Next to Crestwood University stood the luxurious four-star establishnt known as Heavenly Delights Bistro, a place famous not only for its food but for the kind of clientele it attracted. At lunchti, it was packed, the air filled with conversation, clinking glasses, and the steady hum of activity. Yet the mont a man and four won stepped through the entrance, that lively atmosphere faltered, as if soone had quietly drawn a curtain over the room.
One by one, conversations died out. Heads turned.
The four won who entered carried themselves with an effortless grace, their movents light and fluid, like willow branches swaying in a soft breeze. Each of them possessed a distinct kind of beauty, yet all were equally striking. Their presence was almost unreal, the sort of beauty people only expected to see in dreams or on distant screens, not walking through a restaurant door in broad daylight. For a brief mont, it felt as though sothing otherworldly had brushed against the ordinary world.
People stared, unable to help themselves, their expressions filled with astonishnt, admiration, and no small amount of longing.
And then there was the man walking with them. Who was he?
As Marcus stepped forward with the four won at his side, that question quietly spread through the room like a ripple. In an instant, he beca the center of attention, the one figure no one could ignore, drawing glances that ranged from curiosity to outright envy.
"No way..."
"What kind of luck is that?"
"You’ve got to be kidding ..."
Murmurs broke out, low and disbelieving, but what happened next only made things worse.
The two youngest among the won broke into bright, unrestrained smiles the mont Marcus crossed the threshold. Without hesitation, they moved to his sides, each taking one of his arms, leaning in as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Their faces were lit with genuine happiness, their closeness intimate and unguarded.
They were Amber, his younger sister, and Jade, the pair who had a talent for stirring up trouble wherever they went.
Behind them, the other two won followed at a more asured pace. One carried herself with quiet dignity, her beauty refined and classical, while the other seed carved from ice itself, her expression cool, her presence distant yet captivating. They said nothing, simply walking behind Marcus as if it had already been decided that he would lead.
Four won, each stunning in her own way, all connected to him, all orbiting him in their own fashion.
It was enough to make any onlooker’s blood boil.
The jealousy in the room thickened, sharp and bitter. If looks alone could act, Marcus would have been dragged out of his place and replaced a dozen tis over.
And yet...
When people truly looked at him, that resentnt faltered, if only slightly.
Marcus stood tall, his posture relaxed but assured, his presence steady. There was an ease in the way he carried himself, a quiet confidence that did not need to be announced. His smile was faint but genuine, and there was a strength in him that did not co from appearance alone. Even surrounded by such extraordinary won, he was not diminished by comparison. If anything, he seed to anchor the entire group.
More than that, there was sothing else about him, sothing harder to define. An invisible pressure, subtle yet unmistakable, seed to radiate from him, like a presence that warned others not to cross a line. It wasn’t oppressive, but it was enough to make people hesitate, enough to keep darker thoughts from fully forming.
In that mont, a strange conclusion settled into the minds of those watching.
Perhaps... only soone like him could stand beside won like them. And perhaps those won would never stand beside anyone else.
---
Marcus, however, was thinking about sothing entirely different.
He had been worried earlier, half-expecting tension or conflict between Crystal and Jade, especially with Lily involved. Given their personalities, it would not have been surprising if sparks had flown.
Instead, the opposite had happened; they got along.
Not just tolerably, but surprisingly well. Their conversation flowed easily, laughter ca naturally, and whatever concerns he had carried with him had quietly dissolved without incident.
If anything, they seed to have forgotten about him altogether. Which left Marcus in an unexpected position.
Ignored.
He walked between them, physically present yet completely excluded from their conversation, listening as they talked over him, around him, and occasionally through him without ever actually including him.
Won really were difficult to understand.
"Marcus, are you playing Dominion?"
Jade suddenly turned toward him, her eyes bright with curiosity as she spoke, having just learned about it from Amber.
"Yes," Marcus replied with a nod, then glanced at her and added, "You two are thinking of playing as well?"
"Not yet," Jade said, shaking her head, though her tone already carried excitent. "We only noticed the ads a few days ago, and so of the girls my sister t recently have been talking about it. It sounded interesting, so we were still deciding... but if you’re playing, then there’s nothing to think about anymore. My sister and I are joining too. We’ll play with you."
Her decision ca quickly, almost impulsively, but entirely sincere.
She turned to Amber imdiately. "What class are you playing? I’ll pick the sa one. And Marcus, what about my sister? What do you think she should choose?"
There was an eager energy in her voice, the kind that made it clear she was already imagining the experience, already looking forward to it.
Marcus couldn’t help but smile faintly. With Jade and Amber together, "lively" would be putting it mildly.
---
"Marcus, my sister and I are moving in with you."
The declaration ca so suddenly after dinner that Marcus almost thought he had misheard.
Jade stood there, completely serious, as if she had just suggested sothing as ordinary as going for a walk.
She was already familiar with staying at his place. Whenever Marcus spent ti with Snow, Jade would usually stay over with Amber, so the arrangent didn’t feel new to her at all.
"Great! We can sleep together!" Amber chid in imdiately, clearly thrilled by the idea.
Marcus turned his head slightly, his gaze drifting toward Crystal, silently asking the question he didn’t bother to voice.
Crystal t his eyes for a mont, then said nothing. No objection.
