Cat 103: The Cat Left Behind by Its Owner

Chapter 103: The Cat Left Behind by Its Owner

Overnight, news of the New Power Guild’s intermediate branch being destroyed spread like wildfire throughout Central City.

After Yan Jiyun took down their stronghold, he made a circuit around the beginner instance exit and the spots where dried fish was sold, but Qi Feng never appeared. Oddly enough, quite a few people were lying in wait for Qi Feng at those places, proving he really was being hunted by New Power Guild players. He loitered there for nearly an hour, yet the crowd didn’t disperse, and neither did the caretaker make an appearance. Eventually, Yan gave up and went back to his rented apartment for some rest.

He hadn’t expected that, by the next morning, the uproar he’d caused at New Power Guild’s branch would be the talk of Central City.

The incident even alarmed New Power’s headquarters.

Fu Guangmin, the sole survivor, limped his way to headquarters to complain, pushing the blame for the destruction of the branch entirely onto Qi Feng.

But their guild leader Yu Zhe kept his cool, refusing to believe Fu’s one-sided account.

Yu Zhe said, “Qi Feng never does night raids in Central City. I suspect one of his teammates did it.”

Head of PR added, “He hasn’t recruited any new teammates, as far as I’ve heard. Someone this bold and skilled at ambushes is rare.” He clicked his tongue. “Fu Guangmin, didn’t your so-called sixth sense kick in at all? Weren’t you the one who bombed Qi Feng’s pub in the first place?”

Standing before the president and PR head, Fu Guangmin didn’t dare lie. High-level players far outclassed him. He stammered, “It was me who struck first.”

Yu Zhe said, “So don’t blame others for seeking revenge. What exactly is your vendetta?”

New Power Guild was a big name in Central City. They’d dared provoke Qi Feng only because his team was small, but they hadn’t expected to be struck back.

Fu Guangmin muttered, “I heard the boss got bullied by Qi Feng’s crew in an instance, so I thought…”

Yu Zhe’s gaze pinned Fu in place. “Are you sure it was because of me?”

Fu Guangmin broke out in a cold sweat, his secrets laid bare by their leader’s sharp gaze.

Though Yu Zhe appeared thin and frail, he maintained his territory in Central City thanks to his uncanny abilities—anyone he looked at would be read through completely. That’s why even someone as shady as Fu Guangmin could reach this position; his talent was a decent substitute for Yu Zhe’s.

PR shook his head. “What’s done is done. Scrap the old address, set up the intermediate branch somewhere new. Call our people off Qi Feng—anyone who can operate this long in Central City is not to be underestimated.”

“I understand. I’ll rescind the order right away,” said Fu Guangmin, wiping away his sweat before leaving.

The Qi Feng blockade had been his own idea—it had worked in the past, but this time he’d bitten off far more than he could chew.

Once he’d left, Yu Zhe turned to PR. “Are we certain Qi Feng hasn’t recruited new people?”

Head of PR Zhuo Yue said, “He and his teammates are always elusive. Maybe he’s been building up membership in the instances. He’s been unusually active in Central City lately—according to my sources, he’s been wandering all over, even posing as a street vendor at night. Odd.”

Yu Zhe frowned. “Looks like something big is in the works. These newcomers have no idea what Qi Feng was once capable of. Make sure they don’t act recklessly or they’ll end up dead without knowing how.”

Zhuo Yue replied, “I’ll keep the surveillance up. Truth is, our people wouldn’t have found his hideout if not for his constant activity in Central City these days.”

Leaning back, Yu Zhe finally seemed to relax. “No matter how careful, Qi Feng can’t be underestimated.”

Similar conversations took place in other guilds.

A flood of new players had joined, so anyone below the intermediate level likely didn’t know who Qi Feng even was. But those who’d cleared advanced instances were well aware of his infamous past—Qi Feng’s survival said everything about his strength.

Long ago, Qi Feng was a legendary leader, always able to draw a following—but after leaving his original guild, he gave up forming his own. He neither sheltered under a guild nor needed one’s protection.

Was his recent activity a prelude to a comeback?

