44Hey, hey, why are you taking your clothes off?
"Hey, hey, hey! Why are you taking off your clothes?"
The dim light flickered on and off, and the silence in the air was broken only by the sound of breathing.
Loya felt unnerved by the way the woman in front of him was staring.
He did know this person, Felicia Hardy, also known as Black Cat.
A very beautiful woman, and also an extremely excellent thief.
Just a month ago, a private museum with extremely tight security had its prized exhibit stolen.
It was a precious gemstone worth at least hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars.
The culprit was Black Cat, who not only stole the gemstone but also deliberately left behind a calling card.
It caused quite a stir in the media at the time, with some outlets calling her the 'Black Cat Art Thief,' which sounded much better than Loya's 'Private Photo Home Thief.'
But Loya didn't care about that; he was puzzled that the client was this skilled thief. Could it be that this commission was to steal some treasure?
Of course, what was even more shocking was the increase in intimacy.
This was the first time ever that affection points increased upon a first meeting; usually, it was hard to raise affection without doing something.
Not to mention gaining thirty points all at once.
He was confused by this. It couldn't possibly be because he was handsome, right? Could it be that she was lusting after his body?
There must be something going on here!
The two of them just sized each other up, the air seeming to solidify.
In the end, Felicia spoke first.
She raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into an attractive arc, her voice soft and carrying a post-slumber languor, as if whispering in his ear:
"Oh, this handsome and strong gentleman, staring so unscrupulously at a lady is not very gentlemanly~"
"However..." Felicia suddenly leaned closer, her eyes full of provocation. "You may."
Loya's expression was calm as he coolly met those enchanting eyes. A Sigma male never falls into a woman's trap.
He spoke slowly: "It seems you are the client The Punishermentioned."
"Boring man." Felicia's eyelashes fluttered as she stepped back. "That's right, I am the client. It seems, just as The Punisher said, you are indeed extraordinary."
"Then tell me, what is the mission? How much is the reward? I'm in a hurry." Loya was completely unfazed by her seduction and got straight to the point.
"As for the mission." Felicia stretched her body like a cat, then gave a light leap, jumping onto a wall several meters high. "If you want to know what the mission is, you must first pass a test. Believe me, you will absolutely love the final reward."
After saying this, she leaped away, as light as a real black cat. In a few jumps, she left behind only a seductive silhouette and a thought-provoking remark.
"Catch up to me, and I'll tell you~"
Loya watched Felicia's rapidly retreating silhouette and curled his lip.
What era is this? Still using such a low-end way of traveling.
He used 'Wind Control Swordsmanship' to summon the power of the wind, took off directly from where he stood, and gave chase.
Felicia's figure was extremely agile, and her speed was fast; jumping and climbing, she was as flexible as a cat, darting back and forth among the city buildings.
Ahead was a street, with at least ten meters between two high-rise buildings.
Her speed did not decrease at all; it even increased slightly.
She leaped into the air, gracefully performed a 360-degree turn, and landed lightly on the opposite building.
Such explosive power and movement were clearly not something an ordinary person could possess.
Felicia turned her head to look back, but didn't see Loya's figure. She couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, thinking to herself:
"Sigh, it was hard enough to find someone who had been noticed by the gods, but unfortunately, their strength is too weak; they can't meet my requirements at all."
"Hey!"
Just then, Loya's voice suddenly came from beside her ear.
"Why aren't you running anymore?"
"What? Where are you?"
Felicia looked left and right, but didn't see anyone.
"Above you."
Loya replied slowly. And this is supposed to be a master thief? Her alert range is only 2D, right?
Felicia looked up, her pupils constricting in sudden shock. Loya had nothing under his feet, yet was actually hovering in the air.
After a brief shock, her heart filled with joy: "You can actually fly?"
Loya spread his hands helplessly: "You jump over ten meters; it shouldn't be strange that I can fly, right?"
Honestly, he didn't expect Felicia's physical fitness to be this high.
He remembered that Felicia shouldn't have superpowers. Even if she did, it didn't seem to be at this point in time, and her physical strength shouldn't be that high.
But based on her current performance, it should be about the same as Peter, which was very strange.
Peter's superpowers fundamentally stemmed from an animal totem; it couldn't be that Felicia had one too, right? Could there be a cat totem?
Or was it serum? That didn't seem right either; Ross had been researching for so long and still hadn't been able to replicate the perfect Super Soldier Serum, let alone anyone else.
In short, it was very strange.
Felicia raised an eyebrow, her expression becoming a bit more serious: "Then I'm going to speed up."
Having said that, she shot out like an arrow from a bow, the buildings beneath her feet appearing as nothing to her, her speed even faster than before.
Loya shook his head and followed at a leisurely pace.
Next, it was a pure case of an old man teasing a child.
No matter how fast Felicia ran, or how flexibly she changed direction.
Loya remained above her head, as if moving in perfect synchronization with her.
Felicia's pupils trembled in shock; no matter how she changed her speed and direction.
As long as she looked up, she could see those feet following her like a shadow, as if that person were standing on her shoulders through the air.
But she wasn't angry; on the contrary, she was even happier. The stronger the other party was, the greater the chance of success for that matter. She didn't have much time left.
After such a strange chase, they soon arrived in front of a suburban Villa.
Felicia stopped.
Loya also descended from the air: "How about it? Am I qualified?"
Felicia opened the Villa door while chuckling: "Very good. Truly worthy of being called the king of commissions by The Punisher; you are even more impressive than I imagined."
"king of commissions?"
Loya was speechless. Why was that old guy, The Punisher, giving people random nicknames?
Entering the Villa.
The decor that met his eyes was very formulaic; one look was enough to tell it wasn't a place frequented often.
Loya sat on the sofa on his own, waiting for Felicia's next move.
Felicia went to an exquisite coffee machine and asked: "What coffee would you like? Latte or classic Americano?"
"A glass of plain water."
"..."
Felicia paused in her movements, then poured a glass of plain water.
"Hurry up and tell me, what is the mission? What is the reward? The Punisher said this commission was extremely difficult." Loya took the plain water and asked impatiently.
The harder the mission, the richer the rewards. If it were a mission similar to the previous special elite mission, that would be even better.
Felicia crossed her legs and didn't answer immediately; instead, she blinked and said softly:
"Although you are the first person to catch up to me, I still have to warn you. Have you really decided? This commission might overturn your perception, and it is extremely dangerous."
"Just say it directly. If I can't do it, can't I just refuse?" Loyawas very helpless. Why couldn't she just be direct? With all these tests and questions, couldn't she just get to the point?
He felt just like an irritable player in a game who couldn't skip the boring cutscenes.
Felicia froze for a moment, as if that was indeed the case.
She shook her head with a smile, and under Loya's puzzled gaze, she actually began to take off her sexy bodysuit.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"Let's talk things over properly; why are you taking off your clothes? I'm a decent man, you know."
Loya waved his hand, his eyes fixed, a ridiculous thought flashing through his mind.
Could this be a honey trap carefully designed by that guy, The Punisher?
45Is it time to unlock a special CG?
Is a special CG about to be unlocked?
Well, it wasn't a honey trap, nor was it some clichéd erotic scene.
On the contrary, it appeared somewhat eerie.
Felicia removed part of her bodysuit, revealing two snowy-white mounds of evil... no, it was three mounds of evil, and one of them was black.
On the left side of her chest, right over her heart, was a black vortex. Black energy, visible to the naked eye, seeped from the vortex, tainting every inch of the surrounding skin.
As a result, her skin was covered in dense black patterns that spread across her entire chest.
Loya subconsciously leaned closer, his brow furrowed as he carefully observed the black energy.
Hmm... besides sensing that it was very evil, he had no other clues.
It seemed what was happening to Felicia wasn't that simple; this commission was indeed high difficulty.
In that case, it was even more exciting.
Loya sat back in his seat and asked, "Is this the problem you've encountered?"
Seeing that Loya didn't have any intense reaction, Feliciafelt a sense of relief; it seemed she really hadn't found the wrong person.
Her voice lost its previous flippancy and flirtatiousness, replaced by a touch of anxiety:
"My partner is dying, and I am dying too. My commission is for you to help me rescue it."
[Felicia has issued the first stage of the quest to you]
[Quest: Search]
[Objective: Find the location of Felicia's animal companion]
[Rewards: EXP +2000, Felicia Favorability +40, Random Item *2]
!!!
Hearing the quest notification, Loya's heart jolted. With rewards like this for just the first stage, it was hard not to look forward to the rewards for the next stage.
He nodded. "Tell me about it in detail."
Felicia asked, "I sense that you've had the attention of an animal totem deity before. You should know about animal totems, right?"
Loya nodded. "I do know of them, but only the basics."
The attention from an animal totem probably referred to that time his favorability increased. But since Felicia was asking this, could it be that the animal companion in the quest was actually an avatar of an animal totem?
Felicia leaned her upper body forward slightly and slowly recounted the events between her and the animal totem:
"At that time, I was only eight years old."
...After about ten minutes of narration, Loya had a general idea of the story.
To put it simply, when Felicia was playing alone at age eight, she accidentally witnessed a very bizarre battle.
The combatants were a cat and a burly man, and the fight was exceptionally fierce.
