Chapter 37
“Cheep…” Lin Ran, knocked over by Sootball’s enthusiastic pounce, blushed furiously. He had to put Sootball on a diet when they got back.
“Cheep cheep?” Sootball, seeing A-Ran hiding in the lion’s mane, tilted its head, concerned.
A-Ran was just embarrassed. He wished he could stay hidden forever.
“Cheep!” The next moment, Sootball found itself being gently moved away by Shao Mian’s tail and placed beside Abyss. Shao Mian was worried about crushing the human.
“Cheep?” Sootball looked at A-Ran longingly.
[What’s the situation?] Oni and Yorke arrived, checking on Nemo, then staring at the white fluffball hiding in the lion’s mane. Even half-hidden, it was incredibly beautiful, a fluffy white cloud in the dark night.
[Such a delicate cub, no wonder it was hiding.][With that fur color, surviving in the wild is impossible! It needs a parent!][What kind of demon is that lion? And why is the cub so attached to it? I can’t even sense its power…] The Luna Clan demons whispered, wary of approaching Shao Mian.
Shao Mian simply flicked his tail, looking down at them. If not for Lin Ran on his back, he would have grabbed one of the fluffy cubs to play with.
“Wait, so many Luna Clan demons?” Lin Ran asked, noticing the black fluffballs surrounding them, their eyes fixed on him. He imagined how soft it would be to fall into that pile of fluff.
“Sootball, are these your family?” he asked. Bats had excellent night vision; they were the most likely to find him, besides the mysterious lion.
“Cheep!” Sootball nodded, wanting to fly to A-Ran, then hesitated, remembering its earlier clumsy pounce.
“Let’s go home? It’s strange standing out here in the open,” Lin Ran said, having also received the 3-hour logout notification.
Shao Mian started running, the golden lion a majestic sight against the dark plains, followed by a swarm of bats. If not for Oni and Yorke’s explanation, they would have attacked Shao Mian, accusing him of cub-napping.
[But the cub seems comfortable. He’s not releasing his aura.][He’s fast, but the cub isn’t being jostled.][And young Master Nemo is flying behind them! His wings have healed!] Some of the older Luna Clan demons, just awakened from their slumber, were unaware of Nemo’s ability awakening during the livestream.
[Isn’t that the human NPC’s house?!] They recognized Lin Ran’s homestead as Shao Mian carried him back.
[Remember, everything you see here is confidential, unless the cub reveals it himself,] Oni warned.
[And maintain your current forms. Cubs like fluffy creatures,] Yorke added helpfully.
The Luna Clan demons preened themselves, already a well-groomed race.
Lin Ran, though tired, offered them fruit and milk. He knew they preferred meat, but he didn’t have the energy for a barbecue.
“Cheep—!” Sootball helped, pouring milk into cups as instructed by A-Ran. Though he needed meat now, milk was still a nice drink, as long as A-Ran didn’t let him drink too much, worried about him getting a tummy ache.
The Luna Clan demons, seeing the cubs serving them, lined up obediently for their drinks, their initial apprehension forgotten. Besides the intimidating lion nearby, they also realized behaving well might earn them more time with the cubs before the forced logout.
“But this is your third time in line. Won’t you get a tummy ache, baby?” Lin Ran asked a familiar-looking black fluffball.
The other demons stared at the greedy cub. They had been too focused on the cubs to notice him getting multiple drinks!
[How come I didn’t think of that?!][He’s so sneaky!] They hated greedy demons, and demons who prevented them from being greedy!
“Cheep!?” The cub, surprised at being recognized, looked at Lin Ran. They were all identical black fluffballs! Even parents sometimes picked up the wrong cub.
“You have a brown patch of fur on your neck, like a little scarf,” Lin Ran explained with a smile.
The cub looked down at its neck, surprised.
“And the one behind you has a tuft of fur sticking up. You’re all quite unique,” Lin Ran added, making another demon gasp.
[He remembered my feature! He’s definitely my cub!][Nonsense! He remembers me!] They all wanted to ask if he remembered them.
Lin Ran, overwhelmed by the sudden surge of fluffy black fluffballs, flew behind Shao Mian’s legs. Was this the Moon Brooch’s effect? It seemed a bit excessive.
“Cheep cheep!” Sootball tried to protect A-Ran, only to be petted relentlessly by the enthusiastic demons. It felt like it was being bald.
Oni and Yorke chuckled. The Luna Clan hadn’t been this lively in a long time.
Shao Mian, seeing the white fluffball hiding behind his paws, flicked his tail, then gently petted it. He finally understood why the human liked to pet him. So soft…
“Yuanbao—!” Lin Ran, surprised by the unexpected petting, protested, though Shao Mian had carefully retracted his claws.
[Beep—3 seconds to logout!] The system notification interrupted them.
The 3 seconds passed quickly. Snowball, who had been trying to help A-Ran escape, was distracted by the bats’ increasingly loud chatter. Like the mermaid’s song, their whispers had a strange, almost hypnotic effect.
[Congratulations! “Whispers of the Snow Mountain (2)” complete!] Lin Ran, back in his bed, received the notification. Snowball’s quest had progressed!
“Cheep cheep cheep!” Something was wriggling under his blanket.
Sootball emerged and flew into his arms.
“Sootball! You’re back!” He hugged it, relieved. Sootball had exploited a bug, activating its “Always By Your Side” skill just before the server shutdown.
