The Manor Lord was the member of the White Eagle Eight with whom Elysia had the least contact—or rather, practically none at all. Like the Prophet before him, the Manor Lord remained secluded within his territory, never venturing out, a true recluse.
This time, however, a massive Dimensional Rift had appeared within the Manor Lord's territory, so large that it could be clearly seen from other regions. It was this extraordinary size that brought the news to Elysia's attention.
The time in White Eagle was similar to that in Great Britain, and it was already evening. Elysia had just finished bathing, her long pink hair still damp, when she had to quickly redress. Towel in hand, she hurried toward the White Tower, drying her hair as she went.
In the office, Baldy Burke—or perhaps Hairy Burke now, given the sparse fringe of hair sprouting across his scalp—immediately slid his laptop toward Elysia upon her arrival. The screen displayed a photo of an enormous dimensional rift.
"This photo was taken at the border between the Manor Lord's territory and the Scholar's Territory," Burke said. "When it was taken, monsters had already begun appearing out of thin air in the Scholar's Territory. There's no doubt—this is a birth-type dimensional rift."
This was why the matter had reached Elysia; she was currently managing the Scholar's Territory in the Scholar's absence.
What puzzled her was that, according to Baldy Burke's report, monsters had appeared throughout the Scholar's Territory, yet none had materialized in the Manor Lord's Territory, even though the vast majority of the Dimensional Rift lay within the Manor Lord's domain.
Elysia couldn't help but ask, "What is the Manor Lord's ability?"
Baldy Burke paused to consider. "I believe it's plant manipulation?"
While the abilities of the White Eagle Eight were publicly known, that information wasn't necessarily accurate. It was quite common for them to conceal certain aspects of their powers, keeping them as trump cards.
Baldy Burke tapped away at his computer for a moment before pulling up a video. The footage showed a farmland where a young-looking man gently waved his hand. Seeds in the field began to sprout rapidly, growing into stalks laden with plump grains of wheat.
Beyond this, however, there was nothing else. No other videos related to the Manor Lord's abilities, let alone any combat footage, could be found online. Unlike Elysia, whose combat videos were constantly going viral.
Elysia couldn't even take a casual stroll without being swarmed by people asking for photos and videos. Every day, countless clips and images of her flooded the internet.
Yet, despite the Manor Lord lacking Elysia's fame, there was a complete absence of any footage of him online. It was as if no battles had ever occurred on his territory, or, more accurately, as if monsters had never appeared there at all.
Elysia voiced this observation to Baldy Burke, who shook his head. "I... I don't know about that." The eight territories of the White Eagle Eight operated independently, so Burke had no authority over the Manor Lord's affairs.
"Never mind. Whatever the case, we'll find out when we get there," Elysia said. She boarded the helicopter Burke had already arranged and swiftly departed for the border between the Manor Lord's territory and the Scholar's Territory, the site of the incident.
By the time Elysia arrived, local Evolvers were already clearing the battlefield, having eradicated all the newly spawned monsters.
Strangely, when Elysia looked up, all the monsters had been slain, but the Dimensional Rift remained open. This struck her as peculiar.
The helicopter landed smoothly, and the Evolvers who had participated in the battle swarmed around Elysia, their eyes shining with excitement. After greeting each of them individually, she slowly walked to the formal boundary between the Manor Lord's Territory and the Scholar's Territory. A thoughtful expression crossed her face as she stepped across the line.
One second passed, then five, then ten.
Nothing unusual happened, and Elysia felt nothing out of the ordinary. But just as she was about to dismiss it, a man who looked utterly exhausted materialized before her. His eyes, ringed with dark circles, flickered up to glance at Elysia before drooping again.
To be honest, Elysia's first reaction to his sudden appearance was that he had been teleported by the Chat Group. The resemblance was uncanny—a person materializing out of thin air without warning.
Her second thought was, Is this the Manor Lord? He looked nothing like the man she'd seen in the farming demonstration video earlier.
In the video, he was a spirited young man, full of vitality. Now, standing before Elysia was a weary middle-aged man, recently unemployed and mired in a midlife crisis.
"You're the Manor Lord?" Elysia asked softly, her tone gentle and concerned. She always treated those in need with such kindness. "You look exhausted."
The Manor Lord nodded to confirm his identity, then sighed heavily. "You're here about the Dimensional Rift, aren't you?"
Seeing his directness, Elysia saw no need for evasion. "So, what exactly happened here?"
The Manor Lord lowered his head dejectedly. "It's my fault. My ability wasn't strong enough to contain it, and it expanded..."
He then wearily explained the situation. "My ability... is this territory."
This wasn't an exaggeration. The Manor Lord's super ability was his very territory—the land itself. Like a god within this domain, he could teleport freely within its borders and manipulate all inanimate matter at will, making the earth crack open, mountains vanish, rivers flow backward, and more.
He could also influence all the plants within his territory, as Elysia had seen in the video, accelerating the growth of crops.
Even more remarkably, he could suppress the Birth-type Dimensional Rifts in the area. Within his territory, these rifts acted as if they were completely blocked, preventing any monsters from emerging.
This was how he earned the title "Manor Lord." His territory was his "manor," and he was its supreme master.
However, the Manor Lord's ability had a critical flaw: he was a pure Land God. If he left his territory, he would become an ordinary human. This explained his reclusive behavior and reluctance to venture beyond his land.
P.S.: Each member of the White Eagle Eight was an overpowered individual with a significant weakness.