“But then we won’t make money?”
“No, there are better ways.”
A single connection only brought in a thousand bucks. Even with Astral Projection activated, the money went straight into the platform’s pocket, and it really wasn’t worth tiring out the little cat like this.
“Sleep.” It prepared the cat bed, then turned to discuss feasible methods with the AI.
Li Ao burrowed into the cardboard box, hugging the black-furred chestnut ball that had rolled over on its own.
The purring monster engine started up. His two little paws unconsciously kneaded milk on Xun’s body while tugging at fur strands.
Xun blinked, also letting out a purring rumble. Its two short tentacles wrapped around the little cat’s belly, rubbing and kneading.
The next day at dawn, the robot opened the door and saw two Crex standing at the entrance.
The two Xenoids with numbers 1 and 2 stuck on them physically stretched their heads toward the inside of the door.
The sight was so terrifying it scrambled the robot’s CPU.
“…Li Ao.” It suppressed the urge to zap the Xenoids and said, “The Mantis Monsters have come to pick you up.”
Hearing the voice, the little cat—who still had his head buried in the food bowl—shoveled two big mouthfuls to finish, grabbed his little bucket, and ran outside. “Coming, coming!”
These Xenoids were just like parents waiting to pick up their kids from kindergarten. Upon seeing the familiar figure appear, their massive compound eyes suddenly lit up.
[Cute]
Li Ao grabbed a piece of cloth from the bucket and had Mantis Monster No. 1 lower its body. He tied it like a swing on the two sharp spikes on its abdomen, then climbed in himself. With a little paw, he pointed at the vegetable patch. “Let’s go!”
“…You’ve got some ideas…” The robot was speechless.
The little monster jumped in too. Alpha-13 watched as that Xenoid hopped away like a kangaroo with the two little ones loaded up. The one beside it blinked its compound eyes tearfully, seemingly wanting to ask why the little cat hadn’t made one for it too.
No. 1 walked steadily, then lifted a leg and kicked at No. 2.
[Mine]
No. 2 got up and continued tearfully inching closer.
[I want one too]
“…” No, no, no, impossible. Alpha-13 facepalmed, thinking it had overimagined things.
[Ah—(howling at the sky) Come watch the cat!!]
[Morning, we’re all at work already.]
[This shift’s worth it. I slacked off into the live stream the second I got to the company hehe.]
[Cat’s here! Good kitty Cat is on time for work today!]
The monitor detected the target and refreshed the points display: [Points +1, current points 5, current rank 300.]
[Scoring’s back? Is the competition continuing?]
[Yes, official announcement went out.]
[Wait, is this a bug? I remember Little Cat Bro had over 110 points before. Why only 5 total now?]
[Yeah, what the hell? Little Cat was in first place, now he’s dead last? What gives?]
Because of the Xenoid Variants’ appearance, the number of players who actively forfeited had surged. Including the little cat, only 300 remained in the end. And Li Ao’s current points just happened to be dead last.
From number one to dead last—Li Ao himself had no idea. He was still carrying his little bucket, broadcasting seeds. But the viewers were pissed.
[No way! @Event Officials, come out and explain!!! Explain!!!]
[Fix the bug, give back Little Cat’s first place throne!]
[Eh, upstairs is Stalker Bro? Why no (perv face blush laugh) today?]
The event officials were long prepared with an explanation: [Due to Xenoid Variant appearance, scoring rules revised. “Kill” an E-Rank Xenoid for 1 point, D-Rank 10 points, C-Rank 100 points. Kill a Xenoid Variant for 100 points. In addition to kill points, +1 point per day survived.]
[What does that mean?]
[Means you gotta kill for points. Taming doesn’t count.]
[What the fuck why? Isn’t taming harder than killing? Why no points?]
[Upstairs, your Little Cat filter is too thick. The world doesn’t revolve around the cat. For other players, counting taming as points would be too unfair.]
[Makes sense.]
[Bullshit sense. What about Xenoid Variants? Our Little Cat killed one too, why no points??]
Event officials: [Regarding the previous leaderboard’s top player, that Xenoid Variant wasn’t killed by him, so no points.]
[I! Don’t! Accept!]
[Why! Little Cat’s companion killing it is the same as Little Cat killing it!]
[Everyone calm down. It really can’t be counted like that. After all, other players’ team kills split points evenly. Little Cat’s companion isn’t a contestant, so naturally no points.]
[Exactly. If that counted, could my bro killing bugs on the Abyss Frontline count as points for me?]
[Upstairs you’re a contestant right? What twisted logic? Can’t beat our Little Cat so you pull dirty tricks?]
No use getting riled up—the event side’s decision had some logic. You could love the little cat, but you couldn’t ignore fairness for other players.
Meanwhile, the dead-last little cat with only survival points was crouched at the pit’s edge, casting on the sprout at the bottom: “Meow-racadabra, tomato big big.”
The sprout at the pit bottom seemed to actually receive the little cat’s magic, twisting its waist seductively.
Li Ao flicked his tail in satisfaction, then suddenly sensed something off.
“Li Ao.” Crimson beast eyes abruptly contracted. Xun snuggled to the little cat’s side, gesturing: “Go back.”
