Chapter 39
Faced with a near-riot on the forum, “Demon World,” surprisingly, responded:
[A new interactive system is in development, to be released in the next update. This new NPC interaction system will be available to all demons. Please prepare your points. Stay tuned.]
This short announcement sparked speculation.
[New interactive system? Available to all?! So, we can all increase affection levels now!][But it sounds like another “pay-to-win” scheme. “Prepare your points” means “spend your crystals”!][They think this will appease us? Just a human!][You better not participate then…]
Meanwhile, Lin Ran was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic Luna Clan demons vying for his attention.
“Are these for me?” he asked, smiling at the colorful gems offered to him, like treats for a cub. He was long past the age of playing with shiny stones, but the gesture was heartwarming.
“Cheep cheep!” The black fluffballs, seeing the “lost cub” refusing to return home, were planning to schedule regular visits to ensure his safety, bringing him toys to increase his affection.
Lin Ran looked at Oni and Yorke pleadingly, but they could only shrug. The screenshot of the white fluffball had become the clan’s most popular wallpaper. They all wanted one last look before leaving.
“…” Lin Ran, understanding their sentiment, transformed back into a cub, fulfilling their wish, though feeling slightly childish. He was a university student in the real world, a cub in “Demon World.”
The Luna Clan demons: !!! They frantically took screenshots. The cub had transformed for them!
“Cheep~” Sootball, delighted, nuzzled against A-Ran, almost knocking him over, then quickly wrapped its tail around him.
The sight of the two cubs together made the demons squeal, their hearts melting. This was the best “Demon World” experience ever! Cute pictures, cub interactions, and limited-edition plushies! They would gladly spend more crystals for this level of enjoyment.
“Be safe on your way home,” Lin Ran said, waving goodbye as the fluffballs flew away with their plushies. He sighed in relief, then picked up Sootball. They were a bit overzealous, but undeniably adorable.
“Cheep!” Sootball, after they left, placed the white fluffball plushie and its own black one on the windowsill.
“Mew…?” Snowball, peeking out from its basket, looked at the plushies enviously, its tail twitching.
“We’ll make yours soon, okay? Then we can display them together,” Lin Ran said, picking up Snowball and petting it.
“Mew!?” I can have one too? Snowball’s eyes lit up, and it tried to nuzzle Lin Ran’s cheek.
But Sootball, sensing something, looked at the water bucket in the corner, curiously trying to bite the shadowy figure hiding inside.
“Cheep—!” It missed, and its fur was singed! It quickly extinguished the embers with its aura and flew to Lin Ran’s shoulder. Its precious fur, A-Ran’s favorite, couldn’t be damaged!
“Cheep cheep!”
“Mew?” Snowball, seeing Sootball’s distress, looked towards the bucket. Being from the snow mountains, it was sensitive to fire, and it jumped down, ready to investigate.
“Wait, Snowball! I’ll check. It might be a small animal,” Lin Ran said, holding Snowball back. Small animals sometimes wandered into the house. But if it could singe Sootball’s fur, it must be a demon with fire magic.
Abyss, hiding in the bucket, wanted to burn down “Demon World.” Shao Mian, that irresponsible lion, had left him here during the update and hadn’t returned, apparently called away on urgent business. He had thought Shao Mian wanted him to bond with the white cub, but now, he realized it was a human! Though he had enjoyed his time outside “Demon World,” he didn’t like most humans. One of Shao Zi Jue’s human friends had looked at him with a mixture of fear and greed. He would never give his fire crystals to such a creature.
“Hiss… Hot.” Lin Ran touched the bucket and quickly retracted his hand. It was burning hot. Was there a miniature dragon inside? Did “Demon World” have dragons?
“Cheep cheep!” Sootball, its aura flaring, landed in front of the bucket, ready to confront the mysterious intruder.
“A-Abyss!” Abyss, seeing the bucket being lifted, intensified his flames, clinging to it.
The bucket shook violently as Sootball pulled on it.
“Are you two playing tug-of-war?” Lin Ran asked, then poured a bucket of water on it. Water extinguished fire, right?
“Sizzle…” The steam subsided, and Abyss, his flames suppressed, lost his grip on the bucket.
“Cheep!” Sootball, holding the bucket triumphantly, puffed out its chest.
Lin Ran and Snowball, however, stared at the black flame in the corner.
“Is that… fire? But it doesn’t look like normal fire,” Lin Ran said, ready to fetch more water. Why was there a fire in his house?
Abyss, exposed, was about to flee. Shao Mian wasn’t here; he could refuse the bond.
“Hey, don’t run! You’ll hit the table!” Lin Ran said, realizing the flame was sentient, perhaps a mutated demon.
Abyss stopped abruptly, seeing Lin Ran. It was the handsome human! The peach seller! He still remembered the delicious peaches and the fire crystal he had traded for them.
“Abyss…!” But in “Demon World,” he could only make soft, childish sounds.
“You can talk? You seem young,” Lin Ran said, finding the soft voice endearing. Not fluffy, but still cute.
“Are you a little demon? How did you get in here? You can leave through the door,” he said, opening the door, thinking it was a lost cub.
But Abyss, looking at the door, then at A-Ran, didn’t want to leave. Shao Mian had sent him here!
