Reincarnating As A Prince in the DC Universe

A/N: I finally found a reasonable way to nerf Aiden down, or rather, not make him overly Overpowered in comparison to Humans in general. This however, is for now, as there are still more stars ahead for him to unlock.

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Unknown Location.

The air here was thick and stagnant, so heavy with magic that even the wind dared not stir.

Not a single leaf rustled in the towering trees that stood in eerie stillness beneath the sun's indifferent gaze. The very earth hummed with raw mana, pulsing like a heartbeat beneath the surface.

This was no ordinary territory.

A cloaked figure's boots crunched against the gravel path as he walked, each step heavy with the oppressive pressure of the mana saturating the area.

It was as if the air itself rebelled against his intrusion, forcing his lungs to work harder with every breath.

"Feels like I'm walking through water," The Cloaked figure muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Even speaking felt like a challenge here. The weight of that figure's energy pressing against his throat.

Ahead of him, a solitary tower pierced the sky, its jagged silhouette framed by the unnaturally still horizon.

He paused at the base of the tower, his mana zone flickered briefly around him, attempting to push back the suffocating mana. Yet, it wasn't enough to break through entirely.

'Indeed, the Dark Lord is no ordinary mage.' the figure thought despite himself. As an Archmage, his mana zone couldn't even properly form within the confines of the Dark Lord's mana overflow.

"Who dares disturb my sanctuary?"

A voice boomed from within the tower, it was so deep that it vibrated through the stagnant air like a drumbeat.

The cloaked figure felt his body tense instinctively as the presence of the mage expanded, the oppressive and overflowing mana began condensing into a tangible force that bore down on him like a tidal wave.

The Cloaked figure immediately fell prostrate on his knees. "I go by Sonsales, and I have urgent news to pass to you from the Dark Order."

The crushing pressure flickered before dissipating and dying out, however, the Cloaked figure, Sonsales didn't dare resume his upright posture.

From the entrance of the tower, a figure emerged.

Cloaked in dark, flowing robes, the mage's eyes glowed faintly with an eerie light. His presence was overwhelming, like staring into the eye of a hurricane.

"How urgent is it that the order couldn't wait for me to return?" The figure who had just emerged from the tower spoke curiously with his hand stretched towards the messenger.

The moment the Dark Lord's gaze settled on him, Sonsales felt it—a silent command woven into the mana-laden air and his body moved without thought, drawn forward by an unseen force.

His knees met the ground before he even registered the motion.

Then came the pressure, a cold and invasive sensation, wrapping around his mind like an iron vice.

His breath hitched as his thoughts were no longer his own, consciousness slipping as the Dark Lord rifled through his memories with effortless precision.

"I see." The Dark Lord said and casually flung the messenger to the ground.

"*Gasp*" The messenger let out a loud gasp as his consciousness returned, along with a head-splitting pain to his head.

However, as this wasn't his first experience, he quickly suppressed the pain and stood up, albeit staggeringly.

With his head bowed, he addressed the Dark Lord. "What should my report be to the Order?"

The Dark Lord observed the messenger for a good while but said nothing. He was still trying to make sense of the information he had just gotten from the man's mind.

From the messenger's memory, he came to know that the invasion from the stars had been thwarted by the combined force of Mages, warriors, Amazons and Gods.

However, that wasn't the most striking information on the war.

It was the young mage that awed the entire battlefield with his feat of killing not one, not two, but three New Gods in succession. A feat not even Thalor despite his strength as a Grand Mage of a Tower managed.

The Dark Lord's fingers twitched, barely containing the urge to sneer as he recalled that following their last clash, Thalor was still more powerful than himself, and even he couldn't do it, that goes to show how powerful those invaders were.

However…

A young brat not even up to a hundred years old managed that?

And now he was being tasked with eliminating said brat?

Not to mention, this brat was able to annihilate 7 Archmages previously sent to assassinate him.

Despite the event haven not even managed to see the light of the new day, the Dark Order had already procured information on the mission.

This went to show how extensive their information network is.

And in a bid to eliminate a potential stumbling block, they overlooked certain restrictions and specifically requested he complete the mission.

Glancing at the messenger who was also an Archmage, the Dark Lord's expression couldn't help but twist in what could only be described as a perverted excitement.

'That brat must be your protégé, huh Thalor?' He thought to himself as he imagined the defeated and angered expression of the grand mage of the magic tower upon receiving the news.

In the magical society, the rank of Grand Mage, although not as popular as the Archmages and below, were not little.

Since anyone is capable of learning magic, anyone is capable of reaching certain level of power.

However, just as they're those Overpowered within their Realms, the same applied in this case.

As someone who had a wealth of knowledge at his behest and the step by step tutoring of various magical geniuses, there was no arguing the fact that Thalor was powerful.

And in the same way, there are always those who feel envious of such individuals with the reason being: If I had the same upbringing, I would've been better.

This Grand Mage was one such individual.

'Still, that brat must be something to have developed a domain. I wonder how it compares to a Grand Mage's.' He thought before withdrawing into the tower.

As for the messenger, he immediately found himself at the edge of the Domain much to his shock. Just as he was about to inquire once again on what to report back, the Dark Lord's voice reached his ears.

"Report the task as completed as soon as you arrive. The boy won't be among the living much longer."

