For the daddy who had suddenly appeared, Li Ao felt an instinctive closeness, yet also proceeded with caution.
He could eat candy and nap soundly in the man’s arms, yet he still couldn’t bring himself to call out “Father.”
Before this, whether “father” or “daddy,” those two words had only brought him fear and sadness. So even when the Machine told him he would have a real daddy, he still couldn’t say it.
Isiris didn’t force the issue. Only after learning of the little kitten’s past from the Machine’s mouth did he pick up his sword and slaughter every single Xenoid Variant in all of Aurilion.
Not just one or two, but every last one, except those that might be tamed by the little kitten.
The short-legged kitten had no idea. He was currently standing on the platform, waiting for the sealing ceremony to begin.
“Don’t be scared, it won’t hurt.” The Medical Soldier Chief, wearing insulated gloves, patted the little kitten’s head.
Li Ao lifted his head proudly, his round eyes looking at the man. “Medson Grandpa, sorry, I zapped your little fish-mice.” The little one’s speech still whistled through his missing tooth, but it was already much better than before.
The Medical Soldier Chief was utterly charmed and forgot all about his half-dead fish. “No worries, they just fainted, they’re not dead yet.”
Even if they were dead! He could just get new ones!
“Does our little kitten Highness like eating fish? How about Medson Grandpa grills some fish for you?” Those fish were great for both viewing and eating—pan-fried, grilled, boiled, or deep-fried, all delicious.
A researcher who had been milling about nearby overheard and mimicked the Medical Soldier Chief in a weird, sing-song voice: “Medson Grandpa grills fish for you~”
“I-I won’t choo-thoothe with fi-th cardth, the kind with few thorth ith okay.” The little kitten, who couldn’t yet read the sarcasm, sat down and gestured with his paws. “Jutht that kind, the fi-th with a little thwallow’th beak.”
He was talking about mackerel—cheap and easy to prep. Grandma used to buy one often, pan-fry it, remove the big bones, and feed it to him.
The Medical Soldier Chief’s heart was melting. He was just about to say he’d go grill some boneless fish when he saw that old coot researcher was already gone.
“You old fart! Stop right there! That’s my fish!”
The two old codgers started fighting again over grilling fish for the little kitten. The half-dead tropical fish in the tank rolled their dead eyes: You two curry favor with the cat all you want, but don’t drag us into the grill.
With everyone gone, Li Ao was just about to jump off the platform when the tall, handsome golden-haired guy walked in. The little kitten hugged his tail to his chest, stepped on it shyly, yet wanted to greet him. “Xixi…”
Isiris took off his bloodstained cloak and tapped the little kitten’s head with his slender fingertips. “Be good and stay put. I’ll do the ceremony after I wash up.”
“Oh…” Li Ao watched the man turn away with longing eyes.
Isiris was almost out the door when he turned back and asked, “Want to wash together?”
The little kitten’s eyes lit up. He hopped down like an excited puppy, pattering over to the man’s side, tail raised to rub against his ankle.
Isiris bent down and scooped him up. Father and son headed into the bathroom together.
The handmaiden who had been silently standing behind the little kitten clutched her handkerchief with both hands, watching their backs with emotion. “Oh my god, to see His Majesty so gentle in my lifetime. When we get back, I’ll tell the head handmaiden—she’ll say I’m dreaming.”
Wait, was this a dream? She pinched herself and confirmed it wasn’t, growing even more moved.
Li Ao soaked in the insulated tub, paws draped over the edge, a little rubber duck on his head. “Don’t know if Xun hath bathed yet.”
The little monster had always been under his care, and he was missing his little buddy a bit.
Isiris had already adapted to the little kitten’s electric shocks—even touching him wouldn’t make his hair stand on end anymore.
“You really like him?”
“Yeth!” The little kitten nodded matter-of-factly. “Xun ith Li Ao’th little doggy.”
Isiris recalled that the little monster had angrily declared Li Ao was his little kitten. He couldn’t help but tap the little kitten’s wet nose. “In that case, you must take responsibility.”
“Yeth!” The little kitten looked deadly serious. “Of courthe, Li Ao will take good care of him.”