The destructive power of every punch and kick was incredibly formidable, enough to kick up dust and stones and change the weather. Sometimes they even fired light beams; it was just like watching a movie.
Unsurprisingly, as a spectator, Felicia had her chest pierced by a stone that flew out from the shockwaves of the battle.
She should have died then and there, but later her animal companion—the cat—defeated the man and saved her through some unknown method.
From then on, her 'cheat' life as Black Cat began.
Her physical fitness improved by leaps and bounds across the board. Like Peter, but without Peter's tragic experiences.
Felicia taught lessons to the most dangerous criminals, stole the most precious treasures, and was a prominent figure at school. Her whole life had been smooth sailing.
It felt very much like a typical 'invincible protagonist' web novel.
However, not long ago, she encountered the first hurdle of her life. If she couldn't overcome it, it might be her last.
During an operation, she accidentally entered a very strange place.
Her power was significantly weakened there, and at the same time, a figure shrouded in black mist kept attacking her.
Attacked from both sides, she found it difficult to hold on.
At that critical moment, Felicia's animal companion saved her again, helping her escape that place.
Since then, that animal companion had disappeared.
At the same time, that eerie abnormality appeared on her body.
She had a gut feeling that once things progressed to a certain point, both her animal companion and herself would die.
Lately, Felicia had been searching for her animal companion, but she remained clueless. The only thing she was certain of was that it was within the area of Hell's Kitchen.
She investigated and inquired everywhere but repeatedly hit dead ends. Finally, through the recommendation of her old acquaintance, The Punisher, she found Loya.
Loya was a bit dazed listening to this; it was completely different from the Black Cat origin story he knew.
He thought for a moment and asked, "Does this black vortex on your chest have any specific effects on you?"
Felicia lowered her head in thought. "I can feel the evil and darkness within it constantly affecting my mind. Sometimes, evil thoughts pop up that I've never had before."
She stared at Loya, her throat moving as she swallowed. "For example, the first moment I saw you, I suddenly felt a very strong appetite for you."
Loya: "?"
Damn! So you really were lusting after my body.
Loya rubbed his chin and signaled Felicia to come closer. "I think I should be able to make you feel a bit more comfortable."
Felicia sat down right next to Loya, her large eyes staring at him, anticipating his next move.
Loya reached out and placed his hand above Felicia's chest, quietly activating his ability.
"Divine Illumination!"
A soft holy light burst from his palm, radiating the power to purify evil and dispel darkness.
As the holy light fell upon Felicia's chest, those black patterns receded rapidly like snow meeting sunlight, quickly retreating back into the vortex.
"Mm-hmm~"
At the same time, Felicia let out a comfortable soft moan, full of seduction, making the lights seem to turn pink.
Loya shifted his waist. This moan was extraordinary; it actually resonated with his Supreme Bone. He had to stay on guard.
Of course, being a man of integrity, he carefully observed the vortex, even activating the "Death's Eye."
According to his observation, the holy light could push back the black energy, but it couldn't affect the vortex at all.
The vortex seemed to exist between the virtual and the real, not entirely present in reality. The holy light couldn't even reach it, so naturally, it couldn't affect it.
This also indirectly proved that the existence behind this was not simple.
As the holy light dissipated, Felicia finally snapped out of that pleasant sensation. Her face was flushed as she looked at Loya in shock:
"You actually know magic too?"
Loya waved his hand. "Look at my commission success rate. Without a few tricks, how could I maintain a one hundred percent success rate?"
Felicia no longer had her previous teasing posture. Having seen no progress lately, Loya had become almost her last hope. She looked sincere, even pleading:
"As long as you can rescue my partner, I'll pay any price—all my wealth, even my freedom, my life!"
Loya was somewhat surprised; this payment was already everything she had.
It seemed that animal companion was extremely important to Felicia. Thinking about it, it made sense; after all, it was the cat that had saved her life twice.
He said, "Do you have any fur from your animal companion, or an item it was in close contact with?"
Felicia reached into her waist pocket and took out a shimmering gemstone. "My partner doesn't shed, but this was its favorite gemstone before."
Holy crap, she's rich.
Seeing the gemstone, Loya's heart skipped a beat. This was the stolen gemstone worth hundreds of millions. He didn't expect it was just a cat's toy.
He was greatly shocked, lamenting that the lives of rich people were truly different.
Loya took the gemstone and then pulled out an octagonal, black-and-white compass with a golden needle.
Placing the gemstone near the compass, the needle slowly rotated and firmly pointed in one direction.
Loya glanced at Felicia. "Let's go. Time to set out and rescue your animal companion."
Felicia didn't understand it, but she was greatly impressed, and the hope in her heart grew stronger. "Wait for me a moment, I'll grab some more equipment first."
A few minutes later, she came out of the Villa fully equipped.
Seeing the scene before her, her eyes widened, and she was once again thoroughly shocked.
On the Villa's lawn, a red flying carpet was hovering.
Seeing her dazed, Loya urged, "Don't be so surprised. You're someone with a connection to a god, after all. Get on the flying carpet quickly, I'm about to take off."
Felicia's eyes sparkled, looking at Loya as if she had found a treasure. "I didn't know you were so amazing."
The two of them sat on the flying carpet, and Loya gave a warm reminder: "Hold on tight, I'm going full speed."
"Okay." Felicia chuckled and hugged Loya directly from behind, blowing air into his ear. "Then you'd better be fast."
Loya paused, feeling the soft and intimate contact against his back. He operated the flying carpet with "King of Riding," and with a 'whoosh,' the carpet shot through the air.
The speed was so fast that Felicia cried out a few times and hugged him even tighter.
Soon, they arrived at a dilapidated industrial area on the edge of Hell's Kitchen.
Loya parked the flying carpet on the roof of a ruined factory. The compass in his hand vibrated slightly, pointing straight underground.
His gradually increasing attributes, along with the perception granted by various abilities, allowed him to sense that this place was different from others.
To put it simply, the concentration of some invisible energy here was higher.
Furthermore, within his "Killing Intent Perception," there was an incredibly massive killing intent underground, directed at every living being.
Clearly, this was where that animal totem was located.
Loya looked at Felicia, whose expression had become somewhat nervous. "The location of your animal companion is right here, underground."
Felicia closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them, her eyes full of shock. She could feel that sliver of connection with the animal totem right here.
"You really are incredible."
She hadn't expected things to progress so smoothly. He truly deserved to be the "King of Commissions" highly recommended by The Punisher.
At the same time, the system notification sounded in Loya's ear.
[Felicia has issued the final stage of the quest to you]
[Note! This is a special quest]
[Quest: Rescue]
[Objective: Rescue the kitty]
[Rewards: EXP +5000, Felicia Favorability +20, Cat Totem Favorability +60, Random Ability *1, Special Item *1]
!!!
Loya's expression jolted. It was actually a special quest.
The most crucial part was Felicia's favorability.
30 + 40 + 20 = 90.
Doesn't that mean he's about to unlock a special system function, or rather, a special CG?
46You don't want to fail to rescue your partner, do you?
You wouldn't want to fail to rescue your partner, would you?
"So what do we do now? Look for the entrance?"
Felicia felt a bit lost for a moment.
In the past, her thefts were always meticulously planned; from infiltration to escape, every step was carefully considered.
Now, they had found the cat's general location, but knowing only that it was underground with no other information left her scratching her head.
Felicia could feel the cat's condition worsening, and she couldn't help but turn an expectant gaze toward Loya.
The only one she could rely on now was this legendary "king of commissions."
Loya looked into those watery big eyes, pondered for a moment, and said, "I think we can use a somewhat unpretentious method."
"What method?" Felicia became increasingly confused.
"Dig a tunnel."
"Huh?"
...Loya led Felicia in a circle around the dilapidated factory, finally stopping behind a pile of rocks a few hundred meters away.
If the previous location was the convergence center of energy, then this place was like a transport pipe, directing a certain energy toward it.
In this situation, there was at least a ninety-nine percent chance, if not a hundred percent, that those bastards from The Hand were up to something.
However, there wasn't a single member of The Handguarding the area around this dilapidated factory.
It was strange, but precisely because of this, it indicated that the location where the cat was held was definitely not to be trifled with.
Of course, it was also possible that the location was simply very far underground, so no one would suspect a problem below, and there was no need to waste expensive resources.
Loya wouldn't dig a tunnel directly from the center above; that would be a bit too risky.
If they were detected or fell into the enemy's nest unprepared, they would be far too passive.
Finding a place nearby and digging in bit by bit was undoubtedly the best choice.
The Hand probably wouldn't expect anyone to find their location, let alone use such a bizarre method as digging a tunnel.
Loya stretched his limbs, took out a "diamond pickaxe," and prepared to get to work.
Felicia watched Loya pull out a pixel-art style pickaxe from nowhere, her eyes filled with confusion.
No way, right?
He's really going to dig a tunnel?
She had thought Loya was just trying to lighten the mood.
For the first time, Felicia felt she couldn't understand someone; would this method really work?
But soon, she realized she was still under-experienced.
She saw Loya raise the pickaxe and strike the ground; a square hole instantly appeared, and the clump of soil vanished to parts unknown.
"???"
Felicia's face was full of question marks, and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
In the time it took her to rub her eyes, Loya had already disappeared from sight.
