Brain bloom

"Unfortunately, it probably can't hatch."

Melia took the cloud egg back and weighed it in her hand, her eyes filled with sympathy.

"Poor thing, it's already big enough to hatch..."

"Cannot hatch? Because of the seal?"

"Ah."

Perhaps because they were both born from eggs, and because Melia was particularly sensitive to family ties, she veiled her words with a touch of melancholy as she recounted the fate of this cloud egg.

"It's roughly like this—the Thunderstorm Cloud Worm was preparing to give birth to this child, soaring through the sky, searching for a suitable place. But unfortunately, it was mineralized by divine power, and the seal must have fallen down at that time... This child was also sealed along with it, losing the chance to hatch and the freedom to wander in the sky."

"...That is to say, it has been at least several hundred years."

"Yes, it's a pity. But this cloud egg is very useful; it can be used as an ornament or a talisman. If it were a master like Dad, he would definitely have even more creative ideas."

After saying this reluctantly, Melia handed the cloud egg to Mori with both hands, indicating that it should belong to the discoverer and be used by the master.

Mori was also very interested, so he held it and put himself into a magical state to see what kind of magical things it could be made into... Many ideas flowed through his mind, and indeed, it could be made into a very useful decoration.

If you put it at home, you can create a defensive array using the power of lightning.

Or perhaps remove the cloud component, leaving only the power of thunderstorms, to create a bomb powerful enough to shake the heavens.

Many other uses—

But Mori discovered something else: the cloud egg was not dead. A vibrant life force was still brewing within it, and perhaps, it could hatch once the seal was broken.

This thought tormented Mori, preventing her from taking him away directly.

Are insects found in thunderstorm clouds pests?

"No, regardless of species, all cloud insects are treasures of the world. Without these lovely creatures to sustain the seasons, the fields would no longer be able to produce food, and the world would wither and die."

These words deepened Morishi's thoughts. She thought about it for a long time before silently putting it back in its original place and digging out other clouds to cover it with a blanket.

"I've done you a good deed now, and I'll come back to break the seal for you later. Please be merciful then, and don't blame me..." Mori said to it in a tiny voice, not caring whether the other could hear him or not.

After returning the cloud egg to its owner, Sen Shi finally dusted himself off and stood up.

"Alright, let's go."

"Aren't you taking it with you?"

"No, but if you're ever free, put on all the equipment you left behind, and we can have a chat with this thundercloud worm."

"A heart-to-heart talk? Oh." Melia blinked, immediately understanding the intention in her gaze. Clearly, she wanted to win over this powerful, millennia-old monster.

But Sen Shi knew very well that this required sufficient insurance, and that the seal should not be touched at least for now.

Even if she hadn't done that bad thing before, the Thundercloud Worm, having been sealed away for so many years, must have been harboring a tremendous amount of pent-up anger. If the seal were suddenly broken, the Thundercloud Worm would definitely erupt in fury and directly attack Mori, who had tricked it…

This matter can only be postponed... but it's not hopeless. Anyway, this mine belongs to Dandelion, so we can take our time and plan accordingly.

“Daddy, what were you muttering just now?” Melia suddenly asked, her tone full of confusion. “It sounded like you…recited what we wanted?”

"What?

Volume 1, Chapter 161: The Nameless Rose Garden

Sen Shi couldn't understand a word his daughter was saying.

Why did that sentence suddenly pop out? What did he want? Did he just shout it out? What is he saying...?

Mori considered her words, intending to ask and try to understand these strange things—but she quickly swallowed her words. Because Melia was looking ahead with a look of astonishment.

Mori Toki also looked over—

That should have been a path through the clouds, the road they were about to take. It should have been smooth and wide, without any obstructions.

But unlike those impressions, something unnatural appeared in the middle of the road, something Mori had never seen before.

A few wisps of thin mist are dispersing.

It wasn't blown away by the strong wind, but rather, as if it had gained its own consciousness, it slowly dispersed in all directions, revealing what was inside.

Judging from its shape, it is a strange cloud.

About the size of a palm, it emerged crookedly from the clouds. But what was strange was its color.

It was neither white nor any other color; even Mori couldn't discern its hue.

When Mori thought it might be yellow, it turned into an almost black color. When Mori was certain it was black, it suddenly reversed, turning into an extreme red. But it wasn't fickle; rather, its color itself was incomprehensible.

Mori looked away, feeling that this thing made him uncomfortable.

“That’s right, this powerful divinity…” Melia murmured, squinting as she walked forward. “That’s right… that’s right. What’s making me feel irritated must be the Nayin Cloud that records the words of the gods.”

"So, this is what you wanted?"

“Yes!” After nodding excitedly, Melia looked at Morishi with a subtle smile. “Right after Dad muttered to the cloud, the clouds nearby dispersed and revealed it… I thought Dad had called it out.”