“Very good.” Accepting a follower’s loyalty and providing protection in return, learning responsibility—these were the realizations a monarch must have. Isiris lifted him out. “Come on, let’s do the ceremony.”
Li Ao didn’t know how the ceremony worked. He saw the man draw a cut across his own palm with a sword. The little kitten worriedly wanted to go over but was stopped. “Be good, don’t move.”
Isiris stepped into the ritual array and placed his bleeding palm on the little kitten’s back. The runes in the array lit up one by one as the man’s pleasant voice chanted words Li Ao couldn’t understand.
Something gradually seeped into Li Ao’s body—not painful or heavy, just light and floaty, inexplicably making the little kitten feel very safe.
He started purring unconsciously, even flopping down on his butt, wings splayed on the ground, little paws hugging the man’s wrist.
The blood soaked into the little kitten’s fur without resistance, completing the sealing ceremony. This signified 100% trust in the ritual performer.
The little kitten’s dependence pleased Isiris somewhat. He wrapped a bandage around the wound, pinched the little kitten’s stubby paw, and stood up. “All done. Go play with your little doggy.”
The little kitten’s engine was still rumbling away. He straightened up with a purr, paws on the man’s calf as he stretched. “Thank you~”
Isiris looked into his moist eyes, a bit surprised in his heart. In Regalis’s thousand-year history, no such soft and tender cub had ever appeared.
Brave, willing to stand up for friends, responsible enough for his own duties. At such a young age, he surpassed many adults.
And he didn’t know yet—the surprises this little kitten would bring him were far from over. The prophecy said he would lead Delphi to true glory, but it hadn’t said he would save everyone in Delphi, just as he had saved the corrupted Xenoids.
At this moment, the little kitten wanted to head back to base to find the Machine and his little doggy. But as soon as he stepped out, the Medical Soldier Chief blocked his path, grinning as he held up skewers. “Little Cat Highness, how about we eat some grilled fish first, then do a quick test?”
The little kitten was dazed by the aroma of the carefully deboned grilled fish. He munched away as he was carried onto the testing platform.
[Commencing Spiritual Power test. Please touch the orb with both hands.]
Li Ao handed the grilled fish to the handmaiden, politely saying “thank you,” then hugged the orb with both paws. The testing orb was perfectly round and comfy against the little kitten’s belly.
[Computing…]
The transparent crystal orb gradually filled with color, the numbers in the center flickering frame by frame. In the interstellar era, human mental values ranged from 0-100, with the upper limit taken from Delphi’s first Monarch, Regalis I.
A Spiritual Power over 30 was already exceptional; over 60 was one in a million. After Regalis I’s fall, it took a millennium for a second person to reach 100—Isiris. And today, there was a third.
“How can this be?” The Medical Soldier Chief frowned. “How can Spiritual Power reach 100 even after being sealed?”
The old man grasped the little kitten’s paw, parted the fur, revealing circle after circle of tattoo-like runes on the pinkish-white skin beneath.
“If the ritual took effect, how is this possible?” Suspecting a faulty tester, he even smacked it a couple times.
But deep down, he knew the instrument was fine. The problem was this kitten cub. The Medical Soldier Chief felt his throat go dry. “Such enormous Spiritual Power…” Even under restrictions, reaching peak value—this was no human limit.
Isiris’s golden eyes flickered with thought. A few seconds later, he spoke calmly: “There are exceptions to everything. As long as the little kitten is healthy, it’s fine.”
“Li Ao ith very healthy!” The little kitten, head tilted as he sat nearby, finally understood one sentence. “Li Ao weigh-th 26 kilo-gram-th.” He was proud of his weight—gaining weight meant he’d gotten chubby, and Grandma would be happy.
But before he could bask in it, the announcement came: [Your current weight is: 5kg.]
Li Ao blanked for a second, then frantically calculated with his paws. Realizing he’d lost a full 21kg, the little kitten’s sky fell.
“No, no, that can’t be. Li Ao can’t get thin. Grandma will be thad.” In his agitation, his little wings flapped, lifting his round body two centimeters off the ground.
Isiris watched him panic-circling like a chubby bumblebee and pinned him by the scruff with his distinctively jointed fingers. “Little one, calm down.” Without lifting his hand, he rubbed the little kitten’s back. “You’re not thinner—after your Spiritual Power was suppressed, your weight returned to a normal kitten cub level.”
