When she felt sorrow for them, an uncontrollable rage would ignite in Lulena's heart. She could not bear to see the children suffer, but she had nowhere to vent this flame.
Fortunately, she had a child, her beloved Inya, who was growing up in happiness and love.
The people surrounding a baby are always experiencing their own misfortunes, but fortunately, none of them have lost the ability to receive love. The baby's presence soothes their wounds and brings warm sunshine through the dark clouds.
As a baby born from an egg, even Chu Wang wasn't quite sure how old she was.
It was only after observing for a period of time that Lulena concluded: "Based on the baby's current development speed, she should be almost one year old."
She smiled and said, "How about we set a birthday for the baby?"
Because the ball pit is a children's play area, the platform around it is wide and soft, enough for an adult to sit cross-legged, and even more enough for a lively baby to roll over twice. Over time, people have come to prefer sitting there when they want to talk.
At this moment, it was the same. Alos rested his chin on the ball pit platform, Chu Wang and Lulena sat on either side of him, and Bao Bao was in the middle of the three of them.
Inya was playing with coloring cards with her head down, while Alos also had a piece of paper in his hand.
He said, "Red."
The baby flicked out the red liquid.
Lulena, who had just been discussing serious matters, immediately clapped. Chu Wang was a beat behind and clapped twice, looking somewhat reluctant.
Ever since discovering that Alos hadn't spoken for decades and had gotten used to not speaking, Lulena felt that she should teach the teenager as well as the baby during early childhood education.
The current course teaches Alos to recognize words and speak, then teaches the baby to distinguish colors, and then selects cards.
The boy didn't refuse because he could play with the baby. Lulena gave the children plenty of feedback and hoped Chu Wang would join in as well.
Although Chu Wang sometimes spoke to the baby in a high-pitched voice or encouraged her, that was always in private. He was really not used to showing support in front of many people.
But since Alos was attending classes with the baby, and Lulena said he was the pillar of this space, Chu Wang could only offer his encouragement without shirking his responsibility.
Perhaps for this reason, Alos finally relaxed a little when facing him, even though Chu Wang had no idea what this young boss, who was a death dungeon, was afraid of.
As for the baby's birthday, Chu Wang thought for a moment, "Don't you have any ideas?"
Alos lay on the table, intently watching the baby choose a color, clearly not intending to interfere. Lulena, however, chuckled, "You're the one who found the baby, so of course you should decide."
"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?" Chu Wang hesitated for a moment. "I remember there are other bosses who also raised babies. Perhaps they have other ideas."
Inia is now used to living in her own space. She doesn't miss her older brothers and sisters, mainly because she is too young to recognize them.
Babies can only gradually associate colors with other simple objects after they turn one year old. Moreover, when babies were interacting with others before that, their brains were only developing for a few months, so they couldn't understand much more.
For an infant, the most she will remember is her mother or the person who has always taken care of her, so as long as Chu Wang is still around, she won't miss anyone else—this is something she does equally with the bosses.
When she goes to sleep, the baby still visits the worlds of Noah and Drest. But whether it's because her own space is too comfortable, or because of the presence of Lulena and Alos, she rarely goes out every night like before.
Neither of the two bosses showed any sign of having a visitor feature developed.
Lulena smiled, but compared to her gentleness towards the children, this smile contained a hint of disdain. "A guy who hasn't even learned how to pay a visit yet has no right to tell the baby what to do."
She has no sympathy for incompetent parents who cannot properly protect their children, unless the other party is also a child like Alos.
The Nightmare Mother has a peculiar standard for dividing her children, not simply based on age. She has also allowed many elderly people who are nearing the end of their lives to pass away peacefully in their dreams, which is her tenderness towards her children.
As for my future relationship with those bosses, I'll only know after we meet them.
Chu Wang didn't refuse again. He thought for a moment and said, "I found the baby on the 16th. How about we make the 16th of next month her birthday?"
A normal child's age is calculated from birth. Chu Wang saw the baby in the eggshell half a year ago. When she was born, she looked about the same as a four or five-month-old human baby, so he could only make a rough estimate.
Alos had no objections, and Lulena laughed, "Then it's settled. We'll celebrate the baby's first birthday on the 16th of next month. As for the other useless guys who aren't capable of entering the space yet, let them completely miss Nia's big day."
...Aunt Lulena, who is usually so gentle, looks a little scary when she's angry.
The baby dropped the cards, rushed into Lulena's arms, and called out in a childish voice, "Nana."
She now speaks a much richer vocabulary and recognizes a few of her closest friends. Lulena immediately embraced the baby tenderly, her earlier dangerous demeanor completely gone.
Chu Wang sighed helplessly.
He initially thought it would be painful to share the baby's attention and love with others, but things are progressing much better than he imagined.
Chu Wang hadn't expected that the two bosses, Lulena and Alos, would respect his wishes so much. It seemed that all the dark scenes in his mind after encountering the dungeon master could be erased.
The boy is already looking forward to next month.
Oh, and we also need to tell the younger siblings about the baby's birthday. Since Inia left, everyone has tried hard to cheer up, but perhaps because of the howling cold wind, the team's morale has been low.
Let's have a good meal on Inia's first birthday.Lost in thought, Chu Wang got up to return to his room. Lulena had given him a notebook, which he wanted to fill with diary entries about his baby.
Just then, her clothes were pulled.
Chu Wang turned around and saw the snake tail that had grabbed him quickly retract, leaving only Alos with his head down, his hair obscuring his profile.
Facing this seemingly slow-witted boss, Chu Wang patiently asked, "Is there something you need, Alos?"
Alos remained silent for a moment, his tangled fingers gripping the edge of the ball pit. With a tearing sound, the boy's hand pierced the soft outer packaging. Like a startled rabbit, he subconsciously glanced at Chu Wang's face and then used his arm to cover his crime scene.
"..."
Chu Wang already knew that the boss who covered the baby in dust was Alos, so it's not surprising at all.
Although the furniture in the space is a copy, it still has a lifespan, so it's not a big deal, but the owner of the furniture needs to replace it.
Given the baby's age, it will probably be at least another year before she can replace the furniture herself, unless a boss appears in this children's playground world, otherwise it's not possible to change it at the moment.
Seeing that if he didn't speak, the snake would revert to its original form and hide again, Chu Wang could only say, "It's nothing, it'll be fine after a little treatment. What do you want from me?"
After hesitating for a long time, Alos finally said, "Birthday."
"Um?"
"Mine." After thinking for a moment, the half-snake boy mustered his courage and asked, "When is my birthday?"
...ah?!
Good news: The boss respects him a lot.
.
Bad news: Was I being a little too respectful to him? Why?
Chapter 33033 Definitely the Lord's Favorite Child
Chu Wang never intended to get involved in the affairs of the other bosses. Especially this half-snake boy, who looked like a real nuisance.
He does have a lot of experience taking care of younger siblings, but he doesn't want to add any more family members to his family—especially since the other party is the dungeon master, how can he be so weak?
Chu Wang took a deep breath. Under Lulena's gentle gaze, he silently repeated to himself several times that he was the baby's space administrator before speaking in a gentle tone: "Don't you remember your birthday?"
