The Final Odyssey, the fantastical journey of a cat boy

"What? You want my help?" Lulu was quite surprised after hearing Fish's words. "I'm sorry, I'm just the host here, I can't go down and help the challengers. For me, remaining neutral is a must."

"Is that so?" Fish asked as he opened the "Subsidiary Ability System" page that Phoenix Flame could still activate using his consciousness. "However, I seem to have to remind you that it has been ten centuries since the end of the old civilization era. The people you once served no longer exist."

"So what? I don't really have intelligence in the strict sense. I'm just a highly advanced read-only program that's very good at imitating real humans. So I won't get hung up on meaning or necessity. I'll just do what the program is designed to do," Lulu replied frankly.

"Ah, that's not important," Fish licked his lips. "What I mean is, even if I 'recruit' you here, it probably won't bother the audience who no longer exist."

"Of course not. Wait, you want to—"

"Override control established successfully."

Before the ancient program could say anything more, Fish had already activated the "auxiliary ability system" of Phoenix Flame, which was still in a usable state, completing the final step—of course, he didn't actually control the program. What he commanded was merely a spherical projection robot floating not far away.

Earlier, in order to test the true attitude of the people on the "Wave", Fish had operated a similar robot to create his own projection.

Based on this experience, he realized a few seconds earlier that Lulu Meng was able to project his virtual image in front of him and capture his movements anytime and anywhere in this dense jungle, because she must also be using similar devices to track him.

Because this billiard-ball-shaped projection robot was equipped with optical camouflage, Fish had not noticed its presence before. However, this ability, which he had taken from the "Black Destroyer," did not require "seeing the target" as a prerequisite.

This capability can establish control as long as there are qualified automated devices within ten meters.

Of course, this projection robot was unarmed and could not be used for combat. However, this did not pose a problem for Fish.

After gaining control, Fish immediately deactivated its safety protocols and automatic fail-safe system, then overloaded its battery, causing it to crash into its own feet.

"Woo meow meow meow waa ...

Although the machine was only the size of an ordinary orange, the explosive power of its hydrogen battery was considerable. With a strong impact from below, Fish, along with a large number of broken green vines, was thrown directly out of the water by the shockwave of the explosion amidst screams.

"Huff...huff...huff..." Although his whole body ached as if he had been beaten with a rolling pin, Fish still endured the pain and swam to the island as fast as he could, stumbling into the door of the concrete hut.

Just as Fish collapsed, the door closed behind him. Then he felt a vibration and a slight feeling of weightlessness—a similar sensation he had experienced before, when he was working his first job at the Oasis Shipyard, on the elevator that transported parts.

Clearly, this is an elevator.

"Damn... that was close. Are all people from the old civilization this twisted?" After recovering, Fish finally began to feel the long-awaited pain.

Although the Phoenix Flame can offset some physical damage, being nearly strangled to death and then blasted out of the water by an explosion is an experience that cannot be described simply by the word "sour and refreshing"!

Immediately after the injury, Fish's surge of adrenaline and endorphins provided temporary relief from the pain. Unfortunately, the effects of these substances were rather short-lived.

As he escaped danger, the pain, like a flame that had been rekindled, began to burn his body again.

"Sigh... I knew it, you'd definitely run into trouble without me," just as Fish was writhing in pain on the elevator floor, Huang Yan's voice rang in his mind, "Your performance this time was quite poor overall: although that pile of electronic waste kept misleading you, the existence of those immobile predatory plants in the forest was perfectly observable and could have been warned."

"But I didn't know beforehand..."

"Yes, but can't you use your cat brain to think about this properly?! Even at the lowest difficulty, such a vast forest with only a few drones is too easy—do you think those perverted, bloodthirsty viewers would enjoy watching this?!" Huang Yan asked mercilessly.

"Damn, I didn't expect that either..."

"Then next time you'd better think ahead! At least don't be like that stupid cat charging headlong into a hundred-ton king, foolishly jumping into such an obvious trap!" Huang Yan said. "Otherwise, how are you going to accomplish my great mission of saving humanity? How are you going to go to those higher and farther places you want to go?!"

"Waaah..." Due to the pain all over his body and the grievance of being scolded, Fish drooped his ears and suddenly began to sob softly.

"Wait a minute, why are you crying?!" Although she was furious before, Huang Yan softened when she saw that Fish was actually crying. "Don't cry! Are you injured? I'll heal you right now!"

In the next minute or less, the medical equipment within Fish's entire combat armor was activated. A large amount of highly effective painkillers was injected into his body, followed by carbon-based nanobots formed from cells differentiated from the countless syncytia that make up Phoenix Flame, used to repair internal wounds.

As a wave of heat washed over him, Fish was astonished to find that the internal injuries he had suffered earlier had miraculously vanished, as if they had never existed.

"Wait, wouldn't this... trigger the system's detection...?"

"No, I just analyzed the system behavior patterns within this arena again," Huang Yan replied. "We're lucky; its design has a bug."

"Bug? What's that?" Fish wagged its tail, completely bewildered.

"You can think of it as a design flaw," Huang Yan said. "Although the system will forcibly evaluate the overall combat strength of each participant in the 'challenge' based on factors such as the number of participants and their weaponry, and flexibly adjust the difficulty accordingly, what's interesting is that the elevators connecting different arenas are not considered part of this evaluation. Therefore, I can still help you inside the elevator."

"But once we go out, we have to restore everything to its original state?"

