I get to my feet, a bit stiff, but not as bad as it could have been considering I've been asleep for two months straight. Little Puyo chirps drowsily from her nest. I prepare some food for her. Despite the time elapsed, she's still the same, same with the Osseous Slime.
I guess time really was standing still for us? I decide against contemplating it closer. As I'm feeding Puyo, Delpha and Grandma comes into the cave, along with Huldr.
"There's a massive thing in the air above us!" Delpha exclaims excitedly. "It's a floating island, dear. Millibelle must have created it." Grandma explains. "I think that's the only change you're able to see from here, most all of my Lair is different now." I add.
'Nyuh' Puyo refuses the last piece of meat, she's full. She's already snuggling back down into her nest to sleep. I gently set it down and walk outside. I should give the Lair a brief check before I proceed with my plan of hatching out the other eggs.
From what I read, it seems that other than the Quetzalcoatl, the newly hatched Pseudo Dragonoids will mostly fend for themselves, so I should be able to just keep an eye on them until I'm comfortable letting them go off on their own.
"Do you want to come with, Delpha?" I ask her. "Ahuh! Let's go to the island first!" She excitedly clambers onto my back before I'm able to lay down to make it easier for her. "We'll be back in less than three hours." I tell Grandma before taking off with Delpha safely secured to my back with a harness of silk.
I'm planning on doing a loop around the Lair, or well, my Domain, as it's now been upgraded. Once done, I'll stop by the Lizardman village and pick up the other eggs. Hatching them all at once might make it harder to keep an eye on all of them, but I feel that I shouldn't delay this any longer.
I rise high into the sky. The tree that my cave grows above is far bigger than any tree could ever grow on earth, but in this World it seems that once they reach a certain size, they start using magic instead of water. Magic is largely unaffected by gravity, so the tree is effectively free to grow however big the ambient magic levels allow it to.
Being at the heart of my Domain, as well as right above where I sleep, it has an nearly unlimited access to magic, and as such, this tree towers far above the rest of the forest, perhaps even a kilometer tall (~0,6 miles~).
Even further above it, a large hunk of earth floats. I'd estimate it to be several kilometers across (~1,2-1,8 miles~), roughly shaped like an upside-down cone. I land, and notice there is a very slight sway to the island, like a ship at sea; bobbing in gentle waves.
I briefly take a walk around with Delpha still on my back. Seems nothing lives here yet. Which makes sense, as any outside monsters haven't had time to migrate here yet, and spontaneous generation would likewise be too soon.
So at the moment, it is a verdant, forested island that floats in the sky. There's a lake in the middle of it too. Content, I take off again and descend back to the ground. I take a glance at Delpha's Status, but she seems all right. I worry about the sudden changes in altitude, and how that might affect her.
But perhaps I'm overthinking it, this is a different World, after all. Perhaps altitude sickness isn't a thing here.
*It is, however, the heights needed to be traversed are greater due to a greater concentration of oxygen at higher altitudes compared to your old World.*
Ah- So I'm right in worrying, just for greater heights. I decide to skip over the different forests, and instead focus on the entirely new biomes. There's a desert, another desert- but ashy grey, a large mountain with smoke coming out the top- probably a volcano.
Several lakes are dotted around, rivers connecting them, grassland of various kinds, and finally there's the marsh. Except the marsh now morphs into a river delta that drains into a massive lake. I go to investigate.
Landing by its shore, I smell the distinctive odor of sea.
... I taste the water- yep salt. I- I have a sea in my Domain. How? Why? "Is something wrong?" Delpha asks. "Well, this is a salt-water lake. Or, perhaps even it could qualify as a sea considering the size." I wonder how deep this goes...
"Delpha, I want to check something, but you can't come along- Here." I hand her the Osseous Slime that's been hiding in my mane this whole time. "I'll be as quick as I can, but in the meanwhile, they'll let me know if I need to return immediately." I explain.
She should be safe, but on the off-chance that a monster too strong to be put under the Minion status wanders by, I should be able to return via Teleport. I also mark her on my map, to aid in teleporting. With safeties in place, I wade into the water and dive.
