Chapter 4: I Mate, Pah, I Give Birth?

Lady Misfortune was a remarkably easygoing demonic wolf.

Living in the modest dwelling she had constructed, Helmaynie gradually became accustomed to surviving within the demonic wolf territory.

Lady Misfortune’s demands were simple—she only asked Helmaynie to recount the customs, daily life, and understanding of the supernatural among human tribes.

As one of the leaders of her tribe, Helmaynie was among the most knowledgeable on these subjects.

The storytelling came easily, though she was somewhat reserved about the depth of her knowledge of the supernatural; after all, she did not wish to betray her people. Compared to Lady Misfortune, who was a demigod among demonic wolves, humans had a rather shallow grasp of the supernatural.

Yet, during their exchanges, Helmaynie sensed that Lady Misfortune was more intrigued by human customs and lifestyles than by their understanding of the supernatural.

Patiently, Lady Misfortune listened as Helmaynie narrated the formation of human tribes, the division of labor within them, and even the intricate details of hunting and trading.

Amid these stories, Helmaynie slipped in some less advanced supernatural knowledge gleaned from the videos she had seen—knowledge that had been validated by Lady Misfortune herself.

For instance, when they recently discussed the notion of “not directly looking upon mythical beings,” Helmaynie found confirmation of this concept from Lady Misfortune, as it had also been mentioned in the videos.

Over this period, Helmaynie confirmed that the “creation myths” and the three great laws of the supernatural—immortality, conservation, and aggregation—discussed in the videos, were indeed real in this world.

She now tentatively believed that the videos from Earth depicted the worldview and future trajectory of this mysterious realm.

Yet why had she arrived in the so-called Dark Age of the Second Era before her younger brother?

Her brother, Zhou Mingrui, had been suspended at the Source Fortress, his time frozen, only to be released in the late Fifth Era and merged with a young deceased man named Klein Moretti, forming a single entity.

This kind of fusion resembled the early Ultraman lore—those Ultramen from the M78 Nebula who possessed recently deceased youths, merging deeply with their original hosts.

Helmaynie felt herself to be a patchwork of spirits.

She clearly remembered and cherished her ordinary life on Earth, the bittersweet moments shared with her family.

At the same time, she harbored no rejection of her current feelings and arduous survival experiences—those years of struggling alongside other humans in the Dark Age.

Inheriting the tribe’s spirit, developing hunting, farming, and trade, enduring disdain and learning from the giant race, summarizing methods to evade alien hunters, and refining her understanding and application of the supernatural materials discovered...

Helmaynie was a leader in all these tribal endeavors, driven by a grand ambition to alter humanity’s tragic fate.

The spirit embodying Helmaynie, Zhou Mingxiang, did not oppose this mindset. If they could escape back to the tribe safely, he was willing to continue contributing to these causes.

Having come to trust the videos, Helmaynie knew that in later eras, humanity would rise to become the most dominant race in this mysterious world.

Leading humanity’s ascent was undoubtedly the ancient Solar Deity—the twin-path true god known as the “Sun” and the “Hanged Man,” who emerged from the Sea of Chaos.

This ancient Solar Deity, also a remnant of the Old Era like herself, battled one brutal ancient god after another, liberated enslaved humans, and with the aid of the Blasphemy Tablets, founded the alchemical system that provided a clear path for the supernatural gifted—thus inaugurating the glorious age of this mysterious world.

Deep in her heart, Helmaynie quietly hoped this mighty figure would soon emerge from the Sea of Chaos.

This was truly a formidable force capable of transforming humanity’s plight.

Even now, though under Lady Misfortune’s protection, surviving in the demonic wolf clan was no easy feat.

Of course, relying on others was less dependable than relying on oneself. If she failed to improve, she might perish before this great figure appeared.

During this time, by recalling the twenty-two alchemical sequence paths introduced in the videos, Helmaynie confirmed the methods passed down from the ancestors—how she and her companions became supernatural gifted through experimental alchemy.

Comparing the abilities described in each alchemical path, Helmaynie realized she was currently a Sequence 5 “Dreamwalker” on the “Dreamer” path.

Lady Misfortune, who protected her, was likely a Sequence 2 “Hidden Servant” on the “Darkness” path.

The Darkness path was home to a highly ranked, masterful, and battle-hardened night goddess. Whether Lady Misfortune had survived into the Second Era was uncertain—most likely she had fallen to the ancient Solar Deity, that mighty figure.

Helmaynie owed her survival in the demonic wolf clan to Lady Misfortune’s protection. If she had the chance, she intended to advise Lady Misfortune to keep clear of that fierce god who slew ancient gods one by one.

During her brief moments of leisure, Helmaynie ate the fresh fruits and vegetables Lady Misfortune left for her. Aside from restrictions imposed to avoid external dangers, limiting her freedom of movement, her basic needs were well met.

It was at this moment that an unexpected visitor arrived at Lady Misfortune’s dwelling.

The visitor was a remarkably young human woman, delicate and beautiful, with black hair and eyes.

Helmaynie regarded the visitor warily, hardly daring to believe she was human—this was the heartland of the demonic wolf territory, after all.

Moreover, even other demonic wolves dared not approach Lady Misfortune’s abode.

Facing Helmaynie’s scrutiny, the visitor entered the dwelling with practiced ease, seated herself on a stone bench inside, and proudly tilted her head slightly.

She looked at Helmaynie and said, “I consider my appearance quite human—even more so than ‘Misfortune’ herself.”

That voice—

Helmaynie’s heart skipped a beat. She recognized this “young woman” as the sister of the great wolf who had tried to devour her on the day she awoke.

The young woman smiled broadly, inadvertently revealing sharp fangs, and said, “Sharp eyes you have... I gave myself a title as well, ‘Mother of Heaven.’ You may call me that—it sounds lovely, doesn’t it?”

Mother of Heaven... quite a grandiose title.

Helmaynie felt a sneer rising in her heart.

But suddenly, she recalled from the video stories that an angel called the “Mother of Heaven” had been made a vessel of descent by the later cunning and powerful Night Goddess.

Though the “Mother of Heaven” as the vessel supposedly still lived, she remained sealed—little different from death—and was often controlled by the Night Goddess’s will.

While Helmaynie was inwardly mocking, the “Mother of Heaven” surveyed her surroundings and, in stark contrast to her dignified image, laughed loudly:

“I heard you’ve borne ‘Misfortune’ a child? I came to see the little one.”