"Understood." the messenger crossed his right hand on his heart and gave a salute before turning and dashing away.

He wouldn't want to be here any longer than necessary. 'To think that the difference in strength is this monumental.' the messenger thought as he ran.

The messenger fled, his mind reeling. The gap between an Archmage and a Grand Mage... it was like trying to grasp the horizon—always just out of reach.

Within a Grand Mage's domain, reality itself bowed to their will.

While Archmages cloaked themselves in their mana zone, an aura akin to a second skin that granted them unparalleled control over their mana, a Grand Mage ascended beyond such constraints.

Their mastery was not confined to their body; it extended outward, affecting the world itself with their will.

A Grand Mage didn't merely wear their power; they became it.

The most telling factor of a Grand Mage was their Aura of Dominion.

This was no simple extension of their mana, no mere enhancement of their spells. It was a proclamation of sovereignty, an unspoken declaration that within their domain, they were absolute.

The zone of influence stretched for kilometers, enveloping everything within a bubble of their magic. The air, the ground, the very fabric of reality itself seemed to shift, adapting to a specific characteristic of the Grand Mage's magic.

A fire Grand Mage's domain could be a living inferno, where the air shimmered with unnatural heat and the ground cracked open, seething with flames that burned in impossible hues.

A water-aligned Grand Mage could flood their surroundings with mist, currents, or even standing water, each droplet carrying the weight of their intent.

Within this domain, the Grand Mage reigned supreme.

A Grand Mage's power was not merely wielded—it was imposed. Their magic was not an art, nor a craft. It was law.

Within their domain, reality bent, reshaped by their elemental truth. A fire-wielding Grand Mage did not merely conjure flames, they dictated destruction and rebirth.

Every ember carried intent, every flicker of heat a decree.

When two Grand Mages clashed, it was more than a battle of strength, it was a battle of philosophies, of who could make the world bend more.

A fire-aligned Grand Mage's domain, for instance, might not just burn with heat but embody the concept of destruction and rebirth.

Everything within their domain would face inevitable annihilation, only to be reforged stronger. Weapons disintegrate but return as molten, devastating versions of themselves; enemies' bodies burn, yet wounds cauterize instantly, forcing them to endure the pain of being unmade and remade repeatedly.

A water-aligned Grand Mage's domain could embody the concept of adaptability and inevitability.

The currents within their domain would ebb and flow, bending around attacks and obstacles effortlessly, all while pulling their foes inexorably toward defeat, like an undertow dragging them into the depths.

The air would grow heavy with oppressive humidity, sapping strength and clarity from their enemies, while their own power surged ever stronger with each passing moment.

A wood-aligned mage could manifest the concept of life's duality; growth and decay. Trees and vines would sprout endlessly, blossoming with vibrant life one moment, only to rot and collapse into deadly spores the next.

Enemies would find their energy drained, their bodies slowly turning rigid as though becoming one with the forest, while the Grand mage grew stronger with every pulse of mana, their domain feeding on the very life force of those who dared oppose her.

When two Grand Mages clash, the result will be nothing short of cataclysmic. The collision of their domains wasn't merely a battle of strength but a battle of concepts and wills.

For instance, if a wood element domain of growth and decay met a fire element Grand Mage's domain of destruction and rebirth, the battle wouldn't just be one of overwhelming power.

Instead, it would become a philosophical struggle; could destruction truly claim life, or would life adapt and thrive even amidst the flames?

The forest might burn, but its ashes could give rise to new growth, while the fire's attempts to regenerate might be smothered by encroaching roots.

For those trapped inside, the experience would naturally be suffocating.

The mana within the zone will be different.

Weaker mages would find themselves unable to gather the magic necessary to cast spells.

Even Archmages, with their vaunted mana zone, would struggle against the oppressive force.

And for those trapped between two Grand Mages, survival was almost impossible. The clash of concepts would warp the very fabric of existence, creating zones where natural laws no longer applied.

Time might slow or accelerate unpredictably.

Gravity could shift, pulling enemies upward into the sky or pinning them to the earth.

Even mana itself would become unreliable, bending to the dominant domain's will and abandoning the weaker mage entirely.

And yet, it wasn't just the suppression of magic that made the Aura of Dominion so formidable.

The Grand Mage's awareness was absolute.

Within their domain, every movement, every fluctuation of mana, every breath was theirs to perceive.

Surprise attacks were impossible; stealth was a futile effort. (A/N: However, if one was a Stealth based Grand Mage, it's impossible to know the outcome.)

The domain was their second pair of eyes, their third and fourth hands, an extension of themselves in every way.

Even without casting a spell, the Grand Mage exuded pressure. An invisible weight pressing down on all who stood against them.

The unprepared would find themselves frozen, trembling under the sheer presence of a being who had transcended the limits of human magic.

And then there was the mark of mastery, the unmistakable signature that set every Grand Mage apart. Their magic didn't simply exist; it evolved.

Fire burned hotter and purer, wood grew stronger and more vibrant, water sparkled with an unnatural clarity.

It was said that within the domain of a Grand Mage, nature itself bowed. And for anyone foolish enough to step inside, the only question was how long they could survive before the domain claimed them entirely.

Would you dare challenge a Grand Mage, knowing that their power wasn't just theirs to wield, but theirs to live?

This is the reason while Grand Mages were seen as powerful entities just below the Gods.

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