Felicia hurried to follow him.
Entering the tunnel, she found that the excavated areas were all perfectly regular squares.
A pickaxe digging out squares—it really was strange enough.
Could it be that the pickaxe was actually some kind of magic item?
Her thoughts began to wander; if she had this pickaxe during a theft, wouldn't she be able to come and go as she pleased? She could steal whatever she wanted.
Stealing something from underground and then making a run for it—who would ever suspect?
As she was thinking, she noticed that Loya, who had been frantically swinging the pickaxe, had stopped.
Felicia leaned close to Loya's ear and whispered, "What's wrong?"
Without realizing it, she had placed all her hope on Loya.
Loya turned his head and shushed her, his eyes staring straight at the ground beneath his feet.
He had already activated the "Death's Eye."
The Death's Eye had an X-ray function; through this layer of soil, he could clearly see the scene below.
The entire underground had been hollowed out and fashioned into an exceptionally eerie underground palace.
The walls and paths of the palace were made of bone, with flesh and blood interspersed between them, making one's Sanity Value plummet.
Upon those bones, strange, twisted symbols were inscribed.
Wisps of black smoke seeped out from them, as if they could disturb one's mind.
Even through the soil, a faint scent of blood could be smelled; one could imagine how brutal it was down there.
Loya was certain this was the work of The Hand; the style was too obvious.
To be able to dig such a large underground palace in Hell's Kitchen and collect so many bones was truly bizarre and perverse.
But in America, in New York, in Hell's Kitchen, it seemed it wasn't that unusual after all.
Loya followed the compass's direction, quickly swinging the pickaxe in his hand, and ten minutes later, he stopped once more.
This time, the compass was pointing downward.
Through his X-ray vision, he also saw why it was pointing down.
Because below, there was an abruptly sloping entrance; the light was dim, like an abyss.
In front of the entrance, two ninjas stood guard with alert expressions.
Clearly, this was the entrance to their destination; to get in, they had to pass through here.
Loya didn't plan to alert the enemy; in such an eerie place, a frontal assault was clearly somewhat irrational.
However, along the way, he had planted about twenty blocks of TNT. As soon as he found the cat, he would detonate them directly, showing these Hand bastards what the art of explosion was all about.
Loya turned his head and saw that Felicia, who had been silent for a long time, had a pained expression, as if she were suffering.
He asked, "Are you okay?"
"Ah?" Felicia snapped back to her senses and said with a frown, "The closer we get to the destination, the more I can feel the cat's state. It's in a lot of pain, and I'm suffering too."
Loya narrowed his eyes; so there was this kind of connection between an animal totem and its power bearer. He had learned something new.
"Hang in there. Now, hold me."
"What?" A hint of confusion flashed in Felicia's eyes. "Hold you now?"
"Yes." Loya nodded and opened his arms. "Hold me tight, then wrap your legs around my waist. Hold on tight."
As soon as these words were spoken, a flush of crimson instantly stained Felicia's face, and she sighed softly:
"Once we rescue the cat, you can do whatever you want, but doing this now isn't right, is it?"
Loya smirked and raised an eyebrow. "This is a necessary step. Miss, you wouldn't want to fail to rescue your animal partner, would you?"
Felicia felt these words were a bit strange, but after a slight hesitation, she hugged Loya tightly, wrapped her legs around his waist, and her face turned bright red as it rested against his shoulder.
Loya was a bit speechless. Why was she blushing? Wasn't America supposed to be very open? Besides, she had been quite bold when teasing him before; why was she being so weird now?
He didn't think much of it and quickly supported those firm buttocks. Fortunately, he was prepared and controlled his lower body's impulses, otherwise, he would have made a fool of himself.
Under Loya's wind manipulation, the two of them floated in mid-air, their posture resembling a seated meditation pose.
Felicia, her mind in a whirl, suddenly felt something cover them, but she couldn't see it and couldn't help asking, "What is this?"
"An invisibility cloak," Loya replied.
To infiltrate quietly, he naturally had to use the invisibility cloak.
But the invisibility cloak wasn't very large, and only the parts it covered would become invisible. If it were just Loya, it would be fine, but with two people, they had to compress their space.
This was the reason for this posture; it allowed the invisibility cloak to wrap around them completely without leaving any gaps. Otherwise, who would be in the mood to take advantage at a time like this?
"An invisibility cloak?" Felicia's pupils shook violently. This thing actually existed. "Then aren't you a born master thief?"
A pickaxe that could dig through the ground quickly, a cloak that could grant invisibility, and even the ability to fly—she couldn't imagine anything that could stop Loya from committing a theft.
At this moment, Felicia was filled with curiosity about the man she was holding tight; he was simply too mysterious.
"Don't worry about those details," Loya whispered in her ear. "The scene below is a bit horrifying, so prepare yourself mentally."
Having said that, he dug through the last bit of soil outside the two ninjas' field of vision and floated out through the entrance.
When she saw the scene below, Felicia's face instantly turned deathly pale.
She had never seen such a sight: walls made of bone and flesh, like a living hell. It was as if a veil had been lifted from the reality of the World.
And her cat was suffering right here. Thinking of this, she felt even worse and hugged him even tighter.
Loya flew slowly, passing directly between the ninjas without attracting anyone's attention.
Entering the tunnel, the feeling changed again; it was even colder and more eerie than above, and the bone-and-flesh walls were tinged with a sinister black color.
It was as if they had entered the Dark World, with flickering candlelight like the fires of hell.
But there were no guards inside, so Loya increased his speed.
After several hundred meters of unchanging passage, they rounded a corner, and a change finally appeared ahead.
There was an entrance emitting thick black smoke, radiating a sinister sense of foreboding.
And outside the entrance stood a serious-looking acquaintance.
It was Murakami, whom Loya had previously beaten until only a head remained.
Just as Loya thought the invisibility cloak was foolproof, some kind of anomaly occurred.
Murakami, who had been looking down with his eyes closed, suddenly snapped his head up. Killing intent surged in his eyes as they locked onto Loya's position, and he let out a thunderous shout: "Who's there!"
Before his voice had even faded, a katana was already slashing toward them!
47A beast that doesn't seem very smart
Murakami could hardly believe that his own power could be so strong, as if he could blow up the World with one punch.
Just now, he suddenly received a divine decree.
God told him that there were outsiders invading and granted him a portion of power to slay the invaders.
Sure enough, when the divine power entered his body, he looked up and saw a humanoid blood-colored aura floating in the air not far away.
Strangely enough, it looked like two people.
But that didn't matter; he only knew he had to kill the invaders who had already approached this place.
Writing this, I hope readers remember our domain, Taiwan Novel Website, the experience is great, twkan.com is awesome.
Draw sword!
Step forward!
Slash!
The movements were simple and fluid, done in one go.
Murakami felt that all his sword technique cultivation over the past few hundred years had merged into one at this moment; he was simply a new generation God of Blades!
"Die!!!"
With just one step, he crossed dozens of meters and slashed straight down, the sound of air being sliced howling in his ears.
He could even foresee the invader being smashed to pieces by his blade.
Clang!!!
Unexpectedly, there was no satisfying sound of a sharp blade cutting through flesh.
Instead, a deafening sound of metal clashing rang out.
At the same time, the katana in Murakami's hand shattered upon impact, fragments flying in all directions.
Murakami looked at the katana, of which only the hilt remained, his eyes wide with bewilderment.
Why did he feel... like this scene was familiar?
Murakami looked up, his pupils shrinking instantly, a look of disbelief on his face: "It's you!?"
Loya was holding Felicia in his left arm, his Armament Haki-covered right arm blocking in front of him, looking at Murakami playfully: "Little baka, we meet again. You're still such a weakling."
"baka yarou!"
This flat mockery immediately broke Murakami's composure, and he roared with a distorted face.
"You actually dare to bring a woman, you damn couple. I am no longer who I used to be. Witness the power of God!"
Before he finished speaking, he used his hand as a blade, leaped high, and slashed down with all his might.
Black smoke swirled around his hand, and the space rippled slightly; the power of this strike was extraordinary.
"Shine!!!"
The expected scene of Loya being sliced to pieces didn't happen; Murakami's figure suddenly jerked to a halt, stopping mid-air.
"This... what... when?"
He looked at his chest in disbelief, only to see a metal arm piercing through it, holding a bloody heart in its hand.
Puchi!
With a squeeze of the metal arm, the heart was crushed, blood splattering.
"Hehehehehe..."
Murakami, whose heart had been crushed, didn't die; instead, he began to laugh gloomily.
His eyes were as if stained with ink, turning completely black, and his whole being looked extremely eerie.
Murakami stared at Loya gloomily, his voice hoarse as if something was stuck in his throat: "I have the power of God, I am immortal, I will kill..."
"Divine Illumination!"
Before Murakami could finish, Loya had already raised his right hand, and boundless holy light erupted from it, illuminating the dark tunnel like daylight.
Boom!
The holy light shone in all directions, and the moment it touched Murakami, it was like cotton candy hitting water, instantly turning him into nothingness, not even a speck of dust remaining.
Even the eerie symbols in the tunnel were burned away by the holy light.
Loya's lips curled slightly: "I said next time I met you I'd baptize you with holy light and send you to the afterlife. Did you really think I'd let you enter phase two?"
