YANYAN’s POV

I introduced Celine to my father and my twin sisters. Their reactions? Pure awe, like a goddess had descended from heaven.

Suddenly, a sharp tingling pain hit my shoulder. Looking down, I saw Celesty—the tiny wolf—scratching me.

“What are you doing?” I asked telepathically, but she didn’t respond. She simply perched on my shoulder, pouting and glaring at Celine. What’s her problem now? Really?

I chuckled, continuing to laugh with my family, then remembered that Celine would stay the night. I prepared the guest room for her.

“Celine, this is where you’ll sleep. Please, come inside,” I gestured.

She looked around, eyes wide in amazement. The room was filled with items she’d never seen before: an electric fan, a jalousie window, a desk and lamp, a folding cabinet with golden slides, and even a sofa. All powered not by technology, but by embedded magic stones and electric arrays.

I smiled at her and waved, signaling that I was leaving her to rest. But she hesitated.

“Wait! Before you go, I want to ask you something…” Her worried eyes met mine.

I stepped closer and kissed her forehead—a gesture of respect. She turned bright red.

“Are… are you and I…?” she began.

“You are mine,” I answered before she could finish.

Tears welled up in her eyes. I wiped them away and hugged her. “Tomorrow, I’ll show you some places near here. When I was three, my parents left the Yan Clan and we found an isolated village at the center of the Death Forest. I discovered areas that can help you cultivate faster—so you can defend yourself.” I winked.

“For now, sleep. As long as I’m here, no one can take you away.”

“Ummu,” she murmured, blushing, curling under the covers.

Seeing her lying there, my heart finally relaxed. For the first time, I felt someone accepted me as a man. Whew… I’ll do my best to keep her safe.

I left for the forest with Celesty and checked on the golem guards I stationed. These golems ensured the village’s security. My alarm system covered the entire Death Forest, alerting both me and the guards if anyone intruded. But there were always unknown powerful figures. I may be the peak of the Rebirth King realm, but I hadn’t fought anyone above that. My current System stats read: Level 3000, Magic 5000, Strength 4500. The system wasn’t just a stats tracker—it was my inspector, informer, and strategic assistant, letting me plan defenses efficiently.

Next, I went to the cave where I met Celesty. It had become a garden full of herbs and minerals, various ores embedded for cultivation purposes. I cast Inivisy—short for Invisibolatile—to keep the cave hidden from cultivators below the Rebirth King stage.

Then, I moved to the underground tunnel where we mined ores for the village. This tunnel was connected to the old Yan Clan tunnels, but I sealed the path using ancient magic, so only I could open it in emergencies. I collected ten large metal ores, small magic ores with a bluish-green glow, and two small golden ores, storing them in my Dimensional Space.

Returning home, I noticed Celesty still sleeping on my shoulder. I placed her on my bed and began working on my next invention: Create-Art. Using magic and ores as materials, this spell lets me physically manifest anything I imagine.

Suddenly…

~BOOM!~

(ALERT: TRESPASSER!)

The System warned me: someone entered the Death Forest. I didn’t know their strength, but I couldn’t ignore it. I cast a thick invisible barrier around the village—the same one I used during the bandit raid.

I rushed into the forest and saw not a human, but a Black-Scaled Dragon. Two groups were on the ground, one in the air—ten dragons per group.

They must be above Rebirth King level… but why can’t they sense me?

I activated Soundro (Soundrosium), a System-cultivation hybrid technique, to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Hey! Where did the little princess go? You were last with her!”

Celine? Wait… was Celesty a princess?

“IDIOT! I didn’t follow her because someone cultivating at a very high level is here. Disturbing him would be suicidal.”

“Really? We haven’t sensed anyone yet. Are you making excuses?”

“SHUT UP! We’re in enemy territory. If that person is really here, they’d notice us. Peasants like us should stay out of it.”

“KILL ALL THE PEOPLE YOU FIND—EXCEPT FOR THE PRINCESS! UNDERSTAND!?”

“YES, SI—”