On the cliff’s edge, the crimson haze was thick.
A twisted shadow appeared in the surveillance feed equipped with top-tier cameras.
【What’s that thing?】
【There’s a sound… Did you all hear it?】
It was like rotten, sticky soft flesh scraping against pebbles, interspersed with creaking and squelching sucking noises. All the sounds had an eerie synchronicity, making it impossible to tell what exactly was producing them.
【My arms are covered in goosebumps…】
【My heart’s racing so fast it’s freaking me out. I, I’m gonna take two quick-acting heart pills.】
Even the audience, separated by time and space, felt this way—let alone Li Ao, who was right there on the scene.
The little cat’s fur all stood on end, his ears tucked tightly against his head inside the bun suit.
“Al—” A thin voice squeezed out from the cat’s mouth, muffled by the tentacle.
Alpha-13 had already arrived by the two little ones’ side, blocking Li Ao behind it.
“Gu yong… gu yong…” The weird noise grew closer, and people finally made out its appearance.
It looked like a Xenoid and indeed retained the basic outline of some kind of Xenoid. But it was wrapped in a layer of grayish-white flesh membrane, like a already terrifying bug bound in a tight, disgusting silicone bag. The flesh membrane undulated nonstop, its surface covered in a network of writhing blood vessels. It twisted forward, producing that teeth-grinding sucking sound from the membrane rubbing against its body.
Reborn into this strange world, Li Ao had never sensed malice from the robot or Xun, nor been scared by Little Flower Beauty and the Mantis Monster.
But right now, he was genuinely a little afraid.
Because whether it was Xun or the others, Li Ao instinctively knew they wouldn’t harm him. But this thing in front of him was different—it gave Li Ao a very bad feeling.
“AL0731, get in the tent.” A hint of tension could be heard in the robot’s flat synthetic voice. As it shooed the little cat backward, Xun launched its attack.
The little monster reborn from the Great Old One’s annihilation had initially approached Li Ao because the glowing little cat could alleviate the pain of its mental domain fracturing. Controlling low-level transport of supplies was also because it discovered the little cat emitted even purer energy when happy, which could be utilized.
Its behavior was the instinct of a creature seeking benefit.
But as it was given a name, as it spent time with the little cat, it began growing flesh and blood, developing protective instincts.
It transformed from an indescribable existence into a tangible creature.
It gained a soft spot named Li Ao.
[Get lost]
It issued a silent warning, countless tentacles lashing toward the threat to the little cat’s life.
The completely corrupted Xenoid Variant could no longer feel pain, but the powerful resistance halted its advance. It let out a shriek toward the sky, its tautly wrapped chest cavity slowly splitting open. A ferocious head squeezed out from within, its corrosive slime-dripping maw striking toward Xun like a snake.
【What is that thing? A Xenoid?】
【Too terrifying. I’ve watched countless Zerg documentaries, but never seen something this disgusting and horrifying.】
【Xenoids are natives, still countable as life… But this thing wearing a Xenoid skin—is it really alive?】
[Zone 01]
“PJ!”
The three Delphi contestants who’d gone out for the competition bumped fists. “You brat, did you take first?”
Delphi people truly disliked tech life. They revered nature and preferred face-to-face interaction with people. Their daily lives were all about training and bug-killing, and due to their extreme unity and xenophobia, they rarely paid attention to the outside world—naturally unaware of any live streams.
In a sense, PJ, who loved surfing the net, was indeed a bit special among Delphi folk.
“Barely second.” PJ was pulled into a shoulder hug by the high-ponytail girl who’d asked, his expression calm and unruffled, showing no sign of his online second persona.
“Ha?” The buzzcut burly guy let out an exaggerated exclamation. “You weren’t first? Don’t tell me The Federation’s Enlightenment has someone stronger than us?”
The word that fit all Delphi people perfectly was probably “proud.” In their hearts, no one could be stronger than Delphi folk.
“Lemme see.” Only now, so long after the competition started, did the high-ponytail girl think to check the rankings. “Second is PJ, first is… Zane Regalis?”
The buzzcut guy, munching on rations, choked at the name. “Pfft—cough, what’d you say? Who’s first?”
PJ was going wild inside, but on the surface, he calmly introduced Li Ao to his friends: “Yes, fellow Delphi folk, we have a Little Highness.”