High-level players began to take him seriously again, quietly sending out feelers for any news.

The morning after Yan Jiyun received his Peak Tournament ticket, he took a lap around Central City, hoping to learn more. But everywhere he went, people gossiped about the bombing, and he picked up a lot of chatter relating to his caretaker.

Turns out Qi Feng was once a founding member of one of the city’s “Big Three” guilds. During a certain instance, a disagreement erupted when he saved a teammate—many in the guild died, and the then-president pinned it all on Qi Feng. In anger, Qi Feng quit, sending shockwaves through the scene, and for a time, Central City was in turmoil. It was then that Qi Feng began keeping a lower profile, eventually fading until he was almost a legend. With the passage of time, few mentioned the Big Three; the players who really knew the truth had either left or gone on to higher levels, leaving only newer, lower-ranked players to speculate.

Yan Jiyun concluded only this: his shoveler was once a man of influence, had formed his own guild, and had probably been betrayed. He couldn’t believe someone so attentive to a pet cat could ever harm a teammate; there had to be more to the story.

After searching in vain for Qi Feng and his friends, Yan Jiyun returned to rest.

His apartment was private, quiet, free from shared tenancies with other players.

With no trace of the caretaker, he had no choice but to start preparing for the upcoming Peak Tournament.

Facing the unknown was frightening—he’d be up against vastly more experienced, powerful players, at absolute bottom of the hierarchy.

The last day before the event, Yan stayed put, focusing on rest and reviewing loose ends from his last instance.

He was still puzzling over the cat teaser.

He remembered in the first instance, the bandage he gave Li Muyang worked only because it was sourced from that world and could heal NPCs. So why did a cat teaser in this instance return the panther and the rest to their human forms?

Was this the critical clue players were always searching for?

He consulted the system, but got only a vague response: it was simply how the instance was set up; if you brought the right item, you could clear quickly—a shortcut that perhaps only one out of a hundred players might stumble upon.

By pure luck, Yan had managed it this time. Clearly, bringing the right item into an instance was vital.

Before the Peak Tournament began, Gu Wenzhu and Qiu Xi both entered beginner-level instances.

If they survived, they could be teammates in the future—even if not together every time, they could at least offer support.

One hour until the tournament.

While Yan Jiyun was steeling himself, Qi Feng was elsewhere, still frowning with worry.

They’d moved out of the pub and were staying in an upscale hotel now, one of several bases.

Qi Feng had worn that anxious look for three days.

The others thought he was troubled by the tournament. Three on their squad had been selected, each with a different colored ticket.

Lan Mo suddenly appeared across from him, keenly observing his mental state.

Qi Feng stared at the main pet bar. Since leaving the last instance, he’d received nearly three hundred system notifications—just skimming them was enough to give him heart palpitations.

The system still showed Caramel as “online,” but not nearby—no clue where the little thing was hiding.

When he exited the instance, Caramel was still inside. He tracked down Qiu Xi, who explained Caramel had been taken by another “owner” since Qi Feng had entered his own instance.

Caramel? With a second owner?

Had another player adopted it while he was in the instance?

Caramel had cleared only four instances—returning to reality after the first. If it had a new owner, it must have happened in the second or third. But on both of those days, Caramel sought him out immediately. Had this other owner purposely let the cat find him?

Was this person good or bad, lurking by his side all along?

If so, both he and Caramel were at a disadvantage—the other knew his whereabouts and could use Caramel as leverage.

Worse, this person had spirited Caramel away from Qiu Xi as soon as Qi Feng entered the game.

Clearly a rookie, but highly skilled—why steal Caramel? Did he bring the cat into the last few instances? Did Caramel happen to run into him those first three times, and then go through the fourth with him?

Still, Qi Feng couldn’t gauge this person’s intentions. If they cooperated well, maybe the person just wanted to use Caramel to clear instances; but if things got tough, would they abandon Caramel?

Qi Feng had seen so many players discard weaker teammates for survival—especially in scenarios demanding harsh choices. How could anyone expect more mercy for a mere animal?

He could only hope this person wouldn’t let him down.

