Isaac’s pulse quickened.
’If having demigod blood is common, many women should have rating above eighty-five, even if they don’t reach ninety-five rating.’
’But that doesn’t happen.’
’That means only a few people have demigod bloodlines.’
"Whose demigod bloodline do you have?" James asked. "The name of your Physique should give you some ideas."
Isaac drew in a slow breath. "It’s called the Warthrone Physique."
James’ expression shifted immediately.
He leaned forward with sharp eyes.
"Are you sure that’s what it’s called?"
Isaac nodded firmly.
James fell silent for a moment. His lips were pressed together as if weighing his words. Then he exhaled.
"Your ancestor is the War God. But..."
He trailed off, rubbing his chin.
"It sounds impossible that brute had children. The only thing he knew was how to swing weapons and fight. Maybe another War God was born, and you’re their descendant instead?"
Isaac listened.
James looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle only half the pieces existed for.
So he waited.
Finally, James raised his eyes to meet his. "I don’t know if you’re the descendant of the War God I knew. But if you are, you must never let anyone find out."
"Huh?" Isaac blinked in surprise.
James’ voice was steady, but the seriousness in it cut deep. "He had too many enemies in the past. If they find out you’re his descendant, they might come after you. So you must not tell anyone the name of your Physique."
Isaac nodded slowly.
He could tell James wasn’t exaggerating. The warning carried weight.
"Not everything is bad," Diana said, breaking the tension. She leaned back. "The War God might have been hated by many and had countless enemies, but there was a reason they couldn’t touch him.
"His strength was unmatched. If you are his descendant, then your potential is unmatched too."
Isaac gave a small smile. "Thank you for the praise."
"I’m just speaking the truth," Diana replied, smiling softly. Then she rose from her seat and gestured toward him. "Now, it’s time for us to leave."
Isaac stood, walked over, and carefully picked the sleeping Emily from Diana’s arms.
Diana’s smile softened further as she let go. "Take care, my son-in-law."
"You too, my love," Diana said and kissed Emily’s forehead.
James folded his arms and came to stand beside Diana, who had settled back onto the sofa.
Slowly, their figures began to dissolve, along with the surroundings. Their eyes remained on Emily.
Isaac felt the shift in space.
The next instant, he and Emily were standing in a vast emptiness. A door of light appeared ahead of them. Isaac tightened his hold on Emily and stepped through.
They emerged inside the governor’s office.
[Death Trial completed.]
[Emily Warren can now advance to Adept rank.]
[A Blessing by an unknown Sword God has been granted.]
[Emily Warren’s Class Abyssal Empress (SSS) has been upgraded to Abyssal Empress (SSS+).]
Isaac froze.
His eyes moved across each line of the messages that appeared before him.
He had been planning for Emily to obtain an SSS+ Class later, after her Talent was upgraded, but he hadn’t expected it to happen this way.
’An unknown Sword God...’ he thought. His brows furrowed. ’Was that Emily’s father’s last blessing before he disappeared completely?’
A strange heaviness rose in his chest.
For a brief moment, it lingered, then he forced himself to shake his head and push the thoughts aside.
He looked around the former governor’s office.
Celia had dozed off on the sofa, her device half-dangling from her hands, while Professor Catherine was still sifting through documents on the desk.
"You came back earlier than expected. Good work," Professor Catherine said without looking up. Her voice was calm was but she carried a smile. "Now you should all get some sleep."
"I’m not tired," Isaac said.
She raised her eyes and studied him. "You are. You’ve been fighting non-stop against powerful enemies these past days. You just don’t realize how tired you are."
Isaac opened his mouth, but she cut him off smoothly. "Emily also needs rest. Or are you planning to leave her alone after tucking her into bed?"
He fell silent. A wry smile tugged at his lips. "You’re right. I should rest."
Professor Catherine’s smile widened slightly, knowing she had won the argument. She snapped her fingers.
