Chapter 1025: Landmark (12)

A post that simultaneously mentioned the Domains of Cheonbeon and Adamant Thunder, even predicting the outcome of their second battle.

As expected for such an eye-catching and attention-grabbing title, the number of comments was overwhelmingly higher than other posts.

Claris, holding the mouse, turned her gaze as Davi clicked on the post.

“Let’s just glance at the content. We have a little time, don’t we?”

Beside Lennok, who had lost his words, Claris’s eyes sparkled.

“Looking at the order the posts were clicked, it seems Virgil was also about to look at this post but just stopped.”

“Ahem…!!”

Lennok, observing the vampire’s undisguised surprise, gave a wry smile and stepped back.

“Do as you please. We can only start working once Olivera returns.”

“We’ll just look at it quickly and get it over with, right?”

As if on cue, Claris scrolled down, and Virgil took a step closer.

Lennok, discreetly holding Davi and stepping back, gazed at the main content reflected on the monitor.

[Title: Final Analysis of Cheonbeon’s Domain, ‘Flame Flower’ in Full Bloom. Prediction of Adamant Thunder’s Domain and the Second Battle’s Outcome through it.]

The main body of the text continued below the title, with an extended arrangement of words, photos, and videos.

Despite using a clean, small font for easy readability, the length of the content was unusually substantial.

However, Lennok’s gaze was fixed on the link address written just below the title.

=Before reading this post, it is recommended that you read the analysis chart on Cheonbeon’s Domain previously written by someone else.

(Link: Third Analysis Chart of Evan Martinez’s deployed Domain, commonly known as ‘Flame Flower’)

“…….”

It was the title of a post he had seen once before.

The author, seemingly having no intention of explaining at length, immediately summarized the content.

=To summarize the content of the link: Cheonbeon’s Domain, commonly known as ‘Flame Flower’, is a power that generates nuclear fusion using six petals as Mana Cores.

=Cheonbeon has the ability to create external Mana Cores, and by combining Barrier Spellcraft with Mana Cores, he has dramatically amplified the scale of his Domain.

=The key point is that the [Full Bloom] form of the Flame Flower, which was not seen during the battle with Adamant Thunder, was revealed for the first time during the battle with the Conjunction Spell Master.

A video link immediately followed the lines of text.

The Flame Flower engulfed the entire Gateway City, and pillars of fire connecting the ground and sky as it bloomed.

Even though the video was shot from so far away that the city appeared at the edge of the horizon, its scale and size were truly overwhelming.

“…This is…”

Even Claris, seemingly seeing the video for the first time, visibly paled.

=While its power, reminiscent of nuclear fusion, is impressive, what truly demands attention is its persistence.

=It has been over 90 hours since the engagement with the Conjunction Spell Master ended, yet it still burns above Gateway City. Photo evidence attached.

=The power did not disappear even after the Domain was withdrawn. The flames remained even after Cheonbeon left the city.

=These two phenomena lead to the inference that Cheonbeon’s Domain is a power unconstrained by time.

Claris with a look of extreme concentration, and Virgil staring at the monitor with a grim expression.

Even Davi’s frantic squirming in his arms each time he glanced at the post.

The content of the post continued below the video.

=The time it took for the Flame Flower to reach full bloom after the engagement began was, at a conservative estimate, over 40 minutes.

=Considering the Conjunction Spell Master’s skill and spellcraft, enduring for 40 minutes while deploying a Domain is virtually suicidal.

=It is plausible that because he imposed such a disadvantageous condition to fully bloom his Domain, he was able to forge flames free from the constraints of time.

“…….”

The office had fallen silent.

Perhaps they had instinctively realized that the main content was far more serious than they initially thought.

Claris, expressionless, silently scrolled down the post.

=Recently, there have been almost no superhumans who have so overtly displayed the form and abilities of their Domain like this.

=Considering this was also the case during the battle with Adamant Thunder, it can be inferred that it might be a part of the conditions for deploying the Domain.

=Through this, we can tell that Cheonbeon is a spellcaster highly skilled in using Geas. This is likely one of the reasons he inherited Jindun’s Barrier Spellcraft.

=Personally, I’d like to talk about Cheonbeon’s talent and confidence that make this possible, but since that aspect has been analyzed extensively, I’d like to discuss something else.

