The early morning light spread gently across the land as he walked toward the edge of the property.
The air smelled fresh, and the dew hadn’t fully dried yet.
Everything seemed calm until he spotted Tyr near the far border of the farm.
Isaac slowed his steps.
Tyr was standing completely still, like a statue, but the flames on his bark told another story.
His entire five-meter-tall frame was cloaked in black fire, and he was holding his massive wooden shield in front of him, ready for battle.
His eyes glowed with hostility.
Isaac followed Tyr’s line of sight and then saw the woman.
She stood about ten meters away, holding a light blue umbrella.
Her hair was the color of ocean water, and her eyes carried the same hue.
She looked calm, unarmed, and she kept her tone soft as she spoke to Tyr, seemingly trying to calm him down.
But Tyr wasn’t having it.
He took a step forward, letting out a deep growl that made the ground shake a little.
Isaac narrowed his eyes.
He didn’t recognize the woman.
“Tyr,” he said as he walked over, “who is that?”
His voice was calm, but internally, his guard was already up.
As he spoke, Isaac quietly activated [Sovereign of Land].
The moment the domain settled in place, a mental map of the surroundings formed in his mind.
He could feel the ground beneath her feet.
Through it, he probed the flow of mana inside her body.
Then he stopped.
’That’s… strong.’
He’d sensed powerful mana before.
But hers felt endless. Like an ocean with no floor.
The woman noticed his gaze and gave him a small bow.
“Apologies for the sudden visit. My name is Avery. I don’t mean any harm. I was hoping we could talk. Would you mind asking your companion to lower his weapon?”
Isaac didn’t answer right away.
A system notification flickered into view.
[A suitable target detected in host’s vicinity.]
Right after that, a screen appeared above the woman’s head.
[Avery]
[Age: 3,456]
[Rating: 97]
[Personality: Upright, Noble]
[Likes: Long walks near mana lakes, classical spirit poetry, gardening in volcanic soil]
[Dislikes: Mana poison rain, aquatic monsters, barbaric people, war sky cities, polluted ley lines]
[Status: Hopes she can have a calm chat with you, excited to finally find a blessed domain.]
Isaac’s eyes stayed on her as he processed the information.
’A wife candidate, and a one with 97 rating.’
It spoke at lengths about her strength.
’She is three and a half millennium old? She doesn’t look like that.’
Isaac read the information carefully.
’So it really is about the farm… And the “blessed domain” must be referring to what happened after I plowed the land last night.’
It wasn’t hard to connect the dots.
Still, he didn’t lower his guard.
“Tyr,” Isaac said gently, “I think it’s alright.”
Tyr didn’t move.
He turned to look at Isaac and shook his head, his flame-covered face stern and disapproving.
The treant was trying to say that the woman was dangerous.
“I know,” Isaac said softly as he reached up to pat Tyr’s arm. “But I’ll handle it. Just stay close.”
Tyr gave a reluctant growl before reducing his size.
The flames dimmed, and he shrunk down to the size of a small doll, hopping onto Isaac’s shoulder.
Even in this smaller form, his gaze stayed locked on Avery, burning with suspicion.
Isaac turned to the woman.
“I’m Isaac. Why don’t we head inside? We can talk there.”
Avery smiled politely and nodded. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”
He kept his domain active the entire time as he led her into the house.
One suspicious movement, and he’d be ready to attack.
She stepped into the living room, closed her umbrella, and leaned it against the side of the couch before sitting down with perfect posture.
Isaac brought her a glass of water and sat across from her, never letting his alertness slip.
“Thanks for the water,” she said politely.
Isaac nodded. “So, who exactly are you, and why did you come here?”
Avery folded her hands in her lap and gave a small nod.
“My name is Avery, as I mentioned earlier. I’m a water elemental spirit.”
Isaac didn’t let his expression change, but his thoughts sharpened.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but you don’t look like a spirit,” he said calmly. “You look human.”
She gave a small chuckle. “I’ve taken this form because it makes communication easier. My real form is… less comfortable for human eyes.”
Isaac didn’t push further.
“So why are you here?”
“I sensed the birth of a blessed domain last night. That’s why I’m here.”
