Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 586 Fusion Talent
This talent is a perfect match for kittens, without a doubt.

On the contrary, it was of little use to Li Xia himself, as his combat system was already relatively stable.

And the cornerstone of the entire battle is the fate-level talent 'A stroke of luck amidst misfortune'.

If this talent is removed, then misfortune will also be removed, and the ability to even kill the Old Gods will be lost.

It's a classic case of picking up a sesame seed but losing a watermelon; they suffered a huge loss.

This talent must also be based on 'electromagnetism' to create a corresponding skill system.

The kitten is a good fit. Its Rumble-Rumble Fruit grants it the power to manipulate lightning. While electricity can generate magnetism, the kitten's control over magnetism is actually far from strong.

Therefore, Kuroko's superconducting railgun is much worse than the original, because the original Misaka Mikoto controls electric current and electromagnetism.

Misaka Mikoto has almost no time to charge up her attack, while Kurozumi Mikoto needs to charge up and adjust her direction.

But now that we have electromagnetic control, it's not just 1+1 greater than 2.

More importantly, charcoal itself has no innate skills, so there is no need to worry about it overwriting any talents.

Li Xia crushed the scroll in his hand; it was clearly a disposable item temporarily solidified on parchment.

Its validity period is limited to this world, so why not use it?

The crushed scroll suddenly transformed into specks of light that enveloped Mord's corpse. Then, this apostle, who was among the top in the fourth tier, turned into ashes before their very eyes, leaving only runes shrouded in lightning.

Li Xia nodded to the black charcoal. The kitten held its breath and cautiously stepped forward. Just as its paw touched the ball of light, the runes suddenly exploded, and the magnificent light entered the black charcoal's body.

Almost instinctively, the kitten's black fur bristled, with thin bolts of electricity crackling across it. The kitten's eyes, as if drawn by something, stretched out towards its whiskers and mane.

Li Xia felt the Night Silence in his hand trembling slightly, but what was even more shocking was yet to come. For normal people, electromagnetic control only allows them to control the electromagnetic field around their bodies, but for Black Charcoal, this ability can help it straighten out the magnetic field, and then use its powerful lightning control ability to spread the electromagnetic field outward.

As a result, all magnetizable metal objects within a radius of several hundred meters left the ground and floated in mid-air, their surfaces even wreathed in faint electric light.

"Meow!"

A dense current of electricity spread outward from the charcoal-covered body, and the bristling hair slowly settled back down.

The kitten jumped up excitedly and raised its paw towards Li Xia.

"Meow! (Done!)"

"That's good. Let's find a place to rest for a bit."

They had been in a rush, not even exploring, and went straight to the main quest because they were worried that the junk collectors might come out and cause trouble at any time.

Now that the problem has finally been solved, Li Xia has a clear assessment of his own strength. Perhaps there is still a gap between him and the top-tier fourth-order level in terms of skill variety and attributes.

But in terms of overall strength, he has already reached the peak of the fourth level, overlooking the scenery below.

They should at least be in the top ten of the arena—well, to be conservative, top twenty, since Mord and Alabos certainly aren't at the top ten level, so it's more like top thirty.

It can only be said that the accumulation of the first three stages was too profound, and the third stage advancement battle was like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, turning all the accumulation into the terrifying strength at this moment.

That's a fundamental advancement!
In short, they can finally stop and rest. If they have enough time, Li Xia plans to explore this world a little.

Finding a flat spot, Li Xia tossed out the housing capsule he hadn't used in a long time.

Amidst the thick smoke, a delicate, semi-circular hut appeared on the ground, startling the little knight who had been watching with curiosity.

The three little ones cheered and rushed inside. The warm bed, TV, and coffee were all there. Although the fourth-order apostles were powerful, the wind and rain outside and the natural climate had long since had little effect on them.

But who wouldn't want to be comfortable if they could?

Li Xia couldn't help but smile as she watched the little knights playing around in the living room and peeking out from the doorway.

The capsules are no longer of much use to him, but Li Xia has kept them.

"Let's go inside and rest for a while."

Li Xia stepped forward, patted the little knight on the head, and led it into the capsule house.

