MTLNOVEL Chapter 296: How Funny
They cried.
They cried hard until their bodies couldn't give any more, until exhaustion overtook them and they finally fell asleep on Noah's thigh.
It was strange—truly strange—to see two grown people shed so many tears in a single moment. But as strange as it was, it was also deeply saddening.
Because the older you grow, the more you learn to restrain your emotions, to control your feelings, unlike a child who will cry until their voice breaks, even if they want to stop.
So when you see a grown man cry, it hits differently—
Because it means one thing… they've reached their breaking point.
Not always a negative breaking point, but still, it exposes the weight, the sheer heaviness behind those tears.
And in Premier and Lorna's case, those tears were loaded with misunderstood, restrained feelings far beyond what most could even imagine.
Fortunately, Noah understood that weight. So he simply sat there, back against the silver-white tree, letting the peaceful atmosphere settle over him while he thought about everything that had just happened.
He had never planned to be a father so soon. Hell, in some ways he still saw himself as a kid—after all, he wasn't even thirty yet. But for reasons he couldn't entirely put into words, he had accepted the role and the duty of being that figure for Premier and Lorna.
Maybe it was because he felt responsible for them after creating them, after giving them life—especially since they were his first creations.
Or maybe… it was something else.
He didn't know. And maybe he didn't need to.
It didn't matter.
What mattered was that he had taken on the role. And that meant he had to fulfill it completely, without fail.
That was easier said than done.
Because Noah had never had a father figure—not in this life, nor in the one before.
He hadn't even known a man capable of bridging that gap, of showing him what it meant to have a father who genuinely cared.
Rome? Pure trash, nothing else to say.
The past King of the Elves? Maybe not as bad as Rome, but not far behind. Same with the past King of Beasts.
They might not have been outright villains, but role models? Not even close.
So in his situation…
"I am completely alone, aren't I?"
Noah muttered with a small, almost nervous smile. He didn't really know how to act with his children. But—
"I will learn. I will do my best to be the best father figure I can be."
His voice carried a quiet but unshakable determination.
He didn't want his children—even if they weren't his by blood—to grow up carrying the same trauma, the same suffering, the same insecurities that could follow them for life and become their downfall.
That was the last thing he wanted.
And to avoid that, he knew he could start with simple things—things that might seem obvious to others, but to him… they weren't.
"I have to be more present in their lives. I have to be there when they're at their lowest, to lift them up and help them go further than they think possible."
Just like he did with his wives.
He would do the same with his children.
Sighing, Noah lowered his head, looking at the two tear-streaked faces resting on his lap.
It was pitiful… and also a little funny.
He had to remind himself of the mood they were in just to stop himself from laughing. But there was still one thing he could do.
"Fathers have embarrassing pictures of their children, right?"
Noah's lips curved into a mischievous smile as he pulled out—who knows from where—an artifact.
An artifact that could capture a moment in perfect stillness.
A camera, to put it simply.
He grinned like a dad with a plan and snapped pictures of Premier and Foxy's tear-swollen faces, snot and all, from every possible angle he could think of.
Once satisfied, he tucked the artifact away.
"I need to make a special room to store these. One day, when these little brats are standing at the top of the universe… it's going to be hilarious to show them. Especially if they have families of their own."
He laughed softly, already imagining the scene.
He honestly couldn't wait.
As for the probability of both Premier and Foxy reaching the very top of the universe?
Come on.
Would there ever be a Vaelgrim who didn't reach that level?
Highly doubtful.
But the truth was—the ending wasn't what mattered most.
It was the journey.
The process.
What it would take to get there.
Because having the goal was good. Being certain you could achieve it was even better. But…
Were they ready to face what lay ahead? The harrowing experiences that would tear and mold them?
And when they reached the end, would they still be the same?
Or would they have become someone —something—entirely different?
What would happen to this beautiful, chaotic, and downright degenerate family?
He wondered. He truly did.
But for now, Noah's thoughts returned to the present.
He looked at Premier and Foxy—their features bearing nothing of the Vaelgrim bloodline.
Foxy still had her golden-retriever hair and eyes, her beautiful, fluffy golden tail curling lovingly around Noah's leg.
Premier had his ever-black hair and burning red eyes.
Nothing like the Vaelgrims. Nothing like him.
Looking at them, anyone would think they had no connection to Noah at all.
And maybe… maybe that was part of the reason they had felt so left out.
But Noah had kept them that way for a reason.
He didn't want them to be like his wives—not in terms of spreading his lineage. His wives each reflected a part of him, but none carried his true bloodline in full.
Selene had the ice aspect. Ester, the shadow. Shadeva had recently gained the motherhood aspect of his bloodline—a little different from the others, but still… nothing his children could truly inherit.
His children would be different.
They would carry the core of his bloodline. They would be the ones to spread the true lineage of Noah Vaelgrim.
Which meant they had to be special. Unique.
But he hadn't found a way yet. And with the matter of the Shadow Realm taking up his focus, the thought had slipped aside.
"But I can't postpone this any longer."
Noah closed his eyes, pushing his cognitive abilities into full focus.
Searching for the answer to one question—
What would his children be within his bloodline?
What role, what power, what mark would set them apart?
He needed to find it.
And he would.
—End of Chapter 296—