Dominic took a deep breath and stepped inside the mirror with a professional, stern expression.
The instant his face emerged on the other side, he couldn’t help but close his eyes tightly, feeling like they were being blinded point-blank with the strongest flashlight in the universe.
He couldn’t see anything but pure whiteness. Dominic knew the moment he opened his eyes, he would lose his sight... But this wasn’t his first time being here.
He switched to his spiritual vision, and that’s when he saw the same dreadful scene of when he was first chosen to supervise the SAS Headquarters.
Dominic dropped to one knee on a small triangle-like white marbled platform hovering in the Boundless Expanse’s colorful void.
His instincts screamed for him to look up, but his body refused... even his spiritual eyes burned as if the brilliance itself were carving through his lids and soul.
His reaction was understandable...
High above, hovering in the multicolored sky, the Radian appeared like a living sun no larger than a man, yet its presence illuminated the entire void around them.
If one posessed powerful spiritual vision and was able to focus, really focus... only then would they be able to spot a humanoid figure with four arms and a massive sun symbol on his chest.
Nothing else... the golden light was simply too potent.
"Keeper of the Light..." Dominic bowed his head even lower, his voice barely a whisper beneath the divinity before him. "Your radiance... burns brighter than stars... as always, it’s an honor to be in your presence."
Only when the Radian felt his sincere reverence did he lessen his blinding light... though Dominic was still incapable of opening his eyes. How could he? Staring at the sun directly was merciful to his eyes than this.
"Human... have you brought what was ordered?"
The Radian asked... his voice holy and authoritative, echoing across the void like nothing dared to stop before it.
"Yes... But, some complications have arisen, and the Sun Amulet broke."
Dominic presented the broken Sun Amulet with both hands into the sky like a worshiper giving an offering.
In an instant, the Sun Amulet disappeared from his hands, leaving behind a scalding red mark. Yet, Dominic didn’t wince or complain... He closed his hands and kept them low.
After a moment or less, the Radian’s voice resounded again.
"Speak."
Dominic went on and narrated everything that Levi told him to the letter... in the end, he added that the explorers had signed a standard contract that forbade them from lying. He summoned all the signed, shadowy contracts as proof.
The Radian went silent for a few moments... he didn’t share his thoughts about the matter or lash out. Once he saw the signed contracts and the terms, Dominic’s story was validated by 99%... However, the Radian did ask about the last 1%.
"Azhukar has been announced dead... his registered name has been erased." He asked, "Mind explaining this?"
"... I can’t." Dominic was startled for a moment about the news and then spoke honestly, "Everything I have shared is the truth... the last thing our explorers saw was a flaming phoenix heading towards the Primordial Tree of Death’s root. What happens on the other side, our Daywalkers are too weak to explore... we were lucky just to have them return and bring this broken Sun Amulet."
The Radian crossed two arms behind his back... this was the sole reaction shown. His thoughts were utterly unreadable.
In the end, he said, "I can see you’re telling the truth... and Nocturn’s contracts aren’t to be questioned. Since you have fulfilled your end of the bargain, you shall receive one small favor... Make it count."
Dominic’s mood elevated instantly... he could tell that if he were to bring the completed Sun Amulet, he would have been bestowed with a full favor. But since it was broken, the Radian settled with a small one. Yet, Dominic wasn’t complaining... the fact they had gotten anything from this was a win.
"Keeper of the Light... my sole wish is to move up my home planet in the list... we need help, and we need it badly."
Dominic didn’t hesitate to kowtow before the Radian as he made his request, his tone filled with nothing but hope... Hope that the Radian before him could save his planet.
Dominic didn’t care about his integrity or pride when it came to such matters... all he dreamed of since he was a child was to save Earth. He worked so hard to reach this place, to earn this opportunity, all for his home planet.
He knew that he could have asked anything... even for evolutionary formulas or materials to help him reach Radian rank. But, he didn’t... he understood that the strength of one Daywalker would never be enough.
Hearing his request, the Radian waved his hand gently and then... a massive spiritual list manifested before Dominic.
It was set in golden flames, and yet... the details were as clear as daylight.
// Dimensional Sector Planetary Supervision Index ... Radian Oversight Records:
1- Soltheris: Life force Potential: 9.8 ... Major Holy Regions: 29 ... Chances of Wide-Scale Corruption: 0%
2- V’Lathor: Life force Potential: 9.7 ... Major Holy Regions: 27 ... Chances of Wide-Scale Corruption: 0.0001%
3- Eshvarra: Life force Potential: 9.4 ... Major Holy Regions: 19 ... Chances of Wide-Scale Corruption: 0.003%
345- Theros: Life force Potential: 8.5 ... Major Holy Regions: 12 ... Chances of Wide-Scale Corruption: 5%
789- Ulvion: Life force Potential: 7.4 ... Major Holy Regions: 6 ... Chances of Wide-Scale Corruption: 12%
1340- Phorix: Life force Potential: 5.3 ... Major Holy Regions: 3 ... Chances of Wide-Scale Corruption: 45%
2399- Terra (Earth): Life force Potential: 4.0 ... Major Holy Regions: 0 ... Minor Holy Regions: 942. Chances of Wide-Scale Corruption: 100%.//
"As you can see... your little planet is already doomed. It’s no longer a matter of if, but of when." The Radian said emotionlessly, "Moving it up the list won’t change anything with such a low Life force Potential... it means I will have to remove crucial resources on planets with higher potential to sustain yours, which might lead to corruption getting to them... That, I can not do."
"It can’t be..."
Dominic felt his heart shatter into pieces. To be standing before the sole entity capable of saving their planet and hearing this response was soul-crushing.
To claim their planet as doomed was the last thing he expected to hear from the mouth of Radian... one of the strongest races in the universe.
It was a Death Sentence.
"Still... I can move your planet a bit higher on the list... You won’t be getting the Saviors’ mobilization, but your minor Holy Regions will have an increased range of their Holy Pillars... All of them will be blessed with a 20% increase."
"We will be honored to receive your blessings." Dominic bowed his head again in appreciation, accepting the offer in a heartbeat.
He understood that Radians weren’t to be negotiated with... not when they were bestowing a favor. Sure, he wanted more... but beggars can’t be choosers.
In this scenario, their planet was worse than a beggar... it was ranked so low, he spent a minute searching for its name.
How could a Radian shower it with attention when he had two thousand planets higher than it in Life Force Potential?
Since the Radians’ job was to keep the Primordial Tree of Death from growing stronger, it was only natural that they focus their resources on richer planets.
In their case... they should feel blessed that they bothered to bless them with a thousand minor Holy Regions... whether the Saviors did their jobs or not, it didn’t matter to the Radian.
That’s because Saviors didn’t have just one territory to protect, but multiple ones from different planets.
While they were in name protecting their ’holy regions’, in truth, they were nothing more than crystallized seed farms.
Simple as that.
After Dominic was dismissed, the Radian was left tapping one finger on his elbow... deep in thought as he gazed at the dimensional ripping mirror, leading to Earth.
But soon, he shook his head.
No one knew what went through his mind, but it was clear that 1% of doubt was eating away at his mind.
Azhukar’s sudden death was left without an answer, and he didn’t like it... considering that what he wanted inside his wallet was also gone.
But, at the same time... he didn’t consider for a second that Warden Daywalkers could kill him and then lie about it while they had signed the contract. He saw humans as ants... and ants could never kill someone so close to divinity.
’This must be the doing of an Oblivar... must be.’
In the end, he disintegrated into particles... no one knew if he still planned on continuing with the investigations or not.