"Save... please save... Maomao..."
At this moment, Felicia beside him spoke intermittently with a pained expression.
"It's about to fail."
"What?" Loya's expression changed drastically; this was the mission target, nothing could go wrong!
He placed Felicia on the ground and spoke rapidly: "I'll have to rely on you now."
"Ah? What? Are you talking about me?" Felicia pointed to herself, her eyes blank.
Whether it was the powerful holy light just now or the Japanese man's ability to return from the dead, it was all far beyond her understanding.
Rely on her? How? She couldn't steal anything in this situation.
Loya pressed his hands on Felicia's shoulders and said solemnly: "Now, you are my mount."
As he finished speaking, Loya flipped over and sat directly on the back of Felicia's neck.
Felicia's physical fitness was only slightly inferior to Peter's, so bearing the weight of an adult male was naturally no problem.
Loya's ability "King of Riding" also took effect at this moment.
Boom!
A roar seemed to flash through his mind, and an unprecedented feeling surged into his heart.
Loya could sense every detail of Felicia's body beneath him.
Where there was damage, where it was most sensitive, how to exert full power, how to move fastest, how to correct what was wrong... everything like this was revealed in minute detail.
It could be said he understood Felicia's body better than she did herself.
This was the King of Riding, complete mastery over mounts and vehicles; the effect was even more terrifying than imagined.
Theoretically, through this ability, the one being ridden can find their own flaws and mend them, greatly increasing their combat power.
The most important thing was that Loya was currently using "Absolute Value," but Felicia could carry him; this was the reason he had brought her down.
To be honest, when Loya climbed onto Felicia, she was completely stunned.
She couldn't understand the meaning of this behavior at all; it was bizarre to the extreme.
But when Loya actually sat on her shoulders, Feliciasuddenly had another feeling.
Her own body was being completely controlled, seemingly becoming a high-speed and precision-operated instrument; every muscle mobilized for power was perfect and incredibly precise.
Even that uncomfortable feeling was excluded.
Even stranger, she could feel Loya's commands; even without him speaking, her body would subconsciously perform the actions.
This gave her the feeling of being stripped naked.
No time to feel ashamed; Loya on her shoulders shouted: "Attack!"
At the command, Felicia exerted force, her figure as fast as lightning as she rushed toward the hole emitting black smoke.
A slender woman with a sturdy man emitting holy light straddling her shoulders, moving rapidly—the scene was bizarre no matter how you looked at it.
While running, Loya quickly consumed the "Enlargement Pill" and "can of popeyes spinach"; the next part might not be so simple, so he had to be fully prepared.
Before the full-powered holy light, the black smoke receded rapidly, interspersed with the miserable wails of dead souls.
But at this moment, Felicia's face was calm as water, her eyes full of determination.
This was the "Firm Will," one of the buff effects of the "Divine Illumination."
It could be called a divine tool for team combat.
The two entered the black smoke-filled cave in a bizarre posture.
Loya hadn't had time to observe the surroundings.
When he saw a Black Cat with glossy fur and an incredibly agile body appear less than ten centimeters in front of him, opening its large mouth and letting out an earth-shaking roar.
"Ha!!!"
"Get lost!"
Loya was startled and subconsciously threw a heavy punch.
His fist was wrapped in the colors of various powers like Haki, holy light, wind element, and Surge of Killing Intent.
"Boom!"
The Black Cat came fast and left even faster, flying back like a cannonball.
It slammed hard against the wall, making the ground shake and rubble fly.
Loya thought to himself that something was wrong; that punch didn't feel like it hit a living creature, but rather a ball of cotton, as if the power had been absorbed.
Taking advantage of the Black Cat being knocked back, he activated the "Death's Eye" and quickly scanned the surroundings.
A blood pool, eerie symbols, an altar, and a tiny crack above the blood pool.
That crack seemed to connect to another space, with a continuous stream of dark power pouring out of it.
"That was Maomao just now!" Felicia realized and shouted at the top of her lungs. With such a powerful punch, her Maomao couldn't be dead, could it?
"Don't worry, it won't die." Loya narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the dust-filled air.
"Hehehe." A hoarse, evil laugh came from the darkness, and a Black Cat stepped through the void, walking out of the darkness with elegant Maomao steps.
It looked at Loya with an appreciative gaze: "Not bad. To think there's a human who can enhance their physique to this extent. It's just that I don't quite like the posture you two are in."
After speaking, the Black Cat bathed in holy light, showing a comfortable expression: "Incredible, this is the highest grade of purification magic I've ever seen. Unfortunately, it's not enough; the dispersal speed can't keep up with the recovery speed of my power."
Loya frowned; with this posture, he was almost certain that the one speaking through the Maomao was the Dimensional Demon God worshipped by The Hand—the "Beast."
"What did you do to the Maomao?" Felicia asked, summoning her courage.
The Beast's voice was very frenzied: "This? I plan to assimilate it into a part of me. When the time comes, you will also become my slave. This is my gift to you, hahahahaha."
"You beast!" Felicia trembled with rage, not knowing what to do, and could only glare at the opponent.
"Hahahaha, the wailing of weak creatures is truly pleasant to hear. But compared to your wailing, I'm more interested in the one on your head." The Beast looked directly at Loya, its eyes reflecting an ultimate desire, like a wolf seeing a sheep.
"Oh? Tell me more?" Loya responded while quickly thinking of a strategy.
The Beast's eyes lit up, speaking bluntly: "Become my spokesperson walking in the reality dimension, and all will be forgiven. Everyone in The Hand will obey you. Whether you kill them all or make them your helpers in ruling the World, anything is fine."
"Oh?" A look of desire appeared on Loya's face. "That condition is indeed very tempting."
Beneath him, Felicia's heart skipped a beat as an ill feeling welled up. Such a temptation might be hard for anyone to refuse.
Seeing that Loya seemed moved, the Beast pushed further: "I can give you invincible power and eternal life. Submit to me, and everything will be yours."
"I see." Loya rubbed his chin. "Then, can you help me pick up that banana peel?"
"banana peel?" The Beast was slightly stunned, its gaze subconsciously shifting downward, where it saw the banana peel right by Felicia's feet.
With just that one look, an indescribable desire filled the Beast's heart, overriding all other thoughts.
This banana peel had to be stepped on; if it wasn't, being a demon god was meaningless.
So it moved, fast as lightning, and stepped right onto the banana peel.
"Now's the chance!"
Loya had been waiting for this very opportunity. The moment the Beast slipped and tried to get up, he appeared on the Beast's body and sat down.
King of Riding!
"Hahahaha!"
The Beast laughed loudly, making the entire cave tremble.
"Using a strange item that can affect me just to ride on me? Interesting, truly interesting. Then become my slave."
Having said that, the Beast exerted sudden force, intending to mobilize dark power to attack Loya.
And then... nothing happened.
"What did you do?" At this moment, the Beast's voice carried a hint of panic. He actually couldn't control the Maomao's body anymore; a higher unknown power had taken over the form.
Loya smiled: "Your power has been stripped away!"
This was actually the effect of "King of Riding," perfectly controlling the Maomao's body so that the Beast could not manipulate it.
Loya had come up with this plan in a short time after seeing the physical stats of the Maomao possessed by the Beast, its complete lack of fear toward holy light, and the infinite supply of dark energy gushing from the crack.
If he couldn't win with power, he would use concepts and mechanics to combat these powerful existences.
Fortunately, the mechanics of the "banana peel" and "King of Riding" were clearly superior to the Beast, allowing him to take it down directly.
But now was not the time for celebration. The Beast inside the Maomao clearly wasn't the main body. If the main body acted through that crack, it would be over.
Loya hurriedly shouted: "Get on the Maomao! We're running!"
"Ah? Okay, okay." Felicia, still in a daze, snapped back to her senses and lay directly on Loya's back, her arms around his neck.
Today had not only refreshed her worldview but also allowed her to witness an unprecedented way of fighting. It was so damn weird—why were they riding around like that?
After Felicia got on, Loya threw dozens of TNT blocks and an enchanted holy grenade into the cave.
Then, he directly took flight with the wind and took out a diamond pickaxe to dig upward frantically.
The Beast's voice echoed incessantly in his ears: "Impossible, this is impossible! This is a body I control. How could you strip me of my rights to use it? What exactly did you do?"
Loya didn't bother to answer the Beast, just digging upward like crazy. The dark power behind him was growing denser; that wasn't a good sign.
Under his frantic digging, in just a few minutes, they saw the light of day again, with stars dotting the night sky.
At the same time, the entire ground was shaking violently.
But this had nothing to do with the Beast; it was because Loya had detonated all the TNT and that holy grenadebelow.
"Boom!"
"hallelujah!"
Continuous explosions were mixed with a holy cry.
The ground began to collapse frantically. In just dozens of seconds, the entire Dilapidated Factory Area was completely destroyed, leaving only a deep pit emitting black smoke.
As for Loya, he had long since disappeared... returning to the Villa.
Felicia had a look of lingering fear, yet also a sense of excitement; today's encounter was truly too thrilling.
She looked at Loya, about to thank him, but found Loya's brow furrowed as he stared solemnly at the Maomaobeneath him.
Felicia suddenly had a bad feeling: "Is there still a problem?"