He looked at the clock; it was 7 am. With the peach season ending, he could sleep in. Sootball felt like a warm, fluffy plush toy. He snuggled back into his blankets, enjoying the cool breeze and the sound of cicadas, stroking Sootball’s fur. Everything felt perfect, except for the game’s final notifications, which he would examine later.
“Cheep~” Sootball, purring, snuggled closer. A-Ran was so handsome!
But Lin Ran couldn’t stay in bed. He got up at 8 am, Sootball perched on his pen holder, diligently fetching erasers and pens for him, like a little automated assistant.
“It’s just you today. No Snowball to be jealous of, right?” he teased, poking Sootball’s head.
“Cheep!” Sootball dropped the eraser and nuzzled against him.
“I took Snowball to see a doctor yesterday. His ear isn’t very good. He needs to hear different sounds. Can you take care of him?” he explained, resting his head on his arm, looking at Sootball.
“I’m sorry for leaving you alone without telling you.”
Sootball, seeing his sincere apology, blushed. It wasn’t angry; it just liked being pampered by A-Ran.
“Cheep!” I’ll take care of Snowball!
Lin Ran chuckled. So cute. He should make Sootball plushies; they would sell like hotcakes.
“And I should thank your family for helping find me,” he said, thinking of the Luna Clan demons. Mobilizing so many helpers must have been a favor.
“Cheep~” Sootball shook its head, but Lin Ran was already thinking about gifts for them, and for Atylanthos and Ossi.
“Lin-zai, breakfast!” Grandma called.
“Coming, Grandma!” He carried Sootball downstairs.
“Oh, when did this little black cat get into your room?” Grandma asked, adjusting her glasses.
“Cheep…?” Sootball, remembering the braised pork rice and the near-broom-attack, hesitated.
“Grandma’s calling you. Go let her pet you; she might make you something delicious,” Lin Ran said, and Sootball hopped onto her apron.
“It’s a strange-looking cat, but quite cute. A bit thin, though. Was it a stray?” Grandma said, feeling its belly, which seemed surprisingly small. Perhaps it had been abandoned because of its unusual appearance?
“Can it eat baozi?”
“Normal cats probably can’t, but Sootball can,” Lin Ran said, as Grandma brought Sootball a plate of beef baozi. Her baozi were famous in the village, the juicy filling staining the soft, white dough.
Sootball’s eyes lit up after the first bite, its tail wagging happily. Grandma chuckled, thinking this little creature was quite endearing.
“Did you make this bib, Lin-zai?” she asked, noticing Sootball’s bib.
“Yes, Grandma. Can you make one for Sootball too? A more elaborate one?” He knew his grandmother often got bored at home, and this would give her something to do.
“Sure, let me see,” she said, examining Sootball.
“Cheep?” Sootball looked at A-Ran, as if asking for help, but Lin Ran just gestured for it to cooperate, and it let Grandma measure it.
“It’s like a fluffy toy,” Grandma said, then went to her old sewing machine.
“Lin-zai, find that black, fluffy fabric in the cupboard! The one I used for collars!”
Black fluffy fabric? Wouldn’t a black bib be invisible on Sootball? He went to find it.
“Cheep…”
“Stay here,” Grandma said, placing Sootball on the sewing machine table. Knowing she was A-Ran’s family, Sootball didn’t resist, letting her measure it.
“Grandma, is this it?” Lin Ran asked, returning with the fabric.
“Yes!” Grandma took the fabric and started working.
Lin Ran watched curiously, wanting to learn some new techniques.
He soon realized she wasn’t making a bib but a life-sized Sootball plushie!
“Cheep… Cheep!?” Sootball, noticing this, flew back to the sewing machine, curious.
“It’s dangerous! Lin-zai, take it away,” Grandma said, worried.
“Okay,” Lin Ran said, knowing Sootball wouldn’t be hurt, but Grandma didn’t know its true nature.
Within a morning, Grandma had finished the plushie, filled with soft cotton from an old quilt. Unable to find suitable toy eyes, she had embroidered them, making it even more lifelike.
“Cheep!” Sootball, fascinated, looked at its replica, then at A-Ran, urging him to look.
“It’s amazing, Grandma!” Lin Ran said, realizing the gap between his own skills and hers. His bibs were like kindergarten crafts compared to this masterpiece. This deserved an order!
Grandma chuckled and went to prepare lunch.
“Cheep~ Cheep~” Sootball, clutching the plushie, was delighted. Grandma had even included the wings, though she didn’t understand why a cat would have them.
“Sootball, I have an idea. How about making miniature plushies for everyone who helped find me?” Lin Ran said, finally deciding on a gift. What could be cuter than a mini-me plushie? And the Luna Clan fluffballs were simple to make, just round, black balls. Once he mastered those, he could try making Snowball plushies, though he would need to find blue eyes and different fabrics.
“Cheep?” Sootball, holding its plushie, watched as Lin Ran sat at the sewing machine.
His first attempt, Oni, was slightly lopsided.
The second, Yorke, with a slightly larger belly, was better.
These palm-sized plushies were easier to make than the life-sized one.
“Lin-zai, lunch! …My, you’ve made so many! Will you use them all?” Grandma asked, seeing a basket full of mini black fluffballs.
“Uh, maybe a bit too many, but I’m not done yet,” Lin Ran said, remembering the Luna Clan demons lining up for milk. He needed about twenty more. He might finish before “Demon World” reopened.
“Cheep~” Sootball, rummaging through the fabric scraps, brought him a piece of white, fluffy fabric, urging him to make a white one for him to take back, so it could be displayed with its black plushie.
