The Ashen Dominion
Chapter 40 - Confirmation

Chapter 40: 40 - Confirmation

"I think I can do it too..."

Kaiser muttered with slightly widened eyes.

And hearing him—

"Huh?"

"What?"

Brock and Khan were stunned, their head quickly snapping toward him.

And Immediately—

"Are you sure?!"

Khan grabbed Kaiser by the shoulders, shaking him a little as he questioned him.

"..."

Kaiser looked him in the eye, then slowly...

"Yeah."

He nodded his head.

"..."

"..."

Khan and Brock went silent.

Fwish—

They exchanged glances, both visibly surprised.

And after a moment...

"Try it."

Brock returned his gaze to Kaiser and said that.

Fwip—

"Yeah, let’s see if you really can."

Then Khan released his grip and took a step back.

"..."

Kaiser said nothing, silently observing them.

Then after a few moments of thought—

"Okay, I’ll try."

He mumbled that.

And without beating around the bush—

"Fuuuu..."

He drew in a deep breath, focusing himself.

"..."

His eyes closed.

And in that darkness—

Kaiser remembered how it felt when Brock’s skill had washed over him earlier.

The crushing pressure. The paralyzing fear. The bone-deep cold. The suffocating weight. And most of all—

’The murderous intent...’

As he latched onto that final feeling. Something surfaced in Kaiser’s memory.

The day he first arrived in this world...

Back when the guard escorted him to the cell where he would meet Damian again—

’The guard said that I was leaking malicious intent.’

(Chapter 7)

’How did I do that again...?’

Kaiser asked himself internally.

And only a second after—he remembered.

’Ah... That’s right...’

’I was thinking about smashing his skull from behind back then.’

Kaiser recalled.

And with that thought—

’I just need to do that... but deeper. And much stronger.’

Kaiser anchored himself in the memory.

He let it fester.

...

...

On the other hand—

"..."

"..."

Khan and Brock stood side by side, watching Kaiser in stillness. Their eyes never left him.

"Do you think he can do it?"

Khan whispered, voice low and uncertain.

"I don’t know... Maybe he’s just imagining things after experiencing my skill."

Brock muttered back, crossing his arms.

Even so—

"..."

"..."

They both kept watching. A spark of expectancy lingered beneath their doubt.

Though—

Seconds passed...

...

It became minutes.

And still...

"..."

Kaiser remained motionless. Eyes closed. Face unreadable.

"...He’s probably not going to pull it off."

Brock finally said, his voice almost disappointed.

"Mhm."

Khan gave a small nod, agreeing. The tension began to dissolve, their anticipation fading fast.

It seemed like nothing was going to happen.

Then, without warning—

"...!"

Kaiser’s eyes snapped open!

"...?"

"Huh?"

Brock and Khan met his gaze—casual, almost bored.

But then, suddenly—

SWOOSH—!

"?!"

"!!"

A violent wave of pressure surged through the air!

And their bodies flinched a bit instinctively!

A chill gripped their spines.

Their skin erupted in goosebumps.

Their hearts skipped beats.

’What the fuck?!’

Brock’s eyes widened, surprised apparent in his face.

’This kid...’

Even Khan, his usual calm expression was gone.

Because although it was several times weaker...

"It really is the same as my skill..."

Brock mumbled that, disbelief can be heard in his voice.

*****

Earlier...

(Kaiser’s POV)

"..."

With my eyes tightly shut, I focused myself.

I focused on one thing—emitting a strong murderous intent.

’What should I think of to make that happen?’

I asked myself internally, racking my brain.

Should I think like I’m going to stab them?

Slash them?

Crush their skulls?

Those were good. Violent. Malicious.

But...

’It’s not enough.’

I knew it. Instinctively.

Those thoughts lacked something. Something deeper.

And that is what I need to make this work.

’So what was I missing?’

I questioned.

...

Seconds slipped by.

Minutes bled.

Fwip-

I clenched my fists in silent frustration, my brows slightly twitching.

I can’t find the answer.

’The raw pressure I felt from Brock wasn’t about the act—it was about certainty. That overwhelming sense that I was going to die. That death was already decided.’

I thought.

And then—

’Ah...’

It finally hit me.

’That’s it.’

Brock’s intent wasn’t about how he was going to kill me. It was simply that he would.

No hesitation. No method. Just inevitable death.

That was the key.

So that’s just what I need to do...

And with that—

Fwip-

"...!"

I opened my eyes wide and glared at them.

Then with our gazes interlocked, and with a straight face—

’I just need to kill them.’

I declared that in my head.

SWOOSH—!

I felt like the world shifted.

The air tightened around us. The tension coiled like a viper ready to strike. The temperature dropped.

And in the next moment—

"?!"

"!!!"

I saw Brock’s and Khan’s expressions turn from bored to shock and disbelief.

And seeing that—

I immediately knew I did it.

Shock.

Disbelief.

I saw it flash through their eyes.

Though...

"?!"

A sharp sting suddenly pierced through my skull a couple of seconds after.

’W-What...?’

And without warning—

"GAARGH?!!"

It felt like my brain was being torn in two!

Thud!

I collapsed to my knees, hands flying to my head.

"GRRRGH!!!"

Pain hammered through my skull. My teeth dug into my lip to stop the scream—hot blood spilled into my mouth.

It hurt like hell.

Like my brain was rejecting something unnatural.

I clenched harder.

Fought through it.

Then slowly, after a while—

The pain started fading.

"Haaa... haa... haaaa..."

I quickly gasped for air.

I was breathless and soaked in sweat.

My chest rose and fell, struggling to calm down.

"What was that...?"

I muttered in confusion.

And then—

"That’s a side effect."

Brock’s voice dropped above me.

"...?"

I looked up.

Brock and Khan stood over me, their eyes sharp but no longer shaken.

"That happens when your body can’t handle the skill’s output. It backfires."

Brock explained.

And as those words sank in—

"Then... does that mean..."

"Yeah... You can use the same skill as mine."

He confirmed it.

I did it.

I really have a skill.

"Hah..."

My lips rose into a smile despite the pained expression still on my face.

"You look stupid."

I heard Brock say that.

I just ignored him.

"You look happy, huh."

Khan said, smiling at me.

And without hesitation...

"Of course, skills are awesome."

I replied with that.

"Haha..."

He laughed.

And casually—

"Then you’ll probably be super excited when you see magic."

Khan added that.

"... Magic...?"

I muttered, looking at him with wide eyes and curiosity.