That, in itself, was an answer.
Marcus exhaled quietly. At that point, there wasn’t much left for him to say.
"Fine."
---
With no classes scheduled for the afternoon, everything moved quickly.
Relocating, setting things up, and ordering their Dominion VR pods took barely two hours. By the ti evening approached, the house had settled into a new rhythm. Mrs. Julia, the housekeeper, returned from her hotown just in ti and went straight into the kitchen, preparing dinner as if nothing had changed.
Afterward, the group headed out again, sweeping through the mall in a shopping spree that left Marcus wondering how it had escalated so quickly. By the ti they returned ho, ate, and finally settled down, night had already fallen.
That was when they logged into Dominion and began.
Lily and Amber continued their ongoing quests without interruption.
Crystal and Jade, starting fresh, appeared in the Newbie Village, facing the familiar chaos and confusion of early progression.
As for Marcus, he had a different plan.
The mont he entered the ga, he opened the map given to him by Silas the Wanderer. Two locations stood out clearly: Five-Leaf Peak, where the Five-Leaf Golden-Flower Herb could be found, and Blue Ant Valley, ho to the Blue Crystal Tear Fruit.
His goal was straightforward; Gather the materials, return and have Alana refine the Super Health Potion.
He chose Five-Leaf Peak first.
---
From Dragon’s Peak Citadel, Marcus teleported directly to Glacial Citadel. The mont he stepped out through the South Gate, the cold struck him, sharp and imdiate. Without hesitation, he summoned his Violet Thunderwing Steed and took to the air, heading southeast.
Glacial Citadel lay deep in the northern reaches of the Dreamland Continent, a land locked in near-permanent winter. Snow fell regularly, blanketing everything in white, transforming the world into a vast, frozen expanse broken only by jagged mountains and sparse stretches of green.
As Marcus flew, the scenery shifted beneath him. Endless snowfields gradually gave way to exposed rock and patches of grass, the heavy white thinning as he moved farther from the citadel.
He was getting close.
Five-Leaf Peak soon ca into view, rising sharply from the landscape, its height exceeding a thousand ters. The mountain was nad after the rare Five-Leaf Golden-Flower Herb that grew along its slopes, and it was ho to a colony of Golden-Flower Snow Eagles. Unlike the deeper regions of Glacial Citadel, this area remained in a state of early winter year-round, with only light snowfall and milder conditions.
According to Alana, the herb only grew above five hundred ters, clinging to the steep face of the mountain. The terrain made climbing nearly impossible.
Without a flying mount, gathering it would be out of the question.
Fortunately, Marcus had no such limitation.
---
He guided his mount upward but stopped at around two hundred ters, choosing not to fly directly into danger. Instead, he stayed close to the mountainside, ascending carefully, using the terrain as partial cover.
It didn’t take long before he spotted one.
A Golden-Flower Snow Eagle circled above, its wings spread wide, its body over three ters long. Its feathers were pure white, blending seamlessly with the surroundings, save for the striking golden marking on its forehead.
Marcus narrowed his eyes slightly.
Ti to test it.
"Sanctuary Covenant."
"Summon Sea Demon Soul."
Light flared briefly as his skills activated. The Temple Guardian appeared at his side, mounted on an identical Violet Thunderwing Steed, while a second pulse of energy brought forth the Sea Demon Soul, its translucent, icy-blue form drifting silently in the air before him.
Unlike his true pets, these two were different.
They didn’t gain experience, didn’t level up, and their strength scaled directly with his own. More importantly, their deaths carried no real penalty. If destroyed, they could simply be summoned again.
His actual companions, the Shadow-Stained Gryphon King, Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna, and Vixen Queen Camillo, were another matter entirely. They grew through combat, their strength tied to their level, but that also ant risk. If they died, the consequences were severe.
Recent system changes had made that clear.
A fallen pet would lose several levels, and there was always a chance its rank could drop, its attributes weaken, or even its skills degrade. In extre cases, it could be devoured by stronger creatures.
Revival wasn’t free either.
After death, a pet had to be brought back at the Pet Revival Center using gold coins, and the cost increased with the pet’s level and rank. High-tier pets could drain a fortune in just a few revivals.
There were even rumors that reviving a Rank 8 pet above Level 80 just a few tis could bankrupt a player outright.
Because of that, Marcus had no intention of taking unnecessary risks.
The Temple Guardian and Sea Demon Soul were far safer choices for testing.
---
"Charge."
At his command, both entities moved forward, advancing toward the Golden-Flower Snow Eagle.
The reaction was imdiate.
From above, the eagle let out a sharp, piercing screech. In response, several others appeared, their movents swift and coordinated. Within seconds, eight Golden-Flower Snow Eagles had converged, diving downward in formation.
Marcus frowned slightly. ’That complicates things.’
The creatures were clearly social, aggressive, and fast. Fighting one was manageable. Fighting eight in the air was another matter entirely.
As expected, the Sea Demon Soul drew their attention first, its passive skill, Frosty Mockery, pulling the enemies toward it. The eagles descended in a flurry of white wings and sharp cries, focusing their attacks on it.
Marcus didn’t hesitate.
He urged his mount forward, closing the distance, his gaze locking onto the nearest eagle as he activated Insight, preparing to assess exactly what he was dealing with.
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