Alos also wanted a birthday, which would make him feel more like a normal human being.
But if he wanted to celebrate his birthday, he would have to explain why he didn't have one, and the implied meaning made the boy subconsciously look at Lulena.
He had previously told her about his past intermittently, hoping that the woman could explain things to him, but Lulena just smiled encouragingly.
Alos lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, and then stammered, "Before... with the teacher, none of us had birthdays. Later, the experimental subjects didn't have birthdays either."
This was the longest conversation Alos had ever had with Chu Wang in the past two weeks.
Lulena added gently, "Alos used to be an orphanage child, without parents, and was cared for by nuns. The children all called the nuns 'teacher.' After he turned eight, he was captured by bad people to be experimented on, and you know what happened after that."
As the woman spoke, the half-snake boy, who was in the ball pit, lay on the edge of the pool like a little mermaid.
He nodded repeatedly as she spoke, seemingly quite satisfied with his spokesperson. He showed no sign of sadness or anger over the past, but instead looked at Chu Wang expectantly.
Perhaps because of his own childhood as an orphan and Alos's tragic past, Chu Wang's expression finally softened.
He sighed, "In that case, how about we designate the day we met Nia as our new birthday?"
Upon hearing Chu Wang's suggestion, Alos's eyes lit up. He nodded repeatedly, and the next second, he disappeared into space due to reaching the time limit.
Lulena's time was almost up. She handed the baby to him and smiled, "Chu Wang is a qualified older brother."
Chu Wang felt a wave of exhaustion and could only shake his head.
Fortunately, the rest of the night belonged only to him and the baby.
Chu Wang's room can currently hold ten pieces of furniture, including a door and a window, which were gifts from the system. He likes the window the most; it randomly displays a scene from a certain world in the Refinement Realm or a dungeon.
Having spent so much time in the junkyard, he had almost forgotten how beautiful the world was. Chu Wang placed his table and chairs by the window; he liked to look outside while writing in his diary.
It was evening outside the window. Chu Wang sat at the table holding the baby and turned on the lamp.
Inia touched the table with her little hand and said, "Light!" Then she looked up at Chu Wang.
He stroked the baby's curly hair. "Nia is great, she's the light."
Chu Wang took a grip ball out of the drawer for the baby to play with, holding her in one arm while recording what Inia did that day in the baby's diary.
As he finished writing, Chu Wang put down his pen, picked up Inya, and walked around the space, taking pictures of her with the prop camera that Lulena had brought.
I feel like my baby is growing faster and faster lately. It's probably because children's bodies and minds develop rapidly from one to three years old, like a little sponge absorbing water.
It seems like just last week that Inia could only babble like a baby and occasionally call out "brother" or "sister." But now she's starting to recognize colors and objects, and can even call people by their nicknames.
Chu Wang was happy about her growth, but also a little reluctant to see her grow up so fast.
Since obtaining the [Never Fading Photo - Camera Set (Grade B)] prop, Lulena, Alos, and he have been taking photos of the baby every day, hoping to record her precious childhood appearance.
Chu Wang lowered his head and fiddled with the camera, letting it produce the photos, when he suddenly felt his arms empty; Inya was gone.
Since returning to her own space, Baby no longer travels to other instances using dream travel and in a physical form, but instead goes there in her physical body.
Sending Inya back was definitely the right thing to do. Her own space is like a mother's womb to the baby. As long as she lives inside, her body is constantly protected and nourished.
Inia no longer needs to sleep as much; a few hours of sleep during the day while spending time with Alos is enough for her to be energetic and playful for the rest of the time.
only...
Chu Wang touched his clothes; they still held the warmth left by Inia.
He sighed.
"Can't you even see the sleeping baby anymore...?"
-
Meanwhile, in the world of Nightmare Castle.
Crows, like dark clouds pressing down, swept across the sky, hovering like ghosts above the vampire manor.
Moonlight bathed the ancient castle, thorns entwined the earth, and black roses bloomed throughout the garden, exuding a mesmerizing fragrance.
The undead dark creatures roamed around the manor, their figures appearing even uglier and more terrifying in the pale moonlight.
Screams and sounds of fighting occasionally drifted from a corner of the castle. The ghosts in the distance glanced at them, then turned away uninterested and went back to their own business.
The pale-faced zombie clumsily wiped the bloodstains from the carpet, while the goblins swept the stairs until they gleamed. Hordes of ghosts flew in through the windows, stuffing black roses into vases and spraying them with soul frost to keep the flowers in their most beautiful bloom before decorating various parts of the castle.
In the underground kitchen, the skeleton chef's bones creaked with its movements, and it spoke in a very strange dialect: "Susan, excuse me, could you lend me a light?"
The female knight who was standing guard outside walked in. She took off her helmet, and purple flames were seen flickering where her neck should have been.
The cook lit the match with her skull flame, and the roaring purple flame filled the kitchen with a flickering purple light.
As the skeleton poured milk into the pot, he reminisced, "Ah, what a wonderful fire. It reminds me of the fire that burned me to death back then. Oh, how sweet it is, add some sugar... It tastes even better now, Miss Nia will love it."
The heavily armored female knight gave him a thumbs up, then, carrying her weapon, trudged back to the corridor to continue her guard duty.
The entire castle was filled with a joyous atmosphere; today was a wonderful day for all the creatures of darkness.
Because of Miss Inya, everyone's memories that were erased by the dungeon have been gradually restored over the past two weeks. And today, Miss Inya has come to the manor as a guest again, and the lord says he will hold a grand banquet!
To be honest, the monsters didn't know much about this young lady's background at first. Many of the ghosts even thought she was the lord's biological daughter.
The incident began two weeks ago when a skeleton soldier saw the lord holding a baby in his arms in the garden. In this dark world of supernatural beings, it had been a long time since it had seen such a fair and lovely child.
The baby's face looked delicate and smooth, and his big amber eyes blinked curiously as he looked around.
Oh… the skeleton soldier thought softly, what a cute little thing, maybe it tastes fruity.
Just then, the baby seemed to develop a strong interest in the lord. She tilted her head back in his arms and grabbed at him with her little hands without much care.
The skeleton swore it saw her not only pull the lord's blond hair, but also accidentally scratch the lord's cheek while hugging his neck. However, the lord was not angry; instead, he affectionately patted the baby's head.
What did it see? The lord wasn't angry at all!
The dumbfounded skeleton soldier clutched his severed head, recounting the incident to his comrades in utter shock.
At first, no one believed that their lord, the vampire Grand Duke Drest David, was a proud and aloof person.
The memories, cleansed and gradually restored by the dungeon, left everyone's minds in a jumbled mess. All they could recall was that the lord had been in a terrible mood lately, and apart from a few team leaders, no monster dared to climb the stairs leading to the top floor. Everyone kept their distance, afraid of displeasing the lord.
And now, the lord is actually coaxing a child?
Impossible, absolutely impossible.
Before everyone could confirm whether the terrifying news was true or false, the vampire duke, who almost never left the top floor, took the baby to visit many places in the manor and patiently introduced them to her. This allowed many monsters to witness their presence.
