After the Lord of the Abyss Awakens - Chapter 56.1

At the bookstore entrance, Levin was panting heavily, his face flushed red. He leaned against the door to barely stand steady. Seeing Xiu Si at the counter, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, saying, “It’s like this, Mr. Yi Xiusi, I’d like to borrow a place to hide for a while.”

Xiu Si stood up, a bit concerned about Levin’s condition. Running here in such a hurry, could it be because someone was chasing him?

“No problem, but what happened?”

“Actually…”

Levin’s expression stiffened. He glanced down at the two cats on the table, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he said anxiously, “It’s a long story, someone is trying to kill me.”

“Then we need to hide you well. Fortunately, there’s a room in the back.”

Xiu Si walked out from behind the counter, peeked out the door to make sure no one was there, then turned back to Levin.

“Mr. Levin, please go hide in the back room. If anyone comes, I’ll help deal with them. In broad daylight, with the Oedipus Empire’s law enforcement, no one should dare break in to kill someone.”

Levin was dumbfounded, thinking to himself: Boss, you’re acting too seriously!

Then he immediately hid in the back room.

“Thank you, Mr. Yi Xiusi!”

A country’s king hiding in a commoner’s home – this news would shock many people if it got out.

The two cats’ gazes were profound as they inwardly complained at the same time: Here we go again, bad human.

Buer glanced at Inpos, “You didn’t do a thorough job.”

Inpos said seriously, “It’s good enough. I’m not like Amon who pursues perfection. Besides, I didn’t take that so-called Sword Saint seriously. Have you forgotten his ungrateful words at the imperial meeting? Saying the era of heroes is over, now it’s the era of local humans. It disgusted me to death. Even if I don’t act, someone like that will die sooner or later.”

Buer blinked, “But, the Sword God really didn’t appear. Doesn’t he care even if all his descendants die?”

Inpos found this amusing. “You brought up an interesting topic. Unlike Luo Jie who rejected eternity, quite a few humans change their race to avoid death, becoming gods or undead. In theory, haven’t they already achieved eternity? What’s the need for continuing their bloodline? But they still keep producing descendants.”

Buer stretched out her paws, touching her face lazily. “Humans who change their race are still human. The deeply rooted human nature isn’t so easily eliminated, I suppose. Human nature is a kind of habit, after all.”

Buer didn’t really understand these complex things. Relatively speaking, Beelzebub and Amon would understand more.

She was just casually commenting. What did human nature have to do with a little kitty like her who had a father?

Not her business!

They didn’t notice that while they were whispering to each other, Xiu Si was watching them.

Xiu Si felt a bit confused. He always felt… the children were hiding something from him.

What could it be? He pondered for a few seconds, then turned to look at the chirping birds on the adjacent table.

The little black and white birds were pecking at each other’s heads, perhaps helping groom each other. Sometimes they even rolled around, the two chubby little balls rolling on the table, feathers falling everywhere.

Perhaps noticing his gaze, they timidly turned their heads, immediately striking a pose with their little wings linked, displaying a picture of perfect friendship.

It looked just like an ultra-adorable image of “two chubby birdies arm in arm”!

Xiu Si’s heart melted, his earlier doubts dissipating. He thought about how his little ones were all so cute. How could such adorable children possibly have any issues?

He probably would never know that it was actually the God of Light and God of Darkness having their routine fight.

As he just turned his gaze away, the two birds who were full of “brotherly love” immediately jumped up, distancing themselves and glaring angrily at each other.

The little black bird pouted. “It’s all your fault. Next time, stay away from me.”

The little white bird glared with round eyes. “You’re the one who should get lost! How long have you been clinging to Father? Aren’t your injuries all healed now? Back off, back off, back off!”

The little black bird gave a look that said ‘you’re really stupid’, its tiny bird eyes flashing. It said mysteriously, “Are you an idiot? Why should I leave? Now that the ancient gods are reviving one by one, especially those high-risk conceptual gods, although I’m not afraid of them, it’s important to be on the right side!”

The little white bird’s limited bird brain didn’t understand, only feeling that this guy was going to stick to Its Father like glue.

Damn it, damn it, when I grow up I’ll definitely drive you out!

****

Xiu Si didn’t notice the undercurrents next door. He finished today’s homework and began his leveling work.

He divided his time: first, eight hours of sleep was a must. Although his body was formed by magic, the daily mental consumption had to be replenished by sleep.

Next was eight hours of study and work, partly to learn magic, partly to build models to gain upgrade experience, and to improve the proficiency of creation skills.

The remaining eight hours, apart from necessary breaks in between, were for spending time with the children or dealing with miscellaneous matters.

Socializing was optional for him. He only knew a few people since his resurrection, so there was no need for active socializing.

