The faint rumble of shifting earth echoed in the distance as the last Harmonized Watchtower locked into place.
Clark stood atop the new eastern rampart, the morning sun casting long shadows behind the rune-lined walls. His gaze swept across the newly reinforced frontier, the divine stone gleaming under the light like silent sentinels.
But he wasn't done.
With a flick of his fingers, a ripple in space formed beside him. A smooth obsidian orb, no larger than a melon, floated out from the storage sigil. Ancient markings pulsed faintly on its shell—the Domain-Wide defence Compass (Origin Tier).
It hummed like a heartbeat as it hovered in the air, resonating with the territory.
Clark held it between both hands. The weight wasn't physical—it was conceptual. This wasn't a tool; it was a watcher. A warning system forged from pure divine engineering.
He moved through the eastern corridor of the Verdant Palace, steps echoing against the marble floor until he reached the newly upgraded core chamber.
He approached the altar that connected to the domain's foundation, a pedestal of woven crystal and divine silver. As he stepped forward, the system acknowledged his intent.
[Domain Core Detected – Binding Process Ready]
Item: Origin-Tier Threat Compass
Action: Bind to Territory Palace Core?
Note: Once bound, compass will sync with all divine structures and alert protocols.
Clark nodded.
"Bind it."
The orb pulsed—and with a sound like distant thunder muffled underwater, it floated into the pedestal. Vines of luminous energy slithered outward, connecting the compass to the palace walls, the towers, the sanctuary, and even the fog-hardened perimeter.
His Domain Interface flickered.
[Threat Compass Bound – Integration Complete]
Status: Online
Alert Radius: Full Domain Coverage
Sync: Wall Nodes, Watchtowers, Divine Eye Grid
Passive Functions Activated
He opened his Divine Eye, focusing on the newly integrated compass core.
[Divine Eye – Active Scan]
Target: Origin-Tier Threat Compass (Bound)
• Type: Divine Artifact – Detection Node
• Grade: Origin Tier
• Durability: 100%
• Energy Flow: Pure Essence – Auto-replenishing
• Detection Range: Full Domain (10km radius)
• Special Functions:
— Fog Pulse Scan: Constant low-level sweep to detect mist-based anomalies
— Divine Signature Ping: Flags foreign divine presences or scans
— Silent Alarm System: Can issue domain-wide alert without public broadcast
— Sentient Thread Core: Capable of recognizing patterns, learning from enemy behavior
• Linked Functions:
— Auto-link to Harmonized Watchtowers
— Integrates with Heavenly Veil to mask outbound alert transmissions
Clark exhaled slowly.
This wasn't just a compass.
It was a central nervous system for the entire domain. One that could evolve, adapt, and respond to divine and monstrous threats alike.
And with its stealth-linked integration to the [Heavenly Veil], even Monarch-tier eyes wouldn't see it activate.
"No one's getting in unseen again," he muttered.
Outside, the first rays of divine noon broke over the horizon.
Inside, the Verdant Domain now had eyes of its own.
...
Clark emerged from the core chamber, divine presence muted beneath his [Heavenly Veil], yet every step echoed with authority. The walls were fortified, the watchtowers linked, and the compass now watched in silence.
But defense wasn't enough.
A domain needed mobility. Strike potential. Speed.
And for that… he had waited long enough.
The eastern training field lay open under the noon sun. The Banished Crusaders were assembled in orderly ranks—fifteen veterans in disciplined formation, their armor newly polished and bearing the crest of the Verdant Domain: a green tree under a silver sky.
Seraphiel stood at their front, wings folded, eyes sharp.
Clark raised a hand. "At ease."
They straightened but remained silent, alert.
He spoke clearly. "Your blades are sharp. Your bodies honed. But you are still bound to the ground."
A pause.
Until a ripple in space unfurled beside him.
Fifteen radiant orbs, pale-blue and silver like crystallized winds, emerged from the void and hovered above the field. Each pulsed with wind essence and stormlight.
[Summoning – Wind-Type Beast Mounts: Heavenly Horses (B-Rank – Bound)]
The soldiers' eyes widened.
Each orb exploded in light, and from the glow emerged steeds of divine grace—elegant, pale silver horses with wind-marked hooves and manes that rippled like vapor ina storm. Their eyes shimmered with blue runes, and faint wind trails curled around their fetlocks.
Every single one bore the same bloodline: Heavenly Horse – Gale Variant. Built for speed, maneuverability, and divine terrain.
One by one, they bowed their heads toward the Crusaders, accepting the unspoken bond of service.
Gasps gave way to reverent silence.
"They are not just mounts," Clark said. "They are your wings now. They will carry you across this world faster than fear, faster than fire. Treat them as kin."
Then he turned to Seraphiel.
She met his gaze as if she'd known this moment was coming.
Clark raised his hand one last time.
From a second sigil came a single orb—larger than the rest, etched with whorls of runic spirals. It gave off a soft, melodic wind, like the breath of a sleeping storm.
[Beast Mount Egg – S-Rank: Celestial Wind Unicorn (Variant – Skyborne Type)]
It hatched mid-air in a storm of white light.
The creature that emerged landed gracefully beside Seraphiel: a majestic wind unicorn, its coat like pure mist, its mane streaming like high-altitude cirrus, and a glowing horn crowned with a blue flame. Feather-light wings rested along its flanks.
