‘’...’’

Li Ao glanced at Karim Shah, but the man was more busy glaring at the panel before him than paying attention to any of them.

OOba-whatnot, too, acted the same. The lion man growled like a kitty at some point, and this made Li Ao look at him.

The lion sensed his gaze, cranked his head a hundred and eighty centimeters to glare at him, then snorted.

Li Ao scowled back. ‘’Damn Silvy, is staring an offense as well?’’

‘’Hmph!’’

Stuck in this confined space with all these weirdos made Li Ao think back on his choice.

Why had he decided to become an agent? Who would enjoy such company?

Wait, it wasn’t his decision in the first place.

‘How were they chosen?’

Every agent, according to Senior Dogshit, was picked for three categories: talent, character, adaptability.

Even now, Li Ao didn’t know which was better or worse.

‘’...’’

A few moments passed in relative peace. Li Ao glanced at the orange torches, again wooden and lit by some ordinary oil, then to the coughing Kertl.

‘’How long have you been working?’’

Li Ao turned to face him.

‘’Working?’’

‘’Missions.’’

‘’Probably eleven years? I spent most of it for one mission.’’

‘’Oh, so you did participate in a second-grade.’’

‘’No, it was a first-grade.’’

‘’It was? That’s one hell of a long time—’’ Kertl hissed. ‘’Longest I spent on one was eight years.’’

‘’That seems...low?’’

‘’Well, I don’t really prefer long-term second-grade missions myself. They require too much investment.’’

‘’It seems so.’’

Perhaps attracted to the sole conversation by boredom, Bluestorm shook his head towards them.

‘’Not seem, human. Second-grade require not just great time, great effort. You need many skill.’’

‘’Senior is right.’’ Kertl nodded. ‘’Ability to hide and appear where needed. That is a very critical skill.’’

‘’Well, doesn’t system throw you near the target? You always appear where you are needed.’’

Bluestorm nodded.

‘’It does. But what is 'target'? Who is target? Also, it isn’t best to appear next to target. Sometimes, you need be away from target.’’

Though the ogre senior spoke weird, the core idea was easy to understand.

Li Ao let out a soft ‘’Oh.’’

Somehow, it made him remember what Senior Dogshit had mentioned.

Kertl waved in approval. ‘’Even simple tasks like escorting or saving someone aren’t that simplistic. For example, I’ve got three missions right now. One of them is first-grade. The other second-grade—’’

‘’Wait, you can have more than one mission?’’

‘’You can—'' he hissed, then ignored Li Ao's baffled look. ''Now, the second-grade mission said I had to destroy this Flying Tiger Gang. Very vicious people. They terrorized this poor Crustacean village and ate members of them, for like years.’’

‘’...you mean lobsters?’’

‘’You can call them that. Anyway, I moved up very quickly. Searched vicinity, got help from a Crustacean elder to point the way. Then I found their boss, slit his throat in darkness, and waited a day to see. It turns out that assassination does jackshit. Another fellow took his place right away! So I went back and killed their next boss.’’

‘’Now, having their bosses killed twice made them more careful. A few people slept in the room with the boss, even. I couldn’t really move freely. So I went back in, killed their second in command, then walked out. Next day, there was even more people!’’

‘’...it seems like a normal reaction.’’

‘’No, no, you have to understand! Flying Tiger Gang is made up of these weird, short cats. Each of them are, like, as big as my hand, but they are too vicious and prideful! They can tear you apart in seconds! It is their instinct to be rebellious. It was weird to see them this organized and calm—not one of them left their base! I didn’t even see signs of unrest.’’

Bluestorm, upon hearing Kertl’s long monologue, shed a few crystal tears down his single eye. ‘’You killed kittens?’’

Dumbfounded, Kertl took a moment to gulp. ‘’Dangerous kitten! They weren’t innocent, they killed Crustacean villagers!’’

‘’Lobsters.’’

Kertl glared at Li Ao. ‘’Hey!’’

‘’Look, what is wrong with a few kittens eating fish? Don’t you see it everyday?’’

‘’Do you see it everyday?’’

‘’No, lobster is expensive.’’ Li Ao shook his head.