Loya nodded. He found that the Beast was still inside the Maomao. It was ridiculous—how was it still there after the energy nodes had been blown up?
He didn't dare get off now, fearing the guy had other tricks, which would make all previous efforts in vain.
Loya thought for a moment and remembered the Horse Talisman's ability to expel external forces.
Action followed thought; a blue light fell upon the Maomao.
"Ah!!!"
A shrill wail rang out.
It wasn't the Maomao, nor the Beast, but Felicia.
Dense black patterns rapidly spread, almost covering her entire body, and she fell to the ground in pain.
Loya stopped the power of the Horse Talisman in time and looked at the Maomao he was sitting on in disbelief.
Through "King of Riding's" total control over the Maomao's body, he discovered that the external force the Horse Talisman was expelling wasn't the Beast's power, but the Maomao's own. This process had accelerated the Beast's assimilation of the Maomao.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Hahahaha." Just then, the Beast laughed loudly in a mocking tone: "Incredible, incredible. You actually have such a Rule Artifact that can expel external forces.
"Unfortunately, you don't understand Root Assimilation at all. In this dead Maomao's body, my power is now the essence, and its own power has become the external force.
"Hahahaha, keep going, keep helping me! Hahahaha, help me take complete control of it and make that woman my slave. I'll have her procreate with all males, hahahahaha, you idiot!"
"Damn, what a sinister dimensional demon god. Truly not to be underestimated."
Loya was speechless for a moment, his expression grim. He didn't know what to do either. Now, holy light couldn't be used; the assimilation was too deep, and purification would be equivalent to erasing the Maomao's existence.
"Idiot, do you want to save them? I can give you a choice."
Loya said coldly: "Choice my ass!"
"Hehehehe." The Beast laughed instead of getting angry. "Want to save them? Just exchange yourself. Two for one, a very good deal."
Hearing this, Loya's eyes lit up, and he asked: "What do you mean?"
The Beast's voice carried ultimate desire: "From the first moment I saw you, I set my sights on your body. Let your body become the vessel for my power, and I can let the two of them go."
"Why should I believe you, you damn demon god?" Loyacurled his lip.
The Beast smiled gently: "Compared to you humans, we demon gods are much more trustworthy. As long as a contract is signed, we demon gods will not violate it."
"Contract?"
Hearing those two words, Loya subconsciously glanced at an ability on his system panel.
[Inequality: You can violate any supernatural contract without being punished]
48Finally fell for it
Finally, he fell for it.
Inside the Villa, a strange silence suddenly descended.
The Beast grinned and swallowed; this body was perfectly to his taste.
Balanced in development, every part was so powerful and perfect—it was as if it were custom-made for him.
Moreover, there were various powerful abilities and rare items. If he could occupy it completely, the plan discussed by those Demon Gods could truly begin.
Loya lowered his head in thought, pretending to hesitate. He wondered if being too decisive would arouse suspicion.
The Beast, that old thing, was a Demon God after all. If the deception failed, there would be big trouble. He had to put on an act.
At this moment, the Beast spoke slowly, his voice deep: "Human, is there still a need to consider? Two for one—it's a great deal. Perhaps we can even discuss other terms."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Just then, Felicia coughed violently a few times.
She forced herself to prop up her body and grabbed Loya's arm, her voice hoarse: "Don't do this, don't be bewitched by the demon... Demons can't be trusted. Maybe there's another way."
She felt the dark power emanating from the Kitty's body—it was immeasurably powerful. They couldn't win; they would lose. There was no need to involve innocent people.
Furthermore, Loya was just an outsider who had taken a commission; there was no need for him to get so involved.
Loya glanced at Felicia, his eyes lighting up as an idea suddenly struck him.
He scooped Felicia up and pinned her onto the sofa, wantonly kneading her body.
He sneered, "You Demon God, why do you think I would give up my own freedom and life for a woman and a cat? Do you think I'm a fool? I don't care at all!"
Humiliation and anger flashed in Felicia's eyes before turning into deep confusion. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes reddened. She wanted to struggle but was powerless, left to endure the wanton insult and let out whimpers of humiliation.
"Hehehe."
The Beast laughed deeply, his tone filled with the sense that he had seen through everything.
"If you truly didn't care, you wouldn't have barged in front of me, let alone have been so nervous when she was affected. What are you pretending for now? I've seen through everything long ago."
Loya's face stiffened, and he argued stubbornly, "Then look at me insulting her like this—is this what you call caring? It seems your insight as a Demon God is nothing special after all."
"Hahahaha!"
Hearing this, the Beast burst into laughter, his tone full of mockery and disdain.
"I saw through it all long ago. You just lust after her body. You're so despicable; right now, you're just satisfying your own desires."
As he spoke, he actually began to analyze: "I know what you're thinking. At first, you thought you could easily defeat me, save this dead cat, show off your strength, earn her admiration, and then step by step, possess everything she has!"
"However," the Beast's voice was incomparably arrogant, "you can't do anything to me. If you can't save the cat, you can't save this woman. But you still want her body, don't you? Otherwise, you could have just left."
Loya was stunned for a moment. This Beast was so good at overthinking that he'd finished the story Loya hadn't even made up yet. But this suited his purposes perfectly.
Loya tilted Felicia's chin up. "You're right. I do lust after her body. I am despicable. But because of that, it's even more impossible for me to sign your contract. If I do, what will I have left to enjoy her with?"
"Hehe, greedy human." The Beast seemed to have expected this. "Then we return to what I told you at the beginning. Become my representative, just like The Five Fingers of The Hand, but you will lead everything. I can let you control the entire Earth."
"Hehe." Loya gave a cold laugh. "That's a decent offer. However, I want to add one condition: you must give up on assimilating the Kitty and Felicia."
"Human, you are too greedy!"
The Beast couldn't help but feel some anger. It had been a long time since he'd seen a human so greedy yet so self-righteous.
"If I give up on assimilating them, it would be exactly what you want, allowing you to deal with me however you like. Do you think I'm a fool?"
Loya let go of Felicia and instead stroked the head of the Kitty beneath him, his tone as if he were comforting an idiot:
"Have you ever thought about it? Since you've completely assimilated their origins and made them a part of you... if I toy with them, wouldn't that be the same as toying with you? Unless you have that kind of fetish?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Villa fell into an instant silence, with only the sound of breathing remaining.
Felicia was lost. She stared blankly at Loya, completely unable to understand this man's thoughts.
Was he saving her? Was he joining the demon? Or was he treating her as a plaything? She felt utterly confused.
The Beast fell into a direct silence because the angle of that statement was so tricky. Upon closer thought, it was damnably logical.
Loya pressed his advantage. "Don't you have contracts? Why not just use your contract to restrict me? Or are you saying your so-called contracts are actually fake?"
"No, no, no," the Beast hastily denied. "The contract is naturally valid and effective. I just think your perspective on the matter is... unique."
Loya smiled slightly, patting Felicia's head. "Then hurry up and draw up the contract; I'm already losing my patience. By the way, this is a partnership. You give me power, I do things for you. A fair trade, right?"
The Beast nodded. "Correct, it is a fair trade."
Even as he said this, he was sneering in his heart: "Greedy and lustful human, our Demon God contracts have a specialized set of loopholes. Just wait to become my vessel. Hahahaha!"
"No, making a deal with a demon will definitely... mmmph..."
Loya directly covered Felicia's mouth, physically silencing her.
Felicia stared at Loya with wide, anxious eyes, her expression pleading with him not to be deceived and not to trust the demon.
Ignoring her, Loya released part of his suppression on the Beast, allowing him to use dark energy through the Kitty's body to draw up a magic circle for the contract.
Soon, a magic circle shrouded in black mist was inscribed on the ground.
Normally, the contracts of Demon Gods or demons were on some kind of magical medium, like magic parchment or a grimoire, to show their nobility and the importance they placed on the agreement.
But in this situation, both of them had hidden agendas, so they could only use a simplified version, though the effect was the same.
Once the magic circle was inscribed, the Beast began drafting the contract, with twisted symbols emerging one by one above the circle.
Loya couldn't understand the symbols, but he could sense the meaning they represented—this was likely an effect of the contract circle.
The general gist of the contract was that the Beast would stop assimilating the Kitty and allow Loya to borrow his power. In return, Loya would help the Beast achieve his goal of a complete invasion of reality and become his power vessel. Violators would be sanctioned by the laws of the Universe.
This "helping to invade reality" was quite broad, so Loyapointed it out with feigned suspicion:
"This is a bit too broad. What if you tell me to go to my death? You should add a clause saying 'within my capabilities.'"
"Very well, clever human." The Beast didn't refuse; instead, he offered a compliment and quickly added the condition. He had plenty of ways to toy with this human.
Next was the final step: signing their names.
The magic circle flickered with a faint light.
Loya's mind jolted as he felt a connection-like link emerge in his consciousness. By focusing his thoughts on it, he could sign his true name.
Without any hesitation, the Beast immediately signed his true name, and a string of symbols representing it slowly appeared on the magic circle.
Loya didn't hesitate either; with a thought, he signed his name.
Once their names were fully inscribed, the magic circle blazed with light, illuminating the Villa like broad daylight. With a boom, the circle vanished, and the contract was established.
