The Villain's Story

'We are alive.'

Alan said, and Sabrina's expression contorted. She sighed and looked up towards the sky of the domain.

Although it was good news, it didn't mean something worth celebrating. The fact that they were alive, but in a location where death was almost guaranteed.

Not only were they extremely far from base, they also had no means of communication of the moment, nor an immediate means of travel.

Alan couldn't use his teleportation magic, and Sabrina could not use the transmission items in this space, they would have to go outside for that to happen. But outside was not safe. Maybe the Mammoth Alan ran from was still there, or had even called its herd. That was the worst scenario.

Their chances were low, and Sabrina hated that. Although she loved to gamble for money, she hated scenarios where she was almost guaranteed to lose. Besides, the thing being gambled here would be their life if they ventured outside.

They also couldn't stay here indefinitely, they had limited food. The food in their spatial storage would at most last a month. And most of all, She didn't feel right leaving the main group, oblivious about them. Alan stayed quiet as she pondered about their situation. He mostly checked on the status of the facilities available in the domain.

Sabrina, asked him all of a sudden.

"Can you send one of your...soldiers outside to see whether it is safe or not?"

It was a good suggestion, sending a soldier to see whether it was safe or not outside, it was much better than going by themselves, completely unaware of the dangers outside this special place.

"Can you?"

However, Alan was silent when she asked, thinking he hadn't heard her, which was absurd considering his hearing, she repeated.

But he answered with a sigh.

"No, I can't send them outside unless I manifest the entire place into the outside world, And besides that, It's too dangerous and unpredictable."

"Unpredictable as in?"

"I haven't brought my domain out since I got it, There are too many variables we need to consider with it, and the outside world. Who knows if there is even solid ground outside? It could just be a lake that had some dense ice on the top."

Although his last worry was purely illogical, or perhaps even unnecessary, He did have a good point.

"And maybe the mammoth called over its herd, If the initial expansion doesn't kill them, they would absolutely destroy this city."

That was a worry. If the mammoth outside truly had called over its herd, even the mighty fighting power of the city would fall. S-rank beasts were truly something else.

"Sigh..."

Sabrina sighed once again, a recurring habit when she got here. She laid down on the bench and Alan stared at her in confusion, a little shocked she stopped caring about etiquette!

Sabrina?! Impossible!

He gazed at her with a look of shock, and she laughed at him.

"What? I hate it to my core. Acting all 'well-mannered' all the time."

"..."

He was left speechless, and unable to make up a response. Sabrina sighed at him again, and sat up again.

"Here, Now get that look off your face."

"..."

He was still silent, The prolonged silence was making her temper go awry. In an irritated tone, she 'ordered' him.

"Transport us both outside for a moment."

"What?"

Alan, taken aback by her words and barely suppressed a shocked cry.

"You want me to transport outside right now, And take you?"

"Yes."

She remained steadfast, unwilling to back down.

"No way!"

"Please?"

She even tried to act cute, to convince him, but he shut it down.

"Hell no, There are S-rank beasts out there, I am not letting you out of here until its safe."

"Don't try to hold me captive."

He did have a good reason to, however, He couldn't effectively run with her and protect her in case things went bad. This wasn't the situation in the underground sea of lava. The bats there were much weaker than the monsters here. He could protect her there, but here? That would be hastening their death.

"I can handle S-rank monsters better than you."

She said, a statement very unlike her. Sabrina was not one to be arrogant, she never showed over-confidence in anything. Alan was becoming more inclined to believe her brain had suffered some damage when she collided with his chest.

Otherwise, he could never imagine she would say something so bizarre. The beast had almost killed him, they would crush her without giving her any chance to fight back. Hell, she couldn't even find back.

"... You really underestimate me."

Annoyed at his facial expressions, she took out her staff from her spatial inventory, and the look on Alan's face turned to one of shock, a different one than his previous look.

"...that energy."

He muttered, Sabrina answered his qualms.

"S-rank."

Her staff looked the same as it did before, just that there was a different crystal on the tip. Previously, it was a crystal as black as the night and the size of a human palm... But now?

It was a crystal of pure white, contrasting her gothic staff that shone with an iridescent light. The energy Alan sensed from the crystal was S-rank! And pretty high in the rank as well.

"This was my reward for the mess I had to endure in Aror. I can even go against S-rank beasts with this, provided I am careful of course."

She flaunted, flicking her hair to the side. Alan's mouth was agape as he scanned the crystal. Now he knew where she got that confidence from. Her head was still alright.

Mages had a different sort of ranking than the rest of the hunters. Those who focused primarily on the casting of skills without improving their physical abilities were not 'shackled'.

While other hunters had to advance the ranks with the help of the accumulative effort of all their stats, Mages were different. They trained only mana and intelligence. The rank of a mage was not determined by their other stats, it was determined only by their mana.

And this was the 'shackle' they were free from. Theoretically, the strength and rank of a mage was determined by their knowledge of mana and magical skills, as well as their ability to control it.

They were not bound by the mana present inside their body, they could utilize mana from outside sources, something that was limited to a few minor boots to the physical attributes.

A mage at the D-rank, with an item akin to the one Sabrina possessed, could be considered an S-rank mage, as long as they knew how to handle the spells of the S-class.

Sabrina, was very well-equipped to handle them, and such could be considered an S-rank mage. However, the items that provided such an overpowered facility to mages were extremely rare, to the point money could not 'afford' them.

And...they had to be limited! Restricted!

"I can cast about 8 S-rank skills with this before I need to recharge it."

"..."

Alan was flabbergasted, he quickly asked her.

"... The chances of failure?"

"Hohoho..."

She laughed coquettishly, the fact he was asking her of all people!

"0."

She answered, fully confident. She had studied the formula and casting of all the S-rank skills she could find her hands on related to her elements, she had nothing to fear! She was a smart girl, and would easily be able to cast them without a chance of failure, provided if she had time to cast them.

Her rank did limit her to the learning of actual skills of the S-

rank, but with enough mana she could fully replicate them without needing a skill to do it for her.

"So, Will you?"

She moved his chin up with her staff, and smiled at him, almost in a domineering way.

"It's still too dangerous..."

But Alan was still unwilling to let her go outside. Sabrina was getting irritated at this point, but he simply did not budge.

"Not until..."

However, no matter how low he tried to keep his voice, she still heard it, it was unable to escape her.

"Until? Until?!"

She grabbed his collar, and the space between their faces was only a few inches. She didn't even notice the apparent 'forceful' approach she took and bugged Alan for an answer.

"Not until a few days have passed, I don't want to take any chances."

It was reasonable, waiting for a few days would be best. Perhaps the mammoth outside would get tired and leave, making the return safe. This could also backfire, but it was the best act in this point of time.

"Five days, We wait five days, and then we leave, ok?"

"Alright..."

He finally relented, he wanted to extend the deadline, but his gut told him to not even utter his thought of doing so. Warning him of something bad happening.

Happy that her approach worked, she hugged him. Alan felt weird at the sudden touch, and she realized this soon after as well.

Quickly backing away, she hid her face and walked off, saying.

"I will go ex-explore the city."

She stuttered a little.