Isaac frowned. “You sensed it?”
That was a problem.
’If she could sense it, how many others did too? What if others show up for the same reason?’
His thoughts quickly turned serious.
’If an Overlord-rank monster or worse decides to come here, this whole place could be in danger. I was too careless.’
Seeing his concern, Avery spoke reassuringly. “Please don’t worry. I’ve already handled the ones who were approaching with less… noble intentions.”
Isaac blinked, surprised. “What?”
She smiled brightly. “I took care of the pests trying to sully this land. Most of them were weaklings, really. There is no need to thank me for something like this.”
Her voice was light, but the meaning behind the words was heavy.
Isaac remained quiet, thinking through her words.
’If what she’s saying is true, that means several people or monsters were already on their way here. And she got rid of them before I even knew they were coming.’
Anyone who could sense the birth of a ’blessed domain’ from afar must be strong.
But Avery took care of them.
That meant Avery was strong. Very strong.
“What exactly do you want from me?” he asked.
“I want you to allow me to become a caretaker of this blessed domain,” she said. “And if possible, I also want your help.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Help with what?”
Avery placed her hands on her lap and looked directly at him.
“I would like to become a follower of the Goddess of Love, War, and Harvest.”
Isaac blinked, confused. “You want to become a follower of… who?”
“The Goddess of Love, War, and Harvest,” she repeated.
He stared at her for a moment. Internally, his mind was racing.
’I have no idea how to do that.’
For a moment, he considered correcting her misunderstanding.
But he had no idea what she would do if he refused her.
’Strong people normally don’t care about those weaker than them.’
’What if she gets irritated that her time was wasted and decided to fight?’
Isaac thought calmly.
He was thinking of all possible scenarios before saying anything.
’Blessed Domain… it sounds like its related to a God. Especially if I consider how she believes I’m related to a Goddess.’
’She must think I used those connections to create this blessed domain.’
If he revealed that he had no idea what she was talking about, there was no telling how she’d react.
On the other hand, lying might backfire badly.
So he took a middle route.
He decided to ask questions, learn more, and probe carefully without giving himself away.
“Why here?” he asked. “Aren’t there other blessed domains you could go to?”
He had no idea of what blessed domains were, but there were definitely a few of them beside his land.
“There are,” she replied, nodding. “But those domains are aligned with other deities. Some are tied to destructive forces, others to serenity or decay. None of them suit my nature.”
“And this one does?”
“Yes,” she said. “This land is directly blessed by the Goddess of Love, War, and Harvest. It carries her intent. If I nourish it, and help it grow, it will help me ascend.”
Isaac nodded slowly.
Outwardly, he was calm.
Inwardly?
’Yup, I still have no clue what she’s talking about.’
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“I’ll think about your proposal. And for that, I’d like to take a short interview. Think of it like a job application. Are you okay with that?”
She straightened up and smiled.
“Of course.”
Isaac took out a pen and a notepad from his spatial ring and flipped it open.
“Alright. Let’s begin.”
He tapped the pen against the paper as he spoke.
“What is your name?”
“Avery,” she replied.
“Avery, why did you come to this place?”
“I wanted to help nourish the blessed domain,” she said without hesitation. “Doing so will allow me to ascend.”
He scribbled something down and nodded.
He’d asked her that already, but repeating the question gave him cover.
If he slipped in a question he didn’t understand, she’d just think he was reconfirming earlier points.
“Where did an elemental spirit like you come from, Avery?”
Avery’s expression shifted slightly. Her smile faded just a little. “I’m sorry. I cannot answer that. The System restricts me from revealing that information.”
’So there are system restrictions?’ Isaac noted mentally.
“Okay,” He continued, pretending to be unfazed. “Next question. Do you really need a blessed domain to ascend?”
She paused for a moment, then answered. “No, not necessarily. Under normal circumstances, I could have used any fertile land, or better yet, lakes, rivers, or even seas.”
“Then why not do that?”
Avery’s smile turned slightly melancholic. “Because those places no longer exist the way they used to. The lakes have dried up. The seas are poisoned. The oceans are crawling with monsters no one dares name. And it rains mana poison far too often. Even my own magic doesn’t shield me fully from it anymore.”