The house we found was "relatively undamaged," which is a polite way of saying it had three and a half walls and a roof that didn't leak unless it actually rained. It was a bit tight for twenty-four people, especially when twenty-three of them were tiny humans who kicked in their sleep. I had spent the night sleeping on a "bed" made of thick hempen rope suspended near the rafters—a trick from my Mother's dragon instincts to stay off the ground.
It was actually quite comfortable, until I woke up with a rope-pattern imprinted on my cheek.
The morning sunlight stabbed me in the eyes, signaling the start of Day Two of my existence. Below me, the floor was a tangle of limbs and snoring. I dropped down silently, landing in the one square inch of floor not occupied by a sleeping child.
"Yin," I whispered, poking the eldest girl with my toe. She bolted upright, looking ready to fight a dragon before realizing it was just me.
"I'm going to find breakfast. Real breakfast, not just the 'fear and adrenaline' we had yesterday," I told her. "Take the older ones and scavenge. We need wood that isn't charred and anything edible that isn't a rock. Go.
"Yin nodded, her eyes wide with a mix of awe and 'oh-no-I'm-in-charge' panic. "Fu, Yu, San, Sii, Lin! Up! We're on wood duty! Min, Zhu, stay here and make sure the toddlers don't eat the dirt!"
"Yes, Sister!" the kids chirped, stumbling over their own feet as they scrambled to obey.
I watched them for a moment. Yin was actually quite good at this. She picked two girls and three boys of her own age, leaving Min—the eldest boy after her—to play 'chief of the toddlers.' It was organized chaos. Satisfied, I checked the perimeter with my Divine Sense and headed for the coast.
The Gourmet God-Servant
The ocean was vast and blue, reminding me of my Mom. I stood on the shore, staring at the distant horizon where that massive Golden Pillar of Faith pierced the sky. Even from here, I could feel the divine power drifting toward me like a warm breeze. I was already Level 109, a rank most humans couldn't even dream of, yet here I was, standing in the sand like a lost tourist.
"I really want a hug," I muttered, feeling a pang of loneliness. But hugs don't catch fish.
I raised a hand, and the water erupted. I didn't have a fishing pole, but I had the authority of the Silver Dragon King. I plucked thirty-five ordinary, plump sea bass for the kids and—because I deserved a reward—a 10,000-year Golden-Scale Carp. The fish was huge, shimmering with enough spiritual energy to power a small city, and looked delicious. I shoved them all into a sub-space pocket I'd just folded out of the air and headed back.
When I reached the house, the children were waiting like a pack of hungry wolves. They had actually found coconut oil, a few rusty but sharp knives, and some jars of spices.
"Good. Yin, take these," I said, dumping the thirty-five ordinary fish onto a table. "Remove the bones. I don't want anyone choking on my watch.
"Yin's eyes practically turned into stars. "Yes, Master! Sii, Zhu, you're on bone-removal! Yu, Fu, you're the chefs! Min, keep the little ones from licking the pan!"
"Hurry up, Yin!" Min shouted, clutching a hungry toddler. "We haven't eaten since yesterday! The little ones are starting to look at my shoes like they're made of jerky!"
An hour later, the village smelled like a five-star seafood restaurant. The kids devoured the sea bass, while I sat in the corner with my Golden-Scale Carp. It was buttery, rich, and filled with a divine aftertaste. I reached a state of culinary enlightenment for exactly five minutes before realizing I had a job to do.
The Great Awakening (and the Toddler Terror)
"Yin," I said, wiping fish oil from my chin. "Bring everyone who is six years old to me. It's time for your Martial Spirit Awakening."
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Every child stopped chewing. Yin looked like she was about to explode with excitement. She gathered the ten candidates—six boys and four girls—and lined them up with the seriousness of a royal execution.
The thirteen toddlers sat on the side, watching with wide, unblinking eyes.How do I do this? you might ask. She's only a day old! Well, I have my Mom's memories. It's basically like having a 'How-to-be-a-God' manual burned into my brain.
"Fu, you're first. Come here," I commanded.
Fu approached me like he was walking toward a ticking bomb. I placed my hand on his head and channeled a thread of my divine power.
The air around him suddenly dropped in temperature. A translucent, blue bird with frosted wings shimmered into existence behind him.
"The Ice Buan Bird," I announced. "Innate Soul Power: Level 6. Not bad. Go sit with your siblings and try not to freeze anyone."
Fu looked like he'd just won the lottery. The other kids cheered as if they weren't in a burnt-out village.
One by one, the ritual continued:
Min: Level 9 (The overachiever).
San & Sii: Level 8 (The twins ).
Zhu, Lin, Yu: Level 7 and 6.
Finally, it was Yin. When I touched her, the house didn't just get cold—it turned into a literal freezer. A majestic Ice Swan with a three-meter wingspan erupted behind her, its cry echoing through the village.
"Innate Full Soul Power," I whispered. Level 10. She was a genius.
Yin had tears streaming down her face. "Thank you, Master! Thank you!"
"Whatever," I said, trying to act cool despite the frost on my eyelashes. "You're all free today. Familiarize yourselves with your spirits. Tomorrow, I give you cultivation methods. Now, go away."
Yin beamed and led the older kids out to a clearing to play with their new 'toys.' But as she left, she looked back and shouted, "Min, leave the babies with Master! She's the strongest!"
Wait. What?
Before I could protest, thirteen toddlers—the two-to-four-year-old brigade—swarmed me. One started chewing on my dress. Another tried to climb my silver hair like it was a rope ladder. One just sat on my foot and stared at me.
I looked at the ceiling, my eye twitching. "I was born yesterday," I reminded the empty room. "I am literally younger than all of you! Why am I the babysitter!?"
The toddlers didn't care. I was the 'Master.' And apparently, 'Master' was the best climbing .