The Final Odyssey, the fantastical journey of a cat boy

"Wait a minute, what are these people doing?"

After the trimaran docked, Fish noticed that the three people who disembarked were all young women dressed as maids. As soon as they stepped onto the roof, they busied themselves carrying all sorts of odds and ends: the maids unloaded tables, high-backed chairs, a complete afternoon tea set, a small stove, folding parasols, silk cushions, and even a small roll of red carpet from the trimaran! They then arranged these fancy items in a corner of the abandoned stadium, as if transforming it into a miniature palace.

After this whole incomprehensible and tedious set of preparations was completed, the lead maid, holding a parasol, helped a young woman in a gorgeous dress down from the trimaran. Then, the maids lit a stove and began brewing tea. The lead maid carefully laid a red carpet from beside the tables and chairs all the way to the edge of the court, then took out a retractable metal ladder and placed it on the gunwale of the "Waves" near the roof.

"Is...are they having a tea party?" Fish was completely dumbfounded.

"You're asking me? Who should I ask?" This time, Huang Yan, unusually, failed to answer Fish's question. "I have to say, some of the customs of your time are just too... incomprehensible."

"Let's go downstairs first, anyway," Xiaoxing muttered after catching the aroma of tea wafting on the wind. "At least... I'm a little thirsty. I guess they won't mind buying us a drink, right?"

"Of course I don't mind." Although Xiaoxing's voice wasn't loud, the maid below heard her. Like Xiaoxing, she had fox-like physical features, but her pointed ears were nearly a foot long. If Xiaoxing's animal features were closer to those of a common red fox, this maid was more like a fennec fox from the desert.

Of course... due to the drastic climate change at the end of the old civilization era, this smallest type of fox had already become extinct long ago.

"Thank you very much for extending a helping hand in our time of crisis and helping our Lady... uh, Miss. So, Miss wishes to express her gratitude to you in an appropriate way," the maid continued.

As Fish walked past the cold-faced, green-haired, fox-eared maid, he noticed a set of dark green intelligent combat armor beneath her apron! Although the loose skirt covered most of her body, the armor on her hands, feet, and neck still couldn't be concealed—or rather, she hadn't bothered to. Beside her lay a large, finely crafted ebony chest, which looked quite heavy; its contents remained a mystery.

In short, based on his intuition honed from his experiences begging for tips from wealthy female customers in the Oasis Harbor taverns, Fish felt that this was a capable, unemotional, and not easily deceived woman. In other words, she was the kind of woman who would absolutely not tip him just because he pouted and meowed.

"It seems that the reason the 'Wave' went to such lengths to avoid boarding was because of her," Huang Yan said to Fish via neural link. Her fairy-type remote terminal hid in the bushes at the edge of the field, observing potential threats from a concealed corner. "This guy is at least a Tier 3 fighter, what you call a 'Crystal' class armored warrior. And he seems experienced and clear-headed. Even if the 'Wave' has dozens of armed crew members and three Gorons, as long as she can successfully board that ship, her chances of turning the tables are still no less than 30%... no, at least 35%. That's why the 'Wave' chose to fire from a distance of over a thousand meters."

"That amazing?" Fish felt ashamed when he thought that he, a warrior of a high level, had to rely on Xiaoxing's help to barely defeat his opponent and had almost faced death several times.

"In fact, this is just the normal level of a well-trained high-level armored warrior," Huang Yan explained. "A rookie like you is like an eight-year-old who has just gotten an automatic rifle. You can pull the trigger, but you can't hold it steady or shoot accurately. Otherwise, let alone E-rank or D-rank cannon fodder like the 'Reef Assassin,' even an opponent like the 'Black Destroyer' would be a piece of cake to take down without taking any damage in ten seconds."

"Meow... Can't you stop undermining my confidence like that? Also, how are the ranks of armored warriors determined?"

"All intelligent combat armor has the ability to identify each other, which can determine the theoretical power limit of other combat armor. The higher the power, the stronger the strength, speed, and crucial computing power," Huang Yan replied. "Although long-term training can improve power data, the level of combat armor is usually limited during manufacturing. The higher the level of combat armor, the fewer people can be equipped with it."

"so……"

"The most common first-level strength, which is what you call the 'Jade' grade in your era, translates to a comprehensive power value range of approximately 100 to 300; the second-level strength, which is the 'Agate' grade, is 300 to 1000. Incidentally, this is also Xiaoxing's 'Grape' grade," Huang Yan said. "As for this maid's 'Crystal' grade, it's 1000 to 2500, and the higher 'Lapis Lazuli' grade is 2500 to 6000..."

"So, Huang Yan, who are you...?"

"As I said before, one important factor that power ratings can determine is the computing power of the intelligent combat armor," Huang Yan chuckled softly in Fish's mind. "The combat armor that can maintain my highest level of tactical artificial intelligence is, of course, the highest 'Diamond' grade, with a combined power of 6000 to...15000."

"So high—" Fish gasped: Although he knew that there were different levels of strength among armored warriors, the difference between the lowest and highest ability limits being one hundred and fifty times was still too... astonishing.

"Of course, don't get too arrogant just because I'm on your side—these statistics aren't decisive. In actual combat, experience, skill, mindset, and luck are key. Most importantly, the Armored Warrior's intelligent combat armor is by no means omnipotent: it was originally designed as a kind of 'gladiator equipment' from the old civilization era. Although it is extremely efficient in close combat, it still cannot withstand heavy weapons and cannot sustain combat indefinitely. On the real battlefield, those fools who think they are invincible because they have intelligent combat armor will only die faster."