‘’...’’

‘’’...but, rich families’ cats and dogs can eat them.’’

‘’Well, they don’t have rich families! The cats are very very poor, and the lobsters are even poorer. ’’

‘’Huh?'' Li Ao had a weird look on his face. ''If they are poor, give them something to eat. Why are you going around killing baby kittens!?’’

‘’...huh?’’

Kertl rose from his relaxed position and held his head.

‘’...No, that can’t be right, right? Wait...’’

He cast a flickering look at the baffled Li Ao, then turned to the laughing and roaring senior Bluestorm.

‘’Human is right! Fill their belly and they sleep like sacks of goats! Sacks of goats are very silent!’’

‘’What. does. that. mean.?’’

Bluestorm, caught off-guard, glanced at Polly’s cold face.

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‘’Sacks...sacks of goat...I mean socks of goats! Goats make good socks!’’

‘’And what do you do with those goats?’’

‘’We eat! No—I mean, we eat together!’’

‘’Why is my kind always harassed like this...’’

Sighing, Polly noticed Li Ao’s furrowed brows.

‘’What’s wrong with you now?’’

‘’Aren’t you half-lion? Or two thirds lion?’’

‘’...what are you getting at?’’

‘’Are you really a goat?’’

‘’...’’

‘’Oh, hello!’’

A humanoid fellow flickered into being in front of the arguing group.

She had bronze skin, wore around forty different gemmed bracelets and anklets on her body, and carried a scaly tail behind her short skirt.

She also had two horns on top of her golden locks of long hair.

Li Ao’s eyes opened wide. ‘’Half-dragon!’’

The woman froze, mouth agape, and shouted. ‘’Human!’’

’’...’’

''...''

‘’Did that feel good? It didn’t, did it?’’

Laughing, the woman waved at everyone, addressing them one by one, then turned to the dumbfounded Li Ao.

‘’Hey, shepherd boy, put that tongue back in!’’

Li Ao closed his mouth and scratched his cheeks.

‘’Shepherd boy...’’

She was one of the fellows that shouted in his ear back then.

‘’Where are the others?’’

Silvy raised his head and glanced her way.

‘’You are the last one.’’

‘’Am I? Hehe, sorry, sorry! Let me take a seat then!’’

Skipping over to another corner, the half-dragon swept her hand and produced a lofty sofa out of thin air. Her bracelets and anklets made ringing with each of her movements.

One hand under her chin, other dangling by her belly, she laid on the sofa and faced the group with a smile.

‘’...was that an option?’’

Li Ao regretted not asking.

This stool was too damn uncomfortable!

Clapping, Karim Shah stood up from his seat.

‘’Alright. Let us begin.’’

One bout passed, then the sound of his clap resounded.

The room began to quake and turn.

‘’Holy shit!’’

Holding the stool under him, Li Ao found himself looking out to a starry sky.

No, he was in the starry sky itself!

Below him, connecting every other agent around was a transparent white line. The group shot through the dark space like burning meteors.

Apart from Li Ao, none of them seemed perturbed.

Silvy, Bluestorm, and Jady kept their arms and legs crossed. At times, they would glance at each other, then to the path they sped at.

The Half-dragon yawned on her sofa and scratched her open belly.

Kertl, Polly, Karim Shah and Oo-whatnot held their heads high and watched the passing stars.

It took Li Ao a minute to realize his balance was perfect by itself. He didn’t tremble at all.

Letting go of the stool, he joined the others and admired the collection of celestial colors. Stars of blue, red, white, as well as white constellations that revolved around themselves.

There was no sound around them. No howl from their speed, no breath, no giggle.

Absolute silence.

Li Ao could hear the flow of his blood, that was a given. The thump of his heart, the brimming voice in his throat.

But there was no sound beyond his body.

There was also a faint chill that made his instincts blare. The white light around him seemed to repel most of it. Dream Sight activated on its own to block some kind of invisible power.

The group passed by a few dead rocks and desolate planets. It was Li Ao’s first time seeing another world from outside. They were enormous—too big to even comprehend. The elliptic and spherical giants of space made his breath erratic. There was a strange fear in him, a feeling of weakness, disharmony.

