164 Cat Dad in Enemy’s Headquarters
Chapter 164 – Cat Dad in Enemy’s Headquarters
Upon getting into the castle’s premises, ten elite royal guards approached them. Their captain was a named NPC, who wore a short red cape.
Xiaomao glanced at his name.
<strong>Tomas Legroloc, Patrol Unit Captain, Level 300</strong>
Seeing this named NPC’s level, Xiaomao clenched his teeth. Waltzing into the nest of Pangu’s worshipers was nerve-wracking as the local bosses and elite NPCs could easily lynch his team at any moment. Although Xiaomao, Shepherd, and Lucky might be able to break through their encirclement, level-2,000 generals and other hidden experts might come out and pursue them, which was not an ideal scenario.
For now, Xiaomao prayed that nobody would start a fight any time soon.
“What’s your business here? Why did the guards let you in?” Tommy opened his visor and glared at Xiaomao’s party. His men also pointed their spears toward the team.
“Sir Tomas, they’re seeking the audience with his majesty. They’re also on the wanted list,” the guard that let them in reported to their superior officer.
“Oh? Who is this?”
Again, Xiaomao revealed his name to Tomas. The latter glanced at Xiaomao’s golden name and squinted his eyes.
Although it was golden, there was a red border. As Xiaomao’s karma hadn’t been reset yet, he still had a criminal record.
“A criminal wants to see the emperor?” Tomas sneered at Xiaomao and his party. Then, he turned to Lucky, whose face was hidden behind the Valkyrie helmet, revealing only her mouth.
Seeing the perfect chin and Lucky’s mouth, Tomas clicked his tongue, “Why do all criminals have good chicks while we get stuck with gorilla women? Tsk! Follow me to the palace.”
Tomas turned to his men next, “Escort them to the palace with me. Once they’re done with their businesses, if he is not pardoned for his crime, we’ll arrest them!”
The knights saluted and sneered at Xiaomao. A couple of them ogled Lucky in secret.
Sensing their lewd eyes, Lucky growled and prepared to bring out her axe. However, Xiaomao patted her head, stopping her from attacking them.
“Not yet, munya.”
“…”
Lucky put her weapon back into her inventory. The group followed Tomas to the palace’s front gate.
.
As the group walked toward the palace, Xiaomao hid his name and looked around.
Along the way, level-250 elite royal guards patrolled the garden in teams. They also cut down trees and removed the bushes as if they were removing blind spots in their front yard.
Xiaomao maintained his pokerface. He pretended that he had never been here before.
GROWL!
WOOF-WOOF!
The last night’s hounds dragged their owners toward Tomas and Xiaomao. They barked at the catopus and spit their saliva like rabid dogs.
Tomas glared at the hounds and frowned at the tamer.
“Watch you mutt, tamer!”
“I-I’m so sorry, sir! They’ve been acting out since last night.”
“Euthanize them and get new beasts. These mutts are useless!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
The tamer sulked and gazed at his pet in pity. Meanwhile, the hounds continued to bark and pulled their owner’s clothes, telling the tamer that they had found the culprit. Unfortunately, the tamer couldn’t communicate with them.
Seeing that the tamer was incompetent, Xiaomao stuck out his tongue and waved his tentacle, mocking them.
WOOF-WOOF-WOOF!
The hounds were enraged. They ditched their owners and jumped toward Lucky and Xiaomao.
SWUA
One of the escorts unsheathed his sword and sliced the beasts in one swing. The level-100 hounds were cut in half and dropped on the main road.
“Clean up this place before we return, tamer.”
The tamer fell to his knees and crawled toward his dead companions. He wailed and glared at the knight in anger.
“THAT WAS UNNECESSARY!”
“They jumped us. You’re at fault here.”
“YOU…!”
The tamer cried in helplessness. He also glared at Xiaomao, whom his pets were targeting.
Xiaomao also looked back and checked the person’s name.
He was a teenager in high-school age. His unkempt black hair, generic facial outline, sharp eyes, and thick eyebrows resembled a Japanese Protagonist in mangas. However, the scars on his hands, his toned muscle, thick hand calluses, and his knight armor revealed that he was talented and hardworking enough to join the royal guard crew.
<strong>Wally Yellow, Dragon Tamer, Level 150</strong>
‘Wally Yellow?’
The name sounded odd for an NPC’s name. However, Xiaomao’s heart sank and skipped a beat.
During the invasion of Cernun Island, Wally was the one leading the NPC’s troops. At that time, he overseered a hundred level-1,000 drakes that he had tamed throughout his career!
DING
<Wally Yellow blames you for the death of his pets. Current Hatred: 3 Stars.>
The first impression was already bad. Xiaomao bit his lower lips as he made another NPC enemy by an accident.
“I’m so sorry, munya,” Xiaomao apologized out loud while Lucky walked away. Despite the apologetic tone, the cat’s eyes were filled with killing intent.
.
