Time ticked by as I familiarised myself with my abilities. Experimentally, I cast my consciousness outward, extending it toward each of their rooms.

  Officer Han was finally awake, stretching as if shaking off the remnants of sleep.

  I really should learn his first name, I thought.

  The children were awake as well — already dressed and surprisingly presentable. I sent a gentle mental nudge, asking them to come down for breakfast. Within three minutes, they all appeared, with Officer Han following behind.

  “Good morning, everyone. I nipped into the city earlier and picked up some food.”

  With a wave of my hand, the seals over the containers dissolved, and a wave of delicious aromas filled the room.

  “You can’t eat Saint-level meat at every meal,” I added lightly. “You’ll put on too much weight and won’t be able to walk.”

  I gave Lucy a quick poke in the stomach. Instead of the horrified reaction I expected, she looked up at me with wide, endearing eyes.

  “If Granny provides this much nice food, I don’t mind being roly-poly,” she said with a playful chuckle, sticking out her tongue.

  I ruffled their hair affectionately. “Eat up before it gets cold.”

  Between mouthfuls, I decided to make conversation.

  “So, Officer Han. Do you have a first name?”

  He seemed to realise he hadn’t properly introduced himself and immediately stood up.

  “I am Adam Han, Officer of the Kingdom of Camelot, serving under Major Lancelot.”

  He delivered the statement with a crisp military salute and stood at attention.

  Now it was my turn to be stunned.

  “Um, Adam — do you mind if I call you Adam?”

  He nodded.

  “You mentioned the Kingdom of Camelot. Where did that name come from? I have a faint memory of hearing it somewhere far away from here.”

  He looked puzzled by my question but answered nonetheless.

  “Ms. Heather, the Kingdom was founded fifty years after the Fall of Earth. Before that, humanity stood at the top of the food chain. We didn’t cower behind walls or formations. We travelled freely. As you likely know, one day the sky tore open, and beasts from myth became reality. We were driven nearly to extinction. A few individuals gained strength by developing techniques after observing the ancient beasts hunt and fight. From there, people rose. Kingdoms were formed. Soldiers were trained. Peace was eventually restored — or at least what we now call peace.”

  I stared at him.

  Of all the questions I could have asked after that revelation — that this might actually be my Earth — the one that came out was:

  “Where is the Lady of the Lake located?”

  Adam looked at me with open fear.

  “How do you know about the Immortal Ancestor?”

  I gave him a knowing smile. “She was the one who gave Arthur the power to rule Camelot, in an old tale I once heard. Is Merlin still around, or has he gone on a journey, saying he will return when Camelot faces true peril?”

  Adam nodded slowly. The children exchanged knowing smiles, as if to say, That’s our Granny. Always the most informed person in the room.

  “If I give you a gift before you leave, could you delay your departure by a couple of days? I promise you’ll likely be promoted if you present it.”

  Adam nodded. “I will need to meet the convoy I was meant to join today, but a short delay shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Remembering that incentives often worked wonders, I summoned a jade vial containing the twelve Qi Refining Pills.

  “Here. Present these as an offering — or an apology.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  I tossed the vial to him. He caught it swiftly and removed the stopper for a quick look.

  The medicinal fragrance struck him immediately. Even at his newly increased strength, he felt his internal barriers loosen slightly.

  He had only advanced overnight, and I could see the thought flicker across his face — that even half a pill might push him further.

  He quickly resealed the vial, gripping it carefully.

  Adam hurriedly finished his food. Something deep within him was telling him that the next few days were going to be even more life-changing.

  He stood and bowed. “I will be back in a couple of hours.”

  Then he turned and ran out the door.

  “Well, kids, finish up. We have some friends to go meet.”

  They all looked at me with curiosity. I gave them a wink.

  “Come on. You seem excited — and probably already full.”

  I guided them slowly around the back of the pagoda, leading them to the second mountain.

  “So, the first is the library. The second is Beast Mountain. And the third is my herb garden. I will introduce the rest as needed, but one day this may be your home — if you enjoy taming. Someone will have to help your future siblings tame a companion.”

  James straightened immediately at the thought of managing what he hoped would be god-level beasts. Everything they had seen over the past day had been beyond reason — so why not the beasts as well?

