In an unknown location, there was a realm filled with endless ckness. No light or sound permeated its reach, and not even a single movement disrupted the calm and somber air within it.


    “Haa…”


    All of a sudden, an aged sigh rang out. The sigh was filled with a weariness of countless years, and the emotions it carried seemed to resonate with the ckness of the atmosphere, making it even more somber.


    The winds lightly whistled by as the owner of the aged voice directed its eyes to the distance, seemingly able to pierce the veil of the ckness around it.


    “After so many years, has the time finallye again? However, even if it hase, was there ever a real point?”


    The voice rumbled forth, carrying vast power that contradicted its tired tone.


    “To be able to see everything but to possess no power to interfere, what is the point of living like this? But, no matter how much I question myself, I’m not left with much of a choice, am I?”


    The old voice mocked its own powerlessness.


    “My race…no, they cannot be called as such anymore. But they are still my people. I swear, if any harmes to them, I’ll tear you to shreds. Even if I have to burn my life away to do so, I swear I will not hesitate.”


    The aimless voice suddenly gained direction. It spoke into the ckness with a domineering ferocity that it didn’t hold even a single second ago.


    But the one the voice was seemingly addressing didn’t seem to be in a hurry to respond.


    But when it did, the ckness shook. A harrowing malevolence oozed from its every word, causing streaks of crimson light to surface in the ckness._.


    “Kikikiki…Old Fool, over the countless millennia that we have spent together in this damned ce, this must be the most I’ve ever heard you talk. What, did you find someone promising again?”


    “You really should’ve learned how to keep your thoughts in check by now. Ahh, what a shame. Yet another genius with boundless destiny will fall within your realm. And all while you can only sit and watch it happen. Isn’t it such a great feeling? I, for one, revel in seeing the look on your face whenever it happens.”


    “Damn thing. If you n to mock me, at least say something that will actually do damage. By this point, you should already understand that you cannot faze me with such petty words. As for my emotions, as long as we are within this despicable ckness they areid bare to you. What’s the point of trying to hide them?” The aged voice responded. But regardless of his words, a trace of anger could faintly be heard in his tone.


    “How many tens of thousands of years had it been since we’ve been stuck in this never-ending stalemate? How many worlds have we reached and subsequently left during that time? Even if you prohibit me from looking into the outside world, I’ll never mistake the vor of foreign delicacies. You know you can’t hide it from me.”


    “Hiding it or not, none of it matters. So long as you are stuck here with me, there is not much you can do. So sit patiently and watch. One day someone will arrive who can survive your nonsense and reach this point once and for all.


    “The same way you have left your troops there, I have left my main body. Even if you can stop the many, the few that can survive will inevitably be stronger. And when they do, they will grow into a force that will exterminate your kind.”


    “Kikiki, an Old Fool like you really loves to talk big. But, can’t you feel it? Can’t you see it? You don’t have much longer, while I am constantly encroaching on your power. Old Fool, this never-ending stalemate of ours will end much sooner than you think.”


    The aged voice sighed, not bothering to respond to thetter’s provocation any longer. His reality-piercing gaze once again drifted to the sight he was previously watching.


    ‘A storm is on the horizon, and I doubt whether or not my people can make it out alive. Boy, I do not know how you came in contact with that power, but since you did, it means you are someone I can put my hopes in. Survive the trials ahead of you, forge your own path, and perhaps, I can truly entrust you with my will.’


    The old voice’s mana raged for a mere instant, causing the ckness to be filled with white and green light. And after that, everything once again became still.


    ***


    When Damien and little Xue reappeared, the scenery they witnessed was nothing even close to the dreariness of the cave they stayed in.


    Whoosh!


    A light wind brushed passed their faces. Tall grasses that covered little Xue’s whole lower body brushed against their skin. In the distance, they could see a single towering mountain that made the surrounding t in a little less nd.


    The sky was clear and bright, with no clouds in sight. And even though it was lit as if there was a sun, they couldn’t find one no matter how hard they looked.


    Little Xue’s eyes shined like stars as she saw the scene in front of her.


    Damien smiled. “Little Xue, what do you think? This is where you’ll be living from now on. There are no bad monsters or people, and Big brother cane see you whenever you want. This entire ce is your own personal yground.”


    “Woooaaaah!!!”


    An excited shriek left little Xue’s mouth. She hurriedly jumped out of Damien’s arms and began freely running through the tall grass.


    “Hehehe!”


