Cat 126: Cat No Longer Seeks Affection

Chapter 126: The Cat No Longer Seeks Affection

Aside from Lucifer, there were also a silver dragon and a red dragon at the foot of the mountain.

Without Yan Jiyun acting as an intermediary, they would have been monsters emerging from the abyss. Yet now, Yan Jiyun was able to communicate with them.

Lucifer waited at the mountain’s summit.

Its landing set the peak swirling with dust, forcing the three of them to shield their faces with their hands.

Yan Jiyun could tell that Lucifer was in a good mood. He glanced at the wound on Lucifer’s side, but there was no trace of it left—presumably restored to its original, unscathed state by the system.

Relieved, Yan Jiyun said, “Your injury’s healed. Not bad, you’ve got enough strength now to spar with the silver dragon.”

Lucifer perched atop the mountain, still preferring to nudge Yan Jiyun with its wing, urging him to turn back into a black cat.

But Yan Jiyun ignored its little ploy—if he turned into a cat now, he’d be revealing himself in front of everyone. Absolutely not.

The top priority was to have Lucifer help him leave this place.

In the vast abyss, they had no idea where the exit was and could only rely on Lucifer to lead the way.

He now understood: every action and decision he made in the game affected the judgments to follow. It was just like a story-driven game: choose differently, and the plot diverges; step right once, every step falls into place, but make the wrong move, and every step goes awry.

After Lucifer acknowledged Yan Jiyun, under the watchful eyes of He Yuanle and the young man, Yan Jiyun, without hesitation, leapt onto the black dragon’s back.

They needed to get out of here fast—his time was running out.

[Time until the Abyss Gate closes: 17 minutes 30 seconds]

[Humanoid Experience Card remaining: 16 minutes 00 seconds]

He Yuanle asked anxiously, “W-what about us?”

Yan Jiyun patted Lucifer’s head and said, “Call your friends up here, quick!”

The mountaintop could only accommodate one dragon—another would crowd the three of them off the cliff.

Lucifer clearly did not like the idea of carrying two more humans. It took off, carrying Yan Jiyun, flying a circle through the air before calling out to the silver and red dragons—its tone commanding.

Among the three western dragons, the black dragon held the most authority; the red and silver dragons obeyed its commands.

Yan Jiyun looked back at the two, shouting across the open sky, “This is as far as I can help you. Once you’re on their backs, they’ll get you out.”

The young man, clutching his right arm, looked up at the dragons in the sky, his eyes shining.

He Yuanle’s nerves mingled with excitement. “I can ride too?”

There was a very simple reason Yan Jiyun needed to leave first. He didn’t know if, once outside, they’d land on a city street or in the temporary rest area.

Most importantly, he was almost out of time on his experience card.

He couldn’t let himself appear to players in a cat’s form—he had to put distance between himself and these two so he could shift back and conserve time on the card.

Lucifer took off with Yan Jiyun, though he had no idea where the dragon was headed.

He was now desperately aware: only sixteen minutes left.

Yan Jiyun patted Lucifer’s neck. “Lucifer, do you know where the Abyss Gate is? Please take me there.”

Perhaps the mountain winds were too fierce, but Lucifer didn’t answer, instead beginning to descend.

The wind whipped his face, forcing Yan Jiyun to duck his head and clutch Lucifer’s neck tightly.

Was this the way to the Abyss Gate?

He wanted to save some time on his experience card, but as a cat, he was simply too small and light—at Lucifer’s speed, he might be flung off to who knows where.

Still descending, the wind whipped Yan Jiyun’s face and ears numb.

After several minutes, Lucifer finally slowed his descent.

Then, from far above, Yan Jiyun heard He Yuanle’s anguished cry.

“Waaaah—help—this is so intense!”

“He Yuanle, shut up!”

The screams stopped abruptly.

At last, Yan Jiyun’s ears found peace: He Yuanle needed someone to keep him in line.

The fierce wind gave way to a gentle breeze, and Yan Jiyun lifted his head.

