After the Lord of the Abyss Awakens - Chapter 88.2

Seeing the forest cat not speaking and furrowing Her brows tightly, the ragdoll cat tilted Her head.

The forest cat suddenly remembered, grabbing the ragdoll cat. “So that Lord of the Abyss before was actually Father himself?”

The ragdoll cat’s eyes lit up, immediately nodding, saying matter-of-factly. “Yes meow! How could we allow anyone else to impersonate Father? The Lord of the Abyss was of course Father!”

The forest cat said quietly, “You all were too bold, really don’t know how you managed to keep it secret until now.”

The ragdoll cat proudly raised Her head, even laughing. “Hehe meow.”

The forest cat couldn’t help it, both paws squeezing the ragdoll cat’s face, warning. “If Big Brother finds out you forced Father to cosplay as the Lord of the Abyss, you’ll definitely face His iron fist.”

The ragdoll cat started feeling a bit scared, saying softly, “Meow meow.”

The forest cat was helpless with this foolish sister, but Her family’s Tenth Sister Buer had been mischievous since childhood, yet never did anything truly bad, even learned the skill of healing and saving people – who could really blame Her for anything?

“But those few times of cosplay still attracted Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother.”

Speaking of which, the forest cat was also surprised, “I really didn’t expect Samikina would agree to let you all mess around. He has always been serious and rigid.”

The ragdoll cat recalled the situation at that time, thinking that they hadn’t really convinced Fourth Brother – Fourth Brother was just in a hurry to find Lelagin. If it weren’t for Lelagin being the priority, given Fourth Brother’s sense of responsibility, He probably would have stayed quiet then but would have told all their siblings the next day.

Come to think of it, Fourth Brother had been looking for Lelagin for quite some time now without finding them. Had something happened?

The forest cat noticed Her concern and stroked Her head saying, “Samikina will be fine, it’s probably just that the matter is difficult to handle.”

The ragdoll cat nodded and couldn’t help but ask something She had been wondering about, looking into forest cat’s eyes, “Is Lelagin the Elven Ancestor God?”

In the past, they would hardly have discussed this topic, but now, everyone who needed to know already knew, so there was no need to avoid it anymore.

The forest cat nodded and said straightforwardly, “Most likely yes. Lelagin’s return to the Elven Sacred Realm was probably to reclaim His power as the Elven Ancestor God.”

The ragdoll cat worried, “But it’s been so long, nothing bad has happened to Him, right?”

Reclaiming power seemed simple, like just going back to take what was rightfully Theirs, but in reality, it was definitely not that easy.

Even Buer knew that reclaiming power definitely carried the risk of losing oneself, yet so much time had already passed.

The forest cat looked at the ragdoll cat, Her eyes growing increasingly profound, as if containing mysteries, and said in a deep voice, “We can only trust in Lelagin. Besides, the time flow in the Elven Sacred Realm is different from the outside. While thousands of years have passed here, inside it might have only been thousands of days or even less. Areas with high magical density have slower time flow, don’t you know that?”

That was indeed the case, the ragdoll cat nodded, but Her eyes still showed concern.

Perhaps what they called growth and change happened so unconsciously like this.

The forest cat felt pleased inside, Her little sister had grown up and was now caring for Her siblings. Although Her personality was still very innocent and carefree, wasn’t that a good thing?

She remembered the lullaby Her father used to hum to them, the song was called “Stay Gold.”

The song’s meaning was “hoping the loved one maintains their most brilliant, most complete, most authentic self,” staying radiant, never being worn down.

They had been too young then and didn’t understand the song’s meaning, only feeling it was beautiful and loving it. It wasn’t until They grew up that They gradually understood its true meaning.

Father had hoped for them to be well, to maintain their most brilliant qualities, to not let external things wear down their characteristics.

Thinking of this, the forest cat’s eyes became moist, Her green pupils seeming to be shrouded in mist.

The ragdoll cat saw this and anxiously said, “What’s wrong, Sixth Sister?”

The forest cat shook Her head, “Just got unexpectedly hit by memories.”

“Meow?”

The ragdoll cat blinked, not quite understanding.

She went over and hugged the forest cat, apologizing, “I wanted to tell Sixth Sister before meow, but I selfishly wanted to keep Father to myself, I’m very sorry to Sixth Sister meow.”

The forest cat raised Her eyes, seeming completely unbothered now.

Between sisters, a little friction was nothing.

However, She looked at the ragdoll cat and reminded Her, “Sometimes meowing and sometimes not meowing, you’ll easily give yourself away.”

The ragdoll cat paused, then pouted, “I’m not a big blabbermouth meow.”

****

At the same time, at 3 PM in the Roman Kingdom, the atmosphere in the palace was becoming increasingly tense.