  Together, we walked up the mountain. I pointed out the beasts we passed, and before long, various creatures began approaching them, curious and eager.

  This must have been something to do with the divine abilities they had awakened yesterday.

  Each of them attracted animals that seemed to possess a natural affinity with them.

  James appeared utterly entranced by a Nether Lion. It resembled Earth’s lions, but it was twice the size and wreathed in purple flames that radiated a chilling sensation instead of heat.

  Harry was already snuggling a Heavenly Thunder Eagle. The bird was enormous — large enough that, in one of those famous Earth fantasy franchises, it could have carried a hobbit to a volcano in no time.

  And finally, Lucy had drawn the most bizarre beast of all.

  It flapped all six of its wings gracefully. Because of her rare affinity, Lucy had attracted a Yin-Void Butterfly — and it was clearly the strongest of the three.

  Noticing their rare compatibility, I injected Qi into my voice and spoke with calm authority.

  “Bring the strongest of your young. I will allow them to bond with my children and grow together.”

  The beasts — even the butterfly — seemed to understand every word. Without hesitation, they scattered in different directions.

  Twenty minutes later, they returned.

  Each carried a tiny version of itself.

  The young shone with a quiet radiance of power — a brilliance that made it clear they would one day surpass their parents.

  The children cradled their beasts, and James was the first to speak.

  “This seems random… Is this really what we came here for? What are we actually doing?”

  I looked at him calmly. “I’m here to select two Guardian Beasts to watch over this place while we’re away — or if I’m gone. We have far too much here that others would kill for.”

  As if summoned by fate itself, a massive python slithered toward me and rubbed its enormous head against my leg, nearly knocking me over. The only reason I didn’t fall was because a giant nine-coloured peacock pressed its head firmly against my back, steadying me.

  I blinked, then smiled faintly.

  “Well… I suppose this is fate. You two seem rather determined to become our protectors.”

  Ding. Ding. Ding.

  Host, as a reward for selecting two Guardian Beasts, you have been granted two Emperor Beast Pills. These will elevate your chosen beasts to the peak of Emperor level.

  Two glowing pills materialised before me. Intricate patterns swirled across their surfaces, shifting and changing like the pills from earlier. One bore the faint images of coiling serpents, endlessly intertwining. The other shimmered with layered feathers and radiant avian sigils, humming with restrained majesty.

  Without hesitation, I handed each beast its respective pill.

  The transformation was immediate.

  Their bodies swelled in size, scales thickening, feathers igniting with luminous brilliance. The ground trembled beneath their expanding forms as their bloodlines evolved.

  The python shed its previous form, emerging as the Nine Nether Python King, sovereign of the Nine Nethers and ruler of all serpents.

  The peacock’s flames intensified, shifting into layered, celestial fire as it ascended into the Eighteen Heavenly Flame Peacock King, its eighteen radiant tail plumes burning with divine authority.

  Their auras changed completely.

  It was no longer just power.

  It was sovereignty.

  The kind of presence that suggested they could burn the world to ash — if it meant protecting their home.

  I met their newly intelligent gazes.

  “Guard the perimeter. Stop anyone who does not enter through the front gate. Do not kill unless they pose a true threat. If they are merely curious, detain them until I arrive.”

  With their supreme cultivation, both beasts now possessed intellect rivaling the finest human scholars. They bowed deeply, acknowledging the command.

  Then they shot into the distance like streaks of divine light.

  I turned back to the children.

  “Well, kids, that’s my business done. Shall we head back and begin your cultivation?”

  They nodded eagerly, securing their young beasts in their arms before hurrying after me.

  When we returned to the pagoda, they gently set their companions down and rushed to retrieve their cultivation manuals.

  I gestured for them to sit.

  “Cross your legs. Steady your breathing. Begin by reading the opening of your techniques and try to comprehend Heaven’s whispers.”

  They obeyed immediately.

  “Feel the Qi around you. Close your eyes if you must. Synchronise your breathing with the wind. Become one with the earth beneath you. Draw the Qi inward and guide it carefully. Follow the pathways described in your technique. Circulate it through a full cycle until it settles into your dantian.”

  The pagoda grew silent.

  The air thickened.

  Qi gathered, swirling gently around the three children.

  Almost in unison—

  They broke through to Qi Refining Stage I.