The sky split apart, space shattered and restored itself.
From within, a colossal creature emerged.
Its scales gleamed with a dark radiance, its towering horns so tall they seemed capable of piercing the heavens.
Its long legs burned with fierce flames, its sharp and ferocious teeth radiating both menace and elegance, making it a being one would only expect to see in myths.
"Is this... our ride? A Qilin?"
Isolde glanced at me with a soft smile.
"No, this is a Huolin."
She turned, folding her arms gracefully in front of her chest as she explained.
"Huolin is a secondary race of Qilin. They may not match the prowess of their ancestors, but their mastery over fire is nothing short of extraordinary."
Minerva, standing beside Arov, added in an informative tone.
"A true Qilin? Don't count on meeting one. Even in their natural habitat on the eighth floor, they are nearly impossible to find. This Huolin may be secondary, but its strength is enough to rival an Eighth Star Sage."
Arov frowned, studying the Huolin, which seemed to flaunt its blazing flames with deliberate pride.
Look at this creature—it even raises its head high as if to show off its fire.
This being certainly knows how to appear majestic...
Arov let out a quiet scoff.
Men are always weak to praise from beautiful women.
Now that I think about it, its size is even larger than a planet...
"Let's get on," Isolde instructed, flying towards the Huolin's back.
The three of us followed her, stopping before a circle of runes.
A hand seal formed in Isolde's left hand.
"Open."
The rune circle lit up with a crimson glow.
We were all sucked into it.
A resounding neigh!
The Huolin leaped and galloped along a path paved with a starry sky.
Unlucky spaceships or Warriors passing by were scorched to ashes by its raging flames, and small inhabited planets couldn't escape being trampled by this planet-sized beast.
But it left one lingering question:
Did their lives matter?
The answer was no.
Life and death are the cheapest commodities in all of Hongmeng Vault.
Perhaps you are worshiped while alive, but in death? Looting and theft are all that await you.
Every existence in Hongmeng Vault is no herbivore; they are beasts baring their fangs to survive.
That's why it's called the World of Monsters.
Live to kill, die to be forgotten.
Live a life so grand that your name echoes for countless years across the universe.
***
"Is this place really empty?"
"Creating a world here is truly troublesome if you know."
"Besides, that spatial spell earlier was only low-tier—it's not sufficient to contain an entire world here."
This space was no different from the void outside, except for the lack of energy from dark matter and starlight.
"Alright, everyone!"
Isolde acted like a tour guide while we were like schoolchildren.
"At our speed, it'll take half a day to reach the dock. You're free to do whatever you like."
The spatial flow around her twisted as Isolde disappeared in an instant.
"...She comes like a ghost and leaves faster than the wind."
"Arov, I have some artifacts. Want to see?"
Minerva reached into a spatial pocket near her boots.
"Ta-da~"
"What is that?"
Its shape was even stranger than her previous artifacts.
Why does this thing have the shape of a cat's head?
"This artifact is called the Celestial Cat Head. Its function is to serve as a temporary shelter."
Infused with the Power of Will and life energy, its size began to grow to a height of 10 meters, with enough length and width to serve as a temporary home.
"...Is this cat head alive?"
"Yes, this artifact is made from the body of a real Heavenly Cat and refined with other materials to become an artifact. Their race is famous for their incredible ability to change their body size! They can even expand to more than the size of a galaxy."
"..."
Damn it, this cat is still alive!
Wait, did she turn it into an artifact? With a living body?
My skin crawled slightly.
Even Azure, nestled in my arms, seemed a bit frightened.
"Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm not a psychopath!"
Too late.
The interior was surprisingly well-equipped—spacious living room, three separate bedrooms each with its own bathroom, a kitchen, and a training room.
"The furnishings are quite complete."
"Yup, in fact, they're all made from the brain of this artifact."
"..."
I'm not going to comment anymore.
"Well then, feel free to rest. This journey will take a while."
"Alright. I'll pick a room for me and Azure."
Nod—
Nod—
"Okay. Let me know if you need anything."
Minerva walked into one of the available rooms.
"Which room do you want?"
"Azure will follow Papa~"
I stroked Azure's head.
I chose a room close to Minerva's.