“Is this matter true?”

The general of the Roman Kingdom slammed the table and stood up, her eyes sharp and her demeanor imposing.

The name of the Roman Kingdom’s general was Beqi.

At this moment, a young intelligence officer was standing in front of her.

The intelligence officer had just returned from the Alliance and rushed here to report a major event.

Suppressing the nervousness in his heart, the intelligence officer calmly stated. “It’s true. The Alliance has detected signs of activity from three otherworld gods.”

Beqi’s heart shook.

Three otherworld gods active at the same time – what did this mean?

One was enough to give them a hard time, let alone three active together. Wasn’t this asking for humanity’s death?

The intelligence officer continued. “The Alliance speculates that it’s likely the previous activities of the Divine Kingdom of Destruction awakened the sleeping otherworld gods.”

Beqi’s face turned pale, then flushed. “Never mind the rest, just tell me which ones have become active.”

The intelligence officer said, “Numbers 001, 003, and 006.”

The air seemed to freeze.

Beqi’s face turned completely white. After a few minutes of silence, she said, “Are you certain it’s Them?”

The intelligence officer nodded.

Beqi took a deep breath and asked. “How is the situation at the Alliance?”

The intelligence officer seemed somewhat reluctant to speak.

Beqi frowned and repeated. “Speak. There’s nothing to be hesitant about.”

“…”

The intelligence officer’s eyes flickered as he carefully said, “Norman Til is demanding a thorough investigation of the seven great magic families due to the hero incident. However, these families are crucial components of humanity’s current defense line. With the imminent crisis of otherworld god activity, if we were to bring them down, the Alliance’s strength would be weakened, and humanity might fall into dire straits.”

Of all times, internal conflict had to arise now.

Beqi remained silent, her hand on the table clenching into a fist.

Everyone knows the principle of settling internal affairs before dealing with external threats. For Norman Til to stir up conflict within the Human Alliance at this time would likely invite widespread criticism.

The intelligence officer said, “The seven great magic families have united to oppose Norman Til, demanding that he immediately address the issue of otherworld god activity instead of disrupting the Human Alliance and weakening humanity’s forces.”

“… Is that so.”

Beqi’s gaze was complex, as if she could imagine the scene.

Norman Til seeking justice for the heroes was an unquestionably righteous act.

But human nature being what it is.

In a situation where they were facing threats from all sides, to first draw your sword against the deeply-rooted great families and disrupt the Human Alliance would inevitably spark controversy.

Beqi had personally experienced such situations before.

The other side consisted of shrewd old foxes. No matter how strong and invincible Norman Til was, his age and experience were still limited, and his prestige was ultimately insufficient.

At this moment in the Alliance, Norman Til had likely become the target of everyone’s arrows.

Beqi furrowed her brow and continued to question the intelligence officer. “Has he stated his position?”

The intelligence officer thought for a moment before replying. “His Excellency Norman Til is adamant about dealing with them before addressing the otherworld god issue.”

Beqi was taken aback, filled with solemn respect. She pressed on, “What does he plan to do?”

The intelligence officer’s voice trembled as he said, “His Excellency Norman Til intends to purge everyone.”

Just one sentence was enough to fill the room with a murderous aura.

Beqi had never met Norman Til in person. She had only thought of him as a hero among heroes, powerful and righteous. However, she never expected him to be so decisive and ruthless, openly declaring his intention to purge the seven great magic families.

It was worth noting that the seven great magic families had developed into enormous entities with worldwide influence. Their interests were intricately intertwined, with each family corresponding to at least ten thousand people, many of whom were high-level human powerhouses.

No matter how strong Norman Til was, he was still just one person. Facing the seven great magic families, even with his world-saving achievements, it would be difficult for him to gain the upper hand.

Moreover, the opposition would certainly accuse him of “inciting internal strife among humans in times of crisis.” Under such pressure of public opinion, what could he do?

The seven great magic families were a bunch of cunning old foxes. Even if Norman Til had three heads and six arms, he would likely be powerless against them.

Beqi couldn’t help but ask again. “Is Norman Til really dead set on this?”

“Yes.”

The intelligence officer recalled the situation at the time.

It happened at noon today.

In the middle of the Alliance meeting, the seven great magic families jointly criticized Norman Til’s behavior as reckless and a foolish act that would destroy human unity. They firmly claimed that they were not their family ancestors, that they were innocent and had nothing to do with the betrayal of the heroes. They argued that Norman Til had no reason to trouble them over the disappearance of the heroes.

Furthermore, they insisted that it was already a thing of the past. Six heroes had disappeared, and the last hero, Luo Jie, had passed away. They claimed it was no longer the era of heroes, and Norman Til’s quest for justice would bring no benefits, only lead to the dissolution of the Alliance, after which humans would be crushed to dust by the otherworld gods.