—This is definitely the lord's child!
Although vampires seem incapable of having children, and male vampires are even less likely to give birth themselves, the monsters remain convinced of this, otherwise they...
I can hardly imagine that their gloomy and unpredictable owner could be so lenient with anyone else.
However, it was obvious that this baby with amber eyes was much more outgoing than her 'father'. She was curious about everything, and when she noticed that her gaze was fixed on the monsters that were shrinking in the corner, Drester simply called them over.
Even when the most terrifying and hideous monsters appeared in front of her, the baby was not afraid at all, and even giggled at them.
"Her name is Inya." The undead hadn't heard their lord speak so kindly in a long time; his tone was calm and gentle. "She is the same as me."
This was the scene when the dark creatures first officially met Inia.
At that time, they didn't really understand what the lord was saying, but the monsters sensed the same awe-inspiring aura about her as their master, and simply took it as the lord asking them to respect Inia as they would respect him.
Over the past two weeks, the undead's memories have become increasingly chaotic, with each person's memories recovering to varying degrees. However, the thousands of cycles of erasure and recollection have made the events and the order in which they remember highly random.
"The lord blew up the castle a few days ago, how terrifying."
"Hmm? No, didn't Master just take Bao... cough, Miss Inya out to play the day before yesterday?"
Who is that?"Where has Mad John gone? When is he going to pay back the three silver coins he owes me?!"
"Wasn't he purified by the players?"
"What are players anyway?!"
"Gah, you stinking bone from a hellhound! Take this!"
"Why does this crazy bird keep chasing and biting me?!"
"Didn't you two agree to fight yesterday?"
"No, it happened last year, didn't it?"
The vampire manor is in complete chaos.
The undead monsters, talking nonsense and each seeking their own grudges, created chaos and disorder.
Drester stood on the rooftop balcony of the castle, the wind ruffling his long hair. Looking at the chaotic manor, he burst into laughter.
Chapter 34 034 All my heart is devoted to the baby
After defeating the world's last powerful enemy and unifying the world, Drest's eyes were fixed on pursuing even greater power, and he could no longer see anyone else.
He hated anything that would distract him, and those who tried to cause trouble or undermine his rule were all subdued by the undead and undead armies that existed throughout the continent.
Because of his immortality and irrational power, as well as the loyalty of the undead race across the continent, the world, which was constantly embroiled in conflict, actually ushered in a period of peace lasting several hundred years under the rule of this evil lord.
Drest was not a competent monarch; he had no regard for his subordinates, his people, or his enemies. He was too powerful, so powerful that there was no one in the world he could take seriously except himself.
The ultimate form of arrogance is disregard.
But who could have imagined that this lord, who had no regard for anyone, would be so overjoyed that his weak and useless subordinates regained their memories?
The dungeon's constraints are still there, but the ability to reset in a loop has been lost, which has already put Drest in a good mood.
After more than ten days of chaos, the memories of the undead gradually returned, and they all remembered what had happened before.
However, just as humans cannot remember what happens every day of the year, long-lived species also do not have such a clear concept of time.
They know they have gone through thousands of reincarnations, but can only remember some specific events.
For example, the lord blows up the castle, fights with others, and the lord blows up the castle.
Since everyone is undead, unless some unlucky player gets purified and sent away by the player, fighting each other is generally not dangerous.
Immortality is such a long time, the monsters often fight each other, you kick my head off, I kick your arm off, and so on. Fighting has become a way of communicating.
The monsters, having regained their memories, counted on their fingers and realized, "Hmm, there are still many battles that weren't finished during the loop!"
As a result, the chaos in the manor grew even greater.
Drest was indeed in a good mood because his men had regained their memories, and he let them fight for three days before his patience was completely worn out.
The lord's imposing aura swept across the entire manor, and the monsters that had been fighting everywhere instantly became docile.
"Speaking of which... where is Miss Inya?"
Yes, where is the lord's daughter?
After being reminded, everyone remembered that adorable baby who looked sweet and fragrant but whose aura was extremely dangerous. Whenever the lord appeared with her, his mood would visibly improve.
They just don't seem to live together; lately, the baby has only appeared about once every four or five days.
The monsters, having fully regained their memories, waited and waited, and finally—the Knight Commander brought news that Miss Inya had arrived, and that the Lord had ordered a banquet to celebrate everyone's return to normal!
All the monsters in the castle who could cook were swinging their pots until they were smoking. Apart from the top-tier skeleton chef who cooked exclusively for the lord and Miss Inya, the monsters' food was much easier to make.
Most monsters can be fed meat, but the undead slaughter a batch of their animals, roasting large chunks of meat over a fire, stewing meat from the nooks and crannies for soups and stir-fries, and even using the remaining bones to enhance the skeletons' physique.
The other undead were also busy; some were cleaning the castle, while others were moving out various tables and arranging them along the roads of the manor.
Perhaps unable to bear the unsightly appearance of tables of different colors pieced together, the wood elves hastily made a long black tablecloth with red edges to lay on top, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief.
And so, the dark creatures enthusiastically decorated the manor anew.
However, their aesthetic is quite unique. After being carefully decorated, the entire castle looks even more gloomy and terrifying than usual, and it feels like it could randomly scare several players to death.
Plates filled with chunks of meat as thick as elephant legs were placed on a long table, and the more particular elves and fairies decorated them with fruit.
The entire manor is very large, with the castle located in the best central position. The monsters that can stay in this area are all of mid- to high-level status. The table extends all the way out of the garden and is placed in more corners.
The moon is exceptionally bright tonight. A thin mist dances in the air like a veil, yet it cannot obscure the bright moonlight.
Under such beautiful moonlight, the entire garden can be seen clearly without any lights.
Black roses bloom amidst thorns, and the main paths on both sides of the garden are endless long tables covered with black and red tablecloths, where little fairies are flying around setting up candlesticks with three candles in them.
Despite having a boss who doesn't take charge, the subordinates still work diligently and do their best in everything.
It doesn't matter if the undead eat whatever they want in places the lords can't see, but the tables, chairs, and dishes in the garden need to be more exquisite and beautiful.
The wood elf in charge of planning flew up and looked at the beautiful garden and the long table with candles on both sides. It nodded in satisfaction.
Very good, they've successfully maintained their crimson castle style today as well.
The banquet had not yet officially begun, but finally—amidst the eager gazes of the dark creatures—the great baby Inia finally arrived at her faithful castle estate.Because he had taken an interest in the flickering candles in the garden after just one glance from the balcony, Drester had no choice but to take her out for a stroll ahead of time.
With the roads on both sides blocked, only the winding path in the middle of the garden was still passable. The vampire, carrying the baby, strolled among the flowers.
Inya looked around with great interest, and the vampire casually picked a black rose that was in full bloom and tinged with blood and handed it to her to play with.
The blooming roses were so big that Inia had to hold them in both hands. She looked down at the roses and said in a childish voice, "Flowers~"
The baby's tone was so roundabout that it brought a smile to Dreister's eyes.
