THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR-Chapter 360: BATTLE ASSESSMENT

Yue's diminutive form seemed to grow more imposing as power gathered around her. The air thickened with concentrated mana, tasting of ozone and possibilities as she began a sequence of hand movements too complex and fluid for untrained eyes to follow. Each gesture left behind a momentary afterimage, golden sigils hanging in the air for heartbeats before dissolving into the surrounding atmosphere.

"Perhaps I should warn you," she said, her childlike voice suddenly carrying ancient harmonics that resonated through the bones of everyone present. "You might want to brace yourselves."

The first sign of transformation came from the floor. What had been shattered stone and scattered debris began to shimmer, its substance becoming translucent before seeming to melt away entirely. Yet rather than plunging them into the void beneath, the dissolving laboratory revealed glimpses of grass and ancient stonework emerging from the insubstantial mist that replaced solid matter.

David instinctively reached for Elara, steadying her as reality warped around them—only to realize she had done the same for him, their hands meeting in the middle with reflexive concern for each other's stability.

"What is this?" Luna whispered, her normally predatory confidence momentarily replaced by genuine wonder as the walls began to blur and expand outward.

The laboratory ceiling dissolved into azure sky, so perfectly blue it seemed painted rather than natural. Yet within this impossible vista, clouds drifted with persuasive realism, casting moving shadows across the emerging landscape. The broken remnants of Yue's equipment elongated and transformed, some sections becoming towering trees with gnarled branches that stretched toward the imaginary heavens, others morphing into crumbling ancient ruins that clung to the edges of what was rapidly becoming an impossible geography.

Only the doorway through which they had entered remained unchanged—a rectangular portal of mundane reality anchored amid increasingly fantastical surroundings.

The transformation accelerated, space folding outward in defiance of physical limitations. Where the laboratory had been confined by stone walls, an expansive plateau now stretched before them, bounded by sheer cliffs that gave way to misty depths. Islands floated impossibly in the distance, suspended among the clouds with no visible means of support, some connected by delicate stone bridges that seemed too fragile to bear weight yet radiated ancient strength.

At the center of it all, where the runic circle had been moments before, a magnificent stone platform now dominated the landscape. Intricate patterns carved into its surface gleamed with golden light, concentric circles of arcane symbols surrounding a central motif that resembled a compass rose, each directional point indicating cardinal energies with mathematical precision.

Distant in the hazy atmosphere, a castle perched among the clouds, its spires catching sunlight that cast long shadows across the impossible landscape. A massive tree dominated the foreground, its trunk wider than ten men standing together could span, branches creating natural archways that framed the stone platform like nature's own coliseum.

Vespera drifted to the platform's edge, her ethereal form seeming even more at home in this dreamlike environment. "Extraordinary," she breathed, her words carrying musical undertones that resonated perfectly with the harmonics of this impossible place.

David stepped forward carefully, testing the stone beneath his feet. Despite its illusory origin, it felt completely solid—more real, somehow, than the laboratory floor it had replaced. He knelt, pressing his palm against the intricate patterns.

"Is this a domain?" he asked, recognizing the signature of reality manipulation but puzzled by its particular quality. "It feels different from any domain I've encountered before."

Yue's laughter echoed across the expanded space, carrying farther than should have been possible in a mere laboratory. Her form appeared atop the central platform, having moved there instantaneously without crossing the intervening space.

"Not quite a domain," she corrected, clearly pleased by his question. "Domains require territorial anchoring and impose their creator's will upon underlying reality. This is a virtual physical environment—ephemeral but fully interactive. Think of it as reality within reality, a closed system that replicates physical laws while existing entirely within the confined space of my laboratory."

She gestured expansively, the movement causing ripples in the air like stones dropped in still water. "Everything you see exists simultaneously nowhere and exactly where it appears to be. The perfect testing ground."

Parlor tricks, Kaelith's dismissive voice echoed in David's mind. Mere light manipulation with basic sensory enhancement. Any fourth-tier illusionist could manage similar feats with sufficient power.

David ignored the bracelet's disdain, too captivated by the technical achievement to entertain Kaelith's criticism. The complexity required to create such a perfect simulacrum of physical space, complete with tactile sensation and consistent physics, represented magical theory of the highest order.

Luna prowled the perimeter of the platform, her predatory nature apparently satisfied that no actual threats lurked in the illusory landscape. "I detect no dimensional weaknesses," she observed with professional assessment. "The boundaries are remarkably stable for an artificial construct."

"Of course they are," Yue replied with a hint of professional pride. "I've had centuries to perfect the formula. Now," she clapped her hands together with childlike excitement that contrasted sharply with the ancient power she had just demonstrated, "shall we begin the assessment?"

Elara moved toward the center of the platform, flames dancing briefly across her fingertips before she extinguished them with conscious effort. "I'm eager to see what remains of your capabilities, David. Especially after that impressive theoretical display with the Guild Master."

But before David could respond, his battle instincts suddenly flared to life—a familiar tightening between his shoulder blades that had saved his life countless times before. Without conscious thought, his body twisted sideways, one arm rising to block a kick that materialized from seemingly empty air.

Litty's foot connected with his forearm with bone-jarring force, the impact sending concentric ripples through the illusory atmosphere around them. Her face registered momentary surprise before settling into frustrated acceptance that her sneak attack had failed.

"Damn it," she muttered, flipping backward to land in a perfect defensive stance a few paces away. "I was certain I had you that time."

David shook his arm, dispelling the numbness from the impact. Despite his dimensional changes, his combat reflexes remained razor-sharp—a promising sign. "You'll need to do better than that," he taunted with a playful smile. "I could sense your killing intent from ten paces away."