Chapter 77

"Oh, that kid!"

"Oh my God, how could he..."

"That means..."

The sudden change caused exclamations from the crowd. The Demon-Slaying Arrow had extremely strong lethality, and could even kill powerful demons, let alone an unsuspecting and young human child.

However, the arrow has been shot and there is no turning back. Even the most skilled archer can do nothing about it.

People sighed, covered their eyes and turned away, not daring to see what would happen to the innocent child.

The little animal's eyes were bloodshot. He never thought that the cub would rush over to protect him so recklessly.

He wanted to carry the child behind him, or simply push him away, but the deterrent power of the Demon-Slaying Arrow was enough to freeze him in place within a few meters.

what to do.

what to do……

Are we just going to watch others sacrifice their lives for us?

Or the one he cherished and loved so much...

his.

His pears—

The name he had been waiting for and guarding for for many years had reached his throat, breaking through the seal of the world's forbidden spell, and memories flowed backward like water and flooded into his mind.

In this strange world where everything has fallen into stillness, there is only one person left who can still act according to his reason.

The young man ignored the rules that forbid him from touching ordinary people, stretched out his left hand to grab the cub and pull it towards him, trying to keep it away from the little monster, and raised the robe in his right hand as a shield to defend himself.

The holy robe suddenly surged with a large amount of pale light, and actually bounced off the sparking arrow at the moment it hit it, preventing the tragedy from happening at the last millimeter, and he and they were all unharmed.

However, things did not end there, an even more surprising scene occurred:

The Son of God clearly grabbed Li Jue's raised hand with his bare hands, but he did not feel his vitality being drained away.

The one who changed was Li Jue.

The child also didn't know what was happening. Through their touching skin, he felt a warm and clean force entering his body, like a cloud expanding due to heat.

——Then, like a real cloud, he floated up in full view of everyone.

The archer who was just regretting his quick hands, the person who felt sorry for the innocent little life and dared not open his eyes to see, the Son of God who was wondering why he did not feel the change, and the little beast who had not yet recovered from being frozen were all stunned.

No, wait, what is going on here?

Li Jue flapped his arms, but couldn't stop himself from floating into the air.

He was very surprised. No matter whether he was a kitten or a jellyfish, he could only walk and swim. Even if he could float temporarily in bubbles or in a "tower" with the help of other forces, he could not fly.

Why now... ?

But the arrow didn't hurt Xixi, that's great.

Zaizai bravely protected Xixi, Zaizai is a good treasure!

While the child was in a good mood, he noticed something else was wrong.

My back is itchy...

Li Jue wanted to scratch himself, but when he looked down, he saw that everyone was looking at him with their mouths open, and he felt a little embarrassed.

He endured and endured.

The result of enduring it is that not only my back is itchy, but my butt is also itchy o_O

The Son of God was afraid that Li Jue would fly farther and farther like a balloon, so he wanted to reach out and catch him. Fortunately, the latter regained his balance when he floated to a height of several meters above the ground.

The little cub twisted and turned in mid-air, trying to scratch himself to relieve the discomfort that was similar to the healing of a wound or the germination of a seed (although he never sprouted).

The little beast watched from below with trepidation, turning around in circles several times, not daring to shift its gaze for a moment, for fear that Li Jue would fall.

Following the itching on his back and buttocks, Li Jue developed new symptoms: his head felt dizzy, and it felt like there was a searchlight or candle burning on his head.

Fortunately, the child was very calm and did not panic. Instead, he raised his little hand curiously and turned it around to see how else he could change.

He also waved to the little beast and the Holy Son and pointed at himself: Pay attention, look, little one, I’m going to transform!

"—Oh my God, look, what is that?"

The crowd all looked up, their mouths open, as if copying and pasting. They watched the transformation of the little cub and became agitated again.

"Those are...those are wings!"

"What? People with wings? Doesn't that mean they're birdmen?"

"Hey, his wings are different colors!"

"The black one here looks like a bat..."

"The white half looks like a dove, so fluffy."