Having accumulated quite a few achievement points recently, Xiu Si didn’t use them immediately. Now seeing it was about time, he unhesitatingly used them for upgrading.

The system then showed he leveled up 4 times in a row, reaching level 35!

Perhaps for many people, this upgrade speed wasn’t much, but this was Xiu Si’s first time leveling up 4 times at once!

It felt so accomplishing! Leveling up is one of the greatest joys of playing games!

Xiu Si experienced the excitement of playing games after a long time, almost showing it, but considering the children were around, he just coughed once, maintaining a parent’s dignity.

Let me see the upgraded stats and skills…

All stats increased, and the skill proficiencies also improved.

Like professions, skills also had levels. His skill frame was iron-colored, indicating it was an iron-grade skill.

Novice, Common, Iron, Silver, Gold. Skills were mainly divided into five major tiers. That’s how it was in Xiu Si’s era.

In this era, the tier names had changed somewhat. Gold equaled SS-grade, Silver equaled S-grade, Iron equaled A-grade, Common equaled B-grade, and so on down the line.

He had practiced for a long time to upgrade his skills from Novice to Iron, which was quite an achievement, although greater challenges lay ahead.

Xiu Si occasionally wondered, why in such a vast world, was he the only one leveling up so slowly? It wasn’t that he wasn’t trying hard; if anything, his efforts were certainly beyond ordinary. Yet even so, his natural leveling speed was still extraordinarily low compared to others.

This could only be attributed to bad luck. There were so many unlucky people in the world, he just happened to become one of them. No need to be discouraged.

Xiu Si was worried for less than a few seconds before his brow smoothed out, and he happily observed his changes and planned how to level up next.

After he leveled up, his system box grew considerably larger. Previously it was like a cargo hold, but now it had transformed into something like a container-style room?

Seeing the box area expand, Xiu Si had an idea. He modeled and arranged a warm nest inside, along with some toys that might be needed.

The two birds were outside now, which was convenient for him to redecorate the room.

The little light body was still in the room, sleeping soundly like a baby, unaware of any disturbances.

The otherworld god had entrusted It to his care, so he had to take good care of It in all aspects.

Not only to restore It to Its original state but also to help It grow up healthy.

Though saying this might be thinking too far ahead, Xiu Si hoped he could establish a bridge between the current world and the subspace through this matter.

He wasn’t naive enough to think that the gods of the subspace might become friendly with humans of the current world.

But it was worth trying, at least.

Xiu Si’s gaze became slightly heavy as he suddenly thought of his hero friends.

They all disappeared in the subspace. If he could establish a good relationship with the otherworld god, perhaps he could ask for help in finding them.

Although Xiu Si knew it would be difficult, and moreover… whether they were still alive was also a question.

Speaking of which, Luo Jie hadn’t appeared since then. Was he alright?

Xiu Si believed in Luo Jie’s experience and strength accumulated over so many years, but the problem was that life was unpredictable. This world seemed peaceful, but undercurrents surged beneath. As he walked on the street, he often heard rumors about the Abyss Lord acting again, or the Freedom Alliance toppling another country.

Peace was actually the rarity.

That’s why strength was important.

Xiu Si was firm in his heart. Perhaps since coming to this other world, his thoughts had never changed. All his actions were to carry out his ideas.

— Survive, then find a way home.

That’s what he used to tell the other heroes back then. Sometimes he even had to boast, saying things like they would definitely be able to go back. Later, he never thought he would be the first to fall out of the team.

Really… if only he had struggled a bit more then, if he had held onto Chen Lingxi’s hand tighter, would things have been different?

Xiu Si felt a bit melancholic. His gaze fell on the kitty on the table.

The little ragdoll was lying flat on the table, yawning. Feeling her father’s gaze, She immediately meowed, Her emerald eyes sparkling as She looked over.

Xiu Si reached out to pet Her head. The soft, smooth fur was warm, and those bright eyes could melt one’s heart.

Xiu Si thought to himself, if it wasn’t for that fall, he wouldn’t have created his later children in the abyss.

Blessings and misfortunes are interdependent, aren’t they?

Xiu Si was calm, his gaze mild as he said to the little ragdoll. “Leave the watching of the store to Father. You can move around more. I don’t know if bad people will come later, so why don’t you go to the back room too?”

Little ragdoll’s tail straightened, as if wanting to shake her head, but the gray cat meowed and nodded, even pulling the little ragdoll towards the back.

The little ragdoll was puzzled, only following after receiving a mental message.

The two cats jumped down from the table together.

****

A few seconds later.

Levin, who was hiding in the study at the back, was startled as he watched the two kitties walking towards him. He was at a loss, almost screaming.

They were the terrifying creatures that destroyed the Jupius family last night! One swipe of their paw could flatten him!

