Atticus went silent, his mind spinning as a multitude of questions kept popping up in his head. But amongst them, only one took precedence: what the fuck was going on?
Mortrex immediately saw through Atticus’s confusion and decided to explain.
“Why am I showing you all of this?”
Atticus nodded at Mortrex’s question. He was utterly confused. Just why was this man showing him his power?
“It seems you’re still confused. I blame myself for not being clear enough.”
“This,” Mortrex suddenly raised both his arms, gesturing to the entire space they were currently in.
“This is a domain. A form of power that could only be achieved by a privileged few. Despite being of separate races, we all follow the same ranking system, from Novice to Paragon rank.”
“The advancement from Novice to Master rank is fairly common, although not everyone has the privilege of even going past the Novice rank. However, from the Grandmaster rank, everything is completely different.”
“Only the elite of the elite, the greatest of talents, could ever think of becoming a Grandmaster, and this is because of one reason: a domain.”
Atticus was completely silent, absorbing everything coming out of Mortrex’s mouth. ‘Hmm,’ Atticus thought. He was starting to understand everything now.
He allowed Mortrex to continue explaining.
“Yes, attaining the Grandmaster rank is only possible when you form your domain.”
Atticus nodded, immediately throwing out a question, “How do you go about forming a domain?”
“A domain is a representation of all your life experiences, in essence, yourself, coupled with the understanding of your power combined. We are all different and would ultimately have different paths. It’s impossible to say for sure what your path would turn out to be.”
Seeing Atticus falling into a deep state of thought, Mortrex added,
“But there’s only one thing I can say for sure: forming your domain would only happen when you reach a certain level of understanding of your power, or as you humans call it, your bloodline.”
Atticus’s brows furrowed, his thoughts churning. ‘When I reach a certain level of understanding, huh? But my bloodline is far too broad and the elements I can acquire are too many. Will I have to acquire every element in existence to achieve its full potential, or would I focus on each element so they have a domain of their own?’
Atticus was at a crossroads. He didn’t just have one element like the others; he had multiple. And he was sure, very sure, that he would still acquire more as time passed.
This was exactly what made him feel conflicted. Would he have to acquire all elements, combine and form a domain, or would each element have one?
The latter would take far too long, and when he thought about it, it was practically impossible. The only time he was able to gain an element was when he was advancing in a major rank. The only major rank he had before having to create a domain was the Master rank.
Except his bloodline would allow him to accept all elements then, he wouldn’t be able to gain any until he advanced to the Grandmaster rank.
This conclusion led Atticus to lean more on the latter: each element would get a domain.
‘Now the only question is how many domains would I have to form before I can advance to the Grandmaster rank.’
Atticus chose to leave that question for another time. It was impossible to find out now.
He turned towards Mortrex and inquired further, “So, you created all of this?”
Mortrex nodded.
“Yes, and not just created. Within this space, I am the absolute authority. Observe.”
With a swift movement of his arm, Mortrex suddenly transformed the archway he had created earlier into a towering skeleton, which began to walk around them, the ground trembling with each step it took.
He then pointed towards the horizon, and instantaneously a multitude of bone pillars started to rise and spread, forming a labyrinth.
Mortrex continued,
“Let us take your family as an example. To the best of my knowledge, the Ravensteins each have bloodlines related to the elements.
“For someone with an affinity for earth, their domain might be a culmination of rock and soil, with landscapes of towering cliffs and sprawling valleys. The element would dance to their tune, creating a realm only they can control.
“It represents full recognition and acceptance of one’s capabilities. Stepping into a domain is like entering a different world, a realm where one’s power is the law.”
Mortrex dropped his arm, the bone labyrinth dissolving into dust in an instant.
Then, the scene suddenly changed, replaced by a serene, ghostly oasis surrounded by skeletal trees.
“What are its weaknesses?” Atticus suddenly asked. He wasn’t naive enough to believe that a perfect power such as this would exist. There had to be something, some kind of limit perhaps.
Mortrex shook his head before responding, “There are none.”
Atticus’s gaze narrowed. “None? Really? So once you’re trapped in a Grandmaster’s domain, that’s it? Even if you’re another Grandmaster?”
Atticus immediately threw out a number of questions. Seeing Atticus was done, Mortrex decided to explain.
“Once a domain is formed, barriers are shattered, and possibilities are limitless. This is where the true power of a Grandmaster lies.
“Here, I am limited only by my imagination and understanding. Anything is possible as long as you will it. There are no weaknesses. There’s only one way to leave a domain once trapped, which brings us to your second question.”
Mortrex suddenly turned his gaze upwards, causing Atticus to do the same. The climate changed, the sun shining down replaced by complete darkness.
The figure of two brightly glowing men suddenly appeared in the sky, each one as imposing as the last.
Suddenly, a visible wave spread out from one of the figures, before a blinding light erupted upwards, unfurling and encompassing a wide range, including the second figure.
Mortrex turned his gaze towards Atticus.
“When a Grandmaster is trapped inside the domain of another Grandmaster, there’s only one way to escape: another domain.”
