Abyss System The Rise of the Lord-Chapter 96 confusion

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Zaber dashed toward the door and flung it open.

The old man remained motionless in his place, calmly watching everything unfold—as though nothing in this world could ever surprise him again.

Zaber cast one final glance at the old man, said nothing, and stepped outside.

Outside, the night was utterly silent. Damp air, the scent of cold earth, and the distant whisper of wind blended together.

After running a short distance, he stumbled upon the cemetery. In the darkness, faint moonlight and starlight barely illuminated the gravestones—shadows stretched long, making the shapes seem almost alive.

Zaber pressed forward.

"This old man is extremely dangerous... He didn’t save me for nothing. But what exactly does he want from me?" he thought to himself.

Inside the hut, the old man slowly rocked back and forth. In his hand he held a flat, round iron container. Though his eyes had grown dim, his gaze remained razor-sharp.

"What is this...?" he murmured.

With his other hand he lifted the lid.

Six bees flew out.

Vzzz... vzzzz...

Their wingbeats filled the cramped hut. The old man watched them thoughtfully.

"These bees are just as strange as he is," he said quietly.

The bees attacked him.

The old man didn’t flinch. He simply raised two fingers of his right hand—and in one motion struck all six bees out of the air. The movement was so fast it seemed to slice the very atmosphere.

The bees scattered in every direction, crashing against the walls and falling lifeless.

The old man rubbed a few drops of blood between the fingers of his left hand.

"He’s not even a high-ranking dragon...? Very strange... the blood is darkening..." he mused.

After running a bit farther, Zaber returned to the Merchants’ Guild building. A crowd had already gathered in front of it—adventurers, city guards, several merchants. The clamor of voices, clanking armor, and heated arguments mixed together.

Zaber arrived panting, out of breath.

"Am I too late...? It’s already been hours since I was supposed to arrive," he muttered in frustration.

As he walked away from the guild street:

"What should I do now? The mission failed. That old man can’t be ignored either. And the kitten disappeared somewhere..." With these thoughts swirling in his head, he reached the inn.

Climbing the stairs to his room, he found the door already open.

Zaber sighed and stepped inside.

Shoyu and Kilyan were sitting there, staring at him. On the bed lay a girl—beastkin, with blue hair and golden eyes. Her gaze was calm yet alert; half her face was covered by an iron mask.

Zaber turned to Shoyu.

"Why did you come?" he asked coldly.

Shoyu’s face clearly showed displeasure.

"You didn’t show up for the meeting. You disappeared right in the middle of the mission," she said.

Zaber sat down at the table.

"The meeting? I forgot. And I never told you I was on a mission," he replied, eyes widening slightly.

Shoyu’s voice rose with pride.

"I received word that you were supposed to complete the mission today. And it was completed—the slaves were freed."

Zaber looked straight into her eyes.

"How? You freed them? You weren’t even there when I was fighting."

Shoyu placed a hand on her chest, beaming.

"In short, after you defeated the two guards, I arrived and teleported the slaves out. Of course, only the ones belonging to me."

At that moment the beastkin girl on the bed approached Zaber and gently laid her head on his thigh.

Zaber shifted away toward the wall—her head hit the floor with a dull thud.

Returning to the topic, he asked:

"The mission is done. What are you going to do now?"

Shoyu sat down beside the table.

"I have a counterfeit royal seal and several captured innocent civilians. With their memories as proof, the Adventurers’ Guild will pay a huge compensation to both kingdoms."

Zaber scratched the back of his neck indifferently.

"So you’re not going after the other seals?"

The girl came again and rested her head on his thigh once more.

Zaber shifted away again—another dull thud.

Watching this, Shoyu clenched her fist near her lips.

"Ghh... ghh..." she coughed.

"Actually, I did want to continue, but my father summoned me. Something must have happened. Either way, the goal has been achieved," she said, taking out a pouch and handing it to Zaber. "This is less than we agreed on. Because you disappeared during the mission and I had to finish half of it myself."

Zaber took the pouch and counted.

"One hundred gold... correct."

"It was good working with you. Now I would appreciate it if you left me alone."

Shoyu stood up and walked toward the door.

"What’s your name? You can tell me now."

"Zaber. My name is Zaber. You don’t need to remember it."

Shoyu left without another word and closed the door behind her.

