After the Lord of the Abyss Awakens - Chapter 45.1

Xiu Si was almost stunned and remained standing in place.

However, the small ragdoll cat had already come up with countless cool and handsome styles, all of which were super suitable for its father!

The gray cat grabbed Xiu Si’s hand and shook it, sandwiching him from both sides.

The two cats were overly excited, as if they had already seen the wonderful scene of the whole world revering their father!

Xiu Si was unaware of their great plan, but faced with the bombardment of sugar-coated cannonballs from his children, he simply could not resist.

On the other side.

After the “Lord of the Abyss” left, the military conference room was silent for a long time, and the people looked at each other. It was not until more than ten minutes later that they resumed the discussion.

In any case, the border issue had to be resolved.

Wilkin remained at the round table, his eyes lifeless, as if he had aged ten years, with an inexplicable sense of gloom, and did not participate in the discussion, his mouth half open and his gaze dull.

Ferrol was the same, the “shock” just now had aggravated his injuries, and he directly fainted, and was then sent to the emergency room.

The combat power was reduced, but the remaining people seemed as if nothing had happened. Because even if the combat power is powerful, if it is not stable, it will also cause disaster.

Moreover, these two people had definitely offended the Lord of the Abyss, and the Lord of the Abyss’s not killing them on the spot was merciful enough. Who knows if he will suddenly remember to deal with them.

According to their knowledge, which existence in the first echelon is not a willful killer? They kill people without any reason, with one thought they can destroy a country, or even destroy a planet, and what can you do?

The Lord of the Abyss is an existence that they cannot contact or try to influence.

To survive on this continent, you must first understand that the gap in rank and strength means the gap in level, and lower-level people should not dare to touch higher-level ones, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable, and it’s considered very good if only one or two people die.

However, Simon and Lia must report this matter to the senior leadership of the Continental Human Alliance.

This is an issue that the senior leadership should worry about. Their task is to resolve the events occurring on the border.

The dream is unstable, invading reality, and even the memory beasts have run out.

What is the reason?

They requested assistance for this matter, and within about an hour, the Alliance Research Institute sent a top-notch monster research expert.

This expert had some research on memory beasts and had seen memory beasts in his childhood, and was considered a relatively powerful researcher in this field.

It is said that the Continental Human Alliance, as a huge organization that gathers the elites of all humanity, is divided into three major factions besides the six major functional departments.

The three major factions are the Continental Council, the Truth Council, and the Unknown Council.

The six major functional departments are the Research Institute, the Intelligence Agency, the Observatory, the History and Culture Institute, the Special Intelligence Department, and the Combat Execution Department. There is also the Magic Institute, which is independent of the six major functional departments.

The factions are like political parties, usually with a “common ideal,” “common struggle goals,” and relatively self-contained organizational principles. In addition to completing the tasks assigned by the Alliance, they will also do what their faction believes is right, but they may not publicly let outsiders know.

The people belonging to the factions also have their own numbers in the six major functional departments.

In the Alliance, people backed by the three major factions occupy more than 80%, and the remaining ones are the free people.

For example, the expert on the scene, Agus Tomaton.

As an expert in the Research Institute, he is responsible for researching and analyzing various things, and dreams are his specialty.

But after reviewing the information related to the border, Agus frowned, puzzled.

He thought for a long time, and finally spoke. “Strange, although memory beasts are not friendly to humans, they are not hostile or murderous either. They generally live in the deeper layers of dreams and do not easily surface to the shallow layers, let alone the material world. At least in the historical records, there has never been a memory beast that has actively emerged.”

Hearing this, everyone had their own thoughts.

Simon said, “Is it that the deeper layers of the dream realm have become unstable, causing them to be unable to rest peacefully and thus have to surface to the shallower layers?”

Agus shook his head, “The dream realm is vast and boundless. Even if one area is unstable, they can just move away, it’s impossible for the entire deeper layer to be unstable, forcing them all to move out.”

Lia asked curiously, “Why is it impossible?”

Agus looked into Lia’s eyes and said seriously, “If the entire deeper layer was in chaos, we wouldn’t be able to chat here so calmly.”

If the dream realm had an issue, it would trigger a magic storm not only across the continent, but even in subspace.

Because the dream realm is the “dream” of all beings.

Levin continued to ask, “So what is the reason then?”

Agus lowered his head in thought, not answering yet.

The Prime Minister turned to look at Levin and said, “Your Majesty, this is likely because someone has tampered with it.”

Levin paused, “What?”

The Prime Minister analyzed, “Things should operate naturally. If they suddenly became unnatural, then there is only one possibility – something has disrupted their natural state.”

Levin reacted, his thoughts clicking into place, “Are you saying… these memory beasts were deliberately summoned out?”

The expressions of the people changed, and they grew tense.

What kind of person would do this? Why?

The Prime Minister continued, “Not just summoned out, but why are they appearing in the forms of the heroes? What do you think, Your Majesty?”

Levin furrowed his brow, having no clue.

