Cat 121: Exceptional Hearing Since Childhood

Chapter 121 Exceptional Hearing Since Childhood

At this moment, in the arena, Chu Mo and Qi Feng were dealing with two Western dragons, one red and one silver.

Before they entered, all the guards outside had already been taken care of.

Chu Mo dodged a fireball spat by the silver dragon and hopped in frustration. “Damn it, can Yan Jiyun really do this? He’s not tricking us, is he? If he doesn’t show up soon, I’m going to get roasted alive in here.”

Qi Feng nimbly slipped around a giant pillar, evading another fireball. “It won’t come to that. We can also just ride the dragons out.”

Chu Mo rolled his eyes dramatically at the silver dragon. “They’re spraying fireballs at us like crazy—how are we supposed to ride them? I’ve never in my life thought about riding a dragon!”

But Qi Feng’s gaze was resolute. He held a bridle he’d filched from the neighboring horse stable. “I haven’t ridden one before, but I’d like to try.”

Chu Mo stared at him in disbelief. “You don’t actually plan to ride it like a horse, do you?”

Qi Feng kept a straight face. “Why not? I’ve even ridden a pegasus.”

Chu Mo opened his mouth, barely ducking another fireball. “You can’t compare a pegasus to this beast. One’s gentle, one’s violent—they’re basically two different creatures. I’ve realized—you and Yan Jiyun are both pretty crazy.”

Qi Feng retorted, “That’s just because you’re a coward.” But he didn’t deny that Yan Jiyun was indeed quite reckless. A newcomer achieving things that even seasoned players wouldn’t attempt.

They were on the first basement level when a sudden clamor and shrieks erupted from the floors above.

“Fire! Ahhh, help!”

“Don’t kill me! I have money—a dragon, you like gold, right? Take all my money, just spare me! Ah!”

“It’s the fireballs! The fireballs! Help!”

Chu Mo said, “He’s not actually coming back on a dragon, is he?”

Qi Feng thought it was entirely possible. “Very possible. Let’s move.”

This time, Chu Mo stopped doubting. He found a new goal—riding the fire-breathing silver dragon. “Unchain them first.”

The two of them moved faster, braving the small fireballs to remove the restraints linking the two dragons.

This was a vast underground plaza, specially designed for housing giant beasts. At the moment only the two dragons were here, the other large animals in the adjacent pens.

Now the only question was how to get on the dragons’ backs. There was no simpler method; riding them was their best chance. The dragons were formidable assets.

Qi Feng tossed one of the bridles from his back to Chu Mo. “Try to loop it around its neck.”

Time was short, and things outside were growing restless. What if a panicked crowd collapsed the floor?

As soon as Qi Feng had freed the red dragon, he vaulted nimbly onto its back.

Naturally, the red dragon had no desire to be tamed by a human. The moment it regained its freedom, it tried to fly out.

Just then, Qi Feng heard someone calling his name.

He looked down and shouted to Chu Mo, who was still wrestling with the silver dragon, “I hear Yan Jiyun calling my name! We have to hurry and meet him!”

“Got it! I’m on my way!” he yelled back. He couldn’t lose now.

Agile as ever, Chu Mo managed to loop the bridle around the silver dragon’s neck. Instantly, it took to the air, one of his legs dangling as he struggled to climb onto its back, gritting his teeth.

“You could at least warn me before taking off! Are you playing fair, little silver dragon?”

The red dragon was even wilier and more impatient, trying to shake Qi Feng off by ramming its back into a pillar.

But Qi Feng’s grip on the bridle was firm. He clung tight to the dragon’s neck, shifting aside to avoid the blow, then settling back onto its back.

After resisting for a while, the red dragon heard its brethren’s cries outside, lost interest in its passenger, and flew out.

Qi Feng shouted back at Chu Mo, “Chu Mo, let’s go!”

Chu Mo was still being tossed about by the silver dragon, on the verge of vomiting from the wild ride. “Come on! Can’t you guys stop leaving me behind? My confidence is taking a real beating here!”

By the time he regained his balance and raised his head, Qi Feng and the red dragon had already soared far away.

“Come on, Silver! Give it your all! They’ve already flown off, we can’t be last again!”

