Chapter 23
Lin Ran opened the “Bonus Gift Pack,” and a series of notifications popped up:
[Congratulations! Obtained “Four Seasons Garden Simulator Decoration Pack” x1]
[Item Level: Rare]
[Item Description: A magical device that can simulate all four seasons in Demon World, regardless of the current season. Rumored to be a birthday gift crafted by the Dark Elf King, Asternano, for his beloved daughter!]
“This seems like a high-level item,” Lin Ran thought, surprised by the rare item in the gift pack. It seemed more like a late-game reward.
Intrigued, he followed the instructions, inserting the emerald-like simulator into a patch of empty land and activating it with a magic crystal from the Luna Clan. The barren land sprouted grass, then flowers of all colors bloomed, transforming into a vibrant spring scene.
“Cheep?” Sootball, curious, flew down and landed on the soft grass, staring cross-eyed at a butterfly on its nose, then trying to catch it as it flitted away. It seemed completely engrossed in its new playground.
Lin Ran realized this was a perfect way to keep Sootball entertained. “Let’s try changing the seasons,” he said, turning the emerald dial. The scenery shifted seamlessly, from a lush summer landscape to an autumn scene filled with the scent of osmanthus and falling leaves, then to a winter wonderland.
Sootball, playing in the snow, rolled down a hill and landed in Lin Ran’s arms.
“Cheep!” It shook off the snowflakes, now looking like a black rice ball sprinkled with coconut flakes.
“You like it that much?”
“Cheep~” Lin Ran petted the cub, impressed by the game’s generosity. Ten bibs for such a valuable reward? He wondered who had bought them. He had even included little handmade cards with each bib. He hoped the buyers liked them. He would definitely leave a five-star review.
As he thought this, a new exclamation mark appeared in the shop. He had accumulated over 3000 gold coins, enough for an Intermediate Fluffy Encounter Card!
“What’s the difference between Beginner and Intermediate?” he wondered, considering the higher price. Sootball, though from a Beginner Card, was perfect in his eyes.
[System Notification: Intermediate Encounter Cards offer more choices.]
So, the level wasn’t related to the cub’s quality? That made more sense.
Meanwhile, the “A-Ran’s Beautiful Handmade Bib” auction ended, the items shipped, and the disappointed demons were kicked out of the auction hall.
[Don’t be sad if you didn’t win. It’s just a bib! The price was ridiculous!]
[Yeah, winning would be a waste of money! We were just blinded by the livestream. I suspect that human has some kind of mind control ability!]
[Seriously, who has that much money to waste…] As the losers consoled each other, a new post appeared:
[#Unboxing “A-Ran’s Beautiful Handmade Bib,” and I regret everything!#] The dramatic title immediately attracted attention. Was there something wrong with the bibs?
But the post turned out to be clickbait:
[My dear fellow demons, I just arrived in Continent S and impulsively bought a bib from the “Demon World” auction. As the first to receive it, I must sadly inform you: I regret it! I regret not buying more!!]
The demons reading this wanted to punch the poster.
[That smug tone… I know exactly who this is.][Typical Fermont Clan. Moneybags.][Shut up and let us see the unboxing!] The post’s traffic surged. The Fermont Clan, known for their attention-seeking behavior, thrived on this.
[Please be patient. [smiley face] Let me explain why I regret not buying more!] He kept them in suspense.
The bib’s packaging was indeed adorable. Lin Ran had used simple brown paper but added dried flowers and a beautiful golden ribbon, creating a charming presentation.
[Okay, I admit, even though the auction is a scam, the human put some effort into this.][And that bow is identical to the cub’s!]
[Hurry up and open it! Please! I’ll do anything! I’ll like your post!] The impatient demons urged him on.
Finally, he revealed the bib. Lin Ran had used various fabrics. This one had a pale green leaf pattern, a lucky symbol for the Fermont Clan, a race of snake demons. Goodman, the poster, was pleased.
And there was a faint, pleasant scent. It reminded him of the livestream, a relaxing, sunny afternoon.
[…And as I was wondering about the scent, I found a bar of handmade soap! The human streamer included it in case the bib gets dirty. So thoughtful! [picture]] The photo showed a round bar of soap inside a velvet pouch.
The livestream had allowed them to smell the scent, and Goodman recognized it as the human’s!
[Oh my god, it’s like a matching perfume! And it can be used to wash the bib! So cute!][Every detail is so adorable! I feel so pampered! TwT I want this set!][Would you sell the soap? I’ll pay a good price! I just want to smell it.] Goodman ignored the requests for the soap. He only had one.
[And there’s a handwritten card! From the human! It was such a pleasant surprise. [picture]] The photo showed a card with elegant handwriting:
[Thank you for your purchase! I hope the cub likes this gift and grows up healthy and strong! ^-^ – From: A-Ran & Sootball (paw print)]
Sootball had helped choose the fabrics and thread, so Lin Ran had included its name. He still felt 1000 gold was too much, considering the low production cost. He hoped the mysterious buyer from another world would find it useful.
But the unexpected gift had indeed touched the buyers. Oni and Yorke, having won two sets, were especially moved by the “A-Ran & Sootball” signature and Sootball’s little paw print.
“That’s definitely Nemo’s paw print. He can’t write yet, so he stamped it instead?”
