Five years later.

Inside Ria’s laboratory, Kai was standing while holding a soft metal arm that had been covered with a layer of skin similar to his original skin.

“How is it?” Ria smiled. “This is the newest product. You can easily control it because it matches your brainwave and muscle.”

“I did the brainwave.” Felice walked to him and gave a thumbs up. A smile appeared on her poker face. “Also, this arm will—”

Before she finished her words, two kids, a boy and a girl, stormed the room, running toward Kai. 

They all jumped to him, trying to get into his embrace. 

Kai immediately reacted and caught them both in his arms. 

“Yeay!”

“Papa has a better arm now!” 

The boy had black hair that looked like his. However, he had deep blue eyes, resembling Michelle. 

The girl had long brown hair tied into a ponytail. She cheerfully raised her hand when she felt the smoothness of Kai’s new arm. “Yeay, I get to try Papa’s new hand this time.” 

“Haha, Ben, Nadia, you two shouldn’t interrupt someone talking… Look.” Kai moved his body, so they both could see Felice’s pouting expression. 

Surprisingly, another boy walked to her while nudging Felice’s white coat. He had short gray hair like Ria, but he was Kai and Sofia’s child. They didn’t know why but he seemed to be fond of Felice from a young age, resulting in a deep relationship between her and Sofia.

“You should say something, you know.” Sofia suddenly appeared behind him while encouraging him. “Don’t be shy, Harry.” 

Harry looked down before gently nodding his head.

Sofia then turned to Ben and Nadia and said, “You two, your mothers are searching for you.”

“Ah!” Ben and Nadia gasped, but before they could move, Michelle and Ayaka had already appeared.

“Found you.” Michelle’s voice resounded in Ben’s ears as she arrived in front of Ben. “You haven’t done your homework.”

“No!” Ben shouted, but Michelle grasped him and lifted him up. 

“Come on. I will be accompanying you and teaching you everything.” Michelle shook her head helplessly. “You already promised me…” 

“Papa!” Ben extended his hand, asking Kai’s help. 

“Ben, you need to do your homework!” Nadia chuckled. 

“Yeah, and you say you want to help me make breakfast for your father?” Ayaka squinted her eyes as she appeared next to Nadia. 

“Ehm…” Nadia was afraid to turn around, but Ayaka had already poked her fat cheek.

“Oh, so Nadia wants to make papa breakfast? Papa is happy.” Kai smiled.

“Y-yesh!” Nadia finally surrendered and looked at her mother, “Let’s go, Mama!”

Ayaka ultimately smiled as she held Nadia’s hand, walking to the kitchen. 

On the way, they met four people. They were Haruko and Leah and their kids. 

Haruko gave birth to a girl with red hair. Surprisingly, she reminded Kai the first time she met Haruko, who happened to introduce herself as Sakura that time. 

She looked at Ayaka and said, “Mom! I want to learn how to use fire magic!”

Ayaka made a weird smile and pointed at Haruko behind him. “Via? You can ask your mother, you know.”

“No. Mom sucks!” 

“Geh?!” Haruko’s body shook as she stepped back. “I’m not.” 

Via stuck her tongue out.

Meanwhile, the other girl came to Nadia while chuckling, “Huhu… I have told you to wait a bit. Now you got caught…” 

“What do you mean I got caught?” Nadia pouted before admitting proudly, “This is tactical surrender.”

“Don’t be like that, Emily.” Leah smiled and gently reprimanded her.

Before they solved their problem, a pink magic circle appeared. 

A black-haired boy suddenly emerged from the magic circle, running toward Kai. “Papa! I’m back!” 

Another magic circle then followed him as Tasha was chasing him while carrying a bag full of meat. “Jack, how many times have I told you not to use Teleportation inside the house? You can hurt others!”

Both of them just came back from the supermarket, buying some meat to eat later.

Jack ignored her and leaped to Kai’s embrace. 

“Easy, buddy.” Kai smiled and caught him.

They were the Carter Family. Kai couldn’t help but smile, realizing why his parents could support him a hundred percent when he was a kid. 

He himself felt he could overturn the world for his kids.