Before long, Chu Mo found a way to control the silver dragon and rushed out.

Meanwhile, Yan Jiyun had just narrowly dodged a flying arrow.

He’d called for help a dozen times already. The black dragon seemed to have discovered a thrill in taking vengeance on the humans who’d bound it, darting up and down the sky, skillfully evading arrows that couldn’t pierce its scale armor.

What a simple-minded dragon. If those arrows were tipped with tranquilizers, it wouldn’t be playing so carelessly.

Yan Jiyun had to snap the exhilarated beast back to its senses, slapping its back hard. “Lucifer! Quick, dodge the arrows ahead!”

These arrows were thick and fast, obviously not fired by ordinary archers.

Lucifer reacted swiftly, tilting its body. Yan Jiyun kept both hands firmly hooked around its neck, legs clamped on tight, not daring to loosen his grip for a second.

However, that was only the first arrow—three more came in quick succession.

Lucifer sensed the danger and sharply swerved, soaring further away.

Yan Jiyun recalled the shooting range of longbows he’d read about: in medieval times, longbows could easily reach 220 meters, sometimes even 300. If Lucifer hadn’t dodged quickly, they’d both have been skewered.

One arrow wouldn’t do much harm to Lucifer—its scales were tough—but volley after volley could breach even the sturdiest wall.

Luckily, the guards were busy escorting the nobles to safety, so few aimed at the dragon flying so high. Still, even a stray shot could injure Yan Jiyun; while Lucifer would hardly feel it, he was mortal—those arrows could be fatal to him.

He had no suitable weapon—nor could he use one, both arms clutching the dragon for dear life.

Where were Qi Feng and Chu Mo?

Could something have gone wrong?

Another arrow whistled by—they veered, and he hid behind Lucifer’s neck, narrowly escaping yet again.

Just then, a flash of red appeared in his line of sight.

It was a red dragon!

Its scales shone like a ruby, and on its back, reins in hand, sat Qi Feng.

He’d actually managed to call for backup.

Qi Feng did his best to control the red dragon and maneuvered close to the black one. As he drew near, he tossed two items toward Yan Jiyun.

“Yan Jiyun! Catch!”

In midair, Yan Jiyun caught the bridle and weapon Qi Feng flung his way with one hand.

The bridle could go around Lucifer’s neck, and the weapon was a lightweight short sword. Yan Jiyun wasn’t proficient with such weapons, but Qi Feng’s choice suited him—no wonder the “litter scooper” had such keen insight.

He managed to murmur his thanks, “Thanks.” Suddenly, a thought struck him. “Wait, how do you know my name is Yan Jiyun?”

Qi Feng didn’t answer directly, just gave a quick reminder, “Make sure you tie yourself to the dragon’s back. Falling from this height isn’t a joke!”

He recalled being thrown from a pegasus once—despite using several protective items on his descent, things had still gone awry.

Here, with no gear or items, mounting a dragon was a reckless feat indeed—true nerve and skill.

Even without Qi Feng’s reminder, Yan Jiyun had already planned to tie himself securely to Lucifer.

Thanks to the express delivery from the red dragon, Yan Jiyun felt much more at ease.

No one expected that after a black dragon, then a red one, and another swaying silver one would appear.

Yan Jiyun spotted Chu Mo and joked, “You’re pretty quick at training dragons.”

Chu Mo’s reply trembled with nerves, “I haven’t trained it at all—I’m about to throw up!”

The silver dragon, seeing the screaming, stampeding crowd, seemed to find a perfect outlet. All the rage it had built up during captivity burst forth as torrents of fire, engulfing the wooden structures of the arena!

Lucifer had already emptied a previous volley of flame and now hovered midair, resting—just in time for Yan Jiyun to slip the bridle around its neck for added stability.

The red dragon, too, pressed forward, charging straight toward the cluster of high-ranking officials. Qi Feng, a war god incarnate, thrust his sword at the old king’s crown. The old king, terrified, collapsed to the ground—so startled by Qi Feng’s sudden assault that he wet himself, legs buckling as a group of officials cowered in fear, clutching their heads in utter disgrace.

What a valiant “litter scooper.”