Inside, there was a king-sized bed, a desk, a chair, a drawer, a wardrobe, a private bathroom, and a personal training space.
"Yawn~"
"Did you not sleep last night?"
Nod—
Nod—
"Then it's time for bed. But before that, Azure needs to take a bath, okay?"
"But Azure is a Shenlong! This humanoid form doesn't need a bath, Papa..."
Arov shook his head, chuckling.
"It's a good habit. Dragon or not, Azure still needs to learn to take care of herself."
"Hmph, fine..."
Arov carried Azure into the bathroom. She squirmed slightly in his arms.
With a small manipulation of fire, the water from the shower turned warm.
"How's the temperature?"
"It's so comfortable, Papa!"
Arov used his knowledge of Earth biology to channel life and plant elements into his hands, creating a gentle soap suitable for children.
"Close your eyes."
Azure's hair was about as long as his, making it a bit of a hassle to manage alone.
Arov poured the soap he had just crafted from plant and life elements, gently lathering Azure's long hair.
"Your hair feels like silk… But it needs extra care."
"Azure can do it on her own later. Papa doesn't need to trouble himself."
Arov paused for a moment, then gave a faint smile.
"I want to take care of you. At least… let me do this."
"Umu… Papa is the best Papa in the world."
So this is what it feels like to be a father?
I wouldn't really know since I didn't have one in the past.
But seeing Azure smile feels like it melts a part of the coldness in my heart.
Azure is also incredibly smart for someone less than a day old.
I shaped something out of the bubbles in the bathtub.
"Look, what animal is this?"
"Umu… a serpentine?"
"…No, this is a duck."
Except for her basic knowledge, which is lacking.
Maybe someday, I'll take her around the world and show her the beauty it has to offer.
"Papa, aren't you going to bathe with Azure?"
"No, Papa takes baths all the time."
Do you think I would have bad intentions?
"Azure, don't swim in the bathtub!"
"Relax, Papa. Azure can swim."
"No, don't drink the bathwater. It's not healthy!"
"Hehehe… Azure can eat anything!"
She's a bit of a handful, but she's so adorable.
"It's time to get out of the bath now."
"Eh~ but Azure still wants to play…"
"Then Papa will ask you a question. What animal is this?"
"Umu… a dragon!"
"No, it's a lizard…"
"Ugh…"
And now she's pouting.
I picked Azure up from the tub and used wind and fire elements to create warm air.
When all the water clinging to her skin evaporated, I used water, earth, fire, and wind elements to form a beautiful nightgown.
"Now, it's time to sleep."
I lightly pinched Azure's tiny nose, and she pouted with her adorable face.
Arov placed Azure on the large bed, tucking her in gently. She still looked wide awake, her eyes shining with curiosity.
"Papa, sing me a song!"
"…A song? I'm not good at singing."
"It's okay. Azure just wants to hear Papa's voice."
I patted her softly, trying to lull her to sleep.
Honestly, I don't know any songs.
I'm not fond of music either.
For some reason, music always brings back bad memories in my mind.
"Alright."
Arov hesitated for a moment. He took a deep breath, then started singing in a low voice.
But, for Azure, what wouldn't I sacrifice?
I didn't know what song to sing, but there's one that always lingers in my mind.
"Hmm~"
"Sleep, my dear, within my embrace~"
A strange wave of emotions filled my heart.
"Stars are dancing, night holds its grace~"
A nostalgic yet overwhelming feeling surfaced.
"Whispers of wind, a soothing tale~"
The face of someone unfamiliar yet oddly known flashed in my mind.
"In your heart, I'll always prevail~"
Azure closed her eyes slowly, her body sinking into comfort. Before drifting off to sleep, she whispered softly.
"Good night, Papa…"
I didn't reply to Azure, not even realizing her words just now.
"Release your fear, forget the pain~"
The face in my mind shed tears.
"Tomorrow's light will come again~"
I felt a deep sadness.
"Though I'm no longer here to stay~"
My eyes closed, for some reason I felt sleepy too.
"My love endures beyond the fray."
Arov gazed at the little face. A gentle smile formed on his lips, even though his heart felt heavy with fading memories.