They were no longer surrounded by sheer cliffs, but had entered a lush valley, filled with blooming flowers, the climate temperate, a soft wind caressing their faces and the beauty of the scenery dazzling the eye.

It was utterly different from the world they’d seen atop the mountain. No wonder the game had named the option “Joyful Abyss Tour.”

Birds and great beasts, all familiar to Yan Jiyun, soared freely through the valley.

Here, they lived with unrestrained freedom and joy.

Lucifer’s flight slowed, letting the red and silver dragons catch up from behind.

Yan Jiyun asked, “Is this where you live?”

It was as enchanting as a fairyland.

He never imagined a game would contain a place like this.

Now he felt as if he were exploring a map in a grand 3D game—it was just a pity his companion was not his owner.

Lucifer kept flying, over flower fields, over streams, past waterfalls.

But the silver and red dragons diverged, heading elsewhere with He Yuanle and the young man as if on their own mission.

Yan Jiyun patted Lucifer’s neck. “Aren’t we going that way?”

After a while, Lucifer suddenly stopped and brought Yan Jiyun to a halt in front of a vast cave.

Yan Jiyun understood what Lucifer meant—it wanted to show him its lair. “Is this where you live?”

Lucifer nudged him inside with its wing, seemingly only wanting to share its home.

Yan Jiyun dared not anger it and obediently followed into the spacious cavern.

Though not a place fit for human habitation, the cave was surprisingly clean and fresh.

Then, his eyes were dazzled by a mound of gold in the center.

Was this a veritable mountain of treasure?

And not just gold—there were colored gems, every kind of coin imaginable.

Yan Jiyun, a pauper at heart, looked on with envy. “Lucifer, you’re rich beyond measure!”

Lucifer again tapped him with its wing.

Checking the time left on his card, Yan Jiyun realized that this might be the last time he saw Lucifer, and shifted eagerly back to his black cat form.

Lucifer’s joy was obvious—he nudged Yan Jiyun, urging him atop the golden hoard.

Yan Jiyun could indeed smell the gold and was sorely tempted, but he couldn’t take any with him.

Material possessions didn’t drive him; what was meant for him was his, and what was not, was not.

Still, climbing onto the gold mound and pawing through the treasures gave him a fleeting thrill.

Given his circumstances, all the gold in the world would be useless to him.

The pile included not only gold but dazzling gems and jewelry—each one worth hundreds of millions if sold.

How remarkable, that Lucifer turned out to be so wealthy!

A true dragon greed for treasure—its character was perfectly realized.

After playing for a while, Yan Jiyun knew it was time to part ways. Clinging to this trove wouldn’t change the fact that it belonged to Lucifer, not him.

He stood atop the gold, paw to paw with Lucifer, patted its head, then glanced toward the mouth of the cave, signaling that it was time for him to leave.

Lucifer was reluctant, longing to keep the black cat, but deep down knew it was impossible. It finally pulled from the mound a golden pendant and hung it around Yan Jiyun’s neck.

It was a lovely chain of blue gemstones, but Yan Jiyun didn’t like wearing heavy things and bent his head, returning it—precious as it was, he couldn’t take it with him.

Lucifer tried again, this time with a strand of red gems; Yan Jiyun again declined.

Lucifer seemed genuinely baffled as to why the black cat refused its gifts.

It wasn’t that Yan Jiyun disliked them; he simply dared not risk it—what if this turned out to be a trap set by the game itself, and carrying off a necklace prevented him from leaving?

But Lucifer was a stubborn creature. Digging into its treasure mound, it finally found a small gold tag, plain to look at, and insisted on hanging it around Yan Jiyun’s neck.

Curiously, the tag bore the number “29”—the same number Yan Jiyun had used in the “Hide and Seek” game.

Unable to refuse, Yan Jiyun let it hang from his neck. If worst came to worst and he couldn’t escape, he’d simply toss it aside.

With time running short, Yan Jiyun could not afford to linger.