The two Crex that had been guarding the little cat tensed up too. Their mouthparts split open from their compound eyes, dripping saliva as they stared into the distance.
“Gurgle… gurgle…”
The familiar sound of fleshy membrane friction drew closer. Li Ao stood up like an alert meerkat. “It’s that kind of monster.”
“Li Ao, go back.” Xun had already begun mutating. Its tentacles elongated, wrapping up the cat and stuffing him into Mantis Monster No. 1’s swing seat.
[Take it and go]
“I’m not going!” The little cat struggled free. “If we go, we go together!”
Xun narrowed its eyes. It had to kill it—even if they hid in the base, that thing would pursue them relentlessly to the death.
[Go!]
“You dare!” The Fierce Cat would never abandon a companion. He tumbled out of the Mantis Monster’s hold. Even with his face scraping the ground, he ignored the pain, huffed as he stood, climbed to Xun’s side, and thumped two punches. “You’re Little Doggy. Little Doggy doesn’t get to order Master around!”
This was Xun’s first time taking punches from the little cat. The little monster froze for a moment.
[Are they fighting?]
[Did Little Coal Ball mutate? Looks like an octopus with tons of tentacles…]
[So gross, hurts my head just looking.]
[Wait, haven’t you noticed something’s wrong? I can even see tension on those two Xenoids’ faces?]
[Fr-front! There’s a Xenoid Variant ahead!]
This Xenoid Variant was clearly different from the ones humans had encountered before. It was smaller, but extremely agile—like a headless human wrapped in fleshy membrane.
Its limbs were slender like human arms and legs, with a massive vertical serrated maw splitting open in the middle of its torso.
“Xun…” The moment the little cat called out, Xun lunged.
Would the Fierce Cat hide behind Mantis Monster No. 1 and watch Xun fight alone? No. He used everything around him, hurling objects at the Xenoid Variant tangled with Xun.
He might be small, but his throws were steady. Instinctively, he knew these things’ weak spots.
Every attack hit precisely. Shards of rock and grit always landed in the Xenoid Variant’s gaping maw at key moments, forcing it into pained shrieks and brief loss of control.
Once more, in the instant Xun grappled with the Xenoid Variant, Li Ao snatched the nearby little bucket and smashed it ruthlessly at that toothy giant mouth. But this time, the Xenoid Variant seemed to sense the attack. Its split maw snapped shut, actually batting the bucket away. The bucket rolled across the ground with a dull thud.
The Xenoid Variant’s human-like forelimb ended in a blade. It abruptly extended toward the little cat, the edge whistling sharply—fierce and lethal.
Li Ao was just a six-year-old child. He had extraordinary courage and law-granted instincts, but no combat experience. He froze in place.
In the critical moment, something blocked in front of him.
Li Ao’s pupils contracted sharply, his chest feeling smashed by a massive boulder.
Mantis Monster No. 1 stood before him. Its massive body loomed like a shadow, shielding him firmly behind. In that instant, the Xenoid Variant’s hand-blade slashed down, clashing with the Mantis Monster’s foreleg in a shrill tearing sound.
“Pchi—”
Dark red blood burst into the air. Mantis Monster No. 1’s half-body jolted. Three steel-needle legs were severed clean by the blade! The severed limbs, trailing fresh blood, crashed to the ground. The huge impact flipped its body over. Even as it fell, it struggled to roll aside, avoiding crushing the little cat.
Li Ao stood stunned in place, the sound of his heartbeat slamming against his chest ringing in his ears. He witnessed Mantis Monster No. 1 collapse, blood spurting from its severed joints and dyeing the mud and sand a deep, dark color.
He saw Mantis Monster No. 2 let out a shriek and charge forward without hesitation, blocking right in front of them.
Clearly, clearly they only had a transactional relationship. They carried things for Li Ao, and Li Ao pulled wool yarn for them—that was all.
But they had blocked in front of him, bleeding for him.
Xun too…
Xun was also fighting desperately for him.
The air was filled with the rusty stench of blood, the low roars of battle and tearing sounds clashing into a noisy backdrop, but Li Ao’s ears seemed deaf to it all.
His chest was like it had been set ablaze by scorching flames, burning fiercely and uncontrollably.
His body was changing—his bones elongating, his spine growing, the shape of his limbs quietly shifting, his furry cat paws gradually turning into human hands and feet.
He was growing, transforming into a human form.
Roars exploded beside his ears, wind whistling through his finger gaps. He slowly raised his hand, the tips of his fingers still holding the warmth of blood. Then, he opened his eyes—
Golden pupils burned in the wind.
Every movement guided by instinct, he picked up the severed foreleg of Mantis Monster No. 1 and thrust it with a squelch, neatly piercing the Xenoid Variant’s heart.
The black little monster’s furious tentacles froze in place. He blinked his eyes, the scarlet pupils turning clear: “Li Ao?”
With its shout, the Xenoid Variant’s body crashed to the ground. The kid also lost all strength and flopped onto Xun with a thud.
Monitor: [Kill conditions met, +100 points, current points 105, current ranking 1.]
