The little girl tilted her head cutely, clearly perplexed as she blinked at him. After considering for a moment, she asked innocently again, "Then should I call you papa?"

Orion immediately felt a surge of internal despair and frustration, the corners of his mouth twitching even more violently.

He had barely stepped into adulthood and hadn't had any bed action, yet here he was, suddenly saddled with the responsibility of a little girl calling him papa.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, his voice carrying a helpless resignation, "No, you can call me Big Brother Orion. I'm neither your mama nor your papa."

She stared up at him with an adorably stubborn gaze, pursing her small lips slightly. It was clear she wasn't entirely convinced.

Orion felt another wave of helplessness wash over him, remembering the moment the little girl hatched from that enormous, cursed egg.

At that time, Orion had no idea how to react, everything he knew about reality seemed to shatter. Especially when she first called him daddy, his heart nearly stopped from sheer panic.

He wanted to steel his heart and leave her behind to someone more qualified to care for a child, but the bitter irony was that he didn't even possess the strength to abandon her.

Using the Eye of Revelation, he had discovered that she was born directly as an Exalted Grade being, a truly unbelievable existence.

Just glimpsing further details about her origins or nature required an astronomical amount of SP that Orion wasn't currently willing to sacrifice, or rather he didn't have that much.

Resigned to this reality, Orion had accepted his fate. The silver lining was that her presence cleanly repelled any mana beast along their path, allowing them to travel peacefully and swiftly. Within just a few days, they had already entered the outskirts of the Thunderpeak Kingdom.

Despite this fortunate turn of events, Orion couldn't quite summon the strength to be happy. His heart was still crying out internally, 'Ahh! Who did I provoke to end up stuck with this disaster?! Why am I forced to become a caretaker for this child?!'

Lumi, meanwhile, took immense delight in Orion's internal torment, teasing him relentlessly. Her mischievous laughter echoed frequently in his mind,

[Hahahahaha! Master, you really need to man up and accept responsibility! You poured your essence into that egg, she's technically half yours whether you admit it or not. (¬‿¬)]

As if to reinforce Lumi's words, the little girl peered up at him curiously once more, her green eyes sparkling earnestly. "Big Brother?" she repeated thoughtfully, then shook her head decisively, smiling sweetly, "But I really like calling you papa!"

Orion nearly stumbled again, tears threatening to form in the corners of his eyes from sheer helplessness. They had this discussion countless times already, but the little girl hadn't budged a single inch in the past few days.

In his Sea of Consciousness, Orion couldn't help but inwardly lament, 'We still don't know her species, and I honestly don't get how any creature can hatch at the Exalted Grade! This is ridiculous!'

Lumi giggled knowingly,

[Hehe, you don't need to vent your frustration by sounding ignorant, Master. Beings nurtured in exceptional environments or left to develop over countless years can naturally be born at higher cultivation grades. Even among the Dragon Clan, there are dragons who hatch directly at Exalted or higher grades.]

[Some dragons with diluted bloodlines might never even reach that level throughout their lifetimes. Clearly, she must have remained dormant in that cave for an unimaginably long period, absorbing energy and nurturing herself to an extreme level, resulting in her astonishing birth grade. But her Origins must not be simple since she can be born directly at Exalted Grade. Her future achievements should at least reach the limit of this world.]

Hearing Lumi's explanation, Orion merely shook his head softly, deciding it wasn't worth the headache to dwell on the matter further.

Over the past days, he had discovered that the little girl's appetite rivaled or perhaps even exceeded his own, forcing him to hunt and cook monsters frequently.

Although Orion himself wouldn't mind eating the nutrient-rich meatballs from the Infinite Meatball Forge, he simply couldn't bear to subject the adorable girl to a monotonous diet.

So, with reluctant acceptance, Orion had taken on the unexpected role of both guardian and cook.

As they continued across the peaceful plains, Orion finally gave up trying to correct her affectionate form of address.

He reached down and gently patted the little girl's silky green hair, a helpless smile forming across his face. "Fine, suit yourself."

The little girl giggled softly, clearly satisfied with her victory, grabbing onto Orion's sleeve affectionately. Her cheerful laughter and innocent expression gradually warmed his heart, softening some of his frustrations.

Soon, the towering gates and bustling walls of a large, prosperous city appeared on the horizon.

Silver spires glimmered in the distance under the gentle sunlight, the distinctive architecture of Thunderpeak Kingdom coming into full view.

Orion quickened his pace slightly, his long robes fluttering gently behind him as he led the little girl forward, who eagerly kept pace by his side.

As they approached the city, Orion glanced down at the excited child, silently thinking with mixed emotions, 'I wonder how the others will react to her? Hmm, I think they will melt with her cuteness alone.'

At that moment, the little girl raised her head happily, calling out in an excited, "Papa, let's hurry! There's lots of yummy food in the city, right?"

Orion nearly tripped yet again, helplessly sighing as he conceded in defeat. Smiling softly despite himself, he lightly replied, "Yes, there will be plenty of delicious food. Let's go and enjoy it, Little Lyra."

He had decided on this name after an entire day of thinking. Because if they were going to travel then she needed a name at least. And for some reason, she didn't know her own name like Orion. So he decided to name her Lyra, based on a constellation from his past life since she seemed like a celestial on earth.

The little girl excitedly nodded her head and skipped towards the city with him.

Orion then remembered that he had nearly exhausted all of his Mana Crystals on her, so he could only shake his head, 'Well, I will just sell some treasures here.'

Soon, Orion and Lyra came to a stop before the tall, imposing gates of the city. Orion's eyes casually glanced upward, his gaze landing on the grandly carved letters displayed above the entrance, clearly spelling out: [Silverfall City]

He raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, 'Silverfall City…isn't this the city where Magi established Limitless Heaven not too long ago?'

A faintly mischievous smile slowly formed across his lips, his eyes flashing with excitement. 'Perfect. Looks like it's time to empty Magi's pockets again.'

However, the subtle excitement dimmed slightly as memories of the unfortunate accident in the cave resurfaced.

A complicated expression flashed briefly across his handsome face. Orion softly sighed inwardly, suddenly feeling a pang of worry. 'I wonder how everyone else is doing. Hopefully, Brother Lucan and Uncle Edgar managed to find the others safely.'

Lumi's encouraging and gentle voice resonated comfortingly in his consciousness, easing some of Orion's anxieties,

[Don't worry, Master! I'm confident the others will be fine, especially with that expert who helped to stabilize the spatial fissure. And besides, their luck isn't as terrible as yours, after all, not everyone would stumble upon an Exalted Grade beast out of nowhere.]

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