Continuing with the experience card, he stood before Lucifer. “I have to go, Lucifer. Thank you for the necklace. Your home is beautiful, and I love this place, but I don’t belong here—I can’t stay with you.”

Lucifer, aware of its purpose and duty, spread its wings and gestured for Yan Jiyun to climb onto its back.

Yan Jiyun patted it, then jumped nimbly onto its spine.

This time, Lucifer wasted no time, truly taking Yan Jiyun to the exit.

They soared over flowered fields, past steaming volcanoes, through cloud-filled skies as wondrous as a fairyland.

In just ten minutes, Yan Jiyun beheld sights he’d never imagined.

Though their time together had been brief, he could sense Lucifer’s sincere desire to befriend him.

[Time until the Abyss Gate closes: 5 minutes 30 seconds]

At last, Lucifer carried Yan Jiyun over mountain and sea, to where a great blue vortex churned on the surface of the ocean.

Circling above, Lucifer was blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to go farther—its duty was fulfilled bringing the black cat here.

Yan Jiyun hugged Lucifer’s neck. “This has been a wonderful journey. Thank you, Lucifer.”

That Lucifer, without prompting, had brought him exactly here, evidenced that this must be the way out.

Lucifer responded with a howl.

“Goodbye, Lucifer!”

Yan Jiyun took a deep breath, stood tall on Lucifer’s back, and without hesitation, leapt headlong into the vortex below.

[Time until the Abyss Gate closes: 5 minutes 00 seconds]

[Humanoid Experience Card remaining: 3 minutes 30 seconds]

His figure vanished swiftly into the vortex, making not even a ripple on its surface.

Lucifer circled above for a time, as if weighing the consequences of diving after.

If the black cat could leap in, why couldn’t it?

[“Want To Be A Person” Livestream Room:]

“Aaah, is the cat’s climactic arc really over just like that?”

“Wait, can someone explain why for other players, options one and two were horror-themed, and only the cat could collect loot?”

“It’s simple—the cat never used its info card from the subsidiary instance. At the last fork, it just happened to choose the dragon-related route, and by sheer chance, it shifted from horror to sightseeing. Under normal conditions, option three should have been a no-survivor path. But the cat is special anyway, so it’s all good.”

“Makes sense, thanks for the analysis. I’d forgotten about the info card.”

“See the cat next time in the instance!”

“Wait, will the relationship between the cat and the level-5 streamer be ruined by that final battle?”

“Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it, but now I really want to know. Will it? Guess I’ll just keep lurking for an update!”

After passing through the vortex, Yan Jiyun felt his world spin—he was so light, it felt as though the contents of his stomach might fly out.

This was truly the grand finals; it felt like being shaken out of existence.

Just as he thought he might vanish, he landed steadily on the ground.

He stood firm, and now, he was surrounded by people—none of whom were players he knew.

Previously, the temporary rest area had only been for him; this time, everyone was gathered together. This must be the exit zone of the finals.

It was not the familiar temporary rest area.

Players milled about, standing or sitting, everywhere he looked.

Yan Jiyun quietly edged behind someone, his arrival stirring no attention.

Perhaps it was because He Yuanle’s drawn-out screams had been more attention-grabbing, so no one noticed him.

[Congratulations to player Yan Jiyun: 87th survivor in session 7 of the grand finals!]

He had another reason for this—Qi Feng’s system would notify him the moment “Caramel” exited the game. If Yan Jiyun appeared in front of Qi Feng just as that happened, the connection would be all too obvious.

More and more players emerged from the game.

Apart from those eliminated in the demon forest, minigames, or 1v1 battles, the remaining victors all made it out.

In the 1v1 round, only a small number of those given a second chance managed to escape.

Yan Jiyun immediately asked the system to refill his experience card.

The instant it restored, he breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Just as he began to recover, he saw Qi Feng and Chu Mo approaching.

Chu Mo patted his shoulder lightly. “You made it out?”

