Chapter 172 The Valter Realm (1)

Over a week has passed since the Outer Demon invasion. After chasing away the remnants of Cthulhu and Baishe, the world descended into an uneasy peace. With the Demon Lords defeated, no one knew how to proceed.

The Alliance, the Hunter Association, and the peace between Vampires and humans were all based on the fact that there was a common enemy.

Naturally, the threat of the Outer Demons hadn't disappeared just yet. Gates were still widespread, and one occasionally encountered a stray Outer Demon roaming free on Earth. Not to mention, there was no telling what was going on in the Demon Realm now.

Nevertheless, peace had been achieved. The war that had spanned over a thousand years was now gradually coming to a close. Governments and world leaders alike pondered on what they should do next. Should they maintain the peace and forget about the Outer Demons entirely? Or should they garner their forces and invade the Demon Realm?

Debates and forums were conducted, and almost everyone on the planet contributed.

Well, everyone but me.

Far away from civilization, I waited patiently in a verdant and lush meadow where no human had tread before. By my side was my precious little sister, who had happily snuggled into my arm. This past month has been a dream for Irina. Besides the Demon Lord invasion and the little mishap we had with Damien's betrayal of the Holy Church, Irina and I spent much of our time together. Whether making love or simply enjoying each other's company, this was probably the most time I'd spent with Irina since we'd gotten together.

But now, it is finally coming to an end.

Due to the unforeseen circumstances, mainly the Demon Lord's invasion, the plan I'd concocted with the other girls has reached its conclusion. The Everwinter, Moonreaver, Blackburn and Shadowgarden House have now sworn fealty to me. Or, to be more precise, to the newly formed Valter House.

The Everwinter House will provide the location and external protection. The Moonreaver House will create the Nightmare Realm fit for a Progenitor to live in. The Blackburn House will provide the manpower to run the whole place, and finally, the Shadowgarden House will fork out the insane amount of gold needed to create the new Nightmare Realm.

All four of the greatest Guardian Houses bonded to help the new Progenitor.

If the Bloodborne House were alive to see this, I'm confident they would have vomited all of the blood in their system.

"It's about time."

"... I'm not looking forward to it." Irina's jovial expression quickly turned into a deep frown. "I won't be able to monopolise you anymore."

"Irina, be nice," I grabbed her hand and gently added strength. "You promised me, didn't you? As the first wife, you'll be kind and gracious to your sister wives. All four of you will be my family from this day to the end of time. So you must get along, okay?"

"I know…"

Irina sighed and finally relented. I would like the four to get along immediately, but that would take time. After all, while they were Vampires with everlasting life, the girls were still in their twenties. I could give them time to sort things out by themselves and pray they will mature with age.

Just as I was thinking about the future I had with my four lovers, a rift opened right in front of us. From the tear in Space, one figure emerged. No, to be precise, one figure led a whole company of followers through the portal, but I didn't care about the extras. My eyes were zoned in on the black-haired Goddess, who I hadn't seen in a month.

A warrior Princess, nay, a warrior Goddess. Donned in lightweight armour with metallic plates covering her precious parts, the young woman looked like she'd just returned from war. Her face was expressionless yet fierce. Like a general who led her soldiers to war, the warrior Goddess emerged from the rift with a confident face, and her chest puffed out. It had been a month since I'd last seen her, yet the atmosphere she possessed had significantly changed. It wasn't a stretch to say that she's far stronger now. However, the moment we locked eyes…

"Jin!!!"

The girl's unrelenting and indomitable warrior spirit melted away as she reverted back to her usual fawning ways.

Ysabelle ignored the innumerable eyes on her and jumped straight into my arms. Irina had her cheeks puffed, but she quickly reverted back and controlled her ire. Not that it mattered to Ysabelle, though.

She pounced with the force of the panther, and if my core wasn't strong enough, I would have toppled down onto the floor. Gently caressing her soft and luscious hair, I whispered:

"Ysabelle, I missed you."

"Hehe, I missed you too!"

Watching her adorable cheeks turn rosy and her pheromones tickle my nose, I had half a mind to ravage the girl with lust right here. However, I couldn't allow anyone else to see Ysabelle's lewd body, so I refrained from becoming a degenerate in public.

"You've grown since we last met."

"Not as much as you! You defeated two more Demon Lords!"

"Haha, if I couldn't kill a Demon Lord or two, I wouldn't qualify to be your husband!"

"You sweet talker…" Ysabelle blushed before shifting her eyes between the servants she brought over and me. However, with a final heave, she kissed my cheek before leaning in to say: "We'll continue talking… Later tonight."

"Haha, I'll be looking forward to it!"

I knew it; the girl had been holding back as well. As much as I would love to continue this conversation, the moment Ysabelle's group passed through the portal, a new one formed in its place.

This time, there were three figures I recognised. The first two were my parents, who had been staying in the Elven Forest to keep from harm's way. They marvelled at the ease of traversing large distances with magic and didn't notice my eyes staring right at them. However, the third figure clearly saw me. Or rather, they'd never left my side in the first place.