The meeting scene was filled with murderous intent, almost on the verge of eruption. Norman Til stood alone, while on the opposite side, there were sixty-seven representatives from the seven great magic families.

If a fight were to break out, the Alliance would literally disintegrate.

Yet, faced with the reproach of the elders, Norman Til did not back down at all.

He declared on the spot — “If I don’t thoroughly purge you first, I fear you’ll betray us again.”

At that moment, before Norman Til’s words had even faded, the scene turned extremely ugly. The elders glared in anger, and the situation seemed almost irreconcilable.

Norman Til had also become truly enraged, almost ready to kill.

How was it calmed down?

The council chair spoke up.

The chair requested both sides to calm down, suggesting that the matter of the “purge” be discussed at a later time.

Once the chair had spoken, no one could disregard his face.

Norman Til had once been rescued by the chair in his youth. Even if only for that one favor, he had to take a step back.

But while the situation had cooled down, the conflict remained.

The seven great magic families now viewed Norman Til as a thorn in their side, wishing for his death. Naturally, they would be more than happy to see Norman Til go to fight the otherworld gods.

As a powerful figure, Norman Til couldn’t be without his own temperament. How could they think they could order him to fight just because they said so? Who did they think they were?

Moreover, Norman Til didn’t belong to the Alliance. No organization or force had the right or qualification to command his actions.

The conflict between both sides had intensified. If it were during peaceful times, perhaps it could have been resolved smoothly. However, it just so happened that three otherworld gods had become active.

The intelligence officer relayed everything that had happened and the content of the disputes to Beqi.

Beqi frowned deeply, her expression grim. After a few minutes of silence, she continued to ask. “What did Norman Til say afterwards?”

He might have given face to the council chair and not do anything today, but this conflict would eventually explode.

The intelligence officer said, “His Excellency Norman Til didn’t say anything afterwards. He just left directly. But I heard from others that His Excellency Norman Til had never been so angry before.”

Beqi lowered her eyes. “Are his actions unpredictable?”

The intelligence officer said. “His Excellency Norman Til isn’t without support. Most of the young people in the Alliance support him, and Sword Saint Simon and Lia, among others, stand firmly with him. If he were to forcefully deal with the seven great magic families, many would respond to his call.”

But once fighting broke out, it would be a civil war. To have a civil war in the face of a great enemy – such a thing in history…

The intelligence officer dared not comment, because he knew clearly that if a civil war led to the collapse of the Alliance and the extinction of human civilization, Norman Til would absolutely bear the infamy of history.

Justice or civilization – which weighed more?

Beqi thought for a few minutes, then said with a complex tone. “I support Norman Til.”

But she also knew that the true victory or defeat of this matter didn’t lie within the arena, but outside it.

If those three otherworld gods suddenly acted and endangered the human world, Norman Til couldn’t possibly not take the field.

At this time, the stance of human nations was also very important.

Norman Til needed reasons and confidence to purge the seven great magic families.

Beqi’s eyes sharpened as she said to the intelligence officer. “Tell the Alliance that the Roman Kingdom stands with Norman Til. Without purging the seven great magic families, humanity will not know peace.”

The intelligence officer’s body shook. After a moment, he said. “Yes!”

After the intelligence officer left, Beqi rubbed her brow, her expression solemn. She muttered to herself. “Seeking justice for the heroes is certainly important, but… the simultaneous activity of the otherworld gods is definitely not a coincidence. If the seven great magic families fall, it would be like the Alliance cutting off its own arm. Without sufficient strength, can we resolve this crisis?”

Beqi vaguely felt that there must be some force manipulating things behind the scenes.

****

At 5 PM in the Roman Kingdom.

Having finally resolved a difficult problem, Xiu Si breathed a sigh of relief and said to the little short-legged cat in front of him. “Cele, thank you for your hard work.”

The little short-legged cat was stunned for a moment, seeming to blush, and meowed softly.

His own child was so cute, Xiu Si felt as if he had been healed. It was then that he noticed a gaze from the side.

Was it Buer?

Xiu Si turned his head, then widened his eyes in pleasant surprise.

The next second, the forest cat who had been waiting for a long time pounced excitedly towards its Father.

“Meow meow!”

“Valefor, you’ve come too.”

Xiu Si happily caught his child and slowly stood up.

Half an hour later, there was another reunion.

Xiu Si counted the children he had found, realizing that at this rate, they would soon have a grand reunion!

As he was feeling emotional, his sixth cub suddenly said, “Father meow, want to see that meow!”

“What?”

“The Lord of the Abyss meow!”