"It's a flower, baby, you're so clever," he said affectionately. "This is a rose."
The entire manor was imbued with dark power, including the flowers. Baby was drawn to the energy clinging to the petals. As she looked at them, she suddenly grabbed a petal and tried to put it in her mouth. Drester quickly snatched the flower from her mouth.
The baby devoured the dark energy from the rose like it was sucking on jelly. When Drester picked it up again, the crimson color that had originally clung to the black rose had disappeared, and now it looked like just an ordinary black flower.
Drester looked at Inia, who blinked her big eyes, looking at him innocently and naively, seemingly not understanding what had just happened. He could only helplessly pat her head and silently take a step back.
Stay away from flowerbeds.
In a corner, the monsters secretly observed the lord and his baby in the garden.
Although everyone now knows that Inia is the dungeon master of another world, who can prove that she is not the lord's biological daughter? Since there is no evidence, then she is the lord's daughter, no problem.
While it may sound unbelievable that male vampires would give birth to children, it's not surprising that their masters, being so powerful, would have unimaginable means to accomplish this.
"I think Miss Nia's hair is most like the lord's," a ghost declared confidently. "Do you know what it means to skip generations? Apart from the color, their hair is so similar."
The ghosts looked at Inia in the lord's arms. Her short black hair was already big enough to tie into a small bun on top of her head, and you could see that the ends of her hair were slightly curled. She was a real natural curly baby. Then they looked at the lord's smooth, straight, and silky long golden hair.
hiss...
You know what, they do look a bit alike!
"Perhaps the lords had amber eyes before they became vampires," a witch added, offering her insightful observation. "Their eye shapes are almost identical!"
"Indeed, their eyes are very similar."
"The nose and mouth are almost exactly the same too."
The dark creatures meticulously compared every detail of the lord and the baby, and finally concluded with satisfaction that Miss Inia was indeed the lord's biological daughter.
Although they only dared to whisper among themselves in the shadows, Dreister heard every single word: ...
His subordinates are truly loyal, and they're also incredibly intelligent.
Although Drest had indeed hoped that Inia's 'parents' were only him, so that he wouldn't have to worry about her forgetting him during the long waiting period.
But whether it was because the dungeon cycle was broken, or because the intervals between seeing her baby had increased recently, Drest felt that everything was the best possible outcome, seeing Inia learning more and more skills and being happy every day.
I could never have taken such good care of the baby by myself. The baby has been very happy most of the time he was away, and there must be many loving caregivers behind her.
Drester didn't contribute anything, yet he became a lucky one basking in the sunlight. What more could he ask for?
He shouldn't ask for anything more; he should give all his heart to the baby, who deserves all the love in the world.
Since the age of twelve, he has been relentlessly pursuing becoming a powerful vampire lord. His inner drive to improve is the reason for his success, but it has also constantly forced him to keep going.
Now, for the first time in his life, Drest felt at peace and finally experienced a sense of contentment.
The man carried Inya back to the top floor of the castle, where the table was already laden with delicious food, a pot of sweet milk, and some baby food biscuits.
The former vampire lord was impatient with all the formalities and didn't care about other people's opinions. He preferred to be alone, so his subordinates rarely appeared by his side unless there was something urgent.
Perhaps because Drest had changed his usual style and was holding a grand banquet for the first time today, Drest's four knights were still waiting in the corridor. They stood guard outside according to ancient etiquette, waiting for the lord to order them to go down.
Drest sat down at the table and said, "Leave one dish, and distribute the rest."
According to the customs of this world, a benevolent lord or king would distribute untouched dishes from his table to his knights as a sign of recognition.
But Drest has always been the strongest, and his subordinates are all in name only. Moreover, as a vampire, it is strange to put him in the old customs of the original Light Dynasty.
Everyone knows that the lord harbors resentment towards the former Dynasty of Light and the Church. He does not claim the title of king, and even the knightly corps that a king should have been abolished. The standard knight commander has been arbitrarily renamed captain by Drest.
As the king's nominal and ineffective key ministers, the knight commanders loathed themselves for their incompetence, and the lord never gave them a second glance.
They had grown accustomed to being sidelined and rejected, but now…
The knights looked at each other, unable to believe what they had just heard.
Lord... has he approved of them?
The candle on the candlestick flickered, and the baby said in a childish voice, "Fire!"
She's amazing! That's so well said.
The child's voice brought warmth to the otherwise cold castle, and Dreister smiled and ruffled her hair.
.He looked at his subordinates who were standing there dumbfounded outside the door and asked in confusion, "Don't you want it?"
The knights, snapping back to their senses, stiffly rose. They looked at Drest's gentle profile, and all of them clearly realized one thing.
Lord... seems to have changed?
Chapter 35 035 Baby's Invitation
The banquet at the vampire castle lasted all night, and Inia also enjoyed sweet hot milk and easily digestible fruit puree and biscuits.
The baby, having eaten her fill, was like a battery that had been fully recharged. She listened to the lively sounds drifting down from downstairs and kept tilting her head to look in that direction with curiosity. So Drester carried her to the window.
The long tables on both sides of the garden were filled with all sorts of strange undead creatures: skeletons, creatures with fire-breathing heads, creatures with ashen faces, and creatures with fur. There were also some creatures that looked no different from normal people, except for their pointed ears or unusual eye colors. Some were two or three meters tall, while others were so small that they sat directly on the tables eating.
It can be described as a gathering of heroes and a collection of monsters.
Inia watched intently as the dark creatures below held their feast, and above her head, she felt a weight on her head as Drest stroked her hair.
"Our world is a vast continent," the man said softly. "If we have the chance, let's go explore it together sometime, okay?"
In truth, he had been confined to the manor for too many years. In the past, when he was free, all he did was fight, and he hadn't really seen the world properly. Drest had also forgotten what the outside world looked like.
Looking back now, it's a bit of a pity.
The baby doesn't understand the complexities in the eyes of adults. She's like a puppy being patted on the head; although she doesn't know anything, she still smiles happily.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and the wood elf in charge of planning the banquet flew in.
"My lord, I've come to report—"
The wood elf's voice paused as Drest turned around, its gaze falling on the baby in the vampire lord's arms, before it let out a loud gasp.
What an adorable baby!
Inia's black curly hair has now grown to below her ears, and she still has a small bun on top of her head.
Her chubby little face was fair with a healthy pinkish hue, and her amber eyes were like a pure, clear lake reflecting the moon's glow. She was as exquisite and adorable as a young princess from a fairy tale picture book.
It must be said that although the wood elves always secretly complained that the big boss was terrifying, Drest did indeed have a delicate and handsome face.
The vampire lord stood in the moonlight, holding such a beautiful baby. The whole scene was breathtakingly beautiful. No wonder the other undead always guessed that the child was his own.
Wood elves are a race that loves beautiful things. Their job is to make their lords look handsome, noble, and pleasing to the eye, which can be considered a job perk.
However, compared to handsome men, wood elves generally prefer cute little creatures.
It stared wide-eyed at Inia in Drest's arms, captivated at first by her cuteness, but then noticed the baby clothes she was wearing and the bat-ear hat on her head.
