691: Get Lost...

Get Lost...

Zeke's mind went blank, he was utterly clueless as to what he should do in a situation like this.1

Without a doubt, this was not the first time he had seen someone cry. He had had a lot of experiences observing others. Just by casually walking down the street, he could see one or two children wailing loudly with their faces flushed red, fat droplets of tears rolling down their cheeks without stopping as if their bodies were made of water. Once, he had also seen his servant secretly wiping her tears when she thought that nobody was looking, because she was unable to leave the Palace to visit her sick mother. He had even tried to do it himself when his Imperial Father collapsed due to yet another illness.

However… the stupid assassin was different. He had never seen someone cry like this before.

Clearly, his face remained expressionless and no emotions could be discerned from his vacant eyes. Yet his tears fell again and again, one droplet after another, as if he was a tormented soul trapped in a broken doll body. And only through the tears could he vent the anguish from the depth of his heart.

Zeke pursed his lips tight and he used his soft paw to rub his chest. Why was he feeling uncomfortable again?

It couldn't be. He had eaten his fill and was no longer famished, so hunger was not an option. His mind quickly worked to think of another possibility. Had the milk been spoiled and that's why he had a heartburn now? That was a possibility but… he was not stupid. He could analyze himself better than the others. He had felt this twinge of discomfort twice, and both times were caused by the assassin in front of him.

Zeke could not help but snort. How ridiculous. He was only a virtual character in the simulation, for God's sake! How could this person induce such emotions from him when nobody else could ever before?

Had the system improved its mechanism?

If that was the case, then Zeke had better give his sincere praise and gratitude to the researchers once he returned. If he kept this up one or two times, then there was a huge possibility that his old illness could be cured, and he could finally be able to 'feel' just like any normal human!

Zeke had mapped his future course of action in the span of a few minutes. Yet now… he still had no idea how to solve the problem in front of him! There was clearly a problem with the assassin, and without him, Zeke would not be able to leave the simulator!

A sigh escaped his lips. Left with no other choice, he shuffled closer to the assassin and used his tender paw pads to wipe his tears. "Miw miw…" What are you crying for? Haven't you exacted your revenge? Shouldn't you be soaring through the Ninth Heaven with joy right now?

Zeke really could not understand. If other people were to chance upon this scene, they would have thought that the assassin's whole family had just been brutally murdered or something. Sigh… as expected, his ability to comprehend emotions was still lacking. Zeke shook his head in pity. 

The assassin did not react even when Zeke was touching, prodding and kneading his cheeks. It was not until the fur on his front paws had been soaked in tears that the assassin's blank eyes gradually regained focus and zeroed in on him, unblinking. 

Zeke's eyes lit up. "Miw miw." How are you feeling? Have you cried enough yet?

Of course, he did not hope that the assassin would be able to cross the barrier of language between them. He simply… wanted those tears to stop. That's right. Seeing this person in such a miserable state truly made him uncomfortable. 

He was obviously so powerful and domineering when he drove all those bullets into the King's body. Yet in a blink of an eye, here he was, weeping powerlessly on the ground of a random cabin amidst the freezing weather. Zeke was really not used to seeing him so weak and vulnerable.

The little cat put on a very human-like expression and tsk-ed lightly with a shake of his head. "Miw miw miw." What would you have done without me? Would you have laid on the ground like this all night and froze to death?

The assassin: "..."

For some reason, the cat's bizarre antics succeeded in yanking him back from the edge of the abyss. It was so weird that he could not ignore it even if he wanted to. Even his tears had stopped flowing without him realizing. He parted his chapped lips and uttered with a voice so weak it was barely discernible. "Why… are you so… noisy…"

Zeke, who thought that the assassin had something important to say, was rendered completely speechless. Fucking hell, even in such a state, you still have nothing good to say! Furious, Zeke swung his paw again, intending to smack some sense into his hard skull. However, one second before it could make contact with the stupid assassin's cheek, he suddenly halted his momentum and in the end, his paw merely landed with a light pat which did not deal any damage whatsoever. On the contrary, it looked more like… he was a playful kitten who wanted to engage others to play with him.

As expected, the assassin misunderstood and swatted him away again. "Get lost…" Even though his mouth was very poisonous, his movement was unexpectedly careful and gentle. He only used the back of his hand to gently nudge Zeke's body away from him. 

Zeke let out a disdainful harrumph. Much to his surprise and confusion, he was unable to muster the slightest bit of anger in his heart. Not after what he had seen and experienced for the past few hours. 

Now everything was crystal clear for him. It was simply impossible for the assassin to hurt him, let alone kill him. Perhaps he should have realized it early on. This person was just very softhearted despite his cold exterior. Or else, was there any need to dig him out of the pile of snow and bring him to this place? And was there any need to feed him nutrient solution and warm milk?

The stupid assassin was such a complicated character. He clearly had the blood of so many people in his hands – and Zeke was certain that those people in the Imperial Palace were not the firsts who had died under his gun – yet he had nothing but kindness to him, this stray and malnourished little cat.

Exactly what was Imperial Father's intention in throwing him into this simulation? At first, he had assumed that this assassin would be his greatest opponent but now… he was not so certain anymore. After careful contemplation, he decided to wait and bide for time. Anyway, it was not like he was in a hurry and… he had to admit, being by this stupid assassin's side was not too bad. 

Zeke's slit golden eyes searched around for a while before he ended up snuggling close to the assassin's shoulder. He was very small in size and did not take much space at all, especially when he was curling up into a little furry ball.

The assassin glanced down at him but did not say anything else. 

Taking it as a silent approval, Zeke secretly heaved out a sigh, closed his eyes and finally let himself relax. The warmth emanating from the other's feverish body was so pleasant for his weak and fragile kitten's body. It was like he was nestling close to a heater. In such a cozy atmosphere, it did not take long for Zeke to doze off. 

Outside, the blizzard was still roaring wildly as though intending to turn the whole planet upside down, yet inside the wooden cabin, it was completely serene and harmonious. One cat and one human cuddled together, seeking warmth and comfort from each other.

***

Zeke opened his eyes, his mind still groggy from sleep. And what welcomed his eyes was the familiar bright ceiling which he had seen countless times before. As soon as realization dawned on him, his eyes abruptly snapped open and any traces of sleepiness vanished in an instant.

He sat up in a jerk and looked around with a bewildered look on his face. This… This was clearly the room in which he had always used to enter the simulation. There was no way he could have mistaken it. What did it mean? It clearly meant that… he had successfully left the simulation! But how?! 

If his memories did not fail him, he had not died and… had instead fallen asleep with the stupid assassin! Shock coursed through Zeke's body like lightning, filling his mind with nothing but buzzing noises. 

Wait a minute… just how did he manage to leave the simulation in the end? Had he somehow died in his sleep?!

Still with the doubt inside his mind, Zeke climbed out of the cabin and reached for his terminal. This phenomenon was just too weird. Zeke had been going in and out of the simulator for years, yet he had never met such a predicament before. He suspected that he had come across a bug. If that was the case, then he should report it to the research institute. 

However, just as he was turning on his terminal, he discovered that the signal was jammed. No messages or calls could be delivered, and he could not contact anyone from the Imperial Palace. The blizzard was still raging as wild as ever, encasing the entire planet with treacherous attacks of wind and snow.

Zeke stared outside the window and felt like the weather was too similar to the one inside the simulator. An ill premonition arose in his chest.

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