Lan Mo finished his drink and interrupted. “Feng, aren’t you about to enter the Peak Tournament? Don’t you need to prep?”

Qi Feng’s thoughts shifted back. “The rules and format change every time—prep doesn’t do much. Best to be in top mental shape.”

Lan Mo placed the cup before him. “I mean, you haven’t slept well these last few days. Maybe rest a while?”

Indeed, since exiting the instance a few days before, Qi Feng had been anxious, black circles reappearing under his eyes.

“It’s fine. I’ll log in soon.”

Lan Mo dropped the subject. “I took a walk near the old pub today—there are even more guild people staking out the place, even at our old street stall.”

Qi Feng pinched his brow. If not for these guild hounds, he might have found Caramel by now.

“Let’s ignore them—they’ll give up in a few days.”

He glanced at Caramel’s status, still “online.”

Once he entered the tournament, would the cat still visit the same haunts?

Qi Feng became serious. “Lan Mo, the Peak Tournament never has a set time—I might take long, or finish quickly. I have something very important to ask of you.”

In this game, Lan Mo was his most trusted partner; theirs was a trust tested by life-or-death choices.

Lan Mo had been slouching, but hearing the tone Qi Feng reserved for do-or-die moments, he immediately sat up, a thrill of anticipation running through him.

“Feng, you want me to bomb one of those little guild hideouts too?” He was itching for a fight.

Having been surrounded and stifled all day after returning from an instance, Lan Mo was spoiling for revenge. Just as he was about to act, word came that New Power Guild’s intermediate branch had been taken out—by some mysterious force, no less.

He’d even teased Qi Feng: Maybe one of his secret admirers did it; with looks and skills like his, admirers of both sexes and all strengths were tripping over themselves.

Qi Feng shook his head. “No.”

He pulled out paper and a backpack from his personal space and handed them to Lan Mo.

Lan Mo opened the paper—an expertly drawn black cat. The artwork was impressive, lively, with the air of a cool, handsome feline.

But what did it mean?

Before he could ask, Qi Feng began, “Lan Mo, spend more time these next few days at the pub and our old market stall. If you see a cat that looks just like this, bring it back for me.”

All black cats looked the same, didn’t they?

How were they different?

Lan Mo wasn’t slow—he realized something was off with Feng these days.

“Feng, could this be…”

“Yeah, you guessed it.”

Lan Mo was stunned. “Is this a pet you brought out from an instance?”

That couldn’t be—no player had ever emerged with a living thing from an instance, let alone a mere item.

Qi Feng decided not to hide it. “It’s a long story. It’s my own cat. By a freak accident, it entered the game.”

Lan Mo sat straighter, eyes full of curiosity. “So you asked Qiu Xi before to help get it in?”

Qi Feng looked a little melancholy. “I’m about to enter the tournament. Don’t know how long I’ll be gone. If I don’t make it, if something happens, help me take care of it. Otherwise, forget I said anything.”

“I understand.”

Qi Feng handed him a thick notebook. “It’s called Caramel. These are all its habits.”

Lan Mo took the hefty book—why did this feel so much like raising a child, not a cat?

Why was Feng only telling him now, keeping this from everyone else?

Then again, none of the other teammates knew either. Feng clearly entrusted him with a heavy responsibility.

“Feng, just focus on winning the tournament. I’ll find your cat.”

“Mm. Its eyes are lighter than blue, but deeper than green—don’t get it wrong.”

Lan Mo: …Lighter than blue, deeper than green—what color even is that? I didn’t read enough books for this…

“I’ll go to personal space and get ready; we’ll talk after.”

Lan Mo swallowed his questions. “Feng, come back safe!”

They always said that on parting. No one could guarantee survival, not even the strongest.

Qi Feng nodded and vanished into personal space.

Honestly, even if a guild wanted to find them, it wasn’t easy. The personal space could supply everything a player needed; as long as they didn’t go out or show up in public, the guild blockade was useless. Besides, the friend system existed—blocking people wasn’t smart.

Qi Feng was never afraid of guild members. He could beat them head on, but avoiding trouble was better—ignoring them as one would flies.

