Chapter 26
The cool night turned warm with two fluffy creatures snuggled in bed. Lin Ran even started sweating, dreaming of being chased by giant fluffy Samoyeds on a tropical island.
Lin Ran: !
He woke up with a start, realizing it was morning. The lush garden and the lion’s protective presence had attracted various small animals to their homestead. He sometimes even shared Sootball’s leftover snacks with them. The morning air was filled with birdsong.
“I slept so soundly…” He stretched, hugging his pillow, then realized the texture was wrong. It was fluffy! And that familiar black and white tail… it was Snowball’s!
Snowball?! He stared at the little snow leopard curled up beside him, then at Sootball sprawled on the edge of the bed, wondering if he was hallucinating. Hadn’t he put Snowball in its basket in the Four Seasons Simulator?
“Cheep!” Sootball and Snowball woke up at the same time.
“Cheep—!?” Sootball jumped up, staring at itself on the floor, then at Snowball on the pillow.
Snowball, seeing Sootball’s wide-eyed disbelief, quickly jumped off the bed.
“Cheep!” Sootball, however, gave chase.
Snowball, still recovering, was no match for the now-powerful Sootball. It yelped as it tumbled to the floor.
“Sootball! Don’t bite Snowball’s tail! He’s still injured…” Lin Ran jumped out of bed, separating the two cubs.
“Cheep cheep cheep!” Sootball hopped onto the pillow, pointing at it and then at the floor with its tail, complaining about being pushed off the bed.
Lin Ran chuckled, petting the aggrieved Sootball. “You’re so cute. We’ll cuddle again tonight, okay?”
Sootball, easily appeased by his gentle words, chirped and settled on his shoulder, still glaring at Snowball. If looks could kill, Snowball would be covered in bruises.
Lin Ran turned to Snowball, who was unusually quiet. “Snowball, weren’t you in your basket? Why did you come up here? Were you scared?” Sootball’s anger was justified; Snowball had intruded on its space.
“Mew…” An Xun wanted to explain but could only make small animal sounds. He was suddenly grateful for his inability to speak. He didn’t want to be exposed as a monster.
He recognized Sootball as the Luna Clan cub from the livestream. Its parents had even offered a high price for the handmade bibs, making the Luna Clan the center of attention in the demon world. Many demons were trying to find the human NPC, “A-Ran,” hoping to send their cubs to him. But the Luna Clan remained tight-lipped, calling it a game secret.
But why had he, a nobody, been chosen? He remembered being rescued from the cave. He had been prepared to die in the game, though his parents would have to pay a hefty penalty…
Lin Ran, unaware of Snowball’s thoughts, found the cub’s emotions difficult to decipher. Despite its quickly rising affection, it wasn’t as expressive as Sootball.
“Are you still scared? It’s okay,” he said, placing Snowball on the table to check its ear. The Ice Crystal Grass had neutralized the poison, but the missing piece of its ear wouldn’t grow back. Its remaining ear twitched adorably as it shook its head. Snow leopards truly were beautiful creatures.
“Your ear is much better. It should heal completely in a few days.”
“And not just the Ice Crystal Grass, but the Golden Spirit Fruit for your other wounds was also shared by Sootball. He likes you very much, baby,” he explained, hoping to improve their relationship.
Sootball chirped, embarrassed by the praise.
An Xun, after a moment of silence, lowered its head and whimpered softly, as if admitting its mistake. The soft sound made Lin Ran’s heart melt. He petted its head. He thought the two cubs would get along. Sootball, despite its initial aloofness and occasional hostility, had a noble character and never bullied the weak. It hadn’t harmed the Snow Bird chick, even though it could have easily frozen it with its magic.
“I’m logging out soon. Be good and don’t fight,” he said, then paused, wanting to check the information on the Phantom Stone. If he could find it, he could finally make the invisibility cloak. He was dying to see what was in Sootball’s future.
But the snow mountain was a difficult place to find minerals, let alone a specific one. Perhaps buying it was a better option, despite the high price. He felt his expenses were always exceeding his income. Was he being too greedy?
He rubbed his forehead, and An Xun, watching him, followed his gaze to the Phantom Stone on the blueprint. Was he looking for this stone? It looked familiar, but unsure, it remained silent, a habit it had learned from a young age.