The little kitten hadn’t been able to fly before—not because of the Machine’s training, but because he was too heavy. Those immature wings couldn’t lift a solid 50-plus jin kitten.
After confirming repeatedly that he hadn’t lost weight, the little kitten finally relaxed.
Isiris let him go. “When we return to Delphi, I’ll teach you how to retract your wings. For now, go play.”
A few days later, the little kitten set foot on Aurilion’s soil once more. It was the midday hour with the best weather of the day. In the distance, Li Ao spotted the Machine bringing Xun.
“Xun!” The Ground-hugging Supercar happily revved its engine, its four legs swerving swiftly as it charged toward them. Xun’s scarlet beast pupils lit up brightly too, bouncing quickly toward the little cat.
The two little ones hugged each other. Li Ao’s tail perked up high. “Have you eaten?”
“I ate some biscuits.” The little monster enthusiastically nuzzled the little cat. The robot lifted the small bucket in its hand and asked the two little ones, “Want some tomatoes?”
The Xenoids and the Strangling Vine gathered around as well. The little cat pulled his little friends along, bouncing and jumping toward the lakeside.
Isiris watched as the little cat returned to his friends’ side before turning to say, “Let’s go. Time to settle what needs settling.”
Dozens of Federation warships hovered outside Aurilion’s planet. Isiris stepped into one of them.
As they entered the gates, soldiers actually demanded that Isiris and the others hand over their weapons.
“Please cooperate.”
Isiris didn’t even spare the speaker a glance. He simply lowered his gaze to straighten his sleeve cuffs, his golden pupils filled with indifference. “I give you one minute. If your leader doesn’t appear before me within that time, bear the consequences yourself.”
The soldier captain’s face stiffened for a moment before he quickly stepped aside and instructed another soldier, “Go report to the General.”
Shen Que and Caleb stood at the Monarch’s left and right respectively. Caleb crossed his fingers behind his head in a carefree manner, teasing, “Oh yo, can’t believe it—we’ve got ourselves a General here.”
Time ticked by second by second. Clearly, only ten people from Delphi had come, including their Monarch, yet these battle-hardened soldiers felt a pressure like a towering mountain.
“Noble Delphi Emperor, forgive my subordinates’ rudeness.” A slick mustached man with a protruding general’s belly emerged, smiling as he said, “Please, come in. No need to hand over weapons. We can discuss in detail in the conference room.”
Isiris didn’t respond, merely waiting for something.
“Sun, 59 seconds,” Shen Que bent down to report to the Monarch.
The mustached General’s smile stiffened slightly as he realized this man had truly been counting down to see if he’d arrived within the minute.
Only then did Isiris look at the man, but he didn’t move a step. “State the Federation’s demands.”
If not for the fact that these people landing on the planet would scare the cubs, there’d be no reason for him to meet them at all.
The mustached General quickly composed himself, smiling once more as he gestured invitingly, trying to usher this big shot into the conference room.
Isiris lifted his eyes faintly. “You seem to not understand human speech.”
The man’s aura was overwhelming. Even surrounded by enemy forces and tens of thousands of Federation troops, he showed no mercy whatsoever.
The slick smile faded from the mustached man’s face. When he turned serious, he finally carried some of a soldier’s proper bearing. “The reason we’ve invited you is to discuss the matter of the Alpha Machine.”
The Delphi Monarch said nothing. His entourage stared straight ahead at the Monarch without a sideways glance.
The mustached man cursed inwardly but could only continue rambling on his own. “The Alpha Machines have caused massive casualties and threats to human society. One of them is hiding on the planet beneath our feet. Please let us land and arrest it.”
Caleb chuckled and asked, “All twelve Alpha Machines that initiated the Machine War have been destroyed by humans. So where does this ‘one of them’ come from?”
As if to match the level, the Chief of Staff behind him pushed up his glasses and replied, “Even if it didn’t participate in the Machine War, as long as it’s an Alpha Machine, it should be destroyed. For the stable and harmonious development of humanity, please hand it over to us.”
“There is no Alpha Machine,” Isiris said as if bestowing a favor. “It is called Silver Wing. It is a citizen of my Delphi.”
