CHAPTER 7 — Domain of the Apostle
The forest changed.
Not slowly.
Not naturally.
Instantly.
The moment the last intruder's blood soaked into the soil…
The Green Zone responded.
Trees trembled.
Roots shifted beneath the earth like awakening serpents.
Wind currents reversed direction.
Beasts stopped moving mid-step.
Then—
A pulse spread outward from the bunker.
Invisible.
But absolute.
System Authority converted into territorial law.
[Domain Expansion Complete]
Green Zone — Assimilated
All lifeforms within territory acknowledge you as Domain Authority.
Surveillance: Absolute
Environmental Control: Partial
Beast Obedience: Initiated
Draven stood amidst the corpses as leaves spiraled around him.
He could feel everything.
Birds resting miles away.
Beasts drinking near the river.
Insects crawling beneath bark.
It was like opening a third eye that never blinked.
"…So this is domain control."
His voice was calm.
Satisfied.
Behind him, one survivor remained alive.
The healer.
The same one who had joked at the campfire.
He was crawling backward in terror, clutching his wounded arm.
Blood trailed behind him.
His eyes weren't on the corpses.
They were locked on Draven.
Shaking.
"…Who are you…"
Draven didn't answer.
The healer's voice cracked louder:
"You're not the Apostle of Florienza…"
Silence.
"…Then what… what are you?"
How the World Sees Draven
Draven turned slowly.
From his perspective…
He was normal.
Human.
But from the healer's perspective—
He was a demon.
Skin slightly shadowed.
Eyes glowing faint crimson.
A monstrous killing intent leaking like black smoke.
His grin stretched unnaturally wide.
Predatory.
Inhuman.
The healer's breath hitched.
He tried to crawl back further—
But vines tightened around his legs.
Domain obedience.
Draven chuckled softly, looking down at the corpses.
"…You people walked into my forest…"
"…Now you're surprised you met its owner?"
The healer's sanity cracked further.
That grin.
That aura.
He understood something instinctively:
This thing needed disguise to walk among humans.
Because in true form—
He radiated death.
Presence Detected
Draven's amusement faded suddenly.
His head tilted slightly.
"…Hmm."
Something was wrong.
He felt it through the domain.
A gaze.
Watching.
Cold.
Calculating.
He didn't even speak.
The Puppet already moved.
It launched from the treeline like a missile toward the presence.
Branches snapped.
Leaves exploded outward—
But when it arrived…
Nothing.
The presence vanished.
Draven's eyes narrowed.
"…Invisible… or concealment ability…"
He exhaled slowly.
"…Florienza's Apostle maybe."
If another evil god apostle was here…
This forest just became a battlefield.
Death Behind the Back
Then—
A chill crawled down his spine.
Pure instinct screamed.
Someone was standing behind him.
Close enough to breathe on his neck.
Draven moved instantly.
No hesitation.
He snatched a fallen adventurer sword and slashed backward—
Steel cut air.
Nothing there.
His eyes widened slightly—
Then—
SHNK—
A blade grazed his neck.
Blood sprayed.
If he hadn't dodged by instinct—
His head would've rolled.
He leapt back instantly.
"Show yourself."
No response.
Only wind.
Then claws appeared from thin air—
Slashing again.
Puppet vs Invisible Assassin
"Puppet. Now."
The wooden avatar manifested instantly.
It leapt into the air—
Clashing against an unseen force.
Sparks erupted mid-air where blades met invisibility.
Metal screeched.
Wood cracked.
Claw marks began appearing across the puppet's body rapidly.
It blocked some—
But the attacker was faster.
Sharper.
More experienced.
One brutal strike—
CRACK
The puppet's arm was torn off completely.
Wood fragments rained down.
Draven's expression darkened.
"…Strong."
Authority Vision
He closed his eyes briefly.
Extended his senses outward.
Domain Authority activated.
Everything became visible in his mind.
Trees.
Air currents.
Heat signatures.
Then—
A distortion.
Barely visible silhouette moving around the puppet at blinding speed.
There.
He found it.
