NOVEL WEB Chapter 141: New members of Void Domain
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"Alright," Nima said, her voice pitched to carry over the beasts' low rumbles. "If this fails and my beast's get hurt, I hold you personally responsible." She leveled a fierce glare at Kent. "Understood?"
Kent nodded vigorously. "Totally fair." Inside, he steeled himself for the unknown. "Please let the Void Domain handle living wild beasts without any difficulties," The four guardians he placed in the void domain are safe. But they are not beasts, they are four elemental spirit type guardians. The trees he tossed before are okay too but same they are trees only beasts. He'd never tested it with docile or tamed beings. Possibly the synergy might let them remain stable.
A few seconds later…
He took a breath, reaching deep within himself for the swirling blackness that signified the Void Domain. A flicker of intangible energy glimmered around his hands, invisible to most but faintly sensed by those with strong spiritual awareness. He pictured the domain, like a dark, immeasurable space that he could mold as he wanted.
"Alright, beasts," he said, voice trembling slightly with false bravado, "time to head into… my land. Step up, one by one—no pushing."
A monstrous boar with stone-like scales snorted skeptically. A serpent-lion hybrid coughed up a small, fiery ember. But Nima gave an order, and the beasts grudgingly obeyed. The largest one advanced first—a towering wolf-lizard with a barbed tail that crackled faintly with electricity. Kent gulped, focusing. With a mild swirl of intangible force, he activated the domain's "pull," praying the creature would vanish safely.
To his immense relief, the beast's form blurred. Wisps of spiritual fog like energy coiled around it, and, after an instant's hesitation, it vanished entirely, leaving behind a swirl of displaced air. The watchers gasped. Nima's mouth parted in surprise, but she maintained composure.
Within his mind, Kent felt a jolt as the Void Domain strained. An image of the beast roamed in the void land, seemingly stable. "Yes, it worked" he thought, trying not to show how much mental effort it cost to hold it there.
He repeated the process for the next beast, and the next. Some hissed or snarled at the swirling darkness, but Nima's stern commands kept them from panicking. One after another, the monstrous forms blurred and vanished, each absorption sending a spike of tension through Kent's mind. After the twentieth beast, beads of sweat clung to his brow, and he had to pause to catch a breath.
"You good?" Nima asked, a faint line of worry creasing her forehead. "You look like you're about to keel over."
Kent gave a shaky thumbs-up. "Just… a lot of mass to store," he joked. "But I'll manage. Let's finish it."
She nodded, waving the next group forward. No one saw anything, he and Nima were doing everything in secret. If only they knew how OP Kent became.
Eventually, he absorbed the last of the fifty beasts, the final one being a pterosaur-like creature whose wings spanned a good ten feet. As it vanished into a swirl of spiritual fog. Kent nearly collapsed from the mental strain. "I have to be careful not to let them start fighting inside the domain," he realized, fighting off a wave of dizziness. "At least they seem docile if Nima truly tamed them."
He steadied himself on a fallen pillar, panting. Nima's lips parted in a mixture of astonishment and smug satisfaction. "So," she said quietly, her voice oddly gentle, "they're… inside you now?"
Kent nodded, wiping sweat from his temples. "Safe and sound. They shouldn't even notice the difference. The environment is just like a forest. Maybe we can figure out a feeding system later, but they're basically in stasis for now."
Nima let out a weary exhale. "We'll see about that. But for the moment, I won't have to walk around with a stampede behind me. Good job, Kent." Her tone was grudgingly grateful, though still layered with irritation from their earlier spat. She took a step closer, biting her lip. "Let me see them, just… to be sure. Bring out one or two so I know you're not lying."
Kent's stomach churned. "I could, but it's safer if we wait until we're out of the ruins. The domain is weird, it might glitch with the ruin's spiritual field. Also, if I open it now, I risk them stampeding out. Let's not do that. But I promise once we're in a stable area outside, I'll show you how they're doing." He forced a confident grin. "Trust me, sis."
