Yuriko Takagi's skills were undeniably impressive. She had prepared the dinner banquet to perfection. As for Saya Takagi? She was a complete free-rider. Aside from her divine ability to craft rice bowls, she was useless in every other department.
"As expected of the grand Lord of the Universe," Alice said, leaning against the doorframe with a voice dripping in playful sarcasm. "Pastries one moment, rice bowls the next. Truly, the Lord of the Universe eats well."
"Hungry?" The Lord of the Universe extended a dinner invitation to Witch A.
"Not hungry." Witch A declined the invitation, stating she would not be hungry for the foreseeable future and told him to find food elsewhere.
"Fair enough." Riku smacked his lips and walked lazily toward the beach.
On the sand, Riku wore swimming trunks while Alice donned a three-piece bikini. Each occupied a lounge chair, wearing sunglasses and reclining lazily, looking as though they were thoroughly enjoying life.
After a gulp of a chilled drink, Alice narrowed her beautiful eyes comfortably and asked in a relaxed tone, "Dear, how long is the charging time for the [Universe Gate]?"
"I am not entirely sure myself," Riku said, shaking his head with equal lethargy. "It is easy for the [Universe Gate] to find universes in the Crystal Wall Sea, as they are everywhere. The hard part is penetrating the Crystal Wall System on the outer layer of a universe. Since we cannot determine how powerful a universe is beforehand, the time it takes to break through is unpredictable."
There was no way around it. This was the most troublesome part. Universes were scattered all over the Crystal Wall Sea, but the core issue was the time needed to pierce the Crystal Wall System. The time required to break through an [S-rank] defense versus an [F-rank] defense was naturally worlds apart.
"And what about the [Saint Seiya] Universe?" Alice continued to press.
Riku took another sip of his chilled soda, squinting his eyes in comfort. "The foundation has been laid, but there is no way to rush it. You know as well as I do, the waters in the [Saint Seiya] Universe are incredibly deep."
Alice agreed. The waters there were indeed far too deep. All sorts of mythologies were tangled together, ranging from ordinary deities and Major Deities to the Supreme Gods who were God Kings, and even higher levels like Primordial Gods, Creator Gods, and the Absolute Gods who created myths.
There was even the existence of that Chronos above the Absolute Gods. Most importantly, one never knew when or where those "lunatic" gods might suddenly pop out. It was truly difficult to handle.
"In short, we will just take everything slowly. There is no need to rush." Riku was not worried at all.
The two lay on the beach, chatting and enjoying life. Nothing needed to be hurried. Time was the least valuable thing they had, and the one thing they did not need to worry about.
As for Little Keli? That energetic little sun was having a blast playing in the neighboring [Apocalypse] Universe. This was especially true since Rhinedottir had created a vast number of Dodocos for her during this period, so many that they were practically becoming a race of their own.
As for the original Dodoco? Riku had provided the materials, Alice had hand-sewn it for Keli, and Keli herself had given it its name. Finally, Riku, as the Lord of the Universe, had personally breathed life into it and bestowed countless protections upon it to serve as Little Keli's playmate and guardian.
Not only that, but Alice and Rhinedottir had each bestowed special powers upon a specific Dodoco, each wearing a corresponding hat.
"Papa, Mama!"
As the sun slowly dipped and twilight arrived, a cute, energetic call rang out. Riku and Alice sat up simultaneously and looked back.
Sure enough, the little sun came running over happily with three Dodocos in tow. The Dodoco in the middle was the largest, while the ones on either side wore miniature versions of Alice's and Rhinedottir's witch hats.
"What is it, Little Keli?" Riku opened his arms and caught the flying Little Keli in his embrace, gently pinching his daughter's cheek as he asked.
Alice stood up and sat on the edge of Riku's lounge chair, playfully poking her daughter's face.
"Papa, Papa..." Little Keli looked adorable, her small hands fidgeting as if she wanted to say something but felt shy.
"What is wrong?" Riku asked with a smile. "Little Keli, no matter what you want, Papa can get it for you!"
Lately, Riku had finally managed to stop his daughter from riding her souped-up scooter and drifting through the universe every day. He had to keep her attention occupied, or else she might cause another disaster.
Little Keli said obediently, "Papa, the Dodocos that Auntie Rhinedottir gave life to are getting more and more numerous. I think... the Dodocos want a home too."
"A home?" Riku naturally understood his daughter's meaning. He rubbed her cheek and said softly, "Alright."
With that, Riku stood up while holding his daughter. Alice flicked her finger, and the three Dodocos followed them.
Inside the [Longhuang Universe].
With the flower-scented planet glowing with azure light beneath their feet as the center, an area roughly the size of the Milky Way had already regained its deep, dark color. The only thing missing was the shining stars. Further out was the vast expanse of Extinction, shimmering with all sorts of eerie colors.
If one looked closely, or rather, viewed it from a macro-cosmic perspective, they would see a translucent azure barrier gradually expanding. Any Extinction that touched the barrier would vanish like purified filth, leaving behind only a wisp of black smoke.
Of course, this was only the preliminary stage. Subsequent cleanup, such as dealing with the Evil Gods and Anomalies lurking within the filth, would require personal intervention.
"Little Keli, do you like it?"
As Riku's voice fell, he pointed a finger. A brilliant planet began to condense and gather in the universe at a speed visible to the naked eye. In a short amount of time, a massive planet, no smaller than Mars in mass and size, had formed.
With a wave of Riku's hand, the Dodocos that had been living on the planet below and in the [Apocalypse] Universe floated up and landed softly upon this new world.