Sen Shi was taken aback at first, then fell silent.

Perhaps this is the response of the thunderstorm cloud insects?

She had just spoken kind words to it, and perhaps it heard them. Taking out the Na Yin cloud they wanted represented its act of goodwill. Whatever its intention, Sen Shi gently patted the white cloud beneath her to express her gratitude.

This wasn't just a simple matter of fulfilling Melia's wish; it also represented real money.

You know, the price she negotiated with Dandelion was very expensive. Just digging one hoeful could earn her a hundred gold coins... Mori had lost a lot of money because of the deification, but now he could get some relief money from his wealthy and powerful daughter.

This is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

"It's time, let's start digging."

"Hmm, I just hope it records the events at Eden Bank... I hope so." Melia circled around it, praying softly.

"By the way, this piece is so big, how many hoe strokes will it take to harvest it?" Sen Shi hurriedly asked again.

But Melia's voice suddenly changed—

"Haha, I didn't bring a hoe, so this is the only way—"

With a wicked grin, she reached out and forcefully pulled up the Nayin Cloud that recorded the divine words.

"Now, we don't need to calculate the money."

"...I demand you put it back! And dig it up again with the hoe!"

Melia blinked, her eyes, moistened by the morning light, were especially captivating, and said coquettishly, "Daddy... just pretend you didn't see it, okay?"

"Damn it... I'm not buying it. We Four Seasons are very poor, and this doesn't seem like the style of a queen of a great nation at all."

"Anyway, no one else saw it, and you can't exchange your conduct for money. The problem of being poor is easy to solve. Dad, just come and live in my country. I'll take care of you in your old age. It's just a matter of having one more pair of chopsticks."

"...I'll pretend I didn't see it, you can continue."

After getting what she wanted, she was happy for a while before finally waving to Sen Shi, who slowly approached her.

"Use it now?" Mori asked.

Yes, now.

Suddenly, the frivolity on Melia's face vanished, and the aura she exuded was as sharp as a newly polished sword.

"This thing is extraordinary. It records the voices from the realm of gods... Perhaps we can hear the whispers of the true gods, or even the truth of the world, but it could also be dangerous... But it's not a big problem."

In order to hear the preserved sounds clearly, Melia made some special preparations.

She used some kind of territorial spatial magic, turning her surroundings into her domain. A sticky, dark color slowly spread across the surrounding space, enveloping everything within it.

In reality, Melia Sen, the demon queen known to the world, is a "demigod who rules over evil." In other words, she is one of the very few confirmed high-ranking beings who has attained demigod status, enough to withstand the dangers that may exist in this divine prophecy.

Sen Shi didn't take it seriously at all.

She was just very curious whether it had anything to do with Eden Bank.

"here we go--"

After speaking, Melia brushed a stray hair from her ear and listened intently. Only then did she pour a strong spiritual energy into the cloud in her hand.

Slowly, it emitted a faint glow. It was as if a dying firefly lived within it, emitting a small, quiet, and precarious light.

Senshi pricked up his little pointed ears and listened carefully.

But—there were no words from the divine realm.

She only heard the sound of the wind. Mori blinked in confusion, then suddenly noticed a dramatic change in her surroundings—

The place she found herself in was no longer above the clouds. It was as if she had been transported to another world; was this… a corner of a rose garden? At least, that's how it seemed. Mori rubbed her eyes, a beat late in the afternoon, before she was truly astonished.

The environment was completely unfamiliar, and the changes were completely unfamiliar, but I was conscious and physically normal, as if I had a lucid dream.

At my feet, before my eyes—

Thousands of fiery red petals piled up, forming countless roses that grew wildly, draping the green earth. Sen Shi stood in a corner of the garden, listening to the gentle breeze rustling through them, and inhaling the fragrance of the roses carried on the wind.

“Melia…”

"Shh!" Melia held up her finger, signaling Sen to be quiet.

She still stood beside Sen Shi, but she seemed out of place in this world. She held the Na Yin Cloud in her hands, yet remained indifferent to her surroundings.

Her eyes revealed that, unlike Mori, she had not arrived at this deserted rose garden...

The wind whistled incessantly, constantly brushing past Sen Shi's ears. Sen Shi could only gaze silently at the rose garden, but nothing about it could leave a lasting impression on her mind. She didn't know how long this moment lasted, but after the wind subsided, she finally bid farewell to this unfamiliar garden.

When she opened her eyes again, the pure white of the clouds stung her pupils.

"Ugh, it only recorded the sound of the wind... Damn it." She muttered under her breath, clutching the cloud of sound. "Thank goodness I didn't pay for it."

“Just now…” Mori didn’t know how to describe it.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Will the whispers from the realm of the gods lead people to another world?"

Volume 1, Chapter 162: Trembling

Her question left Melia speechless for a few seconds before she began to gather her thoughts.

"Another world? Dad, did you see something?"