Outside the castle, the city began to breathe again.

The barrier held. The buildings remained intact, and no lives were lost during that epic battle.

Citizens gathered in plazas and on rooftops, continued to discuss the angel, the immortal, and the light that had shielded them.

Several children on the streets even started mimicking Haruo's wings with their arms as they ran around…

Just like that, the vendors reopened their stalls, though many had nothing left to sell, having abandoned everything to watch the battle.

In the eastern district, Forbes stood beside his two students, Riven and Emra.

Riven was still staring upward. "That was incredible… What if our Airship was outside the city's barrier at that time?"

Emra nodded. "Ohh… That would be a disaster… Our airship can block Arcane Spells but not Immortal ones."

Forbes stretched his arms and sighed. "Alright. That's enough excitement for one day."

He looked at the two. "Let's head back. We'll continue exploring tomorrow."

Riven blinked. "We're stopping?"

Forbes grinned. "We're hungry. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to tour the city on an empty stomach."

Emra laughed. "Finally. I thought you'd never say it."

The three walked off toward the nearest food stall, as the tension of the day slowly faded behind them.

***

In the meantime, far beyond the reach of mortal planes, Yuri stepped through the void and entered a realm untouched by light…

The ground was covered in dark grass that had a sky of swirling violet clouds…

There was also a lake that stretched across the center of this dimension. Its surface was moving slightly, probably due to the various creatures beneath it.

Around this lake stood six grass-covered dwellings. It was simple, dome-like structures woven from rocks and trees… They looked primitive, but each one pulsed with sealed power.

Yuri walked across the soft terrain…

The air was filled with ancient energy, and he felt extremely refreshed and relaxed after returning to this place.

Five Void Immortals waited for him near the lake, seated around a flat stone table…

They didn't rise after seeing him. They didn't need to.

The one who seemed to be the youngest of them all spoke with his cheerful voice. "You're late, brother Yuri!"

Yuri sat down. "I stayed longer than planned. The Domain's defenses were stronger than expected."

Another Void Immortal who had long, blue hair asked. "Did you see the guy with the Divine Extraction?"

Yuri shook his head. "No. He didn't show. Only his agents. The angel was impressive, but restrained."

A third Immortal, who was also a man but looked so feminine nodded at Yuri's confirmation. "Then, how about the Chaos Immortals?"

Yuri's gaze darkened. "Too many. About three hundred active signatures in the human realm. Most are scattered, but some are gathering near the southern territories."

The youngest wryly smiled after hearing this.

They had lost the timing as the Chaos Immortals took a huge part of the human realm. It's not a good idea to clash with them. "Then the balance is shifting."

Yuri nodded. "It is. But Shadow Immortal must have some plans... The Divine Extraction is not something we can underestimate."

The fifth Immortal, seated furthest from the lake, finally spoke. Her voice was calm and almost melodic. "Do you think that the Chaos ones knew about the Divine Extraction?"

"I don't think so… However, they should be aware that the Shadow Domain was not normal. That place had angel, asura, dragon, immortal vampire, and others…" Yuri said.

Silence fell as Yuri said this…

They needed the Shadow Immortal's power, but they knew that the latter would not cooperate with them. Because of that, they needed to find a way to isolate the Shadow Immortal from other immortals in his base. That way, they could try and steal his Divine Extraction ability.

The lake rippled several times as if a creature was about to come out…

However, none of them were bothered about it.

"We're not ready," the youngest one said.

"Let the Chaos and the Shadow Domain clash. We'll move when they're both bleeding."

Yuri leaned back as he looked at the lake…

"Agreed. Let them fight. We'll stay quiet. But I'd probably watch the situation down there…" He muttered as he wanted to see the battle that would happen really soon.

***

Soon, everyone returning to their dwellings.

Xan, the blue-haired Immortal, silently looked at his place...

Although it looked small from the outside, the dwelling he had was huge, even larger than the main dimension they had with the lake.

It had several buildings, a practice area, and even golems that were cleaning and taking care of this place…

Soon, he checked his main house. It was filled with scrolls, sealed vials, and many other items… However, there was a single obsidian mirror mounted on the far wall and this was what he needed for now.

He didn't hesitate.

With a flick of his hand, the mirror glowed…

Symbols etched into its frame began to glow… It was trying to bypass dimensional interference and it would take a few minutes before he gets connected…

While waiting, Xan packed some of his things…

He stored a few containment crystals, a folded cloak, and a sealed case of potions. Then, after a few moments, he noticed that the mirror was finally connected…"

"Maya Featherstar."

The mirror pulsed once. Then her image appeared.

She was seated in a candlelit chamber, surrounded by alchemical tools…

Her robes bore the hidden insignia of the Church of the Lord of the Secrets.

Her gaze sharpened when she saw him with packed bags... "Sir Xan. You're leaving the Sanctum?"

"I am," he said. "I need to enter the human realm. Quietly."

Maya was surprised.

"You know the Will of the Realm will crush you if you enter without permission. You might get weakened for 30 days…"

"That's why I'm calling you," Xan replied. "I need a path. One that's shielded. I can't afford to be blocked by the Overseer."

Maya frowned and considered for a moment…

"I can open a channel through the Church's hidden platform… But I will need something from you, Sir Xan…"

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