Domain!
An area in which its castor has absolute power, where his Will suppresses others.
Domain was more than a complex manifestation of ability to govern an element. It was not a sign of simple strength.
In fact, no matter how powerful you were, that alone couldn’t give you the right to summon domain.
To bring domain into existence, one needed enlightenment! A deep understanding of the natural laws that govern the world!
Only such a person could create a domain where he has absolute authority.
But this was easier said than done.
Understanding of natural laws related to domain was not something that even top geniuses could achieve. It required not only talent but years of efforts to link with nature and grasp its laws.
This was why it was practically impossible to find a Gamma-rank mutant with the ability to summon domain!
Let’s forget Gamm-rank mutants.
Even among Betas, only a handful have gained the right to manifest domain into reality!
That’s how difficult and impossible it was to create a domain.
But...
The young contestants looked in pure terror as they found themselves in a domain!
Domain summoned by a youngster just like them! Someone who was not even twenty-five years old!
\"How is this possible?\" Alistair muttered as he observed the violent flames that made the domain.
The others were similarly shell-shocked, not able to believe the reality in front of them.
Zed didn’t say anything. He simply pointed a finger towards the ceiling enveloped by the swirling flames and passed a command.
The flames in the center of the domain churned and rotated at high speed. Under the horrified eyes of everyone, spinning flames surged out of the ceiling.
In just a blink of an eye, the spinning flames started swirling crazily and shot down at the floor.
Whoosh~!
A terrifying vortex made of raging flames appeared!
The sight of the vortex shook every genius to the core. They felt dehydrated and nauseated.
And even before they could fully comprehend the new development, the vortex spun towards them.
Xinu’s heart pounded madly as the vortex appeared in front of him. His powerful gorilla body and his tremendous weight proved useless as strands of fire energy sucked him into the vortex.
The moment he was devoured by the vortex, all that was visible was the outline of his horrified face.
Xinu’s body rumbled fiercely as fire currents smashed him from all sides. No word or scream ever came out of his mouth, as by the time he gained some sense, his organs were burned to ashes.
Gai streamed out waves of blue liquid to protect himself, but much to his horror, the liquid evaporated even before the vortex reached him.
His physical body was also in the form of liquid and the moment he was sucked into the vortex, he simply vaporized.
Desmond desperately shot out columns of glues to create a wall around himself. He knew he has no chance in outrunning the vortex so he did what he could.
Sadly, the adhesive glue proved completely useless as it melted into oblivion, and he was devoured by the vortex.
At the same time, as the vortex swirled towards Alistair, the latter didn’t quiver. He stuck to the floor even as the vortex spun into him.
Violent flames, akin to lava, brutally smashed into his body. Parts of his body would fall off but the same moment, he would regenerate those missing portions.
As the flames surged more fiercely, his swamp-like body would absorb the flames and nullify them.
Aishah himself began spinning to best use his blade-like limbs. Sharp blade light swept out from his spinning body as the vortex attacked him.
Leonardo clenched his jaws tightly while firing laser beams on the flames that formed the border of the domain.
Heat ripples swept out which Leonardo dodged and continued to fire more beams from his mechanical hand.
\"Damn! That vortex is coming!\"
Leonardo was terrified as he sensed the swirling vortex approaching him. Just as he thought death was about to devour him, he felt the domain trembling.
Intense rumbling sounds shook the domain as if it was on brink of collapsing. Even the speed of vortex significantly reduced as if it wasn’t getting enough power.
As the domain suddenly entered into a state of instability, Zed coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood. His face turned pale as exhaustion took him.
BANG
At the same time, with a bang sound, the domain faded. The spinning vortex broke into heatwaves and disappeared.
Quickly, Zed stuffed a handful of energy pills into his mouth. A healthy glow returned to his face and his exhaustion disappeared.
Still, the stress of summoning a domain tolled on both his mind and body. Domain not only required intense concentration, but it also sucked every bit of his energy.
While the energy pills revitalized him, there was no way they could simply erase the side effects and the strain on body cells.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to materialize the domain again without having proper rest. But rest was a luxury he couldn’t afford to have.
\"No time to waste,\" Zed let out a sigh before standing straight.
Meanwhile, Leonardo was extremely happy as he saw the flames extinguishing. He turned around to shout at that slum punk, but just as he turned around, his pupils shrunk.
A column of fire was galloping at him.
Leonardo placed the mechanical arm in front and projected out a prismatic shield.
Clang.
As the column of fire smashed on the shield, multi-colored sparks flew out and crack appeared on the shield’s surface.
At this moment, Leonardo felt his internals twisting as he sensed another attack coming. He saw a fireball crashing from above.
\"Bastard!\"
Leonardo jumped sidewards. He was fast despite his status as a fatty and as he jumped, the fireball swept past his head.
\"Argh!\"
Even though the fireball streaked past him, the trailing blaze brushed against his ear. His ear instantly caught fire and by the time he extinguished it, his ear was turned to ashes. Even a portion of his hair was burned.
\"I will kill you!\" Leonardo barked viciously.
But Zed has no time to care about threats. Now, he was facing Nur who was emitting sonic ripples.
Zed dodged to a side as a stream of fire smashed into sonic ripples. Explosive shockwaves spread in all directions and Zed quickly wrapped himself with flames as he avoided the shockwaves.
\"You deserve hell!\" Aishah’s voice came from a distance.
The sides of his face were burned, exposing the insides of his mouth. This made his voice seemed strange.
Surviving the flame vortex was a miracle for him. Had the domain not unstabilized at the right time, he would have been incinerated.
Aishah looked at Zed with hatred while consuming a few healing pills. He wanted to be in top form when he killed that slum dweller.
\"I’m going to kill you,\" Alistair appeared from another side in his swamp form. \"But you do deserve my respect.\"
Since Alistair was practically a swamp and intangible, he survived the onslaught of the flame vortex easily.
And after seeing Zed using the domain, he felt he knew why Enchantia acknowledged Zed. Sure, it might have collapsed soon, but just materializing it was impossible to begin with!
Not to mention, Zed killed four powerful geniuses in just a minute! They were contestants with a similar level of strength and age! Yet, he killed them simultaneously!
Such a person definitely deserved respect.
Alistair was sure that of the remaining four survivors, a few more might have died had the domain not disappeared on its own.
As for earlier killings, Alistair believed they were achieved through underhanded tactics like using drugs and pretending to be worn out. Those deaths didn’t deserve praise, but still, a part of him accepted that using sly methods was also a skill!
\"Respect?\" Zed laughed loudly.
Alistair ignored the brazen laughter, and in turn, spread out his swamp-like body. In just a moment, a hammer made of swamp bombarded on Zed.
BANG
Zed was quick to react by forming a fire barrier but even then, he was pushed by a dozen steps. The swamp hammer not only smashed on the barrier, but it also absorbed the heat, and thereby reducing its might and pushing Zed back.
As Zed stabilized himself, he found the floor covered with a swamp...