A giant question mark loomed in Muria's mind. Did this massive fish even understand what it was saying? "No impact at all"? Did it think his bloodline was some bargain-bin commodity?
Muria could vaguely understand the whale's desire to merge their bloodlines to create a superior offspring, but the reasoning it offered next confirmed his suspicions.
"I need an exceptionally powerful and perfect heir to take over my domain and lead my subordinates in my place," the whale explained, its deep, resonant voice echoing across the void.
"Can't you just handle it yourself? Why do you need my bloodline?" Muria asked, retracting the bloodlust radiating from his body. His fighting spirit had been thoroughly quashed by the whale's bizarre proposition.
"No, offspring born solely of my own essence would be too weak and fail to meet my expectations. At best, they could wield only a fraction of my power. Such strength is insufficient to rule my domain."
As an epic-level being, the whale had already reached the pinnacle of biological perfection. Like all beings of its level, it could reshape and modify its own life form at will, becoming hermaphroditic or even reproducing asexually if desired.
But life born of such methods would always be limited. The laws of the void dictated that the offspring of an epic being, unless bestowed with origin power or otherworldly blessings, could never inherit their progenitor's full strength. At best, they could reach the legendary rank.
Even gods adhered to this rule. The children of deities, unless granted a portion of their divine essence or authority, were demigods at most—beings of immense power but still a step below true divinity.
"Why not use origin power?" Muria offered a simple and direct solution.
"I don't have excess origin power to squander," the whale replied bluntly, revealing its reluctance to invest such a precious resource into its offspring.
In its eyes, using origin power on a subordinate or child was an extravagant waste. Merging its bloodline with another powerful being to create a superior heir was a far more efficient and cost-effective solution.
"That's your problem, not mine."
"So, you refuse to have a child with me?" the whale asked, tilting its enormous head in confusion.
"Absolutely."
From a dragon's perspective, the whale was a near-perfect specimen—majestic and powerful, a worthy partner. But Muria's rationality as a titan and his humanoid sensibilities suppressed any such instinct.
"Why?" the whale pressed. "Your bloodline is highly compatible with mine. I can sense the dragon lineage within you."
The whale's curiosity grew. To it, Muria was one of the most unique beings it had encountered in the void.
"I already have a mate," Muria replied firmly. "I am bound by the sacred vows of our marriage and must remain loyal to my wife."
The whale was silent for a moment, as if processing this unexpected response. Then, to Muria's surprise, it nodded in apparent approval.
"Since that is the case, I retract my request."
"??" Muria blinked in confusion before realizing the whale had likely interpreted his marital commitment as a form of contractual obligation. From that perspective, his refusal to violate the "contract" earned its respect.
"However," the whale continued, its tone shifting, "you must still give me a reason to leave."
Muria raised his halberd, the Prison Halberd, its blade crackling with serpentine golden lightning. He finally understood the whale's persistence. Among epic-level beings, a loosely observed principle of "finders, keepers" often applied—but only to those present.
The whale had no intention of leaving empty-handed after encountering such a rare phenomenon. It wanted its share of the benefits before departing.
"Do you intend to fight me?" the whale asked calmly, even as the sharp edges of Muria's halberd gleamed ominously. "You should know that I am not the only one drawn to this place. If we clash, others will certainly arrive."
Hearing this, Muria's grip on his halberd tightened. He felt a renewed sense of urgency to grow stronger. If he were at the pinnacle of his power—at the quasi-worldmaster stage—this whale wouldn't dare approach him, let alone threaten him.
But for now, Muria was forced to weigh his options carefully. Fighting one epic being was feasible, but if others arrived, the situation could spiral out of control.
Unfortunately, his decision was made for him. Two additional presences emerged from the void, each radiating epic-level energy.
Glancing at the approaching entities, Muria exhaled and stowed his weapon.
A single challenger might have been manageable, but three was a different story. Trying to monopolize the situation now would likely lead to the trio teaming up to drive him away.
"Why the sudden change of heart, foreign god?" the whale asked, its voice laced with amusement as it watched Muria assume a meditative posture.
Muria ignored the question, his expression calm but his thoughts simmering. He would remember this encounter. One day, when his strength reached its peak, this insolent whale would regret ever crossing paths with him.
"Curious, isn't it? A site of wondrous creation!"
A screeching voice echoed through the void as a cursed presence approached. The air thickened with the cries of billions of damned souls, their collective curses forming a dense, malevolent fog.
A monstrous entity cloaked in swirling curses emerged, its body adorned with countless grotesque, glowing eyes that roved greedily over the merging worlds.
But it paused upon noticing the other two epics—Muria and the whale—already present. Instead of acting recklessly, the cursed being turned its attention toward the fourth arrival.
"An advanced technological civilization capable of void navigation?"
Muria's eyes narrowed as he observed the last newcomer. A titanic, planet-sized mechanical structure loomed into view, its surface bristling with countless weapons.
Within the core of this planetary fortress, Muria sensed the faint presence of another epic-level being. But the fortress's advanced technology obscured most of its aura, making it difficult to gauge its full power.
"Who arrived here first?" the mechanical epic demanded, its voice as cold and metallic as its appearance.
"I came alongside you," the cursed being replied in a rasping tone, its numerous eyes swiveling toward Muria and the whale.
"I was second," the whale said, its voice as gentle as a flowing stream.
"Then you were first," the machine-like entity concluded, directing its mechanical gaze toward Muria. "How much have you taken? Show us. We all deserve a share."
"You keep waving that oversized toy in my face," Muria replied, his golden eyes gleaming dangerously. "Do you believe I won't tear it apart?"
A golden wave of will surged from Muria, crashing against the planetary fortress like a tidal wave. The immense construct shuddered as parts of its surface warped, melted, and exploded under the pressure.
"Arrogant!" the mechanical epic roared, its voice tinged with fury. "Do you intend to fight all three of us at once?"
"If necessary, why not?" Muria replied coldly, standing tall as his blazing gaze seared through the fortress. Under his intense focus, the fortress's rune-engraved metal began to glow red-hot, melting into slag…
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