Nima studied his face for a tense moment. "Alright, fine," she relented. "Just don't betray me, or I'll run away from..."
Kent cut her off with a soft chuckle. "I know, I know. You will run away and become a princess" He retrieved a bag of bright orange snack chips from the system storage, still sealed. "Look, to calm your nerves—snacks? I stored them for you before entering the ruins. Consider this an apology gesture… the real apology. Now you can munch something while we figure out the next step."
A flicker of surprise lit Nima's eyes, though she tried to mask it. "You're bribing me with chips?" she asked, sounding both amused and exasperated.
Kent shrugged. "Better than nothing, right? You love snacks. We can share?" He offered the bag gingerly, praying it wouldn't reignite her fury. He also gave her the necklace to calm her down (Skipped part).
She sniffed, then snatched the bag, tearing it open. The cheese smell wafted out, and she wrinkled her nose. "Huh, cheap brand. But I guess I'll manage," she muttered. She shoved a handful in her mouth, chewing with loud crunches that ironically echoed through the silent corridor. Some tension melted from her posture.
Fatty Li came to look for them and, seeing the sight of snacks, took a hesitant step forward as if craving a taste, but a single glare from Nima sent him retreating again. Kent asked, "Harper Li, is everything alright?"
Fatty Li replied, "No, everything is okay, you two were out of sight for a while, that's why I came to check on you."
While Nima crunched away, Kent let out a long breath, relieved that the immediate crisis of the beasts was resolved. He still needed to help Yang Li finalize control of the Ruin Core. And he had to be mindful of the domain's occupant—fifty monstrous underlings without any food source. It's a challenge. In the back of his mind, the worry lingered: 'I hope they don't starve… until I find a food source."
Just as Kent and Nima began to go back with fatty Li, a sudden roar of spiritual energy burst from the far side of the Ruin Core. A thunderous crash reverberated through the stone passages, sending hairline cracks skittering across the floor. Startled, Nima nearly dropped her bag of chips, and Auri let out a shrill chirp of alarm.
Kent whirled around, adrenaline kicking in again. "What was that? Another wave of dark alliance scum?" he asked, stepping forward.
From deeper within the complex, a battered figure sprinted into view, panting. One of the watchers, fear etched into his features. "They're attacking!" he gasped, voice hoarse. "Level‑B cultivator from the dark alliance just cornered Yang Li in the ruin's center, again. They're demanding the Ruin Core artifact for themselves!"
The words electrified the group. Nima flared with indignation, her fists clenching around the chip bag. "Yang Li can handle a single Level‑B, can't he?" she asked, though worry laced her voice.
Kent replied, "Normally, yes, but he's exhausted from earlier fights, and this dark alliance cultivator is fresh. He has a small squad of leftover Level‑C minions too. We need help, fast!"
Kent drew in a breath, heart pounding with realization, "The beast problem is solved now… almost solved. Nima's Anger is gone too. Now it's time to help Yang Li. Get the ruins core."
He turned to Nima, voice urgent. "Stay here or come with me, but remember to stay alert and don't cause any problems. We can't let them get the Ruin Core and escape. If that artifact leaves with the dark alliance, everything we fought for will be lost in vain."
Nima tossed the bag of chips to Fatty Li. "Take them," she snapped. "I've lost my appetite." Then she fixed Kent with a hard glare. "I'm not leaving you to hog all the glory. But… the beasts are gone now, so I guess you're the main front-liner. I will support you with Raka and Lumo."
A flicker of a grin touched Kent's lips. "I don't need it. Make sure to keep yourself safe. Come on." He turned to the watchers. They were saying, "Let's show them we are not pushovers. Let's finish them."
The watchers guided them down a twisting corridor lined with defaced statues. The thunderous noises ahead intensified: the clash of spiritual blasts, the roar of martial techniques, and the angry shouts of the dark alliance minions. Each step felt heavier, tension coiling in the air like a spring about to snap.