Nova woke in a cave, his eyes slowly opening themselves, as he slowly turned his head to look around where he was. He blinked slowly, his body aching, but his migraine was overtaking his other aches.

Then, the cat-like creature leaped on him, licking him, as it saw that Nova was awake. Nova forced a small smile, but it quickly faltered. Nova's head was still spinning uncontrollably. He felt like his entire body was loose, as if his limbs could easily detach at any time.

He made a semi-circle, pushing his head back, then resting it directly back. He closed off his consciousness for another day. In his subconsciousness, he was in his Ability Chamber, speaking to his duplicate.

Nova saw the unnerving chaos tearing through his Ability Chamber, though that chaos didn't dissolve him or his duplicate, only everything else. No being in the world would be able to handle the chaos and destruction that was happening simultaneously in Nova's Ability Chamber.

"That Absyalling was much powerful than what I had anticipated," Nova said, as he went towards his duplicate, who was smiling at all the chaos. "It takes so long to evolve further. I mean, I'm just not used to it."

"Of course, the Supreme God of Destruction, the second most powerful being in the Universe, isn't used to grinding through levels upon levels trying to achieve the pinnacle of strength. You were mostly born with your prowess, and then eventually you refined everything in a very short time, and boom, you're the second most powerful being in the Universe. I mean, what did you expect?"

"You're right, it takes time to get stronger, I just have to be patient..."

"That you do," the duplicate responded, glancing at him. "Though now you have made a new companion for your time being in Beastaria, so what will you name him?"

"Wait, that cat-like creature is a he?" Nova asked.

"That 'cat-like' creature is a Harlequin Cat. Harlequin Cats are very ancient residents of Beastaria, and this one in particular is still a child; otherwise, the power they can reach is undefined. They don't live in the layer of Beastaria you are in currently."

"What do you mean by 'the layer of Beastaria,' I'm in currently?" Nova asked, baffled.

"I keep forgetting you don't have your omniscience, which makes you slightly retarded at times, so my apologies." The duplicate smirked as Nova's expression dropped. "Right now, you're in the Expanse layer of Beastaria, and there are two others, afterward, but for now, just try to survive this one."

Just before Nova could speak, the duplicate clapped his hands, which instantly transported Nova from his Ability Chamber to the real world. He woke up, his eyes instantly opening, feeling his aches fading away as much more time had passed; nearly another day in Beastaria had passed.

The Harlequin Cat was asleep on Nova's lap, peacefully napping as it absorbed the warmth from Nova, which made Nova realize he was starting to shiver. He shifted slightly, careful not to wake the Harlequin Cat.

The cave's air had turned bitterly cold, the wind from outside shrieking through the narrow cracks like a crowd of whispers. Nova's breath came out in pale, translucent mist, and the shivering further intensified.

His mind, however, was clear now, clearer than before. The migraine had dulled slightly, and his senses were returning. He could feel the faint ripple of mana beneath his skin, rippling into existence, that familiarity of destruction and chaos coming to him.

Nova gazed toward the entrance of the cave. Beyond those jagged rocks, the horizon glowed with a dim blue hue, Beastaria's twilight, eternal and alien. The flora outside pulsed with faint bioluminescence, shifting colors like they were alive.

He could sense creatures moving in the distance, massive ones, the kind that made the air vibrate with each step, though nothing like that Absyalling.

He looked down at the Harlequin Cat again. Its fur shimmered faintly, black and silver patterns flowing like liquid metal in the dim light. "Harlequin Cat," he whispered. "You need a name."

The creature's ear twitched as if it heard him, though its eyes remained closed.

"Let's call you Lunaris," Nova said quietly. "You carry light even in the dark."

At the sound of its new name, Lunaris stirred, opening one gleaming golden eye. A low purr resonated from its chest, deep, almost melodic.

The faint aura surrounding it flared briefly, and Nova felt a ripple of warmth spread through the cave, as though the creature's energy had responded to the bond forming between them.

Then, from outside, a sound shattered the fragile calm. A deep, echoing roar, followed by the rumble of something colossal moving closer. The ground quivered, dust falling from the cave ceiling.

Nova's expression hardened instantly. "Of course," he muttered, standing slowly.

His strength wasn't fully restored, but there was no time to rest. He gently set Lunaris down, and the cat-like creature leaped gracefully to the ground, fur bristling as it faced the cave entrance.

A shadow loomed at the mouth of the cave, massive, horned, breathing in heavy gusts that stank of decay. Two burning eyes peered through the darkness, locking onto Nova.

"Looks like Beastaria doesn't want me getting comfortable," Nova said, rolling his shoulders as faint cracks of energy sparked along his arms. "Alright, then."

He raised one hand, palm glowing faintly crimson, as the ground beneath him began to hum with restrained power.

"Let's see how this layer welcomes a god."

He smirked as they were just about to leave the cave, though a guttural sound rippled through the air, tearing it open, which made him sit back down and wait until either that snarl from the nearby monster had vanished or until there was more light.

"You know what, fuck that, I'm waiting until morning," Nova said, nodding his head.

There was no fixed star in Beastaria; thus, the monster in Beastaria did not realize when it was day or night, but for Nova, that was important, since most monsters were "nocturnal," meaning when there was significantly less light shimmering across the Expanse.

Thus, when there was more light, fewer monsters appeared, which was his chance to leave the cave and explore Beastaria, and eat something, since he was hungry.

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