Ethan stared blankly at the changing scene before him.

Calling it magic felt like an understatement—how could any spell shift the heavens and reshape the world so thoroughly?

"Master, this is bad—it's a Domain! I didn't expect that old witch to be this powerful already!"

A Domain?

Ethan frowned in confusion.

"Master, it's normal you don't know. Your training time has been short. A Domain is a unique ability that can only be used after reaching the Zero Domain and receiving the recognition of the heavens themselves. Once inside it, the caster gains a massive power boost while suppressing their opponent's strength.

In plain terms... they're the butcher, you're the meat."

The sword spirit's explanation made Ethan's brow furrow even more.

But then, a thought occurred to him.

"Wait. You said only those who've reached Zero Domain and received 'heavenly authority' can use a Domain. I've reached Zero Domain too—so why can't I use it?"

He wasn't wrong. The witch was indeed in the Zero Domain—but so was he.

Why the discrepancy?

"There are nine tiers of heavenly authority. But gaining it isn't easy.

From what fragments I remember... only a rare few have ever received heaven's recognition."

A rare few? So only geniuses, huh?

"Skip the lecture—just tell me how to gain this heavenly recognition!" Ethan snapped.

Whether or not he was a genius, he couldn't afford to waste time debating it.

"Destroy your foundation. Otherwise, it won't happen."

Ethan froze.

Destroy his foundation?

He knew exactly what that meant.

Not dispersing his magic power—but destroying his grimoire.

To a mage, that was the same as suicide.

Grimoires weren't just for show—they were vessels that stored spells, channels for casting magic, and catalysts for strengthening one's Domain powers.

Without a grimoire, not only would his strength plummet, he'd lose all hope of advancing further in magic.

"You want me to destroy my grimoire? Are you insane?!" he demanded.

"It does sound insane. But that's the only way to earn heavenly recognition. That's why I said only a tiny fraction of people ever succeed—most don't have the courage to try, and those who do often still fail."

Ethan took a long breath.

He didn't think the sword spirit was lying. But still... destroying his grimoire right out of the gate?

That was all in—and Ethan wasn't the type to gamble everything on a single bet.

"Buy me some time. Keep that witch busy!" he ordered.

Even though spiritual communication happened in an instant, real time was still moving forward.

And the Witch Queen was already bearing down on him!

With a crimson flash, the Imperial Sword transformed—no longer a blade, but a girl in a flowing celestial dress.

Using the sword form to counter the Witch Queen's spells was effective, but without a wielder, the sword's full potential couldn't be unleashed.

But in this form, it was different.

She wasn't just the sword spirit anymore—she was a Zero Domain powerhouse in her own right!

Seeing the transformation, the Witch Queen's eyes widened in disbelief.

"A magic tool can... take human form? What kind of nonsense is this?"

In all her centuries of life, she had never seen such an absurdity.

Magic tools could be powerful—some ancient relics possessed immense strength.

But to take human form and have sentience?

"No... don't tell me... this is an Ancient Arcane Relic?"

Ethan took a deep breath, glancing at the sword spirit currently fending off the Witch Queen.

He summoned a grimoire—a plain one with only a colored cover and no magic insignia like the traditional clovers.

It was one of the 200+ grimoires he'd taken from the Tower—this one with a Poison attribute.

He'd rarely used it.

If this method worked, great. If not... at least he wasn't sacrificing his main book right away.

"Break!"

With a flick of his will, the poison grimoire began to crack—glowing green as it fractured like dry earth under drought.

Within seconds, the book disintegrated into shimmering green motes of light, vanishing into the air.

And immediately, Ethan felt his command over poison magic drop sharply.

Spells he used to cast with ease now slipped through his mental grip.

"Out with the old... in with the new. Stay calm," he told himself.

Feeling the sting of loss, he forced the regret out of his mind and focused.

Destroying the grimoire was only the first step—he still needed to make heaven notice.

He let his Zero Domain mental energy spread outward, reaching toward the void, attempting to connect with the heavens themselves.

"He's... destroying a grimoire?" the Witch Queen murmured, still in battle with the sword spirit.

Her eyes flicked toward Ethan, and in that moment, everything became clear.

"He's trying to... contact the heavens. He wants to gain divine authority!"

"Hah. Bold."

Even as his enemy, she couldn't help but feel a sliver of admiration.

When she herself had taken this step, she had spent over ten years preparing.

And even then, she had hesitated for several years before daring to destroy her own book.

Ethan? He'd just entered the Zero Domain, barely finding his footing.

And now, right in front of her, he dared to shatter his foundation?

"He's insane. But still... if there's even a 10% chance he'll succeed—I won't let it happen!"

The Witch Queen's expression turned grim.

At her command, the Crimson Domain shook violently.

Thick blood mist spread through the air. Dark clouds gathered overhead—clouds of blood, heavy and foul.

The scent was nauseating, and when the mist touched the sword spirit's body, she instinctively backed off.

The negative energy contained within was monstrous—riddled with dozens of curses.

As a spirit, she was a soul given form.

And these vile energies were her natural enemy.

Szzz!

From the sky, blood-red droplets began to fall—each drop sizzling like boiling acid, hissing against Ethan's skin as if it were ice being scorched.

"Sword Formation!"

Shing! Shing!

The sword spirit pressed her hands together, weaving a sigil with her fingers.

Red beams of light burst from her body and shot into the four cardinal directions, forming a barrier that encased both of them in a sacred sword field.

"Tch. You've got some tricks... but inside my Crimson Domain, you'll die a slow, inevitable death," the Witch Queen muttered coldly.

She couldn't deny that this bizarre "magic tool" was impressive.

But so what?

The Crimson Domain was forged from the threefold weight of heavenly authority.

That was the might of the world itself.

And no matter how strong a person's magic was—

How could a mere human... defy the heavens?

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