The Final Odyssey, the fantastical journey of a cat boy

"Huh? You said we need to make preparations?" Fish asked. "Is it some kind of special equipment or something?"

"In fact, I have already prepared an equipment list for the assault force that will assist you," Huang Yan said. "However, the special equipment involved—most of which are products from the old civilization era—is already in stock in the warehouses of the Duchy of Fayun. The small shortage has also been acquired from the explorer warbands that possess such items, so there is no need for additional preparation. It can be directly issued to the combat personnel when the operation begins."

"So you mean special tactics or something like that?"

"I'm afraid not. The specific internal structure of the 'Pharsalus'-class planetary fortress is a military secret, and even my database doesn't have the relevant information," Huang Yan said regretfully. "I also don't know what specific defensive measures are inside. Therefore, under the current circumstances, it's impossible to formulate targeted tactics."

"That is..."

"Since there's no need to deliberately prepare military equipment, and it's impossible to devise special targeted tactics, then there's only one thing left to do," Huang Yan said, "which is—to—

"What is it?"

"Of course, it's that thing that old-fashioned anime, comics, and novels love to emphasize the most: the bond between comrades!" Huang Yan suddenly changed his tone. "Although those anime and manga made for chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) teenagers are far from reality, one thing is true: in a high-pressure external environment, the stronger the trust between the team members and the more solid their emotional connection, the more likely they are to overcome unpredictable risks and achieve victory."

"Uh...it does sound like that..." After Huang Yan made this statement, the atmosphere in the conference room gradually changed from the previous seriousness and oppression to a kind of...bittersweet awkwardness.

"My bond with my husband is unbreakable," Ange interjected, clearly emphasizing her position as the principal wife. "Although we haven't officially held our wedding ceremony yet, we are legally engaged. Therefore, I will absolutely remain devoted to my husband. And Miss Mint has already proven her absolute loyalty to Grand Duke Fayun, so..."

"Oh, of course," Huang Yan said. "So, what about the others?"

"Oh, this..."

"As I recall, you seem to have promised that those who serve your cause—such as Lady Frostleaf—would be granted the position of concubine to the Grand Duke of Fayun, and bestowed upon them the corresponding titles. Now, I believe it is necessary to prepare to fulfill this promise."

"Wow?"

Anjie's face immediately turned red to the roots of her neck—after all, Huang Yan's words just now had actually revealed her long-held secret thoughts in a very roundabout way.

Since resolving the Regency Council issue and imprisoning Admiral Rissmer and his associates, Ange had indeed fulfilled her previous promises… but only part of them. She submitted a formal application to the House of Nobles of the Duchy of Fayun, requesting that Xiaoxing and Shuangye be granted the title of Viscount, and that Fish's companions be awarded the title of "Imperial Knight"—the lowest rank of noble title in the Pan-Pacific Empire. But apart from that, she selectively "forgot" another part of her promise.

"Hmm... alright." After hesitating for a long time, Ange gritted her teeth and finally nodded forcefully. "Everyone here, as long as you are willing, you can all become His Highness's concubines! As long as we can return alive from the battle and usher in an era of peace, you will all have the right to hold a wedding ceremony with His Highness alongside me!"

Perhaps because Ange's statement was so unexpected, the meeting room fell into a brief silence before cheers erupted—except for Shana, of course. Although human society at the end of the old civilization era had almost completely fallen into moral collapse, she had lived in a reservation established by dissidents since childhood, and therefore still adhered to the moral values ​​established by 20th-century modern society, and naturally had no intention of becoming a concubine.

However, Fish and the others weren't worried about her. After all, Shana, as an old human, still had many of her compatriots sleeping underground, although she didn't care about the other new humans except for Melu. However, in order to ensure that her compatriots, especially her parents who might still be alive, could one day wake up safely, Shana would definitely do everything she could to stop the spread of "Tai Sui".

"Very good, but there is one more thing," Huang Yan announced after everyone's excitement had subsided slightly, "Although you are all concubines, as nobles, your statuses are not equal. To avoid disputes later, I suggest that we determine your order now."

"Interesting," Luca said. "How can we be sure?"

"Easy," Huang Yan said. "Miss Mint? Are you ready?"

"Yes." Grand Duke Fayun's chief lady-in-waiting, along with her subordinates Xiao Luo and Peanut, each carried a tray as they entered. On these trays were several strange helmets that, when worn, could cover most of a person's face, including their eyes and nostrils.

"Interesting," Luca said. "How can we be sure?"

"Easy," Huang Yan said. "Miss Mint? Are you ready?"

"Yes." Grand Duke Fayun's chief lady-in-waiting, along with her subordinates Xiao Luo and Peanut, each carried a tray as they entered. On these trays were several strange helmets that, when worn, could cover most of a person's face, including their eyes and nostrils.

"What is this?" Fish asked.

"The advanced virtual reality headsets produced during the old civilization era were designed to give game enthusiasts the opportunity to enter the virtual world," Huang Yan said. "When they were first released, many people felt like the sky was falling, claiming that addiction to the virtual world would destroy human civilization... Of course, in the last few decades of the old civilization era, no one made such accusations."

Why?

"After all, it's better to stay in the virtual world than to play so wildly in real life," Huang Yan said. "At least gamers in the virtual world won't cause trouble for others, and they certainly won't do stupid things like bringing super troublesome things like 'Tai Sui' to Earth just to seek thrills."

"That's true..."

After Mint and the others handed the helmets to Fish, Xiaoxing, Frostleaf, Melu, and Luca, several ordinary servants brought over a row of soft inflatable beds—clearly relics from the old civilization era—and had everyone lie down on them.