Celia jerked awake, blinking blearily.
"Huh? Huh? Did something happen?"
She sat up halfway, still not bothering to wipe the drool on her chin.
Isaac chuckled and asked gently, "Can you take us home?"
Celia gave a slow nod, still half-asleep, and began summoning a dark cloud.
Isaac turned back to Professor Catherine. "Where’s Alice?"
"She’ll be back by morning," Catherine replied. Her voice was calm, but the answer was vague enough to make Isaac furrow his brows.
The dark cloud expanded until it was large enough for all of them.
Isaac carried the sleeping Emily, while Celia trudged forward with heavy eyelids, and together they stepped inside.
When they exited, they were in Isaac’s room.
Isaac laid Emily down carefully on the bed, pulling the blanket over her.
Celia, without a word, walked over and collapsed onto the mattress beside Emily, taking her own space without a second thought.
Isaac lingered, staring at the two girls.
But his thoughts drifted back to Alice. Something about Professor Catherine’s answer gnawed at him.
He reached for his device, but before he could call, Catherine’s voice echoed in his ears.
"You should sleep."
Isaac blinked.
His eyelids suddenly felt heavy, heavier than they had in days.
He tried to resist, but the weight was relentless.
"Take rest today," Professor Catherine’s voice continued, almost like a gentle push. "We have a lot to do tomorrow.
"We need to get you to a secure location for your breakthrough, have you write an official report on how you took down N’theris Serpent, discuss handling the Cities, meet with your new Subjects, and there are the captured nagas to deal with."
Her words blurred together, each sentence sinking deeper into his mind.
It didn’t sound like a request anymore.
It sounded like a lullaby.
The strange thing was, it reminded him of something from long ago. A lullaby he used to hear when he was small, though he couldn’t remember who sang it or where.
Sleep overtook him.
He fell sideways onto the bed, landing between Celia and Emily.
Celia stirred in her sleep, rolling toward him. Without waking, she grabbed his hand with both arms, holding tightly.
Professor Catherine stood quietly in the room for a moment, watching the three of them.
A small smile curved her lips.
Then she turned and left, closing the door softly behind her.
...
Isaac woke up early in the morning. His eyes opened slowly, and the first thing he noticed was a notification floating in front of him.
[New items have arrived in time-limited shop.]
Yawning, he rubbed his eyes and checked the items.
’Hm, these items aren’t that good.
Normally, he would have bought them anyway.
Even if they weren’t useful immediately, they might come handy in future.
But right now, his focus was on a different thing.
His priority was to push Emily forward as fast as possible, to max out her stats and help her rank up.
Spending points on average-quality items would only slow that down.
He scrolled past the limited shop and opened the regular one.
’Let’s see. A bundle of five All-Stat Potions that increase every stat by fifty... costs one hundred thousand AP.’
He exhaled sharply through his nose.
It was expensive, very expensive, and that was just for one bundle.
’Wait. I can already create Constitution and Mana potions myself.’
’I don’t need All Stat potion.’
’It would be smarter to only buy the ones I can’t make. That way it’ll be cheaper and more efficient.’
He checked the price of the individual stat potions.
A bundle of five Strength Potions, each increasing Strength by a hundred, cost eighty thousand AP. The same price was listed for Spirit Power and Agility bundles.
’I’ll need several of these bundles for Emily, and I need potions for Celia too. So that means at least...’
He did a quick calculation in his head.
’Four hundred thousand AP is needed in just a week.’
It was a lot, but not impossible.
With three wives, his pace of earning AP had already gone up, and it would only grow further. He could manage it if he planned carefully.
Isaac yawned again and sat up.
Emily’s head was resting against his chest. Her breathing was calm and steady.
Celia had her tail wrapped firmly around his arm like she was holding him in her sleep.
He carefully untangled himself and stood, taking one last glance at the two of them before heading outside.
The farms needed attention.
