Chapter 79
The restored hell world is not only new to Li Jue, but also to Wannian who has just arrived.
He had walked the corridors of Castle Custer countless times during his time as butler Tan Ning, but this was his first time as an apprentice boss. The originally dark brown carpet now had an even darker hue, as if soaked with blood. Every step he took was filled with fear.
I think the little devil himself is also very picky. Although the world of hell is gloomy and bloody, there is no smell of blood or decay, otherwise he would have vomited it out long ago.
Too much blood made him feel dizzy. He wanted to walk by holding onto the wall, but he was afraid that the skull in the frame would hit him on the head.
In the end, Wannian simply closed his eyes and relied on the muscle memory of his identity as "Tan Ning" to find the Count's room, where Mephistopheles lived now.
This move was undoubtedly a wise one. The feeling of nausea was finally suppressed, and Wannian successfully walked to the door and knocked.
The respected Lord of Hell certainly would not come to open the door himself. Instead, a cloud of black smoke came out from the crack in the door.
It transformed into the shape of a screaming skull and looked around him, making a voice like Mephistopheles wearing a mask: "Human, what do you want?"
Wan Nian had dealt with it many times before and replied skillfully, "I came to see how the Hell Demon Lord is doing."
The skull-headed smoke curled his lips and said, "My master is fine, there's no need for you to worry."
The tone sounded exactly like what Mephistopheles was saying.
Wannian didn't want to treat the little devil as a child, especially after he had carried out the soul recovery process on his behalf; but the latter just had such a childish side.
He had no choice but to persuade him kindly: "I did something wrong and I want to apologize to him. Can you let me in?"
The skull asked curiously, "Human, what did you do?"
Let’s not talk about it. Wannian himself also wanted to know: “This is the privacy of Lord Hell Demon. I can’t disclose it casually.”
"Boring." As the door opened, the skull disappeared along with its sound. "Human, you have to coax the master well."
Wannian sighed. Did he owe him something in his past life?
He pushed the door open and saw Mephistopheles sitting in the giant beast's skeleton with his back to him. A corner of the curtain was lifted, and he was staring blankly at the strange celestial body hanging high in the sky.
Wannian actually doesn’t like this overly strong color scheme. He still misses the bright moon on the blue sea. When he has a new world, he must design a good set.
He didn't deliberately slow down his footsteps, because the little devil couldn't fail to notice his arrival anyway.
Wannian walked over to the skeleton, reached out and touched it, and imagined what it must have looked like in life.
He thought he had found a topic that wasn't awkward at all: "Is this a dinosaur?"
Mephistopheles ignored him.
This made Wannian feel a little strange: you know, children always stick to him when they see him and he can't get rid of them. This is the first time that he flirts with them and they don't respond.
Wannian pursed his lips and thought about it, but still couldn't figure out how he had offended the other person.
Maybe it's just the inexplicable rebellious period of children, the kind that is hundreds of years late.
A mature adult couldn't argue with an adolescent. He folded his arms and leaned against his frame, "How about you come up with a plan, boss, so we can reconcile?"
The little devil snorted.
Wannian said with a smile: "I have given in. If you don't have any other ideas, I will leave first--"
Before he could finish his words, the spinous plexus suddenly opened, and the person whose weight was resting on it had no time to react and fell straight into it.
The skeleton swallowed him and then closed it, forming a tight, inescapable cage.
...How come there is such a trick?
Wan Nian was shocked, but pretended to be calm on the surface. He stood up and tugged at his tie: "In fact, it would be better if you change the way you invite me."
Mephistopheles finally condescended to turn around, crawled over on his knees, and pushed the human who had just sat up back down, pressing his shoulders with both hands. It seemed light, but the strength was so great that it was impossible to push away.
"Uncle." The boy stared at him, a few strands of his slightly longer hair falling to block his vision. His voice was a little hoarse. "Who are you?"