Even from a distance, Yan Jiyun could smell the foul stench of urine.

Qi Feng and the red dragon worked in perfect harmony, moving through the air with unparalleled fluidity.

Yan Jiyun found a brief moment to admire the other’s heroic figure.

He really was riding a dragon as if it were a steed.

Not to be outdone, Yan Jiyun directed Lucifer to keep spewing fireballs.

The arena was in utter chaos; the tournament had ground to a halt. The wounded player on the field, who’d been mauled by a lion, was rescued by others in the confusion. The lion’s whereabouts were anyone’s guess, but the day’s contests were undeniably over.

All the players imprisoned below took advantage of the mayhem to escape. They weren’t stupid—they even deliberately let loose the other beasts downstairs. The guards had their hands full trying to save their own skins—hundreds of rampaging wild animals were more than a match for a handful of human sentinels.

With things in such disarray, the players’ map now extended to the entirety of Angel City.

The three riding dragons—Yan Jiyun and company—were an awe-inspiring sight, but also a glaring target.

Noticing Lucifer’s fireballs were dwindling, Yan Jiyun called out to his companions, who were wreaking havoc across the arena, “Should we go?”

Their objective had been achieved—there was no longer any reason to stay. Soon, the officials would organize guards for a counterattack.

Having just mastered flying atop a dragon, Chu Mo protested, “So soon?”

Yan Jiyun provided a reasonable explanation. “No time to waste—if we linger, the NPCs will come after us.”

Qi Feng nodded at once. “Agreed. Let’s go.”

Yan Jiyun patted Lucifer, “Lucifer, let’s get out of here.”

Lucifer understood. Having just burned the parts of the city it disliked, it was in a fine mood.

They needed to find somewhere to hide.

Lucifer had been out longer than the other dragons, so Yan Jiyun was more familiar with Angel City than Qi Feng and Chu Mo. He led the way north.

Yan Jiyun remembered a patch of open ground in that direction, large enough for the creatures to land and for them to plan how to leave the game.

On their way out, Yan Jiyun saw Antonis and Daniel approaching on horseback.

Antonis complained bitterly, “Damn it! Why can they tame Lucifer, Ariel, Sariel? Why have I never been able to control them?”

Daniel replied, “Maybe dragons just aren’t meant for you?”

Antonis was left speechless.

Yan Jiyun found Antonis’s repeated defeats at the hands (and claws) of dragons rather pitiful—and amusing, in a way. Some are truly star-crossed with dragons.

With Lucifer leading the way, the three arrived with their dragons at the lawn of an abandoned church in the city’s north.

Yan Jiyun deftly jumped off Lucifer’s back. The dragon raised its proud head, then, seeing Yan Jiyun unmoved, tried nudging him with its wing, as if willing him to turn into a cat.

But Yan Jiyun paid no heed; he had two people with him and couldn’t change forms.

He patted Lucifer’s head and whispered, “No turning into a cat—go amuse yourself.”

Qi Feng and Chu Mo dismounted as well.

The three dragons knew each other, though none was quite on friendly terms. The silver and black dragons began growling at each other at first sight, with the red dragon playing peacemaker.

Still, none of them left.

Yan Jiyun suspected it meant they hadn’t yet completed this world’s task.

Finally, with peace restored, he began sharing what he’d learned with Qi Feng and Chu Mo.

Qi Feng remained thoughtful, but Chu Mo had new insight. “So, that’s how it is—in fact, not every door needs a guide. The guide lets us shortcut to the next game, but using it might mean missing out on discovering the order of the passwords.”

Qi Feng conjectured, “Then, the only doors that absolutely require a guide to pass must be the first and last.”

“I went from the Horse Door straight to the Dragon Door, so these two aren’t the first or last. The Rat and Tiger doors had guides, which makes them possible candidates for the first and last,” Yan Jiyun recounted his experiences.

Chu Mo added, “I entered the Ox and Monkey doors—Ox gave an information card, Monkey and Snake gave numbers.”

Qi Feng shared his clues. “I passed through three—Dog and Goat yielded information cards; Chicken, Ox, and Pig gave numbers. There was also another number in a different challenge.”