"Ah ...

"The top of the head, the top of the head is different too."

"What is that? An aperture?"

"God, there's a halo. Is it an angel? The angel has appeared!"

"Thank you, Saint Son..."

"No, these wings and tail are clearly the symbol of 'that'!"

"What's 'that'?"

"It's unspeakable... a punishment from the gods!"

"The devil has revealed himself, what are you all still standing there for? Run!!"

"Don't kill me, don't kill me. I have children above me, elderly parents below me, and an eighty-year-old wife in between—oh no, I got it wrong!"

The people on the ground were running away in all directions, in such a panic that they seemed to have forgotten to keep their eyes open. They bumped into each other with a bang and fell down. It was painful to watch. Then they seemed to have lost the sense of pain as well, and they got up as if nothing had happened and continued to run around.

Little Li Jue in mid-air looked at them in confusion, not understanding what had suddenly obsessed the adults.

But he soon noticed that he had grown new parts.

A pair of wings.

Half of the feathers are snow-white, with a fine texture covering them;

Half of the film is pitch black, but there is a faint light shining through.

A tail.

It is long and thin, with a small arrow at the end. It is so flexible that it seems to have its own thoughts.

An aperture.

It is on the top of the head, but it is not worn directly on the hair like a hairpin, but floats a few centimeters away.

It's intangible, but as warm as real sunlight.

Chen Yan likes to buy various picture books and read them to Li Jue. The father and son’s favorite bedtime activity used to be lying together reading picture books.

It was also there that Li Jue learned about the iconic appearance of angels and demons: the former's dove-feather white wings and sacred halo, and the latter's bat wings and triangular tail.

Now, it all matches.

The mystery since he woke up in the sub-world was solved: why did his body become so small, why did he not turn into other creatures here like kittens and jellyfish - he was not a human from the beginning to the end, but just temporarily put away his appearance and entered the disguise of human form.

At this moment, after a long and immersive plot in this sub-world, the small system finally belatedly entered the copy's adaptive form: a little angel with demon blood.

The angel is light and the devil is petite, which makes him, who is about to be four years old, look like he is only one or two years old here.

As Li Jue's new appearance, or true appearance, was fully revealed, the little beast finally remembered his own name.

He is not Lingxi Xu Custer.

He is Ayaki.

It is a spiritual connection that was born to protect the Son of God.

After regaining her memory, Ling Xi no longer cared about feeling guilty about her previous neglect and indifference towards Li Jue. What was more important now was to quickly take her baby away from the extremely uneasy crowd.

"Juejue!" he shouted worriedly.

Li Jue was still confused by his new appearance, but his eyes lit up when he heard the familiar call: "Xixi!"

I remembered it now. Are you thinking of Zaizai?

The mixed-blood angel immediately flew towards the little beast, but unfortunately it was his first time growing wings and he was not skilled in flying. Moreover, the two sides were different. This mixed design made his center of gravity unstable. Li Jue flew stumblingly and could fall at any time.

Ling Xi quickly ran over, moved left and right, and adjusted her position, ready to be the little angel's meat cushion at any time.

The Son of God looked at the two little guys, then looked at his own hands in a daze. His skin was so white that it was almost transparent, like snow that would melt in the sun at any time.

Because of the divine power bestowed by the Supreme Altar, these hands can no longer "touch" wantonly - this is clearly an instinct that humans have since birth.

Whether it's a cute, furry little animal.

Or the one you love.

Shake hands. Hold hands. Hug.

Expressions of intimacy and love are not something that can be done casually.

During his stay at the Earl's house, the little Saint was delighted to get to know the little servant. No one else could act coquettishly or smile at him without restraint, treating him as an independent, emotional individual rather than a false symbol of the Church and the gods.

Just a little bit. Just a little bit to make a friend.

However, his purifying power forced them to develop non-human prototypes, and they were destined to be irreconcilable.

The young man felt disappointed.

Are demons and monsters destined to not coexist peacefully with humans?

