Chapter 537: Higher Domain #2

While Leon continued examining the token, Violet’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Should we head back to [Higher Domain #3] first?” she asked. “We could deal with everything there before moving on, and we could also buy some items with all the money you have, if you want.”

Leon turned toward her, putting the token away.

With the amount of Eternal Coins he had accumulated, buying new equipment for the entire group would be relatively easy.

They also had unfinished business in [Higher Domain #3], including the [Awakener Lord] and the [Awakener Guardians] as well as that weird tower at the end of the [Exiled Lands].

Considering how much stronger they had become, dealing with those enemies should no longer be particularly difficult.

“We could probably one-shot them, couldn’t we?” Celeste asked. “Even that woman who killed me before doesn’t feel nearly as strong as she did back then.”

“Yeah,” Leon replied with a nod. “They’re too weak for us now, but they’re not really a problem anymore. Besides, I don’t think they’re allied with any gods, so there’s no particular reason to prioritize them.”

Initially, Leon had planned to return to [Higher Domain #3] immediately, finish dealing with the remaining enemies, and spend some of his Eternal Coins on better equipment.

However, after receiving the unexpected message from the [Celestial Token] and speaking with another Celestial for the first time, he no longer felt the same urgency.

‘#12 said I still have time to do whatever I want, even after reaching Level 100.’

If the message was accurate, then he might have more time to complete the Hunter’s quest than he had originally expected.

For now, Leon decided to leave the question unanswered and discuss their next destination with the girls.

The group agreed to spend the night in the stronghold before departing the following day.

After everything they had endured during the battle against the Requiem Guild, a little rest would do them no harm, and Violet wanted to make sure the settlement was being managed properly before they left.

…

By the next morning, they were all ready to continue their journey.

As Leon looked through the hotel window, he noticed that the inhabitants had already begun rebuilding several of the areas destroyed during the battle.

Workers moved between damaged buildings, clearing debris and repairing structures, while others carried supplies to the places where reconstruction was underway.

“Wow, these people are fast.”

“Many of them have skills related to construction, agriculture, and other useful fields,” Violet explained with a smile. “I assigned the most trustworthy people to the appropriate roles, so whether it’s reconstruction, food production, or anything else, things should run smoothly. I even gave them specific instructions for every situation they’re likely to encounter.”

Leon looked at her with genuine admiration before reaching over and patting her head, “You’re incredible.”

Violet’s cheeks immediately turned red, and she lowered her head slightly as a happy smile appeared on her face.

“Hehe~”

“Weren’t they angry that we killed their leaders?” Emilia asked, looking toward the recovering stronghold.

“At first, yes,” Violet admitted with a nod. “But then I threatened to destroy the entire stronghold if they refused to cooperate, and they seem to love this place enough that they’re willing to follow my instructions.”

She smiled coldly, as though the matter had been perfectly reasonable.

“Damn,” Leon muttered.

Over the next few hours, Violet continued speaking with the people she had appointed to manage the stronghold.

Leon, Celeste, and Emilia followed her for a while, watching as she explained their responsibilities and answered questions about the future of the settlement.

Her ability to take charge so naturally surprised them, especially since she seemed to have considered nearly every problem the inhabitants might encounter.

One of the people she had assigned a role to eventually approached Leon.

The man, Marcus, appeared somewhat nervous as he looked at the person who had defeated Cavin and taken ownership of the stronghold.

“S-She’s scarier than Empress,” Marcus admitted quietly. “But at least this stronghold should be able to prosper under her management. Thank you, uh, Lord Celestial.”

“I didn’t do much,” Leon replied with a shrug. “Just don’t mess around or do anything that could put everyone in danger. If any outsiders come here, let them in.”

“W-We already received all the necessary instructions from Lady Violet,” Marcus assured him with a nod. “She even told us to prepare for an expansion of the stronghold’s territory, which should allow us to accommodate up to 10 million people.”

“Oh, good enough.”

Leon nodded, satisfied with the answer.

As long as the inhabitants followed Violet’s instructions, there was little reason for him to interfere.

Once they finished checking on the reconstruction, the group enjoyed a luxurious meal before preparing to leave.

The stronghold’s management was in capable hands, and Leon had no intention of wasting any more time there.

The girls gathered around him, holding onto his arms as he opened his [World Map].

Ding!

[Do you wish to teleport to “Higher Domain #2”?]

“Yes!”

Ding!

[Teleporting…]

A moment later, the four of them disappeared from the Requiem Stronghold.

Their next destination was [Higher Domain #2], where the Heretic King awaited them.

Fwoosh!

After a few seconds, Leon and the girls landed on the ground, their surroundings gradually coming into view as the light from their teleportation faded.

Ding!

[You have arrived at “Higher Domain #2”]

“Here it is,” Leon said with a smile as he looked around. “I’ve never been to this place before, but it should be fine.”

Although this was his first time visiting [Higher Domain #2], he had already received some information about it from Emilia when they were in [Higher Domain #3].

As Leon examined their surroundings, he realized that they had arrived on a beach.

The sand beneath their feet was soft and pale, stretching along the coastline, while the clear blue sea extended toward the horizon.

The gentle waves washed against the shore, creating a peaceful atmosphere that seemed completely out of place.

“Beautiful,” Violet remarked as she gazed at the water. “It’s so clear, and this place feels like somewhere we could spend our vacation.”

“That’s still [Higher Domain #2],” Leon replied with a smile. “Normally, I’d tell everyone to stay alert, but since this is the starting area, I’m pretty sure nothing here can come close to us.”

As if the domain wanted to prove his point, the ground suddenly shifted a short distance away, and a large crab-like monster emerged from beneath the sand.

Its armored body scraped against the ground as it rushed toward the group, raising its massive claws as though it intended to tear apart anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path.

Leon immediately activated [Eye of Truth] and examined the approaching creature: it was only Level 55.

Considering the strength he and the girls had accumulated throughout their journey, the monster posed absolutely no threat to them.

Even if it continued attacking for decades, it probably wouldn’t manage to scratch any of them, and its attempt to intimidate them was almost amusing.

The crab monster continued charging until it came close enough to sense the overwhelming strength of the four people standing before it.

Its movements suddenly slowed, and after recognizing that it had chosen the wrong targets, it turned around and attempted to escape.

Unfortunately for the creature, Celeste had already raised her spear.

With a single thrust, she pierced its armored body and killed it before it could take more than a few steps.

“Should we just leave?” Violet asked, pointing toward the distant horizon.

Far beyond their current island, she could make out the faint silhouette of another island, though the distance separating them was considerable.

The sea between the two landmasses appeared calm, but she could sense numerous monsters moving beneath its surface.

“I can fly over there, but there are a lot of monsters in the water,” she continued.

That was the main difficulty most players faced in [Higher Domain #2].

Reaching another island required crossing the dangerous sea, and the monsters living beneath the water made the journey extremely difficult for anyone who lacked sufficient strength or the proper equipment.

Some players might possess abilities that allowed them to fly across the sea, while others could rely on special items or equipment.

However, those who lacked such advantages were often forced to find the only other way to travel: boats.

“Let’s look around first,” Leon decided. “I want to see what players usually do when they first arrive here, and we might as well gather some information while we’re at it.”

“Okay!” Emilia replied cheerfully.