Chapter 15
Sootball, acting like a little adult, had just placed the bowl in the stream when Lin Ran chuckled and took it back.
“I’ll wash it. How are you going to wash dishes with all that fur?” He poked Sootball’s forehead, making the cub wriggle in protest, still trying to help.
“Why don’t you film instead? If your fur gets wet, I’ll have to give you a bath, and your bib will get wet too. You like your bib, don’t you?” Lin Ran reasoned playfully.
Sootball blinked, considering. Was it more work for A-Ran to wash the dishes or to bathe him and wash his bib? After some serious deliberation, it accepted the camera, its role as a filming assistant assigned.
“The little guy was trying to help me wash dishes. As a parent, I’m so touched. Don’t you all think Sootball is adorable?” Lin Ran said to the camera, washing the bowl. He wished more people could see how cute Sootball was. Showing off one’s child was a parent’s greatest joy.
[Aw, that’s… indeed very cute. But aren’t Luna Clan cubs supposed to be aloof? (Questioning my existence.jpg)]
[And the streamer didn’t actually let the cub wash the dishes. He clearly dotes on it!]
[He seems like such a nice person, unlike many humans I’ve encountered!]
The demons, who had been accusing the streamer of exploiting demon labor, now felt slightly ashamed. They had misjudged him.
[And what’s a bib? That Luna Clan cub has a little scarf around its neck.]
[I’m curious too. This cub seems to be raised very differently, in every sense of the word!] It felt pampered and loved.
As the demons discussed this in the comments, Lin Ran finished washing the bowl and looked at Sootball, diligently filming him. His own cub was just too adorable. He had filmed the wolf cub for so long; shouldn’t he film Sootball too? It wouldn’t be this small and cute forever.
He picked up Sootball. “Even if no one’s watching, Sootball is the best little guy. I made this bib especially for him, with his favorite moon pattern.” His affection for the cub was evident in his voice.
“Cheep~” Sootball, knowing it was being filmed, posed like a little model, proudly displaying its moon bib. It was so pretty!
“It’s not just pretty; it also prevents milk from getting on its fur, which is very practical,” Lin Ran explained, adjusting the bib.
The demons, already curious, found themselves strangely touched by the interaction. Demon parenting was usually rough and practical. When had they ever seen such gentle care?
[Stop it… Where can I buy this? QAQ It’s so cute—!]
[I want one too +1. What’s the streamer’s map coordinates? I’m coming over. (Seriously) Please tell me!]
[You don’t want to buy one; you want to steal it!] Some demons, long past the age of wearing bibs, unconsciously touched their necks. No one made them bibs as cubs, but they could buy one now, couldn’t they?
Even the Oni couple, initially wary, now looked at each other with complex emotions.
“Oni, this human seems harmless. That bib is cute. I don’t think you should be so suspicious,” Yorke said, stroking his beard.
“And Madam, that bib is the same one the young master brought back! He wouldn’t even let me touch it. So, that’s where it came from…” the butler said, his eyes wide with surprise ever since Sootball appeared. He hadn’t expected his young master to encounter a human in “Demon World.” He felt a pang of jealousy. He had raised Nemo, but they had never been this close.
Amid the commotion, Oni, holding a drawing, remained silent. It was the drawing Nemo had made during his language lesson, copied and given to them by Hogg. The black-haired, black-eyed human named “A-RAN” in the drawing was undoubtedly the same human in the livestream.
“Does he know Nemo’s identity? Is this a trap? Is he approaching Nemo for some ulterior motive?” Oni’s suspicion remained. Perhaps the human, upon learning Nemo’s identity, would try to negotiate with the clan. Nemo was the only pure-blooded descendant of their generation.
“That…” The other demons fell silent, considering Oni’s words.
“I doubt it. Humans can’t log into ‘Demon World.’ I think he’s more likely an NPC generated by the game, considering the recent updates,” one said.
“Perhaps we should verify his identity and intentions,” another suggested.