As the light faded, the Villa returned to darkness.
The Beast and Loya both sneered in their hearts simultaneously.
"This greedy human has finally fallen for it! Hahaha! A perfect vessel, our plan, and the Reality Dimension—here I come!"
"This idiot Beast has finally fallen for it! My mission is complete!"
49New system features have been unlocked.
New system function unlocked.
As the contract was fully signed, the Beast immediately began to act.
Inside the Villa's living room, the air seemed to freeze.
Thick black smoke began to pour from Maomao's body, gradually converging in the air; these were the manifestations of the Beast's power.
However, the dark power in the air was perceptibly much weaker than before.
Such is the nature of Dimensional Demon God; under the suppression of a certain bald sorcerer, they require a host to exert power in reality.
Otherwise, they would soon be worn down by the magic array shrouding the entire Earth's reality dimension, as well as the rules of the reality dimension itself, making it difficult to maintain their power.
With a host, consumption is greatly reduced, rules can be bypassed to a certain extent, and a stable connection can be established.
In the future, the Kaecilius who killed the Ancient Onewould become Dormammu's host, played like a puppet.
As the Beast's power departed, Maomao's own internal power began to retake control of her body, gradually repairing the physical form that had been eroded by dark energy.
Now, the master and source of Maomao's body was no longer the Beast, but Maomao herself.
Loya then acted decisively, the light of the Horse Talismanflashing by, instantly purging all residual dark energy within Maomao's body.
Maomao's own power quickly filled her entire body, though for some reason, she did not wake up.
But Maomao was undoubtedly out of the danger of being controlled by the Beast.
[Felicia Favorability: 90]
"Ah~"
At the same time, a highly seductive soft moan came from the side.
Loya turned to look and saw Felicia's cheeks were flushed crimson, her red lips parted unconsciously; the black patterns on her body were visibly receding, quickly vanishing completely.
Feeling that Maomao was out of danger, Felicia stared at Loya with a complex gaze; her partner was saved, but it seemed a far more terrifying existence had been created.
A powerful existence capable of suppressing an animal totem, combined with someone like Loya who had formidable abilities and an endless supply of items.
Felicia didn't know who else could suppress them or what kind of terrifying slaughter would be created, but her feelings for Loya... "Hahahahaha, this perfect body, here I come!"
The Beast's evil laughter interrupted Felicia's thoughts.
The roiling mass of black mist condensed into a hideous face and lunged toward Loya, looking as if it intended to devour him.
"No!"
Felicia shouted subconsciously; her intuition told her that the Beast was about to do something very bad.
Unfortunately... her warning was useless; she could only watch helplessly as the Beast pounced, her heart nearly breaking.
This was part of the contract, and no one could stop it.
Except for... Loya.
"Get lost!"
Invisible air currents and dark red Fire intertwined around Loya's hand, forming a giant flaming palm.
With a loud slap, it struck the Beast's hideous face hard.
*Pfft!*
The Beast wasn't sent flying but was directly dispersed, only to reconvene a moment later.
He howled in disbelief, his expression becoming even more distorted:
"How dare you! You actually dare to refuse my entry into your body? You are violating the contract! The judgment of the Universe's laws will leave not even a speck of you remaining!"
Loya spread his hands nonchalantly, looking completely unbothered, and even raised an eyebrow at the Beast tauntingly.
"Yeah, yeah, everything you said is right, but so what?" He shrugged. "Do I look like I'm in trouble?"
The Beast's expression changed drastically; he sensed the laws of the Universe and found no intention of judgment. Not believing it, he checked the contract again.
This time he was dumbfounded; in the contract, Loya's name was still there, and the contract showed that the terms had been violated and punishment should be meted out.
But the laws of the Universe showed absolutely no reaction, as if Loya didn't exist at all.
The Beast couldn't understand; in his long existence, he had never encountered such a thing. Was this guy in front of him the child of the Universe's laws? He's totally using a backdoor!
"No! This is impossible! How could you violate the contract? I am the creator of the contract, even I cannot violate it, so why can you?"
The Beast's voice was filled with unbelievable rage.
Loya sneered inwardly: "Why? Because I one-shotted it with Inequality! To hell with your contract, I'll just use Inequality."
Naturally, he wouldn't tell the Beast the reason; instead, he wanted to thoroughly humiliate this loser: "Don't be in such a hurry, Lord, I'll give you a treat."
"Divine Illumination!"
Dazzling holy light erupted instantly, illuminating the entire Villa as if it were broad daylight.
"Aaaaaagh!!!"
The Beast's black mist was frantically worn down and purified, causing him to let out a shrill shriek.
This mass of black mist was equivalent to a miniature clone of the Beast; without an energy supply, it naturally couldn't ignore the power of purification like it did in the Catacombs.
"You deserve to die!"
"I will definitely kill you!"
"You despicable oath-breaker!"
"Aaaaagh, no!"
The Beast cursed and howled in pain, as if someone had done 'that' to him.
Soon, the black mist that was originally as large as two human heads was reduced to the size of a fist, and the Beast's voice grew increasingly faint.
At that moment, Loya deactivated the Divine Illumination.
The Beast was momentarily dazed, thinking the other party had run out of energy.
Who would have known that as soon as he expanded his senses, he would shudder violently, nearly causing the remaining black mist to disperse.
*Crack!*
A crisp sonic boom rang out in the air, and a pitch-black long whip appeared in Loya's hand.
You don't know until you try, but once you do, it's a shock.
In the room, the person, the cat, and the demon god were all stunned simultaneously.
Felicia trembled and slumped onto the sofa.
Even Maomao, who hadn't woken up yet, twitched involuntarily at the sound of the whip.
The Beast was nearly shaken into dispersion.
"This is that ridiculous?"
Loya was startled inwardly as he stared at the pitch-black whip in his hand.
[farmers whip: Restrains black creatures; when attacking black creatures, it deals extra damage and exerts mental deterrence against them.]
The Beast was currently a mass of black mist, and Maomao was black, so it was understandable they were deterred.
But what was up with Felicia?
She was just wearing a black bodysuit, did that count too?
Loya's gaze toward the whip changed instantly; this could be considered a conceptual weapon. No matter if it's black clothes or black skin, if it's black, it's countered and deterred.
He looked at the Beast's remaining black mist and slowly raised his left hand, a ball of black flames condensing in his palm.
Seeing the black flames, the Beast instantly lost his composure and roared hoarsely: "Impossible! Why can you still use my power? Aaaaagh!!!"
He didn't understand why Loya wasn't bound by the contract but could still use his power, and he couldn't even refuse because of the contract itself.
This two-party contract had turned into a one-sided unequal treaty that only restricted him, a demon god; it was truly the first case in history.
Seeing the Beast completely break down, Loya felt incredibly satisfied. With a casual swing, the "farmers whip" cracked, directly whipping the Beast into total dissipation.
He wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead; this mission had been quite thrilling. Fortunately, he was a cut above the rest—it was all about wisdom.
Putting away the whip, Loya was about to check the mission rewards when he suddenly felt a soft, fragrant body pounce on him.
Felicia bit her lip and breathed like orchids into his ear: "Thank you for saving us. So you were pretending all along, how naughty."
Loya was about to speak when his face suddenly turned red and his waist bent slightly, because a soft, delicate hand had somehow already grasped his Supreme Bone.
He suddenly remembered that the favorability had already surpassed ninety.
"Uh, wait."
"Wait for what?" Felicia's voice was full of temptation. "Weren't you craving my body? What are you waiting for?"
"No," Loya explained, "that was to trick the Beast..."
"Don't explain."
Felicia looked directly at Loya, her gaze lingering like silk, her pupils almost forming heart shapes.
She lightly licked her lips with her red tongue and then kissed him fiercely, laughing softly and indistinctly: "Now... I'm the one craving your body, I'm the shameless one, hehehe~"
"Mmgh!"
Loya let out a muffled groan, his face flushing as his Supreme Bone stood proud.
No, I can't hold on... then... let nature take its course.
The two of them tumbled onto the sofa together, eyes meeting, embracing passionately.
*Rip~*
"Mmgh~ This is my first time doing this. How do you know everything about me like the back of your hand? Even better than I do?"
"Perhaps because I am the King of Riding."
"In the Catacombs, I was your mount; now I want you to be mine."
"Let's try it."
"Mmm~ So amazing~ Should I take off the bodysuit?"
"No, this is exactly the effect I want."
On the sofa, a scene of boundless spring unfolded as Loyaand Felicia explored the origins of mankind and the essence of life together... The next day, the sun was bright.
Sunlight spilled onto the messy sheets, and the air still carried the lingering atmosphere of last night.
Loya sat up in bed and glanced at Felicia, who was sleeping peacefully beside him, snuggled up like a kitten.
He had worked hard last night; they had explored every inch of the Villa in another way, fighting for the entire night until just now.
Loya naturally felt no pressure; he declared: I want to take on ten!
It was only after Felicia was tired enough to fall asleep that he had time to check the mission rewards.
[Mission'Search' Completed]
[Rewards: EXP +2000, Felicia Favorability +40, Item 'A Hat', Item 'kimi mask']
['A Hat': This is a pink hat, said to be worn by a certain Ancient God in human form. After putting it on, no one can probe your heart or consciousness.]
