My Overpowered Demon System

"I already said earlier that domain creation involves the user forming a connection with the essence in the area, and that Aura Vision is required to do so. Correct?"

Azrael nodded slowly.

’Why is she acting like a nursery teacher?’ Azrael thought with a quiet smile.

[How I wish she could still read your mind.]

The system said.

Azrael just shook his head, not bothering to reply the system.

"But to establish that connection, there are things you need to understand first."

As she spoke, she rose from her chair and walked toward Azrael with calm, measured steps.

Azrael watched her with furrowed brows.

Her palm rested on his shoulder.

"Stand up straight."

The words carried an authority that made the request feel less like instruction and more like a command from someone who had never considered the possibility of being disobeyed.

Azrael straightened immediately, not even daring to be a second late.

He looked down at Jasmine from his height.

She remained entirely unbothered by the difference.

"There are different ways to establish a connection with essence."

She began walking in slow circles around him.

Azrael tried to follow her with his eyes but gave up after a few rotations.

"The most common method is establishing dominance over the essence itself. This is called the Dominion Domain."

She paused, both in words and in step.

"Although it is the easiest to learn and grants the most immediate benefits, its backlash is severe. Most people only use it as an emergency measure in situations where survival is already in question."

Azrael nodded.

Jasmine continued circling.

"Then there is the Contract Domain."

She did not pause this time.

"This method has both the highest potential and the lowest potential of any domain type. Its power is entirely dependent on the user’s affinity for essence and their chosen essence sprite."

Azral furrowed his brows at the word sprite, but Jasmine did not stop.

Her fingers began tracing the air around Azrael as she walked.

’This is unsettling,’ Azrael thought, trying to shake off the sensation.

"This method involves the user forming a bargain with an essence sprite."

Azrael’s brows furrowed yet again.

"Question," he said, raising his hand.

"Go ahead," Jasmine said, stopping just behind him.

Azrael did not turn.

"What is an essence sprite?"

A quiet, muffled laugh escaped Jasmine’s lips.

"An essence sprite is a spirit that forms naturally when essence reaches a sufficient concentration in a given environment. They are extremely rare in the wild. After considerable research, we found a way to create them artificially."

She resumed walking and continued.

"The third method is the opposite of the Dominion Domain. It is called the Two Way Domain."

Azrael felt a subtle shift in the air as she said it.

"This one involves temporarily merging with the surrounding essence while allowing it to feed off your own essence in return, growing as it does. Of all the methods, it consumes the most essence to sustain."

She exhaled, as though the next words were ones she would have preferred not to say.

"The last is the Forbidden Domain. The essence equivalent of the Dominion Domain. The most explosive of the four."

Azrael’s brows drew together. Anything carrying the word forbidden was going to come with a cost worth fearing.

Jasmine confirmed it immediately.

"The user surrenders his body to the essence to devour. In return, he receives an overwhelming explosive boost in power and an area of control that dwarfs everything else."

The description settled in Azrael’s mind and refused to leave.

"To prevent you from killing yourself in the future, I will only be teaching you the Contract and Two Way Domains. Depending on your progress, I may introduce the Dominion Domain later."

"What about the Forbidden Domain?" Azrael asked almost immediately.

"I just said I do not want you killing yourself. I will not be teaching it," Jasmine replied sharply.

’I never realized she was this considerate,’ Azrael thought, his view of her shifting slightly.

’That scheming Abaddon, I still do not know why he told me not to teach the boy the Forbidden Domain,’ Jasmine thought with a quiet snicker as she walked back to her seat.

She studied Azrael for a moment before speaking.

"We will start with the Two Way Domain since it has no additional requirements."

Azrael nodded, watching her.

"What are you looking at me for? You will be doing it yourself. I can only guide you," Jasmine said.

"First, activate your Aura Vision."

Azrael nodded but did not change anything.

Aura Vision was already a permanent passive state. There was nothing to activate.

"You have enough essence to keep Aura Vision running at all times without effort," Jasmine noted calmly, observing him.

She left it at that.

"Now, draw the motes of essence in the air toward yourself."

Azrael turned to her with raised brows.

"Is that not just normal cultivation?" He asked.

"No," Jasmine said, shaking her head.

"Instead of directing them into your core, draw them close to your body and keep them there. Do not let them enter."

Azrael creased his brows and began pulling the surrounding essence inward, letting the motes gather and hover around him without absorbing them.

"Now send strands of your own essence into each one."

Azrael’s expression shifted.

"There are over a thousand of them here," he said.

"I know. Do it within five seconds."

The words hit like a bolt of lightning.

Five seconds for over a thousand individual connections.

But his body moved before his mind could finish objecting, sending long strands of essence outward from his body that coiled like serpents, each one latching onto ten or more motes at once.

’This might actually be possible,’ Azrael thought as he watched the strands spread.

"That is five seconds," Jasmine said from behind him, her voice flat.

Azrael did not stop.

There were fewer than a hundred motes still unconnected.

Jasmine raised an eyebrow.

"When did I become so lenient?" She muttered to herself.

As if those words were a trigger, golden blood followed them.