“Abyss!” It chirped, its flames flickering around Lin Ran.
But Lin Ran didn’t understand. Sootball, however, worried about Abyss causing more damage, flew towards it, ready to extinguish the flames. This was A-Ran’s house!
“What are you two doing? Stop! It’s dangerous!” Lin Ran said, feeling dizzy. Two flying creatures, one of them fire, were a recipe for disaster.
Snowball, however, sat quietly, sensing the magical fluctuations. Sootball’s aura was cool, like a moonlit forest. But the flame’s aura was hot, like lava. What would its own magic be like? It raised its paw, imagining the falling snow on the mountain peaks. It could extinguish the flames.
“Cheep!?” Sootball realized its magic was being suppressed by the flames, its purple aura weakening in the light.
“Abyss?” Abyss, realizing he had the upper hand, tried to singe Sootball’s fur.
“Cheep—!” Sootball, throwing more aura at Abyss, flew outside, bumping into Snowball.
“You three are…” Lin Ran sighed, too late to stop them. He hoped their fur wouldn’t be burned.
Suddenly, an icy blue aura filled the room, like snowflakes, but with an undeniable power.
“Abyss—!” Abyss, frozen into a block of ice, fell to the floor.
Lin Ran caught it instinctively. What just happened?!
“Snowball, did you just awaken your ability!?” he asked, looking at the little snow leopard.
“Mew?” Snowball, even more surprised than him, looked at its paws, shimmering with icy blue snowflakes, beautiful and dreamlike, matching its blue eyes.
“Cheep cheep!” Sootball was delighted. Snowball had defeated the flames!
It landed in front of Snowball, wanting a closer look.
“Sootball, don’t touch! Snowball is still adjusting,” Lin Ran said, holding it back.
The icy blue aura intensified, lifting Snowball into the air, as symbols and runes appeared, like a dream.
[Beep—Second cub awakened! Achieved “Mighty Fluffballs”! Reward: Ice Soul Glasses x1!][These glasses, crafted from Mount Anduin’s Ice Soul, may reveal hidden truths.]
Lin Ran received the notifications and the reward, but he had no time to examine them. He caught Snowball, who had flown into his arms.
“Mew, mew!!” Snowball, its eyes shining, showed him its paws, now covered in snowflakes and ice crystals. It had magic! Beautiful, icy blue magic! It had always envied Sootball’s ability, though it had never said anything. This was why Lin Ran had been trying to complete its quest. Sootball would have complained, but Snowball just silently sulked. Now, it wouldn’t be sad anymore. It had even awakened before hearing the mermaid’s song.
“Mew…” But An Xun remembered Sootball’s awakening, its aura forming a Law Crystal. He wanted to give A-Ran a crystal too. But his icy blue aura didn’t solidify. He whimpered, disappointed.
“Why are you sad? You should be happy! We’ll celebrate tonight!” Lin Ran said, petting its cheek, unaware of its thoughts.
“Cheep cheep!” Sootball nodded, thinking it and Snowball would be an unstoppable team now.
“Mew…” An Xun, comforted, nuzzled against Lin Ran, its tail wrapping around his wrist.
“Still so clingy,” Lin Ran chuckled, hugging it. He didn’t compare his cubs; they were all equally precious.
Abyss, meanwhile, finally melted the ice, his flames smaller now, like a dampened ember. He looked at the snow leopard in Lin Ran’s arms, wary of its ice magic, but also envious. As a creature born from the abyss, he had never known family. Shao Mian, though protecting him from being claimed by others, was a neglectful parent, occasionally making him do chores and only ensuring he had enough magic crystals to eat.
Seeing himself smaller now, and the snow leopard being comforted after “attacking” him, he felt a pang of resentment. No one wanted him. Shao Mian was a jerk, abandoning him and making him disliked.
He dejectedly floated towards the door, kicking a pebble with his fiery tail.
“Where are you going?” Lin Ran asked, noticing him.
Abyss looked at him, its flames flickering hopefully. Had he finally realized its value as an Abyssal Flame Sprite and decided to adopt him?!
“Mew…” But Snowball growled, wary of Abyss causing more trouble.
“Snowball, don’t scare him. He seems lost,” Lin Ran said, about to approach Abyss, when it cried out, “Abyss—!” and flew out the window.
“He just left?” Lin Ran said, puzzled.
“Cheep.” Sootball, however, remembered seeing the flame with Yuanbao.
“Maybe we’ll see him again,” Lin Ran said.
The near-10,000-gold tax, though waived, had made him realize the importance of saving money. And the fastest way to earn gold was livestreaming. He had earned enough for the garden furniture last time. He decided to livestream making plushies for Snowball and gifts for Atylanthos and Ossi.
“Viewers requested another stream?” he asked, surprised, seeing over 200,000 “request” votes on his channel. Were there really that many viewers? Or were they bots?
He hesitantly started the stream.
[Beep—The streamer you follow is live!][Introducing the Viewer Contribution Leaderboard! Top 3 viewers will receive special interaction cards! This is a test feature. Please participate!] “Demon World” had even introduced a leaderboard.
The demons flooding into the livestream felt a sense of foreboding. Would this turn into a spending war? Could ordinary demons even compete for the top 3? O皿O#
