers who use their power to help their people thrive. They are the ones who form alliances and create trade networks. They are the ones you should seek out, not the ones who want to conquer you."
I nodded, absorbing the information. "So, there are good Overlords and bad Overlords. What about the gods, Demon Lords, and heroes you mentioned? Where do they fit into all of this?"
Driatus's eyes, a beautiful and intense shade of amber, flickered open, a new, thoughtful expression on her face. Her warm, small body shifted slightly on my lap, her fingers tracing a pattern on my shirt as she spoke.
"Gods are beings comparable to Overlords but unlike Overlords who form when their domain is matured, Gods appear when a civilisation domains inhabitants worship a complex or simple thing, for example if people were to worship fire, their faith will form around fire and give birth to a God of fire but you should know that these kind of gods aren't one as there could be many types of fire gods so in a short explanation, gods are beings born from the collective faith of being on a single element or object."
"Demon Lords, or in the terms of Overlords, messengers are beings that can be born in two ways, the first way is for an overlord who's has integrated with their domain to make a contract with a being of a Civilisation domain and give them the blessings of an overlord, the other way is for a being from the Civilisation domain to actively cause fear or misery or even death that will in time accumulate and evolve that being into a Demon lord tied to the world, of course there is a limitation in the first process, if another being was to accept an offer from an Overlord, they can never enter higher levels unless the Overlord has a higher level, for example you are currently level 10 so the Demon Lords you make a contract with will naturally be level 10, I will explain to you about levels and Skill points after I tell you about heroes."
"As for heroes, well they are the same as Demon Lords, it really depends what 'hero' means to someone in a civilisation or the civilisation domain itself, they are born from hope which is generated from people of the civilisation domains or can make a contract with an Overlord or a God, heroes can be good or bad so can be some Demon Lords, let's say this, a hero gains hope from the fear of people, their fear is hope to them so—"
"Wait," I interrupted, my brows furrowing. "So, a hero could be a bad guy? And a Demon Lord could be a good guy? That seems... complicated."
Driatus chuckled, a soft, melodic sound that resonated through her small body. "It is," she said, her amber eyes sparkling with amusement. "Good and evil are mortal concepts, Kamdo. They do not truly exist in this world. A hero to one civilisation could be a demon lord to another. It all depends on perspective. The demon lord who saves his people from a brutal tyrant is a hero to them, but to the tyrant's people, he is a monster. The hero who slaughters a village of 'monsters' to protect his people is a hero to them, but to the monsters, he is a demon."
She shifted again on my lap, her warmth a comforting weight. "The world is not black and white, Kamdo. It is a spectrum of grey. And as an overlord, you will have to decide where you stand on that spectrum. Will you be a tyrannical ruler, a benevolent king, or something in between?"
I thought about her words, my mind mulling over the implications. The world was a mess of different perspectives, of different beliefs, and of different rules. And I, a reincarnated human, was now a part of it.
"So, what about the levels and skill points you mentioned?" I asked, changing the subject. "And why can't I make a Demon Lord higher than my level?"
Driatus's playful demeanour returned, her eyes twinkling. "Ah, that is a very important question. You see, an Overlord's level is a reflection of their domain's power. It is the sum of their followers' power, their unique skills, and their Kyro Value. It is a measure of their authority in this world. When you make a contract with a being, you are essentially sharing a part of your power with them. And you can only share as much power as you have."
She paused, looking at me with a mischievous grin. "Think of it this way: you have a bucket of water, and you are trying to fill a cup. You can't fill a cup bigger than your bucket, can you? And if you try to fill too many cups, your bucket will be empty. That is why your level limits the power of the Demon Lords you create. It is a safety measure to prevent you from overextending yourself and becoming a powerless overlord."
"As for skill points," she continued, "they are a different matter. You gain one skill point for every level you gain. You can use them to enhance your current skills or to learn new ones. They are a reflection of your potential, and they are what will truly make you powerful. With skill points, you can learn skills that are unique to other overlords or even create your own."
"Wait, so I can create my own skills?" I asked, my eyes widening in surprise.
"Yes," she said with a warm smile. "With your architect skill and a high enough Kyro Value, you can create new skills. You are a creator, Kamdo. You are not just a wielder of power; you are a source of it. And that is what makes you different from all the other overlords I have met."
I leaned back on my throne, my mind reeling. I had so many questions, so many things I wanted to know. But for now, I was content. I had a beautiful domain, a loyal group of followers, and a Supreme Phoenix as a friend. And I had a clear path forward.
"Thank you, Dria," I said, a genuine smile on my face. "Thank you for everything."
She smiled back, her cheeks flushed with a soft, warm light. "You're welcome, Kamdo. Now, let's talk about those skill points. You have ten of them, and a lot of new skills to enhance."
I ran through her hair for a moment as I thought about it, The skill I truly need at this moment is something to help me defend myself once I go out of my domain to gain a new production and also increase my Analyse skill so I will split ut between Dragons Anima and Analyse as I think I can probably get better at using my other skills and strengthen them myself.
So I immediately did that.
[You have Enhanced Dragons Anima and have unlocked a sub skill—Dragon Fire: Golden One Variation.]
[You have Enhanced Analyse and have gained a subskill—Danger Sense.]
Those sub skills were self-explanatory, I looked down at Dria and wanted to ask if what I did was optimal but instead, I found her sleeping soundly, I was stunned, did she really sleep on my lap...well that is not surprising.
I guess I can't get off the throne now so I might as well do some work, now that my Kyro Vakue has increased by ten, I can summon another group of workers...But I don't necessarily need one at the moment so I should try summoning other things aside from workers...what about Civilians? Will that work, though?
I mean, I summoned Drakelings, so it should be possible... I concentrated on the altar and began pouring my mana into it without a single thought and after a while of doing that, I was able to make the dragon head glow and a light illuminated the surrounding fields though I couldn't see through the house I can still see what is going on outside due to being the Overlord of the domain.
[You have summoned Wyrmlings. They are a demi—human race of inferior Dragons who have been wandering the North Burning Civilisation Domain.]
...huh, quite more descriptive than before, it must be because I upgraded the Analyse skill.
The light from the summoning platform receded, and ten new figures emerged. They were taller and more slender than the Drakelings, with shimmering scales of bronze and green, and their forms were more distinctly humanoid, though they possessed long, lithe tails and small, reptilian horns.
Their eyes, a deep, intelligent shade of emerald, darted around the field, filled with a mixture of confusion and awe.
One of them, a female with a crest of dark green scales running down her head, stepped forward, though confused she was not afraid.
I was amused by that and decided to speak to them.
[Welcome to My Domain.]