Volume 03, Chapter 87
Plans
“We’re home!” Dominic calls as he steps into the house, with Célestin following close behind.
From the couch in the living room, Clark perks up at the familiar voice. He quickly sets aside the book he is reading and turns toward the entrance.
“Big brother!” Clark exclaims, leaping off the couch and sprinting toward Dominic. He wraps his small arms tightly around Dominic’s legs.
“Hey there, Clark.” Dominic chuckles, ruffling the boy’s hair affectionately.
Clark tilts his head back to look up at him. “Big brother, how was your trip? Did you bring me a gift?”
Dominic grins. “It was great! And yes, I’ve got something for you…”
Reaching into a plastic bag, he pulls out a neatly wrapped gift box and hands it to Clark.
Clark’s eyes light up with excitement as he carefully tears open the wrapping to reveal a pair of red toy guns with golden accents.
“Whoa, guns!” Clark gasps, holding them up and marveling at the bright red sheen.
Dominic smiles warmly. “Yep, your big brother picked those out just for you.”
“Carefully picked them out,” Célestin adds, suddenly draping an arm around Dominic’s shoulder.
Startled by the unexpected voice, Clark looks up and blinks in surprise, realizing for the first time that someone else is standing behind his brother.
“C-Célestin!” Clark stammers, his excitement bubbling over. “You’re here too!”
Célestin grins. “Of course! Did you think I’d miss all the fun?” He kneels to Clark’s level, his smile playful. “How about you try those guns out in the garden? Bet they’ll be a blast.”
Clark nods shyly, clutching the toy guns tightly as he turns and runs toward the back door. As he passes by the kitchen, he almost collides with Celine, who is carrying a tray of freshly baked pastries.
Celine smiles, watching Clark bound toward the garden with uncontainable excitement. Turning to the entrance, she greets the two young men standing there.
“Oh, welcome home, Dominic. And welcome, Célestin,” she says warmly, stepping out of the kitchen.
Célestin’s smile widens. “Good evening, Auntie. I was wondering if I could stay over tonight. A little sleepover, perhaps?”
Celine chuckles. “Of course, you’re welcome here, Célestin.”
As Celine turns back toward the kitchen, Dominic scans the room, his brow furrowing slightly. “Mum, is Dad back from the Stargate raid yet?”
Celine’s expression softens as she shakes her head. “Not yet, sadly.”
“I see…” Dominic murmurs, his shoulders slumping slightly.
He cannot help but feel a twinge of worry. He does not know the exact rank of the Stargate André was raiding, but he hopes the Shadow Sentinels guild is providing support. What if it is more dangerous than anticipated? Worse, what if the entity within André seized control again? Would André be able to fight his way back to himself?
Noticing the shadow that crosses Dominic’s face, Célestin steps closer and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“Hey,” Célestin says gently, “let’s head to your room. You look like you could use a break.”
Dominic turns to him, the concern still lingering in his eyes, but he nods slightly. “Yeah… okay.”
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Dominic and Célestin are seated in Dominic’s bedroom, the air heavy with unspoken tension.
“Hey, are you okay?” Célestin asks, his tone gentler than usual.
Dominic hesitates, then sighs. “Yeah… just worried.”
Célestin raises an eyebrow. “If you’re worried, then you’re not okay.”
Dominic exhales sharply. “Y-Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Célestin chuckles softly, his grin easing some of the room’s tension. “You and your ‘yeah’ replies. Always so consistent, Clark.”
Dominic manages a weak smile but does not reply.
Célestin leans back slightly, his expression growing more serious. “Alright, let’s get to it. About André… the entity inside him—it is not just any spirit. It is a demon.”
Dominic’s eyes widen in shock. “A demon?!”
Célestin nods gravely. “Yes. And not just any demon. His name is Baal—an [SS]-rank demon. He was defeated by Camille, just like most demons were. But…” Célestin’s gaze darkens. “Umbrascourge managed to snatch Baal’s soul the moment Camille destroyed his body.”
Dominic’s shock deepens, his breath catching. “Baal…”
“Surprised?” Célestin asks knowingly. “I take it Dominic’s web novel never mentioned this?”
Dominic shakes his head. “No. Not a word.”
Célestin sighs. “I see. That explains why you are caught off guard.”
“So… how did that happen to André?” Dominic asks, his voice tinged with dread.
