Before he could ponder the reason, an explanation followed.
"You have been awakened, and in the process, your body expelled impurities."
Harry raised an eyebrow in bewildernt and absentmindedly pulled a card from his pocket. "Can you extend the ti for ?" he asked.
The man accepted the card, inspecting it with a puzzled expression. "You do realize this is a library card, right?"
Harry realized his mistake and quickly fumbled to find the correct card, muttering, "Wrong card. One sec."
After cleaning up, Harry stepped out, only to find all the staff staring at him as if he were an alien. He looked down at his outfit and sighed. "Did I put my pants on backward again?"
Not in the right fra of mind to dwell on their reactions, he continued toward his workplace.
"What was all that about? Can you enlighten ?" Harry asked Krish in his mind.
A long silence followed before Krish finally responded.
"It was nothing extraordinary. As that girl ntioned, there are individuals who can cultivate and grow stronger, but they reside in the Domain—a place segregated from the normal world. You could say it's a part of Earth that ordinary humans cannot access.
"As for your awakening, that was an unexpected developnt, even for . With the rewards you received, you leaped over three stages in a single day. Right now, you are at Foundation Building Level Four," Krish explained, then continued his monologue.
"And rember, I once told you that one day, you would have to make a choice? Turns out, I was wrong—the day ca much sooner than I expected. Now that you know this world exists, will you go there?"
Krish chuckled before adding, "Not that you have much of a choice. If you don't leave within a certain ti fra, soone will make you."
"What do you an by 'make go'?" Harry asked, frowning.
It had only been a day, yet Harry had already forgotten that Krish had introduced himself as an AI feature. But he couldn't shake the feeling that Krish was more than that. He spoke like a real person, with wit and personality.
"They prefer to keep the two worlds separate. If a rogue cultivator like you remains here, it could cause complications for them. So, they'll force you to leave. And since you are still weak, you won't be able to resist," Krish explained in his usual mischievous tone.
Harry wanted to explore this new world but disliked the idea of being coerced into it.
However, he understood one thing—far more powerful individuals existed. People like Cia, Kate, or Python could erase him from existence with a re flick of their hands.
"Then it's settled. I will go to the Domain," Harry declared with conviction.
Krish responded with a hearty laugh.
Since Harry was heading ho, he decided not to pay his overdue rent. He recalled Morvin's words and the complications he had faced. It was ti to collect what was owed to him.
Sneaking into his room, he retrieved his backpack. There weren't many belongings to take. However, in his haste, he tripped over his own shoes and tumbled into a pile of laundry. Covered in socks, he muttered, "Ninja skills need work."
After traveling for sixteen hours, he finally arrived at his ho village. It was a typical tier-three village, filled with people going about their day, farm animals, and fields rich with crops.
As Harry entered the village, an old neighbor waved at him. "Harry, back from saving the world?"
"Not quite, Mrs. Wilson. Just trying to find my shoes," Harry replied with a grin.
His mother was busy working in her grocery store.
As he stepped inside, a sudden force pinned him to the floor. For the second ti in two days, he had entered a place only to be accosted.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" a familiar voice demanded.
"Mom," was all he managed to say.
Samantha, upon hearing the word, froze. "What? Harry! How did you awaken?" she exclaid.
Harry was taken aback by her reaction. "I need to discuss sothing important. Can we talk in private?" he requested.
Realizing what she had done, Samantha released her grip, her curiosity evident. Understanding the gravity of the situation, she decided to close the shop.
They both sat on the floor, facing each other.
After a mont of silence, Harry asked, "Do you know about the Domain?"
Samantha's eyes widened at the unexpected question. After a brief pause, she replied, "Yes, I do."
Then, as if coming to a decision, she looked up at the ceiling before saying firmly, "I think it's ti to tell you the truth."
"What truth?" Harry asked, confusion written all over his face.
Choosing her words carefully, she began. "It was around eighteen years ago when your father started growing stronger—his agility increased, his senses sharpened. At first, we thought it was a blessing from God. But a week later, a man appeared and told us that Jason had to leave with him."
"We were confused. That man explained the existence of the Domain and why Jason couldn't stay in the normal world. Apparently, without realizing it, Jason had already surpassed the Foundation Building realm. The man was polite and even suggested that we could go with Jason if we wished."
"You were still very young, so we decided that Jason would go first to assess the situation. A month later, he returned, but he wasn't certain if bringing us there was the right choice. According to him, the Domain was a chaotic world where only the strong survived, though it offered great benefits. In the end, we decided I would stay here to raise you in a safer environnt."
"Jason started visiting regularly, or if he couldn't, he always stayed in contact and supported us. But two years ago," Samantha paused, pain flashing across her eyes.
Harry sat frozen. Everything he had believed about his father was crumbling before him. He had always thought of Jason as a man who abandoned his family. But now, his heartbeat quickened at the sudden pause in his mother's story.
Clearing her thoughts, Samantha continued. "For the past two years, Jason has not contacted . I haven't received any word from him. I was worried and considered entering the Domain myself, but I couldn't risk your safety."
Harry felt as if the ground had been pulled from beneath him. His father wasn't the villain he had always assud him to be. Instead, he had been doing everything for him. But if his father hadn't been in contact for two years, what had happened to him?
"I don't know what you plan to do, but I can't lose you too. If you go to the Domain, I will go with you," Samantha said, breaking Harry out of his thoughts.
"I understand everything you've told ," Harry said slowly, "but how did you know I awakened?"
"Well... that..." Samantha hesitated before admitting, "I am also at Foundation Building Level Five. But Jason gave sothing to conceal my powers so no one could detect . Also, Foundation Building cultivators have minimal energy, which makes them harder to sense. However, I can see the energy surrounding you."
That explained everything.
Harry was torn. He didn't want to take his mother with him. He didn't even know where the Domain was, how safe it was, or why his father had hesitated to bring him there. There had to be a reason. But how could he explain that to his mother?
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