The system screamed out in shock as it stared in disbelief at Nn, whose eyes brimmed with quiet conviction and determination, yet with a bit of helplessness buried deeply by that same conviction and determination.


    "I''ll stop looking for a way out of this world..." Nn replied once more.


    [If you stop now, you''ll be an idiot.]


    [hen the ploys of your enemies would be a sess.]


    [Then you will be a loser.]


    [Are you satisfied with that?]


    [What about your freedom?]


    [Your dreams of bing strong and free?]


    [You''ll leave all that, just for this small stumble on your path?] the system said to Nn, whose eyes shed.


    "I know I will lose it all. But there''s no path forth for me. I''m not strong enough to travel between worlds, and there''s no sign of civilization at all."


    "And there''s also her to consider. I won''t be able to move on unless I leave her, which I also can''t do. She''s young and needs to be taken care of."


    [Then I have a n. If you''re worried about her, what say you raise her as your own, train her, build her into a warrior?]


    [She was carried into the mouth of a draconic creature.]


    [There''s no way she''s a weakling or an ordinary mortal.]


    [She might be weak now, but I believe she has great potential. So, raise her until she''s good enough to be on her own.]


    [[Then, you can choose to leave her to her fate, knowing she can now defend herself, and you will continue on your journey.]


    [Your strength during that time frame, as long as you keeppleting your quests, will no doubt improve.]


    [So there''s a chance when that timees, you should be able to easily traverse through this entire world and find a race that can help, or you yourself will possess enough power to phase through worlds.]


    [It will take time, though, years to be exact...] the system replied back to Nn, who nodded firmly, his eyes shing.


    ''I can take this experience as some sort of little vacation from the tumultuous world of cultivation.''


    ''Being a father, while also increasing my strength, until she''s capable of standing on her own feet too.''


    ''That''s what I''ll do. Better than heading to the unknown and risking both our lives on what would most likely be a fruitless search...''


    Nn thought, and he made up his mind.


    For now, he had the cave, which offered protection and could serve as a little home for both of them. There was snow he could use for water, and a couple of fruit trees in the area. He just needed to do some simple work to turn this ce into his territory.


    [HIDDEN MISSION QUEST ACTIVATED!]


    [QUEST: A territory-dominated world has been discovered. Host must carve his own territory and earn the recognition of the origin world.]


    [Rewards:???]


    "A system quest to build a territory..." Nn mused in shock as he looked at the panel. He had never thought the system would offer such a quest, and it seemed only now were they both on the same page.


    ''I guess I have a solid n now,'' Nn mused, and he felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.


    Turning his gaze to the side, he found her deeply asleep in slumber, and quietly, he picked her up and threw her on his back.


    ''I can''t imagine what life you''ve been through, nor do I even have any idea what type of creature you are.''


    ''But I do promise I''ll make you fine and give you the life you deserve...'' Nn mused, and in the next instant, he jumped on top of the trees, quickly making his way forward into the distance.


    Now that he had his thoughts together, only now did he realize instead of running on the snow-covered ground, he could actually jump on the pine trees.


    They were like stic, and anytime he stepped on them and exerted slight strength, they sent him higher and farther into the air.


    This considerably boosted his speed and helped him avoid the predatory gaze of beasts below. This made his journey, which had taken around an hour of walking, turn into a 10-minute race. Stay connected via empire


    Arriving before his cave area, he could only see the open space and quietly entered into it. Gentlyying down the sleeping green-skinned girl, he decided to move out of the cave and quickly did a sweep of the area before making his decision, as he stood before the cave entrance.


    The cave area was just a few meters before the pine forest, and unbelievably enough, just behind it, Nn found a frozen stream path just a couple of meters away.


    With there being water so close by, and the forest in front as a source of food, Nn quickly made his decision.


    "I have decided on this ce being my territory."


    Quickly, he got to work, and the first thing he did was turn his attention to the stream.


    A little release of his Anti-Aether energy was enough to cause the frozen snowy stream to be unfrozen, and soon the sound of water flowing echoed through the area.


    Once the water began flowing, Nn walked towards it, dipped his hands into it, and brought it out. The sound of water sshing back into the stream rang out, and he took a sip from the water in his hands.


    A few seconds followed before his eyes widened and genuine shock shed in his eyes.


    "This isn''t just water! It''s...it''s..."


    [Harmonious Aqua!!!?]


    The system guessed in pure shock, and Nn nodded.


    There were many types of liquid in the ne of existence, and some liquids were regarded as heavenly treasures.


    One of these liquids was Harmonious Aqua, a water imbued with a world''s divine energy, making it the purest form of water.


    But not only that—drinking from Harmonious Aqua could cause a significant boost to cultivation stages and rid the body of impurities that hindered muscle growth and cell development.


    Not only that, but if a violent or troubled person drank it, it could help them calm down considerably!


    For Nn, living in a forest dominated by wild beasts, the liquid was perfect for him.


    Not only would the Harmonious Aqua help him improve his cultivation base, it would also help him wash away his impurities, therefore increasing his strength. It was perfect for him.


    Besides, any beasts that tried getting into the territory would have to cross through the stream, and the Harmonious Aqua would be more than alluring for them.


    Once they tasted it, their ferocity would disappear. It was a very good thing for a person to possess in a ce dominated by wild beasts.


    [And if your ''daughter'' drinks this and uses this regrly, you can expect rapid growth. [You''re very lucky,] the system teased.


    Nn rolled his eyes, but he had to agree. This would be perfect for the green girl.


    "The issue of water has been handled, now I just need to zero in on areas where the tree fruits are present and see if I can form a small map of the area, to stay alert of other beast territories so I don''t mistakenly antagonize them," Nn mused in deep thought.


    In the next instant, he got on the move, quickly disappearing into the forest.


    Five hourster, a young man with disheveled hair and broken branches stuck in it exited the pine forest, looking haggard.


    The figure was none other than Nn, and even though he had a few bruises on his face and body, one could see the big smile on his face.


    In his handsy a small wooden te with a couple of lines andbels drawn on it.


    Right now, Nn had sessfully mapped a 3000-meter radius around him. But to do that, he had ventured through various beast territories, and he had been sent running around the ce.


    There were a couple of times where he had nearly lost his life, but he was able to avoid getting killed by activating his Anti-Aether energy. Since this ce was deep within the forest and theck of Divine Essence revealed there were probably no Celestial Heirs around, Nn felt free to use his Anti-Aether energy to save himself from trouble without worrying about being discovered.


    But he also didn''t want to get used to having his strength doubled, so he only did that when it was absolutely necessary.


    Soon he arrived before his cave area, and his eyes narrowed.


    Right now, he felt like the cave he was sleeping in was actually a miniature fraction of the cave system truly in the area.


    [What do you say about carving an entire apartment within the mountain itself? Combining various caves together to create something more livable?] the system suggested, and Nn nodded.


    It was a truly good idea, and just as his hand reached forward to roll away the stone, he watched as the stone covering the cave was rolled away.


    But the person who exited the cave where he had left the little girl shocked Nn to his bones, and unconsciously, he retreated five steps backward, his wooden te dropping from his hands.