"Alright, please put on your helmets and turn on the switch... Of course, you may feel a little dizzy when you start it up, but that's normal, so please don't worry," Huang Yan said. "The switch is right behind the helmet."

"Okay." Fish took a deep breath and pressed the button on the back of his helmet. In the next instant, he suddenly felt as if he were plummeting from a great height.

"Meow-wah—"

Fortunately, the fall lasted only a brief moment. Then, he found himself in a white space. Here, high walls made of a material resembling white marble stood everywhere, their winding paths forming a very complex maze. The maze's passages were filled with various obstacles, including waist-high walls, enormous boxes, and pits of varying depths. In some places, he could even see spiral staircases ascending along Ionic columns, and snow-white skybridges connecting the tops of the staircases.

"Wow...where is this place?" Xiaoxing asked with some surprise as she appeared next to Fish. Although she rarely told others, she had always had a special fondness for light-colored things, especially white ones. Everything here was clearly to her liking.

"It must be some kind of virtual space, right?" Fish shrugged. Huang Yan had mentioned related technological concepts when teaching him about the technology of the old civilization era. "In other words, we're actually still lying on those beds, but our bodies have come here."

"That's right." From behind a huge pillar came a voice that Fish knew all too well—after all, for a while, it had been his own voice. "This place seems to have been transformed from a virtual reality game from an old civilization... I quite like it here."

"It's you?!" Frostleaf exclaimed, just coming to her senses. "Really?"

"Oh my, of course it's true," said Moon Butterfly, who emerged from behind the pillar.

"But we..."

"Before I parted ways with you all at Oasis Harbor, I received some...gifts from Miss Mint. According to her, they were given to me by His Highness Fish," the Marquis's daughter from the Ten Victories Kingdom waved to Frostleaf, "including a communicator from the old civilization era and a helmet. Just now, His Highness sent me a message asking me to activate the helmet, and that's how I ended up here."

"Your Highness Fish, you..." Frostleaf stared at Fish with some dissatisfaction.

"It's not my fault! It must have been that Huang Yan who secretly instructed Mint to do it behind my back!" Fish quickly explained—after all, as a fellow armored warrior with intelligent combat armor, this female officer under Ange could contact Huang Yan directly via a dedicated communication line without anyone else noticing. Clearly, Huang Yan had probably been secretly planning this for a long time!

"Everyone, welcome to the Trial Grounds of Bonds." Fish had barely finished explaining when a small, winged figure appeared before them, smiling as she spoke—this slender "fairy" was originally the bio-terminal that Phoenix Flame had once used. However, during their adventure in the underground "labyrinth" of Twilight City, she was completely destroyed by enemy fire, and Phoenix Flame had never found a suitable replacement. Only in this virtual space could she continue to appear.

"Um, what do we do next?" Xiaoxing asked.

"Well... you could call this a game of hide-and-seek?"

"Hmm...it's pretty much the same as the underground hot spring we had at the Camphor Leaf Palace last time," Xiaoxing muttered to herself.

"Yes, but there are some differences in the rules," said Huang Yan, who had transformed back into her fairy form. "For example, although we can't use intelligent combat armor and other weapons this time, we will need to fight each other."

"Fight? Barehanded?"

"If you'd like, you can fight bare-handed—but please note that this maze contains many weapons and other items, which you can use freely if you find them," Huang Yan flapped her virtual, semi-transparent wings and spun around in the air. "Of course, using the terrain to set traps or ambush your opponents is also okay."

"Uh, so may I ask, what is the purpose of this battle?" Melu raised one hand.

"Of course, it's about capturing Mr. Fish! Every attack that hits will have a corresponding effect. Once the accumulated damage reaches a certain level, Mr. Fish will lose his mobility. Incidentally, attacking each other is also fine! However, Mr. Fish cannot attack anyone else. Furthermore, the person who immobilizes Mr. Fish will become the head of the side chambers. The others will be ranked according to their scores," Huang Yan said. "Of course, besides determining your rankings, this is also a special training exercise to hone your teamwork and coordination."

"Eh? Wait a minute, I have a question," Shuangye said. "Shouldn't honing teamwork and coordination be about fighting together? Why this chaotic free-for-all mode?"

"The reason is simple—you've already accumulated too much practical experience in coordinated combat, forming relatively fixed tactical routines that have even become ingrained in your subconscious," Huang Yan said. "Under these circumstances, continuing this kind of training... well, you could call it 'marginal benefits,' as it has shown significant diminishing returns. Continuing this kind of training in the last few days before the operation won't yield much benefit either. However, if we do the opposite, it will be different."

"Huh? Huh?"

"This way, you can discover the weaknesses and shortcomings of others, rather than their strengths, through competition—sometimes, in cooperation, knowing what your teammates 'might not do' is more valuable than knowing what they 'can do'." Huang Yan's virtual fairy image circled above everyone's heads again. "Now, please spread out as much as possible, heading in different directions within the maze. Then, after I say 'stop,' stand still and close your eyes. Do you understand?"

"Understood." Everyone immediately did as instructed, and closed their eyes after Huang Yan shouted "Stop."

"Next, I will count down for sixty seconds. After that, you can begin your actions." A cold smile suddenly appeared on the lips of the virtual fairy avatar used by Huang Yan. "By the way, I'll add a small punishment rule: If Mr. Fish loses his ability to move within 20 minutes, he will be punished with an electric shock for 100 seconds after the simulation ends."

"Meow? What the hell is going on?!"

"For every ten minutes you endure, the electric shock punishment time will be reduced by 10 seconds. In other words, if you can hold out for two hours without getting caught, you won't be punished. Now, the countdown officially begins! Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight..."