To everyone’s surprise, they seemed to have an uninvited guest. 

He had black hair and a long horn on top of his head. He wore a black-colored yukata and big round glasses. 

Leah, Ayaka, and Haruko instantly noticed him when he walked past them and recognized his face.

“You…” Leah gasped.

The man smiled and waved his hand. “Hello, hello. Congratulations on your marriage and children. Sorry that I can’t meet you at that time…”

Kai already heard him coming and looked at his face, smiling. “This is surprising. I would never expect you to visit me.”

“Indeed. I wouldn’t have come here if not because of that old hag…” He chuckled. 

Suddenly, Jack walked toward him, stopping him from meeting his dad. “Who are you, Mister? I am Jack, Papa’s bodyguard!” 

“Is that so?” He smiled and bent his knees, raising Jack up and letting him sit on his arm. “I am your dad’s old friend. You can call me Uncle Ishii.”

“Uncle Ishii?!” Jack widened his eyes before smirking, “Then, does uncle have a present?” 

Ishii stopped for a second, shocked by Jack’s words. He couldn’t help but chuckle and look at him. “You are more shameless than your dad here.”

“Superior Gene.” Jack proudly admitted it, inviting another wave of laughter from Ishii. 

“Hahaha, I like you. Uncle will prepare your gift then.” 

“I am looking forward to it.”

Ishii bent down and let Jack go before falling silent. 

Seeing his expression, Kai smiled and asked, “Jack, can you help your mother prepare the meat first?”

Although unwilling, Tasha carried him out of the room. Felice and Ria also understood the importance of the matter. There was no way a Protector would come here without any apparent reasons. 

After everyone left, Kai used his Sound Insulation magic. “I guess it’s something important…”

“Yeah.” Ishii nodded and remembered when the Whale Queen visited him before the war. “Your war seems to be bringing something big.” 

“Something big? Another protector?” Kai narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like to go to war anymore.”

“Well, I don’t think we have a choice here…” Ishii shook his head.

“We?” Kai raised his eyebrows, understanding the importance of this matter. “Multiple Protectors?” 

…

Little did they know, when they were talking, big things were happening all around the world.

In Russia, a vast black cloud was raining a thunderstorm as a white snake tried to lift his body up to the sky.

“Shaa!” The white snake screamed.

In Congo, specifically inside the burning magma of Mount Nyamuragira, a bright red shone brighter than the magma. 

A creature suddenly popped out of the magma and perched on the side of the volcano, spreading its wings. The creature was that of a bird made of fire. Its height reached as far as one hundred meters and its wingspan was even bigger. It let out an earth-shattering cry. 

Another creature also emerged from underneath the sand in the Sahara Desert. It was a giant scorpion. The scorpion shook its body left and right to throw off the sand covering his body, revealing his brown shell. 

He looked at the sky before a huge sand tornado appeared, reaching the sky. 

Similar sand also concealed another creature. However, it was underneath the pacific ocean. 

It revealed its body for the first time after a few thousand years. It had the body like that of an eel, but its size was comparable to that of Whale Queen. 

Lightning began to cover his whole body as he washed away all the sand with the seawater.

…

Meanwhile, Ishii replied to Kai’s question with a deep voice. “Have you ever heard… the Age of the Gods?”

The End.

********************

Author’s Note:

(PS: I added this note AFTER the chapter is published so it doesn’t cost you extra coins.)

When I wrote “(END)” in the title, I discovered that my fingers were stiff on the keyboard for a while.

From March 2020 to November 2021, there are so many things happening in the past one and half years.

However, I don’t regret finishing this journey. I have learned a lot, starting from the storyline in the start to the character engagements. Props to you guys who have made it until the end. 

And I would like to thank everyone, even if you came only once, followed me from the start until now, liked the book, or came to scold me a few times… Thank you for your attention and support. 

If you haven’t written any review for this book, I would love to hear what you think about this story. I’d really appreciate it if you could take a little time and share your thoughts in a review. Let me and potential readers know the good and the bad, and whatever you think I should improve for my next writing.

Thank you for the part of my journey. May you all be well.

Fixten – November 10, 2021.