This capsule house is a work that Bulma poured a lot of effort into, and it is a gift as precious as Valentine's Day chocolates.

It is also an important piece of equipment for the girl so that her beloved can find a place to rest after fighting those 'cosmic villains'.

So compared to a normal capsule, this room is larger and quite well-equipped.

Although the appliances inside are all top-of-the-line products manufactured by Bulma's own company, the style is not luxurious, but rather very comfortable and cozy.

Li Xia walked into the living room and unexpectedly grabbed Xiao Long with one hand while pinching Hei Tan with the other. The two little ones were stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what was going on and struggled fiercely.

"not good!"

"Meow------!"

But how could they break free from Li Xia's grasp? They were shoved directly into the bathroom. Xiaotian followed along happily, without any psychological pressure, as it loved taking baths the most.

Mingming and Heitan had a lot of fun swimming, soaking in hot springs, and going into the sea, but they were extremely resistant to taking a bath.

Aowu and Heitan think playing in the water is fun, but being scrubbed on scales with a brush and having their bellies rubbed hard with a bath towel is terrifying!

As Li Xia passed by the little knight, he glanced at it. It was dark, mottled, and not round at all!
He casually hooked his foot upwards and tucked the bewildered little knight under his arm, then walked into the bathroom.

Sure enough, Li Xia looked at the dark red bloodstains and dust in the white foam on the ground, especially on Black Charcoal. Now, Li Xia no longer licks its fur after battles, mainly because it's too dirty. It's quite unhygienic to lick the blood of enemies or monsters splattered on its body!
Aowu is much better. The little dragon's fighting style is more like a mage, but it can also use both hands for melee combat, and it will wash itself with its body from time to time.

On the contrary, the little knight was covered in a lot of mud and grime, probably because it had never taken a bath since it was born!
The three little ones and the little knight, now clean and fresh, were seated in a row. Li Xia channeled his true qi, which, combined with the Star God Core, generated scalding heat that instantly dried them. The fluffy-haired black charcoal was extremely uncomfortable and hid to the side to lick its fur, while Awoo lazily poured himself a glass of red wine.

Little Knight sat with Xiaotian watching TV—it was Paw Patrol.

The little knight remained motionless, clearly stunned.

Li Xia lay on the rocking chair by the window, quietly listening to the pattering rain hitting the ground and buildings outside. She felt her mind slowly relax along with the rain.

The firewood burning in the fireplace crackled and popped, and the leaping sparks, wanting to escape the fireplace and see the outside world, burned themselves out and drifted aimlessly in mid-air.

A balance between tension and relaxation is the best way to maintain your condition; if you're always tense, the string will eventually snap.

If you relax too much, it won't be so easy to get back into the swing of things later. Before long, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

The three children simultaneously slowed down their movements, and the TV volume was gradually turned down to the lowest setting.

Aowu made a gesture to turn off the lights, and the lights in the whole room gradually dimmed, until only long breaths and the 'drip-drip' sound of rain remained.

"click"

Li Xia stepped into the puddles, splashing water to both sides. Standing on the steps, she glanced at the plaque above.

No. 32, Tundra Street, Little Os

Li Xia looked at the two-story oval house facing the street in front of him. This was the address that Old Os had mentioned, and it was also where his child lived. In terms of residence, it was probably a pretty good house in the City of Tears.

He originally planned to come and check after dealing with the Pale King, but the previous battle had affected too many areas, so he decided to come and check first. As long as he didn't wake up the sleeping bugs, everything would be fine.

"This is it, Xiaotian."

The puppy darted up, opened its mouth, and a dark vortex appeared. With just one bite, the entire door disappeared—very convenient.

The room was damp, so mold grew on the walls and furniture, and there were even mushrooms of all sizes.

Li Xia looked around the empty living room, then walked into the room and gently pushed open the half-closed door. The scene inside made him stop in his tracks.

Aowu and Heitan poked their heads out from beside their legs, and also fell silent.

Inside the bedroom, there were only two rotten insect shells, and on the small bed next to the bed, only dark residue reflected a tiny figure.

