After the Lord of the Abyss Awakens - Chapter 122.2

His magic was not yet powerful, so its trajectory was faint, making the reading room mysterious and hazy.

The space’s rules changed, gravity gradually lightening, causing his hair to float, his clothes to drift.

Xiu Si came to his senses, his pupils slightly trembling, looking in disbelief at the scene he had unconsciously constructed: a mini solar system, simulating a planetary system.

Not many planets, only around a few hundred, divided into different levels, rotating around different stars as centers. Stars occupied the most light, while other planets were mostly reflections of that light.

Though miniature, one could glimpse greatness from it, the universe’s mysteries and magnificence.

Xiu Si was shocked for a long time, trying hard to sense their state of existence.

But they only maintained for ten-odd seconds before unexpectedly shattering, becoming a vast emptiness.

Xiu Si paused, wanting to reach out and preserve their momentary greatness, yet even fragments disappeared so easily, completely unretainable.

How could this be?

Xiu Si paused for a few seconds before starting to review. Was it because his magic was insufficient, his created rules were imperfect, or external “friction” was too great, causing the “sphere” he had painstakingly pushed to stop rolling quickly? The answer might be all of the above.

Xiu Si felt regretful internally but quickly rallied, thinking about solutions. First, the magic problem—he would work hard to level up. Second, the rules problem.

He muttered to himself. “That was a rule I created unconsciously, and I don’t even know how I created it. Even when I’m conscious, I can’t create the rules my unconscious mind created.”

He felt like he had reached a dead end.

Xiu Si left the reading room and returned to the table where he had been reading.

Because he had been looking down, he hadn’t noticed that a young man was standing at the table.

The young man’s face was blurry like everyone else’s, but Xiu Si could feel that the other’s gaze was gentle, with a smile and care.

In his dream, his memories and experiences seemed to be reset each time, so he might have seen this person before but couldn’t remember now.

“What’s wrong?” the young man asked.

Xiu Si blurted out. “I don’t understand some things.”

After answering, he realized he seemed to have an extraordinary trust in this person.

The young man asked kindly. “What things?”

Xiu Si nodded, picking up the book on the table, turning page after page, all marked with various doubts.

“Like these problems.”

The young man seemed to understand his notes in an instant, leaning in close, picking up a pen, and providing solutions, saying, “Hmm, the thought process is incorrect. Just change the approach, it’s easy.”

He spoke casually, as if these difficult problems were just slightly complex additions, subtractions, multiplications, and divisions, effortless to him.

Theoretically, Xiu Si should have been shocked, as the other clearly possessed extraordinary wisdom. But he found it natural because—the other was born with such wisdom, often solving his difficult problems and guiding his direction. When he was confused, helpless, almost in despair, the other would always comfort him in time, telling him not to worry, that everything would be fine.

The time in the abyss had been extremely difficult. Without the other’s care and encouragement, he might not have persevered.

Xiu Si thought, almost falling into reminiscence.

But the young man seemed not to want him to continue remembering and gently interrupted him.

“Are there things you don’t understand?”

Xiu Si’s just-gathered thoughts scattered again, slowly raising his eyes and answering, “Not at the moment. I’ll try it out. If there’s anything I don’t understand…”

He stopped, the next sentence would have been “I’ll ask you,” but inexplicably, he didn’t say it out loud.

He felt he shouldn’t rely too much on the other—first, because of position, and second, if he depended on them too much, it would burden them.

A father should be expected by his children, not the other way around.

However, the other seemed to know his thoughts and responded. “It’s okay. You don’t need to worry too much. Just do what you want to do.”

“Is that so…”

Xiu Si was slightly dazed.

“Yes, I’ve also found some books for you, hoping they can help.”

“Thank you.”

****

After the guidance, Xiu Si learned more smoothly, even surprising himself. Problems he previously found difficult now seemed very easy, effortlessly solvable. The simulation of the planetary system even lasted over an hour—this progress was miraculous.

Could changing thought processes be this effective?

Xiu Si felt he had improved not just in thinking but in actual computing power. His speed of processing and responding to information had clearly increased.

Those complex memory information seemed simple and clear now.

Xiu Si looked at his memories, and then his pupils trembled slightly, because he saw his hero era.

At that time, he was often mocked, sometimes behind his back, sometimes directly, as his strength was too weak, with a comparison to other heroes that was too obvious. Even setting aside strength, he had no advantages in personal charisma or character. What did they say back then?

Xiu Si stared intently at his memory fragments, accidentally hearing the rumors of “filtering” from that year.

[Apart from a useless gentle hero, we sacrificed a year of national fortune to summon something like this?]

[So I don’t understand what the sages were thinking, why they insisted he follow the hero’s team. He’s so weak, he’ll definitely only drag them down.]

[Yet the Hero Wang Chang’er still protects him. I see them…]

[That’s enough. Can’t he just die already?]