Yan Jiyun glanced at the frowning Qi Feng. Though Qi Feng was worried about his cat, his current expression suggested he was not pleased with Yan Jiyun for making it out safely.

For others, after all, it looked as if Qi Feng had personally eliminated Yan Jiyun.

Qi Feng relaxed a little upon seeing him. “Good you got out safe.”

Yan Jiyun wasn’t in high spirits; the dizziness lingered, his face pale, and he was afraid to speak lest he vomit, so he simply nodded.

Chu Mo, seeing his pallor, said, “Qi Feng just told me everything.”

Yan Jiyun exhaled. “It’s understandable. I couldn’t have beaten him anyway.”

Qi Feng still fretted over not having received a notification about Caramel leaving the game.

Yet he could guess why.

Since they had entered the same instance, the system assumed he knew Caramel’s whereabouts and sent no notification.

Only when the “in game” status in his pet panel flipped to “online” did he finally relax.

His Caramel was out—so why couldn’t he see him?

There was still something he didn’t understand: Caramel was a player too, so why didn’t his name appear on the leaderboard?

Was it because Caramel wasn’t human, and so didn’t count?

The leaderboard on the finals plaza displayed no more changes.

No further players emerged, and the system declared the event complete.

[This grand finals session has concluded. Congratulations to all surviving players.]

[Final points will be awarded based on exit ranking.]

[All survivors may check the ranking on the main screen.]

While Qi Feng hunted for his black cat, a notification startled him.

[Congratulations, your pet affinity +1.]

[Regrettably, your pet affinity -1.]

Qi Feng: ???

Why did it subtract a point? Gain one, lose one—it’s a wash!

Yan Jiyun, meanwhile, was drawn by a notification of his own.

[Congratulations, your affinity with your owner +1.]

[Regrettably, your affinity with your owner -1.]

[1/100]

Yan Jiyun: “…”

Really now, do all these ups and downs only come to +1 in the end?

How were these affinity points calculated?

He no longer wanted to think about it. He could understand a +1 for working together in the demon forest, and another for escaping Angel City and solving the clocktower puzzle.

But the -1? Where did he lose a point?

It must have been the last match—the “pet” lost to the “owner,” so the system judged he bore some grudge?

Chu Mo, seeing how little Qi Feng and Yan Jiyun spoke, noted that the plaza was now open for exit. Thinking their silence stemmed from tension after the final match, he decided to make himself scarce; such dilemmas were all too common, and he wanted no part of it.

“Qi Feng, Yan Jiyun. I’m heading back to the guild. Hope we meet again.” He hesitated, then added, “Shall we add each other as friends?”

He’d intended to befriend them, but now it was awkward. Though their cooperation had been smooth, they were merely temporary teammates with limited trust.

Yan Jiyun was first to react—why not add a friend? He needed more information about the game, and Chu Mo was only his second acquaintance here apart from Qi Feng.

They exchanged friend requests, and Yan Jiyun mustered a smile. “Hope we meet again.”

Chu Mo added them both and left.

Yan Jiyun, however, made no move to add Qi Feng; that would give him away.

After the final match, it was obvious to Yan Jiyun: avoid going into instances with Qi Feng. Their fates overlapped far too easily, and there was a hint of malice from the game system. He couldn’t count on luck every time.

Facing Qi Feng, Yan Jiyun said, “I’ll be leaving now. Goodbye.”

Qi Feng, though preoccupied with his pet affinity issue, spared a moment for Yan Jiyun but said nothing about the last match.

He understood—Yan Jiyun likely preferred not to run into him again, and since Yan Jiyun didn’t bring up adding friends, Qi Feng didn’t either.

They parted ways, as bridges diverge and roads split.

Yan Jiyun couldn’t help feeling uneasy after being paired with his owner in his very first instance with him. Still, he knew Qi Feng’s decision made sense—no one would give up their own chance of survival for a new acquaintance.

He left the rest plaza in a faintly aggrieved mood.

He knew that, in the future, such choices would only become more frequent.