The child's condition seemed strange, as if possessed by a demon. But could the devil himself be possessed by another demon?
Wannian swallowed nervously: "Don't you know who I am?"
This time Mephistopheles' voice became depressed: "If only I knew. But I don't know. Do you know? You don't know either..."
It's over, the child is talking nonsense.
While Wannian was worried about his own personal safety, he also felt a little sorry for the boy's expression.
The little devil was always lively, proud, and arrogant. To be so distraught was totally unlike him.
Maybe I'm the one who's possessed.
Amidst the inner surprise and the other party's astonished eyes, Wannian raised his hand and stroked Mephistopheles' cheek, his eyes sincere: "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"
The boy's lips curved up into a smile that looked like both crying and laughing: "Uncle, have you always been so gullible?"
The voice trembled.
What does 'always' mean? I don't know.
But it should be very easy to deceive a child. If the child shows a little grievance, you will become soft-hearted.
Alas, changing jobs means being subjected to unspoken rules by my boss - and it's his own initiative - what is going on?
The boy's skin was smooth, and he felt his ears burning with fear. He tried to retract his rash action, but his hand was held.
When he looked up again, the little devil's dark pupils had turned into pink hearts.
It's obvious what you want to do.
Mephistopheles is a demon who can also become a succubus when necessary.
Wannian had long understood that one of the prices for accepting help for promotion was to become the other party's toy, in various aspects and in various senses; although he still couldn't figure out what exactly attracted this kid to him.
But since we have made an agreement, we must fulfill it.
He closed his eyes resignedly, ready to die: "...Come on."
The neural spine skeleton trembled and opened as Mephisto's magic breath changed, and then slowly closed as the human's breathing suddenly changed.
*
Unlike Mephistopheles's large, rugged, and ostentatious bed, Li felt a beautiful little bed made of Mandragora.
The delicate petals are fixed with magic breath and will not wither or fade. The petals are soft and tough, like a pair of open hands gently protecting the little cub.
There are no quilts in hell, so the little angel naturally learned to fold his wings and use the devil's wings as pillows. The furry angel wings covering his body were also very warm.
After he fell asleep, the Mandragora flower slowly closed its petals, building a safe cradle.
Even in purgatory, there is still a pure white land that exists only for babies.
In the middle of the night, someone quietly entered his room.
The cub opened his eyes half asleep and half awake, saw the familiar face and reached out for a hug, his little baby voice soft: "Xixi..."
Then he vaguely remembered that the Xixi in this world was not Lingxi, but Xu Lingxi. She did not recognize him and did not remember their past.
Just as the little cub was about to withdraw his hand, the young master of the Earl's family grabbed him instead, hugged him and whispered, "Juejue, I'm sorry."
Li Jue finally came to his senses.
The previous plot has ended. Xixi changed from Xu Lingxi to Lingxi, and now she has turned back into his Lingxi.
The children hugged each other quietly in the quiet night. After a moment, the older one let go of her hands, sniffed, and there was a hint of crying in her voice: "I... didn't mean to pretend not to know you."
After remembering everything, Ling Xi felt guilty and distressed when she thought of Li Jue's bewildered look. She lowered her head and said, "I was called in by the Central Command for a lecture."
As the son of the Lord God, Li Jue's identity is very special. His aura is well hidden, and the NPCs, players, and even bosses in the dungeon may not be able to detect his identity.
In contrast, Ling Xi was different. He was a small spirit beast under the throne of the Lord God, and he bore the mark of protection bestowed by the God, a very eye-catching symbol.
Now he is fulfilling his innate mission - to protect the little son of God - the more he is with Li Jue all the time, the more likely he is to arouse suspicion from others.
The center is the concrete embodiment of the main god's will. Carrying the god's love for his only offspring, it also fulfills the duty of protecting the son of god in this troubled time when the god is absent.