"Rosa!"

"... Jin."

Rosalyn was just as expressionless as ever, but I knew the turbulent emotions going through her brain. Ever since I'd returned her soul and given her a shard of my power, I could clearly feel the varying thoughts that went through her head. Contrary to popular belief, Rosa wasn't the emotionless robot everyone saw her as.

In fact, her emotions were, at times, too heavy for me to handle. Such as when she confined me in bed because she feared I would get hurt.

Therefore, even though the green-haired Goddess seemed to have vacant eyes, all I could see was a happy puppy who had returned to its owner.

"I've missed you!"

I brought the fragile-looking girl into my arms and gave her a firm hug. Never one to miss an opportunity, Rosa wrapped us in thorny vines as if declaring she would never let me go again. Although it wasn't enough to hurt me, the sudden scene didn't stop Irina and Ysabelle from worrying.

"Hey! Let him go, Rosa!"

"Yeah, you're hurting Jin!"

The two abruptly came to my defence and attempted to pry the thorny girl away from my arms. Alas, Rosa's determination seemed to burn even hotter, especially when she saw Irina rushing over.

"You had enough…"

"W-What do you mean enough?!"

"Monopolising Jin every day… Selfish…"

"W-What?"

"From now on… I'll monopolise him…"

"How dare you!"

Since Rosa's eyes never left my side, she saw everything that happened during the month we were apart. From my fight with the two Demon Lords to even… the nightly activities I shared with Irina. As long as there were plants nearby, Rosa could monitor me from anywhere on the planet.

So it was no surprise that she knew all of Irina's advances. Rosa probably even knows about the promise I made to Irina. Perhaps that's what irked the silent Goddess and prompted her jealousy phase.

"Alright, Rosa. That's enough joking around. Lilith is coming soon, so let's talk about this later, okay?"

"Not happy, but okay…"

While Rosa still talked with fragmented sentences, it was much better than before. By absorbing my essence and increasing her vessel, the young Vampire could now contain her Progenitor-level capabilities. Her mind wasn't overloaded with the thoughts of plants anymore, and her control over nature had increased tenfold.

It was only a matter of time before she fully assimilated with the World Tree and became the undisputed hegemon of all plants. By then, even I would need help matching her unique ability.

Separating from Rosa, I turned to the two people who looked at me as if I were some alien creature. Smiling, I asked:

"Mom? Dad? What's wrong?"

My mother shot me an incredulous look and said: "No, it's just… I can't believe you're really my son."

"Now that's a rude thing to say," I chuckled in jest.

"Says the boy who defeated three Demon Lords in succession!" My mother broke her stoic face and turned into a barrel of laughs. She promptly embraced me and gave me a long and deep hug.

"I'm just glad that you're okay, Jin."

"Haha, I'm better than okay!" Breaking free from her hug, I glanced over at Dad, who also had a face that was torn about what to feel. "What about you, Dad? Can't recognise your son?"

"You little brat…"

My father shook his head and gave me a bear hug as well.

"I know you're strong now, but don't push yourself too much. You might be the strongest person alive, but we'll worry about you."

"Haha, you don't have to be!"

I knew that nothing I said would ease my parent's worry for me, so I simply brushed it off. After all, it warmed my heart that there were still people other than my four lovers who deeply cared for and loved me.

"How was your stay in the Elven forest? I hope that Rosa didn't make you two feel uncomfortable."

"No, our stay was great!" My mom's eyes sparkled with delight as she switched her gaze between Rosa and me. "Your little girlfriend helped us a lot, from bringing us good food all day to keeping us entertained with anything we wanted. But she's an amusing one. Although she wouldn't talk much, she always gives us fresh flowers in the morning."

Oh? It seems that Rosa has won over Mom's heart. Though, I'm glad that someone other than myself could see through Rosa's cold exterior and notice her charm.

"I'm happy that you feel that way. I hope you can get along with Rosa!"

"Haha, don't worry about that! I consider her a daughter more than I consider you a son!"

"... Thanks for that."

Ignoring my mom's snide remark, I turned to the final rift that had been torn before my eyes.

Emerging from the portal was a blonde beauty whose attractive features couldn't be described with words. She had beautiful makeup and an immaculate appearance, which I hadn't seen in a long time. She looked like a transcendent angel that had descended from the heavens, and her build was beyond anything humans could recreate.

"Jin…"

"Lilith…"

Lilith smiled brightly, but when she saw the numerous girls surrounding me, she promptly held back her feelings and snidely said:

"Hmph, you're on time."

"I wouldn't dare be late for my Bloodmate."

"... You and your sweet words. Anyway, we can continue our reunion later. Are you ready to see the Nightmare Realm I've created for you?"

"Lilith…"

I looked at the blonde beauty and couldn't help but feel proud. She was one of my pillars, my beloved and cherished woman, and… my one and only Bloodmate.

I smiled and proudly declared:

"Let's go… To the Valter Realm."