After harvesting and replanting the grains, he exchanged a few words with Tyr, then went down into the basement gym.
His current stats made training unnecessary in a conventional sense, but he had learned that keeping a routine helped him stay disciplined.
The warm-up wasn’t about strength; it was about keeping his mind sharp.
As he strapped on the familiar weights, he frowned. "I need new stat-limiters. These ones aren’t working anymore."
It made sense.
The limiters he had now were built for Champion-rank humans. He had long surpassed that stage.
As if in answer to his words, a small box appeared on the gym’s door.
Isaac walked over and picked it up. On the top, a sticker had been slapped on.
[Make sure you keep a count of all favors you owe me. (－ˋ⩊ˊ－)]
He chuckled. "This is definitely Professor Catherine."
Opening the box, he found new bracelets—limiters adjusted for his current level.
He slipped them on and tested them.
They worked perfectly.
After running through his full gym cycle, he headed upstairs to wash up.
When he came back to the living room, the sound of soft voices made him pause at the doorway.
Emily and Celia were sitting together, smiling and chatting.
Emily’s expression was still tinged with sadness, but she was clearly trying her best to move forward, and Celia, who was best at cheering others, was doing everything she could to help.
On the sofa, Professor Catherine was absorbed in a comic book, flipping pages with a relaxed smile.
And in the kitchen, Leora—Vice Principal in disguise—was preparing breakfast.
The scene felt peaceful, and the corner of Isaac’s mouth lifted. This was the life he wanted to protect.
"Good morning," Professor Catherine said, setting down her book. "How are you feeling now?"
"Quite refreshed," Isaac answered, then glanced toward Leora, who was quietly arranging plates.
Professor Catherine noticed his gaze and smirked. "She’s back now that her work is done, and she’ll continue to serve as your guard and maid.
"You’re strong, but we can’t let you move around without protection. Besides, she’s good at housework, and there are more benefits too."
At the same time, Leora was setting utensils and placing food on the dining table.
Emily and Celia got up and moved over to help, though Leora waved them off politely.
"More benefits?" Isaac asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You get to look at her plump ass all day," Professor Catherine licked her lips.
Her hand shot out before anyone could react and smacked Leora firmly on the butt.
The sound echoed, and her butt jiggled.
Leora’s body stiffened.
For a moment, the air grew heavy.
The bloodlust exploded from her so strongly it almost seemed visible.
But then, just as quickly, she pulled it back. She had remembered she was using a disguise here, and acting as a university student.
Turning slowly, she fixed Catherine with a strained smile. "Professor. That is sexual harassment."
Professor Catherine tilted her head, unfazed. "And what are you going to do about it? Complain? Go ahead and submit the report in my office. I’m the professor in charge of the Disciplinary Committee."
Leora’s smile didn’t disappear, but the cold glare in her eyes could have cut steel.
Professor Catherine, on the other hand, was beaming as if she had finally taken revenge for some old slight.
"Also," Catherine added, her grin widening, "Isaac liked it. Are you going to stop your master from seeing something he enjoys?"
Leora’s head snapped toward Isaac.
"I never said that," Isaac said quickly, hands raised slightly.
Inside, he cursed Catherine. If you want to get yourself killed, fine, but don’t drag me down with you.
"Isaac likes seeing that?" Celia muttered quietly.
Isaac gave her a glance, already seeing the misunderstand in brewing.
Leora narrowed her eyes at Professor Catherine, but instead of saying anything else, she turned back to finish serving the food. Her movements were sharper, and her annoyance was obvious in every motion.
Celia and Emily exchanged looks but wisely stayed quiet.
Isaac sat down at the table, trying to pretend the tension wasn’t as heavy as it was. He reached for his plate and forced a small cough. "The food smells good."
Emily nodded quickly. "It really does. Thank you, Vic— Leora."
Leora gave a curt nod without turning her head.
Professor Catherine leaned back on the sofa, still looking smug.