"Senior, isn't this the same as the systems in those books?" Loita asked, tilting her head at the glowing interface still humming faintly in the air.
"Yeah," Novaah said, unbothered, like she'd asked him whether the sky was up.
"Wait." Her eyes narrowed. "You didn't tell me about this."
"..."
"If the chosen one finds out about me, I'll cut it off." Her tone left no room for negotiation.
"But he might be a supreme origin embodiment," Novaah pointed out, mostly to see what she'd say.
"I don't care."
He let the silence sit for a moment, then smirked. "No one can replace you."
That landed exactly the way he knew it would. "...Okay, okay," she muttered, cheeks warming, pretending the point had been about logic and not affection.
"System. Show the interface."
*Ding!*
**Status**
Name.... Species.... Gender.... Bloodline..... Body..... Cultivation Method.....
"Enough." He waved it away before it could finish. Some things, even a god of nothingness didn't need spelled out.
"Loita, I've given all my energy to this."
Her humor vanished instantly. "Senior — will you be alright?"
"My soul is eternal."
"But without your qi, mana, and your origin, you'll fall into eternal sleep."
"No buts." His voice was steady, certain — the kind of certain that comes from a lifetime of being right about everything, including things he shouldn't have been so sure of. "I made a fake origin. I won't sleep."
"...Okay." She let it go. She didn't believe it, not fully — but she wanted to.
"System. Take care of Loita. Rules are a must."
Then, softer, only for her: "Loita, I made a dual cultivation technique. You might use it with the chosen one someday. It refines soul, body, and bloodline together — good for both of you." A pause, almost wistful. "Enjoy it. I'll be waiting to see your descendants."
"No." The word came out immediately, sharp enough to cut. "That's not happening. I know exactly what you're doing, and it won't work. I'll use it with *you*. Wouldn't that benefit me more?"
Novaah exhaled, the ghost of a laugh escaping with it. "You win."
He reached into nothing and pulled out seed after seed — primordial herbs spanning from common chaos tier all the way to prime eternal, alongside stacks of rare materials in the same impossible range.
"Have them use these once they reach divine rank. I've packed in alchemy, blacksmithing, rune-craft, and array formations too — prime rank, all of it."
"Senior..." Loita's voice changed, quieter now, careful. "May I ask you something?"
"Mmmh. Go on."
"I—" She faltered, which was so unlike her that Novaah actually looked up.
"Just say it. Since when do *you* hesitate?"
"Is something bad about to happen?"
"...Why would you think that?"
"Because all of this—" she gestured at the seeds, the techniques, the crests, the sheer *volume* of everything he'd been giving away, "—is starting to feel less like preparation and more like a goodbye."
He didn't answer right away. That silence told her more than any words could have.
"Senior. Is it really that bad?"
"Mmmh." He looked off into the middle distance, somewhere far beyond the walls of his own realm, and sighed like a man setting down a weight he'd been carrying for longer than she knew. "How long do we have?"
"Ten chaos circles."
"Another Great Annihilation." It wasn't a question.
"But we still have some prime beings left—"
"They won't help." His voice was flat, final. "They'll hide. Some might even switch sides." He paused. "Lafila Creation is dead. She burned herself out to save the others — and the chaos itself. Chronos Time went the same way, right after her."
"But — prime beings *can't* die. Can they?"
"We're supposed to fall into eternal sleep and wake only when chaos itself is threatened." His jaw tightened. "But the enemy's learned something new — how to devour an eternal soul and use it to climb from mortal to semi-prime, or even prime. And there are chaotic prime beings among them now."
"*What?*"
"Similar bloodline to yours."
Loita went very still. "Wait. You're saying enemies have gotten *into* our chaos?"
"Yes."
"Ahhh — this is bad. This is really bad." She pressed her hands to her face for a moment before forcing herself to look at him again. "Senior... can we wipe them out?"
"I could."
"Then—"
"I won't."
"*Why?*" The question came out almost like a wound.
"Because it's a trap." He wouldn't elaborate further, no matter how her eyes begged him to. "All you need to know is that they want my void origin. My nothingness."
Her fists clenched at her sides. "Damn it. I'll wipe every last one of them out myself one day."
"..." He said nothing to that — but something in his expression, just for a second, looked almost proud.
He reached out and produced a crest that hadn't existed a moment before.
Loita's breath caught. "Wait — what — how do you *have* that? The Eternal Crest?!"
