Chapter 199: Emperor's Domain, Part 1

The next day, the sun came in and revealed four girls lying on Howard's chest after a night of indulging in all of Howard's fantasies. 

Though it wasn't exactly everything he wanted, kissing four different girls for a night was really a dream come true. Normally, they'd each take turns sleeping with him every night, but on this special occasion, he had all of them together.

He smiled, and looked at Monica snoring with the other girls. He'd finally tired them out. And he finally got to look at the present Monica had given him once more. 

She had asked Una when she was at the Dark Bloodlands to get in contact with Barabin's grandson to see if he could dig up any information on Howard's relatives, and he couldn't believe it. His grandmother, whom he thought would be impossible to find without Waxel, was actually living next door to his old house. Indell, had almost no trouble finding her. If she was who she thought he was, hsi grandmother had played catch with him as a child. How? How did Indell find this information, he didn't understand!

"I-I'm really not alone anymore," Howard said with tears flowing down his eyes. He was sixteen, but had a lot of raw emotions from the last few weeks. First, he found out that his great grandfather was Waxel, and now he had his three out of four of his previous girlfriends by his side. "I-I don't understand! Why? Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't she tell me she was my great grandmother! Maybe-maybe my parents would still be alive! I don't understand!"

"Howard, we have to talk," Harkel walked in the room, his black cape fluttering in the wind. In the morning light, he literally looked like the darkness of the night returning besides for his amber eyes. "I-I have something I need you to do in the next two weeks. It's, I believe, the only way I can guarantee no one you love dies."

"What is it?" Howard got up and walked with Harkel. "And… you didn't hear anything last night?"

"I heard everything you little brat! Now come with me! It took me over ten hours to get Oclen to go get another book on arrays, now hurry!"

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Harkel guided Howard into a small tunnel before he sighed and patted him on the shoulder.

His strength, which had once been at the midlevels of the SSS rank, was now barely in the S rank at best. For three months, because he gave Reslan some of his ghost essence to heal his Ki Hearts, he'd pretty much be no help to Howard.

It was one of the hardest decisions in his life to help out Reslan, but he had already put a lot of his eggs in Howard's basket. As fast as possible, he wanted Howard to do what was almost impossible for everyone in the Furnace. He patted Howard on the shoulder, and then looked deep into his eyes.

"Howard, I have some bad news for you. I-I have a feeling something very bad soon is going to happen to Horned Nation. In fact, the entire bottom level of the Furnace."

"The Furance technically has three levels, the Lowest level where we are, the Jarkalon Abyss, and then the area above that called the Marken Hills. Anyways, that's not important, but what is important is that you are probably going to play a central component. You see, Demon King Earl trusted me with something that I was supposed to keep a secret until someone like you came along. That secret, that huge secret, is the location of his burial grounds!"

"He has a very important treasure inside of where he was interred, and with it, someone like the Night Lords, or the Arthraku can do almost anything they want with the Ki in the Furnace! However, watching you the last few weeks, I can tell you won't ever use it, like he vowed to do! I-I can't tell you more for safety reasons, but, Howard, in less than two years, I can already sense all sides approaching. And before that time happens, in fact, before you fight Armecolith, I need you to try and make a domain!"

"And not just any domain, but an emperor's domain, using your emperor's ki! Howard, I know this is a lot of pressure for you, but can you promise mie? You'll stop focusing on training your Ki Barriers to breach the SS rank, and skip right to the domain. I know-I know this doesn't make sense, but trust me! It's the only way you'll be able to protect this place and his tomb if I'm gone!"

Howard felt like a ton of information just got passed to him, and he was having some trouble figuring out what to say. For one, he couldn't imagine anyone killing Harkel if he was as strong as he thought, and two, how could he possibly know that a huge disaster was going to happen in two years?

He already told him that the monster in the cave in Jarlon Valley would wake up in two years, but now that on top of this! However, obviously, if it was in his power, of course he would do anything to protect the Furance and the Horned, so there was no way he'd say no!

"I'll do whatever you recommend Harkel." Howard replied with a smile, However, can you be more specific about what's in the Demon King tomb? I-I don't get it?"

"The only thing I can tell you is that there is a certain treasure in the Furnace that allows a person to draw in a nearly infinite amount of Ki for a small amount of time. This includes Dream Ki," Harkel took a deep breath,"And other types of Ki you never heard of, and that we don't even know the properties of yet! It's been theorized by many throughout the years, that there may even be a type of Ki to create life and one type to create destruction! With this device, though I can't tell you everything, you can literally turn this world into anything you want! You can not only make your dreams come true, but create them!"

"Sounds amazing, haha!" Howard nodded his head, "However, how are you so sure I won't use it?"

"I knew when I saw you with four girlfriends." Harkel smiled, "You had the same damn self-satisfied smile Demon King Earl always had! Only someone who has everything he wants can get the device, yet those who want it obviously wouldn't be searching for it if they had desires! That's why I must choose you, Howard! Because, you, you have everything you need and want right now!"

"I-I saved Reslan for that very reason! So you wouldn't lose someone you loved! It's also for that reason, you must defeat Armcecolith before I tell you where his tomb is! Before I let you get started on your journey there! Howard, it is so infinity far away from here that it could take you months to reach there, but are you willing to do it?"

"I-I'm ready to learn about domains," Howard said with a smile, "But, aren't there so many parts? How can I possibly master it."

"I don't want you to master it," Harkel said with a smile, "I want you to master what other people have mastered. That's the only strategy I could think of to get you strong as fast as possible. Howard, I want you to copy my Ghost Domain completely! However, I must warn you, the training I thought of for you will be terrifying. Are you with me?"

"Of course, but… why are you telling me this in private?" Howard looked upwards and noticed Oclen was slowly walking back in his direction with a couple of books. "Isn't Oclen an ally."

'I-I beleive Oclen might have bene taken over by something, ,but I'm only 5 percent confident," Harkel sighed and patted Howard on the shoulder. "However, don't worry, in 2 weeks, I'm one hundred precent sure you'll be able to kill him if he dares attack you!"