8 — Hunters of the Imperial Domain
Blackwind City did not sleep.
Even after midnight, faint lanterns burned across rooftops, and low-level cultivators trained in quiet courtyards. Spirit energy flowed steadily through the city's foundational arrays, stabilizing the environment and suppressing wild fluctuations.
But high above the clouds—
Something shifted.
A faint ripple spread through the sky, invisible to mortals.
Invisible to most cultivators.
But not invisible to Heaven.
[ Heavenly Monitoring Update ]
[ Southern Continent — Sector 17 ]
[ Irregular Growth Nodes: 2 ]
[ Probability Divergence: Escalating ]
[ Dispatch Authorization: Pending ]
[ ───────────────────────── ]
Far to the north, in a towering structure carved from black stone, an array pulsed with pale gold light.
This was not a sect.
Not a mercenary dominion.
Not a rogue city.
This was an outpost of the Central Imperial Domain.
A branch authority.
Its purpose was simple:
Maintain continental balance.
Monitor irregularities.
Suppress destabilizing elements before they spread.
Inside the central chamber stood three figures wearing white-gold robes etched with subtle array patterns.
Before them hovered a translucent projection of the Southern Continent.
A faint anomaly marker pulsed.
Then another.
The elder in the center spoke calmly.
"Two divergence signatures within the same city."
One of the younger officers frowned.
"Coincidence?"
The elder shook his head slightly.
"The probability of dual irregular emergence in a destabilized region following sect collapse is… statistically improbable."
He extended his hand.
The projection zoomed into Blackwind City.
The anomaly markers flickered faintly, still too unstable for exact identification.
"Prepare a Hunter unit," the elder said.
"Low-level intervention. Observation first. Suppression if required."
The younger officer bowed.
"Yes, Elder Jian."
The array pulsed again.
Orders were transmitted.
In Blackwind City, Kael sat within his courtyard, eyes closed, system active.
He was not cultivating.
He was observing.
Level 2 had altered his perception.
Subtle fluctuations in probability felt different now.
The air carried tension.
Not immediate danger.
But alignment.
He activated Fate Thread Visualization again.
Silver threads emerged across his vision.
Most remained thin and predictable.
But one—
One thread extending north had grown brighter.
He focused.
[ ─── Fate Visualization Analysis ─── ]
[ External Authority Movement Detected ]
[ Source: Northern Continental Region ]
[ Probability of Contact Within 7 Days: 38% ]
[ ───────────────────────── ]
External authority.
So something was coming.
Not Ren.
Not Iron Wolves.
Something structured.
Kael opened his status.
[ ═════ HEAVEN'S DEBUG SYSTEM — LEVEL 2 ═════ ]
[ Host: Kael Ardyn ]
[ Realm: Blood Refinement — Late Stage ]
[ Structural Stability: 81% ]
[ Concealment Integrity: 52% ]
[ Fate Distortion Impact: Increasing ]
[ ─────────────────────────────────── ]
Concealment was holding steady but not improving.
He needed to either:
Leave the city.
Mask his growth further.
Advance again and overpower suppression risk.
Each option carried cost.
A knock sounded at his gate again.
He did not need the system to tell him who it was.
Ren Kaelith entered without waiting long.
"You feel it too," Ren said calmly.
Kael did not deny it.
"The northern sky shifted."
Ren's gaze sharpened.
"So your perception is refined."
Silence.
Then Ren continued.
"The Central Imperial Domain maintains order on this continent. They don't interfere often. But when they do—"
"They erase variables," Kael finished.
Ren smiled faintly.
"Precisely."
The system pulsed.
[ External System Interference Detected ]
[ Artificial Assistance Host Operating Parallel Scan ]
[ Comparative Analysis In Progress ]
[ ───────────────────────── ]
Kael studied Ren more closely.
"Your system," Kael said quietly.
Ren did not flinch.
"So you noticed."
"It doesn't feel natural."
Ren chuckled softly.
"It isn't."
He extended his hand slightly, and for a fraction of a second, faint geometric patterns shimmered across his palm.