Its name hovered silently above it: Skylume.
Clark nodded. "She's yours. She'll match your speed. Maybe even your ambition."
She moved forward, stroking the unicorn's neck.
Clark stepped back and raised his voice.
"In two days, Divine Pressure will fall upon every domain. You all need to Prepare....."
He pointed toward the ramparts.
"Train them. Bond with them. If we must meet the storm… we'll do so from the sky."
Wind kicked up as the Heavenly Horses neighed in unison—manes billowing, hooves sparking against the stones.
The Riders of Wind had been born.
........
The wind had died down. Riders were in training. The towers scanned. And now, the final adjustments turned inward—to those at the heart of Clark's domain.
Seraphiel and Lilith stood still within the inner garden, their figures calm beneath the shadow of the towering Verdant God's Temple, which rose like a blade of sanctified marble behind them. The structure pulsed faintly with divine circuits, its inner sanctum reserved for one thing only: Heroic Ascension.
Unlike regular soldiers, whose rank could rise with battle and time, heroes required something more—a convergence of divine will and resource. The Temple provided the ritual. But the Ascension Tokens, sold on the trade network, were the catalyst.
Clark opened the Trade Area, filtered the listings, and selected the required tokens.
[Trade Area – Purchase Confirmed]
Item: Hero Ascension Token ×2
Cost: 400 Divinity (200 each)
Unlock Tier 2 Evolution Path for Rank-class Heroes
Two tokens materialized in his hand—slender, crystalline slivers, each bearing interwoven sigils of spirit and battle. Their weight was metaphysical, pressing like condensed air.
He stepped into the Hero Temple.
The central chamber was circular, ringed with open archways and a high ceiling painted in runes. At its heart lay a twin-circle ritual platform—one for each champion. Inset glyphs glowed faintly, waiting.
Seraphiel and Lilith entered without words.
The system responded.
[Hero Ascension Detected – Hero Temple Requirements Met]
Participants: 2
Tokens: Valid
Tier Status: Ascending from Tier 1 to Tier 2
Result: Advancement reset to Level 1
Gains: Passive Skill, Racial Trait, Evolution Slot Unlocked
He placed the tokens on the twin pedestals.
They shattered like glass—no sound, only light.
The platform surged to life.
Pillars of divine radiance spiraled around both heroes. One storm-white, flecked with sapphire. The other deep gold, tinged with onyx.
Wind roared through the sanctum, though no breeze entered. Light gathered above them—spinning, condensing—and then collapsed into their forms in a single breathless pulse.
Silence fell.
And then the system acknowledged it.
[Seraphiel – Ascension Complete]
Tier: 2
Level: 1/40
Trait Gained: Skydancer's Grace – Greatly improves aerial movement and wind resistance
Passive Skill: Strike Before Storm – Bonus damage when initiating attacks from above
Evolution Slot: Available
She stepped forward, wings gleaming with renewed luster, her divine aura sharpened and layered now—less raw force, more precision. A true storm blade.
[Lilith – Ascension Complete]
Tier: 2
Level: 1/40
Trait Gained: Whispers of Authority – Enhances obedience and morale of nearby followers
Passive Skill: Mindweave Network – Establishes mental link with up to 3 command units
Evolution Slot: Available
Lilith's form shimmered, robes threaded now with faint starlight. Her presence deepened—not heavier, but more commanding. Her silence felt deliberate now, not passive.
Clark opened their updated status panels.
[Seraphiel – Hero Ascension Complete]• Rank: SSS• Tier: 2• Level: 1/40• Race: Fallen Angel• Title: The Wingless Blade• Role: Divine Commander
HP: 20,000
Attack: 3,500 (boosted from 1,500 via Immortal Equipment)
Defense: 3,000 (boosted from 800 via Immortal Equipment)
Divine Essence: 16,000
• Trait Gained: Skydancer's Grace – Vastly improves aerial speed and mid-air agility• Passive Skill Gained: Storm Priority – First strike from aerial descent deals 25% bonus damage• Evolution Path: Unlocked• Current Skills: – Heaven's Judgment (Essence 2000)- Lv 3 – Dark Covenant (Essence 1000) -Lv 5 – Command Aura (+10% ATK/DEF to nearby allies)
[Lilith – Hero Ascension Complete]• Rank: S• Tier: 2• Level: 1/40• Race: Fallen Angel (Administrator Type)• Role: Domain Strategist
HP: 10,000
Attack: 800
Defense: 1600
Intelligence: 600
Divine Essence: 6,000
• Trait Gained: Whispers of Authority – Passive aura increases subordinate obedience and response speed• Passive Skill Gained: Mindweave Link – Maintains synchronized communication with up to 3 sub-commanders• Evolution Path: Unlocked• Current Skills: – Authority of Dominion (+50% Territory Control Efficiency) – Resource Optimization (–30% Resource Drain) – Blessing of Growth (+50% Follower Development) – Fog Resistance (Passive)
The Temple dimmed. The ritual was done.
Tier 2 wasn't just a threshold—it was a transformation. New ceilings, new branches, new potential.
And when the Divine Pressure finally arrived, these two would be standing at its edge.