Célestin’s jaw tightens, his usual smirk replaced by a somber expression. “It is… a long and dark story. André’s house was invaded. His parents were killed, and Umbrascourge operatives kidnapped him. They experimented on him, subjecting him to unimaginable pain.”
Dominic’s stomach churns, his fists clenching involuntarily.
“Through those experiments,” Célestin continues, “Baal began trying to take over André. It was not easy for him, though—André’s sheer willpower kept the demon in check. That resistance… it shocked even the Umbrascourge.”
Dominic’s voice comes out barely above a whisper. “How… how did he escape?”
“Luck and timing,” Célestin replies. “Maurice’s father—Jacques Réel—intervened. He rescued André, pulling him out of that nightmare.”
Dominic blinks, his mind struggling to process the information. “Maurice’s father…”
Célestin nods. “After that, André lived with the Réel family for a while, recovering from the trauma. He stayed with them until he was old enough to stand alone.”
Dominic leans back, his gaze distant as the weight of the revelation presses down on him. “I see…”
The image of his father—strong, cheerful, confident André—is now layered with a history of suffering and resilience that Dominic had never known. A demon like Baal, ranked [SS], had tried to take control of his father, but somehow, André had held his ground.
“These… these are huge revelations,” Dominic mutters, his brow furrowing. “But why weren’t they in Dominic’s web novel? This is André’s story. This is… important.”
“I do not know,” Célestin replies, his expression contemplative. “Maybe it is connected to the Aetherium again.”
“Perhaps…” Dominic murmurs, though the thought leaves him unsettled.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Célestin claps his hands, breaking the tension. “Anyways! How about we focus on your Manaficial ritual and Belard? Those are more immediate concerns.”
“Ah, yes,” Dominic agrees, nodding.
“So,” Célestin says with a grin, leaning forward. “You know how to perform the ritual, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Good. Explain it.”
Dominic sits up straighter, his tone growing serious. “First, I need an open space where sunlight can directly touch the artifacts.”
“Okay, next?”
“Next, the Mirror of Lysandra must be placed on a pedestal, facing east to catch the morning light. I will put the purified Monster Orb in front of the mirror, then use the Scepter of Binding to manipulate the inner part out of the orb, which contains the Magic Power and Mana.”
A Monster Orb consists of two parts: the outer part, which contains the monster’s soul, embodying its essence, memories, and primal energies; and the inner part, which houses the creature’s Mana and magic attribute. While the outer soul gives the orb a haunting presence, the inner core contains the raw magical energy sought after for various mystical applications.
Dominic continues, his words steady. “I will point the scepter at the glowing energy and guide it toward the Chalice of Merging. The scepter’s crystal will pulse with light, drawing it into the chalice, which condenses it into a liquid form.”
Célestin nods thoughtfully. “And what do you do with the liquid?”
“Drink it,” Dominic replies. “It has to be done quickly—its potency diminishes if it is exposed to sunlight for too long.”
Célestin smiles, impressed. “Nice! I thought Domy had not written this part in his web novel. What a relief!”
Dominic chuckles softly. “Yeah.”
Célestin glances around the room, his tone shifting. “All that is missing is the Monster Orb. You are doing the ritual tomorrow, but… you have not prepared it yet?”
Dominic hesitates. “Well…”
Before he can finish, a deep, masculine voice cuts through the air. “Well, well… so that’s why you were so eager to purify this orb, huh?”
Dominic and Célestin jolt, whipping around to see Mason Schmidt leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed.
“Who are you?” Célestin demands, his eyes narrowing as he instinctively tenses.
Dominic places a calming hand on Célestin’s shoulder. “Relax. That’s Mason.”
Célestin turns to Dominic, his eyes widening. “He’s Mason?”
He glances back at the man and cannot help but shiver. Mason radiates an intimidating presence, yet his demeanor carries no overt menace.
Mason smirks. “Yo, Dominic. That demon orb you gave me? It is done. Purified. You are good to go.”
Célestin’s jaw drops. A demon orb?! I thought it was just a Monster Orb! he thinks.
Mason casually tosses the glowing white orb toward Dominic, who easily catches it.
Dominic examines the orb, its purified light gleaming in his hands. “Thanks, Mason,” he says earnestly.
“Anytime, kid,” Mason replies, straightening up. “Now that I have wrapped up my business here, I am heading back to the bar.” As he starts walking away, he glances over his shoulder. “By the way, if you are looking to snag some top-tier weapons, swing by my place. I will hook you up.”
