Xia Zhi hung up the call and checked the time.
It was nearly 11 PM.
"Guess it's getting late…"
He pocketed the device and looked at the big egg in front of him, shaking his head.
He remembered asking Cloud Retainer how long her transformation took—she'd said half an hour.
But judging from Durin's situation, it'd clearly take longer.
Probably due to the difference in tiers… and maybe body size too.
Fine. Might as well give her a little help.
Xia Zhi placed his hand gently on the egg's smooth, crystalline shell.
"Time Acceleration."
Divine energy poured from his palm into the egg.
Technically, this was only the second time he'd used time magic on someone else.
The first time had been with Shenhe. Though really, that one was a joint effort...
Several minutes passed.
The egg began to tremble.
A sign that the transformation was nearly complete.
Xia Zhi kept his hand there.
Another ten seconds later, he heard the faint sound of cracking.
Fine lines began spreading across the shell—just like when the blood cocoon had shattered.
She was ready.
He withdrew his hand and waited quietly.
Bits of shell began to flake off.
Then, with a sudden crack, the egg split open completely, revealing a black-haired girl with a platinum-tier progress bar still visible on her.
Just like his cousin Xia Zhen when she first appeared, the girl wasn't wearing a single thread.
Xia Zhi immediately retracted his view.
Inside the broken shell, the girl slowly opened her eyes. Confusion flickered in her dark irises.
But when she spotted Xia Zhi, her face lit up with a bright, pure smile.
"Daddy!"
She threw herself at him.
A powerful force slammed into him.
Having just retracted his detection and completely unprepared, Xia Zhi nearly got tackled to the ground.
What strength.
He steadied himself and gently pushed her off, helpless.
"Daddy? Did I transform successfully?"
"Yep. You did. Now, go put some clothes on."
"Clothes?"
The girl looked down at herself. Her big eyes blinked.
"I don't have any clothes."
"You can manifest them."
"Manifest?"
This girl really didn't know anything...
"…Never mind."
Xia Zhi sighed, opened the system panel, and spent 1 point to customize a new outfit for her.
"Here."
"Thank you, Daddy!"
She took the clothes and clumsily started dressing herself.
Xia Zhi turned away, gathering up the shattered eggshells scattered around the area.
They might seem useless, but they were a part of Durin—materials ideal for crafting a personalized magic artifact that would harmonize perfectly with her.
Cloud Retainer's feathered robe had been made the same way.
Though, judging by this girl's total lack of know-how, that was a lesson best saved for later. He'd ask Cloud Retainer to teach her when they got back.
After a bit of effort, the girl finally managed to get dressed. "Daddy!"
Xia Zhi glanced at her and nodded. "How do you feel?"
The girl stared at her new body in wonder. "So small… and cute…"
"That's not what I meant. I meant, do you feel anything different compared to before?"
"Something different…"
She thought hard, then pressed a hand to her belly.
"Umm… this spot… feels kinda… weird…"
"Weird?"
"Yeah… it's going… grrrrgle…"
Before she could finish, a series of strange sounds came from her stomach.
Xia Zhi paused. "You're hungry."
She tilted her head, looking confused and adorable. "Hungry?"
She clearly didn't grasp the concept.
As a creature of the Abyss, she'd never needed to eat.
Her common sense was practically nonexistent.
Xia Zhi pulled out a small cake from his inventory.
It was a snack he'd made a few days ago for their trip—perfect for when anyone got peckish.
"Here. Eat this."
"Thank you, Daddy!"
"Don't use your hands. Use the spoon—that one. Yep."
"Oh!"
Carefully gripping a tiny wooden spoon, she scooped up a dollop of frosting and put it in her mouth.
"Mm!!"
Such an overwhelming, sweet delight!
And then… her clothes disintegrated.
No, not from impact.
More like, the sheer joy triggered a rush of toxic Abyssal energy from within her, which instantly corroded her brand-new outfit into shredded rags.
Still biting the spoon, she glanced down at her ruined clothes, then looked up at Xia Zhi, full of guilt. "Daddy, I'm sorry, I…"
To be fair, giving a total culinary newbie a taste of grandmaster-level pastry was kind of cheating.
Xia Zhi waved a hand dismissively. "It's okay. Not your fault—I should've seen it coming."
He'd noticed earlier that her post-transformation form wasn't emanating any Abyssal aura and had assumed she could control it.
Clearly, that assumption was wrong.
He couldn't just take her back like this—what if she got too excited at a meal and accidentally melted someone?
He'd have to revive them himself. What a hassle.
Before she could safely return, he needed to find a way to seal off her powers.
Xia Zhi opened his inventory and pulled out a golden ring.
[Golden Circlet]
Quality: Platinum
Type: Accessory
Traits: Suppression, Devotion
Effect: Binds to a target, sealing any of their powers up to the item's grade. The longer they wear it, the more their affection for you grows.
Hidden Effect: Immunity to all mental spells rank three and below.
After a moment's thought, Xia Zhi turned to the still-delighted girl munching cake.
"Durin."
"Mm? Daddy?"
"Here. Put this on."
"Okay!"
She didn't question a thing and took the circlet from him, slipping it on without hesitation.
It was meant to go on her head, but it was too big—so she wore it around her neck like a choker.
Oddly enough… it looked pretty cute.
The system chimed in his mind:
"Bind target?"
"Yes."
"Binding successful."
Immediately, Xia Zhi felt a strange sensation—like he could fully command the girl before him.
With a thought, he sealed away the energy in her body.
"Durin, from now on, you're my third disciple."
"Huh?"
"I mean, I'm your master."
"Daddy?"
"…Fine. Call me whatever. 'One day as master, a lifetime as father,' I guess that works too…"
----
Join my Patreon for early access to chapters: Patreon.com/rivyura