...What ugly clothes those are?!
Although both pieces were made by the wood elves, they hadn't seen Inya back then; they were just completing their work. Now it's different. Seeing the adorable baby wearing the ugly clothes they made is as painful as killing her.
Drest noticed its gaze and chuckled softly, "Remember what happened before? Inia was the owner of the little clothes before."
He had intended to praise the wood elves, but before he could even utter a word, they let out a loud gasp.
"My lord!" the wood elf interrupted him loudly, "I would like to have Miss Inya's clothes remade, is that alright?"
Because they were so afraid of their invincible boss, the wood elves were once timid and submissive, but their aesthetics were more important than their lives!
Drest didn't know why the other party was reacting so strongly. He was taken aback. "Of course, children grow quickly, and it's time to make a new one anyway."
The wood elf asked expectantly, "Then can I burn all my old clothes?"
"No, it must be kept as a memento, preserved forever."
What?! Those ugly clothes they made are going to be preserved forever, and even kept as souvenirs?
The wood elf nearly fainted, but as the leader of its tribe, it withstood the impact and bravely asked, "Could I call my other tribesmen to come and see... Miss Inya?"
This time, Drester agreed.
And so, in that empty room that belonged to her, Inia met her new friends in this world for the first time.
The whole process is roughly that the baby sits on the bed playing with toys, and every little elf that flies in will gasp when they see her, and a blush of cuteness will appear on their cheeks.
Upon seeing her 'ugly clothes' again, they immediately asked the clan leader, "Could you...?"
"No," the Wood Elf chieftain said expressionlessly. "It must be preserved permanently as a memento."
Seeing its people covering their faces in pain, it revealed a dark smile.
Hmph, let's experience together this despairing hell of 'casually handing in an assignment, only to have it printed on the school gate for everyone to see forever'!
The baby stared curiously at the haggard-looking little elves, who were floating in mid-air with wings as thin and shimmering as dragonflies, which made her eyes widen.
She reached out her hand to the nearest wood-type sprite, which jumped in surprise, "Whoa!"
"Wow~" Inia imitated it.
The wood elf was about the size of a toy. The baby looked at it curiously, and the wood elf was so scared that its wings froze and it didn't move.
Oh no, I've been working for the lord for too long, and I've been living a life of ease for too long. My sense of crisis has been worn away by this peaceful life, and I've almost forgotten how they became an endangered species on the continent.
"Ah, Miss Inya..." The other wood elves also flew around in a panic.
The baby's ability to judge things was impaired when she first saw a creature about the size of a toy; she was puzzled as to what it was.
Toys, food, animals, people? Hmm...
Inia's spiritual power sensed the little elf's panicked emotions. A familiar fluctuation came from her, and she gently placed the little elf on the bed and also gave the toy to the wood elf.
After thinking for a moment, she imitated the adults and patted its head as well.
"Just for fun."
The baby uses the words he has just learned to express his friend's kindness.
Drest, who was watching the scene from the sidelines, abandoned his plan to step forward and mediate.
It seems that although Inya is young, her innate power is growing stronger. Compared to ordinary children, she has the ability to use her mental powers to explore the world.
Mental strength...
Remembering that he had only unlocked the [Reservation] function a couple of days ago, Drester's face darkened. He finally realized just how much he had missed before.
Meanwhile, the wood elves were even happier to discover that the baby actually considered them friends.
"My lord, we'll go back now to make clothes for baby Inya! And this nectar is for the baby to eat, it's very sweet."
It's clear the wood elves really like Inia. Drest has been with them for so long, and he's never seen them offer nectar or anything like that on their own initiative.
The Wood Elf Chieftain, seeing his superior staring intently at the nectar, quickly emphasized, "It's for the baby."
As a highly skilled technician in the relevant field, the Wood Elf has absolutely no emotional intelligence.
Under the distrustful gazes of the elves, Drest said helplessly, "I understand."
After the elves left, Drester picked up the baby, opened the small jar of nectar, and a sweet aroma mixed with pleasant floral scents and a hint of fruitiness immediately wafted out.
Inya's eyes widened immediately, and she wiggled her little feet, "Hungry!"
Drester scooped out a little with a spoon and tasted it himself first. The nectar treasured by the elves was indeed of superior quality; although sweet, it was not cloying, and one could even taste different layers of flavor, first the floral fragrance, then the fruity sweetness.
It might be a bit too strong for children; it's better to mix it with water.
As soon as he lowered his head, he met the baby's longing eyes, her lips already moistened from licking them.
"It's too sweet. Here, have a tiny bit." Drest gently dipped his spoon in, muttering to himself, "Is it still a bit too much?"
He was just about to rub some more down with his fork when the baby panicked, "Wah! Not much..."
Dreister paused for a moment, then laughed and handed the spoon to the baby. She scooped it up with a gulp, smacked her lips, and seemed to really like the taste. She then looked up at the vampire, signaling him to continue feeding her.
"You've already had sweet milk, so you can't eat anything sweet anymore. Maybe people from other worlds will have to feed you." Drester put down the spoon, tightened the can, and stroked Inya's hair. "Baby, say it again, it's not much, okay? Not much."
Inya, however, just squirmed unhappily in his arms, whimpering.
Throughout the night, Drest couldn't tell whether the last thing he said was a coincidence or just baby talk, or if his baby's culinary skills had improved once again.
As Inia was about to leave, the fairies quickly made two more beautiful and well-fitting baby clothes, explaining that these were temporary outfits for the baby to wear instead of the ugly ones, and that they would make the rest of the clothes in the next few days.
Drest put the clothes in the package, then picked up the jar of nectar, hesitating whether to put it in.
Before, the vampire lord might have thought about whether to keep the baby or give her nectar to make her remember him longer. But since his mindset changed, Drest has been thinking about how to treat Inia better.
The baby comes to his place about every four or five days now, and this interval between feedings of sweets might be healthier.
If the nectar is sent to where Inya lives, and she wants to eat it every day, it won't be good for the baby whether the other party refuses or not, so it's better to leave it with her.
With that thought in mind, Drest put the nectar aside.
"Let's wait until the baby comes next time to eat."
As if she knew what he had done, Inia pouted unhappily after being stuffed with the small package.
When Chu Wang returned to the space, he was greeted by a baby with a wronged expression.
"Nia, what's wrong?" he asked, somewhat puzzled.
"I'm hungry!" the baby complained.
Her mental strength also seemed to be aggrieved.
I want to taste that sweet nectar again, I want to eat it...
At the same time, an interface suddenly appeared in front of Drester, who had just spent the night with the child.
Lord Inia invites you to visit the Star House with a honey pot. Do you accept? [Yes/No]
Dreister: ?
Chapter 36, Section 36: You dungeon masters are all so easy to get along with...
When Drest first discovered that he could book a appointment with his baby, he was already suffocated.
He recalled how he used to only see Inya once every two weeks, and could only watch helplessly as messages notified him that others had invited the baby. Now, so much time had passed, and he had finally caught up.
Now he's received another invitation from Xingwu. Doesn't this mean that while he's been waiting anxiously, a boss has already gotten there first and can visit the baby every day?!
