Fantasy Family Simulator

The influence of the Underworld on this world is profound, which is why, among all the magic disciplines, only dark magic allows one to research spells that communicate with the Underworld and summon undead creatures. In contrast, influences that aren't as deep may lead to the formation of various peculiar spirits and the like.

Timus speculated that if other higher worlds exerted a strong enough influence on this world, theoretically, it might also be possible to summon creatures from those other worlds.

These theories greatly broadened Rhett's horizons.

He was especially aware that this Saint Domain Magus wasn't merely speculating wildly. The notes mentioned that Timus had reached the peak of Saint Domain power, mastering five profound aspects of dark magic—'Darkness,' 'Devour,' 'Corrosion,' 'Invisibility,' and 'Deprivation.' The only aspect he hadn't perfected was 'Devour.'

Such pinnacle power made Timus undoubtedly the strongest of his era!

Timus clearly wrote that when his power reached a certain level, he suddenly felt a faint call, as if it were transmitted through the crystal wall of the world. He pursued this call, traveling across every inch of the land, yet always felt infinitely distant from it. Thus, he concluded that the call originated from another world's fluctuations, and perhaps, at a level beyond Saint Domain, it could be sensed even more clearly.

Unfortunately, ten thousand years ago, no one had ever glimpsed the realms beyond Saint Domain, not even Timus, who was the strongest in history. As a result, the truth of the world and the exploration beyond it remained shrouded in a veil of mystery.

Regarding the secret of resurrection, Timus also mentioned it in his notes:

Through experimentation, he discovered that some undead creatures in the Underworld indeed bore traces of having once been human. Although only a small portion of undead fit this description, Timus summoned countless undead creatures, among which skeletons and ghosts—these low-level beings—showed signs of a shared origin with humans, based on his study of their soul flames.

Driven by curiosity, Timus once invited a highly skilled Saint Domain alchemist to collaborate with him. Combining his understanding of dark magic and undead, they conducted an experiment to resurrect an undead creature.

The experiment ultimately ended in failure, as the notes had indicated that they had no confidence in success before they began—it was merely a curiosity-driven endeavor.

However, it wasn't entirely fruitless.

They succeeded in rekindling the soul flame of an undead creature and restoring it to a near-human state. But once it awakened, it became a mindless, memoryless fool. At that point, they were utterly stumped by the phenomenon.

Rhett closed the notebook on resurrection.

He sighed, deeply conflicted. From the notes left by the Saint Domain Magus Timus, it appeared that resurrection held a sliver of hope.

But... he would need a subject for research, at the very least.

His daughter Niko had been dead for years, and her soul was no longer around. What should he do?

He gazed out the window for a long time, eventually setting this thought aside.

He had already waited for so long, and now that he'd seen a glimmer of hope, he felt even more motivated to continue.

Next, he opened the book on the history of the Mermen.

His eyes scanned the words on the pages, capturing the information recorded within.

Gradually, a curious smile spread across Rhett's face. This history of the Mermen began about a thousand years after Timus's era.

Based on Rhett's deductions, by that time, Timus had either exhausted his lifespan or successfully ascended beyond Saint Domain and ventured into other worlds.

The author of this history identified himself as Mozasi Gallon, a Saint Domain Magus of the Water Element who sought to transcend Saint Domain. To this end, he conducted a thorough investigation into the suddenly rising Merman Empire.

Interestingly, this Water Magus was a fan of Timus, greatly admiring the theories Timus had left behind during his lifetime. The notes suggested that Mermen might not have originated from this world. The author even borrowed Timus's theory—that Mermen were influenced by a higher world and were either transported here for unknown reasons or caused a mutation in native creatures.

The most compelling evidence was that no other creatures in this world resembled Mermen. Furthermore, with the appearance of Mermen, a mysterious and powerful being known as the Ocean Spirit also emerged—something that had never been heard of before in this world.

The Ocean Spirit was both enigmatic and grand, enabling the Merman race to rapidly multiply and become the strongest empire to dominate the seas. Neither humans nor beastmen could rival their might in the ocean.

At this point, Rhett paused in thought. He continued reading, and his expression gradually changed.

In the era of this Water Magus, the Mermen mysteriously appeared in this world shortly after his birth, rising rapidly over several centuries. By the time he reached Saint Domain, the Merman Empire had just reached its peak—a curious coincidence between the two.

Later, after he became a Saint Domain and investigated the Mermen for more than fifty years, one day, the Merman King suddenly disappeared without a trace.

No one knew the exact day it happened.

At first, it was an unintended discovery, but as human warriors continued to test the Mermen, they noticed the Mermen retreating step by step, losing the courage to engage in direct combat. Only then did they confirm that the Merman King had indeed vanished. Along with the Merman King, the Ocean Spirit also disappeared.

Before this, there had been no spirits in the world. But after Timus's era, a few Saint Domain powerhouses realized that spirits might have been influenced by higher planes.

With the Merman King's disappearance, the Merman Empire collapsed and gradually faded into history.

In the final pages of his diary, this Water Magus left a question for future generations—are spirits related to higher worlds?

He kindly provided a method for verification: If no Ocean Spirits were discovered in the future, the longer the absence, the higher the likelihood that Mermen and Ocean Spirits were outsiders. If they reappeared, then the origins of the Mermen would remain unexplained, and it would be difficult to prove that spirits were influenced by higher worlds.

"Now it seems that Timus and this Water Magus were probably right..." Rhett murmured to himself. After reading these two notes, he had indeed gained a lot.

As the simulation suggested, he now had a deeper understanding of this world.

After all, how could such a strange creature as the Mermen have suddenly appeared out of nowhere? Even if they had evolved, there should have been a process—surely they didn't just spring out of rocks. Explaining it as the influence of higher worlds made sense.