"Mine was engineered," Ren said.
"Fragment of a broken civilization's technology. Artificial Probability Engine."
Kael's pupils contracted slightly.
Engineered.
So ancient civilizations had not only studied Heaven—
They had attempted to replicate its mechanics.
Ren's expression turned more serious.
"You're different."
"How?" Kael asked.
Ren tilted his head slightly.
"Yours feels… connected."
The system flickered.
[ Warning: Cross-System Resonance Detected ]
[ Fate Thread Entanglement Probability: Rising ]
[ Risk: Mutual Escalation ]
Before either could continue—
A pulse of pressure descended over Blackwind City.
Not overwhelming.
But deliberate.
Measured.
Professional.
Kael and Ren both looked upward instinctively.
Outside the courtyard walls, people slowed in confusion.
The sky shimmered faintly.
Then—
Three figures descended slowly, stopping above the central plaza of the city.
White-gold robes.
Calm expressions.
Auras restrained but unmistakably powerful.
The strongest aura among them was clearly beyond Blood Refinement.
Likely Law Seed.
The city guards immediately knelt.
The city lord rushed forward in panic.
Ren exhaled softly.
"Hunters."
Kael's system activated automatically.
[ ─── Target Analysis ─── ]
[ Authority Restricted ]
[ Realm Classification: Law Seed — Middle Stage ]
[ Energy Density: Extreme ]
[ Probability Manipulation: High ]
[ Direct Combat Outcome: Fatal ]
[ ───────────────────────── ]
Law Seed — Middle Stage.
A full macro-tier above Blood Refinement.
Even with Level 2 system modules—
Direct confrontation was impossible.
The lead Hunter spoke calmly, voice amplified across the plaza.
"Blackwind City is under temporary inspection by order of the Central Imperial Domain."
The words were polite.
But the pressure beneath them was absolute.
Ren stepped back slightly.
"They're scanning for divergence."
Kael's jaw tightened.
The system reacted urgently.
[ ⚠ HEAVENLY LAW RESPONSE ESCALATED ⚠ ]
[ Regional Scan Initiated ]
[ Concealment Mode: Maximum Suppression ]
[ Concealment Integrity: 41% ]
[ Probability of Detection if Stationary: Rising ]
Kael's fate threads pulsed brighter.
He needed movement.
But movement also generated probability distortion.
Ren's gaze flicked toward him briefly.
"Interesting timing."
Kael replied quietly, "You triggered it."
Ren smiled faintly.
"Perhaps."
In the plaza, the Hunters activated a formation.
A translucent dome expanded outward from their position.
It passed over rooftops.
Over streets.
Over courtyards.
When it touched Kael—
The system flared violently.
[ ⚠ DIRECT SCAN CONTACT ⚠ ]
[ Concealment Integrity: 36% ]
[ Masking Subroutines Active ]
[ Debug Privilege Attempting Pattern Randomization ]
Sweat formed along Kael's spine.
He remained perfectly still.
Breathing steady.
Heart rate controlled.
Ren's artificial interface shimmered faintly beside him.
Two anomalies within one scan radius.
The dome continued expanding.
Passing.
Sweeping.
Testing.
Then—
It stabilized.
The Hunters exchanged brief glances.
The lead one spoke calmly.
"No confirmed irregulars."
The dome retracted.
The pressure lifted slightly.
But not fully.
They remained hovering above the city.
Observation mode.
Ren exhaled slowly.
"Temporary reprieve."
Kael did not relax.
Concealment Integrity: 39%.
It had dropped significantly.
Heaven was closer now.
The Imperial Domain was aware of divergence probability.
Ren turned toward the gate.
"We should not remain in proximity for long."
Kael nodded slightly.
"Agreed."
The threads between them flickered brighter.
Interaction probability rising.
Outside, Blackwind City resumed movement cautiously.
But the Hunters did not leave.
They were waiting.
Watching.
And for the first time—
Kael understood something clearly.
He was no longer a hidden glitch on a battlefield.
He was a monitored variable.
And variables—
Were corrected when they deviated too far.