Sootball, unaware that Lin Ran was looking for the stone for its sake, shared his worry, even considering asking its parents for it. The Moon Goddess Rose had proven they were willing to give him things. If Oni and Yorke knew about this, they would be both touched and slightly exasperated by their cub’s “filial piety.”
“I’m running out of time. I’m leaving now. Don’t fight. If there’s any danger, uh, you can go find Yuanbao. Sootball, if you could teach Snowball some basic common sense, that would be great…” He logged out, leaving a final set of instructions.
Sootball, used to his departures, watched the golden light fade. An Xun, however, stared, reaching out with its paw as if trying to hold onto him.
“Cheep~” Sootball stopped him, shaking its head.
“Mew…” An Xun, realizing its mistake, sat quietly, its docile demeanor making Sootball blink. Was this the same cub that had stolen its spot on the pillow?
But since A-Ran had asked, it was determined to obey. It found a small blackboard and a pen, trying to teach An Xun some basic common sense, like its tutor, Hogg. And the most important common sense was A-Ran’s name!
It clumsily wrote “A-RAN” on the board.
“A—RAN~”
“Mew…” But An Xun could only make kitten-like sounds, making Sootball frustrated. Becoming a teacher made it realize how difficult it was to learn the common language!
After a while, it collapsed on the table, more dejected than when it had found Snowball on the pillow.
An Xun, seeing its frustration, nudged it with its tail. It was difficult for him to pronounce words in his cub form. But in his human form, he could speak much more fluently than Sootball, who only knew a few simple syllables.
He looked at the stone encyclopedia Lin Ran had left on the table:
[Phantom Stone]
[Rumored to be found only in extremely cold regions, a key material for invisibility cloaks.]
Alone, he would struggle to find it. But with help…
“Cheep?” Sootball blinked, seeing An Xun looking at it hesitantly. It was its first time interacting peacefully with a cub its own age. The “playmates” chosen by its parents had never been suitable companions for the unusual Nemo.
“Mew…” An Xun tried to convey that it had seen a similar stone in the mountains but retrieving it was dangerous.
“Cheep!” Sootball’s eyes lit up, and it flapped its wings, ready to go. It would bring it back as a surprise gift for A-Ran!
An Xun: !? He hadn’t expected such a decisive response.
Sootball, seeing him hesitate, almost grabbed him and took off.
“Mew…?” Didn’t they need to prepare?
“Cheep!” Sootball flew to its little backpack, packed some items, and gestured for them to hurry.
Seeing its determination, An Xun overcame his fear of the mountains and followed.
Thus, unbeknownst to Lin Ran, his two fluffy cubs embarked on a dangerous adventure to the snow mountain!
Meanwhile, Lin Ran was busy picking, packing, and shipping peaches. The orchard was buzzing with activity. No one in the village had imagined a simple livestream could generate so many orders. They were almost running out of peaches.
Due to requests from local viewers, he even took a batch to the city for a physical sale. The livestream’s viewership reached over 3,000, higher than many small-time influencers.
Jiang Jie, celebrating, performed his signature “flowery hands” dance, which became the most-watched segment of the stream. The app even promoted the stream internationally, with comments like, “Can you ship across the Atlantic? It’s not that far!”
Lin Ran, amused, wondered if Jiang Jie should become a streamer instead of taking the civil service exam.
He himself had become more comfortable and fluent in front of the camera. Many viewers commented that he had a magical ability to make food seem irresistible.
“Seriously, Lin-zai! The peaches are delicious, but you make them sound even better,” Jiang Jie said, trying to explain the phenomenon.
“And maybe it’s your influence, but my flowery hands were exceptionally smooth today. I even have over 10,000 followers now! I’m becoming an internet celebrity!”
Lin Ran, however, realized something. This seemed to be beyond the scope of the “Moon Goddess Halo.”
He opened “Demon World” and found a new, limited-time status effect:
[Snow Mountain Mask, Duration: 15 days]
[This is a group aura that makes the blessed individual a natural star, the center of attention! You are the star of tomorrow~]
The blue aura reminded him of Snowball’s eyes. It was a reward for reaching 60 affection with Snowball.
“I wonder what those two little guys are doing…” He opened the game, only to find the house empty.
[Two cubs are currently exploring…]
Exploring again? Last time, Sootball had brought back the Golden Spirit Fruits. They probably hadn’t gone far. As long as they stayed within the lion’s territory, they should be safe.
He was wrong.