Yan Jiyun said, “The Rat and Horse doors gave me information cards—no numbers. Are all your information cards just a single playing card with the zodiac printed on it?”

Qi Feng nodded, “That’s how mine looked—but the ones I bought from others didn’t come with a card; those stayed with the seller.”

Yan Jiyun pulled out his King Rat card. “What are these cards supposed to mean? I don’t see any information on them.”

They seemed more like collectible game cards.

Next, he took out his Wind-chasing Horse card. This one was less flashy, but the direction of the mane and hooves showed it was running hard.

Chu Mo produced his own card. “I don’t see any special message on mine either.”

Qi Feng also laid out the cards he’d collected, and even sketched out the ones he had purchased, using a pencil to replicate them with flawless accuracy.

So the “litter scooper” could draw as well—a man of many talents.

Rat, Horse, Dog, Goat, Ox—the five information cards in a row seemed to hint at something.

Yan Jiyun examined them, and at last, noticed a faint clue.

Qi Feng saw him nod knowingly. “Did you figure it out?”

Yan Jiyun answered earnestly, “I think I have a lead. What about you two?”

Chu Mo shook his head. “All I see are zodiacs—this rat has a crown and a scepter, but nothing else.”

Qi Feng pointed out, “No, there’s something else they have in common.”

Yan Jiyun agreed, “Yes, there’s a connection.”

Qi Feng said, “It’s their direction.”

Yan Jiyun indicated the cards. “See? The rat’s scepter, the horse’s hooves, the sheep’s horns, the dog’s snarl—all pointing in one direction.” He looked up, his gaze bright. “I think that’s the exit we’re searching for.”

Qi Feng met his eyes. “Now all we need is the order of the numbers and the twelve corresponding numbers, plus a map of Angel City, and we’re out.”

Chu Mo interrupted, “Wait, but the numbers don’t correspond directly to the zodiac animals, so maybe their order doesn’t matter?”

Yan Jiyun replied, “Not necessarily. Zodiac doors can yield numbers, and other casino challenges can yield numbers too. There should be twelve information cards and twelve matching numbers.”

Qi Feng agreed, “Makes sense. I’ve got 0, 2, 4, and 9. Chu Mo, what numbers do you have?”

Chu Mo answered, “1 and 8. So we’re missing six numbers.”

Yan Jiyun doubted their reasoning was circular. “We need twelve numbers—there must be duplicates, and we have to match numbers to zodiacs, or we still can’t pass.”

They needed to think from another angle; maybe there was another solution.

Seeing Yan Jiyun frown, Qi Feng comforted him, “Don’t worry. We don’t even know where the exit is. What if the zodiacs and numbers each correspond to a separate password?”

The words lit a spark in Yan Jiyun. “So you mean, the zodiacs form one code, and the numbers are a different code?”

Chu Mo clapped his hands, “Exactly! Why didn’t I think of that? Three heads really are better than one.”

Yan Jiyun pointed out the flaw. “But we still have to match up the order of zodiacs and numbers to find the password.”

Qi Feng reassured him, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it—there’s still time.”

Yan Jiyun glanced at him, then looked down at the cards on the grass. His trial card time was almost up.

In summary, there were three things they needed to do to leave Angel City.

First, obtain a complete map of Angel City; second, locate the exit; third, work out the correct way to use the zodiac and password.

The Angel City outside the door was identical to the one within, but inside it was far too large—without transport, there was no way they could map it all.

Qi Feng told them, “I walked the main street of the city outside the door and found no map. Now we have to search for one here.”

Chu Mo scratched his scalp. “If there’s no map outside, odds are there won’t be one inside either. The game’s too well designed for that. We’ll have to draw our own—only how?”

Yan Jiyun nodded toward the three nearly squabbling dragons. “We can ride Lucifer above the city and map it out that way—doesn’t need to be too detailed, as long as the landmarks are there.”

Chu Mo winced at the thought of the shaky silver dragon. “Good idea, but on those things? They lurch and swerve so much—I doubt I’ll get a straight line drawn.”

Yan Jiyun shot him a mild look, then fixed expectant eyes on Qi Feng. “What do you think?”

