Once Draco entered his Inner Universe, he was pleased to see that everyone was living peacefully within. Not too much time had passed since he last came in, less than a week in total.
Draco saw Zaine feeding Loki some baby food that had been prepared by the Grandmaster Cook Natasha. Speaking of the birdwoman, she now sported a bulging belly that looked like it was about to explode.
Birds had a short gestation period and gave birth to their young as eggs, but a half-bird species like Natasha still gave birth the traditional way. The human gestation was 9 months and the birdman gestation was 3 months, meaning Natasha would give birth in less than a month since she had been impregnated almost 5 months ago.
In fact, the majority of the concubines who came from the Treasury were about to give birth, with most having done so already. The oviparous races among them had long since laid their eggs and were waiting for the imminent hatching.
Those with longer gestation periods due to unique and complex biology like the half-golem Noel who was a Grandmaster Rank Architect, the half-Fae Chisa who was a Grandmaster Rank Gardener and the half-wood elf Eisha who was a Grandmaster Alchemist had yet to give birth but were getting there.
As such, the island in the void was quite populated and lively, with many kids ambling about, including the now one and half-year-old kids from the 28 human concubines who had formerly been maids at the Rank 7 Castle.
Rila was in the hands of Hikari, while Rosella was currently sitting behind a picture book as Roma gently taught her some herbs for witch concoctions. As Rosella's IQ was almost on the level of a teen, she could easily learn this despite being so young.
When they saw Draco enter, everyone happily gathered around him and chattered on about various things. He was more than happy to accompany them all like this for a few hours, especially spending time playing in the public park with all the kids of the Morningstar Clan.
Since they all had his bloodline, they were far stronger than any humanoid toddlers, and some continually created accidents when they lost control of their power. Heck, his child with the half-serpent girl Moira had transformed into a dragonling for a few seconds, then transformed back as he fell to sleep weakly.
The transformation had exhausted all his energy, and his mother who had been caring for him couldn't even move as the bloodline of her son had completely paralyzed her. She had only been able to watch the tiny dragon blink in confusion from the sudden transformation then turn back the next instant.
Luckily, the other non-serpent-related mothers had been there to help her out in this case, but her case wasn't unique, most of them had suffered a similar experience. Draco's bloodline, status, and wealth was great, and making these kids had been the best experiences in their lives, but by God raising them was an extreme sport.
Without enough patience and care, most of them would have just jumped off the edge of the island into the void. With this in mind, Draco gathered all his kids and sat them down.
He leisurely clapped his hands and closed his eyes, sending his thoughts to the little tots curiously gazing at their father. They showed visible surprise as they felt some sort of information enter their heads, gently unpacking itself and merging with their mind in a way their developing brains could handle and understand.
One might even call it a 'bloodline starter pack' that Draco had given them based on his own experiences, which would embed itself into the psyche of the toddlers and allow them to better control themselves without consciously doing so.
This should grant their poor mothers some respite after suffering for so long, not to mention it was best he did this early so it would be entrenched in their subconsciouses deeper as they grew up.
Draco spent the next 3 days with his family and on the 4th day he started on some work. He took out Pair Dadeni and Mjolnir, stopping the auto-production of Epic items that he wanted to sell, and began working manually.
He even did a bit of Scrivening and Magical Engineering at this time, but he couldn't work on his Privateering because his Avatar was currently using that to make more ships for the Umbra Sea Route.
Draco worked for 4 days straight and was satisfied with the number of things he made. It only took him an average of 3 minutes to completely create a Legendary Item, 1 minute to craft it and 2 minutes to place the Enchantments upon them.
As for the potions, it only took a minute at most. It wasn't just because he was a Grandmaster, but the other overwhelming factors at play.
The Void of Perfection granted by being a Control master.
His High-Rank Draconic State of Being.
Subjective Magic's Cause and Effect Theory.
Devil's Guile Passive Skill.
His Grandmaster Technique, Three Pound Origin for Blacksmithing, and Refined Star Technique for Alchemy which were both now at level 7.
The Epic Rank Fire of War.
The Inventor Title.
The two Legendary growth items, Pair Dadeni and Mjolnir.
With this lineup, not only was his success rate guaranteed, but his crafting time was severely reduced. The production of Legendary Items had already been possible for Draco by abusing loopholes even when he had been an Expert Rank Blacksmith, and he could somewhat easily craft them when he was a Master Rank Blacksmith by relying on his Grandmaster Enchanting to get the job done.
Now that he was an actual Grandmaster, there was none of that pain where he had to heal himself when his arm got damaged by the metals. Now, he just needed to shape them using Aetheric Energy which he could easily control if he focused all of the above-listed abilities and everything came easily.
The same went for Alchemy. If Draco had been outside, he would have to find sources of competent Aetheric Energy to craft, but in this Inner Universe, it was as abundant as air, also being of the highest quality.
