“The ‘Black Tortoise’ possesses ‘Undying’ and ‘Forgetfulness’…” Qi Xia murmured to himself, “…while the ‘Vermilion Bird’ can float in the sky. That floating ability must be…”
“The Vermilion Bird has ‘Levitation,'” Chen Junnan interjected. “I once participated in a game called ‘Fat Rabbit’ with a guy named Wu Shisan. Though I never saw him use his ability, he did mention that his power was ‘Levitation.'”
The more everyone thought about it, the more something felt off.
“The ‘Azure Dragon’ also has ‘Silence,'” Qi Xia added. “The nineteenth-ranked member of ‘Cats’ is ‘Silence.'”
“Ah!” Qin Dingdong suddenly turned to Chen Junnan. “Right, right… Is there anyone in ‘Cats’ who can control plant growth?”
“Huh? I don’t really know about that…” Chen Junnan replied.
Qiao Jiajin muttered to himself, “‘Rampant Growth’ Ning Shiba—she was the astrologist girl who died.”
Qi Xia nodded and chimed in, “There’s also ‘Lushwood’ Liu Ershiyi.”
“Damn… they really exist?” Chen Junnan was taken aback before turning back to Qin Dingdong. “Why are you suddenly asking about this, Sis Dong?”
“That damn snake!” Qin Dingdong exclaimed. “The moment that old bastard ‘Celestial Serpent’ appeared, he wrapped us up in these vine-like roots! If someone in ‘Cats’ has the same ‘Echo,’ then it’s practically confirmed! Many of the higher-ups’ powerful abilities come from ‘Cats.'”
To Qi Xia, the most absurd part wasn’t that members of ‘Cats’ possessed the same ‘Echoes’ as the ‘Celestial’ ranks—it was that the leader of ‘Cats,’ Qian Wu, just like ‘Heavenly Dragon,’ wielded ‘Twin Blossoms.’
And then there was the ‘Giant Sun’ from his dream… All these abilities originated from ‘Cats.’
“Looks like Chu Tianqiu’s side didn’t contribute much—’Cats’ did most of the heavy lifting,” Chen Junnan remarked. “There’s a guy named Jin Yuanxun around Chu Tianqiu who has an ability called ‘Leap,’ letting him teleport to any desired location. Many higher-ups probably copied that ability, but the others seem untouched… Even though ‘Paradise’ has plenty of ‘Echoers,’ the higher-ups don’t seem interested in their powers.”
“‘Leap’ Jin Yuanxun…” Qi Xia seized on the key point.
‘Leap’ was likely the most crucial ability for the higher-ups. He had seen similar powers in many people before.
“Is Little Money Bean lying…?” Chen Junnan hesitated. “Old Qi, it seems like he might not be trustworthy either…”
“I don’t think so,” Qi Xia shook his head. “We were all there when Qian Wu killed ‘Celestial Horse.’ His movements were clean, and his eyes were resolute—he and his two brothers died on the spot. If he was colluding with all the ‘Celestial’ ranks… that kind of sacrifice makes no sense.”
“Then why is this happening?” Chen Junnan pressed.
Qi Xia lowered his head, stroking his chin as he carefully pondered the matter.
If both ‘Paradise’ and ‘Cats’ were supplying eyeballs to the ‘Zodiacs,’ it couldn’t be a one-sided arrangement. Neither organization would fear any ‘Earthly’ rank alone, nor could they be threatened by them. There must be some kind of ‘transaction’ involved.
If that were the case, what did ‘Paradise’ and ‘Cats’ need in return?
Qi Xia quickly recalled the ‘Welcome Party’ when they first joined ‘Paradise.’ A long-standing organization not only had beer and food but could also continuously produce various other resources.
Thinking in the simplest terms, Chu Tianqiu collected corpses and harvested eyeballs solely to trade with the ‘Zodiacs’ for survival resources, ensuring ‘Paradise’ could function.
After all, it was an organization founded by drifters, and when Jin Yuanxun recruited people, his selling point was, ‘We have food.’
For many amnesiacs, an endless supply of ‘food’ was the most critical bargaining chip. Joining ‘Paradise’ meant ‘survival.’
Therefore, Chu Tianqiu most likely traded ‘eyeballs’ with the ‘Zodiacs’ for food. He wasn’t lying—he really did make a deal with ‘Earth Dragon.’
In this way, both sides got what they needed, exchanging expendable items for vital resources. It saved both parties a lot of time and was a reasonable transaction with no further complications.
If that made sense, what about ‘Cats’?
The strangeness lay in the fact that ‘Cats’ had ‘Giantification,’ which could amplify a grain of rice tens of thousands of times. Here, nutritional balance wasn’t a concern—food only needed to fill stomachs. So theoretically, ‘Cats’ shouldn’t lack food.
Moreover, ‘Cats’ was fundamentally different from ‘Paradise.’ They were highly trained mercenaries, exceptionally united as a team. Food shortages wouldn’t cause the group to collapse. Therefore, it was unlikely Qian Wu traded with the ‘Zodiacs’ for survival resources.
This made things even more puzzling.
‘Cats’ received less than ‘Paradise’ but provided more powerful ‘eyeballs.’ What was their motive?
“Wait a minute…”
Qi Xia stroked his chin again, feeling as though he was piecing everything together.
“Why is ‘Cats’… so united…?”
He realized he might have overlooked something. Perhaps Qian Wu wasn’t lying to him—but to every other member of ‘Cats.’
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, in the ‘Endgame,’ theoretically, no one could meet each other outside. Everyone existed in their own isolated world.
So how could ‘Cats’ collect ‘payment’ from other ‘participators’?
The only reason everyone in ‘Cats’ stayed loyal, unafraid of death, and united was the promise of wealth for their families. But how could they verify whether their families actually became wealthy in the future?
Drawing from Qin Dingdong and Chu Tianqiu’s situations, Qi Xia felt an unprecedented, bold idea forming.
What Qian Wu traded for might be—’altered memories.’
This made everything fall into place.
The families of ‘Cats’ members really did receive compensation—at least in their memories.
Their loved ones became wealthy in the future, and other ‘Cats’ members from different timelines could corroborate it.
By slightly altering everyone’s memories and unifying their accounts, a perfect lie became self-sustaining within ‘Cats.’
They would grow more united, their reputation would expand, and more people would learn of ‘Cats,’ bringing in more wealth and missions.
And the more missions ‘Cats’ undertook, the more ‘Echo eyeballs’ they produced—turning it into a bizarre industry chain.
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