Levin’s heart was pounding with nervousness, his mind frantically thinking. Cat Lords? Cat Masters? Cat Gods? Divine Cats? H-how should he address Them?

The two cats approached Levin, Their eyes flashing, gleaming with ferocity.

Levin felt uneasy. It was clearly just being surrounded by two little kitties, yet it felt like facing two primordial beasts the size of mountains. He was so scared his legs were shaking, his brain trembling.

He was really panicked. With a thud, he knelt down and begged for mercy, “Great Cat Gods! I’m just a weak, pitiful, and helpless king. I have no ill intentions towards you, and I didn’t realize your master was ranked first among humans.”

The little ragdoll pointed and said, “You just realized it, didn’t you! Stupid king!”

“Ah.” Levin nearly broke down. His habit of biting his tongue when nervous hadn’t improved at all.

“No, it wasn’t intentional. It’s just that your performance was too outstanding. Mr. Yi Xiusi, being ranked first among humans, should have top-ranked cats.”

Flattering cats, how amusing.

The gray cat glanced at him, thinking to itself, “Heh, foolish human. It’s not so easy to rely on Father as a backer!”

The little ragdoll cat drew closer, its eyes shining like clear emerald gems. “So you’re saying you deliberately baited us?”

“I… I… Waaah! I’m so sorry!”

Thousands of ways to die flashed through Levin’s mind in an instant, and he nearly collapsed in despair.

The gray cat raised its chin, flicking its paw as it said, “Alright, alright, we get it. Don’t look so gloomy. What if you scare Father?”

Levin paused, only now processing the issue. His first shock was that the kitty had spoken, and the second was that it had called Mr. Yi Xiusi “Father.”

Ah, but that made sense. Because Mr. Yi Xiusi also called them his children.

Wait, huh? Wasn’t Mr. Yi Xiusi human? How could he have—

Levin’s face immediately showed an expression as if his worldview had collapsed, his hands clutching his face as his pupils trembled.

The little ragdoll cat slapped the ground with one paw, the ribbon on its head quivering slightly as it said disapprovingly, “What nonsense are you imagining, stupid king?”

Levin became anxious again.

The gray cat reprimanded, “Hiding here with Father because you’re afraid. What a useless king.”

“I…”

Levin was at a loss for words. Indeed, he had no achievements or accomplishments to his name, and the nobles privately called him useless.

“However.”

The gray cat’s tone changed slightly, carrying a hint of praise.

“Your luck isn’t bad.”

The little ragdoll cat continued, “Your judgment isn’t bad either.”

Gray cat: “Among so many people in the Imperial City, only you recognized Father. So although you’re stupid, you do have good judgment.”

Gray cat: “Being stupid is a good thing in some ways, especially for the position of king.”

Was this praise or an insult? Levin felt both pleased and anxious, somewhat bewildered.

The gray cat looked at Levin and said flatly, “There’s one more thing. When we first met, you gave something to Father.”

Levin just remembered, was it that convenient pass for the Magic Association?

The little ragdoll cat put its paws on its hips and declared, “A great merit! Worthy of reward!”

The gray cat added, “Yes, worthy of reward!”

The little ragdoll cat’s expression brightened, “From now on, we’ll be your backers!”

Levin was confused yet again.

“…I don’t think I’ve done anything special.”

The little ragdoll cat shook its head, “Indeed a stupid king, not even grateful for such a great opportunity.”

Levin was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, “Thank you, thank you! I’ll definitely help in any way I can!”

Gray cat: “This child can be taught.”

Little ragdoll: “Even rotten wood can be carved.”

This made Levin feel almost embarrassed.

Although from an outsider’s perspective, he was merely being praised by two little kitties.

The gray cat pointed its paw at Levin and said seriously, “Now, go back to your palace, study magic and governance diligently, care for your people, and revere heaven and earth. Don’t worry too much about other things, understand?”

“Yes, yes.”

Levin quickly agreed, very respectfully.

The little ragdoll added, “Also, don’t tell Father about us.”

Levin nodded vigorously like a woodpecker.

The two mischievous cats exchanged glances, then patted their paws again, mumbling, “Fools have fool’s luck.”

The gray cat turned its head, “Alright, go out and say goodbye to Father. Tell him you feel like the people chasing you are gone.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Levin obeyed and immediately took action.

****

On another side.

Sword Saint Ferrol learned about his family’s misfortune last night.

As soon as he rushed back, he heard everyone discussing how the Jupius family had offended a mysterious powerful figure, leading to the family’s destruction, and the promised Sword God hadn’t appeared.

Overnight, the massive entity that was the Jupius family had fallen.

That night, everyone thought Sword Saint Ferrol would be furious, vowing to find and kill the family’s destroyer, but they were all wrong.