Together with Cotton, I quietly observed the villagers. I couldn't help but wonder how long they planned to stay. Their digging was slow compared to mine, but despite that, they had managed to excavate a decent area.
Realizing they wouldn't leave anytime soon, I began moving my valuable belongings deeper underground. Building a new sanctuary and relocating seemed like the safest option for both of us.
"Hannaak jshbwbdhdj ggne ehiakwbsh."
The man who seemed to be their leader was barking orders. Once again, I felt frustrated for not understanding their language. If I could just communicate, maybe I'd learn why they were digging.
But, well, life doesn't always go your way. Still, I was relatively satisfied with where I stood. Especially since my dearest companion was still by my side.
"By the way, it would be dangerous if others noticed you. I don't want you getting hurt—so eat this bone."
I took a bone out of my inventory. Cotton took a step back the moment he saw it. Instinctively, he knew what would happen if he ate it—he would no longer be a living creature, but a part of my power.
"Come on… Don't look at me like that. If you eat it, no one will be able to hurt you ever again. And we'll be together forever."
When I stepped toward him, he stepped back again.
"I'm sorry, but this time, I won't be kind. You're eating this bone—whether you like it or not."
Smiling, I stepped closer again. This time, he had nowhere to run—his back was against the wall. He tried to dash sideways, but it was too late. I had already anticipated his move and blocked off both sides with blocks.
"Come on, you know me."
I caught the dazed little pup and gently but firmly tried to push the bone into his mouth. He resisted so much, I started to feel guilty.
He acted like I was doing something horrible to him. But all I was doing was making him eat a bone—nothing shameful about that.
The moment the bone touched his mouth, it shattered into countless light particles and merged with him. The once-struggling pup suddenly went still and stopped resisting.
"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"Woof!"
Watching my noble wolf turn into a puppy while in my arms made my lips twitch. He clearly wasn't happy about it either.
What used to be an adorable baby wolf was now an equally adorable baby dog. Thankfully, he still looked the same… and he could even howl like before. The only real difference? Now he could bark too.
"Could be worse."
"Awooooo!"
He tried to bite me—but let's be honest, he wasn't very good at it. Being a puppy, I easily blocked him with one hand.
He'd need to eat at least 9,999 deer before he could even dream of defeating me. With the passive defense of my hidden platinum armor, he didn't stand a chance.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."
Cotton released my arm after biting me for a while. Now he was glaring at me, clearly upset. I couldn't really blame him.
Two Days Later
Cotton was hilariously bad at holding grudges. He forgave me on the very first day.
I built a brand new underground sanctuary—this time bigger, deeper, and better planned. I had considered building one in the sky, but it would draw too much attention. Even if the base itself could be invisible, I would still be visible. Sure, invisibility potions were an option—but I was aiming for something better.
"I need to find a way to phase myself out too."
I could already phase my creations, game mechanics, and of course, Cotton. But for some reason, I couldn't do it to myself.
The most basic reason? I had never practiced it. With enough practice, I was sure I could master it.
But that would take time—something I had plenty of. I didn't even know the language of this world, so there was no rush… or so I thought.
Little did I know, everything was about to change.
At that moment, I was sitting atop the deepslate layers, gently petting the adorable pup resting in my lap.
I had been working non-stop for two days, trying to gather enough lapis lazuli. It was exhausting, so I adopted a more practical approach—by creating a massive lapis lazuli farm. And things were going surprisingly well.
I had already reached the theoretical upper limit that could be attained with stars and crystal hearts. My body refused to absorb any more mana stars or hearts—which was the whole reason I created the Enchantments Book.
I would soon have enough lapis lazuli. Once that day arrived, I planned to use the teleportation crystal at the center of my hidden sanctuary to return to the surface.
Just a few more days of work down here… and I'd be ready.