After all, Timus had mentioned sensing calls from other worlds, including the Underworld, which had a special connection to this world.

"In that case, the Merman King's disappearance was likely because he took the Ocean Spirit back to his original world," Rhett speculated.

After all, Timus had said that beyond Saint Domain, one might have the ability to uncover more truths.

The Merman King, having reached his peak, had been invincible in the sea, even when human powerhouses joined forces. It was not unlikely that he had broken through the Saint Domain.

But where did he go? And how did he get there?

Rhett's curiosity was piqued.

One mystery had been solved, but it only led to more questions. Humanity's thirst for knowledge is insatiable.

Rhett carefully placed the two books on his shelf and decided that one day, when he had the time, he would transcribe a few more copies to add to his family's collection.

After meditating for only a short time, Sveta called him to lunch, mentioning that Tylus and Lady Mina had also arrived.

Rhett quickly tidied up and left his room, leisurely making his way to the first-floor hall.

Darkrock Fortress's interior wasn't dim, as it hadn't been designed as a military stronghold but as a comfortable living space.

The warm autumn sun filtered through the two windows beside the main entrance, casting light on the broad red carpet. At the long dining table, his three sons and their wives were seated together, chatting and laughing.

Seeing his third son, whom he hadn't seen in over a month, Rhett smiled and asked:

"Tylus, what brings you to the main fortress today? Why aren't you continuing your alchemy research?"

Tylus, dressed in a blue mage's robe, with his hair slicked back with an extract from the Bongera plant, radiated joy as he replied:

"My alchemy research has made new progress—I finally mastered the formula for Boiling Potion!"

Rhett's lips curled into a smile as he took the head seat.

"Congratulations, Tylus. That's great news. My heart is boiling with excitement as well."

"Thank you, Father, for your praise. It's just a small step on my path to becoming a great alchemist." Tylus spoke modestly, but his expression showed pride.

Rhett mused, "For now, I hope you'll focus on perfecting your Boiling Potion skills and not rush to work on the Moonlight Potion."

"Why?" Tylus asked, curious. If his father hadn't mentioned it, he would have returned to start working on the Moonlight Potion.

Tuck, sipping on a chilled watermelon juice, chimed in, "Because Father has been intensifying the knights' training, and the monthly quota for Boiling Potion has increased. He needs your help."

"Oh, I see!" Tylus's eyes lit up with a special sense of satisfaction—he was finally able to assist his father!

He pounded his chest and said, "Father, leave it to me. I'll do my best!"

Rhett smiled warmly. "Let's eat. Today's lunch looks delicious."

September arrived, bringing crisp autumn air.

It was neither as hot as summer nor as cold as winter.

Dressed in a black coat and fitted trousers, Rhett exuded less grandeur and more sharpness.

He walked down the streets of Darkhawk City, with Fireclaw padding alongside him, drawing many curious glances.

He didn't often stroll around the city, usually only coming once a month—this kind of attention from those around him made him feel anything but relaxed. He only visited during inspections.

Finally, he reached the Iron Brothers Forge.

Recently, with Glenko's arrival, the forge's output had significantly increased.

Not only were they meeting the demands of the training grounds, but they also had extra capacity to take on more orders from the city.

At that moment, Rhett stood at the entrance and saw True at the small counter, facing away from him, organizing various tools hanging on the wall—these were samples for customers to view.

Rhett approached and noticed a book lying on the table, its glossy cover reflecting light, with the words "Panlong" clearly visible.

"True, you're too careless. You didn't even notice Lord Rhett's arrival!"

At that moment, Willow descended the stairs, holding a baguette. Upon seeing Rhett, he immediately straightened his expression and raised his voice.

True, hearing this, quickly turned around, startled, and apologized, "That was my mistake, Lord Rhett. I deeply apologize!"

"No harm done," Rhett replied with a faint smile. "I heard the forge has been doing well lately, so I came to check it out."

Willow quickened his pace and added, "Thanks to Lord Rhett for sending Glenko, a highly skilled blacksmith. Since his arrival, he's given us many practical suggestions, correcting many technical details, which has greatly improved our efficiency."

"Not just that, Lord Rhett. I must praise this kid, Willow—he's a natural-born blacksmith!" came a voice from around the corner, revealing Glenko.

He had sensed Rhett's arrival early on and hurriedly finished forging the metal in his hands before emerging from the workshop.

Glenko's upper body was bare, sweat streaming down as he approached Rhett.

"Hmm, Andrew and Leonid have both praised Willow before. He hasn't let anyone down, becoming an apprentice blacksmith in a short time." Rhett noted, patting Willow's shoulder. "You're doing well!"

"It's all thanks to Lord Rhett's guidance!" Willow humbly replied.

Glenko shook his head. "His talent might be even greater than we've described."

"What do you mean?" Rhett inquired.

"After observing him many times, I've noticed that Willow seems to have a natural feel for the metal. His current skills barely meet the standard for a formal blacksmith.

However, due to his insufficient strength, as a level one knight, he's unable to forge high-quality weapons. But I believe that once he advances to level two, he could become the second formal blacksmith here!"

Rhett's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He hadn't expected Glenko's evaluation of Willow to be so high—it seemed they had underestimated him before.

He pondered for a moment, deciding that once he returned, he would increase Willow's monthly Boiling Potion allotment by two bottles.

Thinking back, since Willow had joined the forge and faded from the training grounds' focus, Rhett realized he had paid less attention to him. His monthly training resources had been set at a lower tier.

But better late than never.

He cast another glance at Willow and said in a more serious tone, "I'm counting on you!"