Do we have to force things that we don’t understand to disappear?

The Son of God, the Church, God...

What is the meaning of living like this, escaping from the mundane world, abandoning love and hate, and curbing all emotions?

The young boy fell into deep confusion.

The cubs didn't notice anything unusual about the little brother. The little angel was still stumbling to land, and the little beast was still waiting nervously.

Li Jue adjusted his direction several times, but unfortunately his accuracy was still limited. His tender little wings flapped weaker and weaker, and the halo above his head flickered helplessly like a light bulb that had run out of energy, and then went out. Finally, he fell dizzy towards the position where the Son of God was standing.

"Your Highness, be careful!"

The sounds of small animals and humans mixed together. The archer who had shot at Ayaka before actually overcame the instinct to escape, and once again "bravely" raised his longbow, aiming at this small monster with black and white wings that appeared out of nowhere.

The crackling sparks and lightning-filled arrows had already caused Ling Xi to have a stress reaction. He didn't care about anything else. He calculated the arrow's route and jumped high, stretching his body as much as possible. While kicking the Son of God away with his hind legs, he pushed Li Jue away with his front paws, letting his body replace the crosshairs of the demon-slaying arrow.

Giving everything for the little son of God was his innate mission, and it was also the realization he had at the first sight of Li Jue.

So, even if...

Gah——

A shrill cry interrupted Ling Xi's thoughts, followed by the sound of flapping wings coming from all directions.

Such neat and powerful sounds are definitely not something that a baby cub that has just grown wings can produce.

He opened his eyes and was surprised to see a large group of black...crows?

The birds stood in front of them and surrounded the three children tightly.

Li Jue looked at his extra winged "companion" curiously, and excitedly waved his two different wings, joining the "bird army", and did not forget to imitate the crow's call: "Ga-ah--"

It's just that the baby voice is too soft and sweet, and there is no sense of ferocity or cruelty at all.

Ayaka: "...Actually, you don't have to learn this."

He still had some consciousness left that belonged to Xu Lingxi, and recognized that this group of crows was not the same group that the Custer family usually raised, or not entirely; they looked much more well-trained, like warriors who could shoot wherever they pointed.

The crows gathered in larger and larger numbers, like a dark, descending cloud.

This time, not only Li Jue, but also Ling Xi and Sheng Zi were surrounded by the crows and flew into the air, slowly floating away from the ground.

"Oh my god, how come this little monster has a summoned beast?"

“…Isn’t this just an ordinary crow?”

"Get out of the way, people in front, get out of the way!"

"Great, it's a cannon, we're saved!"

"Be careful, don't hurt His Royal Highness the Holy Son."

"Blast them to pieces!"

As the crowd cheered, a cannon that looked powerful was pushed over by several burly men. God knows why such a weapon, only seen in war, appeared at a happy celebration.

The archer who had been leading the way volunteered to operate the cannon, but his two misses disappointed people and he was rejected. Soon, someone else signed up.

"Your Highness, it's time to go."

Amidst the 360-degree all-around bird calls, someone gently hugged the boy from behind and whispered with his head down.

The little saint was startled, but his body identified the person from the familiar breathing before his consciousness did, and he was not alert or stiff from beginning to end.

The high priest, who had been missing for a long time, took him into his arms, and covered the slender boy tightly with a wide cloak. The fine and intricate gold embroidery on the cloak shimmered like waves through the gaps between the waving crow wings.

"This isn't a story we should get involved in anymore," the man said, his tone soothing and coaxing. "They'll take care of it, ok?"

Realizing that they were going to evacuate him first, the boy opened his eyes wide. He was usually indifferent, but now there was a rare moment of fear in his voice: "But brother is still--"

"Xiao Wei, be obedient."

He whispered in his ear.

That name was like a switch, instantly stifling all resistance of the little saint.

The boy lowered his eyes, stopped talking, and buried himself in the adult's arms meekly and silently.

Crows are flying all over the sky.

A part of the Black Legion was separated to attack the prepared artillery position, and the people around it were also pecked at mercilessly.