The vampire was truly about to break, but his hand still honestly chose "yes."
The text in the information bar jolted, prompting him: "Please bring the honeypot and select again."
Dreister: ...
Got it, the baby invited the nectar, he just happened to be there.
After taking the honey pot, the vampire clicked "Yes" again, and this time the mental link did not reject him.
A tremendous suction force pulled at his mental sea, and Drest closed his eyes, trying to relax and not resist.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in an unfamiliar space. Instead of immediately checking his surroundings for his baby, Drest stood frozen in place, unable to process what had happened.In his world, religion was prevalent, and the original Church of Light had existed on the continent for at least several thousand years, with theism deeply ingrained. For centuries, Drest had pursued ever greater power, hoping to ultimately transcend the limitations of the mortal realm and gain the ability to become a god.
He wanted to know if gods really existed in this world, and he wanted to prove that his strength had nothing to do with bloodline or race. So what if he wasn't a god's child? If he was going to be a vampire, then he would be the most powerful vampire in the entire world.
When Drest's power had reached the pinnacle of the world, touching the ceiling, he began to have a mysterious feeling, as if the original world he was in was subtly rejecting him.
Later, the instance arrived, and the world's consciousness and the instance's constraints exerted a double pressure on him. Over time...
Drest was also unable to withstand this damage and gradually lost himself in the endless cycle of dungeons.
After encountering Inya, the baby absorbed the mental pollution she had caused, regained his former sanity, and the power of the dungeon was also weakened. Drest was able to endure this damage and even got used to the constant stinging sensation.
Now, this is the first time he has left the dungeon world that bound him. In the baby's space, the vampire lord feels completely accepted.
He completely shed the chaotic and troublesome things from his original world and felt a long-lost sense of ease and comfort.
A sense of unbridled freedom permeated his entire body, making him feel lightheaded. The baby's space not only embraced him but also gently and slowly nourished Drest's somewhat unhealthy mental state like spring rain.
While the vampire lord stood still, Chu Wang, on the other side of the room, sized up the long-haired youth dressed in retro and noble attire (wood elves give a thumbs up).
From the administrator's perspective, you can see +1 and +1 constantly popping up above the other person's head, suggesting that this person has a chronic illness.
Thanks to the first adult boss, the gentle and reliable Lulena, and the second, the cunning and mysterious younger brother-like Alos. Having experienced their interactions, Chu Wang's attitude towards the dungeon master, while still wary, had lost its initial subconscious hostility.
Based on the available intelligence, Chu Wang had already made some guesses about his identity.
He spoke first, "Excuse me... are you Mr. Drester?"
Many high-level dungeons have remained unconquered for years, making them veritable "stubborn holdouts." Surviving players create databases to earn points; dungeons like Nightmare Castle were such important ones he studied every week as a child, practically ingrained in his DNA.
Even though he had only kept it in his mind all these years and had never written it down, Chu Wang still remembered it vividly.
He had already guessed that one of the bosses came from Nightmare Castle. Drest's blood-red eyes and medieval noble style convinced Chu Wang of his identity.
Drest snapped out of his daze and saw the boy on the other side of the room, and the baby in his arms.
The vampire suddenly realized, "You're the servant who made Inya suffer from hunger and cold?"
Chu Wang: "..." This adult really knows how to talk.
Chu Wang: "My name is Chu Wang. I am the family that found her brother, raised her, and the administrator of this space."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "You are the third boss to arrive here. The others will arrive in an hour. If you'd like, you can meet up."
Although the boy was very polite, his body language revealed a strong sense of wariness and protectiveness towards the baby, clearly indicating that he was not very welcoming of his guest.
Drester was in the most peaceful period of his life, and besides, he wouldn't do anything to the child anyway. If it were that guy in the space who could get appointments with a single card, he might have a proper talk with him.
But when faced with a child who has been raised from infancy—especially when recalling the baby's initially rough but always clean clothes, and the lack of warm clothing in winter, having to layer her clothes to keep her warm.
Combined with the boy's claim that he found Inya, Dreister had already guessed the truth behind what had happened.
For a child who is not even a fraction of his age to raise a baby so well on his own, one can only imagine how much hardship he must have endured.
"So it was you," Drest said gently. "Taking care of Inya alone must have been very difficult, right? You're a good brother, you did a great job."
Hearing these unexpected words, Chu Wang was stunned.
...Wait, huh?
From the moment the other party used the term "follower," he thought he had finally encountered a formidable Dark Lord. In this dog-eat-dog world where strength reigns supreme, it was quite normal for him to be bullied and ordered around by the other party.
He was fully prepared, but why did this infamous boss of the Scarlet Monastery suddenly start praising people?!
Are all you bosses this easy to get along with?
Compared to Lulena and Alos, whom he hadn't interacted with before, the vampire lord's act of sending them gifts was a timely help, even though it was only for the baby, it really solved his immediate problem.
Chu Wang turned his head away somewhat uncomfortably and said in a low voice, "I also want to thank you for sending things to Nia before. Resources are scarce in my world. Because of you, baby, I also ate an orange. It was delicious."
Because he was his benefactor, he unusually spoke a little about himself.
Oranges? Dreister hesitated for a moment before recalling a spur-of-the-moment feeding he had done a few months ago, thanks to his good memory.
Even the oranges have to give special thanks; this boy's world sounds even worse than the continent he grew up on...
Inia looked around in Chu Wang's arms and noticed that the two of them had suddenly fallen silent and stopped talking about business. She immediately said, "I'm hungry!"
"Is the baby still hungry?" Chu Wang's attention was diverted. He reached out and touched Inia's bulging little belly, and asked in confusion, "But you've already eaten."
Drest took out the honey jar and said helplessly, "It's because of this."
...
After communication began, the initial awkwardness and distance between the two parties were broken down.
Chu Wang made the little glutton a cup of honey water, which finally calmed the baby down.
He dutifully explained the identities of the space and the other two bosses, and taught Drest how to check his own permissions.
Guests without rooms can stay in the space for ten hours a day, and Drest is no exception. Furthermore, because the baby invited him, his "Visit" function is also unlocked.
There was still some time before the other two bosses were to arrive, and Drest, who didn't have much to do in his own instance, was eager to stay here a little longer and meet more strangers.
He ruled out the two instance masters he had visited first, as neither of them were that annoying time-manipulation guy he had never met. Drest was in a very good mood—this could only mean that the guy hadn't been to the Baby Space yet. Hmph, serves him right.
Chu Wang saw that the vampire seemed intent on staying there, while he was about to leave through the dream world.
Before leaving, he hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Ms. Lulena is very reliable, and you can discuss things with her. The other boy, Alos, has suffered a trauma and is more sensitive. He might be more hostile towards you, so please don't take it to heart."
As Drest watched the baby play in the children's playground, he drank the strong liquor he had conjured up. Hearing Chu Wang's instructions, the vampire, in a good mood, readily agreed, "I understand. I won't hold a grudge against a child."
Chu Wang was still a little worried.
