Chapter 41 #2
“Good thing I’ve only ever prayed to the Seven for luck and not to Him. I don’t think I’d like to know what those exchanges entail.”
I nod. “Me too,” I murmur.
“Inferno Domain?” Moe reads the next one, her brows going up. “That sounds ominous.”
“Violent destruction fueled by emotional intensity.” The description is shorter, but sharper.
“You haven’t met anyone with this domain,” she notes.
I shake my head and continue reading. “Hellfire manifests as both weapon and extension of the wielder’s state. Power increases in direct correlation with emotional agitation. Loss of control often results in exponential amplification—and self-destruction.”
Moe leans back slightly. “So the angrier you get, the stronger you become?”
“And the more likely you are to lose control,” I add. “I’m not sure what it would be like to face someone with this domain. On the one hand, I can capitalize on their loss of control. But if that makes them stronger…”
“I think we should hold onto this book for a while. I’ll transcribe all the domains on a blank paper so we can think about battle strategies against each.”
“That’s a good idea. But you forget one thing. There’s also the levels. Those impact the manifestation of the domain the most. And aside from that, there are individual differences that we can’t account for.”
She shrugs. “At least it’s better than going into battle blind. Especially as you start tackling stronger opponents.”
“All right. We can buy a blank notebook tomorrow.” I scan over the text and resume where I left off.
“He also has two other incantations besides the general one. He who burns with Eternal Wrath, the Calm in the face of the Storm, He who cleanses with Fire, The Eternal Purifier. This one is used to invoke His control over emotions.
The Ruler from the Underworld who rules over Death; The Ruthless One who presides over blood and battle; the Kingmaker and Kingdevourer. This one is typically used before important battles.”
“I don’t know if I’d like for you to get this domain,” she murmurs. “It sounds so...angry.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, I wouldn’t like that either.”
The next one is the Possession Domain.
Ownership, accumulation, and control of objects.
The wielder may claim external items as extensions of the self. Weapons respond as if bound by will. Metal and crafted artifacts become malleable under direct influence. With progression, ownership extends beyond the physical—into the conceptual.
The Possession Primordial is seen as the overseer of all metallurgical crafts.
His main prayers are:
He who wields the Iron Fist; He who blesses the river of silver; The Creator and the Craft.
The Master of all and nothing; the pinnacle of all Creation; the One Whose hands hold Marvels.
The next one is the Shadow Domain.
Imitation, theft, and distortion of external strength.
Abilities may be replicated temporarily through contact or observation. Shadows act as both medium and extension. Advanced users may siphon talent, weakening the original source.
Moe goes quiet for a moment. “That one feels… wrong.”
“I wonder what it means by shadows act as both medium and extension. Is it talking about minions?”
“It sounds like it. What are the prayers like for the Shadow Primordial?”
“He who holds the Threads, the Puppetmaster in the shadows, the hidden Overlord.
There’s only one for him. Odd.”
I don’t dwell too much on it, though, as we move to the next domain.
Dream Domain.
Stillness, illusion, and the boundary between consciousness and sleep.
The wielder may induce sleep states, paralysis, or immersive illusions. Targets lose distinction between reality and fabrication. Time perception may be altered within constructed dreamscapes.
Moe lets out a slow breath. “That’s terrifying.”
“Another one I don’t think I’d like to ever encounter.”
The prayers of the Dream Primordial are:
Master of Illusions; He who wields Nightmare, the Danger you don’t see coming.
He who Witnesses all; the Page of Hidden Desires.
Page of Hidden Desires? That’s an odd one. It must also have something to do with dreams.
I turn to the last domain of the first section.
“Temptation Domain,” I read on. “Influence over desire, attraction, and emotional bonds.”
Moe leans in again, her eyes filled with curiosity.
“The wielder manipulates emotional states, bending attraction, trust, and attachment. Prolonged exposure allows for vitality exchange. In advanced cases, targets may become dependent on the wielder’s presence.”
Moe clicks her tongue. “All right, I think this is my least favorite one.”
“Really?” I laugh.
“I wouldn’t want anyone screwing with my emotions. Imagine being compelled to feel in love with someone. I don’t think there’s anything worse.” She lets out a shudder.
I don’t reply as I let my mind wander. What if I got this domain? Would I use it to get Moe to return my feelings?
It’s better if I don’t get it so there won’t be any temptation.
The prayers for the Temptation Primordial are as one would expect: geared towards love spells.
He who Rules Love and Despair; the Brightest Star in the Universe; the Enemy of All.
He who is Hated and Adored, the Unifier and the Divider, the One who Always answers.
“The one who always answers?” Moe echoes. “So far, all the others offered no guarantees if they answered prayers but Temptation literally has this in his honorific.”
“Perhaps he really does always answer.”
“Let’s not try it,” she grumbles, once more showing her disdain for this one domain.
As we move onto the seven additional domains, things become far easier.
One of the first mention is that even though these are considered official domains, they do not have any Supreme force, i.e.
they don’t have any Primordial. There are no prayers, or honorifics.
But with that also comes the caveat that no one knows just how strong each domain can become.
The first ones are the elementals. Flame Domain for fire; Tide Domain for water, Obsidian Domain for earth, Tempest Domain for wind and there is an interesting addition for ice—the Frost Domain.
The book confirms what I had already suspected: elemental domains are the most common.
But it goes further, offering a reason. According to the author, it comes down to inheritance.
The noble Houses preserved their dominant domains through careful intermarriage, making them increasingly rare.
Elemental domains, however, were never restricted in that way.
They belonged to the masses—unregulated, widespread, passed down without control. And because of that, they proliferated.
There are two more new domains. Force is the manipulation of kinetic and gravitational energy.
“This is the one I had when I took Zantrax for the first time,” I say. “I didn’t know the name then. So far it’s been the best power. I wouldn’t mind if this ended up as my domain.”
I continue reading the description.
The wielder exerts control over motion itself—objects may be lifted, repelled, or crushed under concentrated force. Gravity may be increased or diminished within a localized field.
Moe’s eyes widen slightly. “That’s pretty impressive. It would be very useful for your battles.”
The last one is the Abyss Domain, characterized by void, annihilation and absolute absence.
I read aloud, “The wielder channels the concept of nothingness. Matter and energy may be erased or consumed entirely. Advanced manifestations include localized spatial distortion and the creation of isolated void spaces.”
Silence settles between us.
We look at one another. We’re both thinking of the same thing. The proto-realms from Utopiya. The person who made them must have had this ability.
“This is dangerous. The definition is so vague it could mean anything.”
“There’s something else,” I say suddenly. “Aimaxion.”
Her eyes widen as understanding dawns on her. As a makeshift realm, only someone with power over void spaces could create something like this.
“What separates the new domains from the original ones is that the former have no Primordials,” Moe says. “At least no official Primordials. What if—”
“You’re thinking there are other Primordials out there? Other than the Seven?”
“Whoever created Aimaxion could very well be one.”
Silence descends as the implication gives rise to hopelessness.
If Aimaxion was created by a Primordial… Then what are our chances of actually making it out?