Chapter 41: The ceiling of the Lower Domain

Chapter 41 – The ceiling of the Lower Domain

Now that her questions were finally out of the way, Leon leaned back slightly, one hand resting over his thigh, gaze sharpening with the shift of gears in his mind.

’My turn now.’

He didn’t bother with the preamble. "Master," he began, voice calm, "back in the dungeon, there was something... strange. A message appeared about connecting to the Lesser System. What exactly is that?"

Seraphine blinked once. Then she gave a short nod as if that question had been expected eventually.

"Oh, that." Her voice softened with familiarity. "It’s the foundation. Everyone who gets a class connects to the Lesser System. It governs our class, abilities, affinity growth, all of it."

Leon tilted his head slightly, keeping his expression composed. ’So she doesn’t know... That I didn’t connect to the Lesser System at all.’

He stayed quiet, letting her explain without interrupting.

Seraphine gestured lightly with her hand. "You don’t need to chant or say anything aloud. Just think about accessing your status screen in your mind, and it’ll appear. It only shows for you—it’s not something others can see."

Leon absorbed the words, filing them away neatly. She wasn’t going to explain further. Not because she didn’t want to—but because, for most people, that was enough.

"Go ahead," she said, folding her arms with a faint smile. "Try it. You’ve probably seen the system already in the dungeon, right? This’ll be the same—just more detailed now that you’re fully awakened."

He gave a single nod in return.

’Call system, huh.’

Time to see how this works—_his_ way.

---

Leon closed his eyes for a breath.

’Status.’

The response was immediate.

A soft shimmer passed over his vision, and in the next moment, a golden translucent screen unfolded before his eyes—thin, elegant, and only visible to him. The script was clean, glowing faintly with celestial precision.

His gaze swept over the lines.

---

[Character Information]

[Name: Leon]

[Level: 1]

[Class: Elemental Paragon(SSS)]

[Age: 10 ( Soul Age: 19)]

[Race: Human]

[Cultivation: Apprentice Rank]

[Affinity: All (Rank 5)]

[Strength: 8]

[Agility: 9]

[Stamina: 9]

[Mana: 1000]

[Intelligence: 100]

[Skills: None]

[Technique: Mana Body Enhancement(Adept Rank)]

---

’...So that’s how it looks.’

He felt a strange stillness seeing it laid out like this—who he was, carved into golden lines. The title _Elemental Paragon_ glowed brighter than the rest, almost pulsing with quiet authority.

The stats were modest outside of his mind and mana. ’Strength, Agility, and Stamina still look human... but Intelligence and Mana are already absurd for someone my age. And affinity rank five across the board?’

He lowered his hand to his lap, thoughtful.

’So this is what she thinks I got from the _Lesser_ System. Wonder what her reaction would be if she saw the real screen from the _Cosmic_ one.’

Leon said nothing, the screen still floating before him like a mirror that told more than just the surface.

But inwardly—he smiled.

’Alright, let’s start putting this to use.’

---

Leon leaned back slightly, eyes still half-focused on the screen only he could see. "I can see it," he said quietly, gaze flicking to Seraphine. "There’s a screen with my stats. Everything’s laid out."

He left out the part about the golden color.

Seraphine gave a pleased nod, her tone calm but faintly proud. "Good. That’s the System’s standard interface—the blue screen. It helps you keep track of your growth, especially after Class Awakening."

Leon tilted his head. "So it’s only for stats?"

She crossed one leg over the other, resting her elbow on the desk as she looked at him. "That’s all the Lesser System does. It doesn’t grant skills or guidance—it just tracks what you earn through effort. But don’t underestimate it. With that screen, you can measure your progress in real-time. No more guessing if your training worked."

Leon hummed thoughtfully.

’So she really doesn’t know anything else. That means... the Cosmic System isn’t just stronger—it’s completely unknown to this world.’

He folded his arms across his chest, relaxing a little. "Got it. Just a status screen. Useful enough."

Seraphine offered a soft smile. "It may seem simple, but it’ll become your best ally. Especially now that you’ve started walking your own path."

Leon nodded once, gaze briefly lowering back to the faint shimmer only he could see.

’Started walking, huh... yeah. That’s exactly what it feels like.’

_____

Leon tapped his fingers lightly on the chair arm, eyes thoughtful.

’Apprentice Rank. Level 1. That lines up with the status screen, but... what does that really mean in terms of growth?’

He glanced at Seraphine.

"What’s the connection between cultivation rank and level? Mine shows Apprentice Rank, Level 1."

Seraphine nodded. "That’s how it’s structured. Cultivation ranks are divided by level thresholds. Apprentice Rank spans Levels 1 through 10. After that, you’re supposed to break through to the next rank—which I don’t know off"

Leon’s brows lifted. " You don’t know? You haven’t seen people go beyond Apprentice?"

Seraphine shook her head slowly. "No. That’s the thing. No one in the Lower Domain ever gets past Level 10 Apprentice. It’s not the system that blocks it. It’s the world itself."

Leon blinked. "Explain."

She leaned back, crossing her arms. "The mana density here is too low. Not enough to sustain advancement beyond Level 10. You can train endlessly, but without a breakthrough source of power—like high-tier dungeons or concentrated mana zones—it’s like trying to grow crops in barren soil."

’That explains it...’ Leon thought, silent. ’So they’re not stuck because of the system. They’re stuck because the environment won’t let them go further.’

"And dungeons?" he asked aloud.

Seraphine nodded again. "Same story. The Lower Domain barely has any dungeons above beginner level. They’re low-tier, low-risk, and they don’t push people far enough, for me those dungeons are practically worthless."

Leon leaned back slightly.

’So that’s why no one here has seen the other ranks. Not because they’re not real—but because this place is a cage. And they don’t even realize it.’

"I see," he murmured. "So even if someone’s talented, their growth caps out just because the world doesn’t give them enough to rise."

"Exactly." Seraphine looked at him carefully. "Which is why your class and potential matter even more now. You’ll be hitting the ceiling faster than anyone else."

Leon didn’t say anything. But in his heart, one thought echoed clearly:

’I’m not stopping at Level 10.’

"So you are also apprentice rank," he asked.

Seraphine nodded and answered.

"Yes I am apprentice rank Level 10 but I have no realistic way of going any further"

Disappointment was clearly visible in her eyes, but there was hope in her mind, she had tried that method but failed and barely survived that day.

’what if Leon reaches Level 10 would he be able to take on those monsters in the forbidden region’

She didn’t have an answer to that question right now but she believed if it was Leon it could be possible with his A rank Class, that way he would be able to reach the next rank which was close to impossible here.

She really hoped that day would come.

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