Castiel was surrounded by mages launching various elemental spells at him. The air crackled with the energy of fireballs, wind blades, and water lances. Castiel extended his arms, but nothing happened. Each spell struck him, causing visible strain, yet he kept on going.

"Again!" he commanded, brushing off the discomfort. One of the mages voiced their concern, questioning the purpose of Castiel's training. They pointed out that he wasn't an Elemental or Mystic Art user, and his repeated injuries seemed senseless, even with his accelerated healing.

Castiel was trying to do what he had learned about the incident from Byron, the first day they met, where he unknowingly exhibited an ability of making an incoming fireball into his own. Castiel seeked Chief Orisan for guidance about what he had done that day and found out that it was an ancient Dragon bloodline ability.

Assuming control of the surrounding magic, essentially making it an extension of oneself, was a rare and potent ability known as Magic Dominion. Dragons, despite their inherent inability to cast conventional magic spells, possessed a unique bloodline attribute that endowed them with the extraordinary capability to commandeer and assimilate the magical spells cast by others.

This distinctive ability allowed Dragons to seize control of incoming spells and seamlessly incorporate them into their own magical repertoire. The synergy of this inherent power with the utilization of Rune-crafted weapons and armors elevated Dragons to a seemingly invincible status on the battlefield.

Frustration marked Castiel's face as he struggled with the practice. "It's just something... I thought I could do." he admitted, acknowledging the difficulty and his uncertainty about the process.

Meanwhile, soldiers engaged in various training activities across the grounds – some honing their marksmanship using guns, others perfecting swordplay, and some mastering battle magic. Amidst this, Castiel noticed one individual practicing swordplay alone.

Approaching the lone swordsman, Castiel recognized “I see you are healed, completely."

Damian Vandran, son of Drakkar Vandran, looked back and greeted Castiel, "Well, what can I say. Your potions worked way too well. I feel ready for…..anything!”

Castiel replied, "Good! I have a mission for you."

Damian asked, "What sort of mission?"

Castiel responded, "It's a reconnaissance mission. I need precise information on the whereabouts of over a hundred of our kids in Eskol. Find out where they're held, understand its defenses, identify the slavers - gather every detail you can."

Damian acknowledged, “All right."

Castiel emphasized, "Be discreet and observant. Once you have the information, wait for me and we'll plan their rescue together."

Damian questioned, “Wait! You are not coming with me?”

Castiel replied, "Not right away. I need to do something else first. I’ll be two days behind you. The auction starts in a week, so we have ample time.”

Damian nodded, “....Ok.”

"Now. Get yourself ready." Castiel commanded. However, he emphasized a crucial point to his impulsive friend, "Damian! Observe only. Is that understood?"

For the past two and a half years, Castiel dedicated himself to the noble cause of liberating slaves, among whom were many Xanderians. He provided them temporary sanctuary within the Eco-Sphere until a more permanent solution could be found.

Some of the rescued individuals, not originally from Xander, expressed their gratitude by pledging allegiance to Castiel. Their home nations had been ravaged, leaving them without a place to return, a tragic circumstance that led them into the shackles of slavery.

In his pursuit of rescuing enslaved Xanderians scattered across neighboring territories, Castiel stumbled upon Damian, a childhood friend. Damian had been undertaking the similar self-imposed mission of liberating Xanderian slaves but met with misfortune when he was captured by slavers. Severely beaten and on the brink of death, Damian's fate would have been sealed if not for Castiel's timely intervention.

The tumultuous events surrounding the fall of Xander abruptly halted Damian's training as he aspired to follow in his father's footsteps and become a spy. The chaos of those times not only left him with skills left unfinished but also highlighted a crucial trait lacking in him - patience.

Damian, by nature, was hotheaded, a characteristic that didn't align with the subtleties and strategic thinking typically associated with espionage. Despite this, the shared determination to continue the fight for their people's freedom forged a powerful bond between Castiel and Damian.

Damian, assured Castiel, "Understood!" as he headed back to his house to prepare for the mission.

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After the conversation with Damian, Castiel headed to see Master Duveam, the skilled forger he had rescued from slavery about a month ago. Approaching the newly built forge, Castiel found Master Duveam engrossed in his work.

"Highness! Long time no see. I heard you came in last night. How is everything... outside? Did you find my son?" Master Duveam inquired, his eyes reflecting hope.

Castiel remained silent, and Master Duveam, catching the unspoken words, sighed. "Hmmmm..."