They are extremely strong, and their beaks, claws, and even the tips of their wings can leave bloody marks on the defenseless skin of humans, and the bipeds are immediately defeated.

Amidst the screaming, crying, and fleeing crowd, only one person remained standing.

He raised his head leisurely and watched with a smile as the high priest escorted the Son of God away.

The little devil took off his nonexistent hat, put one hand behind his back, and bent the other hand over his chest, bowing exaggeratedly: "Thank you for your help, Lord Caius."

Beneath the gradually disappearing hood, a faint smile appeared in the golden eyes.

The supporting characters have already had enough roles, so now it’s up to the protagonists.

*

There is another person swimming upstream.

Xu Jiahang was squeezed terribly by the fleeing crowd. With his life and death at stake, who would care that he was a count? With two monsters appearing in front and the Crow Legion chasing him from behind, not to mention the nobles, even the Queen and the Holy See could not stand in his way of escape.

"Hey, have you seen my son?"

He awkwardly took off his hat, which had long been tilted, and lost one of his shoes, and grabbed a familiar-looking servant.

The man pulled his hand back in fear: "W-what! I don't know! Stop bothering me and get out!"

Xu Jiahang's eyes widened. Everyone in the Custer fiefdom treated him with great respect, but he had never seen anyone so disrespectful.

However, he had no time and no possibility to argue with or punish this man. His mind was still full of the discussion he had heard before: Young Master Lingxi Xu Custer turned into a demon in front of everyone.

Those people were talking about Xu Lingxi's full name, and he lost even the hope of having the same name: the person they were talking about who had become a monster was his only, biological son.

How could that be.

How could that be?

How could the child he had raised with great difficulty for ten years not be a human being - what kind of demon was he?

No, I must have made a mistake.

Impossible.

His sensible and outstanding son, who had always made him proud...

With every day he enters the sub-world, Xu Jiahang's memory becomes closer to the settings in the copy, and he has long forgotten that Xu Lingxi is not actually his biological son.

It would be better to say that he had forgotten who he was.

Is she the noble head of the Caster family of Fialan, or the inconspicuous nanny of the Shen family?

Who is he—and where is this place?

On one side were the aristocrats who could call the shots and had smooth sailing, and on the other side were the lower classes who had to struggle and face a lot of misfortunes. The two completely different life influences overlapped with each other, sizzling and burning into his increasingly confused brain.

The severe headache made Xu Jiahang unable to steady himself, and the surging crowd made him stagger even more.

Soon, he fell down silently like a withered leaf.

No one cared. No one stopped for him even for a second.

——No, it’s not that there are no “people” at all.

"Hey, Lord Earl, please watch where you are walking~"

The gorgeous young man nimbly jumped from the platform to his front, ignoring the crowd running around him. With her hands behind her back, she bent down and looked at the man with a smile.

The upturned eyes, the curve of the mouth when smiling, and even the playful pronunciation made Xu Jiahang think that he saw the little maid he was infatuated with.

Xu Jiahang didn't bother to identify his identity and got up, but fell to the ground again due to dizziness.

An inexplicable force supported him to continue forward. He simply used his hands and feet together, mumbling in a trance: "Xiao Xi..."

That was his child. The heir to the Custer family. The last remembrance his wife had left him.

No.

Is that...his child?

"Hey~ It's a mess over there, so don't make it worse."

Mephistopheles stepped on his ankle and crushed it gently, his movements as graceful as a ballet.

No one could hear the sound of broken bones amid the noise, and the pretty smile on the boy's face remained motionless.

"You should worry more about yourself. You and I have other things to do."

Xu Jiahang seemed to have lost his sense of pain, his eyes unfocused. He seemed to be answering him, but also seemed to be talking to himself: "But, but my son..."

"He'll be fine. Sweet Pea is here."

Thinking of the dramatic scene just now, even the devil would be left with an aftertaste.

