Inside his Inner Rift Space, Arin Solara's Shadow Doppels trained relentlessly, honing their swordsmanship, aether manipulation, and resonance techniques. A faint smirk tugged at his lips — knowing his clones were doing the heavy lifting made life far more relaxed.
Stepping outside, he casually glided a few strides using Aether Step and arrived at the Eighth Order Barracks in record time.
The First Astral Order bore the responsibility of leading the Ten Orders, delivering decisions from the Council of Ancients, and overseeing all major directives.
The Eighth Order, by contrast, specialized in intelligence — monitoring the Outer Rings, gathering reports on other Orders, and essentially serving as the eyes and ears of the First.
Because their duties intertwined so closely, a liaison officer was needed — and that officer was Arin himself.
Through this role, he had naturally become acquainted with Kaelis Shunrei, the Eighth Order's commander.
Over time, it became obvious: their temperaments aligned perfectly.
One loved slacking off and sipping astral wine.
The other… well, did the exact same thing.
Friendship, inevitable.
Frequent visits led to camaraderie, and before long, Arin and Kaelis were drinking buddies.
Of course, unlike his carefree companion, Arin had no ulterior motives — merely observing local customs while ticking off his daily tasks with maximum efficiency.
The journey to the Eighth Order barracks was smooth.
A few effortless strides with Aether Step, and he arrived at Kaelis's office.
Kaelis was pretending to be busy but abandoned the charade immediately upon seeing him:
"Arin! You're here? A drink already? Wait, no! Selene will kill me! …Wait… why is the bottle already open? That's top-grade astral wine! I obtained this after trekking to the hermit shrines atop Mount Solara! Alright… fine, just one sip… no more than that!"
Half a cycle later…
Selene Yadomaru, the meticulous vice-commander of the Eighth Order, returned from her duties.
Her keen gaze immediately detected something amiss.
Her heart sank. Could it be… that guy again?
Without hesitation, Selene flashed into the office, ready for action.
What she saw:
Kaelis swaying drunkenly, humming an indecent tune.
And there, seated casually, was Arin — perfectly relaxed, smirking as if nothing could touch him.
They had done it again.
Selene's patience snapped. A terrifying aura of doom radiated from her petite frame as she drew her Spirit Arm, Haguro Tonbo.
"ENOUGH!" she roared.
Sensing imminent trouble, Arin gracefully disengaged, vanishing with a swift Aether Step.
Kaelis was left to face the wrath alone.
The wine was consumed.
The salted-star lifestyle preserved.
The mission accomplished.
Perfect.
[System Notification]
[Congratulations! Daily Task Complete: +1 Astral Resonance, +1 Solar Breathing Proficiency]
Arin felt a subtle shift in his resonance — a small but tangible growth.
In the Astral Dominion, resonance was everything.
Battles between Wardens weren't just tests of skill — one's aura alone could erase weaker souls.
Legends had shown it: a presence as overwhelming as Kaelis's mentor could reduce capable warriors to dust.
Absolute resonance meant absolute authority.
Greater resonance meant longer life.
More life meant more missions.
More missions meant greater resonance.
It was a perfect cycle.
Even though his own resonance wasn't at the level of the Dominion's mythical elites, Arin knew he could grow infinitely through daily tasks and training.
This was the exact path that past legends had envied.
His Solar Breathing proficiency increased too.
With just one daily task, he gained deeper insight into its twelve forms.
His strength was steadily climbing.
System grind: the true power behind his ascent.
As long as he survived long enough…
And continued daily refinement…
He would eventually reach the peak of the Astral Dominion.
Meanwhile, in the Eighth Order, Kaelis had sobered from sheer embarrassment.
Selene's "physical sobering" technique was perfected after years of discipline.
Observing Arin's rapid retreat, she muttered with irritation:
"Tch. He ran fast. He got off easy."
Kaelis sighed dramatically.
"You two… sure do get along well."
Selene shot a glare.
"…We are just book friends. Don't misunderstand."
It was true.
Selene often spent her free time in the libraries, immersing herself in literature.
Arin frequented the same bookstores, cultivating their friendship over shared interests — nothing more… at least, for now.
Kaelis smirked knowingly.
"Oh? Just book friends, huh?"
Selene adjusted her glasses, looking unbothered.
With a flick of her pigtail, she left — leaving Kaelis to stew in his own mistakes.