Because of his anger, sadness, and grudge toward Tomas, Wally’s mind was filled with hatred. He wanted both Tomas and Xiaomao dead to avenge his pets.
Suddenly, something inspired him. He came up with a plan, “It doesn’t matter if the culprit was you, but you’re going down, damn cat! If that cat is the culprit, Tomas will also be blamed for bringing a criminal into the castle!”
Wally collected the corpses of his hounds in his game inventory. The blood of the beasts also vanished. In just a few seconds, no trace of dead bodies and blood remained.
The NPC stomped toward the nearest maid. He brought out a notebook and wrote something before he passed it to her.
“Bring this to the emperor. I’ve found the intruder from last night.”
“!!!”
The maid gulped and bowed. She dropped her garden tools and ran toward the side building of maids and butlers to tell her superior about the note.
.
Tomas brought Xiaomao to the second-floor lobby. Then, he ordered the group to stay there while his unit continued to keep watch on them.
A white-haired lobby butler noticed their arrival. He chatted with Tomas and glanced at Xiaomao’s group. Then, he rushed toward the inner palace.
For an hour, Tomas forced Xiaomao to do nothing but wait in the lobby.
Xiaomao, Lucky, and Shepherd were bored. They looked around in curiosity and noticed that at least a thousand soldiers were patrolling inside the castle. Moreover, their white name changed to red, revealing their hostile intent.
Xiaomao sighed. He had predicted it, but he chose to come here anyway to complete the quests that had been sitting on his quest menu.
“Sir Xiaomao, the emperor has summoned you. Please follow me.”
At long last, the previous butler that had chatted with Xiaomao returned. He gestured for Tomas to bring the group to the throne room on the third floor.
Following Tomas deeper into the castle, Xiaomao took notes of the palace’s layout and map. On the second floor, the front lobby was a wide area with no corridor. There was a wall in the middle of the large area, and there seemed to be a room at the center of the second floor.
When Tomas brought him to the backside of the second floor, Xiaomao understood why the center area was walled over. Wide stairs, which were the only path to the third floor, were here. In addition, the side rooms on this floor were the barracks and residents area of royal guards, knights, and important servants, judging from how they gathered in front of their rooms and formed ranks nearby.
When Xiaomao’s party reached the third floor, he found an intersection of corridors in the middle. The butler guided them toward the front castle area and turned left.
Walking further, they reached another lobby area in front of a large gate. Next to the gate, two level-500 burly knights stood tall, holding halberds and glaring at the visitors.
When they saw the butler and Tomas, they shouted.
“PLAYER XIAOMAO HAS COME TO SEEK AN AUDIENCE WITH THE EMPEROR!!”
Xiaomao plucked his ears because of their loud noise. Even Lucky and Shepherd flinched because of their power.
The gate automatically opened, allowing Xiaomao to see inside the throne room.
“Get in.”
Tomas shoved Lucky forward. The latter snarled at the former, but Xiaomao patted her and shook his head. He whispered.
“Not now. Be patient.”
“…”
Lucky snorted and turned around. She walked on the red carpet.
As Shepherd and Lucky continued to walk straight into the throne room, they glanced at the people in there.
Middle-aged men and elders in fancy western noble clothes stood on the left side of the room, forming a line and column rank. On the right, knights and military personnel in their uniforms also stood in files of formation. As if they were in an Asian school in the morning, everybody formed a perfect square formation, leaving a center path for guests and visitors.
On the throne, a chubby man in a red gown sat with one leg up. He was sipping wine and stared at the crowd in frustration.
Lucky and Shepherd stopped their feet and looked at the X mark on the red carpet. There was a warning message.
STOP HERE AND KNEEL
Xiaomao also saw that. He smirked.
‘How considerate. They even told visitors were and what they should do.’
Lucky and Shepherd glanced at Xiaomao. The latter nodded at them.
“Kneel, munya.”
Lucky and Shepherd knelt. Xiaomao also revealed his name and got down to the carpet.
“Player Xiaomao greets your majesty the emperor, munya!”
The emperor raised his hand and pointed at Xiaomao. Then, he wiggled his finger, gesturing Xiaomao to come closer.
Xiaomao looked up and checked the emperor’s level and name.
<strong>Yuan Shaoqing, Emperor of Yuan Empire, Level 80</strong>
‘Hmm?’
The emperor was comically weak! Xiaomao had the urge to assassinate him here.
“AHEM!”
One of the knights coughed. Xiaomao turned around and glanced at the person.
It was Yan Liang – The nasty level-2000 general that he saw yesterday night.
Sensing that the general hinted at Xiaomao to follow the emperor’s instruction, he bowed his head and walked closer to Emperor Yuan.
Xiaomao climbed the short stairs. Then, he reached the foot of Yuan Shaoqing.
The emperor grabbed Xiaomao by his tentacle and raised him. Then, he glared into Xiaomao’s eyes.
“Someone told me that you infiltrated my castle last night. Do you have anything to say about it?!”