He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

Chapter 128 Inhuman

Sometimes, being shy and not straightforward can actually be endearing.

Aina circled around him with great interest, staring intently at Xiu for a long time—the half-grown kitten had never experienced such a scene before, and was almost frozen in place before finally letting out a relieved "Cute!"

"However, you'd better just say what's on your mind." She lifted the hem of her skirt, casually chose a clean spot next to Xiu, and sat down, yawning.

"I'm in a great mood right now, you know?"

Aina hummed, and Hugh, who was clearly preoccupied, finally couldn't help but cautiously raise his head.

"About that power—"

Hugh gritted his teeth. The bird in front of him, which looked so lowly, was a complete stranger to him. Although he had presumptuously regarded her as his "listener" and "kindred spirit," Hugh knew that this "suspected visitor from above" had not yet established any real relationship with him.

It's only because the other party has a mental problem and is very outgoing that this meeting, which neither side was prepared for, has been able to proceed in such a "harmonious and loving" manner until now. For Hugh, who is used to the survival attitude of the bottom nest and instinctively views all outsiders from a utilitarian perspective, he has never expected to get any "valuable information" from Aina.

—But if it allows me to better understand my situation—

"The abilities you just demonstrated—and my own."

He met Aina's seemingly playful gaze, but fortunately, there was no hint of sarcasm in it. He mustered his courage and said, "Just like this."

Before he finished speaking, an invisible shadow gathered from beneath Hugh's feet, dissolving into a thick, inky mist that enveloped his entire body. Leaning against the slanting rain curtain, his small figure instantly became light in the increasingly dense night, his presence reduced to a faint question.

"Huh—" Aina looked at Hugh, who was shrouded in the rain, tilted her head, squinted slightly, clapped her hands together gently, and smiled, "Very impressive."

Like a child showing off a new talent taught at school in front of adults, Hugh quickly broke free of his disguise. His expression was obscured by the rain, but his tone revealed a hint of shyness.

"Like this."

He thought for a moment, then added somewhat awkwardly, "About two months ago, it started when I—"

"Congratulations!"

A soft clapping sound rang out, and before Hugh could even feel the embarrassment of being interrupted, he had only a moment to look up in a daze when he saw Aina flapping her wings and clapping vigorously.

Although she spoke in a celebratory tone, it sounded more like she was talking to herself.

"The essence of mystery — well, it's not quite at the level of essence yet — at least in its mode of operation, it usually manifests as a denial of the normal state of nature; a distortion of the solidified reality."

After changing her tune once, Aina continued, "A form of power without bias, not yet incorporating any criteria... wow, a brand new apprentice cat!"

"

'

Hugh remained silent, expressionless, a sense of helplessness rising within him. There was nothing he could do but wait for the guy to finish his self-indulgent rant and start explaining.

Finally, Aina steered the conversation back on track.

"mystery."

She said this, then silently stepped forward, stomping on Hugh's shadow, like a child playing a game—but even this simple action sent a chill down Hugh's spine.

He tried to re-enter the "hidden" state he had just been in, but the power flowing through his soul did not respond to him as usual, but remained silent in the deathly stillness.

"The ability you've been using: Arcane Arts, using spiritual tendrils to stir up vibrations in the red liquid, manipulating ripples to rise from the pool, and further interfering with the forces of the mortal world."

Aina shifted her feet slightly, releasing the silent pressure of mystery, and then chuckled, "If we divide the measure of life into the two sides of matter and spirituality, mortals are prisoners trapped in the material realm, while you possess the qualifications to delve into the spiritual realm and explore and study the intangible world."

Hugh was trying very hard to process the information the other person was giving him, but he still looked completely bewildered: "I don't quite understand."

Ignoring the cat's opinion and the other's slightly resentful expression, Aina's words seemed to be directed at herself. She stared at Hugh, her gaze growing brighter: "Curiosity, the desire to explore, self-control—the drive to delve deeper and move forward, and the capacity to shape and regenerate. What I glimpsed in the embryonic form of your soul—these are the characteristics of fire and enlightenment. Although I cannot be entirely certain, if you tend to build your character in the future, these two principles will most likely be the guiding principles."