The silent little boy who always follows the baby closely usually keeps a low profile and is overshadowed by Li Jue's cuteness. Unexpectedly, he has such a surprising identity.

Mephistopheles was one of the five original monsters recruited by the Lord God when he created the infinite space. He had known Mephistopheles for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, and he understood Mephistopheles far better than anyone else.

He knew everything about the intricate and inseparable relationship between the Lingxi clan and the Lord God.

If the little boy is the "newest" Lingxi in the world, if he does not stay beside the gods like his tribe, but accompanies the system cub - then who is the little system?

As early as when Li Jue entered the sub-world of Phinks, Mephistopheles had already begun to investigate his identity, but there were too few clues and he had no idea.

Now it seems that this little Lingxi must know the inside story, maybe he should start from a different angle.

Another thing that is of great concern to Mephisto is that he knows that the small system will have a copy-adaptive form, and the milky-golden kitten and the golden dragon, the small jellyfish and the siren are all related.

In his own case, Li Jue actually turned into an angel - even though he had demonic blood, it was obvious that the angel form dominated: even the white wings were a circle larger than the black bat wings!

The devil's part is naturally related to him and the entire world of hell.

So, what about the angel part?

Oops, that's not right.

It's still working hours now. I can't slack off like this anymore. I have to hurry up and get to work.

Mephisto put away his wandering thoughts. The demon tail behind him, which was 100% pure blood, circled to the front and patted the distracted human's face. "Hey, hey, do you remember who you are?"

The man's eyes were empty as he answered mechanically, "I am... Jiahang Xu..."

"No, you are not Jiahang Xu." Mephistopheles looked down at him, "You are Xu Jiahang."

The man opened his mouth: "...Ah?"

"You're not some all-powerful, revered Earl of the Custer family," the little devil chuckled. "You're a little nanny who's been ordered around and never received a friendly look from the head of the family—Xu Jiahang. This is the real you. Do you remember?"

The man shuddered.

"Hey, Xiao Xu, hurry up, the master is looking for you."

"Xiao Xu, what's wrong with this sofa? Re-cover it."

"Lao Xu, the young lady vomited, go and wipe it off quickly."

"Xu Jiahang..."

"That guy over there..."

The sounds and images were like exploding fireworks, instantly filling his already impoverished brain.

Who is he? Is he Xu Jiahang?

Who is Xu Jiahang?

"Xu Jiahang, human, male, 38 years old according to the rules of the present world."

The little devil sat down out of nowhere, with his chin in his hand and his legs crossed, and with a raised corner of his mouth, he happily answered him.

"Three weeks and four days ago, I logged into the escape game. My strong desire to 'live a life superior to others' led me to summon the wise and great Hell Demon—oh, by the way, it was me—to form a contract. The price I paid was my entire soul.

"Mr. Xu, your limited-time life lease expires today."

Mephistopheles stood up, put both feet on him, and spun around leisurely as if walking on a carpet. Then he snapped his fingers: "The curtain falls, and a new drama is about to begin."

Behind him, all the people who were still running stopped in unison with the snap of their fingers, and turned their heads to look at Xu Jiahang at the same time.

When he saw those originally blurry faces clearly, he suddenly woke up from his chaotic state and felt horrified.

The crowd's expressions of fear or indignation at the cubs' changes all froze, and they stared at Xu Jiahang expressionlessly. The skin on their body melted and fell down mixed with blood and flesh, smashing into puddles of mud on the ground.

In just a few seconds, only a few seconds, complete, living, laughing, and angry human beings were reduced to empty skeletons.

The weather was good during the Autumn Festival, with a clear blue sky and no clouds in the sky.

At this moment, blackness slowly rolled down from the skyline like a curtain.

The original world is engulfed in a strange blood-red, and new scenery is being revealed.

Xu Jiahang knew he should run away, but he couldn't move.

Escape, but where can you escape to?

"Dear player, are you awake? I hope you had a good dream." The little devil smiled faintly surrounded by hundreds of skeletons and opened his arms intoxicatedly. "Now, welcome to the world of hell."