He really doesn't care about the bosses at all; he just hopes that everyone around Bao Bao gets along well and that there won't be any conflicts that upset her.
Chu Wang arrived at the edge of the playground and said goodbye to his baby with a daily sticker.
"Brother has to go now, baby kisses."
Inya was already used to her brother going out, and upon hearing his words, she gave Chu Wang a quick kiss on the cheek.
The vampire, witnessing this scene, flinched and widened his eyes in disbelief.
With only twenty seconds left on the countdown in front of Chu Wang, the half-snake boy finally respawned in his tent.
Upon seeing Chu Wang, Alos poked his head out of the tent in a mermaid-like pose, only to unexpectedly see a strange blond man beside him.
Sure enough, the boy was startled, his eyes instantly turning into vertical pupils, and he tensed up with alarm.
"Alos!" Chu Wang had been waiting for him. He said seriously, "This is Mr. Drester, Bao Bao's new family member. He's just like you. No fighting, no threatening, no being too unfriendly, or Bao Bao will be sad, and I'll be angry, understand?"
Alos glanced at him, then at Dreister, his head bobbing slightly with each glance, revealing a clear sense of distrust and inner turmoil.
In the last three seconds, Chu Wang shoved the baby into Alos's arms, patted his head, and then disappeared into the space.
The boy's hostility was interrupted by Inya. He held the baby and subconsciously patted her back before meeting Drester's interested gaze.
Alos hissed threateningly, then belatedly remembered Chu Wang's words, and could only mutter, "Get out of here!"
Then, holding the baby, they hid in the small tent.
etc?
Inside the tent, Snake suddenly turned his clever little head.
If he doesn't want to stay with this strange, dangerous guy who can't fight yet, can he take the baby to his own world to play?
Without hesitation, Alos and the baby vanished from sight the next second.
Dreister: ...
Is this really okay?
Two minutes later, Lulena, who was routinely checking on the children to see if they were causing any trouble, found herself speechless and alone in the star room.
The vampire lord of the house.
Chapter 37 037 The snake is clumsy, but it loves its baby...
Lulena has her own set of criteria for judging whether someone is a child—intuitively speaking, she can sense whether the other person needs a mother.
In fact, most people need parents. Whether they are good or bad parents, they will subtly influence a person's personality and even their life.
Aside from a small number of antisocial individuals born with mental illnesses or those lacking awareness, even notorious villains have aspects of their personalities influenced by their parents; the shadows of parents or elders still linger in an evil life.
Therefore, Lulena cannot rely on intuition to distinguish whether someone is a good person or a bad person; she can only rely on this to identify those minority groups and even fewer mental patients.
From the moment her eyes met Drest's, Lulena knew that this young man was also among the very few.
Drest is like a thorn that grows wildly on its own. He shows no trace of being influenced by his parents or elders, and there seems to be no need for them in his life. It's as if he raised himself up on his own.
Since the other party doesn't need a mother, Lulena naturally won't treat him like a child.
After a quick thought, Lulena realized and said, "Are you Drest?"
Vampire Lord: ...
How come everyone around Inia knows him?
This feeling of passivity was unsettling, but Drester remembered that Chu Wang had just told him about the two bosses. He raised an eyebrow and called out her name, "Lulena?"
Lulena nodded, and she conjured up a table and a set of teacups and desserts, inviting Drester to sit down at the table.
"I don't know what your world's hospitality customs are. Although I am also a guest, I arrived a few days earlier than you, so let me entertain you first."
The two adults secretly sized each other up. It was clear that they were more wary of each other than when they were tolerant of children like Chu Wang and Alos.
But it must be said that Dreister was still very happy that his baby had an adult who could have a rational conversation with him. Those two overly wary little devils were too difficult to deal with, and he wasn't used to being around them.
While the adults were talking, Alos, who had accidentally unlocked a new skill, happily carried Inya to the rooftop of the research institute.He reached out his hand, and the room that existed between reality and illusion appeared before the two of them.
"Inia, look." Over the past two weeks, Alos had been forced to say a lot of things, and now he spoke more fluently. "This is our nest."
After the half-snake boy brought the baby into the room, the room on the rooftop flickered and then disappeared again.
Of the bosses that have appeared so far, only the world background of Drest is the most retro. Although it has not yet reached the future stage of the Noah world, the world where Alos is located was once quite developed.
Although it is now the apocalypse, many abandoned cities far from the survivor bases still contain a large number of toys, furniture and other things that are not very useful for survival. Alos had the mutated beasts bring back a lot of them.
When Alos was alone, he would constantly clean the furniture and renovate his and Inia's nest.
Compared to the Star Room, which is filled with all sorts of random things that the baby likes, the room that Alos prepared is clearly more in line with the standards of a children's room.
The walls are covered with cartoon wallpaper, the floor is covered with animal-shaped rugs, and there is a whole set of children's furniture, from the bed to the table, chairs and cabinets, everything is small and cute.
Despite it being their 'nest', it seems that Alos has no intention of furnishing it with anything. The only thing that could be considered his furniture is the children's tent placed in the corner.
The boy placed the baby on the stall and asked shyly, "Nia, do you like it? The picture says... this is the baby's room."
In the small cabinet that the crow had brought back, he found an advertisement that had once been printed by the furniture store, with a picture of a children's room on it.
Alos thought it looked great, and he decorated the room exactly as shown in the picture.
Snakes are clumsy, but snakes love babies.
"Ooh!"
Inia crawled around energetically, surveying her new territory.
Because she had a small box for storing all kinds of toys since she was little, when she climbed up to the small box placed against the wall, the baby patted it and looked at Alos.
"That's right, the box!" Alos's eyes lit up. He opened the box and emptied out all the toys he had collected for the baby.
There are small drums and xylophones that can be struck, as well as small plastic pianos that can be played, and ring toss toys, building blocks and toy cars, etc. There are all kinds of toys, almost piled up into a small hill.
The baby had played with these things in Noah's World, and she quickly got the hang of them.
The room was filled with clanging and banging all day long, as Inia and Alos played with almost every toy.
The only thing the baby isn't quite good at playing with is building blocks, so the two changed their game. Alos stacked the blocks, and the baby then broke them apart. The two cooperated well and had a lot of fun.
The boy and the baby even took a nap, and when they woke up they continued playing until the baby got sleepy again. Suddenly, Alos realized something.
Did he... leave the baby out for too long?
The foolish snake didn't even consider that if he brought the baby out himself and never sent her back, the baby would be his alone.
However, Inia grew up with Chu Wang. One day was fine, but if she didn't see him for too long, she would cry and trigger the passive mode of her power to send her back.
However, Alos didn't even consider that possibility. He was triggered by a passive intuition—well, it's probably like a kid who's been playing too wildly outside and when he comes to his senses it's already dark, he suddenly remembers he has a home, and a bad feeling arises in his heart.
He quickly picked up the dozing baby and returned to the space.
Looking up, she was met with Chu Wang's gloomy expression, Lulena's terrifying smile, and the dangerous gaze of the strange man.
Wait, what's this guy still doing here?!
Alos had only been distracted for a second when he heard Chu Wang speak in a deep voice, "Alos."
