The Rise of the Winter Wolf - Book 6 - Chapter 64 - Testing the Waters
Added 2025-02-04 17:00:59 +0000 UTC----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Wolf
The hunt starts out with the two of us just testing the waters with our domains. Where the push harder and harder while testing different areas of our domains to find weak points. Places where the enemy domain is spread a bit too thin.
Meanwhile our two armies fight with abandon beneath us.
And after our testing ends, we finally go all out clashing with our domains again and accidentally killing some of the armies below us in the process.
Although only the enemy forces and not our own, since our domains actually seem to strengthen our own forces. Even if I can tell that I can also crush my own forces if I wanted to.
But I obviously don’t want to do that right now.
After several minutes of this, Beelzebub finally rushes forwards with a single fist raised to strike. So I rush to meet him, making our fists clash in the center of the battlefield.
And when they do, massive shockwaves are sent outwards from between us. Sending the armies flying away from our position with cries of fear and pain.
I don’t pay attention to them though. Mostly because my focus is locked on my own fist, which is perfectly fine after clashing with Beelzebub’s.
Huh.
Our physical strengths are actually the same…
That’s rather shocking. Considering how Beelzebub is a progenitor who is far older than me. Not to mention that his Domain is larger than mine.
“Child, our Domains have two properties,” Beelzebub suddenly says as if giving me a lecture while we’re punching each other for some reason. “There is your domain’s size, and your domain’s strength. But unlike what a lot of people assume, your domain’s strength has nothing to do with the power of your element. It is entirely your own brute force strength placed within your Domain instead of your body.”
Huh. That makes sense.
Still not sure why he’s lecturing me right now though, what with how we’re both fighting each other to the death and all.
“And all of the effort you went to in order to train your physical body before manifesting your Domain went into your Domain after manifesting it,” Beelzebub finishes before increasing the pace of his barrage of punches. A pace I immediately find myself matching without too much trouble.
Then my mind catches up as I understand what he means.
He’s saying that all the things I’ve been doing to increase my strength in this floor has been put into my Domain’s strength.
Everything from the leveling up to the absorbing curse energy and other energies to increase my strength. Even the devouring other creatures, which I’m still doing as a matter of fact. Just with the bug army serving Beelzebub.
And thanks to all of that, my strength is a match for Beelzebub’s. Even if my Domain’s size isn’t.
But while we clash with our physical strength, I finally notice something. With that being how Beelzebub’s Domain is actually a lot less stretched out than mine despite covering the same ground.
So it’s a lot thicker than mine. Far thicker than it feels when our Domains clash.
Is this because of that curse immunity ring? Does that mean I’d be losing rather badly without it?
That doesn’t feel very good. Only being able to match up with Beelzebub right now because of items and help from others.
It feels kind of crappy.
And it’s spoiling my hunt.
I frown while fighting back against Beelzebub, slamming one fist into his own after another. All while our Domains clash and send out shockwaves all around us.
Over and over, one strike after another, one clash from our Domains after another, the two of us keep attacking each other. But neither of us appear to be getting tired or low on elemental energy in our Domains.
We just keep attacking over and over again.
There is one thing that I find rather surprising about this though.
Beelzebub himself.
Is he… enjoying himself?
Beelzebub actually seems to be enjoying our battle. Even though we’re fighting to the death here.
Despite not having any enmity between us.
I spend a few seconds to think about why that may be, but it doesn’t take very long to figure it out. Mostly because he tells me the answer himself.
“It has been so long since I’ve gone all out like this, even in a clone,” Beelzebub says with a wide grin on his face. I think. It’s hard to tell with his mouth. “At this rate I may have to thank this System creation for bringing my clone here.”
I blink at that as we trade more blows, only to feel a wry smile reach my lips.
Mostly because he said he’d have to thank the System.
Not Grim.
Meaning they blame Grim for making a clone when it’s bad, but they give the System credit for it when it’s good.
Although I get the feeling he’s still upset about having a clone made without his permission. Even if he’s enjoying this battle.
But putting that aside, I take in the moment as I make one attack after another. I look at the armies below, at our clashing Domains, and at everything else going on.
Then a faint smile begins to stretch across my face.
And on top of all of this, I suddenly feel Sapphire teleporting into my shadow from outside of the dungeon before leaving it and running to fight some of the bugs herself. All before I can say anything to her.
Damn. She just wouldn’t stay out, now would she?
I always worry that she’ll get killed in one of these battles against far stronger opponents than her. But I guess she’s still an independent person with a will of her own, so I can’t really stop her. No matter how much I want to.
So for now I decide to leave Sapphire to her own devices while I focus on fighting the progenitor clone in front of me.
“Let’s enjoy this battle,” I finally say out loud to Beelzebub, feeling the sheer power of my Domain entering my voice as I do so.
And with nothing more than that one little sentence, Beelzebub’s grin grows even wider, and he responds, “Yes. Let’s.”
