[Primordial Dragon of Chaos (Hatchling)]

[Name: Alphox]

[Master: Celestial]

[Loyalty: 100%]

[Level: 5]

[Rank: Divine]

[Skills: Claw Swing, Draconic Roar, Shadow Step, Aura Pulse.]

’HAHA!’ Leon let out internally, his heart swelling with pride and excitement, ’Level 5!’

This meant that Alphox grew much stronger during the battle, two levels to be exact, though he was still only halfway there to his next evolution and the form that would follow, which would be a significant milestone.

If it was any other pet, contributing this much to the vessel of war’s kill, as well as many imperial guards, would have surely been enough to evolve at least once already, but Alphox was different.

As one of the strongest pets in existence, Leon wasn’t surprised to see that it would take a while for him to grow and reach his full potential, requiring more experience than normal pets.

Regardless, Alphox entered his [Pet Space] once more to rest after the exhausting battle, his small body disappearing in a flash of light.

Then Leon opened his [World Map] and teleported out of the [Imperial Kingdom] for good this time, leaving the destroyed chamber behind.

Perhaps he’d come back at some point in the future, but since he had his [World Map] to teleport wherever he wanted, Leon felt like he wouldn’t need to return anytime soon.

A lot of things happened since he entered this place, and though he grew much stronger, Leon knew he needed to move forward and continue his journey toward the Eternal Battlefield.

’Well, I guess I can just follow Violet’s position on the map to know where the stronghold is exactly,’ he thought, opening his map once more and tracking their icons.

Just like that, Leon dashed forward, his sword and staff in hand, ready to reach his next location and reunite with his companions who were waiting for him.

He did wonder for a second if he should return to the [Divine Academy] to get rid of all those linked to the gods there, but no, Leon stopped himself, as he knew he needed to get stronger first before confronting them.

’Strong enough to make sure my opponents stand no chance, there’s no need to act too quickly and risk everything,’ he reasoned.

Plus, the God of War likely already informed all of his servants in the Higher Domain about what Leon did and the vessel’s defeat, spreading word of his actions.

This meant they would potentially expect him to come to them, and at that moment there might be something just as strong or perhaps stronger than the Vessel of War waiting for him in ambush.

A chill ran down Leon’s spine as he thought of that possibility, but he shook his head, pushing the doubt aside and focusing on his goal.

’Stronger... just gotta be stronger no matter what it takes,’ he reminded himself.

...

Just like that, a few days passed as Leon rushed through the domain toward the stronghold, covering vast distances with his incredible speed and stamina.

He killed many monsters on the way, all of which were level 100.

This meant that every single player that would be in that stronghold would have needed the strength of level 100 monsters to reach it, making them the elite of the elite, the cream of the crop.

It would truly be the place with the most amount of powerful players in this higher domain, a gathering of the strongest fighters.

Leon consumed every essence as per usual, all of his attributes increasing nicely with each kill, and he sold the rest of the items to improve his fortune even more, his wealth growing steadily with each passing day.

Violet, Celeste and Emilia’s IDs stopped moving around a day ago, meaning that Leon was getting much closer to their location with each passing hour.

After all, flying was much faster than running in the land, as Leon had to pass through a dense forest filled with dangerous creatures, a treacherous set of mountains, and even a massive canyon that stretched for miles.

But eventually, after days of travel and countless battles, he found it standing before him in all its glory.

In the deepest part of [Higher Domain #1], he arrived at the legendary stronghold that had been calling to him.

Ding!

[You are standing before "Requiem"]

[State the reason of your arrival, newcomer, and you shall be welcomed into the most secure place across this domain.]

Before Leon were massive walls and towers, each of them with a level 100 archer that shot anything that got near with deadly precision, their arrows glowing with power.

BOOM!

A divine arrow rained into a group of wolves trying to get near the walls, killing them all in one-shot, the arrow exploding on impact and leaving nothing but ash behind.

’...Gotta be careful here,’ Leon thought, his senses on high alert.

Iris said that the stronghold’s lord and his guild members were terrifyingly strong, and he could already see evidence of that power in the defenses.

Were these archers part of this guild, or were they simply hired mercenaries protecting the stronghold from outsiders?

Either way, they were incredibly powerful and not to be underestimated, their arrows capable of killing even high-level monsters with ease.

He noticed some of them pointed their bows toward him as he approached, which made him tense, but not enough to react or draw his weapons.

He arrived in front of the giant entrance, which was a giant gate with the symbol of a bell with a fracture in the middle of it, the emblem of the stronghold.

[Please state your ID and reason of your arrival.]

"...Hm," Leon hesitated for a split second, considering his options, but as he saw the fact that Emilia, Celeste and Violet were already inside, he felt more secure, "Celestial, I came from the Imperial Kingdom and want to use this place to get stronger."

The exact moment Leon said his ID, it was as though the air stood still, and then the gate began to open with a heavy grinding sound that echoed through the silence.

’Here we go.’