At that, the Federation’s Chief of Staff sneered and shot back, “A citizen of Delphi? Does Delphi intend to harbor a war machine and stand in opposition to humanity?!”
“A mere staff officer dares to be so rude to His Majesty.” Shen Que’s purple eyes suddenly darkened. He gripped his Tang saber, his thumb pushing the sheath open. A flash of the snow-white blade gleamed sharply. By the time anyone refocused, the saber tip was already pressed against the Chief of Staff’s throat.
Swoosh swoosh—thousands of guns were aimed at the Delphi group in unison. At the same time, the mustached man’s face had completely chilled. “We came with sincerity to negotiate with Delphi, yet you respond with this attitude.”
“Sincerity?” Caleb shrugged exaggeratedly. “A mere General—what gives you the face? Even if the Federation President came, he’d have to kneel and salute my Monarch.” The jester’s playful smile vanished as he asked word by word, “What the hell are you?”
To think these people dared be so rude to the Sun—unbearable for any Delphi.
With swords drawn and bows bent, the golden-haired Emperor seemed bored of the game. “I only ask one thing: does the Federation wish to go to war with Delphi?”
Not a single one of the tens of thousands of Federation troops dared respond.
“Since that’s not the case, then as I said—no Alpha Machine, only the Delphi citizen Silver Wing.”
The golden-haired Emperor turned, his tone icy cold. “Per the Interstellar Planet Occupation Act, this barren star has been formally placed under Delphi jurisdiction. You have one star day to withdraw. If you fail to exit this star system region within that time, it will be regarded as an open challenge to Delphi territory.”
“Let’s go. Back to see the cat.”
His pristine white wings unfurled—
The chubby little wings flapped. Li Ao floated proudly two centimeters off the ground. “Machine, I-I can flyyy!”
“…” The robot really couldn’t bring itself to praise that and silently turned away to escape reality. The little monster, however, clapped in full adoration. “Li Ao!”
The little cat was just like a plump bumblebee. After two flaps, he was out of strength and thudded down on all four paws. He then waddled off to water the tomato patch.
“Li Ao,” the robot suddenly said. “Do you want to go to Delphi?”
The little cat and little monster lifted their bucket, not quite understanding. “De-De-Fei is where?”
“…” Controlling the urge to correct the lispy pronunciation, the robot sighed. “It’s Isiris’s homeland.”
“Xixi’s home?”
“Yes. Do you want to follow him there? It’s safer, and with Delphi’s help, your chances of finding Grandma will be greater.”
The little cat asked, “Will Machine go?” He glanced at the little dog, then at the Xenoids gazing eagerly. “And Mantis Monster, Cow Monster, and Little Flower Beauty.”
The robot’s electronic voice came out oddly strained. “Probably.”
Delphi had approved its joining, but it was unknown if they would permit it and these Xenoids to enter their nation.
“If…” It wanted to ask—if only one could be chosen, would he pick here or Delphi. But it didn’t voice the question.
The little cat, however, didn’t grasp the ‘probably’ and naturally assumed they’d all go together. His little mouth babbled on, “Then what about Aiai’ang’ang? It doesn’t have legs—how will it go?”
No sooner had he spoken than he froze, suddenly realizing—they had to leave this planet.
“I-I don’t want to leave Aiai’ang’ang.” He hadn’t filled it with trees yet, hadn’t sold the excess veggies to make money. He couldn’t leave this planet.
The little cat rubbed his eyes. “I want to be together with everyone. Aiai’ang’ang shouldn’t leave either.” He’d already gone through parting with Grandma. He didn’t want to separate from his companions again.
The cat face bore a childish stubbornness. He let go of the bucket and grabbed at the Mantis Monster and Cow Monster in a panic, muttering, “Don’t leave. We’re together. Don’t leave.”
The robot was just about to comfort him that they could come back later when it heard a voice utterly devoid of human warmth. “You will be together.”
His pristine white wings folded away as the god-like man descended. “I grant you the right to make no choices. Everything you want, I shall permit.”
His little cat cub, his childhood—no need for such sadness over this.
“I will migrate this planet for you. You can call it the—Aiai’ang’ang Wandering Plan.”