Otherwise, how could those babies have been transforming and doing magnificent things left and right when even Draco himself couldn't do so yet? It was all due to the environment they were in, soaked to the teeth in all energies up to Origin Rank.
Draco eventually made just under 2,000 different Legendary Items, both equipment, and consumables. This should be more than enough to sell out the entire tower and clean them of most of their goodies.
Draco then put it aside and eyed the side askance, watching two fellows with a speechless look.
Qiong Qi and Clarent sat at the edge of the island, gazing into the void while side-by-side. There was a melancholic air about them as they looked forward into the starry nothingness, their aura's dark and despairing.
"Haa… I guess we should have expected it, Brother Clarent. It was truly inevitable." Qiong Qi sighed with fatigue.
Clarent lowered his head with sadness. "I did have hope… I truly did, but I now know it was fleeting."
Qiong Qi shook his head. "From the moment I signed that contract, I knew this day would come. No banquet lasts forever and everyone must go home eventually."
Clarent's eyes became slightly bloodshot. "But this banquet was too short! I have lived for thousands of years, yet the best of them only lasted two! How can I be happy with that?!"
Qiong Qi's eyes watered slightly. "Brother Clarent…"
Clarent also felt his eyes watering as he wiped them slowly. "We have been thrown to the side Brother Qiong. There is no mistaking it. Apart from fooling around, it's like we are no longer necessary!"
Qiong Qi sighed. "I even find it unbelievable that we were once required for battle and could not be done without. Now that power has been achieved by that fellow, we are now relegated to occasional comic relief."
Clarent gritted his teeth. "Brother Qiong… let's just end it! I'm a Divine Dragon for the love of everything! Divine! I'm tired of being someone's clown for amusement! If I die, I want to die while being my true self!"
Qiong Qi gazed to his savanna nest. "I truly love my family, but I love the feeling of being relevant more! If I can't have that, then I'd rather just not feel anything."
Qiong Qi's eyes firmed up as if he had made a decision. "Let's do it Brother Clarent… together."
Clarent also gazed to his Dragonperch and sighed. "Yes… together."
The two held hands, one paw, and one claw. They gazed at each other gently then laughed softly.
"You know, I am glad I met a true friend like you in this life Brother Qiong. All else have just been fake friends from day 1!" Clarent remarked with a happy smile.
Qiong Qi grinned widely. "It's part of my charm. My happiness stems from the fact that I met a truly handsome fellow like you while I lived. After all, I am but a mere copy of another entity. I shouldn't even exist."
Two gazed at each other for a bit longer than gazed into the void. After closing their eyes, they began counting down simultaneously.
"10… 9… 8…7…"
Their bodies became taut as they got ready to jump as soon as the number hit zero. Just when their count reached 1, a voice came from behind them that the two resented.
"Whatcha doin'?" Draco asked in an innocent tone as he walked over.
The two paused their counting and opened their eyes to gaze at the fellow coldly before ignoring him. They once again prepared to end it all by jumping over the edge, making Draco's lips twitch.
"Hold on there, buckaroos, there's no need for such drastic action. Why not come here and give me a hug, then we call bygones as whatever they're supposed to be called?" Draco offered, walking over with a smile.
The eyes of Qiong Qi and Clarent who were now facing Draco glinted, but they simultaneously turned and manifest distrustful expressions.
Qiong Qi snorted. "Hmph, I have been fooled by the sweet tongue too many times."
Clarent sneered. "There's nothing you can say that will change our minds!"
Draco simply laughed and patted Qiong Qi on the back. "Brother Qiong, just look at you. Your lush fur and golden mane billow in the wind with majesty. Why I can even picture you standing on a rocky precipice above a large savanna, your mighty roar able to subdue all the beasts in the wild!"
Qiong Qi shuddered, his entire body feeling alive as he blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "I-It's not that great…"
Draco then patted Clarent on the neck. "My Dragon Primogenitor, look at those glowing red scales! Look at that formation, so beautiful and symmetrical! Any Dragoness that dares walk within 1 kilometer of you will not be able to look away, for what better thing can their eyes gaze upon by the most majestic fire dragon alive?"
Clarent also shivered and felt his cheeks become hot due to the intense praise. He folded his arms and looked away. "H-Hmph!"
Seeing that he had disarmed the two, Draco smiled softly. "Come on now, without you two I would never be whole. Don't forget, the reason why my women are taking precedence in this Unique Quest is because it's our first operation together, and previously, they always had to wait for us outside while we did our magic."
"It's also not fair to them if I bring them into the Unique Quest with the Inner Universe but sideline them." Draco revealed with a sigh.
Hearing this, Qiong Qi and Clarent shared a look before grudging nodding. "Fine, if you say it like that, we would seem petty for continuing. Just remember to bring us out when it's necessary!"
"Hahaha! Of course, of course!" Draco laughed, stretching his arms out for a hug.