[Evaluation: God cannot be looked upon directly!]
['kimi mask': A mask in the image of a cute orange cat that can emit a soul-shaking hissing sound, exerting a deterrent effect on all felines (it has miraculous effects when paired with items that amplify sound!)]
[Evaluation: Beneath the cowardly appearance of Gimi lies a pure bloodline of kings.]
[Mission'Save' Completed]
[Rewards: EXP +5000, Felicia Favorability +20, animal totem Favorability +60, Ability 'Mind Meditation', Special Item 'Bronze Dagger']
['Mind Meditation': Max level Mind Meditation. You can enter a state of perfect meditation anytime, anywhere. In this state, you can observe the World from another perspective and feel the flow of natural energy. You can enter others' consciousness, dreams, minds, etc.]
[Evaluation: Hypnosis? That's so weak!]
['Bronze Dagger': A short sword with almost no attack power. Legend has it that this was the first weapon used by an existence that transcended the gods when setting out on their journey. Holding this sword may earn the respect of gods, frighten some gods, or shatter some unexpected things.]
[Evaluation: Upon reaching the end of the journey, whether mortal or immortal, everything acknowledges your divinity.]
[Felicia Favorability has reached 90, unlocking a special function (Another special function unlocks at 100 favorability)]
[Friend Teleportation has been enabled. At 60 favorability, you can teleport to a friend's side or teleport a friend to yours.]
[Felicia Favorability 90: Using Felicia as an anchor, performing a special draw.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained a special attribute: Luck ×1 (This is a special attribute and cannot be increased with attribute points.)]
[You have opened a new system: Bond (90 Favorability)]
[Unlocked Bond Target: Felicia]
[Bond: Black Cat, Animal Friend]
[Black Cat: Increases movement speed and strengthens stealth capability.]
[Animal Friend: Increases animal favorability; receive attribute bonuses when in the wild (Attribute bonuses increase based on favorability with different animal totems).]
[You have triggered a hidden side quest.]
[Mission: Scourge of Animal Totems]
[Objective: None for now (Opens after triggering stage conditions)]
50Buy one get one free cat-eared girl
Buy One Get One Free Cat Girl
"Phew, what a bountiful harvest. This feels amazing."
Loya looked over the system panel, sighing in his heart.
With this wave of missions over, the items and abilities he gained were very useful.
A hat that could prevent others from peering into his mind; it would be much easier to trick Dimensional Demon Godin the future. After all, some Dimensional Demon Godreally did have mind-reading abilities.
He was considering whether to expand his business because his body seemed to be very popular with Dimensional Demon God.
The Beast had wanted to occupy this body from the very beginning. One could say it liked it, wanted it, and was obsessed with it.
Other Dimensional Demon God might be the same. He just had to find a way to bait them. He didn't know if those demon gods had a group chat; if he got exposed, it would be difficult.
Loya spread his hand, and a cloud of black mist condensed in it.
This was the power of the dimension where the Beast resided. Loya could borrow it whenever he wanted. If the Beast didn't lend it, it would suffer a contract penalty. It was incredibly satisfying; it was practically an absolutely unfair treaty.
He made up his mind to symbolically borrow it every morning, noon, and night from now on. Not for anything else, but just to purely disgust that bastard, the Beast.
As for being eroded by dark energy? There was no need to worry about that. He had the Horse Talisman, which focused on being undisturbed by external forces.
The "kimi mask" looked quite abstract, but its deterrence against felines was very overbearing.
The effect of the "farmers whip" from before was still fresh in his memory; in a sense, it was a conceptual item.
And then there was this "Mind Meditation," which could sense the flow of energy. Finding The Hand would be much easier in the future.
Those bastards loved to build their strongholds on natural energy nodes. He would blow them up one by one whenever he saw them—a bunch of rats in the gutter.
Entering the minds of others was even more powerful. It directly allowed Loya to add "psychiatrist" to his title of "Divine Kidney Doctor." Entering someone's mind to find problems—who would dare say that didn't count as being a psychiatrist?
There were so many troubled heroes in Marvel; this ability would definitely be of great use in the future.
As for the "Bronze Dagger," it seemed unremarkable, but based on his experience, such items usually had great use in certain special circumstances.
He still had no clue about that hidden side plot, but it definitely had something to do with the animal totem.
Of course, the biggest gain was the new system.
One teleport, one Bond, and one Special Draw.
Not to mention Friend Teleport; using friends to travel, combined with the previous "portal," he could pull off some fancy tricks at critical moments.
This Bond and Special Draw were real, solid good things.
Loya had always felt that the favorability system would be of great use, and as expected, it was.
Bonds enhanced abilities in all aspects, and it was a kind of blessing similar to rules.
For example, if a normal person suddenly broke through to the speed of sound out of thin air, their body wouldn't be able to handle it, but what the Bond gave was different.
Speeding up was just speeding up; it wouldn't cause any burden on the body. It was like opening a backdoor in the rules.
It was worth unlocking and developing more.
As for the Special Draw function, it used characters whose favorability had reached the standard as anchors. He didn't know exactly what could be drawn.
Loya drew a Lucky Attribute Point.
As the saying goes, what do you need for a lucky draw? Don't you just need dog-tier luck?
This Lucky Attribute Point was also very good.
Snap!
At that moment, the light click of a lighter brought Loyaback from studying the new functions.
Looking towards the sound, his eyes widened, feeling it was utterly ridiculous.
"There's even such a thing?"
He saw a black cat with a lithe body, glossy fur, and excellent appearance sitting upright on the table, its posture very elegant and noble.
But she had a cigarette in her mouth and was holding a lighter with two paws, skillfully flicking it to light the cigarette.
She took a deep puff and actually began to blow out clouds of smoke. Amidst the swirling smoke, the black cat squinted her eyes, looking completely blissful. One look and you could tell she was an old smoker, a cat with a heavy addiction.
Loya was very curious about the animal totem. He walked closer to observe carefully and spoke softly: "Kitty? You know how to do this too?"
"Hmm? It's just smoking. Is this deity not allowed?" The kitty glanced sideways at Loya.
Loya's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't because the cat could talk, but because the cat's voice was that deep, seductive big sister type. It turned out she was an onee-san cat.
Looking at the cat's cute appearance, he couldn't help but take her into his arms, sit on the sofa, and start petting her.
Hmm, the fur felt smooth and soft—a top-tier cat.
Loya stroked the cat's head and asked, "When did you wake up?"
The cat purred, blowing out smoke while answering lazily, "Not long after you two started reproducing. I watched from the side all night, and neither of you noticed."
"Uh..." Loya was a bit embarrassed, not knowing what to say. Having someone watch while in battle was a bit... something.
The cat squinted and smiled. "Don't be shy. Thank you for saving me. As the only person in all these years recognized by me as qualified to engage in reproductive activities with Felicia, you're quite good."
"Uh..." Loya was slightly stunned. No wonder Felicia was still a first-timer; it was because of the cat. He couldn't help but follow up: "You even manage this?"
The cat took one last puff, and with a gentle squeeze of her paw, the cigarette butt was extinguished by an invisible force.
She stretched her body and slowly lay down on Loya's lap. "Do you want to know why?"
Loya nodded; he was truly curious.
The next moment, his eyes instantly widened.
A white light flashed over the cat. Loya only felt a weight on his lap, and a graceful, hot body landed in his arms.
"Holy crap, a Cat Girl!"
The cat from just now had completely changed its appearance.
Dressed in exotic clothes, she was tall with a curvaceous figure. Her skin was a healthy wheat color, and her whole body exuded a sense of wild beauty.
Her small face was extremely exquisite. Between her brows, wildness and divinity blended perfectly, creating an intense allure that made it hard to look away. On her smooth black hair sat a pair of cat ears, adding to the ultimate temptation.
The Cat Girl reached out to stroke Loya's cheek. "The cat is one of my forms. Felicia should have told you about her and me."
Loya nodded. It was about Felicia's heart being crushed and then being brought back to life.
The Cat Girl slowly explained:
"Back then, I encountered a very powerful enemy. After repelling them, I was also seriously injured. Felicia suffered collateral damage because of it. To save her, I could only choose to merge and coexist with her."
Speaking of this, her face flushed, and her eyes drifted to the side. "In other words, she and I are one in a certain sense. Whatever you did to her, I could feel it too. Now you understand why, right?"
Loya suddenly realized and was greatly shocked. There was even a buy one get one free deal like this? He had hit the jackpot.
He felt the system should give him an achievement now. After all, he could be considered half someone who had been with a goddess.
The Cat Girl wriggled her body. "I am not just the cat totem; I am also the goddess who governs home, fertility, and protection. You can call me Bastet."
Loya was startled at first, then instinctively started thinking about who could have beaten a goddess so miserably that she had to merge with someone to save them. Was it related to the side mission?
Bastet seemed to guess what Loya was thinking. She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered:
"Don't think too much. If you want to know, I'll tell you when the time is right. I can share Felicia's feelings, but I haven't experienced them personally yet. Want to try?"
Looking at those seductive eyes and the slightly twitching animal ears, how could Loya refuse such a warm invitation?
"Bring it on!"
