Evan's POV
Evan slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, he stared upward.
The ceiling above him was unfamiliar.
An unfamiliar white ceiling stretched above him, while faint sunlight slipped through the nearby window, casting soft golden lines across the room.
This… wasn't the cave.
He blinked a few times as his mind slowly woke up.
A new roof.
A different room.
A quiet house.
Then the realization settled in.
Ah.
We moved.
There wasn't even a trace of panic in his thoughts.
After all—
Lyra was with him.
Ever since the moment she saved him from the bandits, Evan had already understood one thing very clearly.
She would never let anything happen to him.
Her strength alone made that obvious.
But strength wasn't the only reason.
Evan had checked her status before.
And what he saw there had been more than enough to erase any lingering doubts.
Her loyalty was unquestionable.
And even more strangely—
She actually liked him.
Evan still wasn't entirely sure what he had done to deserve that level of devotion.
But he certainly wasn't going to complain.
If anything, it made his current situation incredibly comfortable.
His thoughts were interrupted by a strange sensation.
Evan frowned slightly.
Something felt… different.
The air around him felt thicker somehow.
Not physically—
But spiritually.
A faint warmth brushed against his body.
Soft.
Gentle.
Like invisible streams flowing through the room.
Qi…?
His tiny brows furrowed.
How was he sensing this?
Even cultivators usually needed proper training before they could feel the flow of spiritual energy in the air.
Yet right now—
The sensation was unmistakable.
The qi in the room was moving.
Flowing.
And strangely enough…
It seemed to be drifting toward him.
Evan blinked.
Wait.
Why did it feel like the qi was… entering his body?
Before he could think further, a familiar presence appeared in his mind.
!~Ding~!
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[Passive Ability Unlocked]
[Celestial Bloodline — Natural Qi Absorption]
[Description:
As the descendant of one of the strongest celestial beings, your body naturally attracts and absorbs surrounding spiritual energy.
Qi will be continuously absorbed from the environment without requiring conscious effort.
Even while sleeping, eating, or performing other activities, cultivation will continue automatically.]
[Effect]
[
• Passive Qi Absorption: Active at all times• Passive Cultivation Speed: Low but constant• Active Cultivation: Significantly increases absorption rate
]
[Additional Note]
[Your body was born perfectly suited for cultivation.
Even without deliberate training, your cultivation will slowly grow.]
Evan stared silently at the system message.
Then he looked down at his tiny hands.
"…That's ridiculous."
He hadn't even started cultivating yet.
And his body was already doing it automatically.
He could literally become stronger while doing absolutely nothing.
Sleeping?
Cultivating.
Eating?
Cultivating.
Crawling around the house?
Still cultivating.
Evan let out a quiet sigh.
Well… I suppose being born as a celestial has its advantages.
Still—
One question remained.
If the qi absorption was passive…
Then why did the qi in this house feel so dense?
His gaze slowly shifted toward the window.
Somewhere outside—
Something was gathering the surrounding spiritual energy.
And judging by the steady flow entering the house…
It was doing a very good job.
Evan blinked.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
Lyra…
It seemed his guardian had been busy.
And judging by the strength of the qi flow…
Their new home was probably far safer than it looked.
Not that he expected anything less.
After all—
Lyra took her duties very seriously.
◇ ◇ ◇
Evan lay quietly on the bed, staring at the ceiling again.
His thoughts slowly drifted toward the future.
If his body could cultivate automatically…
Then his growth speed would already surpass most cultivators in the Lower Realm.
And with Lyra protecting him—
His early years might actually be peaceful.
Which was good.
Because a child attracting too much attention too early was never a good thing.
Just as he was organizing his thoughts—
Click.
The bedroom door suddenly opened.
Evan turned his head toward the sound.
Lyra stepped into the room.
For a brief moment, Evan's brain stopped processing.
Lyra's usual ponytail was gone.
Her long, dark hair flowed freely down her back, still damp from water.
Droplets slid slowly along the strands and fell softly to the wooden floor.