Qiong Qi and Clarent returned his gesture slowly, as if not sure whether they wanted to be that close with him so soon. When they got a grip on him those, their expression changed into one of unspeakable evil.
"We got him! We actually got him!" Qiong Qi harped with excitement.
"You actually entered our embrace? Bwahahaha, you fool!" Clarent laughed with glee.
Draco's expression became sullen. "What are you trying to do?!"
The duo of lizard and cat snickered. "Oh nothing, just making you feel what we felt! As brothers, we must share pains and pleasures, shouldn't we?"
Draco's expression changed. "Y-You wouldn't!"
The new 'Evil Duo' smiled filthily. "Oh yes, we would. ENJOY THE PLUNGE!!"
They dragged the resisting Draco over to the edge of the void, then tossed him over while the fellow roared with anger and fear. Seeing him disappear into the darkness, Qiong Qi and Clarent felt incomparably refreshed, as if all the pains they had suffered throughout their lives had been cured and their souls were being hugged by angels.
"GOD, IT FEELS SO GOOD!" Qiong Qi roared with satisfaction, his tail swishing left and right in delight.
"BWAHAHA, I LOVE BEING EVIL!" Clarent also bellowed in tandem, stretching his wings out and contracting them rapidly in joy.
"Me too, to be honest. Being evil is really the only way to live." Draco added with amusement.
Hearing this voice, the duo froze. They then slowly turned around to gaze at Draco who was hovering over the edge of the island while in a lazy lying down position like he was some Egyptian empress.
Seeing him like this, the faces of the two stooges fell. Qiong Qi pointed a shaky finger at Draco, shock all over his face.
"How can this be?! How can you still be fine!?"
Draco gazed at the two of them strangely. "I am the God of this entire Universe, not just the island. I can exist in the void with ease, so why can't I do this?"
Hearing this, the duo was speechless. They were new to this Inner Universe matter and assumed that Draco's power only resided on the island which was the only habitable mass.
If he could control the void out there, why not create new islands or expand them? In fact, the various women here except Eva thought the same, which was why they had strictly warned the kids to never wander close to the edge.
Realizing this Qiong Qi and Clarent shared a look and shrugged. Hey, they tried their best, right? At least, they had learned something new today.
As such, they began walking to the edge of the void, about to hop over when Draco stopped them with a strange smile.
"What are you guys doing?"
Clarent rolled his eyes. "Oh please, we both know how this routine goes. Instead of wasting time, we'll just make things easier on everyone by jumping ourselves."
Draco scratched the back of his head. "Nah, there's no need. I'm in a good mood today, so why don't we all go out and check the sales of the shop together?"
Despite looking amiable and normal, Qiong Qi and Clarent's lax and defeated demeanor became rigid. The duo jumped back and adopted defensive postures as they became incomparably vigilant!
Draco didn't know whether to laugh or cry from this reaction. "What are you two doing now? You complained that I don't take you out enough and now that I want to, you deny?"
Draco waved his hand a portal appeared to the outside world. "Come on, you two, let's go."
Qiong Qi and Clarent shivered with fear, backing away even more.
"D-Draco, you should stop while you're ahead! We have already accepted that we wronged you, there's no need to go so far!" Qiong Qi cried in fear.
"Bastard Draco, there is such a thing known as law and order! Don't you dare do something unlawful!" Clarent also commented with worry.
At this point, the fellow was thoroughly speechless. Just how bad of an impression did these two have to mistake his wickedness for the norm and his kindness for wickedness?
Draco's face became cold as he grabbed the duo and tossed them towards the portal. "You talk too much. Let's just go out and have some fun time, what's with all the theatrics?"
While hurtling towards it, the duo screamed like chickens being chased by a fox in a hencoop.
"SHEERA, SAVE ME!!!" Qiong Qi screamed in a high-pitched voice, not caring in the least for his dignity as a father.
"NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO! HELLPPP!!!!!" Clarent shrieked like a little girl as he accompanied the fellow.
Draco just facepalmed and returned to the castle, seeing the two fellows who had been ejected screaming and thrashing about as if they had been tossed into a hellish world.
Draco just watched them with a nonplussed expression and his arms folded as the duo came down from their fear and realized nothing had happened. When they saw the castle's familiar throne room and Draco watching them with a neutral face from the side, they understood.
Qiong Qi and Clarent shared a look and jumped to their feet.
Qiong Qi laughed and patted Clarent on the back. "Silly Clarent, you should never have doubted Draco. Why were you screaming so loudly? Because of that, you couldn't hear me tell you that everything was alright and there was nothing to fear!"
Clarent simply laughed and patted Qiong Qi as well. "Brother Qiong, is your memory faulty? I remember you screaming to your wife, disallowing me the chance to inform you that everything was safe and Brother Draco was a man of valor and righteousness, who would never do evil upon us!"
Draco blushed. These two fellows were glowing with so much handsomeness that he felt his heart jump like a virgin maiden meeting the knight in shining armor.