After experiencing the first two sub-worlds, it summoned Ling Xi and conveyed its intention, or actually the Lord God's intention, that he should keep a low profile.
Initially, it tried to get Ling Xi to guard secretly the whole time and not meet Li Jue.
But Ling Xi refused.
Theoretically speaking, even if he is not the Son of God, Li Jue, as a system, has many privileges of immunity to damage in the sub-world, so there is no need to worry too much about safety issues before meeting the big boss.
The previous communication post system was indeed easy to be excluded and tortured by the big bosses, but the baby has a completely different status with them. He is pampered and loved, so there is no need to worry about this.
However, the "great chaos" means that many uncontrollable bifurcations and turbulences have appeared in the sub-world, especially the appearance of the "third leader" in the ocean world. Ling Xi believes that she still needs to stay with Li Jue at all times.
Of course, the most important thing is that he doesn't want to, and Li Jue certainly doesn't want to be separated from each other.
Ling Xi had gotten used to falling asleep in bed with Li Jue every day, waking up together, and holding hands wherever they went. She had gotten used to sharing her son's happy moments with him first, flashing him her dimples and sweet smile. She had gotten used to playing games with Li Jue, calling each other's names and making forehead-cornering gestures...
He couldn't imagine himself and could only hide far away in the corner, watching Li Jue looking for him anxiously.
The baby will definitely cry.
He couldn't bear to see him sad.
They are two sides of the same symbiotic coin, and only when they become one can they be complete.
The central authority probably took this into consideration and rescinded the suggestion, instead postponing the time of recognition: either Li Jue had already met the big boss, or wait until the anchor player passed the level or was eliminated; this would greatly narrow the scope of people that Li Jue and Ling Xi would meet together and reduce the chances of being recognized.
Perhaps it was because the small system was too special, and the anchor player, a very low probability existence, he encountered him in all three sub-worlds he visited.
Shen Jiangxing from the Dragon World, Li Ren from the Ocean World, and Xu Jiahang from the Hell World.
Coincidentally, these three people are also people that Li Jue knows in the present life.
The greater possibility is that the special fluctuations of the little son of God were captured by the infinite space, dragging in the three people who were inextricably linked to him.
Ling Xi agreed to the Central's plan, but was worried that his acting skills would not be able to hold up to that level, so the Central decided to temporarily block his memory in the early stages so that he could continue his disguise.
However, not everything can be forgotten, such as love.
Even though he was Master Custer, who had never met the little servant, he would still feel satisfied when Li Jue was happy, depressed when Li Jue was sad, and even jealous when Li Jue was close to others.
No matter how many times they meet again, Ling Xi will still like Li Jue.
Speaking of jealousy…
Ling Xi woke up from her annoyance: "Juejue, have you seen His Royal Highness the Holy Son and His Excellency the High Priest?"
The younger one was already drowsy from waking up, and after hearing the younger brother's confession, he felt even more dazed. He subconsciously repeated his last two words: "Sir...?"
"It's His Royal Highness the Holy Son and His Excellency the High Priest."
Ling Xi repeated it patiently and quickly activated her memory to retrieve the skeletons she had encountered on the way back to the castle from the city of Esteril. None of them matched the clothing characteristics of the Son of God and the high priest.
The moment Mephistopheles snapped his fingers to end the first stage, all the NPCs indeed degenerated from humans with noses and eyes to bare bones.
However, they soon found their previous clothes and all the feathers on their hats were still there.
After returning to the castle, the skeleton servants were still wearing their original clothes, even Granny Gwen's apron hadn't been changed. This was one of the reasons why Li Jue could recognize each of them and greet them.
The Vatican's entourage is still there. After all, they are not real clergymen, but NPCs whose roles change according to the plot. It is normal for them to stay after the new node.
But where did the Son of God, who was so important in the previous plot and even forced the cubs to return to their original forms, go?
Ling Xi was indeed jealous of the closeness between Li Jue and Shengzi, but he understood better what was important for the overall situation.
