Beside him, Aleron looked just as surprised. He even paused in his steps for a moment before staring at Tauriel with an expression of disbelief. "Wait a minute. How do you know all this, Lady Tauriel?" he asked directly, his tone filled with confusion and suspicion.
Tauriel stopped walking and turned to Aleron, curling her lips into a small smile. "Hehe… take a guess," she replied mysteriously.
Aleron was silent for a moment, deep in thought. But it only took him a few seconds before his eyes widened, as if he had just realized something shocking. "Don't tell me… you've already joined the Dominion?" he exclaimed, his voice slightly rising in surprise.
"Is that true?" Lein also asked, wanting to confirm his suspicion.
Instead of answering immediately, Tauriel chuckled softly, enjoying Aleron's surprised expression. Her eyes gleamed, showing satisfaction at how slow the man was to realize something she thought was quite obvious.
Finally, with a relaxed tone, she nodded and said, "Yes, I have joined the Dominion Empyrean Sovereign."
Lein observed them in silence, but his mind kept racing. This didn't make sense. As far as he remembered, the Guandu Realm and the Silent Forest Realm had not joined any Dominion. Yet, somehow, Tauriel had become part of a major Dominion without his knowledge.
Adam, who had also been listening, looked curious. "What's the benefit of a realm joining a Dominion?" he asked inquisitively.
Tauriel turned to him and explained, "One of the benefits is that we no longer have to worry about cosmic disasters threatening our realm, Lord Lein. Un person," she said, glancing at Aleron with a teasing expression. "Who had to struggle desperately to seek the help of a high-level King to destroy the cosmic disaster attacking the Guandu Realm."
Aleron exhaled softly, his expression slightly heavy. He couldn't refute it because that was the reality he had been facing all this time.
However, instead of responding to the mockery, he stepped closer to Tauriel, his expression turning serious. "Lady Tauriel…" he said in a lower tone. "Please help me find a level 7 King. I will pay you with anything you desire, as long as it is within my means."
Tauriel scoffed, this time sounding less enthusiastic. "Tch… what do you mean? It's true that I've joined, but I'm still at the lowest stage, only in the outer area," she explained lazily. "Besides, I haven't met many people yet."
Lein observed them silently. But one thing was clear—with this information, he was beginning to understand how important Dominions were in the cosmic hierarchy. If joining a Dominion meant protecting a realm from cosmic disasters, then it wasn't something to be ignored.
And now, his mind began considering something he had never previously thought of as a real option.
"What are the requirements to join, Lady Tauriel?" Lein asked seriously. His eyes studied the woman's expression, searching for further clues.
Tauriel met his gaze, her golden pupils narrowing slightly, indicating her surprise at the great ambition Lein was showing. However, without delaying too long, she answered in a calm tone, "The main requirement is that at least five King-level rulers from the realm must register, and one of them must be at level two."
She paused briefly before continuing, "Additionally, the realm must have already built the Core Crystal from the Tree of Life Source. The rest are administrative requirements, such as paying a certain amount of energy crystals, energy stones, and a few other conditions. It's fairly easy to meet as long as there is a strong foundation."
Lein listened intently. Meanwhile, beside him, Aleron could only take a deep breath, as if he had just heard something impossible to achieve.
"Lord Aleron," Lein shifted his attention, catching the unease on the man's face. "Which requirement has not been met?"
Aleron was silent for a moment, his eyes staring blankly before he finally answered in a heavy voice, "The number of King rulers in the Guandu Realm is only four, and all of them are still at level one." His breath was long and weary, as if a great burden was pressing on his heart. "I have long planned this as a way to protect our realm from disasters, but it turns out that entering a Dominion is harder than facing the disaster itself."
For a moment, the atmosphere felt heavy. Lein understood Aleron's concerns—in this world, individual strength was never enough to combat cosmic threats. Protection from a Dominion could be the last shield for those on the brink of destruction.
However, there was no time to dwell on the conversation. They continued walking toward the space vessel, leaving this place with one clear goal: a future in the Dominion.
Upon arrival at the ship, they were greeted with cheers and expressions full of relief. Laras and Efan were the first to step forward toward Lein, their faces filled with joy and admiration.
"Brother Lein… you did it!" Laras smiled widely, her eyes sparkling.
Efan nodded quickly before adding in a slightly trembling tone, "We were almost scared to death by that monster, Brother Lein. Even inside the ship's protection, we could feel its immense pressure."
Lein only gave a small smile before saying calmly, "No need to worry. The monster is dead. We are now heading toward the Dominion Nova Consortium."
Some people exchanged glances, clearly confused by the term Lein had just mentioned.
Tauriel, noticing their confusion, took the initiative to explain what a Dominion was. She spoke at length about the protection it offered, the benefits that could be gained, and the vast differences between living inside and outside a Dominion.
Meanwhile, in the ship's control room, the commanders were busy setting their flight course. Veyron's space vessel sent a signal to Lein's navigation center, indicating the route they should follow.
Slowly, Lein's space vessel began to move, trailing behind Veyron, traversing the vast void between the stars.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye.
During the long journey, Lein's ship continued moving at a constant speed. There were no signs they would be arriving soon, as if the Dominion Nova Consortium was still on the horizon, unreachable.