Chapter 21
Back at the Luna Clan manor, Oni and Yorke, back in their human forms, sat in silence in Nemo’s empty bedroom. The butler, arriving later, didn’t dare speak.
Oni touched the cushion Nemo usually slept on, admitting it wasn’t as soft as the blanket the human had provided.
“Oni, perhaps we should consider that young human’s suggestion…” Yorke said, patting her shoulder. Though their cub hadn’t returned, he had a favorable impression of the human. Definitely not because of being called “baby”!
“And honestly, the young master seems to value that human very much,” the butler added cautiously, though it was difficult for demons to accept. Nemo’s outburst had been triggered by their attempt to retrieve the crystal. Perhaps the key to appeasing him lay with the human.
“At least the Moon Goddess Rose should be suitable for him. Nemo will understand,” Oni sighed, rubbing her forehead. She hadn’t anticipated this outcome. They had carefully chosen the item to exchange for the crystal. The rose’s dew extended lifespan, a tempting offer for a short-lived human. Perhaps it would also allow Nemo to stay with the human longer. Due to their differing lifespans, demons and humans shouldn’t form close bonds. But since a human had appeared in “Demon World,” there must be a reason. And Nemo had awakened his ability while with him. Since he didn’t want to return, they could only support him.
“My only concern is, now that Master Nemo has awakened, he’ll need a different diet. Can that young human even hunt?” the butler asked. The human seemed gentle and non-threatening. Yet, he had dared to interrupt Nemo’s demonic energy outburst. Humans were truly unpredictable.
“We can’t just secretly deliver food, can we? What if he misunderstands? And what if he can’t teach the young master how to hunt?!” The worried parents were now filled with anxieties.
“I wish he would livestream again so we could see what they’re doing.”
Meanwhile, Lin Ran was examining his reward item. Despite the warnings about the Complete Time Mirror’s time-travel function, he wanted to try it. But upon activation, a message appeared: Insufficient materials!
[Warning: Player lacks the required item “Beginner Invisibility Cloak.” Without it, the probability of death upon arrival at the designated time node is 87.1%]
[Blueprint for “Beginner Invisibility Cloak” sent to Sewing Workshop.]
Probability of death? So, he might not be able to return? He now understood the item’s danger and was even more curious about Sootball’s future. His little milk-drinking cub, so dangerous in the future?
As if answering his question, a golden exclamation mark appeared above Sootball’s head. Lin Ran clicked it, and a new message appeared:
[The cub has awakened its ability and is entering the next growth stage, requiring meat in its diet. Please ensure a balanced diet and prepare sufficient food.]
[Continuing to consume Beginner Milk will not provide sufficient nutrients, significantly increasing the cub’s weakness probability.]
So, his cub was a carnivore! Lin Ran was surprised. Well, meat it was. It was normal for a cub to outgrow milk.
But the shop didn’t offer any meat!
[System Notification: The shop only provides Beginner Food. From version 2.0 onwards, higher-level food must be hunted or found by the player and cub, enhancing gameplay and challenge.]
Lin Ran: ?
So, the beginner’s protection period was over. Raising a cub was becoming increasingly challenging.
“Cheep…?” Sootball, playing with its new purple aura, stopped and chirped at Lin Ran, sensing his worry.
“My dear cub, your tastes are getting expensive,” Lin Ran chuckled, ruffling its fur.
He decided to make the invisibility cloak and complete the bib order. In the sewing workshop, he quickly finished the ten bibs.
[Daily task complete! 1000 gold received.]
“Perfect! More money for materials,” he said, checking the cloak’s blueprint. He could now afford some of the materials, except for the expensive Phantom Stone.
At the same time, ten new items appeared in “Demon World’s” auction house:
[New auction item: “A-Ran’s Beautiful Handmade Bib” x10. Rare handcrafted item. Global bidding starts in 6 hours! Please deposit the required guarantee and obtain an Auction Qualification Certificate.]
The system repeated the message three times, ensuring everyone saw it. The auction house feature had been abandoned for so long that many demons had forgotten about it. The sudden barrage of notifications made them wonder if the world was ending.
[What’s going on with this game? So many updates lately! They’ve used more @everyone messages in the past few weeks than in the past few decades!]
[I’m confused too. This game used to be so inactive. I sent hundreds of bug reports with no response. Now, livestreaming, auctions… what’s happening? =皿=]
[Heh, let’s see what they’re trying to sell us this time…] Countless demons logged in, their curiosity piqued. The enthusiastic tone of the announcement practically screamed, “Come spend your money!”
[Isn’t this the same bib from that human NPC’s livestream?!] The first demons to check the auction house recognized the item.
[I remember! That adorable bib on the Luna Clan cub! (So cute!)]
[I can still picture him tying the little bow!] Since the livestream, many demon parents had tried to make similar bibs for their cubs. Even single demons, dreaming of future parenthood, had bought them, trying to decipher their charm.
And now, the game was auctioning ten of them? The livestream was clearly an advertisement! Who was this mysterious human?
[But the bib has a name: “A-Ran’s Beautiful Handmade Bib”! I have a theory. Is that human NPC’s name A-Ran? OvO] The demons noticed the clue in the item description. The mysterious NPC had a name!
[A-Ran? A-Ran! So cute! Has anyone found his coordinates yet? (Looking around)]
[No idea. Is everyone participating in the auction? This game is ridiculous. 1000 points just for the guarantee on a handmade bib! It’s highway robbery!]
[I agree! We shouldn’t let them profit from this. They’ll keep doing it if we do. This game is cunning.]
[Makes sense! Since no one’s participating, I won’t either! (Looking away)]
The forum was filled with discussions about the auction, the demons trying to agree on a boycott. They had to stand united against these microtransactions! If they let this slide, what would they sell next?
The game’s response was another notification 30 minutes later:
[@Everyone, the number of auction participants is nearing server capacity. Registration will close early once the limit is reached. (smiley face)]
The entire demon world: ?
They were supposed to boycott! Who was secretly registering?!
Lin Ran, unaware of the auction, was preparing for a hunting trip with Sootball. He had to learn how to hunt; otherwise, they would starve. According to the map, suitable prey could be found on the eastern plains.
“Okay, we’re going here today, Sootball!” he said, pointing at the map. Would anyone watch a hunting livestream?
“Cheep!” Sootball chirped, ready to follow him anywhere.
But as he opened the door, he saw a familiar figure. The lion was squatting nearby, watching them, its golden tail swishing back and forth.
“Cheep?” Sootball’s eyes widened, and it charged towards the lion, its purple aura flaring, ready for a rematch.
Shao Mian: ?
The next moment, the lion’s tail flicked, dispersing the aura and trapping Sootball.
“Cheep cheep cheep!” Sootball struggled, complaining to A-Ran.
“Stop fighting!” Lin Ran, seeing them at it again, grabbed the lion’s tail, worried it would hurt Sootball.