"You know a lot for someone who's spent her whole life locked away," he said, one eyebrow raised.
"The Eternal Crest belonged to the embodiments of Creation and Time. Grandma used to talk about them constantly — they were a couple."
"No." He shook his head. "Chronos and Lafila were enemies. Twin sisters from the Blight family who fought so often they kept changing their surnames just to spite each other. There was one time, though — they lost a bet to me. I merged their realms into one: the Eternal Goddess Garden. One of the purest, most beautiful realms chaos ever produced. Anything could grow there."
"But Chronos was male."
"Nope." A small, wicked grin. "Flat-chested cross-dresser."
"*What?!* How do you even know that?!"
"They were like you," he said, entirely too pleased with himself. "Insisted on marrying me. Except worse. Much more trouble than you."
"...Now I finally understand." Loita blinked, something clicking into place. "I always wondered why you never got rid of me for being so stubborn."
*You don't understand at all,* Novaah thought, watching her fondly, *but I'm never going to tell you why.*
"Good. Glad you understand," he said instead. "Now go start a family out there."
"In your dreams," she shot back, smirking despite herself.
"Still not giving up, huh."
*Snort.*
He turned back to his work, taking the Fey Crest and the Eternal Crest and beginning to fuse them together, layer by layer. Then he lifted two small crystals, their heads perfectly transparent, and inside them — soul fragments. Faint. Flickering. Fragile in a way that made even Loita go quiet.
He studied them for a long moment before speaking, almost to himself. "I can't reform you now. You'd only give me a headache."
"Loita — take care of these when the time comes. The chosen one will reform them eventually. They might even marry him, live a good life."
"You are as cruel as ever," Loita said, though there was no real bite in it — just sadness, dressed up as an insult.
The crystals dissolved into green light and vanished into the system.
"You're all better off without me," Novaah murmured.
"I'll lead them to find you. Whatever it takes."
"..." Loita's expression crumpled, just for a second, before she forced it steady again.
"Loita. Listen carefully." His voice sharpened, focused now. "I want you and the system to leave. Go find the chosen one."
"Mmmh."
"Teach them well. I'd prefer a male, so you can start a family properly — but honestly, it doesn't matter who, as long as the conditions are met."
"Okay. But I'm not starting a family without *you*."
"Stubborn girl. You'd get along terrifyingly well with Chronos and Lafila."
"Now — no matter what happens after this — you *have* to escape and find the chosen one. Promise me."
Her smile turned mischievous, deliberately unbothered. "I won't."
"Ahhh, why are you all so *stubborn?*" He rubbed his temple like the universe itself was testing his patience.
"System. Do as I command."
*(Yes, Master.)*
"If you let anything happen to Senior," Loita said, voice suddenly cold as void itself, "I will erase you."
*(...)*
"The system will be known as the Supreme Primordial System," Novaah continued, "and its consciousness will carry the name Luna Chaos."
"Once the chosen one reaches godhood, Luna, you may use the body I made for you — the Chaotic Prime Primordial Moon Body. Chronos and Lafila will have their own — Time and Creation, respectively. Loita — once your seals are lifted, yours will be the Chaotic Prime Primordial Nature Body. All of them stronger than any current prime being's form. Stay hidden until you're strong enough to defend yourselves — no exceptions."
"As for the chosen one — they can reform into the Chaotic Prime Primordial Genesis Body, the finest vessel any Supreme Origin Embodiment could hope for. It's brutal to cultivate, and the pain alone will shatter the soul of anyone below primordial rank. Failing that, there's the Chaotic Prime Primordial Void Body — weaker than Genesis, but still far beyond the standard Prime Primordial Void Body. Their spouse, whoever that may be, can rise to prime being level as well."
"Senior," Loita asked slowly, "why don't you use it on yourself?"
"I'm bored."
"*WHAT?!*"
"Yeah. I need a nap. Don't have the time for it."
"No wonder they call you the embodiment of sloth," she groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "All that effort, and *that's* your reasoning. What a waste."
"..."
"You may go now," Novaah said, waving a hand toward the two of them.
*(Yes, Master.)*
A flash of blue light — and Luna and Loita were gone.
---
*("Luna, why are we in such a rush?")*
*(Master told us to go find the chosen one.)*
*("Luna. Oh, dear Luna. Senior never said we couldn't start looking right here, did he? Or is it that you're just eager to show off that you get to carry Senior's surname — Chaos — before I do?")*
*(...)*
*("Cat got your tongue?")*
*(Loita, you're just jealous.)*
*("...")* Loita's face burned red with fury. If she hadn't been trapped inside the system, Luna might very well have found herself choked into silence.