But exhaustion hit instantly.
Disguise ability backlash.
High-tier skill fatigue.
His vision flickered.
He clenched his fists.
"…Not now…"
Forced focus.
Locked target.
Vision snapped back.
Cola Reveal
The puppet was seconds from destruction.
Draven reacted instinctively.
He grabbed the nearest object from storage—
A cola can.
Cracked it open mid-throw.
The fizzy liquid splashed across the invisible attacker.
Instantly—
Its form became visible.
A cloaked humanoid figure.
Slim.
Assassin-type.
Dual blades.
"…Found you."
Close Combat Clash
Draven dashed forward.
Speed enhanced by domain authority.
He dodged multiple slashes by inches.
Blades whistled past his face.
He struck precise fatal points—
Neck.
Ribs.
Thigh artery.
The attacker countered flawlessly.
A blade pierced straight through Draven's chest.
Blood spilled instantly.
The healer screamed in the background.
But Draven…
Didn't panic.
He looked down at the sword lodged in his chest.
Then sighed.
"…Let's end this now."
His hand shot forward—
Grabbing the attacker's sword blade barehanded.
Blood dripped.
But his grip didn't loosen.
His terrifying grin spread wider.
The attacker tried to pull back—
Too late.
Draven twisted—
SNAP
The sword broke in half.
Before the assassin could react—
Draven drove the broken blade straight into its skull.
Piercing clean through.
Then—
In one fluid motion—
He drew his own sword and decapitated it.
The head rolled.
Body froze.
Then—
Dissolved into particles unnaturally.
Not death.
Remote projection.
Scene Shift — Cloaked Observer
Deep in the forest…
Miles away…
A cloaked man collapsed to one knee.
Coughing blood violently.
Clutching his chest.
"…He… destroyed my projection…"
His voice trembled.
Not from pain.
From fear.
"…That apostle… is not Florienza's…"
He vanished into the woods instantly.
Retreating.
Reporting.
Aftermath
Back in the Green Zone—
Draven stood silently.
Chest wound already regenerating slowly from Blood Spring residue.
"…So they're scouting me now."
He looked toward the deeper forest.
Toward future wars.
Then turned back to bunker operations.
Festival Information
Through domain surveillance connected to sewer pathways leading to town—
He overheard guards talking.
"…Festival next week."
"…People coming from neighboring kingdoms."
"…Duel tournaments too."
"…Adventurers and scholars both."
Nobles.
Influential figures.
Powerhouses.
All gathering.
Draven lay back inside the Blood Spring, submerged in crimson liquid.
Healing.
Recovering stamina.
He chuckled softly.
"…Finally."
"…Let's have a showdown."
Domain Fortification
He opened the system panel mid-bath.
Upgrades initiated:
Surveillance spiders increased
Crow familiars deployed toward town
Trap roots installed across Green Zone
Puppet repair accelerated
Then—
A hidden panel appeared.
Triggered by the assassin battle.
[Hidden Quest Completed]
Survive the Intrusion of an Anomaly
Rewards Granted:
Basic Sword Technique
Basic Footwork
+5 Strength
+7 Stamina
Black Jade Sword
Permanent Disguise Ability
Puppet Summon Limit: 3
Puppet rewards mirrored the same stat boosts.
Draven summoned all three briefly.
They stood silently like elite guards.
"…Good."
Army expansion had begun.
Guild Scene — Omen of War
Inside the Adventurer Guild…
The Guild Master stood by his window.
Moonlight bathed the town peacefully.
Festival decorations were already being prepared.
Music rehearsals echoed faintly.
Children laughed in the streets.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
He felt unease in his chest.
A veteran's instinct.
"…Something's coming."
He sat on the window ledge, staring at the moon.
"…Who knows how long this peace will last."
Wind blew through the curtains.
Carrying with it—
A faint scent of blood from the forest.
Chapter End Foreshadow
In the depths of the Red Zone…
A colossal pair of eyes opened briefly.
It had felt the domain expansion.
It had felt the apostle's awakening.
And it was smiling.
END OF CHAPTER 7