He froze, then cautiously glanced up at Chu Wang and Lulena.
At this moment, the baby rubbed her eyes, saw Chu Wang, and immediately reached out to hug him, "Brother."
Alos quickly shoved Inya into Chu Wang's arms, then retreated swiftly as if fleeing a flood or a ferocious beast. Watching his eyes darting around, it was clear the boy was subconsciously searching for a safe haven.
Chu Wang gritted his teeth. On one hand, he really wanted to teach this unruly guy a lesson, but on the other hand, he kept telling himself that this kid was a boss who was much older than him, not his real younger brother.
Because her abilities were limited to four hours, after talking with Drest, Lulena returned to her own world first, and then checked every hour to see if Alos and the baby had returned.
Drest spent half the day by himself, since he was alone in the castle anyway. He didn't go back until the afternoon, worried that he wouldn't have enough time, and like Lulena, he would come back every hour to check on things.
Chu Wang was the busiest person here. He spent the whole day in the cold wind leading the other children to survive, and he didn't return to the space until evening. However, there was no one in the space, and the baby's whereabouts had also disappeared.
It's no exaggeration to say that his heart clenched instantly, and his blood ran cold. Within seconds, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.
It was only after seeing Luliana's message on the table that Chu Wang gradually calmed down and was at least able to breathe again.
Chu Wang is not a magnanimous person. If anything happens to Bao Bao, he will spend his whole life hunting down Alos until he pays with his life.
If Alos were an arrogant boss who took the baby away for a day without prior notice or consideration for his feelings, Chu Wang would definitely hold a grudge against him.
But—looking at Alos's panicked and timid appearance, Chu Wang gritted his teeth fiercely.
Unfortunately, this kid is just simple-minded, slow-witted, and has a low IQ. He probably only took the baby out to play because he didn't like Dreister and didn't think twice.
Such an idiot, even holding a grudge against him feels like punching cotton – utterly futile.
He really deserved to be beaten up!Before he could say anything, Lulena spoke up, "Alos, you've done something very serious, do you know that?"
The woman's expression was calm; although she had simply stopped smiling, the moment she suppressed her emotions, she immediately gave off a tremendous sense of pressure.
Alos nodded listlessly.
"Where did you go wrong?" she asked.
The half-snake boy lowered his head and said listlessly, "I shouldn't have... taken the baby away."
"You're also Inya's brother, so of course you can take her away to play," Lulena said, frowning.
"You have to think about how other people feel," she said. "If you come to the space all day and don't see the baby, don't know where she is, or whether she is safe, wouldn't Alos be very anxious and angry?"
"We are from different worlds, and we can only meet because of the baby. What if something goes wrong? Because you didn't say anything, we don't even know where you are."
At this point, Lulena's expression shifted slightly, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Do you know how worried I was about you and the baby that day?"
Alos was now truly panicked.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong." He stammered, "I won't do it again, I'm sorry..."
This was the first time Inia had experienced such a tense atmosphere. She groaned uneasily and hugged Chu Wang's neck tightly.
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to him as Chu Wang gently patted the baby's back to comfort her.
Because Lulena had already said all the serious things, Chu Wang felt somewhat helpless. He sighed, "Don't take the baby away without saying goodbye again, otherwise..."
He had intended to threaten Alos, saying that if he did it again, he would blacklist him and prevent him from ever using the space again. As an administrator, he certainly had that authority.
But when the words reached his throat, Chu Wang hesitated and didn't say them.
Given Alos's temperament, Lulena's words were enough. If he were to add this sentence, the boy would probably revert to his initial fear of him, constantly afraid of doing something wrong and being driven away.
Perhaps it was because the atmosphere in the Star House had been so good lately that he gradually developed the illusion that he had a home again. He didn't want to break this atmosphere, nor did he want to be ostracized by Lulena and Alos because of his administrator privileges.
In the end, he never said those harsh words.
However, what Chu Wang didn't finish saying seemed to have a great deterrent effect on Alos as well.
The half-snake boy nodded repeatedly. Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, he quickly stepped forward and swiftly stuffed something into the hands of Lulena and Chu Wang.
Chu Wang picked it up and saw that it was a yellow crystal. Lulena had a similar crystal, but it was blue.
Lulena, who knew the boy well, said knowingly, "This is a crystal from a high-level alien beast in the world of Alos. Absorbing it will make one stronger. However, I guess it's useless to us outsiders."
Got it, the high-end souvenirs exclusive to the mutated animal world were used by the boy to curry favor with others.
It would have been difficult to get Alos, a child with a wary and almost beast-like personality, to accept a new member.
But today presented him with an opportunity to make a mistake, so Lulena seized the chance to speak up, "Alos, this Mr. Drester will also be one of us from now on. A good child cannot be impolite."
Hearing her words, Alos hesitated and looked at the handsome man who exuded danger and suspicion.
Having witnessed a fascinating drama of family education, Dreister smiled politely, though the disapproval in his eyes hadn't yet faded.
He thought the same as Chu Wangwang; they both felt that the reckless brat deserved a good beating.
However, having just joined this 'new home,' the vampire lord did not express his opinion. Instead, he looked at Alos with great interest, wondering if this kid would also give him stones.
After hesitating for a long time, the half-snake boy finally struggled to stuff a dark red crystal into Alos's hand.
Alos, who inherently disliked killing, also disliked this blood-like color; he preferred those shiny, beautiful stones.
In the boy's eyes, he had given his ugliest crystal to a suspicious stranger.
As a result, Drester picked up the ruby, examined it under the light, and then smiled.
"This stone is really beautiful," he said with a casual smile. "I love red. Thanks, kid."
Alos: ! !
The boy's eyes widened, and he was so shocked that he froze on the spot.
Chapter 38 038 The First Family Meeting
Alos disliked Drest.
He disliked the vampire lord's red eyes, his dangerous and mysterious aura, and his tall stature.
Alos's wariness of Dreister, similar to Chu Wang's wariness of the bosses, stems from psychological trauma left by powerful adults he suffered in childhood.
Compared to the gentle Lulena and Chu Wang, who is the same age, vampires do seem to pose a greater threat as adult men.
However, unlike the wary teenager, Drest actually quite enjoys visiting the baby's space.
The time he spent alone in the cycle was too long; it was enough to drive an arrogant guy like him, who looked down on everyone else, mad with loneliness and solitude.
Although Drester had a large number of subordinates in his manor, because of his unparalleled combat prowess that was so deeply ingrained in his world, everyone still respected him even if he did nothing, and no one dared to speak to him as an equal.
Moreover, he was too familiar with the undead. His power permeated the entire manor. Even without saying a word, Drest knew roughly what was happening in his territory, so it really wasn't very interesting.
The Star House is different. Here you can heal your wounds, see babies, and even play with prickly little kids. How fun is that?
Moreover, Alos's power belongs to a different system than his own. If there were a place available, Drest would have liked to spar with him.
Chatting with Lulena and Chu Wang was quite interesting. They came from different worlds, but most importantly, because they shared the same 'identity,' everyone in this space treated him as an equal, which kept Drester interested.