The instant those doubtful thoughts infested his heart, his pride-based enhancement weakened immensely, leaving him even more vulnerable against this nonstop onslaught. It got so bad, he finally learned what it meant to be afraid.
If this was Dominic’s strength without using his Dominion, he didn’t dare imagine what would have happened to him inside of it.
Boom! Boom...
"What a beautiful tune..." Feng Ling smiled as he watched the performance and recorded it as well for Levi and the others.
He knew this wasn’t enough to offset the news of Seraphis’ passing, but it was something to help them blow off steam a little... to see the villain that ended their instructor getting turned into a burnt rag doll wasn’t a recurring event since not many could put a Blazewarden in such humiliating state.
Unfortunately... the music had to stop.
***
Meanwhile, inside the Inverse Sanctum... the Bishop’s expression turned frigid after feeling a sharp poke at the heart of his Shadowlife Tree.
It was like a piece of him was being torn apart. He understood what it meant... Dominic was beating the living crap out of the Hound.
Since the Hound had turned off his dimensional connection, the Bishop was forced to reach out to none other than... Dominic!
He didn’t move an inch, merely sending him a dimensional message.
-For every grave wound you give him, a holy region will fall on this continent... If you keep going, this land will drown in nightcrawlers... test me, if you will.-
After receiving the message, Dominic merely sneered coldly and continued with his beatdown.
He landed another blow, lightning flashing around his leg as he sent the Hound smashing against a boulder... Then, he answered calmly, -I’m looking forward to it.-
He didn’t add anything more... but that simple answer was enough to make the Bishop fall silent. For someone who thought too much about everything, the meaning behind Dominic’s words carried more than one layer.
He knew that Dominic was the one caring the most about the stability of the unofficial peace treaty between the two factions... after all, if a war were to start, the natives would be the ones suffering the most.
Whether the Conquerors and Saviors won or lost... this was not their planet, their home... it was just another battleground for their eternal war.
And now... Dominic sounded like he actually wanted the Bishop to go for it and be the first to break the peace treaty.
He could tell this kind of confidence would never come from an empty place... Dominic was simply too strict to risk an entire continent to kill one of his dogs.
’Sun Amulet... they must have retrieved it.’ The Bishop narrowed his shadowy eyes, ’Dominic is going to hand it to the supervising Radian, and he can ask him for a favor... that favor might be just getting rid of me since I will be caught destabilizing the balance between the three factions.’
Although the Bishop’s intel was limited, he could tell that Dominic didn’t invest so much in this exploration for nothing... the Sun Amulet was a legendary treasure that he knew of as it was part of the infamous Ashora Empire’s collapse.
If Dominic put this much focus on it, it meant that a Radian wanted it... as arrogant as the Bishop was, he would never be dumb enough to put his name in the crosshairs of a Radian.
’If my assumption is true... then, I have to call in a meeting with the rest of the Bishops.’ The Bishop frowned, ’Natives receiving a Radian favor almost always results in the Saviors’ faction getting strengthened to another level to win over the planet.’
This situation was more serious than his dog getting beaten up... because he understood that it threatened his empire and all the efforts they had invested in corrupting this planet.
Why was it so important to succeed in corrupting a planet whole? Simple... the bonus award from the CRS Platform was almost always an S grade!
These kinds of treasures weren’t something easily found or purchased in the network... they were so rare, the easiest method to obtain one was actually this!
For Powerhouses like the Bishop... only such treasures could move their hearts anymore since their evolution to the final Tier 9 included only S Grade natural treasures, and sometimes even soul bound artifacts.
-I am done with him... send someone to collect your trash, and never, ever, use your dogs to target any holy region... otherwise, you might not like the response.-
Suddenly, the Bishop received this message from Dominic, leaving his expression slightly grim... he didn’t fear Dominic for even a second, treating him like a slightly stronger livestock than the others.
But, he could smell Radians behind this newfound confidence of his... and he had no plans to make any kind of move anymore until he confirmed his suspicion with his peers.
’I am on to you, Dominic... we will find out the truth sooner or later.’ The Bishop murmured under his breath, ’For your own planet’s sake... you better not be bluffing.’
***
Meanwhile, Dominic had left the entire place resembling an area struck by a meteor shower... not a single tree was still rooted. The ground itself was filled with craters and burnt marks all over.
In one of those craters, Dominic had his foot placed on top of the Hound’s face... the Hound was barely breathing or moving, his body looked like it went through a hundred failed experiments.
"A day will come when you will answer for your sins... once and for all." Dominic whispered as he leaned closer, his feet digging through the Hound’s cheek, "But for now... enjoy your little freedom, and say hi to your master for me."
Not waiting for the Hound to respond, if he was even capable of it, Dominic blinked and appeared next to Feng Ling... then, both of them took one final look at the Hound and left him there, barely alive.
If it was up to either of them, they would have slain him in a heartbeat... but Dominic might be daring, but he wasn’t suicidal.
He gave the Hound a well-deserved beatdown and bluffed his way against the Bishop, knowing that a single sentence was enough to make him question his confidence. But, if he were to kill the Hound, it was a different story.
He would definitely make a move against the continent even under the false threat of a Radian... after all, the Bishop’s ego was above all else. How could his ego handle having his dog killed by livestock under the eyes of his peers?
Thus, Dominic didn’t want to push it over the edge as the safety of everyone mattered more than killing a single dog, of which there were many.
However, just as they were about to use a dimensional gate to return to the World Tree, Dominic received a new message.
-Sir... Jasmine and Levi have returned... and Levi said that he remembers everything and also found the Sun Amulet!-
The moment Dominic heard this, his face lit up with delight. Not only had two of the most prominent figures of the new generation returned safely, but the fact that he had brought the Sun Amulet back with him made it all the more incredible.
Just the notion of having it was enough to put down the Bishop in his place... if they really had it, everything was going to change for the better. That’s the overwhelming authority of a Radian.
Alas... before he could share his excitement with Feng Ling, another message came through.
-The Sun Amulet is broken.-