In the vast stretches of space, there was a gigantic sea whose ends couldn't be seen.
It slumbered in silence, its dark waters could not even be touched by light stemming from the innumerable stars found around it. It was like an abyss swallowing all light.
Within its depths, an enormous palace was submerged. Its towering spies shimmered with an eerie glow, pulsing in tandem with the slow and steady breathing of something within.
At the heart of this grand palace that couldn't even be described as a palace due to its sheer size, a terrifying magical beast lay atop bedding woven from the bones and fur of massive magical beasts. Its titanic body sprawled across the chamber, each of its nine heads curled inwards, their massive eyes closed in a deathly stillness.
The flow of heaven and earth energy around it, filled with darkness and water attributes, had long settled, adapting to the beasts's extraordinary presence.
Then- a vague ripple spread from the beast that went against the rhythm.
A faint disturbance swept across the sea, cutting through the slumbering stillness of the sea. The beast's breaths hitched for a mere moment, its ancient instincts flaring at the edge of awareness. The ripple became a wave, a shuddering pulse that passed through the palace walls and into the very dark ocean.
And then- a violent jolt!
The Nine-Headed Hydra's middle head snapped open first, its enormous slit pupils contracting as a gleam of intelligence surfaced in its golden eyes. The chamber trembled. Another head stirred, followed by another, then another, until all nine heads had risen, their gazes burning through the darkness like molten stars.
"Ghmm~"
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from its many throats. The very water trembled in submission. Somewhere, deep in its consciousness, it felt something—no, someone had dared to disturb it.
It could faintly see the silhouettes of two women, their figures making it smile lousily.
Then, as though nothing happened, its nine heads fell on top of the heading and went back to sleep.
At this moment, a Nine-Headed Hydra entered the palace, its gigantic body walking like a dragon but its head moving like snake.
But compared to the Nine-Headed Hydra on the bed, this one appeared like a rock compared to the mountain. Despite being bigger than Grand Saint Magical Beasts, its size nearly at the hundred-kilometer mark, it looked utterly puny in front of the sleeping Nine-Headed Hydra.
Its entire frame couldn't compare to a single head of that terrifyingly massive hydra.
"Hehem~ Young Master, I know you're finally awake after six million years. I am aware that you were disturbed by something, but how about getting up and refreshing yourself after a long time? You have grown a lot, my liege."
The Nine-Headed Hydra lowered all nine heads and uttered. His frame was fully subservient. It was as though he wasn't one bit offended that he had to serve this hydra day and night for six million or more years. In fact, his voice was full of happiness.
"Ehh…"
A low roar of annoyance echoed across from what seemed to be a young voice.
The head at the furthest rose up, its eyes appearing sleepy, "No."
The eighth head tried to rise, barely opening its eyes, "I'm going… back to sleep…"
The fifth head twisted and swayed on the bedding, "I don't care… let me sleep…"
"If you don't let me sleep, I'll eat you~" Said the second head as it rose but didn't even open its eyes.
Then, all those four heads fell, rolling over the bed as they went to sleep.
"…"
The subservient Nine-Headed Hydra looked speechless. However, he didn't give up.
"It is understandable that you need a terrifying amount of energy to grow, and the Greater Realm doesn't support the growth of an apex predator like you. Still, with your father's help, you've already neared the peak of the Exalt Beast Stage. That's a piece of great news that the realm will be willing to celebrate with various feasts and exotic adventures. However, you should stop sleeping a bit here and head out to see the world."
"Noooo~"
"Young Master, you've been sleeping from the young age of fifteen. Your hibernation has long gone past its limits. Any more, and it wouldn't be good for your health."
"Noooooooooooo~"
"Young Master, your ten thousand wives who were wed to you while you were asleep are waiting for you-"
"No…?"
"Young Master-"
"Fine!"
The fifth head rose with a sharp look and shook its head, trying to wake itself up.
The other heads also followed suit, but they looked as sleepy as ever. It moved its teeth and licked the sides of its mouth, feeling hungry. However, he looked a bit embarrassed as his nine heads moved to the side, side, and beyond the side as they looked away simultaneously.
"Are the ten thousand wives real?"
"Of course not."
"You-!" The nine heads shot an explosive look at the servant.
"But with a word, you can indeed have that many at your feet. Who would dare reject a Paragon Magical Beast's advances?"
The subservient Nine-Headed Hydra's gaze appeared to be full of worship.
"However, the first primal yang essence can't be wasted. For an apex magical beast like you, the primal yang essence has a good chance of siring another Nine-Headed Titanic Hydra like you. If it is wasted, then you would have to wait like your father who sired you after eighty billion years."