“Or bring the young master back for observation.”
As the Luna Clan demons discussed this, the human in the livestream suddenly turned away, as if hiding something.
“Wait, what’s he doing?”
“See? Humans are so deceitful!” The demons watched anxiously as Nemo, oblivious, played with its bib. They feared what the human was up to. If “Demon World” allowed targeted teleportation, they would have retrieved Nemo immediately. History was full of cautionary tales about trusting humans.
Even in the comments, some noticed Lin Ran’s lower body disappearing from the frame.
[Wait, where did he go?][Something’s happening—!][That Luna Clan cub is so trusting! It’s still playing with its bib! This is killing me!]
Lin Ran quickly returned, holding something behind his back. The viewers zoomed in, trying to decipher what it was.
[This is bad. I had a bad feeling about this human. That cub trusts him so much…]
“Cheep?” Just as the demons’ anxiety reached its peak, Sootball, sensing Lin Ran’s return, turned around.
“Pop!”
“Nemo—!” “Young Master!!” The Luna Clan demons gasped, some even jumping up.
[Whoa, a gunshot! No… a party popper?!] The comments exploded as the screen filled with colorful confetti.
What was that?
“Cheep?” Sootball stared at the falling confetti, blowing a piece off its nose.
“Happy birthday, Sootball! It’s your birthday, don’t you remember?” Lin Ran said, placing a birthday hat on Sootball’s head. It looked even cuter with the hat. He wished he had a camera to capture this moment.
“It’s okay that the little wolf drank your milk. We’ll have cake tonight. It’s even better than milk,” he said, placing a small cake in front of Sootball, urging it to blow out the candle.
“I don’t know how you celebrate birthdays, but this is how humans do it. Make a wish, and may you be healthy and happy every year.”
Although they could only see his lower body, his warm words made many demons’ hearts skip a beat. A human celebrating a demon cub’s birthday?!
[Me? You? Huh??? I asked my mom why I never had a birthday, and she smacked me with her paw, asking why a demon would celebrate a birthday…]
[Seriously, only fragile humans with their short lifespans would care about birthdays.]
[I admit we don’t really celebrate birthdays, but if someone did this for me, I wouldn’t mind. TwT I can’t watch this anymore; it’s too much.] The demons felt a pang of jealousy.
“Why aren’t you moving? Don’t you know how to blow out a candle?” Lin Ran chuckled, seeing Sootball frozen in surprise, and petted its head.
“Cheep…” Sootball blinked, then looked at the cake, the flickering candlelight reflected in Lin Ran’s eyes like twinkling stars.
It took a deep breath, its body puffing up slightly, then blew out the candle.
Lin Ran clapped. “Perfect! Your wish came true! That’s our Sootball!” He wondered what the cub had wished for.
Sootball closed its eyes and spread its wings. A beautiful, pale purple light filled the room, like moonlight, sparkling with tiny stars. Mysterious symbols and runes floated in the air, moving in an indescribable pattern.
Lin Ran looked up in awe. Was this caused by Sootball? It was so beautiful and breathtaking, like the aurora borealis.
The purple light converged in front of Sootball, solidifying into a pale purple moonstone.
“Cheep.” Sootball picked up the stone with its beak and offered it to Lin Ran.
The demons watching understood the significance of this moment far better than Lin Ran.
[If I’m not mistaken, that Luna Clan cub just awakened its innate ability! And it’s a high-level one! It even formed a Law Crystal!]
[Oh my god, this livestream just became even more valuable…]
[I bet those who didn’t pay to unlock the livestreaming feature are regretting it now.] Witnessing the awakening of a high-level ability, filled with mystical power, increased one’s own chances of awakening.
[But it gave the crystal to the human?!]
“Is this for me?” Lin Ran asked, holding the cool, beautiful stone, looking at Sootball.
Seeing he hadn’t taken it properly, Sootball nudged his hand and nodded.
“Cheep.” It was only for A-Ran.
