Celeste covered her mouth as a teasing smile appeared on her face.
"I think he wants his father to hold him," she said. Several of the nearby maids quietly smiled as well.
Isaac rubbed his forehead before walking over to the cushion. He carefully picked up the newborn, unsure whether he should actually encourage this behavior. The tiny Bramble Hare immediately snuggled against his chest before comfortably closing its eyes.
Within seconds, it had fallen asleep.
The clearing remained silent for several moments. Finally, Julia looked at the sleeping newborn before speaking. "
It’s not a System Monster," she said with certainty.
"Yes, it isn’t. It’s far too intelligent for that. The real question is whether it should be considered a natural monster or a Player," Isaac replied.
Natural monsters already existed in this world. Tribes like the Ashfang Tribe and the Crawling Serpent Tribe lived outside human cities instead of inside them. Their settlements were shielded from the Red Rain by the Heavenly One, the god worshipped by monsters.
Just as Isaac was considering the possibilities, an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended upon him. His entire body stiffened as an unimaginably powerful presence focused directly on him. The sensation felt incredibly familiar.
He had experienced it once before.
It was exactly the same feeling he had sensed the first time he entered a Monster Tribe. A translucent System notification immediately appeared before his eyes.
[The Heavenly One has noticed you.]
Isaac’s expression immediately became serious. The last time he destroyed Crawling Serpent Tribe, he had received a Mark of Enmity. According to what he knew, receiving three Marks would allow the Heavenly One to directly interfere with him despite the restrictions placed upon beings of its strength.
No additional notification appeared. He didn’t receive another Mark of Enmity. Even so, the overwhelming pressure remained fixed on him without weakening.
Isaac frowned slightly as he carefully sensed the divine gaze. Unlike before, it wasn’t filled with anger or hostility. If anything, the emotion behind it felt closer to curiosity.
...
Heavenly One POV
Far away from Isaac’s location, a woman sat quietly atop an enormous mountain. A delicate teacup rested in one hand while an endless sea of clouds stretched beneath her feet. Even compared to gods and the Demong King of Lust, her beauty stood at an unattainable level.
Long black hair flowed over her shoulders like a dark waterfall, and her crimson eyes shone like polished gemstones. At the moment, however, those beautiful eyes were narrowed in obvious confusion. A slight frown rested on her face.
"It’s him again?" the Heavenly One murmured quietly.
Despite the impossible distance separating them, she was looking directly at Isaac. Floating beside her was a translucent System screen displaying a single notification.
[A new Tier 2 Monster Species has been born.]
The Heavenly One shifted her gaze from the notification to the tiny Bramble Hare sleeping peacefully in Isaac’s arms. She blinked once before looking again to make sure she wasn’t mistaken.
A rare look of genuine shock gradually appeared on her face.
"How did he create something like that? Is something like that even supposed to exist in that Sector? Isn’t that far too dangerous?"
There was no response.
The Heavenly One frowned as she stared into the empty air. She knew perfectly well that someone was listening to her. The silence only made her expression grow colder.
"I know you’re listening to me. Give me an answer," she said.
Nothing happened.
The sea of clouds continued drifting peacefully beneath the mountain. It was as though the world itself had decided to ignore her. A faint vein appeared on her forehead.
The Heavenly One slowly raised one hand. Power gathered around her fingertips, causing the surrounding space to tremble. Just as she was about to smite Isaac across an unknown number of Sectors, several translucent System screens suddenly appeared before her.
[Stop calling me for everything, you crazy bitch.]
[Do you know how much Faith it takes to talk to someone who isn’t even my follower?]
The Heavenly One looked at the floating screens without the slightest embarrassment. She simply folded her arms and waited for them to finish. When no more messages appeared, she spoke again.
"So? Answer my question."
A few moments later, another notification appeared before her.
[I don’t know how he created it.]
[As for whether it’s allowed, if it still exists after being created, then it must be allowed.]
The Heavenly One frowned after reading the reply. She wasn’t entirely convinced by that explanation. To her, the creature Isaac had created was far too unusual.
"Are you really sure it’s allowed? That thing he created is far too danger—"
She stopped in the middle of her sentence. The relaxed expression on her face disappeared, replaced by one filled with cold anger. Her crimson eyes narrowed as she carefully examined the faint aura surrounding Isaac’s location.
"...Is it just me, or does the sub-dimension he’s standing in feel similar to Husband’s God Domain?"
The Heavenly One immediately stood up. She was about to take a step forward when more System screens appeared one after another, almost as if they had anticipated exactly what she intended to do. The messages arrived so quickly that they nearly overlapped.
[Stop it!]
Another notification appeared before the previous one had even faded.
[Goddammit, this crazy bitch.]
[Can you stop trying to blow everything up whenever something unusual happens? This is why no one likes you.]
The Heavenly One remained completely expressionless as she read the messages. She didn’t seem offended in the slightest. If anything, she looked mildly impatient.
Another screen appeared.
[Didn’t I already tell you there was a new update?]
[He might have been blessed by Husband. Maybe Husband gave him a portion of His God Domain.]
"Since when could someone share a God Domain like it’s a stack of pancakes?" she asked.
[...]
Heavenly One slowly narrowed her eyes.
"Answer me."
[I-It was added in the new update!]
[The System introduced new powers after the update.]
The Heavenly One continued staring at the explanation with obvious suspicion.