---
A pale blue light hovered above a mansion so dark, so absolute, that no mortal could have looked directly at it without their soul unraveling on the spot.
*("Luna, what's going on?")*
*Ding!*
*(I've scanned the entire mansion. You're not going to believe this.)*
"What?"
*(The space is sealed. Something's blocking it — a force I can't identify.)*
*("Senior already knows about that. Luna, we should head out like he said.")*
*(No — I promised Master we'd leave right away.)*
*("Oh, little Luna doesn't quite get what I meant, does she. Luna — if we're looking for the chosen one, is there really a better place to start than right here, above Senior's own mansion?")*
*(But Master said to go out and search.)*
*("Luna. Where exactly are we standing?")*
*(...Above Master's mansion.)*
*("Can he sense us?")*
*(No. Anything below Chaotic Prime rank can't detect our presence.)*
"Good. Then let's start the search right here."
*(...Yes.)* Luna agreed, brightening instantly, cheerful as ever now that the decision had been made for her.
*(So — where do we begin?)*
*("Look at everyone around Senior's mansion. One of them might be the chosen one.")*
*(...O-okay.)* Luna hovered uncertainly, clearly out of her depth and not bothering to hide it.
---
"Master, the meal is ready," Durken called from the doorway.
Novaah glanced toward the food for a long moment — longer than usual — before drifting back toward sleep instead. Above the room, invisible, sealed away from the world entirely, the small pyramid hung suspended. Inside it, Luna and Loita could see everything. Hear everything.
No one could see or hear them.
Durken pulled something small from his sleeve and released it in a fine mist across the room.
Loita felt it before she understood it — a cold, wrong feeling crawling up her spine.
Before she could so much as shout a warning, a low grunt cut through the silence.
"Master — are you alright?"
"Hnn... just feeling a little weak, that's all."
"What happened? Why didn't you say anything? Let me help—"
"No need to worry." Novaah's voice was calm, unhurried. "I had Loita assist with something earlier."
"...Ah. So that's it." Durken's gaze swept the room, slow and deliberate. "Master, I don't see her anywhere."
"I locked her inside the system. Sent it off already."
"What? How — *why?*"
"...Is that a problem?"
"Not at all," Durken said quickly, forcing an embarrassed laugh. "It's just — I was hoping to woo the princess myself."
Trapped and watching, Loita's expression went utterly flat. *(You have got to be kidding me.)*
*(...Princess? You? You don't exactly look like one.)*
*("Of course I am. Princess of the Fay, and Senior even made me Princess of the Void Realm on top of that. How do you think I ever managed to sneak into his room in the first place?")*
"Ah. Then I suppose I'm too late," Durken said lightly.
Novaah reached over, tore off another piece from the roasted Devourer Pig leg, and took a slow bite. As he chewed, something in his body shifted — subtly at first, then unmistakably.
*Weaker.*
*I must have burned through more energy than I realized,* he thought, brow furrowing faintly, *and the fake origin can't quite hold the weight of my body on its own. So Loita was right after all — a fake can't fully replace the real thing. Ahh... this is more than I bargained for. I'll deal with it once I've slept.*
"Why... why does this feel..." He trailed off, frowning at nothing in particular.
"Something's not right."
"Durken. Are you feeling alright?"
"Perfectly fine, Master. Is something troubling you?"
"...Maybe I'm just overthinking things." He waved a hand, dismissing his own unease. "Let me get some sleep."
---
*(Loita — something's wrong with Master.)*
*("I think it's Durken. I saw him spray something into the room right before it started.")*
...
Down below, unseen by anyone in that dark, quiet mansion, Durken stood before a mirror — and the reflection staring back at him was not his own.
"Ancestor. It's done. I've sprayed it into the room."
"Good," the voice from the mirror answered, low and satisfied. "We'll be there before he has the chance to recover."
Durken looked up at his own borrowed reflection, jaw set, eyes hard with a resolve that had clearly been building far longer than tonight.
"I'm sorry, Master," he whispered, to no one who could hear him. "I want to be strong too. I want to become a prime being — to walk the Chaos Cosmic Starry myself, to stand on the Great Annihilation battlefield and seize an opportunity of my own."
His hand curled into a fist.
"So just — be my stepping stone."