Chapter 5: Intergration Process

Cassian woke up the next morning around five. Today was the day he would enter the Lord’s Domain.

​He had spent the entirety of the previous night catching up with his family and simply enjoying their presence. Now, it was time to step onto the battlefield.

​First, however, he had a few errands to run. He needed to buy the promised ice cream for Ruby, convert a portion of his funds into Lord Coins, and grant authorization to the bank so he could process future conversions directly through his commlink.

Only then would he head into the Lord’s Domain.

​’Alright, the future won’t change itself. It’s time to get to work.’

​Getting out of bed, Cassian completed his usual physical conditioning routine: 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 pullups, and 100 squats.

​After finishing his workout, Cassian brushed his teeth and took a refreshing cold shower. He dressed in a grey compression shirt, black joggers, and black sneakers.

​Leaving his bedroom, he slipped into Ruby’s room. Seeing her still sound asleep, he leaned down and lightly pecked her forehead. A soft, subconscious smile spread across her face as he pulled away.

​In the living room, Seraphina was just finishing her morning prayers. She was a Starborn, a devout believer in the Celestial Faith, one of the most prominent religions across the Astral Dominion and neighboring interplanetary civilizations.

​Technically, Cassian and Ruby were Starborns as well, but Cassian had never shared his mother’s deep religious fervor.

Their difference in conviction had led to endless arguments during his teenage years, until they finally compromised and he agreed to attend her Star gatherings at least once a month.

​"I’m stepping out to run a few errands, Mom," Cassian said gently. "Tell Ruby I’ll be back soon."

​"Okay, honey. Be safe, and may the stars illuminate your path."

​Seraphina placed a blessing hand on his head before stepping back. Cassian gave her a warm nod and headed out the door.

....

Cassian headed to the bank first.

​The physical branch was relatively small because most customers only visited to authorize sensitive account features or resolve rare glitches in their transfer apps, issues that couldn’t be handled by automated customer care.

Everything within the Astral Dominion was completely digitized, and the fact that a single central bank handled every financial transaction made the entire system seamless and efficient.

​Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for Cassian to reach the counter, process the conversion, and grant the necessary permissions.

​The banker tapped a few commands into his terminal before a small holographic slip materialized between them.

​"The current exchange rate is fixed at one Lord Coin for every ten thousand Astral Coins," the banker explained. "Based on your conversion request, your ⍟10,000,000 Astral Coins will be exchanged for ∆1,000 Lord Coins."

​He picked up the holographic slip and pushed it toward Cassian.

​"This is your redemption code. Once you enter the Lord’s Domain, present it to any authorized Treasury merchant to claim your Lord Coins."

​The banker’s expression turned serious. "You should be aware that this code is equivalent to legal ownership of the funds themselves. Anyone in possession of it can redeem the Lord Coins."

​He paused, adding a stern warning. "Do not share it with anyone. Should the code be lost, stolen, or redeemed by a third party, the bank bears no responsibility for the loss."

​Cassian glanced at the long string of glowing characters before securely storing the digital file. "I understand."

​The banker nodded approvingly. "Good. Lord Coins are considerably more valuable than standard Astral currency. Treat the code accordingly."

​"I will."

​"Alright, Lord Cassian. We are all done here," the banker said with a polite bow. "May your banner reach the stars."

​Leaving the bank, Cassian made a quick stop at a nearby ice cream parlor, picking up a cold, sweet treat before taking a hover taxi back to his apartment.

When he reached the door, he saw the package the Association had delivered and picked it up before opening the door. Inside, Ruby was already awake and bouncing with energy.

The moment he handed her the package, the little girl became far more interested in the ice cream than in her father, but watching her pure joy was more than enough reward.

​Cassian turned toward his mother. "I’m going to start the integration process now. Make sure no one disturbs me."

​"Of course, darling," Seraphina replied softly. "Good luck."

​Cassian walked into his bedroom, closing and locking the door firmly behind him. Standing in the quiet room, he took a deep breath.

​’It’s time to begin.’

....

The integration process was the first thing a Lord was required to undergo before gaining access to the Lord’s Domain.

Strictly speaking, the process was instinctive. The moment a Lord initiated integration, their Lord Seed would naturally guide them through the necessary steps.

​Nevertheless, in his past life, Cassian had watched tutorial videos on the process anyway. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

​The tutorial itself had been surprisingly childish.

​The video opened with a cheerful cartoon star wearing a tiny crown and cape.

​"Hello, future Lord!" the star exclaimed, waving enthusiastically. "Congratulations on your awakening!"

​Cassian remembered staring at the screen in utter disbelief.

​The next scene showed a tiny cartoon Lord standing alone on a single planet. A giant red X immediately materialized above his head.

​"Can a single planet serve as your Anchor?"

​The cartoon Lord looked up, hopeful.

​"Nope!"

​The narrator’s voice was far too excited for such devastating news.

​The planet promptly exploded, and the cartoon Lord screamed as he was launched off-screen in a trail of smoke.

​The tutorial then introduced several planets connected by glowing lines.

​"To become a true Lord, you need an Interplanetary Civilization capable of supporting an Anchor!"

​The cartoon Lord reappeared riding a rocket, crashing directly into the cluster of worlds. A large green checkmark flashed above the scene.

​"Success!"

​Fireworks exploded across the screen as the cartoon character began to dance. Cassian distinctly remembered wondering back then who on earth had approved the video’s budget.

​The explanation continued as a glowing chain emerged from the cartoon civilization, linking firmly to the Lord.

​"This is your Anchor!" the narrator declared. "Your civilization verifies your status and allows you to safely enter the Lord’s Domain!"

​The chain sparkled, and the little Lord gave a confident thumbs-up.

​Then, the mood abruptly shifted. Dark clouds gathered overhead as a giant monster appeared, smashing the entire civilization into pieces.

​The chain snapped. The cartoon Lord froze. His crown disappeared, his smile vanished, and a giant label appeared above his head:

​[WORLDLESS LORD]

​The pitiful character immediately began wandering aimlessly through empty space, holding a cardboard sign that read: "Will Work For Anchor."

​Several passing civilizations either kicked him away or handed him servitude contracts thicker than his entire body.

​"Remember!" the narrator cheerfully announced. "Protect your civilization! A Lord without an Anchor is a Lord without a home!"

​The cartoon Lord burst into tears as the video faded to black.

​Looking back, Cassian had to admit the tutorial was surprisingly effective. Silly as it was, even an idiot could understand the Integration Process after watching it once.

​More importantly, it had taught him a lesson he would never forget. A Lord’s strength wasn’t theirs alone.

​Their civilization was the foundation upon which everything stood. Lose that foundation, and even the mightiest Lord would fall.