"…"
"That's why- your first mate should be the most fertile and the most sublime enough to accept a Paragon Magical Beast's yang essence."
"…"
The young Nine-Headed Titanic Hydra looked dissatisfied, but he didn't say anything afterward. He simply looked for another reason to sleep because it was more fun than being limited while he finally grew up and could do whatever he wanted.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"That's right. The slave seal I imprinted- I can no longer sense it. It's as though… it's no longer there…"
"Hmm?" The subservient Nine-Headed Hydra's brows furrowed, "Ah, it's that low life. It seems like he died while fulfilling your commands. What a useless peasant."
He looked dissatisfied and full of disgust, causing the young Nine-Headed Titanic Hydra to blink with his nine-pair of eyes.
"W-What did I command?"
"Young Master, you commanded him to bring you the necessary ingredients required to activate the Hell Poison Gem's forged treasure your father bestowed you with. It uses the poisonous essences of six different types of terrifying poisonous magical beasts in the three ranks below yours. First, the two ranks-"
"Alright, alright. I remember. I see… so it's that fool who kept asking for favors after the mission completion."
"…"
"…"
The two of them looked at each other. No matter how they wracked their brains, they couldn't remember his puny name.
The subservient Nine-Headed Hydra quickly replied, "Yes, if I recall correctly, he traveled to different galaxies to find these ingredients by taking unknown and time-limited dimensional paths. He had last settled in the Celestial Transcendent Galaxy. He sent word that he was gathering the last ingredient, which was the vengeful Emperor-Tier Three-Eyed Chromatic Hex Arachnid's True Soul Essence."
"I see. I see." The young Nine-Headed Titanic Hydra nodded, still dozing off with one side of heads and listening on the other.
"It's fine if he died without delivering the ingredients. We have others working on it, taking it one step at a time. We have already found seven ingredients while you were asleep."
"Oh, that's great. What's there for breakfast?"
"First thing's first. Let's see the forged treasure so we can place these true soul essences in their rightful places. Otherwise, these true soul essences may lose their efficiency a bit even if they are placed in Aurora Jade Soul Pearls."
"Sure."
The young Nine-Headed Titanic Hydra brought its arm towards the front. There was a gigantic ring on one of its claws, but it was perfectly capable of shrinking when it changed sizes. He accessed the gigantic spatial ring and went through it slowly while still asleep.
However, the more it searched, the more it became awake.
After some time, the subservient Nine-Headed Hydra couldn't help but frown.
"Have you placed it back in the Treasury?"
"…"
The young Nine-Headed Titanic Hydra appeared tense. He became frozen as he stopped searching.
"I- I just remembered that I was at the verge of hibernating and sleepily gave it to him so that he could store the true soul essences quickly and not lose its potency, and he was also moved and promised that he would safeguard it… Was that… bad…?"
"…"
The subservient Nine-Headed Hydra blinked, "I see. Young Master is wise."
Exactly two seconds later, his expression went unsightly.
"WHATTT!????"
The young Nine-Headed Titanic Hydra finally heaved a sigh of relief when a terrifying might descended on him from the servant, scaring him to death. The Nine-Headed Hydra, a Grand Ancestral Magical Beast, may have been his servant, but he was also his protector!
=========
"…"
"…"
"Seriously?"
"Serious."
Evelynn and Myria looked at a sinister, obsidian black orb the size of a human skull with six extensions engraved with six intricate venomous runes representing six poisonous insects. Each rune occasionally writhed and released a faint glow-grayish-black, white-blue, crimson, purple-green, blue-gold, and gold-black-indicating the sealed souls.
However, they were dull. On the other hand, the surface appeared like liquid chitin, pulsating as though alive.
Clearly, it was reacting to their presence.
"Yes, the Young Master of the Nine-Headed Hydra Greater Realm tasked me with this wonderful treasure the likes of you can never imagine. I need to bring it back, so let me go or suffer the terrifying might of another galaxy."
The Six-Headed Hydra sneered, fully confident that they would let him go despite the pain making him want to die.
"…"
Evelynn and Myria looked as though they could not hear him as they were still reveling in this revelation.
They never expected a lowly slave to be in possession of an apex treasure's forged treasure, but- it happened.
They had somehow obtained the Hell Poison Gem's forged treasure, which seemed to be considered way more powerful than the forged treasure Davis possessed. However, it was still inactive and hadn't gathered enough poisonous essence, so it could not be used in the Lower Realms, or it would lead to being kicked out of the void.