“So adorable! How did that human come up with this?!” Yorke thought they should have bought all ten sets. A handmade item with their cub’s paw print was a priceless keepsake!
“We can put them in Master Nemo’s wardrobe. He’ll be so happy when he sees them,” the butler suggested. They had to admit the human was taking good care of their cub.
[Oni: The Luna Clan is willing to buy all the auctioned items at triple the price. Please contact me privately if you’re interested. We’re also willing to buy the cards separately at double the price.] Oni posted on the forum, trying to acquire all the cards with Sootball’s paw print.
This further fueled the auction’s popularity. But to her disappointment, no one responded.
[Those who can afford these bibs probably don’t need the money. =皿=][And at least the Fermont Clan shared the unboxing. We wouldn’t have known about the little surprises otherwise! So cute~][Does anyone know how to find this streamer? I want to be raised too! So anxious! (Sighing)]
While the demons discussed how to find the human NPC, many clans had already contacted the “Demon World” system directly, including Goodman. While most demons focused on the cub’s well-being, the ancient clans were more interested in the Luna Clan cub’s ability awakening. If this human could increase the chances of awakening, even slightly, it was worth pursuing.
The system’s response was a questionnaire, stating that cubs from participating families had a chance to be selected. But inquiries about increasing the selection probability were met with vague, unhelpful replies.
Goodman, however, was outraged when his application was rejected.
[Your cub does not meet the required criteria.]
Goodman: ???
What criteria?! That Luna Clan cub with the damaged wings was accepted, but the prestigious Fermont Clan was rejected?! The system refused to elaborate. It couldn’t exactly say his cub wasn’t fluffy enough, even if it was the truth. =。=
Lin Ran, unaware of the drama, opened the Intermediate Encounter Card, which now resembled a flipbook with silhouettes of various creatures. He thought of Shao Mian. A lion cub would be nice. But he couldn’t find any with a mane. Perhaps lions, as kings of the forest, were SSR-level, not easily obtained. Maybe Yuanbao would have cubs someday?
As he thought this, Shao Mian, in his study, sneezed violently. The lion’s patience with Sootball during the hunting lesson had impressed him. He seemed like a good parent, strict but supportive.
“Cheep.” Sootball flew over, knowing it was almost time for Lin Ran to log out. No matter how fun the simulator was, it still preferred to be with A-Ran.
“Sootball, wait!” But as Sootball landed on his arm, its increasing weight made him stumble, accidentally selecting a page in the flipbook. Before he could see it clearly, the golden card activated and disappeared.
“Cheep?” Sootball, seeing his surprise, thought it had scratched him, but it couldn’t find any wounds.
“It’s okay, you didn’t hurt me,” Lin Ran chuckled, not too bothered. It was like a random gacha pull anyway. He hadn’t found the lion cub he wanted. He wished for a feline!
But nothing happened.
[System Notification: This cub requires a special event trigger. Please travel to the foot of the eastern snow mountain to retrieve it. The task will begin during your next Immersive Mode session.]
The snow mountain? So, the next cub lived in a snowy environment! He felt a surge of anticipation. And if he remembered correctly, the Phantom Stone, the most expensive material for the cloak, was also found in snowy areas. He could kill two birds with one stone.
After logging out, he slept soundly. Waking up, he opened the window, taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air, then planned his next “Demon World” session. He was becoming increasingly addicted to this game.
He had a feeling that after using the Time Mirror, Sootball’s affection would finally reach 100. The game had hinted at something special happening then.
Not only was the game progressing smoothly, but their peach orchard had also secured its first major order. The school had sent trucks to collect the peaches, and the payment, according to his grandmother, was enough to renovate their old house. The roof leaked, and the kitchen needed repairs.
“Renovate whatever you want. Don’t worry about saving money,” Lin Ran said, seeing his family’s joy.
“But what about your livestreaming plans, Lin-zai? Keep the money in case you need it,” Grandma said, prioritizing his project.
“It won’t cost much. It’s just a trial run,” he said. The key was capitalizing on the traffic from the viral video.
As the livestream was about to begin, Jiang Jie, initially calm, became nervous. “Lin-zai, are you nervous? We’ve never done this before…” He clutched his vocabulary book.
“Are you nervous?” Lin Ran asked, amused, checking his equipment.
“Of course not! I’m the leader! My brothers are all watching…” Jiang Jie said, his pride piqued.
“It’s okay, it’s just a trial run. If it works, great. If not, no big deal,” Lin Ran reassured him, hoping he wouldn’t be too stressed. He also had an ulterior motive. Keeping Jiang Jie busy with the exam and livestreaming would prevent him from getting involved with those shady individuals. Perhaps he could change Jiang Jie’s fate. He might even give him more practice questions.
Jiang Jie, feeling a chill down his spine, looked at Lin-zai and dismissed it as a draft. Lin-zai was too good to him.
Meanwhile, in a snowy mountain region in “Demon World,” a grey and white snow leopard cub was navigating the treacherous terrain. The icy wind ruffled its fur, making its eyes water. It dug its paws into the snow, trying not to be blown away.
The cub, a “snow mountain sprite,” was undeniably beautiful, its fluffy fur shimmering gold in the morning sun as it surveyed the desolate landscape.
“Mew…” But its calls went unanswered in this uninhabited part of Demon World.
