"Although she seems to intend well, I have to reject her. Exploring the Red Domain comes first." Blood muttered with a heavy heart.
He then exhaled slowly. "If there is any need to join that peak faction, I can reach out afterwards."
Blood understood the significance of the Blood Book. If he hadn't come across the Red Domain, he would have accepted her offer without hesitation. However, he knew of the domain now and had yet to explore it in order to reach a strict conclusion.
Kate's opportunity he was about to give up was more than a lifetime chance. Perhaps the Red Domain held knowledge and resources only up to the fourth realm, but the peak factions possessed far more.
Blood suddenly felt an urgent need to explore that domain immediately, before he made the wrong decision. If the Red Domain turned out to be lacking, he would surely regret his choice.
Before he could delve deeper though, a sharp voice pulled him from his stupor. "It seems you are still not interested in my offer, seeing you so carefree. But you must know that you will never get the same from anywhere." Kate glared dangerously, gradually growing confused and angry at Blood's unresponsiveness.
Blood was rather stunned, sensing her temper rising toward violence. "Easy," he said quickly. "I didn't say I'm not interested. It's a great offer, I… I just want you to give me some time. It's too sudden."
Kate's expression hardened, she seemed to be holding back her anger. "This is ridiculous. What's there to think about? If this offer were given to others, they would have accepted instantly, without a second thought. And here you are, hesitating." She looked at him so fiercely that he felt as though he were drowning in an endless ocean, threatening to swallow him whole.
She then said, "There is nothing to think about. The offer has been withdrawn." Her voice became stern. "From now on, you and I are but mere partners. That realm is the only thing that connects us. You're on your own from here onward."
With that, she exited the empty realm alongside her mount. This time she was thoroughly displeased, her eyes flashing dangerously as she left. He's being totally unreasonable, she thought.
She had only wanted to pull him out of the mud, but it seemed unnecessary. she mounted her dragon, and with a powerful burst, it soared into the sky.
Blood was anything but calm, feeling the sting of loss at the opportunity that had just slipped through his fingers. Is she leaving me behind? he thought, speechless as he watched her depart without him.
"Hey! Stop right there!"
Kate's ears were sharp; she heard him clearly. She grunted, before patting the dragon's neck. The beast snorted, taking the same temperament as her master, before changing its course, descending once more toward him.
Blood's voice carried a hint of displeasure as he spoke. "Are you holding grudges now? Please, return me to my father. You said you only wanted to talk." He frowned, realizing he didn't even know the direction from here.
Kate remained indifferent. "Get on. We have somewhere to go."
"Where is that?" Blood asked.
"It's not that hard to guess. You will know when we arrive." She paused, her eyes then locking onto his. "I'm returning to my place, and I don't know how long, or if I will ever come back to this region. So we must visit that domain right now. I have to see for myself what it holds before I leave."
Blood was astounded by the revelation. The lady whose identity shook the entire region was finally leaving, and perhaps never to return. This news would surely astound many once it spread.
Kate's expression softened briefly, a rueful smile crossing her lips. "I gave that courtyard to an ordinary family before you appeared. There's no way I can take it back now. We'll have to find another way to use that channel."
Kate had long intended to leave the Shai Region, even before she heard of her father seeking her. If Blood had appeared a little earlier, the courtyard might still have been within her grasp.
"If it's an ordinary family, then it should be easy to reclaim," Blood said suddenly. "Just ask a mid‑class family to purchase it back. With enough gold piled before them, they would surely be willing to trade." To him, it didn't seem like a problem at all.
Kate shook her head firmly. "It's not that easy. No matter how much gold is offered, they won't sell." she said with certainty, as though she knew the family well.
"What if we use energy crystals? Surely, they would be tempted." Blood said, surprised by her trust in the family.
"They still wouldn't sell," she replied, her lips curving into a charming smile. "Get on. We must visit that domain first. Don't worry, I will explain everything personally to your father."
Blood nodded. His heart was also pulled by the same urge to explore the domain. He leapt onto the dragon's back.
Blood silently hoped that if he apologized sincerely after discovering the domain's inferiority, she might still allow him to join the peak factions. That opportunity was more than a lifetime chance, yet he had turned it away.
The dragon roared, moving southward, disappearing into the clouds.
___
Blood was deep in thought as they crossed over many cities. He soon realized that many of the settlements in the Shai Region were far smaller compared to Sand‑Scale City. Some were little towns, insignificant in size.
They passed over Warp Village. It appeared so small that Blood nearly missed it. Perhaps it was because he was riding atop a flying mount that everything below appeared small. It was striking, nonetheless.
His mind returned to the present, his gaze settling on Kate with deep scrutiny. "About the Red Domain," Blood finally spoke, breaking the silence that had continued for half a day.
"You didn't give me much time to make certain things clear about it the last time, before you 'kicked' me out." he said. He hadn't forgotten he still had to bring her in as his follower. He had an idea about how he could pull it off.
"There is something you must know. Before entering the domain, there is a selection that is essential for anyone who wants to explore it." His eyes were locked firmly onto hers. He was wary of her unrestrained nature. There was no telling what she might do once inside.
Kate narrowed her eyes, before asking curiously. "What is this selection all about?"
Blood's chest heaved as he began to explain. "We went through a series of events after being frightened by an ancient voice. It placed us into a trial. It's a pity Ballock isn't here right now. We later discovered that the trial has at least twenty phases, and that it was searching for someone who could pass the tenth phase. I managed to reach the fifteenth phase, while Ballock stopped at the fourteenth." He paused, then continued in a solemn tone.
"Those phases are incredibly demanding. Only when we could no longer advance after several days did a shimmering channel appear before us, as if to allow us exit. We emerged in a forest and found a translucent channel that eventually brought us to your place."
Kate's expression changed, her interest seemingly piqued. "Hmm… so that's the channel you came through. What exactly is the selection all about?" she asked.
Blood smiled and said, "We can still enter that place to challenge more phases anytime and since I was the one that passed the highest, I naturally became the Lord of the domain and have the privilege of appearing anywhere I want in the domain, as far as I'm inside it." Blood said, before he suddenly felt a cold glare from her as if her energy was about to erupt.
Blood flinched and quickly went to say, "I didn't tell you this before because it was unnecessary. But according to the terms of the contract we signed before, I must take you in the next time we want to explore. However, no one is allowed entry without being a follower of the Lord of the domain. I can't even force someone in even if I wanted to.
"That's why I asked you to become my follower that day, but you refused. With this condition, you won't be able to enter the domain, and myself won't be able to enter either because of the contract between us. Now, we are stuck."