The Glorious Evolution

Levi gave a helpless smile as he realized that the expenses didn’t even include wages for the workers and managers, taxes, or other operating costs.

In total, he needed ten million credits to fully launch the company... and millions more to keep it running every year.

If he committed that much to the company, he wouldn’t have enough left to buy the carcasses for the Leviathan Amusement Park. However, he had no intention of giving up on it, since the two businesses complemented each other.

The company would bring in Hunters and Leviathan materials, while the Amusement Park would display the emptied carcasses and serve as an exclusive market for selling the remaining materials to Nobles who brought their wives and children to enjoy the attractions.

Together, the two businesses formed a complete system that would maximize the profit from every Leviathan corpse he purchased.

’Shouldn’t be hard to help your boy out... You could inscribe a few grand arrays onto some artifacts and have him sell them for a massive profit,’ the Titan suggested as he watched Levi pace around the bedroom, scratching his head over how to raise more money without taking out a bank loan.

Ash’Kral watched Levi for a few moments before shaking his head.

’You know I can’t do that, old bark... Selling my arrays or potions would be the same as announcing that I’m still alive.’ Ash’Kral sighed. ’It would only draw unnecessary attention to him.’

The Titan smiled wryly, knowing that Ash’Kral wasn’t being cautious for no reason. His arrays and potions carried a distinct innate mark that could be hidden from anyone below Tier 9... but not from his enemies, who could sniff it out wherever it appeared.

They believed he was dead, but if his arrays and potions started appearing on the market, it would be no different from announcing otherwise. Tracking them back to Levi wouldn’t be particularly difficult.

Otherwise, Ash’Kral would have already helped his previous partners earn more money instead of constantly complaining about money being tight.

Fortunately, Levi would only whine for a moment or two before looking for a solution.

After thinking for a few minutes, he opened the Three-Body Problem’s inbox and sent the same message to the only two friends on his list.

The Dealer and Madam Future.

-I still need that favor with the Wheel of Fortune and Madness... A cup of coffee?-

Ting! Ting!

-Yo, Celesti! I thought you died or something! Sure, dude... Name the time and place.- The Dealer replied with a thumbs-up emoji.

-Okay... Time and place?- Madam Future replied.

Although Levi had gone radio silent on them for a few months, their responses were more or less the same as always.

He sent them the details before switching to offline mode, knowing how chatty the Dealer could get if he caught him online.

’I’m not big on relying on luck... but I can’t leave the Wheel gathering dust forever. I’ve still got one coin to spend.’

Levi murmured inwardly as he manifested the Wheel of Fortune and Madness, its appearance unchanged. The brightly lit wheel was divided into ten uneven sections, each marked with its own color and prize.

Four sections shone brightly, offering a ninety-five percent discount, twenty Citadel-graded fragments, an A-Grade ten-token package, and the SS-Grade Recovery Totem.

The other six sat dark between them, making Levi’s breath catch.

A Joker perched on top of the wheel with his legs crossed and one foot swinging idly, the shoe on it curving into the shape of an arrow.

He kept gesturing toward the rewards, inviting Levi to try his luck... but the odds were nowhere near favorable.

’Are you sure about this?’ the Titan warned. ’You’re a Baron now... if you land on the wrong section, you could end up as a replacement in a game filled with Dominion owners.’

Levi remained silent as he thought it through. His spiritual prowess currently matched that of a third-stage Solarbound, while his physical strength was at first-stage Solarbound... though activating his Star-forged Skeleton could raise it to the third stage.

Strength-wise... he was more than ready to make a name for himself in the Baron rank.

The problem wasn’t whether Levi could match Solarbound rankers while still a Pathfinder... it was that his spiritual prowess would raise the average power level of his games, forcing him to face stronger opponents while still having to deal with their Dominions.

’Then... what am I supposed to do?’ Levi shook his head.

He understood that the more he increased his base strength, the stronger his opponents would become.

Even if he evolved his Nine Senses Seed to Warden Rank and unlocked Limited Access to its Dominion, using it would come at a nasty price... one that could easily get him killed if he used it improperly during a game.

Jasmine was a clear example. Her punishment involved having her life force consumed and falling into a Reality Limbo... Levi didn’t dare imagine what kind of punishment the Nine Senses Laws would impose on him.

This meant that waiting until he obtained a proper Dominion would require him to evolve to Solarbound while holding three Origin Seeds... something every being and entity in the universe claimed was impossible.

He couldn’t imagine that happening anytime soon... and even if a miracle occurred, he hadn’t forgotten what had happened to Ash’Kral’s previous partner, who had entered Baron-rank games as a Warden with a limited Dominion.

The trees had punished him for daring to place their precious Aspect fruits in the system’s hands, which in turn forced him into committing suicide.

Knowing this, Levi refused to follow the same path without the Ancestral Trees’ approval... and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy to obtain.

’This is quite an awkward situation.’

The Titan sighed in agreement, knowing that a Dominion offered such an overwhelming advantage in battle that it separated those at Tier 5 and above from the lower ranks.

It was a clear ceiling that was nearly impossible to break unless someone’s strength exceeded conventional limits.

”There must be a way...”

Levi sat up straight on the bed, his expression stern and irritated.

He had avoided the Nocturnal Ring because of Dominions, avoided spinning the Wheel because its traps might send him there without one of his own, and avoided Bishop Na’thir’s elites for the same reason.

He had done nothing but avoid, avoid, and avoid... all because he had learned early on that defeating someone inside their own Dominion without one of his own was a pipe dream.

But no more.

’I hold three Origin Seeds... If I can’t break these limitations, who will?’

He felt he had reached a point where possessing a Dominion was becoming a necessity... or, at the very least, he needed to figure out how to break free from one or avoid getting trapped inside it altogether.

”As much as I want to tell you there’s a way to create a Dominion on your own... I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Ash’Kral said calmly.

”Never?” Levi frowned.

If even Ash’Kral said it was impossible, then it simply wasn’t happening... and it made sense, since Dominions weren’t created by their users.

They were gifted by the Shadowlife Seeds and Origin Seeds. In other words, the universe itself created the Rift of Binding Laws and granted access to Dominions that could be used within that pocket dimension.

However, just as Levi was about to abandon the idea entirely, Ash’Kral added with a faint grin, ”While you can’t create a Real Dominion, it is quite possible to create a False one.”

”Huh?”

”Hmm?”

”False?”

This time, even the Titan and the Omnithar shared Levi’s startled reaction.