She narrowed her eyes. "Right now, you're just an apprentice who hasn't even decided on a path yet, which means you're level zero, a newbie who's just entered a new world and hasn't even chosen a profession. So no matter how much I say, it's all just castles in the air for you—of course, you don't need to understand too much at this stage."

—So you were still listening to me after all.

Hugh's gaze grew increasingly mournful, while Aina shook her head as if completely oblivious. "What a pity, what a pity, I don't have any systematic information here, so I can't teach you too much—at least not for now."

"but-

—"

She looked at Hugh, who, despite being a bird, smiled like a fox. "However, I do have a rough idea of ​​what you care about more—though it's just a guess."

Under that golden-red gaze, Hugh felt a sudden, overwhelming fear of being seen through from the inside out, and even his tailbone went limp.

"Tsk."

Aina murmured, "You want to know the limits of this ability—but you clearly don't seem like someone who seeks power or authority. Your flame of desire is thin and weak—more of a blur. In that case, what you want to gain from the 'extraordinary' is perhaps something even you yourself don't fully understand."

"I—" Hugh stammered, swallowing hard, "I just wanted to at least understand my own situation first—"

"That's impressive."

Aina nodded and spoke without hesitation, though it seemed to be an irrelevant answer, "Extremely powerful! Mysterious, it's sharper than any weapon you can imagine, more versatile than any means, and stronger than any force—it's practically limitless in its possibilities."

"I can tell you right now: the upper limit of this power is enough to overturn the bottom nest and even reshape the world."

She stared into Hugh's eyes, and although his trembling pupils kept shifting their position, they could not escape the pursuit of that gaze.

"You, during your apprenticeship, relied solely on your initial exploration of mysterious powers and your instincts to compile a fully functional secret technique. Although the effect wasn't optimized to perfection, it miraculously didn't have any bugs—unbelievable, as absurd as you being able to ignite this flawed engine, yet it actually happened."

Although she used many expressions like "unbelievable," Aina's tone didn't reveal much surprise; it was just ordinary praise and appreciation, as natural as complimenting a dessert.

The next second, the bird's face once again wore a harmless smile, which at this moment made Hugh shudder.

"I have told you the limit to which this power can reach, so now you should answer one question for me."

She patted Hugh on the shoulder, startling him. "Now you know you're special, different from most mediocre people—so, special kitty!—what kind of person do you want to become?"

Aina tilted her head back, her beautiful eyes unblinking. "What do you most want to do next?"

In the silence, Xiu opened his mouth.

"I----"

Under that mottled gaze, he once again lost in thought—without any resistance, the words slipped from his lips.

"I want it back—"

But in the next instant, the sound that had just come out was forced back down his throat by a dry heave. He curled up like a shrimp, accompanied by a violent cough, choking himself until his face turned red. He stumbled and leaned against the wall to avoid falling.

Suppressing the spasms in his stomach and the constant buzzing and dizziness in his head, Xiu took a deep breath.

"You" 6

He looked at the innocent-looking Aina, who simply blinked naturally.

"Ah—you don't like this?" She seemed to react a beat late, slowly walking over and patting Xiu's hunched back.

No one likes having their inner thoughts pried into.

Xiu said quietly, then stared at those eyes that showed absolutely no "apology" for two seconds before finally falling silent and giving up on explaining.

Aina rubbed her temples: "Oh, I thought everyone would prefer a more efficient way of communicating—it's so troublesome. What you say rarely matches what you think. It's really awkward."

This guy is definitely not normal!

Looking at Aina, who kept talking to herself, Xiu felt an overwhelming sense of dread.

If the strange traits this guy had previously displayed seemed like he was missing a screw, further interaction revealed to Hugh a core that appeared to be inhuman—hidden within that beautiful exterior.