The memory fragments drifted past. After seeing some of them, Xiu Si was shocked himself. Had people really spoken like this before? It seemed they had. His past self had simply pretended not to hear, which would make things easier to bear. Of course, what they said wasn’t entirely wrong. He was weak and lacked any personal charisma. His only redeeming quality might have been a slightly better temper. In any heroic story, he was nothing more than a tiny, marginal character who was meant to be ignored – and being ignored was actually still better.

In the end, just as they had said, the weak and useless burden died early. Afterward, the other heroes each achieved their own glory, as if things were better without him.

Xiu Si fell silent, turning through memory after memory, his gaze shifting from calm to dark and turbulent.

Tracing back memories was not a pleasant experience. After turning a few pages, only impressively terrible memories rushed forward first.

As his computing power and spiritual power increased, these memories were amplified multiple times. The beautification filters he had applied gradually crumbled, exposing the most genuine side.

His not-so-harmonious family, where parents argued endlessly, with intense confrontations that seemed like they might murder each other someday. As for the child, he was far from their consideration.

They were both supposedly independent individuals, each with their own awakening, ignoring family and prioritizing themselves. He was the superfluous one. No matter what he said, they would demand he be independent, telling him he shouldn’t expect anything, that giving him life was already enough.

Xiu Si’s gaze darkened slightly. Indeed. Simply that. He should be overwhelmingly grateful, remember it to his bones, never forget it, and even have it engraved on his tombstone after death.

Yes, he should be a person who knows gratitude. Thanks to their independent education, he learned early to be independent and self-reliant, and eventually achieved some self-study success, barely securing a job that provided basic necessities. Wasn’t that so?

Hmm… Or perhaps it’s those who lack something who most desire it. As a child, when he first saw the Calabash Brothers, he experienced an unprecedented strong emotion. Especially near the end when the big finale showed the family bustling together.

“Their family is so good” – he had sighed this phrase countless times as a child. He had once imagined what kind of family he might have, but in the end, it was always a blank. Regarding family, he had absolutely no imagination, and it was even harder to imagine building a family with someone, which was more inconceivable than the world’s next moment of geopolitical change.

If he had to say it, he wanted liveliness, wanted a large family where everyone would chat from day to night, continuing conversations into the next day.

“…”

Xiu Si fell silent, not expecting the memory beautification filter to collapse midway, forcing him to practice inner strength. But now, if the children asked what their grandparents were like, he could no longer comfortably lie.

At most, he could answer with “kind”.

They would completely fail to discern their grandparents’ true nature from a father’s perspective.

There was really no way around it. He probably would never have the chance to meet them.

Xiu Si slowly organized his emotions, meanwhile tidying up his memories.

A few seconds later, his gaze changed, from dark to clear and even bright.

His other abilities might not be great, but in emotional management, he probably had a method. Although it wasn’t exactly an endearing ability, it was just a step away from a mental victory mentality, or perhaps exactly the same thing. Who knows?

But no matter what, he had to break through the dream quickly.

Xiu Si made a decision, completely organizing his memories, leaving his inner world directly empty, with only children and a few beloved things remaining.

After doing this, he prepared to turn away and ignore it, when he suddenly discovered there were still memories in the depths of his memory?

****

At this moment, in the bedroom.

The Devon Rex cat had fallen asleep.

When the little short-legged cat was not paying attention, the Devon Rex cat had also crawled under the big golden tiger’s belly. Fortunately, it hadn’t become a cat pancake, instead quietly sleeping in the tiger’s armpit.

If not for the two cat pancakes’ existence, how warm would this scene be?

Just then, Marbas finally responded.

Ten minutes earlier, Marbas had successfully dealt with his opponent and then saw the Devon Rex cat’s help message.

-“How to wake up a tiger sleeping in?”

TN:

=武松 (Wǔ Sōng) is a famous character from “Water Margin” (水浒传), one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.

Who is Wu Song?

Wu Song is known for his bravery, loyalty, and exceptional martial skills. He is depicted as a righteous and fearless hero.

Famous Story:

“Wu Song Fights the Tiger” (武松打虎): Wu Song’s most iconic story occurs when he kills a man-eating tiger bare-handed after drinking 18 bowls of wine. This feat earned him immense respect and solidified his legendary status.

Other Key Events: Wu Song avenges the death of his brother, Wu Dalang, by killing his adulterous sister-in-law, Pan Jinlian, and her lover, Ximen Qing, demonstrating his fierce sense of justice.

=葫蘆娃 (Hú Lú Wá) “Calabash Brothers” or “Gourd Babies”, referring to a popular Chinese animated series.

Context:

The Calabash Brothers are seven magical brothers born from calabashes (gourds), each possessing unique powers. The series is a nostalgic part of childhood for many in China and is widely recognized for its distinct art style and moral lessons about teamwork and fighting evil.