The sun rose high. Clouds and rain, turning heaven and earth upside down, hearty and dripping... [Cat Totem (Cat Goddess Bastet) Favorability +15, Current Favorability: 75]
...While Loya was having a blast, someone on the other side was suffering.
The Hand headquarters, a dim secret room.
In a churning pool of blood, Murakami's mangled body slowly bobbed.
After a whole night, his body hadn't fully repaired. While confused, he was also very terrified.
He had failed again, easily defeated by that damn man. He was even holding a girl with one hand. It was highly damaging and extremely insulting at the same time.
Now Murakami didn't know how things were with "God." He only hoped nothing would go wrong.
Creak~
Just as he was feeling uneasy, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Madame Gao's aged figure slowly stepped in.
Murakami hastily asked, "Madame Gao, how is it with God? That damn fellow somehow sneaked into the Sacrificial Ground."
Madame Gao didn't speak, just stared intently at Murakami.
Murakami looked back in confusion. When he saw a pair of eyes completely different from usual, his whole body was instantly enveloped in extreme terror, his voice trembling:
"God... God... It's you..."
Madame Gao gave a cold smile and slowly spoke. What came out was the Beast's low, distorted voice: "You useless trash, you can't do anything right. From now on, among The Five Fingers, you no longer exist."
"No, God, give me another chance! I can definitely complete your task, I beg you." Murakami, dragging his broken body, knelt repeatedly, his voice full of terror.
"Trash." The Beast cursed. With a thought, black flames instantly ignited on Murakami's body.
His whole body convulsed violently, his expression distorted as he looked at the Beast: "God... please..."
The next moment, the flames flared up, and Murakami was completely burned to ashes. This old monster who had lived for hundreds of years was now thoroughly dead.
The Beast felt the decaying body it was currently possessing, and its desire for Loya's perfect body grew even stronger.
Its expression became distorted, and it growled lowly in the dim secret room, causing the blood pool to churn incessantly:
"Damn guy... damn traitor, just you wait. I can't do anything to you, but there are other Dimensional Demon God. One day, I will occupy everything you have!"
51What? Ross has betrayed humanity?
What? Ross Has Already Betrayed Humanity?
Night falls.
Inside the Villa's living room, Loya was adding various ingredients into the "automatic cooking pot."
As the cooking machine automatically began preparing the meal, a rich aroma gradually filled the entire living room.
"Wow, it smells so good. This pot can actually make delicious food on its own; it's amazing."
Felicia hung on Loya's back like a koala, her eyes fixed on the food in the pot.
[Remember this site's domain: Taiwan Novel Website. Relaxing and super smooth.]
She hadn't expected Loya to have such a magical item, and no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't figure out the principle behind it.
"Mm, it indeed smells delicious." Bastet, lying on top of Loya's head, twitched her nose slightly and subconsciously licked her lips.
A glint flashed in her eyes as she tried to see through the working principle of this pot.
Unfortunately, no matter how she looked at it, the pot appeared to be just an ordinary pot.
This only made Loya seem more mysterious.
Mm... his stamina is also quite good.
"Alright, let's eat!"
Loya placed the pot on the table, and the girl and the Cat Goddess immediately sat obediently by the table, enjoying the meal happily.
"Mm, delicious!" Felicia's eyes lit up, and she gave Loya a thumbs up.
"Agreed!" Bastet had transformed back into a cat-eared girl, competing with Felicia for the delicacies.
The living room was a scene of harmony and joy.
Loya sat to the side, cheerfully watching them feast.
Who would have thought that doing a mission would result in bringing home two beauties?
One was even a combination of a Goddess and a cat-eared girl; it was like the buffs were fully stacked.
But this feeling was truly great; Loya slightly regretted not acting sooner, having missed out on so many wonderful days.
Especially after using the "King of Riding," the feeling was extraordinary, and he was becoming a bit addicted to the pleasure.
His gaze swept over Bastet; the only regret was that this Cat Goddess had been hiding something.
Loya had worked hard from day to night, even intentionally stopping when she was about to reach the peak, but he still couldn't get any useful information.
Regarding the entity that had injured her, the Cat Goddess remained tight-lipped, simply refusing to speak no matter what, yet she was extremely accommodating to him.
Loya really couldn't figure it out.
His intuition told him this might be related to a hidden side quest, but with the Cat Goddess's lips sealed, there wasn't much he could do.
He had some guesses in his heart, but even if his guesses were correct, the system wouldn't trigger a quest; it still required meeting specific characters and conditions.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't that there was no way; once her favorability was raised high enough, it should be fine.
As for how to raise it, Loya felt he could only push his indestructible kidneys a bit harder.
Buzz, buzz, buzz~
Just as his mind was wandering, the communicator in his bag suddenly vibrated.
Opening it to look, it was our King of Embezzlement, Fury.
"Hello Director, is there a mission?" Loya cut straight to the chase after connecting.
"Correct. Hurry to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters right now; we'll discuss the details in person." Fury's tone was urgent, indicating that it was no small matter.
"Understood!"
Hanging up the phone, Loya bid farewell to the two beauties who were eating the delicious food: "Babies, I have a mission to do. Wait for me to come back."
The two of them looked up simultaneously and stood up quickly, each giving Loya a kiss on his cheeks, one on the left and one on the right.
Felicia arched her eyebrows, her eyes alluring, and blew him a kiss: "Darling, I'll be waiting for you to come back and continue our game of cat and mouse~"
The Cat Goddess blinked: "Uh... me too."
...Leaving the Villa, Loya got on his flying carpet and headed forward at full speed.
This time, he directly felt the boost from the bond; his current speed had increased by about ten percent out of thin air. This was a significant bonus that could play a major role in combat.
A few minutes later, Loya arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D.headquarters.
Before even entering the door, a bloody scent so strong it was nauseating hit him, rushing straight into his nostrils.
He frowned and walked quickly into the Director's office; only then did the smell fade slightly.
Fury's brow was furrowed. Seeing Loya had arrived, he went straight to the point: "Loya, I need you to help me find Dr. Banner and bring him back."
[Fury has issued a quest to you]
[Quest: The Missing Banner]
[Objective: Bring back Dr. Banner]
[Rewards: Experience +1500, Banner Favorability +20, Random Item *1]
Loya looked confused upon hearing this: "Banner is gone again? Wasn't he under S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance?"
Fury sighed, his remaining eye revealing deep exhaustion:
"We aren't too sure about this ourselves. The surveillance personnel have all been killed, leaving nothing behind. Currently, we haven't figured out how Banner was discovered or how he was taken away. The same goes for Betty."
Loya was a bit speechless. Wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance supposed to be top-notch? How was it so pathetic now that they couldn't even see a shadow?
"Could it be Ross's doing?"
With Banner and Betty disappearing together, it was reasonable to suspect Ross.
Fury shook his head: "According to our intelligence, there's been no unusual activity on Ross's end. It's hard to say if it's him, but he is one of our suspects."
Loya nodded. It seemed S.H.I.E.L.D. was hopeless; he'd have to rely on himself.
He was about to leave when he suddenly thought of the bloody scent here and asked: "By the way, why is there such a strong smell of blood?"
"Sigh."
Fury held his large bald head and sighed deeply; there were too many annoying things happening every day.
"It's Obadiah. He exploded, and then it became like this."
"?"
This statement completely stumped Loya. He asked in confusion: "Do you mean exploded in the literal sense?"
"Yes." Fury nodded helplessly, his face darkening further. "Right at dinner time, after Obadiah finished his meal, his body strangely swelled up and burst open. The bloody scent is extremely heavy and has spread over a wide area, making it difficult to handle.
Now everyone suspects there's a problem with the cafeteria and no one dares to eat there, but the testing results show nothing is wrong."
He now felt that there was a mole inside S.H.I.E.L.D. The watchers were killed, and even someone locked up in S.H.I.E.L.D. could be taken out by some means—who would believe there wasn't a problem?
Loya didn't know what to say. Before Tony could personally judge his uncle, his uncle had exploded first; it was truly something.
However, to be able to do such a thing within S.H.I.E.L.D., could it be Hydra? But that makes no sense.
What S.H.I.E.L.D. knows, Hydra also knows. Killing Obadiah seems to achieve nothing except making Furysuspicious.
Whatever, he couldn't be bothered to look into it deeply; let Fury deal with the headache.
Maybe using his brain more to promote blood circulation would help him grow some hair. ಡωಡ
Leaving S.H.I.E.L.D., Loya arrived at the place where Banner had previously resided.
If it were before, this kind of technical work of finding someone would have been difficult for him, but now with the "tracking compass," it was as easy as turning over a hand.
He took a water cup Banner had used before and placed it on the compass; the needle spun rapidly and quickly locked onto a direction.
Before he could set off, his other communicator vibrated again.
Taking it out to look, it was a call from Pierce.
Loya connected: "Officer, what are the arrangements?"
Pierce's serious voice came through: "Loya, we have confirmed that Ross has betrayed humanity. Kill him!"
[Pierce has issued a quest to you]
[Quest: Eradicate the Traitor of Humanity]
[Objective: Kill General Ross]
[Rewards: Experience +3000, Pierce Favorability +10, Random Item *2]
Loya was a bit stunned.
How many days has it been?
The label they slapped on Ross has already fast-forwarded from wanting to rule the World to betraying all of humanity?