In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed, and the transformation within the Ant Beings’ secret vault had finally reached a day of earth-shattering significance.
“Roar! I am Ze King, destined to tread upon the earth, rivers, and mountains, restoring the glory of the Boulder King Lord of yore.”
The desiccated and solidified clay statue burst apart, and a figure of robust stature stood upon the earth, proclaiming its lofty ambitions and brave words loudly to the surroundings.
With its voice, a thin layer of light spread out, staining the ground around it black.
At this moment, the swamp ant indeed looked spirited and impressive.
Its body, originally a mix of yellow and black, had now turned entirely jet-black, and a pair of brilliant golden antennae had transformed into three pairs, fused at the base to resemble a unique crown.
Add in the three pairs of broad, translucent wings, and compared to before, there was undeniably an added air of solemn dignity and kingly grandeur.
“Clap-clap-clap!”
Rhythmic applause rang around, snapping Ze King back to reality. Realizing there were so many onlookers wearing mocking expressions, its face was instantly seared with embarrassment.
“Ze King, could this possibly be a Domain Aura?” Locke pointed at the faint black glow on the ground.
Under the effect of the faint black glow, the ground started to ripple gently. Had the Ant Beings’ secret vault not been in a special location, the ground would certainly have undergone wondrous transformations.
“Yes, this is the ‘Ze King Domain Aura,'” Ze King answered truthfully.
“What are its effects?” Locke hurriedly asked another question.
“Where it passes, it can transform the ground into a swamp. Had it not been for me restraining my power earlier, the ground here would have surely suffered,” Ze King responded, glancing at Ivan and seeing no objections, continued to reply.
“Just this, is this also—-“
“Words alone are not enough to explain; let’s go somewhere else and take a closer look.”
Locke wanted to say more, but Ivan directly interrupted and suggested going elsewhere to test.
Also on Ivan’s suggestion, the group left the Ant Beings’ secret vault, then left the Ant Being barrier, and came to an open area outside the academy to begin a series of tests.
“Open!”
Ze King’s Domain Aura unfurled, covering a radius of nearly four hundred meters around it. The hard ground immediately began to undulate, and in an instant, it transformed into a muddy lake, reminiscent of an earthen domain in the Rainbow Pits that contained mud rivers.
The Aura Power could do more than just this; it could also ensnare anyone entering its range in a sticky~thick force field, causing them to slow down, suffocate, feel suppressed, get sealed, and more.
Without a doubt, this was a power that seemed simple yet was anything but.
“Not bad, not bad at all. Being able to suppress an enemy comprehensively, the Domain Aura really is a unique power.” After a round of tests, Ivan couldn’t help but offer a few words of praise.
“There’s another thing; I believe I should be able to nurture ant sentinels of Level 3. However, it will take some time,” Ze King added.
“Take your time, you’ve just awakened your Domain Aura, and there’s plenty more to explore.”
“I hope to get your guidance.”
“No problem, we’ll explore together later on, including Justine too.”
As his first ‘pseudo-lord,’ even if Ze King didn’t mention it, Ivan would have taken it upon himself to explore occasionally, thereby glimpsing the true nature of the Domain Aura.
However, this would need more time, possibly extending until Ivan himself had control over the Aura Power.
From that day on, the Ant Being barrier finally returned to its previous tranquility. Other sorcerers didn’t know what had happened, let alone that the Ant Being barrier had given rise to a pseudo-lord creature.
It’s worth mentioning that the Formation node hidden deep beneath the swamp had been drained of power and had previously broken down under the overload.
…
Before long, under Ivan’s command, the Lanque set sail again, leaving behind the Mongna Ant Land Cottage.
In just three days, the Lanque crossed the sea and reached his long-missed homeland—Tidal Island, also known as the Blourard Continent.
“Now, my father, Mr. Leider, is a Marquis, his power second only to the Aromatic Wheat Grand Duke. Last time I returned, he had just had five sons and three daughters, one son and one daughter born to Lady Selena.”
As the Lanque flew over the land of Tidal Island, it deliberately slowed down. Justine recounted the Marichadon family’s condition.
Speaking of Lady Selena, there was a certain awkwardness on her face; after all, that was her own mother, who ended up in the arms of Ivan’s father, making their relationship somewhat inappropriate.
“So, is Lady Selena the official wife of Marquis Marichadon?”
“No, my mother’s status is, after all, somewhat embarrassing. The Marquis’s wife is another Earl’s daughter, also a beautiful and graceful lady. With me around on my mother’s side, she certainly won’t be bullied.”
“What about my two brothers and younger siblings? Have they settled down?”
“Of course, their other halves are from noble families. Brother Paul even has several lovers, and they have all become nobility and have had many children. It’s said that among them are those with the qualifications of a sorcerer, and once they come of age, they are to be sent to the Mongna Ant Land Cottage.”
Talking about children, Justine’s expression turned somewhat sad; she and Ivan had none to speak of yet.
In Danaila World, except for some special races, the stronger the creature, the more difficult it was to reproduce— a rule that no one could defy, not even Ivan.
“Is Peggy also a noble? A Baron or a Viscount?”
“Brother Beaman is an Earl, and the other three are Viscounts; Peggy is too. Beaman brother married a princess from the Aromatic Wheat Dukedom.” Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
“Seeing that they’re living life richly and fully, I’m relieved.”
Ever since Ivan became an official sorcerer, the Marichadon family’s days of hardship were gone for good, not to mention once he became the Dean of the Mongna Ant Land Cottage, his siblings were all ennobled.
With him as a powerful backer, the days for the Marichadon family were naturally prosperous.
Everything was as expected, so Ivan didn’t ask any further questions, simply listening to Justine and Pearney casually talk about news from home.
After a while, the Lanque arrived above the domain of the Boulder King Lord, the airship concealing itself.
Ivan stood on the deck overlooking everything below, from small towns to cities, from streets to castles. The territory of the Boulder King could be considered prosperous and peaceful, a clear indication that Leider was indeed a qualified noble lord.
“Aren’t you going down to have a look?”
“Just a glance would be enough.”
The airship hovered not far above the castle, and after pondering for a few seconds, Ivan reached out and pointed to the side. At this point, a bit of spiritual power swiftly expanded, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a slightly youthful-looking boy.
The boy, dressed in explorer’s attire, nodded at him and then began running forward. He crossed over the railing, jumped off the deck, and rode the wind downwards.
Justine recognized him at a glance; this was Ivan when they first met in his youth.
She couldn’t help but move to the bow to watch and noticed the boy had quietly landed on the street below, looking around with great interest as he headed towards the castle.
“We’re going to Mulberry Valley.”
Ivan said casually, and the airship gradually accelerated, leaving the castle and the city behind.
In this return to Tidal Island, he hadn’t planned to make a big fuss; seeing the people he needed to was enough.