If the Son of God didn't turn into a skeleton like everyone else, it would mean that he wasn't an NPC at all.
Not a boss, not a player, not an NPC, and not a system.
In infinite space, what identity is left?
Ling Xi, who was once suspected by Finks and Qian Xing to be a free-lancer, now suspects the Son of Heaven.
But I've been with the Lord for several years, and I've never seen the Son of God or the High Priest before. Could it be that this happened before I was born...
Seeing him struggling, Zizi suggested, "Go ask Brother Meimei!"
The boy blinked, as if there was no quicker way.
Li Jue was happy to be able to go see his parents. He let Ling Xi dress him and even had the mood to ask, "Xixi, what does your bed look like?"
The little cub has wings now, but hasn't mastered the ability to stretch them at will. Ling Xi had to cut two holes in the back of his clothes and be careful not to break his wings when wearing them. "It's also a flower, very similar to yours, but it's red."
"red?"
"Hmm, it should be called Lycoris radiata. It's the same flower as yours, the red spider lily."
"Higanbana?"
"Legend has it that this flower blooms on the River Styx, bidding farewell to those who depart for the afterlife."
"The world after death..." the little cub murmured.
He was too young to have seen real death and didn't understand the meaning of the word.
But he vaguely understood that death was a door that meant they would never meet again.
After putting on her shoes, Ling Xi carried Li Jue down from Mandragora's crib.
The cubs walked hand in hand through the blood-red corridor. The youngest one suddenly asked, "Xixi, is my dad going to die?"
Ling Xi was startled and subconsciously tightened her grip on Li Jue's hand: "Why do you say that?"
He quickly looked at his expression, thinking about how to comfort the baby if he cried.
However, the little cub didn't seem very sad. He just felt a little lost, and sighed like a little adult: "Because Daddy didn't come back to see him. Will he never come back again?"
Ling Xi was surprised by his unusual calmness: "No, he must be waiting for you. Didn't we agree to collect the fragments and go find your father?"
Li Jue squeezed his fingers hard and nodded: "Yeah!"
Ling Xi was afraid that Li Jue would be upset, so she glanced at him from time to time along the way.
However, the baby's idea is actually very simple: in this world, death is indeed an insurmountable wall; but in infinite space, everything has infinite possibilities.
The small system knew that it was handling work in the hell world. It understood what demons and angels were, and also understood the difference between hell and heaven.
Bad people go to hell when they die, and good people go to heaven when they die.
His father is the best man in the world and will definitely go to heaven.
Now Zizi has seen what hell looks like. It is a little scary, but Brother Meimei is very interesting. Uncle Wanwan and Miaoling are also there. The devils have large bat wings that are half the size of their own.
So, what will heaven look like?
Will there be many angels there? Will they have the same furry wings as their other halves?
But……
Zizi frowned and realized that things were not simple.
Since he has both devil wings and angel wings, it means that the adaptive form of this copy is an unprecedented hybrid.
In other words, angels and demons coexist here.
If hell is right under our feet, then could heaven be right above our heads?
If there was a way to go to heaven, would I be able to find my father?
Brother Meimei is the boss of hell. Could it be that he happens to know the boss of heaven?
When I see you later, I must ask you!
The kids were all preoccupied with their own thoughts, and before they knew it, they had arrived at their destination.
The door was ajar, and the light from inside the room flowed through the crack to my feet, casting the blood-soaked carpet into a gentle yet creepy red.
Even though the door was not closed, children should still be polite. Li Jue stood on tiptoe and was about to knock when he heard a strange noise from inside.
“Be gentle… ah…”
It’s Uncle Wanwan’s voice!
The baby opened his eyes wide in surprise at being able to see both of his parents at once.
But Uncle Wanwan, why are you in Brother Meimei’s room?
The cub tilted his head.