The snow mountain was becoming restless. The unlikely duo of Sootball and Snowball had formed a surprisingly effective team. When encountering a demon, Snowball would provoke it, making it lower its guard, then Sootball would use its purple aura to freeze its legs, making it fall. Depending on the situation, they would then either attack or flee.
This tactic had taken them deep into the mountains, to the crevice An Xun remembered. He had seen a similar glow there before but hadn’t entered because the opening was too large.
“Cheep—!” Sootball flew into the crevice, followed by An Xun. And there, among ordinary stones, was a Phantom Stone!
Sootball carefully compared it to the picture in its backpack.
“Mew~” An Xun wagged its tail excitedly, confirming it was the right one.
They worked together to dislodge the stone. An Xun, in its excitement, rolled around with the stone, and Sootball quickly stopped it.
They were about to head back when An Xun stopped at the cave where he had been rescued.
“Cheep?” Sootball, perched on a rock, watched as An Xun sniffed around in the snow.
A few seconds later, An Xun found a necklace, the only thing he had brought with him into the game.
“Mew…” He retrieved the necklace and gestured for them to go home.
They even encountered their old “friends,” the Snow Birds. But this time, Sootball was prepared. Whenever a bird approached, it would ignite a twig with its magic and use it as a torch to clear the path for An Xun, who carried the Phantom Stone. The Snow Birds, intimidated by the fire, kept their distance. A few adult birds that tried to attack were singed! They were a formidable duo, making it hard to tell who the predators were.
This unusual activity on the snow mountain, however, reached certain powerful entities…
Anvers, the leader of the Feather Clan, hadn’t paid attention to the snow mountain region in a long time. Until today, when he received reports of intruders burning their Snow Birds, causing them to consider migrating. Although he disliked the birds’ appearance and reputation, disrupting the ecosystem was a problem.
“Two cubs?” And the culprits were cubs?! He thought his subordinates were joking. His temper flared.
His subordinates, sensing his displeasure, tried to explain. But Anvers’s gaze shifted to Shao Mian, seemingly listening to a different report. Nothing escaped his notice. Anvers knew Shao Mian had heard everything. He felt ashamed of his incompetence and was about to order his subordinates to deal with the cubs when Shao Mian’s expression changed, his posture straightening.
“Mount Anduin? Two cubs, one black, one white?” he asked, his sudden interest in this “minor issue” surprising everyone.
“Uh, yes, but I assure you it’s just a small incident. I’ll send someone to deal with those little…” Anvers said, realizing Mount Anduin bordered Shao Mian’s territory. Did he think he was mismanaging his territory? Things had been unstable lately.
But Shao Mian’s next words shocked him even more.
“Let them be.” He paused, then added, “Send the damage report to Ser. Triple compensation.”
Anvers stared at his secretary, Ser, who also looked puzzled but maintained his composure.
“Yes. Here’s the document. It will take effect once you sign it with your magic,” Ser said, offering him a magic parchment, a form of currency in Demon World.
This was like receiving national compensation for a natural disaster! What kind of good fortune was this?! Had he missed a policy announcement?
Anvers, holding the parchment, asked hesitantly, “Forgive my ignorance, but do you have some connection to those cubs?”
“Yes. They’re from my territory. I raised them,” Shao Mian said simply, signing the document, ignoring Anvers’s stunned expression.
If those cubs were in danger, he couldn’t imagine the human’s reaction. And he suspected they had snuck out while the human was away. As for why he was intervening… he was simply engaging in endangered species conservation. After all, there was only one human in “Demon World,” and he had chosen to live in his territory.
But perhaps it was also because… he remembered the human returning with the two cubs in his arms, waving at him with a happy expression. He didn’t dislike the sight. It was like a vibrant flower blooming in his otherwise desolate territory. He found himself wanting to check on it every day, counting its new leaves.
Lin Ran, logging back into “Demon World,” stared in shock at the Phantom Stone on his table and the two cubs, covered in dirt and grime, looking at him expectantly, as if waiting for praise. Even Snowball, usually shy, had a dirty face and an eager expression.
“Sootball, Snowball, where did you go? And where did you find this stone?” he asked, sensing something significant had happened, his tone unusually serious.
The cubs, not receiving the expected praise, exchanged a look, a sense of foreboding washing over them. Sootball’s tail stopped wagging, and Snowball’s ears drooped.
“Don’t tell me you went to Mount Anduin? Why aren’t you saying anything?” The mere thought filled him with worry.
