When Xu Wenwu mentioned escorting his wife back to Ta Lo Village, Smith Dole recalled what he knew about the place.
Ta Lo did not exist on Earth itself but in a parallel dimension, linked to Earth only through hidden gateways. Within that realm dwelled powerful Eastern divine beasts—nine-tailed foxes, di jiang, qilin, dragons. Its mythical population even surpassed Kunlun's.
At the heart of Ta Lo was a mighty dragon who bestowed the mysterious "Dragon Force" upon its people. It was this same dragon who had sealed away the Devourer and its army behind the Dark Gate.
The Devourer and its horde were unlike anything else. According to legend, only the Dragon Force itself and weapons forged from dragon scales could harm them. Conventional weaponry, even advanced technology, was useless—the creatures simply absorbed life energy, as the Ten Rings army learned to their horror.
This fact gave Smith pause. In theory, only forces of the same nature as the Dragon Force could counter such beings. But what qualified as "same nature"? Would the Infinity Stones be effective? He couldn't be sure.
Still, with Ying Li resurrected, the Devourer had lost its chance to tempt Wenwu into breaking the seal. That danger was past. Yet the mere existence of such a threat was a ticking bomb. Smith resolved that someday he would step into Ta Lo himself and uncover the true essence of the Dragon Force.
His thoughts returned to the present. He nodded to Wenwu.
"No problem. I understand—you want to take your wife back to her home. But remember, Ta Lo is not simple. If you feel any strange influence, don't decide anything on your own. Return and consult with me first."
Though Smith didn't believe Wenwu would fall again, he still warned him. He preferred never to gamble on others' choices.
Wenwu's face lit up with relief. To him, helping his wife was a joy, not a burden.
"Leader, you even know of Ta Lo?" he asked in surprise.
Smith gave a faint smile.
"I know a little. I hear it's full of mythic creatures—whether powerful or not, they certainly look interesting."
The two men shared a quiet exchange, while not far away, Eddie Brock mulled something over. For a moment, he considered pulling Wenwu into the Seven. But no—the man had only just joined, and his sheer strength would unbalance the group. With a millennium of life behind him, Wenwu was not someone Eddie wanted to test.
Instead, Eddie turned toward Michael, planning to sound him out instead.
After Wenwu finished his talk with Smith, he left to share the good news with Ying Li.
The banquet continued, filled with toasts and conversation. Many important figures came forward to salute Smith. Amid them, Bulma approached.
She slipped gracefully into the seat beside him, a glass in hand.
"Smith-nii," she said softly, "I'm an adult now."
Smith glanced at the wine. By the calendar, it had been two years since she had been wished into existence. She was eighteen now.
"Even so," Smith replied, taking the glass from her, "you can't drink here until you're twenty-one."
But Bulma leaned in, looping her arm around his, her voice low and teasing.
"You know that's not what I meant."
Smith's eyes flicked instinctively toward Fox. He hadn't crossed that line with Bulma while she was underage, though the tension had been there. He wasn't that far gone.
Fox met his gaze across the room. She gave a knowing smile, then turned back to her chat with Melina.
Melina, however, had noticed. "Fox," she murmured, "our chief scientist seems eager."
Fox chuckled. "What can I say? The girl's grown up."
"You're not concerned?" Melina asked in surprise. She knew Fox and Smith had been close since childhood.
"Bulma's not the only one," Fox replied casually. "Look at Selina."
Melina glanced over. Indeed, though Selina sat among her fellow vampires, her gaze was locked on Smith.
"And it's not just her," Fox went on. "Plenty of vampire women, even others in the Brotherhood, have thoughts about him. That's what happens when the strongest man walks the earth."
Fox didn't bother mentioning the most delicate detail—that Natasha, Melina's own daughter, had slipped back more than once under the excuse of "late-night reports," only to leave the next day looking far too satisfied.
But Fox wasn't jealous. As Smith's first, she saw herself as the empress—the true consort. Let others circle him; she would always remain the "first palace." Watching over him together with a few others wasn't such a bad idea.
And truth be told, she rather liked Bulma.
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(End of Chapter)
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