"Yes... but what right do you have to complain?! Do you know how much gamers used to crave the chance to be fully healed at the end of a level?" Huang Yan asked while continuing to heal Fish. "Also, although your performance on the previous level was terrible, I must admit that your quick thinking in dealing with danger was quite good. In that respect, your overall performance deserves a 60 out of 100."

"That's all? Oh well... I'm glad I passed." Fish shrugged. "Hopefully the next level won't be too scary."

"Don't worry. Your quick thinking just now actually helped me a lot," Huang Yan said, "especially your control over that projection robot. Although that thing itself isn't important, after you established control, I briefly accessed the data within the system. This included information about the lower arenas."

"Really?!"

"The fourth arena was once considered by many to be the 'most terrifying' arena. However, it's quite advantageous for you," Huang Yan explained. "Although people of your time call the arena of the past 'mazes,' this arena was specifically built to maze standards. The enemies are relatively few and not very strong. However, be aware that their movements are very predictable, and..."

"Attention challengers, we have arrived at the fourth floor. Please exit the elevator immediately and begin the new challenge. The difficulty level will now be assessed." Before Huang Yan could finish speaking, Lulu Meng's voice came from the loudspeaker at the top of the elevator car.

"Sorry, good luck." Then, taking advantage of the last few seconds before the elevator doors opened, Huang Yan quickly shut down all the subsystems again, thus increasing the difficulty of the challenge he faced.

"Ah...oh..." Before Fish, standing there dumbfounded, could figure out how to answer, the elevator doors had already opened. This time, a strange, damp smell with a hint of sulfur rushed in from outside.

Fish observed carefully for a while, and only after confirming that there was no imminent danger did he cautiously walk out.

The entrance to the fourth level of the arena is a vast, empty stone hall. Huge stalactites and stalagmites intertwine, like the interlocking teeth of a giant beast.

The colorful mineral crystals competed for attention, shimmering with a unique luster under the light of the only source of light in the hall—a searchlight fixed to a giant stalactite.

In the very center of the hall was a shallow pool of water, its bottom covered with calcium carbonate sediment. A clearly man-made stone platform sat at the edge of the pool, leading to the dark cave entrance. A row of headlamps and small flashlights were placed on the platform, presumably for challengers. A sign nearby read, "Please feel free to use them."

Fish waded through ankle-deep groundwater to the stone platform... but did not immediately reach for the lighting fixtures.

"What's wrong? Don't worry, all this equipment is free," Lulu's alluring virtual image popped up again. Clearly, this ancient arena had plenty of spare projection robots; losing one wouldn't be a big deal. "Take as many as you can carry, it's free. No charge!"

"I don't care about money," Fish said, still not making a move. "Wait, how difficult is this level?"

"Before you arrived, the difficulty level of the fourth floor of the arena was 2, which is easy," the program said. "Because the other challenger who was sent with you has already started the challenge on this floor. Of course, due to your arrival, the current difficulty level has been reassessed and officially changed to level 3—normal."

"Level 3? That's two levels higher than the previous one." A bead of sweat appeared below Fish's ear. In that eerie forest, he had almost failed on the lowest difficulty level, and surviving on a level two levels higher would obviously be quite challenging.

"Please hurry forward. The entrance to the fifth level is in the center of the cave maze," Lulu urged. "The main challenge of this level comes from the maze itself. Even at the current difficulty, there aren't many enemies, so the danger is limited. Please don't hesitate."

"I don't believe you for a second," Fish muttered, having been misled several times.

However, after thinking for a moment, he cautiously picked up a small flashlight that was placed on the stone platform, turned it on and off several times, and carefully checked it for a while. Only after confirming that it was just an ordinary flashlight did he put it into his bag.

Next, he took off a headlamp and attached it to Huang Yan's helmet with nylon straps.

After all, with Phoenix Flame's own thermal imaging equipment, life detectors, and radar all unusable, ensuring visible light illumination is indeed very necessary.

"Very good, now please come this way." Seeing that Fish was ready, Lulu pointed to the black cave entrance and gestured for people to come in.

But she soon discovered that Fish did not follow immediately.

He actually stuffed all the flashlights and headlamps on the stone platform into a burlap sack he had been carrying with him and packed them up!

"Huh?! Mr. Fish, what are you doing—"

"What's up? When you're traveling, it's always good to be prepared," Fish deliberately lifted his mask, revealing a maliciously cute smile to the image in front of him. "What's wrong? Didn't you say these were free? Do you expect me to tip you?"

"No, no, no, please do as you please." Lulu Meng suddenly had nothing to say. "Anyway, there are no other challengers on this floor for the time being, please continue."

"Thank you very much." Fish turned on the head-mounted light, and a beam of light immediately pierced through the dense darkness of the cave ahead.

After taking a few steps forward, he turned off the light, then turned on a flashlight, placed it on the ground, and gently pushed it with his finger. The flashlight rolled all the way to the center of the cave.

A few seconds later, a dark figure suddenly and silently descended from the sky, obscuring the flashlight beam like a curtain. Fish threw his combat knife without hesitation.

Although this attack did not receive the power boost from the Phoenix Flame, it still dealt a fatal blow to the dark figure: after emitting a short hiss and trembling for a moment, the dark figure fell completely silent.

Then, Fish quietly took a few steps a short distance away, turned on the second flashlight, and repeated what he had done before. But this time, no uninvited guests appeared until the flashlight stopped rolling.

The light from the flashlight illuminated the entire creature from before.