manynovel Chapter 622: Once A Guardian, Always A Guardian (2)
Chapter 622: Once A Guardian, Always A Guardian (2)
"You’re early," she said. "I assume the briefing with the troops went smoothly?"
Hearing her, Eliya she took a step back allowing Eve to take the floor. This was the usual protocol between the women.
Unless they were talking to their troops, Eliya allowed Eve to speak. As in her eyes, she would stand behind whatever Eve decided.
"Everything went smoothly," Eve said in a steady voice. "The troops have been fully briefed, they’re getting their gear together now, and they’ll be ready to move out within the hour."
The Domain Lord nodded in approval, her keen gaze lingering on the two women for a moment before she spoke.
"Excellent," she said. "As always, the two of you come through. I value that."
She then paused, her expression shifting into something more serious. She leaned back slightly in her seat and folded her hands on the desk.
"However," she continued, "this deployment will be different from the others."
Hearing such words, Eve tilted her head slightly.
"Hm, different in what way?"
Without another word, the Domain Lord waved her hand.
A large, glowing projection of the Prime Expanse appeared in the air between them. It showed all eighteen Thresholds on the Existence side, each one marked with a number hovering above their respective Domains.
None of the numbers went higher than nine.
In total, there were just a little under seventy Domain Lords in all of the Prime Expanse, coming to sixty-eight in total.
With this Threshold, having only three.
"These numbers represent the current amount of Domain Lords stationed in each Threshold," the Domain Lord explained.
"Or rather... what it used to be."
She waved her hand again.
The projection shifted, showing a second map with updated numbers. Several Thresholds now had noticeably lower counts.
In total, the map showed a decrease of roughly seven Domain Lords across the entire Existence side.
"Over the last two hundred years," she said, her voice steady, "more Domain Lords have fallen on the battlefield than in the previous several thousand cycles combined."
She went on to explain that they still weren’t sure of the cause.
As the nonexistence essence from the wall, it wasn’t growing stronger, which meant the Horrors on the other side... they weren’t the ones doing the killing.
And it wasn’t something they could easily figure out—just imagine, Domain Lords, rare beings in the Prime Expanse, hardly ever fought on the frontlines and almost never died.
If they were dying, then imagine how many lesser beings were being lost.
They had no one to question after deployments, as survivors were either completely wiped out or in no condition to speak.
She looked straight at Eve and Eliya.
"Your deployment this time will last for fifty. During that time, I will take the opportunity to ascend. And when you return... I will ascend both of you as well."
Eve remained silent, processing the information, while Eliya’s white eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
The Domain Lord continued.
"Once you’re back and ascend, our Threshold will have two new Domain Lords."
She leaned in a bit, eyes weighted with unspoken urgency.
"Let’s be clear—this isn’t going to be your usual rotation. Things out there are different now, the whole field has shifted. But.... I need both of you to make it back in one piece."
Eve and Eliya remained composed, though a faint shift passed between them.
They both caught the subtle weight behind the Domain Lord’s words — the way she stressed the need for them to return alive felt heavier than a simple order.
Still, they offered their usual respectful nods without pushing the issue.
Even with the Origin Essence in their possession, it wasn’t something that could guarantee their survival if they acted recklessly.
After all, it was essentially impossible for a lower being to overcome someone of a higher rank within the same threshold.
The higher one’s station, the greater their influence over the Idea—specifically, in this case, anything that fell under the domain of the Essence of Bulwark.
They were well aware of this situation and understood that the Domain Lord’s actions weren’t simply out of friendliness or genuine concern for them.
The wisest course, they figured, was to be patient and take things slowly, letting events unfold at their own pace.
Just as they were about to turn and leave, Eve’s voice cut through the moment once more.
"What are your thoughts on the current state of the Prime Expanse?" she asked in a calm tone.
"The deterioration..."
The Domain Lord leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable for a moment. She let out a quiet sigh before answering.
"Truthfully? I don’t know much more than what’s been officially passed down," she said.
"The higher-ups are investigating the cause behind the instability, but from what I’ve been told, it doesn’t seem dire enough to warrant widespread alarm just yet.
They’re treating it as a serious issue, but not an immediate crisis."
She paused for a moment, offering them a small, deliberate nod.
"That’s all I can share for now. Focus on your deployment—the rest will be taken care of by those above us."
Eve and Eliya both dipped their heads in a respectful bow.
"Understood," Eve replied.
"Stay safe," the Domain Lord said, her voice carrying a faint but genuine note of well-wishing. "Both of you."
With that, she waved them off.
The two women turned and quietly exited the room. The heavy door shut behind them with a deep, muted thud, leaving the Domain Lord alone in the stillness of her office.
For a few moments, she sat in silence, her eyes locked on the closed. Then, her gaze narrowed ever so slightly.
She knew far more than she let on, but who shares the whole truth with those you’re trying to keep under control?
So instead, she gave them just enough.
’Just a few more years...’ she mused, her expression distant. ’Keep the Origin’s Essence safe until I ascend.... At the very least I won’t treat you poorly.’