Chapter 18
“Eh?” Lin Ran’s single pat was interrupted by Sootball, who, with wide eyes, fluttered its wings and nudged him aside. Yorke, startled, took a step back, his initial intention of observing the human completely forgotten. The word “baby” echoed in his mind. Having been in a position of power for so long, he had forgotten when someone last spoke to him like that.
Oni’s expression flickered, and the butler gaped.
To the oblivious Lin Ran, it seemed like the other “Sootballs” were shocked by his patting the large one. He sensed something was amiss, his gaze shifting between Sootball and its “friends.”
“Ch-Cheep…” Sootball, perched on Lin Ran’s wrist, stammered, unsure how to explain.
“Did I scare your friends? Sorry, I just thought they were cute,” Lin Ran said, looking at Yorke. He didn’t mind Sootball bringing friends home. In fact, he wouldn’t mind taking them all home! It was like a buy-one-get-three-free deal! What a fantastic game bonus!
Yorke, still speechless, couldn’t process being treated like a cub. He felt strangely embarrassed.
“It’s usually Sootball’s dinner time. Would you like to join him?” Lin Ran changed the subject. There was no problem a meal couldn’t solve.
Dinner? The butler scoffed internally. Master Nemo never eats at this time… This human clearly didn’t know the cub’s habits. Perhaps the livestream was a facade!
But then, he stared in disbelief as Nemo, usually quiet and reserved, followed Lin Ran and eagerly drank the offered milk, chirping contentedly after each sip. What was this undignified behavior, Master Nemo?! The butler barely managed to restrain himself from intervening.
As Lin Ran fed Sootball, he adjusted its bib with practiced ease. “Your bib is slipping, Sootball. Be careful not to get it dirty.”
Sootball, wearing the bib with the moon bow, wiggled happily. “Cheep!” A-Ran said to be a clean cub. It drank its milk diligently.
Oni and Yorke, watching their cub eat so obediently, felt a strange mix of bewilderment and tenderness.
The butler, however, had a sudden realization. So that was why Master Nemo had been dissatisfied with his bows. The human’s bows were indeed prettier. Had he been rejected? Was his raised cub now someone else’s?
[Butler feeling dejected.jpg]
“Aren’t you having any?” Lin Ran asked the three large fluffballs, thinking Sootball’s friends seemed shy.
The Oni couple and the butler froze. They looked at the milk, then shook their heads in unison. They hoped no one, especially no demon they knew, was watching this. It would ruin the Luna Clan’s reputation.
“Oh… Are you older than Sootball? So, you don’t drink cub milk anymore?” Lin Ran asked, noticing their more mature demeanor. Was there something he didn’t know?
Oni, realizing their behavior had been noticed, was about to explain their visit. But Lin Ran didn’t press further, just saying, “It’s okay. You’re welcome to visit Sootball anytime.”
“Just don’t bully him because you’re bigger. He’s still a small, cute cub, isn’t he?”
Oni, despite her usual aloofness, felt her expression soften at his words. The butler nodded vigorously. Master Nemo was indeed adorable! This human had good taste!
But Sootball… Sootball? Is he calling Master Nemo a sootball because he’s black?! The butler felt a jolt of outrage. The Luna Clan, a proud and elegant race, shouldn’t have such a crude nickname! It was disrespectful! Giving their heir such a name was practically a declaration of war!
[It’s a strange name, but Nemo seems to like it…] Yorke also found the nickname odd, but Nemo seemed to enjoy it, wagging its tail whenever the human called it “Sootball.”
Oni and Yorke felt a pang of guilt. They had never truly understood their cub.
As the three fluffballs whispered among themselves, “Cheep!” “Cheep?” “Cheep cheep—!”, their cuteness overload made Lin Ran relax his guard. Despite their strange behavior, they seemed harmless towards Sootball. And he had a feeling they were observing everything, especially Sootball’s little basket, scrutinizing it carefully. It was indeed very cute.
Lin Ran’s resistance to fluffy creatures weakened further.
Sootball, noticing his gaze, tugged at his clothes, gesturing towards the table. Lin Ran looked, and Sootball, using twigs, had clumsily spelled out:
PA、MA?
PAPA? MAMA??
Lin Ran read it aloud. Papa and Mama? Wait…
Were these two large fluffballs Sootball’s parents?! And the other one, a grandparent figure?
“Cheep…” Sootball nodded, confirming his suspicions. It hadn’t intended to let them maintain their disguise; it had revealed everything to A-Ran.
[Beep—Friendship of the Luna Clan, quest progress 30%!] At the same time, a game notification appeared, confirming Sootball’s revelation.
Lin Ran realized the hidden quest had started, and the Luna Clan fluffballs had delivered themselves to his doorstep! As for the 30% progress, looking at their serious expressions, he guessed they approved of Sootball’s cozy little nest.
But why had Sootball been so injured if it had family? And he could tell Sootball wasn’t as attached to them as most cubs were to their parents. That was why he hadn’t considered this possibility initially.
Meanwhile, Oni and Yorke’s attempt to find flaws in the human’s behavior failed miserably. They found no evidence of manipulation, only genuine care. The pretty pebbles and leaves Sootball had collected were treasured in a box by its bed, and its tiny clothes were neatly arranged in a miniature wardrobe.
Oni even saw a familiar-looking transparent garment on the sewing table, likely made for Nemo.
“This is a raincoat. Sometimes it rains in the forest. Sootball can wear this to keep its fur dry,” Lin Ran explained, holding it up. It was a cute little cape that would fit Sootball perfectly, the hood forming a triangular shape.
[That human is doing strange things again!][Demons aren’t that fragile! It’s humans who catch colds from the rain… But he’s definitely someone the cub trusts.] The butler tried to sound dismissive but couldn’t maintain his pretense.
He felt a pang of guilt, seeing Nemo so attached to Lin Ran. As parents, they had failed. They couldn’t even compare to this young human.
Oni and Yorke exchanged a look, then turned to Lin Ran, about to speak, when the protective barrier crackled.
“Is that miasma?” Lin Ran looked up and saw the black miasma that had attacked Sootball trying to penetrate the barrier.
What was going on? It hadn’t been this aggressive before. Had it become more intelligent and learned to attack?
[Immersive Mode 2.0 update complete. Increased rewards and realism. Beginner’s protection will soon disappear. Please manage risks accordingly.] A new notification appeared.
Another update!
Lin Ran placed Sootball in its basket and went to investigate.
“Cheep.” But before he could move, the three large fluffballs blocked his path, ready to defend their cub.
One, two, three, they flew towards the miasma as it attacked the barrier, confronting it from above.
The low-level miasma, suddenly facing three powerful demons: ?
It froze, wondering where these three ancient beasts had come from. If it had known, it wouldn’t have come. T^T
