Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 1392  Surprise!

At the heart of the village, the paths converged into a broad clearing, where the tall monument needed to begin his trial could be seen.

An old man stood near the center with his hands tucked into the sleeves of a worn robe, posture bent. His beard was long and gray, and rather unkept. He looked up as the trio approached.

His expression soured immediately.

He squinted at Quinlan. Then, at Miri and Luminara clinging to him. Then back at Quinlan.

”…Laddy,” he muttered, rubbing his temple with two fingers. ”Arenʼt you a bit quick to return? Why not wait a couple of hundred years between each trial?”

The warmth on Quinlanʼs face vanished, replaced by a sharp grin that pulled at his lips, familiar and dangerous in a way that had nothing to do with hostility and everything to do with recognition. ”Malakar, you grumpy old bastard. Itʼs good to see you too.”

The contrast struck him immediately. His mothers had called his return painfully slow, demanding justification. Even though he needed an immense amount of XP… Quinlan knew that he wasnʼt really slow. Rather, he was likely fast even for primordial standards due to the high-tier massacres he committed one after the other in the last few days.

Thus, it was more so that his mothers were missing him greatly. However… This old bastard thought it was rushed. By hundreds of years.

The reaction beside him was instant.

”A couple hundred years?!” Luminara hissed, ears snapping upright.

Miri spun on Malakar with narrowed eyes. ”Have you gone senile?!”

”Iʼll beat you up!” Luminara added, already stepping forward.

”Stop spouting nonsense!” Miri snapped, tugging Quinlan half a step behind her like a shield in reverse.

The barrage continued without pause.

Malakarʼs grimace deepened by the second.

He raised both hands to his ears, then dropped them again when that failed to slow anything. His shoulders sagged. The lines on his face pulled tight as if he were enduring a migraine forged by the universe itself.

”I knew this would happen,” he muttered under his breath. Then looked at Quinlan from the side of his eyes. ”Go ahead, Laddy, begin your trial so you can leave quickly.”

”Malakar!!” Miri growled, summoning her spear.

”You know our plan and agreed to it, so stop whining!” Luminara demanded.

The two mothers were entering extreme mama bear mode.

Miri jabbed a finger at him. ”Iʼll teach you proper manners!”

Luminara narrowed her pupils. ”Apologize.”

Malakar closed his eyes. Opened them again. Pinched the bridge of his nose.

”This,” he said slowly, voice flat with resignation, ”is exactly why I warned you, Laddy. Women are crazy creatures. Yet you canʼt seem to get enough of them.”

Quinlanʼs grin widened instead of fading, clearly enjoying himself. ”How could I possibly get enough of them? Women are amazing. I love women.”

The effect was immediate.

Luminaraʼs ears relaxed, then tilted forward with visible satisfaction. Her posture softened, shoulders easing as she turned toward him with a pleased hum. Miriʼs scowl evaporated just as quickly, replaced by a warm look that carried far too much pride for a mother who had known him for months rather than eons.

Malakar watched the shift with a tired stare. He let out a long breath. ”This mindset of yours will bring you nothing but headaches in the future.”

Quinlan shrugged, entirely unbothered. ”Perhaps the issue lies in how the two of us are treated by women. Have you considered that?”

Malakarʼs brow lifted a fraction.

Quinlan continued calmly. ”Some of them try to beat me up. A few even want to dissect me or run experiments. That happens. But most are kind. They look out for me. They enjoy my company.” He tilted his head, eyes flicking to Malakarʼs robe and then his beard. ”You, on the other hand, present yourself as a grumpy old man who cannot even be bothered to keep his own appearance in order. It makes sense that women respond to us differently.”

The air shifted.

Malakarʼs eyes narrowed, lines on his face tightening. His shoulders straightened just a little, age giving way to something older and sharper beneath the surface. ”Laddy,” he began quietly, ”you always had a far too big mouth on you for your meager powers, but it seems it grows worse every time you return. Perhaps next time, it will be me waiting for you at the edge, rather than your mothers. Iʼll teach you some much-needed humility.”

”That will never happen!” Miri and Luminara snapped together.

Luminara stepped forward, one hand planted on her hip, ears angled back in irritation. ”And you were an infamous ʼplayerʼ back in the day. Do not pretend otherwise.”

Miri nodded sharply. ”I heard that you chased anything that moved. Especially if they were frilly skirts.”

Mearie was much younger than Malakar and Luminara; thus, she wasnʼt there back when the two were in their wild youths.

”You sired millions of children,” Luminara added without hesitation. ”So do not preach nonsense to our son.”

Miri then added, ”You know perfectly well that creating a large harem of healthy women is in his nature as a young male primordial. To start his lineage strong, he needs lots of healthy babies!”

”In fact, Iʼd say that our Quinnie is beyond conservative! He doesnʼt even have ten lovers, as opposed to you, who couldnʼt even remember the names of the women you lay with!” Lumi stomped.

”Uh… Mothers…”

”Yes, Quinnie?”

”The number is more than ten now…” Quinlan said, scratching the back of his neck.

”Oh, right!! We have new ladies to meet, evaluate, and judge!” The two of them perked up instantly.

Then sent Malakar a dismissive scoff. ”So stop whining and get ready. We made a deal!”

”Yes, yes…” Malakar let out a long, put-upon sigh. Then, his hand slipped free from his sleeve.

A staff formed in his grasp without ceremony. Dark wood, worn smooth by age, its surface etched with shallow marks. The tip met the ground. ”Come out, everyone. The brat is here,” Malakar called.

The clearing answered.

A low surge rolled outward from the point of contact, magical pressure rather than sound. The air bent, space folding inward for a brief moment before settling again. The monument behind him remained unchanged, but the paths feeding into the clearing began to stir.

Figures stepped out one after another.

Some emerged from between buildings, others from open air where no doorway had been a heartbeat earlier.

Some of them heʼd met before, many he hadnʼt.

”What is going on?” he asked, turning his head toward Miri and Luminara.

Luminaraʼs face was bright, ears lifted high. Miri clasped her hands together, barely containing herself.

”This is our main present, Quinnie!”

”We went through the dimension and woke up the primordials we are on good terms with. We thought it was time for you to finally interact with them on a deeper level. They deserve to welcome the new primordial, and you deserve to glean some wisdom and experience from them!”

”And so that you and your lovers can learn from them,” Miri continued. ”No mortal alive today has such a privilege!”

Quinlanʼs gaze swept the gathering again. Several of the primordials were already looking at him, assessing without pretense. Others exchanged glances with his mothers, faint smiles passing between old acquaintances.

”They are also needed to help us envelop your girls in protective magic,” Luminara added, tone firm now. ”Malakar managed it for Serika and Feng last time, but…”

Malakar snorted, resting both hands on his staff. ”I am not sustaining layered protection for dozens of people for weeks. No amount of payment will make me do that.”

Miri nodded emphatically. ”With this many of us, the burden can be shared.”

”What do you two pay this grumpy grandpa in?” Quinlan asked gingerly.

”Silence…” Malakar grumbled. ”They finally cease their endless chatter near me. For a while, that is.”

”…” Quinlanʼs look turned slightly empathetic.

Luminara, not caring for the misery of Malakar, spread her arms wide, presenting the scene like a host unveiling a feast. ”So this is our gift.”

Miri beamed. ”A primordial party!”