Behold the miracle little cat! You stinky humans!
A few sentences explained the whole story. The two super-primitive Delphi youths who never went online stared fanatically at the replay of the little cat cheating. “Heh heh heh, it’s Catty Highness… So PJ second is what you deserve.”
Damn right! Losing to Highness is an honor too! PJ cackled darkly inside.
That’s right—the entire Delphi, from top to bottom, old to young, were all diehard royal fans.
“How do I join the live stream?” The high-ponytail girl urged PJ to help her. “Quick, let’s see what Little Highness is doing now!”
Rankings 2, 3, and 4 crammed into the stream in a frenzy.
But the moment they saw the screen, the high-ponytail girl’s smile froze. “What is that?”
The newly fleshed little monster was no longer invincible. Fighting the Xenoid Variant, it held its own without gaining the upper hand.
The nanny robot’s body lacked combat capability. Alpha-13 calmly analyzed viable attack strategies.
“Xun.” This was the first time the robot called the little monster by name. “Throw the surveillance ring on your head into its chest cavity.”
With permissions released, the ring detached from Xun’s head, tentacles instantly catching it and hurling it at the target.
Powerful current crackled, blue arcs sparking on contact with the flesh membrane, igniting a foul burnt stench.
This surge was enough to briefly stun a B-Rank Xenoid, but the thing before them ate the shock standing and let out a scalp-numbing howl. The flesh membrane tore from the electricity, and what oozed from the rotten soft flesh couldn’t be called blood. It dripped to the ground, instantly corroding the ice crystals.
“What the hell… is this.” Alpha-13 had been manufactured up to now, but its carried memories held no record of anything like this.
【My god…】
【Too terrifying. An accidentally mutated new species?】
They saw it as coincidence, but at that moment, several remote planets sent distress calls to The Federation: “Unknown organism appeared, countless casualties, urgently request military support!”
“PJ.” The high-ponytail girl looked away from the screen, her weapon materializing in the void. Silver-white arrows lit up her brown eyes. “Something’s coming.”
PJ had of course noticed. He gripped his dagger, twirled a flower knife, and faced the monster identical to the one Highness encountered.
Li Ao huddled in the tent, shivering. He curled into a ball, mumbling the little cat song nonstop: “Dong Xixi isn’t scared, brave little cat not afraid. Big eyes fluffy tail, swing claws and hit it.”
But, but the monster Dong Xixi met wasn’t this scary. So it wasn’t Fierce Cat being cowardly—it was just too cat-scaring ugly.
He sang off-key to tell himself not to be afraid, but the terror of death wasn’t something so young a child could easily overcome.
He did have bravery beyond his years, but this wasn’t something bravery alone could suppress.
Outside the tent were the sounds of Xun battling the Xenoid Variant; the robot was also doing its utmost to find the Variant’s weaknesses.
Only Li Ao, only Li Ao was hiding here shaking in secret.
This can’t go on… He couldn’t let his friends face the danger alone. There was no reason for that.
Fierce Cat wouldn’t be afraid. Fierce Cat wouldn’t abandon friends.
Trembling, he propped up his four skinny little legs, picked up a rock, and darted out of the tent.
“Ugly thing, eat meow rock attack!” He didn’t even dare open his eyes, running and yelling to hype himself up as he swung the rock hard.
The rock accurately hit the flesh membrane but bounced back, rolling a few times on the ground.
The Xenoid Variant ignored Xun piercing it straight through and whipped its head toward the rock’s origin.
“AL0731! Get away now!” The robot’s CPU nearly exploded in shock. It maxed out power and blocked in front of Li Ao.
The maw whipped onto the robot, instantly corroding half its right arm.
Alpha-13 hugged the little cat and rolled several times, tumbling to a cliff edge.
“Li Ao!” Xun’s scarlet pupils contracted. It forcefully shoved aside the Xenoid Variant lunging again at the little cat.
Li Ao clutched the robot with two paws, half his body dangling in the air.
“Alpha! It’s a cliff below!” He frantically clawed at the machine to warn it.
Up on the cliff, Xun and the Xenoid Variant kept tangling endlessly. Alpha-13 gripped the cliff edge with its intact left arm.
“Are you brave?” it asked.
