“Papa~ Papa? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Edlyn nestled in Eli’s arm, her milk-white hand waving, head tilted like a sparrow, eyes full of worry.

“Why are you ignoring me?” Her lips puckered, tears welling, then a hiccuping sob. “Does Papa not like me?”

Eli’s face went dark with lines; he stroked her small head, kissed her cheek. “How could I? I like you most.”

“Really?” The little girl’s big eyes fluttered like startled butterflies, staring him down.

Eli nodded hard, then tightened his hug, holding her like a warm bundle of spring.

Off to the side, Anna lay draped over a rock, laughing till her shoulders shook.

She saw Eli storm toward her like thunder rolling, steadied herself, rubbed her face, then wore a calm mask for her dear old dad.

Eli reached out and supported Anna’s head. “What’s up with your mom?”

“Eh? So you do know she’s my real mom?” Anna blinked, eyes glinting like a cat.

“Duh, your hair’s the dead—wait. What do you mean by that? Am I going to—?”

“Ahem. I didn’t say anything. Don’t overthink it.” Anna coughed, eyes sliding away.

Eli’s face flickered blue, then white, like clouds crossing a winter sun. Good news or bad—he couldn’t tell.

“Tsk. Don’t change the subject. What’s up with your mom?” Eli clicked his tongue, eyes sharp as a blade.

Edlyn turned in his arms, glanced at Anna, blinking like dew on lashes. “Huh? I got a little sister? Then Papa won’t be only mine.”

She scratched her head, worry pooling like rain in a bowl.

Eli’s mouth twitched; his heart felt like a tangled fishing net.

Sure, it was… a guilty kind of sweet. The Demonic Lord rarely went this soft. Warm as silk, tempting as honey. But it couldn’t last.

The Demon Race nearby looked ready to swallow him whole like wolves circling meat.

And this crazy girl kept calling him “Dad” every other breath.

How was he supposed to ever make her his?

He sighed, a long, low note like wind under eaves.

Anna tapped her chin, smiling. “Old dad, won’t you check old mom’s body first? One probe and you might know what happened.”

Eli steadied Edlyn’s little head, pressed his forehead to hers, breath mingling like winter frost. He sent his power searching inside her.

Overall, Edlyn’s body was locked at seven. Even her mind.

All memories as the Demonic Lord were sealed in a corner like books behind barred shelves.

As if an outside force had crushed her, forced out a bit of memory, then scrubbed her persona clean.

Eli pondered, eyes half-closed like dusk. He opened them to Edlyn’s guileless gaze, clear as a brook.

She smiled sweetly. “Papa~”

Eli shivered, teeth gritting like flint.

“Cute… too cute. But like this, I can’t take it.” He lifted a hand to the air; pale-blue energy pooled like moonlight in his palm.

Angelo was arranging the Demon Race like chess pieces. She felt it and turned, eyes narrowing at Eli’s hand.

It didn’t fit anything she knew. Not holy. Not demonic. Not raw mana. Complex in pattern, lighter in blast.

More like mortals’ magic or Battle Aura—only different at the root.

The weight felt wrong. It seemed heavy, like a mountain pressed into mist. She doubted she could even lift it.

She frowned, thought, I’ll ask the Hero later. For now, I finish my tasks.

The Demon King has a Hero to watch him. That girl’s likely with the Hero too. Not my business.

The pale-blue energy threaded from Eli’s fingers into Edlyn’s head, a river sliding under ice.

Edlyn bit her lip, eyes wet. “Papa. It hurts.”

Eli sighed, kissed her brow. “Be good. It’ll pass in a heartbeat.”

“Mhm. I’ll be good.” Her tears trembled like pearls.

Eli’s heart lurched; his arms tightened like iron rings. He made a vow, voice low as thunder. “You’re mine. Always. No one takes you from me.”

His gaze went deep like a night well; he wiped her tears away with a gentle finger.

Ever since he rebuilt his body, pieces of Birand’s memory had settled in him like old stars.

Birand’s life. And the pact with the Netherworld.

Eli rubbed Edlyn’s forehead; her lashes fluttered, and she slipped into sleep like a petal falling.

He would restore her to how she was before. Back to the hatching of the giant cocoon.