My transformation this time is different. Instead of morphing into gills, my wings shrink down, becoming more like fins. The rest changes like it did last time, though, and I make my way towards the bottom.
The lakebed slowly slopes downwards, before giving way into a sheer drop that instinctively sets off a fear response. I end up swallowing a good bit of water as I scramble to get back to the 'safety' of the lakebed.
"Good thing we can't drown, hm?"
Urgh- I was right back to when- well, the moment before I got to this World. Fucking hell. I carefully peek over the edge. My heart-rate goes up, but other than that, I'm able to react more reasonably to it now. I decide to proceed by climbing along the wall.
*Current Depth: 1 Kilometer (~3300 Feet~), pressure increasing. User should not descend further without the Deep Sea Adaptation Skill. Scans of this body of water estimates the depth to be greater than 8 Kilometers (~4,9 Miles~). Additionally, there are entrances to the cave-system that now sprawls beneath your Domain.*
Oh~ this really is a true sea! Holy shit, I've got every biome here it seems, including a few not found on earth!
"It truly is paradise?"
It is... Now I've just got to wait for it to become populated. Speaking of, wasn't there a massive migration happening?
*The great monster migration has arrived and are making their way towards their desired habitats. A few high ranked monsters are also detected making their way towards your grove.*
Oh- that might be bad. I quickly make my way towards the surface. Just as I clamber back to shore, still mid transformation back to my terrestrial form, I notice Delpha and the Osseous Slime staring awestruck towards the horizon.
I turn to look where she is, and my mouth opens in awe.
In the distance, a giant blob floats closer. It's more or less translucent, and within it is several massive shadows. I can sense the magic from here. Several smaller silhouettes flit around the blob.
The three of us watch as it gets closer and closer before it pauses at the edge of the sea opposite us. Hurriedly, I get Delpha onto my back and the Slime into my mane before taking off to intercept.
The massive blob seems to be water. Within it, several massive monsters float leisurely. Hundreds of other, much smaller, monsters are currently making their way into the shallows of the sea. The silhouettes I saw flying about the blob of water turn out to be dragons.
The largest of them notices us, and gently approaches. A gentle voice rings out in my head. It flows like a gentle creek through a quiet forest. The dragon bows its head until it touches the ground in an apparent show of deference.
I hesitate for a moment, unsure of in which way to respond. I decide to use Telepathy. "I was examining the changes to my Domain, when I saw you approach. I must admit, it was a majestic sight." I explain.
The dragon seems proud to hear that, I feel it from the mental connection established between us. They then glance at Delpha, and their demeanor changes. Their tone now of someone pointing out spilt food upon someone's clothes.
"This is Delpha, an Oracle. She is my honored guest, and I was showing her my Domain, as her upbringing left her little time to experience the wonders of nature." I reply, perhaps a touch too coldly, as the dragon flinches.
They turn their head towards the smaller dragons, who've been busy burying eggs of various kinds within the sand at different distances from the sea. The smaller dragons are not dissimilar to the large one, except the large one has a fluked tail and finned limbs. They're all covered in shiny, lapis colored scales, their wing-membranes a vivid cyan and their eyes a piercing yellow.
*Water Dragon*
*Low-ranking Dragonoids serving Ashala, Elder Dragon of Water. Mainly terrestrial, they are unable to breathe underwater, instead relying on massive lung-capacity to dive. Of the lowest rank in the Water-aligned Dragon hierarchy. Able to breathe concentrated jets of water capable of punching through heavy plate armor. Their anger brings about small, concentrated rainstorms and rough seas.
Parts provide high physical and water resistance, and weapons forged of their parts are imbued with water element.*
*Rank: 7 Stars*
*Great Water Dragon*
*Low-ranking Dragonoids serving Ashala, Elder Dragon of Water. Semi-aquatic, though still relying on holding their breath when diving. Commands normal Water Dragons, usually being the oldest female Dragon of that given pod (group of Water-aligned Dragons). Their breath can cut through boulders like they were made of paper. Their anger brings about localized rainstorms and churning, rough waters capable of capsizing medium ships.