Also, why did the uncle say to "be gentler"? Was he playing some game with my brother?
If you want to play games, you must bring your baby along!
The little cub was about to ask a question when the older boy nervously grabbed him and raised his index finger in a gesture of silence.
Li Jue imitated Ling Xi and lowered his voice to make a "hush" sound, with confusion written all over his face.
Looking at the pure eyes of Zizi, Lingxi's hair almost exploded.
He was already seven years old, and was much smarter than other human children of the same age. He had a vague understanding of the adult world.
Even if he had not studied the knowledge systematically, he understood that the reproduction of most species would not happen as if they popped out of a stone like his Lingxi clan, but had to go through a series of procedures.
Sometimes these things are done not to give birth to new life, but for... the children don’t know why.
Ling Xi didn't understand, but she chose to respect.
These are collectively called "adult games" and are forbidden areas where children are absolutely not allowed to participate or watch.
Now, if he guessed correctly, Wannian and Mephisto were probably playing that kind of... well, adult game.
The little cub was still peering inside curiously. From his angle, he couldn't see any human figures. He could only see the giant beast skeleton used as a bed shaking violently, with muffled groans coming from it from time to time.
It seems that it is difficult to determine the winner among the parents. Zizi thinks that the competition must be very fierce.
If they stayed any longer, big problems would arise, so Ling Xi quickly pulled Li Jue away.
The little brother had never pulled him with such ungentle force before, and the little cub stumbled after him.
The good-tempered Zizi was not angry, but asked with concern: "Xixi, why is your face so red?"
After they turned a corner and confirmed that their conversation would no longer be heard, Ling Xi finally let go of her hand. She guiltily rubbed the mark on Li Jue's arm where she had gripped it, and then patted her cheek, which was as hot as a tomato: "I...that..."
Ouch! How can I explain something to a younger child if I don’t even understand it myself?
Li Jue blinked his big eyes and asked innocently, "Aren't we going to look for Brother Meimei?"
Ling Xi blushed and shook her head: "Not now, it will disturb you."
Li Jue asked: "Why bother you? What are my brother and uncle doing?"
"In..." Ling Xi was stuck.
Li Jue, a child from a single-parent family, and Ling Xi, a child raised by Tiandi, have no experience of what to do if they see their parents doing such a thing.
Ling Xi blushed, her eyes timid and panicked as she answered truthfully, "They are playing 'adult games'. Children are not allowed to watch."
"'Adult games'?" Zizi supported his face, unable to imagine what it would be like.
He and Xixi also often play games, build blocks, play house, and run around in every room.
So, are the so-called "adult games" of Brother Meimei and Uncle Wanwan just building bigger blocks, playing house with more props, and running around the house faster?
Children have many innocent and romantic imaginations like bubbles.
This was also Ling Xi's blind spot. The boy murmured, "Maybe... Juejue, let's go back to sleep and come back tomorrow."
Li Jue doesn't have any objections. He'd also be unhappy if he and Xixi were interrupted while playing games, so parents should leave when their children are playing games; he's a child who can empathize.
They walked through the corridors hung with bloody paintings, passed by the skeleton servants whose voices were ringing, and walked past the gorgeous flowers of the underworld.
"Xixi."
"What's wrong?"
"What will be for breakfast tomorrow?"
"It should be human food."
"Baby doesn't want to eat bat eyes, snake scales, or cat tongues..."
"No, there must be something we can eat."
The cub's attention had long been drawn away, and he didn't continue to ask questions about Wannian and Mephisto, so the boy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Xixi."
"Um."
"Oh, I see, Oliver Aber's skull has fallen off again!"
"It's okay, he'll put it back on himself."
"Like Granny Gwen's feet?"
"right."
The Mandragora flowers open their snow-white petals to welcome the little warriors back from their adventure.
"Xixi."
"Um?"
"So when we grow up, will we also play 'adult games'?"
“…”
He couldn't respond to this.
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