Qi Feng remained behind, eyes on the figure walking away, remembering he seemed to have a wound on his back. Shaking his head, he resumed his search for Caramel, though he had no idea where the cat had gone.

After leaving the finals, Yan Jiyun planned to return to his rented room alone.

Two days of exertion—body and mind—had left him in need of rest, yet at the threshold, he found himself unable to take the final step.

He still didn’t know where Qi Feng was staying now.

The world forced impossible choices.

Was there any way to escape the dilemma between cat and human?

No way out. He could only follow his heart.

Looking for a place to hide, he was caught off guard by the sound of footsteps behind him—familiar ones.

He slowed and stopped.

He Yuanle hurried after him, out of breath. “Wait, Yan Jiyun, can we add each other as friends? If it’s possible, could we team up on future instances?”

Yan Jiyun looked him up and down, expressionless.

He Yuanle quickly pitched himself, “Don’t judge by my skinny frame—I rely on brains, not brawn.”

Yan Jiyun pointed to himself. “Do I look like someone who can protect you?”

Before He Yuanle could answer, a snort of laughter came from a young man behind him—the previously injured one, now well enough to mock He Yuanle.

He Yuanle snapped, “Cheng Shang, what are you laughing at?”

So the young man’s name was Cheng Shang—apparently, they’d become friends quickly.

For Yan Jiyun, their banter eased half his own frustration.

He Yuanle asked again, “Can we add each other? Even if we don’t team up later, I’d like to stay in touch.”

Pressed a second time, Yan Jiyun finally agreed, also accepting Cheng Shang’s request.

Cheng Shang nodded. “Thank you for saving me. I’ll repay the favor if I get the chance.”

Adding friends shared little in the way of personal data, so Yan Jiyun did not refuse.

Still, the day’s events had left him subdued.

They soon parted ways.

As they left, Yan Jiyun overheard someone boasting: “Bro, I’m telling you, I was first this time! My opponent surrendered the moment it started!”

“But first place isn’t you, though.”

“The system accused me of cheating and stuck me in the black room for twenty minutes—it almost killed me.”

His friend obviously didn’t believe him. “Oh please, who would surrender at the start?”

Yan Jiyun thought of He Yuanle—sometimes it happened. He couldn’t decide if that other man was just unlucky or fortunate.

He emerged from the finals plaza just as dusk was falling.

He didn’t go back to his rental. Knowing that Qi Feng was looking for “Caramel,” he found a dim alley and hid.

Half an hour later, Qi Feng emerged from the plaza, his face dark, mood dejected—a slump that only Yan Jiyun could read.

The finals plaza was secluded now, hardly anyone left.

Yan Jiyun waited at the mouth of the alley, watching Qi Feng.

Not until Qi Feng saw the two glimmering green lights of his eyes did his expression soften.

Qi Feng strode over. “Caramel! When did you get out?”

The previous two meetings, Caramel had greeted him warmly, but this time, he seemed cold and distant.

Yan Jiyun raised his right paw and slapped Qi Feng across the left cheek—a fitting revenge.

Qi Feng didn’t mind, stuffing the cat into his coat.

His voice trembled faintly. “I really thought you might die in the finals.”

Yan Jiyun rested his chin on Qi Feng’s chest, melancholy filling his heart.

He closed his eyes in exhaustion, letting Qi Feng carry him to their new home.

Qi Feng felt like he’d gotten something back he never should have lost. He carried Caramel back to his private quarters.

He knew about Caramel, of course, but didn’t dare bathe him too often. Instead, he fetched a hot towel to clean his paws, then wiped along Caramel’s back.

The towel came away red with blood.

Terrified, Qi Feng checked his back. “Caramel, when did you get hurt?”

Yan Jiyun had been enjoying the attention and was startled.

His wounds had healed as soon as he returned from the game; the dried blood on his back must have been left from the injury.

Qi Feng examined every inch of his body, and only after confirming there were no other wounds did he finally relax.

But for the next day, Qi Feng discovered that Caramel was suddenly no longer affectionate towards him.