He moved around his personal space, warming up.

[All players holding a Peak Tournament ticket, please note: the match will begin in three minutes. All will be transferred to the preparation area.]

Three minutes later, the system pulled Qi Feng into the tournament arena.

At the same time, deep in his own mental preparations, Yan Jiyun’s vision turned black, his body floated, and when his sight returned, he was in a place much like the instance rest zone.

But this time it was different—for one, the entire beach was crowded with so many players he couldn’t count them all.

A shrill, affected voice echoed from above. “Congratulations to all black ticket holders for entering the Monthly Peak Tournament! You are the chosen lucky ones!”

Yan’s scalp nearly crawled off his skull at the sound of that voice. No one wanted to be the system’s so-called lucky pick.

Everyone, like him, waited for the voice to continue.

His system interface wasn’t shut down—could the Peak Tournament work like the usual instances?

Buy items, then enter the game?

He opened the item shop just in case, ready to spend but unwilling to rush in without knowing the tournament’s format.

After closing it, he glanced at the main pet info bar. He barely noticed something unusual: his caretaker’s status was no longer “Online,” but had changed.

[Owner: Qi Feng]
[Status: In-game]

Previously, status cycled only through “Online,” “Offline,” and “In Instance”—never a fourth state.

Three days out of instance, Qi Feng had always been “Online”—Yan checked to confirm he was alive. But as soon as he was pulled in here, Qi Feng’s status became “In-game.”

All of Central City knew that, aside from entering an instance, only the Peak Tournament was underway. Did that mean his caretaker too was in the tournament?

Strange. What was going on?

He tried to access the friends list, but it was grayed out and frozen.

For the first time in days, Yan felt his heavy mood lift. Was it possible that his caretaker was here too, maybe even in the same space?

If they were truly in different arenas, there would be no such alert.

Scanning the crowd, Yan thought it would be hard to transform into a cat, and without knowing the competition style, no way to seek out his caretaker by sight.

The sharp voice paused, ramping up the tension until enough players looked anxious, then continued its spree.

“Players will enter the arena in ten minutes. Each may carry up to ten thousand points in, and all items can be purchased once inside.”

“This match has no special rules and no time limit. Anyone who leaves the arena alive wins; surviving the longest nets double points and rare item prizes. The sooner you clear, the more rare your rewards!”

“The entire tournament will be livestreamed. Players can interact with spectators, and successful escapes award double livestream bonuses.”

“Wishing all a pleasant game~”

Then silence.

Yan summoned his system, hoping for the youth’s voice, but nothing happened.

With no guidance, he played it safe: he pre-purchased and activated some experience cards.

Ten thousand points only bought ten minutes of experience time—and who knew if transforming would work inside?

Unlimited time, too many unknowns, and so many players all far outclassing him. It was terrifying.

He queued up three hours’ worth of experience cards, burning through 180,000 points, and changed the rest of his points into more cards as backups.

Unlike before, he didn’t convert everything to experience. Who knew how much he could earn in this tournament?

The five-minute prep window vanished quickly.

Most was spent listening to the rules and setting up points; there was no time for players to find and greet friends in the crowd.

[All players will enter the Peak Tournament arena in 5 seconds.]

Countdown: 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

Yan lost all sense of gravity. His ears filled with the deafening roar of an airplane engine.

He opened his eyes to find himself among fifty other players, all in matching gear with parachutes strapped on—everyone looked equally lost.

The roar of engines left no time for complaints before the system announcement rang out:

[The plane will explode in 30 seconds. Please exit immediately!]

Yan’s eyes streamed in the high-altitude wind.

As he struggled to react, all the safety belts popped open, and players ill-prepared were already being hurled from the hatch.

Seated near the back, Yan reacted quickly, reaching for what he thought was a handrail—grabbing instead a player’s solid arm.

Before he could see the face, the player flung his hand away.

That person moved past him, checked his gear, then—with perfect form—jumped cleanly out the plane’s tail.

Yan finally saw the face and muttered, “Oh hell!”

Qi Feng, you just left your cat behind!