Moving along the road, the atmosphere grew more and more vibrant. This was, to be precise, the Aurora District; a place that seemed to come alive on nights like this. Lanterns of every color dangled from tall posts and shopfronts, illuminating the surroundings under the shifting radiance of the moon.

Vendors called out from behind their stalls. The air was thick with scents both sweet and savory. Voices rang out in bursts, mixing with the rhythm of distant drums and the faint melodies of stringed instruments.

Everywhere I looked, there were Sleepless draped in resplendent robes, almost appearing unreal. There was even the scene of children darting between adults, clutching toys and sweets, their carefree joy adding to the restless energy of the district.

It was dazzling, almost overwhelming. Yet, at the same time, a quiet unease stirred within me.

Of course, it wasn't fear of danger. Niflheim's Grey Fog defenses made it nearly impossible for abominations to draw near, let alone infiltrate the fortress. A monster flood was out of the question.

No, the weight pressing on me came from somewhere else.

A profound sense of not belonging.

Maybe it was because of my origins as an outsider. I hadn't come from this world, nor was I born into it, so there was no bond tying me intimately to the Spirit Realm. I wished that were the whole explanation, perhaps it was part of it.

But the truth was simpler than that.

I was a "killer."

Two souls were slain by my hands, staining them with blood, marking them forever.

Those two had been innocent individuals, lives I cut down in order to survive, using cowardly methods. At first, I tried to delude myself, convincing my heart that it had been inevitable, that they were simply unfortunate casualties. But as time passed, that fragile lie began to crack.

From their memories, I saw it clearly: they had been good people — kind, decent, the sort others cherished deeply. And yet, they were gone because of me.

Was it right for me to walk among these people as if nothing had happened?

No matter how I tried to twist the board, the truth remained the same. I was nothing more than a cold-hearted killer, a vile individual and more importantly, a damned coward.

Certainly, I had no place in this beautiful picture.

Even in gardens of light, the shadow I cast is drenched in blood. No blossom will ever call me its own.

Turning to my right, I caught sight of the mysterious librarian walking beside me. She was dressed far more elegantly than the professional attire she usually wore for her mundane duties. The dark indigo robe she was wearing complemented her smooth lavender skin, while her colorful hair, tied neatly into twin buns, gave her a youthful charm.

A breathtaking sight, indeed.

At first glance, her eyes seemed cold, carrying an unapproachable aura. However, as I soon discovered, she wasn't truly as distant as she appeared to be. She was simply… awkward.

It was obvious from the way her eyes kept darting here and there. If she had been the overly serious type, she would've rejected my invitation outright. Instead, she accepted and that choice had led us here.

Needless to say, the air between us was thick with awkwardness.

Figures. She must feel uncomfortable going out with her junior. Wait… could this even be considered a date?

More importantly, I can't seem to keep my focus lately. Could the shadow hunger be acting up again? No… no, that's impossible. I should still have plenty of time before I need to feed.

While I was lost in thought, a faint frown on my face, Brynlee suddenly broke the silence.

"Hey, what's wrong? You seem distracted."

At her question, I quickly forced a smile and replied lightly,

"Oh, nothing serious. This place is pretty amazing, don't you think? I've never seen it this lively before."

Brynlee tilted her head for a moment before her eyes lit with realization.

"Ah, that's right. I always forget you're not from around here. You're from the human domain, aren't you?"

I nodded, then asked,

"So what's the special occasion? It feels like a big deal, especially with all the Sleepless out celebrating… even the instructors are here."

She shrugged.

"Well, it goes way back to the Old Emperor's Era. People usually call it the Catastrophe Epoch. To put it simply, it was the age when the Nine Sovereigns created their domains and established homes for their species. The recorded history from that period is mostly vague and dull… but one thing we know for sure is that the Dreadspire first emerged then."

"The emergence of the Dreadspire, was it?" I repeated, then added with a wry edge, "Does that mean its appearance brought about the destruction of their domains?"

Brynlee nodded.

"That's one way to put it. When the phenomenon appeared, the races had no understanding of what they were facing. Most people don't realize this, but the Old Sequence Blasphemers weren't nearly as physically gifted as we are. Sorcery only enhanced their skills in the mystical arts, not their physical bodies. Because of that, they were easily overpowered by Eldritch Creatures."

Indeed, that was the case. The Old Sequence Blasphemers were masters of Sorcery, able to wield it freely and without consequence. However, their physical bodies were woefully lacking. By contrast, the New Sequence Blasphemers possessed strong physiques and could manifest mythical abilities, but their use of sorcerous craft was heavily restricted and they adopted flaws.

They were two sides of the same coin, bound by the law of equivalent exchange.

Still, if you ask me, I'd say we New Sequence Blasphemers got the worse end of the bargain. The concept of "Curses" wasn't exactly appealing.

Oblivious to my thoughts, the succubus went on smoothly.

"After eight of the nine worlds were destroyed and most of the races wiped out, only the Human Domain remained. This was due to the influence of the Golden Emperor, who served as the vessel of the Ancient God Supreme. Blessed by one of the oldest gods, his power grew unmatched and transcendent, allowing him to shroud the entire planet in an electromagnetic barrier strong enough to withstand the mysteries of the Spire."

Wouldn't that make him the strongest Sovereign?

Not necessarily.

All the Sovereigns were said to be equal, or at the very least, relative in strength. If one had been vastly stronger than the others, an imbalance would have arisen. And from that imbalance, conflict would inevitably erupt.

Thus, equilibrium was necessary.

Come to think of it, why had the Ancient God Supreme chosen the Golden Emperor as his vessel? Could it be that the god had foreseen such a tragedy long before it unfolded?

More importantly…

"Wait... you said eight of the nine domains were destroyed, leaving only the Human Domain as the sole survivor, correct? Then how is there a world called Arcadia? Wouldn't that make it ten worlds instead of nine?"

This was something I have been curious about.

The Nine Sovereigns created the nine domains which the nine races residued in respectively and called their homes. However, there was also a world called Arcadia.

If there were nine domains, how did Arcadia come into existence?

Right now, there were two solid theories; First, the world was created after the eight domains were destroyed. Secondly, that Arcadia had always existed, but hidden in the folds of reality, intentionally excluded from the Nine.

Neither of them had ever been proven but the former was more plausible.

But with Brynlee's next line of words, both were shattered and cast into oblivion. What she said was something I could never have imagined.

"What are you talking about? There are only nine domains."

I blinked.

"Huh?"

Tilting her head with innocent certainty, Brynlee delivered the finishing blow:

"Because Arcadia is part of the Human Domain."

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