It's as if there's an invisible veil separating us from others, a kind of inherent racial divide. If we had to use a metaphor, it would be like—

—A divide between humans and other species.

—This is terrible.

Xiu couldn't help but take a step back.

"pity."

The next second, Aina suddenly shook her head and let out a rare soft sigh.

"Actually, I prefer rebellious bad kids to obedient good kids."

She winked at Hugh, pouted, sat down to the side, hugged her knees, and looked pitiful. "What a pity, it seems like we're not compatible at all—but it was such a serendipitous encounter—finding a beautiful girl in my own home! Just thinking about it makes me think of all the things that could happen next—"

'

Ignoring the latter part of his disqualifying statement, Hugh clenched his fists silently. He suddenly felt a surge of resentment, or even "anger of being slighted"—and along with it swelled an impulse to reveal his true self.

—What does it mean to rebel?

Hugh, the clever cat, is seen as "someone else's child" by the residents of Usa. He is one of the few "skilled workers" in the surrounding area and a genius who can make a living with his skills and brains. Who knows, he might even be able to move to the metropolis someday.

All along, the boy, who had always been well-behaved and adorable in front of others, had kept his true identity a secret from his father and the townspeople. In reality, he was struggling on the edge of life and death as a copper moss who could never reveal his true name.

Perhaps a single failed commission could lead to utter ruin; he had reasons to do so.

"I'm not some good kid!" the cat screamed in his heart, but in reality, he just remained silent.

—What's going on?—Use that tone of voice you'd use to coax a child!

Hugh suddenly felt that this bird was too ugly to look at, and the more he looked at it, the more displeased he became. He sharpened his little tiger teeth.

Like every teenager going through a rebellious phase, Hugh often fantasizes about being a "dark hero," and he goes beyond that; he actually has the experience and ability to do so.

The cat was always proud of himself, and he felt that even in the entire bottom nest, "Hugh" was a very special individual.

But when his true self didn't receive understanding and affirmation from "someone equally special," this inexplicable sense of frustration made Hugh feel a long-lost sense of anxiety.

"What do you know?!"

His tone was curt, and he was interrupted again the next second.

"Whether it's for wealth or some more practical reason—it's all so boring anyway."

Aina shook her head. "It's so boring! I can't even get interested in listening to it—"

-so.

"You are wasting your talent."

She said this with certainty and seriousness, though her inner monologue was still running.

—Oh, what an arrogant cat, so arrogant it's almost a bit of a repressed flirt.

"Please—kitty, who would put a nuclear detonator and a toilet flush button together? You've already glimpsed the world-shattering power within you, and instead of trying to make a name for yourself in high-level matches, you're just holed up here as a zero-dollar pickpocket?"

Aina squinted.

"Why don't you come and work for me?"

"————" For some reason, these seemingly illogical words, which sounded like those of a madman, seemed exceptionally intense under Ya Yan's gaze.

His vision was filled with the golden and red wings soaring high nearby, and Xiu stammered out two stiff words: "What—"

？"

Without anyone noticing, Aina had turned around. Stretching her beautiful wings, which seemed disproportionate to her size and were several times wider than her shoulder blades, she faced the increasingly thinning twilight glow over the town and stretched leisurely.

A muffled yet earnest voice, carried by the chilly wind of approaching night, entered those high-perched cat ears.

"Come with me—to save the world."

97

"————" The cat tilted its head.

"Um?"

Aina tilted her head as well, facing Hugh, who looked lost and dejected. She stared at him for a few seconds, and when she found that he had stopped moving, she remained silent for a while before tentatively probing him in a soft voice.

"Ruling the world is also an option."

Still no response.

Aina then added a sentence, claiming that there was a problem with the language component in her program and lacking confidence.

"Let's start with the bottom nest—that's not a bad idea."

The silence lasted for a long time.

After the silence of the night, one could vaguely see the corners of Hugh's mouth trembling.

**————（Bottom Nest□）

—He really is a madman!

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