Chu Mo had the grim sense he was being edged out, but insisted his perspective mattered too.

Qi Feng agreed easily, “Couldn’t be easier or more efficient. We chart the streets and the important landmarks, especially the distinctive buildings—the exit always tends to be somewhere like that.”

He was referring to the way out from the Dragon Gate, but the map would also be for exiting the outer city.

Assigning areas among themselves, they got to work.

Qi Feng pulled a notebook and three pencils from his pocket, tore out three sheets, and handed paper and pencils to Yan Jiyun and Chu Mo.

Yan Jiyun marveled at his preparedness, “You carry all this around?”

Qi Feng explained briefly, “Picked it up in the casino hotel. If you don’t have a weapon, even a pencil can serve as one.”

Yan Jiyun was impressed—as expected from a seasoned “litter scooper.” Even a pencil could be a lethal tool in his hands; something worth learning.

Qi Feng had his reasons—since getting a cat, he was more inclined to help new players, in hopes that someday, if his own Caramel crossed paths with one of these rookies or another friendly player, her survival odds would go up. In the past, he might not have bothered, but things had changed.

The three dragons lingered, intent on resting rather than helping.

But Lucifer, not seeing Yan Jiyun as human, was happy to cooperate.

Yan Jiyun loved stroking its cool, scaled head. “Lucifer, let’s go map the city together—maybe we’ll find a way home for you.”

After a brief exchange, Lucifer took to the sky with Yan Jiyun, while the others muscled their dragons skyward with some difficulty.

Working efficiently with his partner, Yan Jiyun quickly mapped out his section, paying attention to major streets and buildings. He turned in his portion as if handing over an assignment.

Having dragons as mounts raised their mapping efficiency tremendously.

In the end, they settled on Angel City’s greatest landmark: the Sophia Cathedral. The exit from the Dragon Gate had to be there.

After some time together, the dragons grew more familiar with them.

With three dragons as transportation, they soon arrived atop Sophia Cathedral.

The city below was thronged with NPCs, and three dragons were conspicuous indeed. Had they landed in front, the priests would’ve immediately thrown them out.

Yan Jiyun patted Lucifer. “Stay here, all of you. We’ll go find the exit for you.”

Lucifer flicked him gently with its wing, but without real force this time.

The three descended from the rooftop of the cathedral.

Chu Mo asked, “You know how to send them off?”

Yan Jiyun answered, “Just a guess. Think about it—this city’s normal enough, so why are there dragons?”

Chu Mo racked his brain for Western dragon myths. “Someone used a teleportation array to summon them from the abyss?”

Yan Jiyun mused, “Maybe. If there is a portal, it should send them home—and us back to Angel City outside the gate.”

Chu Mo found it admirable how bold Yan Jiyun could be.

But in-game, you had to be bold—anything could happen. The championship wasn’t a dungeon; only the daring survived.

With fourteen hours left in Angel City’s twenty-four hour limit, they didn’t split up. In such a vast cathedral and without any gear, it would be too risky—the could at least help each other if anything happened.

Sophia Cathedral had five levels. They searched from top to bottom, but the upper four floors held neither exit nor magic array.

Clearly, they’d been overthinking.

Not until they reached the sanctuary.

There, a huge magic array was inscribed on the floor. The place was deserted.

Chu Mo stared in surprise. “There really is one—how did you think of that?”

Yan Jiyun replied, “Have you ever seen a normal animal breathe fire?”

Chu Mo slapped his forehead. “Didn’t even make the connection. So now we’ve found the portal—we just need to activate the array.”

Yan Jiyun and Chu Mo searched the sanctuary, turning over everything, but found nothing of use.

Qi Feng examined the array, tracing its lines with a pencil. Just as he was about to finish the sketch, Yan Jiyun suddenly heard the sound of hooves outside—not one or two, but many, along with a stampede of feet. People were converging on the cathedral.

Yan Jiyun opened the window and said urgently, “We have to go—guards are coming this way!”

Yet Qi Feng and Chu Mo heard nothing. Both turned to look at Yan Jiyun.

Yan Jiyun’s heart skipped a beat, but he calmly explained, “I’ve had good hearing since I was a child.”