Simon picked up the question and said to the Prime Minister, “Is it because the heroes are strong enough?”

The memory beasts must have stored the memories of many ancient powerhouses, and among all those memories, the ones about the heroes should be the strongest.

The Prime Minister shook his head, denying it, “Even the healer Hero Justin appeared.”

Simon immediately understood.

Indeed, as a healing profession, no matter how high Justin’s level and power, his combat strength would definitely not be the highest among powerhouses of the same tier.

If it was based on strength alone, the memory beasts would have no need to choose Jastin.

Lia mused, muttering, “So, if there truly is a mastermind behind this, then this person deliberately caused the ‘heroes to reappear’?”

Levin could not fathom why, and asked, “What benefit is there in doing this? Is it to slander the heroes?”

But once they investigate, they will find, just like now, that they are not the real heroes, but impostors, the true forms being the memory beasts from the dream realm.

At this point, Agus interjected, “Memory beasts are not a race that can be easily manipulated. Their racial strength ranges from level 60 to 97, and newborn cubs already have level 60 strength, with a spiritual power value of 70 or more. If there really is a mastermind behind this, I don’t think this person can freely control them.”

The Prime Minister stroked his beard and said, “Then, put together, isn’t it a story of ‘someone tried to manipulate the memory beasts, but memory beasts are not so easily manipulated, and under their malicious intentions, some memory beasts ran amok and out of control, even beyond that person’s control, emerging into the material world’?”

The people all looked at the Prime Minister with astonished expressions.

While they were unable to piece together any clues, the Prime Minister had actually come up with a complete story based on the existing information.

His ability to think was remarkably impressive.

In the end, they concluded two possibilities:

One is that the memory beasts are deliberately attacking humans for unknown reasons, using the forms of the heroes for unknown reasons as well.

The other is that there is a hidden mastermind deliberately orchestrating this, manipulating the memory beasts to attack humans, with unclear motives, possibly just for the sake of causing disruption.

Lia said, “There are crazed lunatics who commit arson and murder without reason, and they have been increasing in recent years. According to the Research Institute, the subspace is getting closer to the material world, affecting human psychology and leading to behavioral disorder. Simply investigating the motives or interests behind this matter may not be useful.”

Simon was silent for a few seconds, then asked Levin, “Has your country offended anyone?”

Levin paused, his gaze turning to the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister, calm and collected, said flatly, “There are just too many. Sword Saint Simon, no country can possibly not have offended anyone. We, from top to bottom, inside and out, have offended countless people, and those who want to retaliate against us, be it individuals or countries, are too many to count.”

Simon was surprised by the Prime Minister’s candor. He had heard that the imperial family of the Oedipus Empire was powerless, merely puppets of the noble families, yet the Prime Minister Norwich, not born of nobility, had risen to such a high position and governed the country so meticulously. His insights and abilities were extraordinary.

From the start of the meeting until now, Simon had been observing Prime Minister Norwich. He noticed that Norwich liked to downplay his own presence, not vying for the right to speak or voicing weighty opinions, only stating facts and insights, his rhetoric skillful and able to put everyone at ease. It was clear that he had great prudence, but it was hard to know what kind of person he was beneath the surface.

Simon’s discussion was interspersed with observations of the Prime Minister.

At this moment, Lia broke the subtle silence between the two, asking, “Are there any more likely suspects?”

Levin, having no leads, thought for a moment and said, “If I had to say… we have had territorial conflicts with the Roman Kingdom on that border.”

Simon shook his head, “The Roman Kingdom has also been attacked. Moreover, their king doesn’t seem the type capable of scheming.”

The implication was very clear.

In fact, everyone basically knew that the king of the Roman Kingdom was a well-known romantic, with a simple mind, extremely fond of beauty, and loved to collect famous paintings from all fields. Previously, during the Harmonious War, the entire Roman Kingdom lost their “aesthetic ability,” and as the king, he almost collapsed. Recently, as the Kingdom of Light was destroyed by the Abyss Lord, the Roman Kingdom has finally recovered its normal aesthetics. The king was overjoyed, and these days he was busy appreciating beauty all over the world. How could he have any scheming plots to secretly target the Oedipus Empire? Honestly, scheming plots are too heavy for that king’s mind.

Additionally, the territorial conflict between the two countries has been longstanding, but they rarely really fought, at most just exchange of verbal attacks annually. The Roman Kingdom would not go to the extent of secretly orchestrating such a big event because of territorial disputes.

Simon pondered for a moment, then considered, “It may not be an enemy of the OedipusEmpire either.”

Lia’s gaze grew serious. “Could it be an indiscriminate attack?”

Levin was stunned, thinking to himself, so we’re the unlucky ones?

Simon suddenly looked at the Prime Minister, recalling the “story” he had mentioned earlier.

Agus paused, his pupils constricting, bowing his head as if he had thought of something, his lips pressed tightly together, silent.

After discussing for a long time, they still did not come to a definite answer, and decided to first gather more intelligence, with Simon and Lia forming a team to explore the black mist.