Shifting the conversation, Master Duveam remarked, "Well, this place is... beautiful and mind-boggling. I mean, Dragonewts are alive and well. The outside world would be in complete shock if they knew what you were hiding all these years."

"The Dragonewts would be dead if the outside world knew about them being alive," Castiel responded solemnly.

"Yes... Yes... Chief Orisan told me. What a tragic story," Master Duveam acknowledged, recognizing the delicate balance of their existence.

Breaking the silence, Master Duveam inquired, "Well... You came to see me. That means we are building something, aren't we?"

Castiel's eyes lit up, "Yes, and you are gonna love it."

Excited, Master Duveam asked, "Well, what is it? Tell me already!"

Castiel revealed, "Arcane Alloy! Programmable matter.

Perplexed, Master Duveam questioned, "What's that?"

"A new kind of alloy, made by fusing Adamantite and Magistones. But what sets it apart is the infusion of Rune-crafting. With this extraordinary combination, we gain the power to manipulate its size, making it shrink or expand at our will. This alloy becomes a versatile material, a tool we can shape and control according to our desires. The possibilities are boundless. We can make the alloy respond to our commands, transforming it into a substance capable of remarkable feats, limited only by our imagination." Castiel explained.

With a tinge of sadness, Master Duveam said, "Highness! Many before you have tried to do that. No one has ever accomplished it. Hell, even Dragons failed, according to history."

"True, because they couldn't get the necessary magical energy required to stabilize the fused alloy. They failed because they thought the mana inside the Magistones would be enough," Castiel elucidated. He then said with a confident smile, "But... We won't fail because we have that missing puzzle, don't we?"

Master Duveam looked at Castiel for a moment, then erupted in joy, "THE ARC REACTOOOR!" He joyfully tackled Castiel to the ground, "Ohh, you genius boy!"

Amidst laughter and excitement, Castiel, on the receiving end of a dwarf's enthusiastic tackle-hug, couldn't help but wonder. What's with Dwarves and tackling all the time. Can't they just shake hands like normal people.

Realizing his exuberance, Master Duveam apologized while getting up, and Castiel reassured him, "It's fine... It's fine. Now, shall we get started?"

"Yes, but we are gonna need a lot of help," Master Duveam pointed out.

Castiel nodded, "Yes, and thankfully we have thousands of runesmiths around us."

With that, Master Duveam laughed, heading to gather ingredients, while Castiel made his way to Chief Orisan with a request for assistance in their ambitious project.

***

Inside the throne room of the Royal Palace of Vespera, Kairos found himself gripped by the neck, his body hanging in the air as Hannibal, his Vampire Lord, expressed his displeasure. "You mongrel! You had one task, to get Princess Isabella to me." With a swift and forceful motion, Hannibal flung Kairos into the wall, the impact echoing through the grand chamber. "How hard is it to capture a human!!!" Hannibal roared in anger.

As Kairos gathered himself from the floor, Hannibal's fury continued to seethe. The vampire lord demanded an explanation, "My lord, we had her. We almost had her, but... we were attacked by someone more powerful than us."

Hannibal, eyes ablaze with frustration, questioned, "What do you mean attacked? Was it someone from the Helsing Legion?"

Fear etched on his face, Kairos responded, "No, my lord. It was... a human."

Hannibal stared at Kairos in disbelief, a low growl escaping his throat. "What sort of nonsense is that? A human more powerful than vampires? You dare lie to me?"

In sheer terror, Kairos pleaded, "No! My lord. Please trust me, I am not lying. His scent was human, he matched our speed, and he was killing us with his bare hands."

Although skeptical, Hannibal discerned the genuine fear in Kairos' eyes. The thought of a lone human overpowering vampires seemed implausible, yet the fear in his subordinate's eyes suggested otherwise. Perhaps someone from the Legion with enhanced abilities through artifacts.

Curiosity overriding anger, Hannibal inquired, "Was he alone?"

Kairos confirmed, "Yes, my lord. He was alone."

Hannibal, deep in thought, mused to himself, Hmm... So, a lone soldier. No need to worry then. But... I don't have time to search for the princess. For now my research takes precedence.

Turning his attention back to Kairos, Hannibal issued a decisive order, "Don't go after the Princess for now. Stop the hunt and recall all the vampires inside the country to the Capital. Garrison every vampire here until I come back."

Kairos, still trembling with fear, gathered his composure and inquired cautiously, "May I ask where are you going, my lord?"

Hannibal, his anger not completely abated, growled, and Kairos winced in fear. "Forgive me, my lord. I will do as you ordered," he hastily replied, understanding the gravity of the situation.