She was wrapped in nothing but a towel, loosely tied around her body, with traces of water still glistening on her skin.
It was obvious she had just finished bathing.
Evan immediately turned his head toward the other side of the bed.
Nope.
Absolutely not.
He might currently have the body of a baby, but his mind was still that of someone who understood basic human decency.
Looking too much would be… problematic.
Very problematic.
Behind him, Lyra walked closer to the bed.
She didn't seem to notice his awkward reaction at all.
In fact—
She looked strangely happy.
There was a lightness in her steps that wasn't there before.
She sat down beside the bed and looked at him with a warm smile.
"My prince."
Evan cautiously turned his head back toward her.
Lyra gently patted his blanket.
"We have a home now."
Her voice carried a quiet excitement.
"This house is perfect. It's quiet, and no one will disturb us."
She began talking enthusiastically, explaining everything she had done around the property.
"I set up several protective arrays around the house."
Evan listened silently.
"Powerful ones," she continued proudly.
"A spirit gathering formation to collect qi."
"And two defensive arrays to protect the house."
She gestured vaguely toward the outside.
"If anyone tries to break in, they will regret it very quickly."
Evan blinked.
Yes… I noticed.
The qi density in the room was already giving it away.
Lyra continued explaining everything in detail, clearly very satisfied with her work.
Of course—
She was explaining all of this to a baby who technically shouldn't understand a single word.
But that didn't stop her.
Her eyes shone with quiet determination.
"We'll live peacefully here," she said softly.
"You'll grow up safely."
Her gaze softened slightly as she looked at him.
"For as long as I live, no one will harm you."
Evan stared at her silently.
Even though she had no idea he could understand her…
Her sincerity was obvious.
After a moment, Lyra suddenly blinked.
"Oh."
Her expression shifted slightly.
"I almost forgot something important."
She placed a finger against her chin thoughtfully.
"Children need milk."
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"I was actually worried about that when we first arrived."
Evan froze.
Milk…
He had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going.
Lyra continued speaking, unaware of his internal panic.
"I didn't know where I would find proper milk for you in this city."
"But fortunately…"
Her face brightened again.
"Her Majesty prepared something beforehand."
Lyra reached into her spatial ring.
A small bottle appeared in her hand.
Inside it was fresh white milk.
"She left another storage ring for me before we left."
Lyra smiled warmly.
"It contains plenty of milk for you."
Evan blinked.
Another ring?
Lyra continued explaining.
"Items stored inside spatial rings don't spoil."
"Alchemists and hunters use them to store rare ingredients and resources."
"So the milk will remain perfectly fresh."
She lifted the bottle slightly.
"There's enough here to last until you're older."
Evan stared at the bottle with mixed feelings.
On one hand—
This meant he wouldn't starve.
On the other hand—
He was about to be fed like an actual baby.
Lyra leaned closer and gently lifted him from the bed.
"Come, my prince."
She sat back down and held the bottle near his mouth.
"Time to eat."
Evan reluctantly accepted his fate.
As he drank, he tried very hard to focus anywhere except the situation he was currently in.
Which was difficult.
Because Lyra was still sitting there…
Wrapped only in a towel.
Her damp hair occasionally brushed against his forehead as she held the bottle.
Evan's tiny face turned slightly red.
This is extremely awkward.
Lyra, completely unaware of his internal struggle, smiled happily.
"Good."
She gently adjusted the bottle.
"Drink well."
Her voice was soft and proud.
"My prince needs to grow strong."
Evan stared helplessly at the ceiling while continuing to drink. This is going to be a long childhood.
But as the celestial milk settled in his stomach, a warm, golden pulse radiated from his core. The System chimed with a sound that felt more 'urgent' than before.
[!~Ding~!]
[Warning: Excessive Energy Input Detected.]
[Body Tempering Phase: Accelerated.]
[Estimated time until 'Crawling' milestone: 48 Hours.]
Evan nearly choked on the milk. 'Two days? I'm going to be a toddler by next week at this rate. Lyra isn't going to know what hit her.'