The little cat gritted his teeth, fighting to stop his body from shaking. “Li Ao is very brave!”
“Yes, you are brave. So now, I’m throwing you up.” Alpha-13 calculated the feasibility of a parabolic toss with its damaged right arm. “Distance insufficient—you’ll have to climb the rest.”
No time for more mental prep. The damaged mechanical arm scooped up the little cat and hurled him toward the cliff top.
Li Ao flailed his four paws in midair before crashing into the rock wall with a thud.
The pain made him shudder. Fortunately, the cold-proof suit had excellent grip at the bottom. He didn’t dare delay and kicked his legs frantically to climb upward.
“Alpha!” The moment he reached the top, he tried to pull the robot up.
But how much strength could a six-month-old-sized cat have? Even with half its body wrapped around the mechanical arm, it couldn’t drag the robot ashore.
“Stupid cat.” Alpha-13 saw his face bulging out from the cold-proof suit with effort. “I can’t come up.”
Li Ao didn’t understand what it meant and kept straining to yank.
The freezing cold of the red hours and the scorching heat of the daytime had made the cliff walls fragile.
The dirt beneath his palm loosened. If they kept deadlocked like this, both of them would fall. “AL0731, let go.”
“No!” Li Ao shouted, cutting it off. His two feet scrabbled desperately for grip, heedless of the pain as his body was yanked, roaring furiously as he grabbed the robot’s sliding frame. “I’m Li Ao! Not AL0731! Li Ao won’t abandon his friends!”
He was so small.
Yet when the electronic eye locked with the kitten’s furious pupils, the robot suddenly understood what a name truly meant.
It had always called this kitten cub “AL0731”—not to deny “Li Ao,” but out of fear of admitting it. Admitting that the owner of that name held special significance to it.
This loss of control felt alien, even terrifying.
Machines never had names.
To Yi Xiangjin and Li Ao, it was probably just Alpha-13, nothing more than a machine. But to it, their names mattered so much it didn’t dare acknowledge them.
That was why, upon first hearing Li Ao name the little monster, it had felt that unfamiliar anger.
It was jealousy—jealousy that a human had bestowed meaning upon it.
It was too cowardly, too timid to admit that being abandoned by humans left it lonely. Timid until, a century later, a single little cat’s encouragement made it open the door and scoop up a handful of sand.
He had given it the courage to step outside.
He really was a very, very adorable little cat.
Watching him struggle futilely to hold on, only to be dragged downward with it, it thought: it could give its life for him.
Even though machines had no such thing as life.
It gave the little cat one last look, etching him firmly into its programming. Then, Alpha-13 let go of the mechanical arm on purpose. But in the next second, the little cat vanished—replaced by two human arms wrapping around it.
“Li Ao won’t abandon his friends!” The six-year-old boy glared with wide eyes, his reddened gaze fierce. He sprawled flat on the ground, his chest scraped raw by stones even through his clothes, but he refused to let go. His little feet kicked wildly, actually tearing a hole in the size-adjusting cold-proof suit.
He arched his back, veins bulging on his slender little neck.
Has a kitten ever risked its life for you?
Alpha-13 thought: it had.
In the distance, Xun finally located the Xenoid Variant’s heart. Its tentacles stabbed in viciously, ending the stubborn foe.
“Li Ao!” It whipped its head around and bounded toward Li Ao. The two little ones worked together to haul the robot up.
Alpha-13 wanted to say something, but before it could speak, a pair of skinny arms hugged it tight.
“Wah—” He cried loud and hard.
He hadn’t cried in the face of terror, nor when slamming into the cliff wall in pain. But now, facing the near loss of his companion, he cried.
He was crying for it. The machine felt at a loss—yet also a despicable thrill of joy.
It wanted to hug him back, but before it could raise its remaining left arm—
“Li Ao!”
The little monster reverted to its original form, nestling weakly against the boy and lifting its broken claw for him to see.
This broke Li Ao’s heart. Choking back sobs, he wiped his face messily, scooped up the little monster, and petted and kissed it over and over. “Does it hurt? I’ll blow on it—blowing makes it all better.”
The little monster played along, mewling and snuggling deeper into the boy’s arms.
Alpha-13 watched coldly. Alpha-13 stayed silent. Silently, it positioned its mangled mechanical arm right in front of the boy.
