Chapter 188: Cat King Arrives

Chapter 188: The Cat King Arrives

Both cats were glass cannons—high attack, low defense—and once they started fighting, they went wild, with explosions echoing in rapid succession.

Meng Shu huddled in a corner of the palace, watching them intently.

Their attributes countered each other, and they used their ultimate moves simultaneously—ice and fire collided, sending thick smoke billowing.

Meng Shu ducked his head. Only when the smoke dissipated did he cautiously peek over.

The two cats had vanished.

Dead?

He stood up and called out, "Cat Sword, return."

The Cat Sword answered its master's call. It had been lying quietly on the ground, but upon hearing his command, it became a streak of sword light and instantly returned to his hand.

The system did not announce the fourth floor clear. Either there was another boss, or the two cats hadn’t died.

When the smoke completely cleared, Meng Shu felt his way through the darkness and cautiously walked toward the center of the palace.

His toe bumped into something soft. Meng Shu looked down—at his feet lay a half-dead cat.

He couldn’t tell if it was Black Mask or White Mask, so he crouched down and tried to identify it.

The black cat suddenly stretched out its claw, grabbing at his cloak, and trembling, spoke his dying words: "Give me... kittens..."

Meng Shu: "..."

Ling Qingjue, what the hell have you been teaching them?!

He let out a helpless chuckle, raised his sword and slew the cat. "Sorry, you’d better turn back into cat fur."

The dungeon still hadn’t cleared. Meng Shu scoured the area for the other cat. The palace had no light source, and the clone was also black, making it a real challenge.

It took him some time to locate the other cat, and he swiftly dispatched it.

The moment both bosses died, the palace lit up.

In the center of the palace stood a vacant throne, with two statues on either side, each wearing a mask—one black, one white—guarding the throne with devout reverence.

The light was blinding, and Meng Shu squinted instinctively.

"You have cleared the fourth floor. Do you wish to proceed to the fifth floor?"

The system prompted.

Meng Shu was taken aback. "Just me going?"

System: "Only adventurers who've cleared the fourth floor are eligible to go to the fifth floor. After you leave, the fourth floor will reset."

Meng Shu looked back at the tightly shut door.

He took a deep breath and clenched his fingers, gripping the Cat Sword. "Teleport me to the fifth floor."

System: "Please sit on the throne."

Meng Shu said, "Huh?" and wasn't falling for it. "That’s Ling Qingjue’s throne. Don’t trick me. If he sees someone else sitting on his throne, he’ll chase me down and kill me."

Meng Shu was wary. "No kidding? Don't screw me over."

System: "No charge."

Meng Shu immediately sat down on the throne—typical of him to be easily bought. "You should've said it was free. No big deal."

The statues beside the throne suddenly knelt on one knee, with hands over their hearts, reverent and dignified.

A magic circle appeared beneath the throne, and the blinding golden light forced Meng Shu's eyes shut, raising his hand to shield them.

As the light faded, Meng Shu hesitantly lowered his arm, stunned into silence by the sight before him.

He had originally imagined that the fifth floor, where Ling Qingjue resided, would be high-end and classy—at least more lavish than the fourth floor. But what met his eyes was all ruins—crumbled walls and devastation as far as the eye could see.

Only the throne beneath him remained perfectly intact, with a cat's head carved into the armrest.

The obsidian throne, under the faint light filtering through the dome, gleamed with a cold, hard luster, as if hewn from a single boulder by immense force, its edges polished smooth as glass.

"Who are you?"

A cold male voice came from behind.

It was the same clear, crisp, and clean young voice as always.

Meng Shu got up from the throne, barely containing his excitement. "Cat Cat!"

As soon as he spoke, a black shadow materialized in front of him, seized him by the throat, and mercilessly flung him hundreds of yards away!

Meng Shu had no time to defend himself. He was thrown far, but fortunately, Ling Qingjue hadn’t attacked—he simply tossed him away.

He lost a chunk of HP and immediately downed a health potion, using the Cat Sword to support himself as he stood up from the rubble.

Ling Qingjue threw him aside and sat down on the throne himself.

He lounged lazily sideways on the throne, his left hand supporting his head, his thin eyelids drooping. "Who gave you the guts to sit in my seat?"

Meng Shu thought, Goddamn system, it really set me up!

He had known the moment he saw the throne that it was Ling Qingjue’s exclusive seat, but the system had stubbornly denied it. Just had to screw him over for kicks, huh?!

He limped toward Ling Qingjue. It had been a while, and he wanted to take a look at Ling Qingjue first.

The throne stood amidst the ruins.

System: "You have triggered the demon king-level dungeon 'Demon King Cat Head.'"

System: "'Demon King Cat Head' is immune to mental attacks. Upon entering red health, it enters a berserk state, increasing all attributes by 100%."

System: "Because you sat on 'Demon King Cat Head's' throne, 'Demon King Cat Head' has entered a berserk state early."

Meng Shu was completely baffled. "Didn't you tell me to sit?!"

The system ignored him.

What a scam!

In his demon king state, Ling Qingjue’s appearance had minor changes. His smooth, pitch-black hair was simply braided into a small plait, with the rest cascading over his shoulders.

He wore a tight combat outfit with a narrow waist, wrapped up snugly. Just sitting there all lazy, the vibe he gave off was enough to make anyone shudder.

Meng Shu stared at his face. How had Ling Qingjue gotten even prettier in just a few days?

Moreover, Ling Qingjue's features were already delicate, and with his long hair, he was even more androgynous. With just a casual look, Ling Qingjue flirted so hard that Meng Shu's knees went weak.

No wonder he was so handsome—he was his cat, after all.

Meng Shu wanted to flirt with him again, itching to do it so bad. He was dying to tackle Ling Qingjue to the ground right this second.

Ling Qingjue looked down at him. "Who are you?"

Meng Shu quickly replied, "My name is Meng Shu."

After entering the Demon King Tower, Ling Qingjue had lost his memory and would follow his instincts to protect the tower.

Ling Qingjue then asked, "Are you the only one challenging me?"

"They're still fighting on the fourth floor, so it should be just me alone."

"You can't beat me," Ling Qingjue said succinctly. "Slit your own throat and scram."

Meng Shu asked, confused, "Self-kiss? Kiss yourself?"

Ling Qingjue: "You brain-dead or what? I said slit your own throat!"

"What does that mean?" Meng Shu really didn't understand. "Give me a demonstration."

"..."

Ling Qingjue wouldn't give the strong a second glance, and the weak didn't even register.

But a fool who had no fear of death—that he had to see.

He finally bothered to look Meng Shu straight in the eye, arching an eyebrow in faint surprise.

He looked... pretty much his type.

If he couldn't get out of the Demon King Tower, he'd have this person pop out a kitten for him, Ling Qingjue thought. Lock this guy up forever in the tower, and he wouldn't be so lonely anymore.