=By analyzing the Full Bloom form of the Flame Flower, we can, conversely, infer the ability of Adamant Thunder’s Domain as it was deployed during their battle.

“…Van.”

Virgil, his expression grim, subtly glanced at Lennok.

“Are you alright?”

“Now, you ask?”

Lennok let out a small laugh.

“Scroll down. Now that we’ve come this far, I want to see what they’re saying.”

“…Alright.”

Claris, looking tense, scrolled all the way down the post.

=Although a concrete analysis couldn’t be performed during the decisive battle between Cheonbeon and Adamant Thunder, with consultations from various Magic Towers, the battle process is being approximately interpreted.

=Adamant Thunder deployed his Domain just before the Flame Flower reached full bloom. He made his Domain clash and tore the Flame Flower apart.

=The deployment and retraction of the Domain were astonishingly fast, leaving no record, but now that the Full Bloom of the Flame Flower has been confirmed, a different conclusion can be drawn.

=That is, Adamant Thunder’s Domain might be manipulating ‘time’ in a manner completely opposite to Cheonbeon’s Domain.

[Master.]

At that moment, Davi’s quiet mental message echoed in Lennok’s mind.

[Should I just erase everything now?]

“…….”

A whisper devoid of emotion, rarely heard from the usually lively spirit.

Was Davi also thinking this post might be dangerous to that extent?

[I can paralyze nearly 40% of the Deep Web’s network for about three days.]

Davi said.

[In that time, I’ll track down the coordinates of all the members who wrote the posts.]

The Cybernetic Spirit’s attitude was more sensitive to matters concerning Lennok’s personal safety than Lennok himself.

The intense, almost eerie sense of incongruity he sometimes felt from Davi.

But even knowing this, Lennok stroked Davi’s head and continued to gaze at the post.

The post, after a long introduction and main body, was rushing towards its conclusion.

=To get straight to the conclusion: I speculate that Adamant Thunder’s Domain possesses the ability of ‘time compression.’

=By compressing the time required for Domain deployment and retraction to the extreme, he unleashes all the firepower that would normally unfold during the Domain’s duration within milliseconds.

=It’s plausible if, as a condition for establishing a battlefield through his Domain, altering the environment, and sacrificing all tactical advantages, he transformed the Domain itself into a momentary ‘lightning bolt.’

=If so, it would explain why Adamant Thunder’s Domain has never been known until now, and why all the superhumans who witnessed the Domain died.

=The reason he used his Domain just before the Flame Flower reached full bloom must be because he realized that Cheonbeon’s Domain was a power diametrically opposed to his own.

“…….”

Claris wiped the sweat from her palms and gripped the mouse again.

The reason this author wrote such an elaborate analysis.

The conclusion he drew after comparing Cheonbeon and Adamant Thunder would probably be in the next lines of text.

If Lennok didn’t say anything, she would surely want to check the content to the very end.

Claris slowly exhaled and deliberately scrolled further down the post.

=Based on the analysis so far, we can conclude whether Cheonbeon’s Flame Flower in full bloom can compete with Adamant Thunder’s Domain.

=I’ve written various analyses and calculations regarding this, but it seems I can’t upload them due to insufficient capacity.

=To put it simply, I believe Adamant Thunder will win the second battle as well.

“…Excuse me?”

At the end of the post, with nothing more, Claris couldn’t help but open her mouth.

She frantically moved the mouse to scroll back through the post, but found no basis or process for the conclusion anywhere.

Only countless expletive-laden comments were plastered below the post.

└ How is this a prediction for the second battle, you f*cker?

└ Is this guy seriously crazy? Where’s the conclusion?

└ I was reading intently, but now I feel like I wasted my time;;

└ How did such a clickbait post crawl into the diamond-tier forum?

Thousands of comments, angered by the sudden conclusion, condemned the author.

However, some were also discussing the thought-provoking parts of the main content.

└ The conclusion is weird, but the analysis process is plausible. Not a post to dismiss lightly.

└ Especially the part predicting Adamant Thunder’s Domain is incredibly sharp.

└ Compressing the Domain deployment time, huh? I’ve never imagined that before. That’s essentially sacrificing the advantages of a Domain.

└ Since he imposed such conditions, the power of the Domain itself would probably skyrocket exponentially.

Comments evaluating new opinions that, despite making sense, had never been considered before, regarding Adamant Thunder’s Domain.