"Your Excellency, thank you for your help." After walking across the red carpet laid out by the maids, Fish and Xiaoxing arrived at the parasol and saw the face of the important person they were to protect for the first time: she was also a fox-eared girl with naturally curly hair in a bright platinum tone, and a perfect doll-like face that Fish had only seen in posters and brochures before.

While most men Fish's age would be captivated by the girl's beauty at first sight, Fish felt only unease: in those emerald eyes, he sensed an arrogant disdain for others. He had experienced similar arrogance from several grumpy women in his tavern days; without exception, they treated him like a dirty stray cat, refusing to tip and frequently threatening to hit and verbally abuse him.

However, the arrogance of the girl before him was even stronger than that of all the women he had ever met combined: Fish had a feeling that, in her eyes, she was born superior, existing solely to dominate others. This arrogance brought back terrible memories for Fish, and he felt a sudden unease.

"You're welcome, I just..." Although she felt very uncomfortable, Fish tried her best to control her emotions and wanted to shake hands with the other person. But what the other person did next surprised her: after putting down her teacup and getting up, the platinum blonde girl completely ignored his actions and instead took Xiaoxing's hand.

"Eh?"

"Your Excellency, if I may be so bold, your pet has not been properly trained," the platinum-blonde girl said to the equally surprised Xiaoxing. "While your excellent combat skills are impressive, if your retainer performs poorly, it will affect your reputation."

"I'm not..." Fish wanted to retort, but Xiaoxing had already shaken her head in advance.

"Mr. Fish is my friend and companion, dear lady. I'll get angry if you continue to address him the way you just did."

"Friends? Companions?" The platinum-haired girl repeated the two words, as if reciting a lame joke. "Excuse me, are you serious?"

"certainly!"

"But for a noble family like yours, with its pure bloodline, to become friends with such an unclean person is an improper thing to do. It would bring shame to your family name."

Xiao Xing was stunned by the platinum-haired girl's words, but Fish immediately understood: although he had never been to the Duchy of Fayun, he had heard many stories about the country from the merchants who frequented the tavern.

Among the many highly autonomous vassal states of the Pan-Pacific Empire, the Duchy of Fayun is located on the southwestern border of the empire, facing the Duchy of Irian to the east. It occupies the southern and southeastern borders of the Asian continent that have not yet been completely submerged, as well as most of the remaining islands at the junction of Asia and Oceania.

Although the nominal territory is vast, the actual usable territory of the principality is quite limited due to the terrible heat of the tropics and the constant destructive storms. Moreover, there are many customs and ideas that are incompatible with those of other states.

The concept of "impure seed" is one of them.

As is well known, unlike the old humans who looked almost identical, the new humans, possessing vastly different animalistic features, can be subdivided into nearly a hundred distinct races. In commercial city-states like Oasis Harbor, where Fish previously resided, different races would choose to live together, while in most places, society would be dominated by one or a few races. Discrimination, conflict, and prejudice among them were naturally inevitable, but the Duchy of Fayun's "achievements" in this regard were absolutely unparalleled.

Perhaps influenced by remnants of an old civilization, the nobles of Fayun call themselves "Chosen Ones," their bloodline said to trace back to the three great warriors who defeated the old humans. These people possess fox-like physical characteristics, with lighter fur color indicating higher rank, while other races are considered relatively inferior. As for cat-like new humans like Fish, they are considered "impure" in Fayun, born "unclean."

Although "unclean" people are rarely directly persecuted in daily life, their living areas are strictly separated from other "pure" people, and they have almost no interaction with each other in their lives, just like the isolated lepers in ancient times.

Of course, for the nobles of Fayun, it's acceptable to treat "impure offspring" as pets and tools, to take good care of them, and to "maintain" them. However, to regard them as equals is absolutely unthinkable. As for the nobles of Fayun, they are known for their endless formalities and extreme meticulousness, coupled with their arrogant attitude of looking down on everyone equally—this young lady in front of us is a typical example.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not from the Duchy of Fayun." After a moment of confusion, Xiaoxing finally understood and replied, "I don't have a family name, title, or rank, and of course, I'm not a noble."

"Huh?!" The girl with the platinum blonde hair was surprised. "But... you're clearly a 'Chosen One,' and your rank is definitely not low, plus you have the talent of a armored warrior! To be able to wipe out an entire ship's worth of enemies by yourself, you should at least be at the 'Lapis Lazuli' level..."

"No, I didn't!" Xiaoxing shook her head vigorously, then pointed at Fish. "Without Mr. Fish, I wouldn't have been able to handle so many enemies!"

"Fish... what does 'fish' mean in the language of the old civilization? Is this the name of your pet... uh... retainer?" Since Xiaoxing clearly didn't like the word "pet," the platinum-blonde-haired girl had to use a different term.

"Yes, it's me," Fish said in a very firm tone—although he usually tried to be as gentle as possible with women, since the platinum blonde girl was speaking to him so rudely, he didn't intend to be polite to her either. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," the platinum-blonde girl said, scrutinizing Fish with the same look she would give a dangerous animal. "You... are you also a Master Armorer?"

"Of course!" Since Xiaoxing had already let it slip, Fish and Huangyan naturally stopped pretending. In just a few seconds, his camouflage overalls transformed back into his original red, tight-fitting combat armor. "Is that not allowed?!"

"It's not impossible... There are occasional examples of impure individuals inheriting traces of heroic blood and possessing talent," the girl said. "Were the enemies on that ship truly defeated by you?"

"Half of the credit goes to Xiaoxing; I'm just—"

"You may call me Ange. For certain reasons, I cannot reveal my title or family name," the platinum-haired girl suddenly announced her name. "In the name of our ancestors and the spirits of all the heroes in heaven, I hereby formally challenge you."

"Why?!" Fish was stunned.

"Because...you stole my prey!"