With that, a crimson portal materializes behind Mason, and he disappears into it without another word.
Célestin stares at where Mason had stood, then turns back to Dominic. “Clark… where did you even get that demon orb?”
Dominic shrugs. “After I beat Lumi in a duel, Arthur took me to the Galerie des Trésors, and I won it there.”
“The Galerie des Trésors…” Célestin mutters, shaking his head slowly. “To think they would auction off something so precious… How did it get there?”
“I do not care how it ended up there,” Dominic replies with a shrug. “I got what I needed, and that is what matters.”
Célestin sighs, then smiles faintly at him. “Fair enough.”
Dominic opens his mouth to speak, but a sudden yawn escapes him, cutting off his sentence before it begins.
Célestin chuckles under his breath. “How about we call it a night? We can talk about Belard after the ritual tomorrow.”
“Haah… fine,” Dominic agrees, stifling another yawn.
Célestin grins, watching Dominic sluggishly shuffle toward the bed. “Rest up, Clark. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”
“Yeah, yeah, I heard you,” Dominic mumbles as he sprawls across the mattress, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
“Alright, I’ll go grab the extra bed Auntie Celine put away. Be right back,” Célestin says, turning with a grin as he leaves the room. The door clicks softly shut behind him.
Dominic yawns again, stretching his arms wide. “Haah… finally. Tomorrow, I’ll finally get Mana.”
A familiar red holographic interface flickers to life in front of Dominic. The System’s text glows faintly in the dim lighting of the room.
“Oh yeah… I almost forgot about that,” Dominic mutters, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “System, show me my stats.”
Scanning through the updated stats, Dominic’s gaze settles on the newly unlocked skill: Ironclad Will.
“System, what does Ironclad Will do?” he asks, his voice low and thick with fatigue.
As Dominic finishes reading, realization strikes him. “So that’s why I was able to escape the illusion in the temple,” he murmurs. “It was because of this skill…”
“System, can Ironclad Will be upgraded like Shielded Aura?”
“I see…” Dominic mutters softly, eyes narrowing with understanding. A skill like this could become invaluable in the long run.
“Ah yeah, I almost forgot again,” Dominic says sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
Due to the System’s restrictions, he cannot allocate all the points into a single stat. He opts instead for an even distribution—a strategy that has served him well so far.
“System, distribute 22.5 points each to Strength, Endurance, Agility, and Speed,” Dominic commands.
Dominic smiles, satisfied with the balance. He lets his head fall back onto the pillow, the weight of the day settling over him like a blanket. His eyelids grow heavier with each passing moment.
“Finally… time to sleep.”
As his breathing slows and the haze of dreams begins to creep in, the faint sound of Célestin’s footsteps echoes through the hallway.
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Célestin Moreau
I carry the mattress in my arms, padding softly through the doorway into Domy’s bedroom. There, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight, lies Dominic—or rather, Clark—fast asleep.
A faint smile tugs at my lips. I gently place the mattress beside his bed, then linger for a moment, gazing at his peaceful face.
“First, a demon orb from the Galerie des Trésors. Then a demon named Mason—someone I have never encountered before… Just what exactly did Domy do?” I murmur.
I have regressed countless times, and in all those loops, a demon orb has never appeared at the Galerie des Trésors. Lumi, Violette, and I visited that place enough times to know its rules—demon orbs are strictly forbidden. So, how did one end up there?
Did Domy slip the orb into a glass case imbued with runes that concealed its presence? It is a possibility. And then there is Mason.
My eyes drift to the spot where Mason stood earlier. “A demon… conducting business…” I mutter.
That in itself is strange. I have never met Mason—not in any of my regressions. Yet Clark claims I encountered him in the web novel Domy wrote. That can only mean one thing—Dominic met Mason, not me.
“But how?” I murmur. “When did Domy meet him?”
Domy and I regressed countless times together. We shared everything—plans, failures, victories. There was no reason for him to keep secrets from me. Unless…
Unless he was planning something.
“Hah!” A heavy sigh escapes me. If only Domy were still here.
I gaze back to Clark. He looks so at peace, unaware of the weight pressing down on my chest.
“Whatever you are planning, Domy, I promise you this—I will help Clark navigate this world.”
Even if he is not truly Domy, even if his soul belongs to someone else, as long as he inhabits this body, I will not let anyone harm him.
No matter what.