Given the formidable strength of the memory beasts, they also had to prepare to flee immediately upon encountering them.

The reconnaissance mission was extremely perilous, but they had to take action.

Agus had discussed many habits of the memory beasts, and the most useful information was that the memory beasts could not maintain the heroes’ forms indefinitely, at most 3 to 10 minutes. As long as they could hold out past that time, and find a way to delay until the memory beasts’ true forms were exposed, they might have a chance to communicate and understand why they were suddenly attacking humans.

There must be a reason for the memory beasts to attack humans. It could not be for no reason at all.

The meeting ended, and everyone went about their duties.

Wilkin remained silent, his expression extremely grim, muttering to himself, as if whispering.

If someone could read lips clearly, they might be able to see that Wilkin was repeatedly muttering a single phrase: 

— [The ultimate trial of humanity.]

However, in the end, Simon still took him away as well. After all, Wilkin was a person sent by the Alliance, and as the team leader, he had to handle the situation.

Levin watched the others leave, feeling powerless and unsettled. As the king, he was too incompetent – not only was his level low, he also couldn’t come up with any good ideas. He really was just a figurehead of the empire, as the commoners whispered behind his back.

Sometimes he felt he shouldn’t even attend these meetings, because his presence or absence made little difference.

As he was deep in thought, the Prime Minister’s voice suddenly rang out.

“Is Your Majesty troubled?”

Levin paused, instinctively looking up at the middle-aged man slowly approaching him.

The Prime Minister was 57 years old, with graying temples and features as sharp as if carved by a knife. But his demeanor was gentle, his tone of voice warm, like a benevolent elder.

It was hard not to feel drawn to him and want to rely on him.

Levin did not answer the Prime Minister’s question, but anyone could see he was troubled.

The Prime Minister smiled, passing by and lightly placing a hand on Levin’s shoulder, speaking softly, “Your Majesty, thinking is how one grows. Don’t avoid it. Think actively, be present, no matter if you can contribute or not. The experience of being present will allow you to gradually mature.”

“You…”

Levin’s heartbeat skipped a beat, his expression somewhat incredulous.

The Prime Minister’s smile deepened, his eyes narrowed as he said, “Your Majesty handled Wilkin’s behavior quite well, only too reckless. A person with such pride, if you let him lose face, he’ll make you lose face. As the king, you should learn how to interact with the powerful on the continent.”

Levin fell silent. Although he didn’t want to admit it, the Prime Minister’s words made perfect sense. He did indeed have many shortcomings.

“I understand,” Levin said in a muted voice.

The Prime Minister glanced at him and then walked out of the conference room, leaving Levin to ponder.

On the other side.

After receiving the intelligence transmitted by Simon, the senior leadership of the Continental Human Alliance was in an uproar. Many parliamentarians, unable to believe it, rushed over despite pressing matters.

The Lord of the Abyss appeared at the military conference of the Oedipus Empire?!

“Does… does he really exist?” 

“The Abyss Lords Buer and Inpos also appeared with him? Wasn’t Inpos previously in the Aust Empire?”

The parliamentarians were representatives from various countries, so the top leadership of each country would know what they knew. This matter could not be hidden, as there were many people present at the conference.

“So the legends are true, the Lord of the Abyss does exist?” 

“Then, is he the overlord of all the Abyss Lords?” 

“Wait, wasn’t there a rumor that the Abyss Lords were searching for a human? Could that human be related to the Abyss Lord as well?” 

“What are you thinking, the Lord of the Abyss can’t possibly be human, right?” 

“No, no, this matter cannot be easily judged, it’s too chaotic, let’s not jump to conclusions yet.”

The internal discussions of the Continental Human Alliance did not stop there. The elders of the History and Culture Institute were particularly excited!

The news gradually spread, with rumors circulating in certain circles.

“Did you hear about the Lord of the Abyss?” 

“What about it? Isn’t that just a legend?” 

“Seems like it’s real. Someone allegedly saw his true form.” 

“For real? Or could it be an imposter? Our country has had a few individuals claiming to be the Lord of the Abyss before.”

Fifteen minutes ago, in the Roman Kingdom.

Aelioge finally found Beelzebub and told him about the recent series of events.

Beelzebub was unexpectedly, yet expectedly, unfazed. After hearing it all, his expression turned extremely cold as he said bluntly, “Then destroy the entire Church of Dawn.”

Aelioge reminded him, “The Church of Dawn isn’t entirely composed of evil people, they still appear to be a normal organization on the surface.”

Beelzebub, as if he had seen too many such organizations, stated directly, “Good deeds packaged to cover up evil, I’ve seen it all. Goodness is the best thing to use to conceal evil.”

In Beelzebub’s view, all things are a unity of good and evil, it’s just a matter of the ratio they are mixed in.

Aelioge, regardless of Beelzebub’s perspective, emphasized, “In any case, our goal is to find the mastermind, not vent our anger.”