Parts are of higher quality than normal Water Dragon parts, thus providing better defenses and offense.*
*Rank: 7 Stars (alone) 8 Stars (with its pod)*
The Greater Water Dragon issues a few orders through what I can guess is High Dragon, due to its similarities with both Kobolt and Low Dragon.
Others? Other Dragons, I guess? I suppose we should head home and await them, then. "I'll see you then." I reply and take off.
"Ugh- I thought I was going to die when it looked at me like that!" Delpha whimpers as we make out way back home. As I land back in the grove, the tension could be cut with a knife.
Eleven Dragons of similar size as the Great Water Dragon are sat in a half circle around Huldr and the others. The Dragons seem, for lack of a better term, highly uncomfortable. They all turn their gaze towards me as I approach the gathering.
One of them, I'm unsure who, their voice seems light and airy, though, so probably the Air Dragon, greets me, and they all bow their heads in the same act of deference as the Great Water Dragon.
A sky blue Dragon looks around. "They're coming as soon as they're finished." I inform. They tilt their head, their fluffy mane shifting from the motion. "I did. Ah- these humans are my honored guests." I add, motioning to Grandma and Delpha.
A small pause, slightly awkward, is pierced by a mighty 'Puyo!' echoing from within my cave. Oh geez, have I spent that much time? Puyo seems to be in full hangry-mode for her chirps to carry that far. The noise startles the Dragons as well.
"Excuse me, my daughter requires her meal." I apologize as I hurry into the cave, leaving the slightly dumbfounded Dragons to ponder what the hell I meant. It's odd for me too, as the bond I have developed with Puyo is more than that one would develop with a pet, at least normally.
I have no frame of reference on maternal instincts, as I never had the need or desire for any part of the process of having a child. But nevertheless, I address Puyo as my child, and treat her as such. I'm not even sure Monarchs are able to lay eggs. Not that I have any intention of trying.
"I think- Maybe, when We were a Little Monarch, we might have been able to do the thing with a Goblin? Since We were technically one step up from a Goblin, We should have been able to? But now I'm fairly certain We're too far removed from anything."
And World Knowledge has no clue because the info they give me is based off of Humanoid knowledge. Oh well. I suppose some mysteries will keep being mysteries because I have no desire to test.
I ponder such things as I give Puyo her food. Before I knew it, my cave is filled with curious Dragons, including the Great Water Dragon who must have just arrived.
One of them can't contain their confusion. "My adopted daughter." I present my baby girl to the Dragons. She stares intently at each of them, before struggling out of my grip and clambering down my arm, back into her nest.
One of them tries sheepishly. 'Pyuh' Puyo chirps dismissively before settling deeper into her nest. I need to expand it, she's almost outgrown it.
With Puyo fed, I exit the cave along with my visitors. We sit down, and the explanations begin. Seems that each of the Elder Dragons desired to help with populating my Domain, so they aided monsters willing to migrate, protecting them from humanoids and other monsters, as well as guiding them.
In addition, each Elder Dragon desires to have one of their lowest ranked dragons living within my Domain, to help defend it. It seems the general consensus when asked why, was that they didn't offer this aid the last time this happened, and paradise was lost.
I'm guessing some Emperor lived long enough to qualify for the World Event?
*Last time World Event: Creation of Paradise happened was... a thousand years ago, initiated by an Emperor. The Domain was lost when the Emperor succumbed to its Magic Overdrive, eradicating the entire Domain in the calamitous burst of magic. The area where it used to be is still hazardous to enter due to the intense magical energies lingering within it. The Crystal Waste is the only biome that hasn't been replicated in your Domain, as it is the only biome utterly devoid of any life.*
O-oh.
"I want to visit that place..."
Let's not. I agree to let the dragons stay, provided they agree to become my Servants. The Great Light Dragon huffs slightly, as if it was obvious. The hesitant feelings of the others make it clear that they weren't expecting this clause to the deal.
The Great Water Dragon requests. I accept, and we part ways for today.
As I spend the rest of the day with the others, I sense mighty combat happening in several spots of my Domain. Seems it's a trial of fire to determine who gets to serve...