"Ugh"

Aowu sighed with a touch of melancholy, unsure of what to say. The more worlds he experienced, the more he felt the powerlessness of ordinary people.

Li Xia's gaze lingered on the yellowed paper that was gently swaying on the table as the door opened. He slowly walked over. The paper seemed to be some kind of special paper, perhaps a moisture-proof paper created because of the special environment of the City of Tears, which was why it remained intact even when the insect shells had begun to rot.

The letter was covered with densely packed words.

Dear Dad:
As I write this letter, raindrops are still dripping down the cracks in the walls of the insect-shell city outside the window. This is the ceaseless rain of the City of Tears. You always said you wanted to visit the City of Tears, so I'm going to tell you about it in detail.

The city walls here are made of giant insect shells, and the road surface is a transparent hard shell. When rain falls on it, it rolls into small beads. You can always hear the gurgling of water in the water tanks on both sides. Sometimes, when the lights shine on these water droplets, they shimmer with a special light, which is really beautiful.

The City of Tears is no longer as peaceful as it once was.

It's unclear when it started, but the White King hasn't appeared since. There are rumors that the White King has disappeared.

I don't know if this is true, but I think it's very likely not a lie.

The city has become quite chaotic, the security is getting worse, even the patrolling guards are not paying attention, and there have even been quite a few disappearances. Lina and I will try not to go far away and will just stay in our little house, so you don't need to worry too much.

As for Lina, she's doing well.

Congratulations, you're going to be a grandfather!

Our little family has gained another adorable baby insect—she's pregnant, already over three months along.

She used to feel nauseous and couldn't eat much, but she's much better now. Occasionally, she sits by the window sewing little clothes, saying she wants to make a soft little cradle for her child.

I found a clean piece of wormwood and plan to weave a net for the cradle so the baby will sleep more peacefully inside. The thought of having a little one crying and calling for their father makes me want to laugh. I often wonder, did you feel the same way you do now when you looked at me?
Is what I see and feel now the same as what you felt when you looked at me?
This makes me miss you even more, Dad.

I remember when I was little, you would always roast cassava for me by the fireplace. The outside was crispy and the inside was soft.

Now I'm learning to bake too. Lina says it doesn't taste as good as yours, but every time I bake it, I remember you sitting in front of the fireplace, handing me the cassava.

Dad, I miss you so much. I want to take you for a walk through the streets of the City of Tears, let you taste the nut butter that Lina makes, and let you see your little grandson (or granddaughter).

Once the chaos in the city has subsided, I will bring Lina and the children back to see you.

Then, we'll do what we used to do: I'll tell you about the City of Tears, and you'll tell us stories from your youth.

I hope this letter reaches you smoothly, and I also hope you are in good health and have less to worry about.

Your son will always miss you
Little Os

Pale Calendar, Year 128, Autumn
Li Xia silently put the letter away. The letter had been folded many times, indicating that it had not been successfully sent. Perhaps it was due to the chaos, or perhaps internal strife had destroyed the normal delivery channels.

They were unable to send the letter even after little Oss's child was born.

But something in the letter bothered Li Xia.

For example, the Pale King was actually sealed away by the Seven Pale Spirits, whom he trusted most, but the common people of the City of Tears were clearly unaware of this.

This is somewhat unusual. Generally speaking, those who commit regicide will try to get rid of the crime of regicide or justify their actions by smearing the original monarch in various ways, or simply writing that the monarch died suddenly.

After all, historians who record events truthfully without altering a single word are still in the minority.

But the Pale Spirits did not do so; they even concealed the truth about the Pale King.

Moreover, within the Tower of Bliss, Gluttony resides on the desolate top floor, where he hangs the head of the Pale King high above.

It's like atonement, or like self-imprisonment.

Based on what I've seen so far and my own conjectures.

Could it be that the Pale Spirit does not wish to seal the Pale King?
Right, a seal?!

Why not completely annihilate them?

Li Xia buried her doubts in her heart, took one last deep look at the terrible state of the room, and turned to leave.

It is time to confront the Pale King.

--------------

1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

(End of this chapter)