He drew the blue Stellar Power, hammered it against her memories like a smith striking steel.

Before pain could rise, he loosed more power, cocooning her in a circle of light.

She turned back into a giant cocoon, hanging in his aura, drinking in the energy she lacked.

When it was done, Eli let out a long breath, misting the air.

Anna hugged her head, smiling. “You two are so sweet. I’m jealous.”

“Jealous, my ass.” Eli ruffled her hair with a helpless grin.

“When’re you heading back?” After a quiet beat, Eli asked with a soft smile.

Anna shrugged. “Probably not this stretch. Can’t go back.”

“Huh?” Eli frowned. “What happened?”

“Mm~ well… the power’s probably used up.”

“What?”

Anna tapped her own head with two cat-paw hands. “Eheh~”

“Eh-heh my foot!”

..................................................

“How long have we been stuck here?” Liqianyu lay on the bed, staring at the white ceiling, face ashen as paper.

The thing she’s worst at is playing with kids.

She’s stayed in this orphanage so long she’s gone numb.

Angela didn’t care. She’d already blended in with the kids like sugar in tea.

Yiyi had said she had business and left. No idea where she went.

As for Li Gongxuan?

He sat outside in the cold wind, meditating like a stone statue. Who knew what he was doing.

Liqianyu was the most bored. She didn’t want to sit out there like her brother, and she couldn’t keep up with the kids.

So she learned random things from the nurses to kill time, like threading needles in a dim noon.

“Who knows. Sis has been gone a while. The Director said it’s fine. Just trust them.” Angela smiled, voice light as bells.

Liqianyu rolled over, sighed. “Should’ve stayed on the Elf Race battlefield. At least there was a fight.”

Angela rolled her eyes. “Alright, sleep. It’s almost midnight. I’m going out with Hal and the girls tomorrow.”

Liqianyu kneaded Angela’s cheeks with a sigh. “You’re carefree. I’m suffering.”

“By rights, it’s almost the end of the world, yeah? The Celestial Realm reopened. The Hero and Demon King revived. Every race is gearing for war.

But here? I can’t feel a thing. It’s too peaceful.” She exhaled like a spent torch.

Little Angela didn’t answer. She was already asleep, breath even as tide.

Liqianyu turned off the light, tucked the blanket, and drifted into the dark.

The church in the center had the largest roof, looming like a slate sky. Don’t ask who’s worshiped there. It’s definitely not a Celestial God.

Li Gongxuan sat on that roof, buried under snow like a quiet hill.

After a long silence, he opened his eyes. A wordless pressure rippled from him, rolling over the orphanage like storm surf.

“Awrr!”

After a few beastly roars echoing in the night, the area fell calm again, snow whispering down.

Once he felt no threat, Li Gongxuan closed his eyes, serene as winter water.

Then he went back to shaping his snowman, fingers steady as chisels.

Inside the church, the central stone statue cracked open and split, revealing a door hidden beneath its shadow.

A petite girl came out of the tunnel, holding a box of ashes like a lamp against night.

She set the statue back, fetched a broom by the front door, and started cleaning, strokes neat as rain lines.

After a long while, the church gleamed. She smiled and nodded. “Everything’s good. Old man, see? The nurses you picked truly kept this place well.”

She carried the box to the orphanage gate, where a great locust tree stood like a guardian. She dug a small patch and buried the ashes with care.

“Back?” Li Gongxuan’s voice rose behind her, cool as frost. The girl startled, turned, and smiled. “Mm. I’m back.”

“You hid a lot from me.” Li Gongxuan’s gaze narrowed, sword resting against his shoulder like a silver moon.

“You’re not the little girl who left months ago. Your bone age’s likely over six hundred.”

Yiyi shrugged. “My friend, many things aren’t simple to tell. And not everything can be said.”

Li Gongxuan smiled, cradling his long sword. “Then tell me—did we win?”

Yiyi’s smile curved like a crescent. “Otherwise, why would we fight?”

Li Gongxuan nodded, satisfied. His figure dissolved into Battle Aura, then vanished like mist in sun.

Yet on the roof, he was still buried under snow, quiet as a shrine.

“This is…?” Yiyi blinked, then shook her head with a soft laugh.

He’s terrifyingly strong.