The Twenty-Thousand-Year-Old Cat
You know me?
Ian looked at the tabby cat in front of him, his curiosity growing even stronger.
He knew very well that the [Gate of Glory] was a tool he had pulled from his 4D Pocket, except for himself and Nobunaga, Uvogin, and others who had used the gate.
Outsiders would have no way of knowing who the prop belongs to.
Especially since... this tabby cat was originally the "mentor" who had always stayed in this area.
But looking at the current situation...
The cat seemed to not only know him, but also recognize him at a glance, clearly knowing the rules of this door inside and out.
The Cat Teacher stroked his whiskers, his vertical pupils sharp as knives, and looked Ian up and down, his tone tinged with amusement.
"Having been trapped in this gate for so long, I naturally know who created this Cultivation Space."
"I never expected that the owner of such a rule-level artifact would be such a young brat."
Ian wanted to deny it when he heard this.
After all, he was merely a user of the prop, not its creator.
But before he could finish speaking, Cat Teacher's figure suddenly blurred.
There was not the slightest fluctuation of Nen, not even... a sound of air being torn apart.
The other person's figure appeared in front of Ian instantly, like a fish gliding through water, forcefully breaking through space. The furry cat's paw, carrying a seemingly gentle yet powerful gust of wind that blocked all escape routes, slapped towards Ian's shoulder.
This seemingly casual claw strike possesses a certain Martial Arts essence.
Even a top-tier Hunter like Jin might not be able to catch it easily!
Uvogin, Nobunaga, and the others' expressions changed drastically. They never expected that Cat Teacher would launch a preemptive attack upon seeing Ian.
But Ian stood still, without moving an inch.
Just as the cat's paw was about to touch his shoulder, a shimmering white shield of light suddenly appeared around Ian.
It is the [Defense Shield] item amplified by the "Seat of Light".
This is an item Ian obtained from checking in yesterday. It's an advanced defense device used by future police officers that can form an invisible barrier to block all physical and energy attacks. However, besides only being able to maintain it for a short time, it also has a side effect of preventing the user from touching anything.
Under normal circumstances, Ian would not use this kind of item.
Surprisingly, this prop fits the "Seat of Light" remarkably well.
Unlike the rampaging "Black Hole Fragments ".
After receiving an increase in energy supply from the "Seat of Light".
The item changed its form, covering Ian entirely in the form of light, and the side effects almost disappeared.
What Ian received in return was 24/7 extreme support!
Any attack may trigger its activation, and this item will not cause any offensive effect or friendly fire.
In Ian's words, this is a tool of kindness.
The enhanced [Defense Shield] greatly compensated for his lack of combat experience and slow reaction time.
"Clang!"
With a crisp sound, the cat's paw slammed solidly into the light shield, and a terrifying recoil force erupted instantly.
The Cat Teacher felt a numbness in its paw, and its body flew backward uncontrollably.
He somersaulted several times in the air before releasing all his strength and landing steadily on the ground, his vertical pupils filled with shock.
His claw strike looked casual, but it used considerable power; it could shatter even a reinforced concrete building with a single blow.
It was actually blocked by such a thin layer of light shield.
As expected... the owner of this prop is truly terrifying!
"Cat Teacher, isn't it a bit inappropriate to test someone's limits on our first meeting?"
Ian smiled and said, but his gaze was fixed on the other person, his expression unfriendly.
Although he didn't react at first.
However, before coming, he had some suspicion that this old cat was very different from the other mentor NPCs in [Gate of Glory].
Something unusual must be amiss.
Sure enough, his precautions were quite crucial.
Uvogin and the others breathed a sigh of relief, but what had previously been a great respect for Cat Teacher was now filled with anger as they glared at him.
"Hey, why did you attack Ian!"
Nobunaga's face was also grim, but he still gripped his sword tightly and said earnestly.
"Cat Master, please give me a reason, otherwise, my knife may still be sharp!"
Seeing everyone's reaction, Cat Teacher twitched his whiskers, ignored them, and looked at Ian with less playfulness and more seriousness.
"Interesting. No wonder those kids speak so highly of you; you're definitely got some skills."
"However, your skills rely entirely on these strange and unusual gadgets; your actual strength is quite ordinary."
It had excellent eyesight and saw through Ian's true nature at a glance.
Ian wasn't annoyed; he shrugged and smiled.
"As long as it solves the problem, that's fine. The prop itself is an extension of my abilities. Like just now, you couldn't even touch a single finger of mine, could you?"
"And... you tabby cat, don't change the subject, why did you try to ambush me just now?"
Ian's words left the Cat Teacher speechless.
It had spent its entire life pursuing the ultimate in Martial Arts and had never met someone like Ian who didn't play by the rules.
Despite possessing strange and unusual strength, he lacks the demeanor of a true powerhouse.
It twitched its ears, glanced at Ian, and said indifferently.
Why did they attack you?
Do you know how long I've been here?
Hearing his words, not only Ian, but everyone else also became curious.
"How long?"
Ian narrowed his eyes and asked calmly.
The Cat Teacher didn't keep her in suspense any longer and simply raised two paws.
Two hundred years?
Ian looked slightly taken aback, and said with some surprise.
Uvogin and the others standing to the side exchanged bewildered glances.
Uvogin, in particular, suddenly understood Cat Teacher's feelings. Being completely locked up here, like being in prison, for two hundred years, would probably drive anyone crazy.
Even Aimina and Eluna looked on with sighs.
Especially Aimina, she knew all too well what it felt like to be alone.
Although this is not a dark, enclosed environment.
But that feeling of loneliness can drive a person almost mad.
Two hundred years?
Upon hearing Ian's words, the Cat Teacher's whiskers twitched, and then, as if he had heard a joke, his tail behind him wagged vigorously, revealing his sharp teeth.
"Twenty thousand years, kid! I've been trapped here for a full seven million days and nights!"
Tell me, should I hate you, or should I hate you?
As it spoke these words, its vertical pupils suddenly flashed with a fierce light. At that moment, the Cat Teacher's body trembled, and its aura was astonishing!
The moment it uttered those words...
Everyone present was stunned.
Chrollo looked dazed, as the various philosophy books he had previously read surfaced in his mind.
He was pondering how he would spend... 20,000 years if it were him.
Nobunaga's body trembled, Feitan's face was pale, and Franklin's expression remained simple and honest.
Milluki immediately covered his head, while Illumi took out a needle and pricked his arm to confirm that what he was seeing was real.
"Two... two thousand years..." Uvogin tried to count on his fingers, but after a long time, he felt it was too difficult and scratched his head.
Ian's lips twitched, feeling like he was being unfairly blamed.
Cat Teacher said 20,000 years...
Although he had some doubts, he thought about how the flow of time here was different from that in the outside world.
It took hundreds of times longer, plus the [Gate of Glory] item had been adrift for who knows how long before it finally reached my hands.
Twenty thousand years, that's not impossible...
If it's true, then this old cat really is an old cat...
Even Eluna and Aimina stared wide-eyed in disbelief, with Eluna being the first to deny it.
"How could anyone survive alone for 20,000 years and still be as clear-headed as you!"
Cat Teacher gave her a cold laugh.
"I am a cat, unlike you bipedal creatures who walk upright. Although being alone is lonely, for me, it is also a kind of spiritual practice."
Upon hearing its words, Eluna looked stunned.
The Milluki pointed at the Cat Teacher and said...
"Cat Teacher, you also walk on two legs."
Cat Teacher's expression froze, and his forehead was covered in black lines.