Even when they went past these giants, he couldn’t forget the shattered half of the planet.

On the way, they encountered even more debris. Every minute, they faced giant rocks or lifeless asteroids. Some bore cracks, other spider-web like crevices. Some seemed burnt and full of ash, others sank into its core like a ball of tofu. A dented metal, a crushed box, a deflated and stomped ball.

Someone, something, had made these scars by its own hands.

What level of cultivation one needed to cause such destruction?

It sent chills running through his heart.

After ten more minutes, Li Ao saw a stretch of golden clouds spread out of the distant void. Thick, vast, and absolutely still, he recognized the scenery of the castle that laid within that crowd of gold.

Right as they went into the clouds, Li Ao saw a beam of golden light shine on them. It felt warm, and he could feel some sort of gathered intent within it.

A kind of kinship. Some way of encouragement.

It came from the clouds and poured into them.

Then, they stopped.

Within a blink, they were out of the clouds and inside the castle. Above and below them were blue diamond walls. To their sides were four gigantic gates with different engravings; Golden heavenly clouds, a giant with sixteen arms, a lady with eight arms, a drop of circled blood.

Right where they landed flashed a hexagonal white and purple formation.

The white lines under their feet connected to this place. Bit by bit, they lowered, then landed safely.

Karim Shah let out a loud sigh.

‘’That is tiring.’’

Oo-whatnot nodded. ‘’Always.’’ He sounded like a creaking frog.

Wiping beads of sweat from their foreheads, the duo looked down at the group. Karim Shah rose from his seat.

‘’Take ten minutes to organize your findings. If you haven’t separated them into different categories, do so. The discussion will be about two things: deciding the course of action and consolidating the knowledge.’’

‘’Course of action will come after the latter. For now, these are what we will focus on—’’

‘’Because of the shattered space and time anomalies, none of the 5th-rank agents are able to pinpoint when the Heavenly God has perished. Ghosts have no concept of time, while the person in question keeps himself locked in his great hall, no way to ask.’’

‘’It is our top priority to find out when the catastrophe happened, and why Heavenly God could not ask for help.’’

‘’Second priority is to retrieve ancient knowledge lost to time. Priority list is as such: research of natural phenomena, research of life, research of micro and macro organisms; then Cultivation, Forging, Formation, Alchemy, Enchanting, Divination, Spirit Communication, Soul Communication techniques and blueprints—’’

‘’—then preservation of Kalen Region’s Culture; the Spirit Culture. History, Music, Art, Literature, Cooking, Rituals, Dances. After that, the culture of the other conscious beings living in Heavenly God’s Abode; beasts, humanoids, plant lives. Lastly: diaries, personal notes, niche research papers and any other miscellaneous thing you might have found.’’

‘’Organize them in this order of importance, then we shall begin discussion.’’

With his last word, everyone, including Li Ao, took out stacks of books and notes.

Li Ao had no need to organize them, for he had come prepared. He put everything in order as asked, then looked at the big hill in front of him with a smile.

There was a lot more than he thought.

Especially when others only had a few books on their knees.

Except Bluestorm. The ogre put out two towers of books and compiled notes as tall as him. He looked quite a scholar.

‘’Shepherd Boy, how did you get all of that?’’

Turning to the laying half-dragon, Li Ao shrugged. ‘’Pure luck.’’

Then, turning to the whistling and hissing Kertl, Li Ao sighed.

‘’Senior, do you need help?’’

‘’Oh? What? No, no, nothing! I just thought you were curious about what happened.’’

‘I didn’t even say anything...’

Still, Li Ao nodded.

‘’That, I really am.’’

Then he turned to Polly.

‘’Senior sister, what did we just experience?’’

She cast him a disgusted look, then turned away

‘’...’’

‘’Don’t bully your senior, human.’’

‘’Yes, senior Blue.’’

Li Ao turned to Kertl.

‘’...senior~’’

Kertl pouted, crossed his arms, then turned away.

‘’I’m not saying it!’’

Li Ao’s jaw dropped for the umpteenth time today.

‘’...are you a child!?’’