    The bell-like and youthful giggles rang out through the surroundings once again, brightening the sky and causing the elements to sing in joy.


    Damien couldn’t stop the bright smile that decorated his face. Seeing her like this made him feel that his decision to forge forward on this path was entirely worth it. Even disregarding the countless future benefits, this much was enough.


    Ssh!


    The sound of water sshing reached Damien’s ears, causing him to turn in that direction. As it turned out, little Xue had directly dove into one of the semi-shallowkes that decorated the t in.


    “Ah! You only have one set of clothes!” Damien eximed as he remembered. But seeing how the little girl didn’t even seem to register his words, he could only massage his forehead.


    ‘What am I supposed to do? Use sunmes as a hair dryer?’


    He shed forward, reaching the banks of theke in an instant. ‘Well, whatever. The clothes problem is pretty easy to solve. As long as she’s happy, it’s fine.’


    Coating himself in mana so he didn’t get wet, Damien also entered theke and swam towards little Xue. When he got there, he immediately moved his hands to her face and began cleaning it.


    “Ah! Ah! Stop it tickles!” Little Xue eximed.


    “Who told you to be so dirty? Sit patiently and let big brother clean you up.” Damien chimed.


    It seemed she didn’t even realize how dirty she was until she heard Damien’s words. At that point, she stopped making a fuss and let him take care of her.


    Damien gently cleaned her face with the clear water of theke before moving on to her hair, gently infusing mana into theke water to hell untangle the knots she had built up much quicker.


    As for the rest, Damien didn’t need to do any work since she was already submerged in water. He simply infused mana into it once again to allow the caked mud and dirt on her skin to fall off much easier. Even her dress was bing cleaner by the second.


    Little Xue patiently waited with her eyes closed, a light smile decorating her face. The warmth she was feeling from being taken care of like this, it was something she would do everything she could to savor. Luckily for her, the water on her face concealed the happy tears that were falling from her eyes.


    When Damien was finished with her hair, he moved in front of her to look at his handiwork.


    Xue’s face was cute enough to make any random passerby want to smother her with love. Her big green eyes shone with a light of innocence that was slightly tainted by the maturity that she was forced to gain in recent times. Her ck hair was long and silky, like a glistening midnight waterfall that cascaded down to her waist.


    “Mm. Little Xue is the prettiest in the world. As expected of my little sister.” Damien said matter of factly.


    Xue smiled brightly at his words, her innocent giggles once again ringing through the surroundings as she went back to ying in the water.


    Seeing this, Damien exited theke and fell into thought. He didn’t know if he was ready to have a child enter his life, especially with the kind of jumping into danger at all times lifestyle he lived, but he also knew that this was a responsibility he had brought upon himself the second he decided to save her life.


    This little girl was filled with trauma. Her little mind was only stable because she had him as a pir of support now. If he decided to leave her, he knew that she would break. He could see the attachment she had gained to him in the past month


    No, even in the first week she had be attached enough to starve herself when she noticed he was copsed. If he didn’t take responsibility, he’d be worse than a devil.


    So, he earnestly decided to be a big brother that she could rely on. He decided that he’d make sure she would live a stable and happy life without worries. This was the decision he made from the beginning.


    ‘But…it’s really not that bad.’


    Having a little sibling like Xue’er brought a different kind of joy into his life. It was a wholesomeness that seemed to wash away his stress simply by being in her presence.


    Ssh!


    Another ssh of water appeared, this timending on Damien and drenching him, who was still in thought.


    Looking over, he saw little Xue’er smiling at him with a mischievous look in her eyes. Putting away his thoughts, a grin appeared on his face.


    “Ah! You traitor! You dare to ssh your Big brother?!” He yelled in mock anger.


    “I dare! I dare! Big brother can’t catch me!” Xue’er responded with a giggle.


    Damien grinned. His body shed forward, cannonballing into theke.


    “Ah!”


    The water went everywhere, causing little Xue’er to be even more soaked.


    “Watch how Big brother teaches you a lesson! Didn’t you know? If your big brother ims to be second in sshing battles, then nobody would dare to im they’re first!”


    With a domineering deration, Damien dove towards little Xue’er. Sshes of water and joyfulughter filled the subspace. It was like a paradise where no problems in the world could reach.


    Damien smiled at the thought. Yes, it was a paradise. The names “subspace” or “inventory” no longer fit this ce.


    ‘That’s right. From now on, this is my personal Sanctuary.’