"Hoo... huuu... what is happening in this world... everything is getting so messed up..."

He looked back. The beastkin girl was still on the bed.

"Get out of here, you filthy woman," he said in a deep voice.

"Are you driving me away?" the girl asked quietly but clearly.

Zaber drew his sword.

"I won’t repeat myself twice. I’m not interested in filthy women and I don’t like them. If you’re trying to sleep with me for money, you came to the wrong place."

The girl slowly stood up. She walked toward the door.

"You used to pet me so gently when I was in cat form... You wouldn’t accept me in this form? Or is it because you didn’t recognize me...?"

With these thoughts she left the room.

The beastkin girl stepped into the corridor. She stared at the door for a few seconds.

Inside, silence reigned.

She moved her lips and whispered so softly it was barely audible:

"I’m not a filthy woman... I’ve never gotten close to any man..."

Then she slowly turned and descended the stairs.

Downstairs, Shoyu and Kilyan were waiting for her.

Shoyu looked at her with cold eyes.

"I didn’t say this in front of Zaber. But you need to stay far away from him, Limir."

Limir’s gaze dropped to the floor. Her fingers trembled as she clutched the hem of her clothes.

"I only got close to a man for the first time because you told me to... It felt good. He petted me when I was a cat... he fed me..."

Shoyu tilted her head slightly. Displeasure and coldness mixed in her gaze.

"Because of me? I told you to watch him. Not to become his pet. We’re leaving now."

She turned and walked away with heavy steps.

Limir didn’t move from her spot. She kept her head bowed.

Kilyan stopped and looked back.

"Don’t you want to leave, Limir?"

Shoyu also stopped, but didn’t turn around.

"I lost twenty-four guards because of the traps during the mission. After all that, you still want to stay with him? You know I need every single guard right now—each one is worth gold."

This time Limir’s voice came out even quieter—but heavy with suppressed pain.

"Then I quit, Princess... I never felt at ease in the palace. The court games, your decisions... they exhausted me. The short time I spent with Zaber was the best moment of my life..."

The air suddenly turned ice-cold.

Shoyu spun around sharply. She strode quickly up to Limir. Open fury burned in her eyes.

Slap!

The sound of the slap cut through the silence.

Limir’s face jerked to the side.

Shoyu stared at her.

"You, whom I trusted as my friend and captain of my guard, turned out to be disloyal and cowardly. You’re throwing me, your comrades, Kilyan—even the kingdom—away for one man?!"

Limir slowly raised her head. Her eyes were wet, but her resolve was firm.

"Yes, Princess. I quit," she said.

Silence fell over the room.

Shoyu turned in anger and strode toward the inn door.

Kilyan hurried after her.

"My lady, please reconsider!"

Just before stepping out, Shoyu glanced back at Limir.

"I never expected this from you..." she said quietly, then continued on her way.

She caught up with Shoyu.

"My lady, think again about Limir. She is your main strength, the captain of your guards."

Shoyu stopped abruptly and faced Kilyan.

"She’s gone. If she can replace me so easily, in the future she will turn against me the moment someone else offers her something. Better to get rid of her now." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Her voice was choked but resolute.

Kilyan opened his mouth—but no words came out. He looked back slowly.

"You really are like that, Limir... You abandon us so easily?"

Inside, as Limir climbed the stairs, her thoughts were tangled.

There’s no point arguing with a fool. Think whatever you want. But I will never forget that because of your foolish decisions my team went from twenty-four to four... the rest died. You sent my friends into a building full of artifacts, gases, and traps, knowing full well what the Merchants’ Guild was like. I will not forgive this...

She stopped in front of Zaber’s door.

She clutched the beast-tooth amulet around her neck.

"Shape-shift... cat form."

A blue light burst from the amulet and enveloped her completely. In the next moment her height decreased, her body shrank, her bone structure changed. A few seconds later she had become a small blue cat.

Her golden eyes flashed.

She scratched the door and let out a tiny meow:

"Mnya... mnya..."

The next instant—creak—the door opened.

Zaber looked around, then his gaze dropped. He saw the kitten. A faint smile touched his lips.

With one hand he picked her up.

"You came back, kitten? I thought you were gone for good."

He closed the door.

Sitting on the bed, he cradled the cat in his arms. He gently stroked her neck and head. The kitten purred softly, eyes half-closed in contentment.

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