└ Is the claim that he won the compatibility battle between Domains because his power was opposite to Cheonbeon’s? This is also fresh.

└ I’m not even sure if a Root Mindscape can be stretched and shrunk like a rubber band. Is it even possible?

└ Just ask the guys who died from Adamant Thunder’s Domain, I guess?

└ Are there only idiots here? If the analysis is true, the guys killed by Adamant Thunder wouldn’t even have seen the Domain.

Among them, there were many who were well-versed in the operating principles of Domains and their core concepts.

This was proof that even high-level superhumans who could actually wield Domains were watching this community.

But even those comments couldn’t fully alleviate the bewilderment Claris felt just now.

The Long-lived Being, who had been staring blankly at the post, saw her expression shift from confusion to anger.

“No, how can he not write because of insufficient space…!! Is he playing games with us?!!”

“Claris Richellen.”

Lennok looked down at her with a look of exasperation.

“Didn’t you just say a moment ago that it was strange how people got so heated over such simple topics?”

“…….”

Leaving Claris, who had gone silent as if struck dumb, Lennok sighed and straightened his back.

“An interesting article. For a mere comparison piece, it has quite plausible grounds.”

“It’s clear that the author is an expert who knows a great deal about Domains,” Virgil, his face grim, added.

“Adding Geas or Barrier Spellcraft to a Domain, or inferring specific principles and content, is not something an ordinary spellcaster could conceive.”

“Well, I don’t know how many mages with such insight are left on the continent….”

Reaching Level 8 meant breaking through one’s mastered discipline and transcending it, becoming a grand master who pioneered a new path.

Naturally, such a feat was a privilege granted only to a tiny fraction of superhumans across the entire continent.

Furthermore, among those who had reached Level 8, if one were to filter for experts truly proficient in magic and Domains, their number would dwindle instantly.

“Van. Does your acknowledgment of this author’s insight mean this analysis is true?”

Virgil, watching Lennok’s reaction, cautiously asked.

“If you’ve been concealing your Domain’s abilities, I don’t see why you’d let them be exposed like this.”

It wasn’t for nothing that Virgil had been reluctant to view this post in front of Lennok.

Because if the content of this post were true, and Lennok admitted it, Virgil would become someone who had directly heard about Lennok’s Domain.

And the Virgil that Lennok knew was someone who believed he shouldn’t carelessly shoulder such risks or responsibilities.

“If, you wish to keep your Domain a secret, even now—”

“Don’t worry.”

Lennok smiled, leaning his arm on the sofa.

“The analysis contains no false statements, but it was impossible to draw a conclusion from it in the first place.”

“The conclusion is wrong?”

“I admit their insight is broad and their discernment is sharp, but…”

Lennok leaned his head back and let out a wry chuckle.

“An inference based on the past cannot reach my origin.”

“…….”

The inference itself was sharp, but the opponent had not understood the essence of the Eightfold Lightning Catholicon to draw their conclusion.

The final piece of a puzzle that could never be solved without understanding Lennok’s Root Mindscape.

Yet, Lennok still acknowledged the opponent’s remarkably keen insight.

This was because the analysis did accurately grasp how Lennok had used his Domain in some parts.

“Since they mistook the process for the result, I think there might actually be common ground between us on that point.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but…”

Virgil sighed, shaking his head.

“At any rate, that means there’s no need to take any action regarding that post, right?”

“Even if every part of that post’s analysis were correct, I wouldn’t have intervened anyway.”

Lennok shook his head.

“If I were to step in, it would be tantamount to advertising that the analysis is true.”

“That’s…”

“It seems Olivera has returned. Let’s get moving.”

A powerful, unhidden presence was felt beyond his mana detection.

If Olivera was returning to headquarters after finishing her business, moving to the research lab now would be perfect timing.

But despite Lennok’s words, Claris remained seated in front of the monitor, lost in thought.

“Hmmm…”

“Claris Richellen. Are you still looking at the conclusion of the analysis?”

“No, rather than that…”

Claris, still gazing at the monitor, flicked her eyes toward Lennok.

“I’ve been reading the comments, and there are many interesting opinions. Can’t I just look a little longer?”

“…….”

The Long-lived Being, having gotten a taste of the community’s reactions, instantly lost all patience.

Lennok, giving up on persuasion, simply dragged Claris away from the monitor.