Alexia

Before I even arrive on the island, I feel the presence of another powerful being aside from just Gramps. So I quickly teleport the last stretch to appear beside the two, only for my eyes to widen in shock when they turn around, revealing who the new arrival is.

A man I’ve seen all too often on the TV back before the Reset. Who massacred almost an entire species of Class A creatures despite being only a human himself.

And a man who is known as the only being in existence completely immune to magic.

The Hound of the Apocalypse.

But… for some reason I still get that strange familiar sensation from looking at him that I got when I saw him at the end of the Tutorial. Which is odd, but not important right now.

“Hound,” I state clearly, not wanting to do anything that can be seen as aggressive when he’s right next to Gramps and near Astrid while she’s still-

The egg suddenly begins to crack, making all three of us turn our attention to it. And magma immediately begins to pour out of the cracks that form all the way till the egg completely falls apart and Astrid – who was apparently at the center of the egg – begins to fall down towards the ground without a scrap of clothing on.

So I quickly teleport over to her while grabbing a cloak and tossing it on her before catching her in my arms and glaring at Gramps and the Hound, both of whom had turned their heads when they saw her coming out of the egg. As if they knew she’d be naked.

Huh. Kind of surprised the Hound has manners.

That aside, I quickly teleport a couple times to arrive directly in my clearing where I find my new house finally done being constructed. So I gently lie Astrid down on my bed before looking towards the ceiling when I sense both Gramps and the Hound approaching.

I teleport right outside of the house into the clearing and tilt my head upwards to find them slowly lowering down to the ground. Gramps with molten wings carrying him and the Hound with black, angelic wings. Which explains what species he turned into after the Tutorial.

Silence fills the clearing with the only noise being their wings flapping. And even that goes away once they land. Then I find myself in an awkward silence with Gramps scratching the back of his head like he doesn’t know what to say and the Hound staring at me so intently that I feel like squirming under his gaze for some reason.

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But I eventually break the silence as I ask with a scowl, “So why is the Dimensional Leader and Champion of Dimensional Block #1 here?”

Honestly didn’t realize it was even possible to become both. Not that I’d have any interest in becoming both even if I knew it were possible.

Silence fills the clearing again as the Hound continues to stare holes into me, apparently not bothering to answer my question.

So I decide ‘why not?’ and go ahead and identify the man.

{Lucas Nightshade – Class: Requiem of Light and Shadow – Species: Fallen Angel – Level 321}

Yeah, he’s twenty levels above me. That’s not good.

He’s also almost a dozen levels above Gramps as well. Although with me and Gramps fighting together, we should be able to-

“So you’re my daughter…” the Hound mutters, his voice immediately silencing my thoughts as it echoes through the clearing.

I feel my jaw dropping with my gaze locking onto his own. Then I quickly jerk my head around to look at Gramps, only for him to nod his head with a sad expression on his face, confirming the Hound’s words. So I turn back to the Hound again and begin my own staring match with him.

And no one says a word for a rather long time.

The silence is only broken when Gramps finally clears his throat and says, “How long is this going to go on? Just say something to her or leave.”

With his interruption, the Hound seems to snap out of it and takes a step forwards, only for me to take a step backwards. Then he hesitates, a worried and anxious look on his face. A look that I never thought would ever appear on the genocidal murderer everyone knows as the Hound.

A murderer who happens to be my biological father, apparently.

Not sure what the Devourer was thinking marrying… then again, it’s the Devourer. Most people don’t think she even exists, much less being able to guess what she’s thinking.

Although, at the very least, with this, I now no longer have any interest in my father. So that clears one of the things on my bucket list of things to do.

Just need to find the Devourer now.

Interesting how all of the people on my bucket list keep coming to me instead of me finding them.

First Gramps, now the Hound who still looks awkward and anxious standing there.

Maybe the Devourer will as well?

I feel one of the bats on my shoulder stirring, making me glance to find the bat that is currently the System Architect opening his eyes.

Right. I keep forgetting he’s there. It’s almost like he’s weightless, which is odd.

“You found your biological father,” he says, his voice echoing in my head. Apparently not audible to the others, considering that none of them react to it.

More like he found me.

I also don’t care about him anymore now that I know who he is.

“Why?” the Quantum Architect asks. “And to be clear, I’m your biological father now. Your body has more relation to mine than his after your transformation.”

Yeah, yeah, whatever. I would rather not be related to someone who is known largely for near genocide.

“Really?” he asks, sounding surprised. “You must learn not to take things at face value. Otherwise you may be blindsided at some point in the future.”

I blink in surprise at that, confused about what he means.

But the Hound speaks before I can ask the Quantum Architect anything about it. And what he says shocks me to the core.

“I’m sorry,” he says while bowing down. “I’m sorry for not being there for you when you and your sister were growing up.”

I stare with my mouth gaping in silence.

Huh?