Cat 157: Block It Out

Chapter 157: Block it Out

[Wannabe Human] Livestream:

“Hahahahahaha, with one stomp, the personality of Teacher Qu is gone! Unbelievable! Kitten, you’re too damn good!”

“I honestly die laughing every time the kitten pulls something like this. Other players work so hard, carefully handling NPCs—he just stomps the NPC out of existence! What if that NPC was Teacher Qu’s core personality? Is the Level 5 hard mode about to shut down early?”

“No way he stomped the core personality. Did none of you read the mission briefing? ‘Explore Teacher Qu’s dream’ means Teacher Qu is currently having a nightmare. All these figures in his dream are negative personalities. The kitten’s actually helping Teacher Qu escape the nightmare by stomping the negative personality away.”

“So that’s how it is. My brain’s really useless. But then, who needs brains to watch a kitten tackle challenges? As long as the kitten is cute every day, that’s enough. His brain clearly works better than mine, anyway.”

“Brother above—aren’t you ashamed that your mind isn’t as sharp as a cat’s? Actually, same for me~”

Qi Feng climbed up onto Yan Jiyun’s head; seeing empty air beneath his paw, he realized little Squad Leader No.5 was gone. It struck him as funny.

He gave a low chuckle, patting Yan Jiyun on the head. “Let’s keep running, then.”

Yan Jiyun agreed—they had to run. The dinosaurs behind them were nearly upon them!

This was Teacher Qu’s dream, and they still had no clue where the finish line was.

With Squad Leader No.5 gone, they’d lost a guide.

Squad Leader No.4 had dived into the sea to give them a direction, but now the whole plain was packed with massive dinosaurs. They really could run themselves into the ground in Teacher Qu’s dream.

Yan Jiyun suddenly let out a yowl skyward: “Meow!”

In his heart, he cursed Teacher Qu—not sure if the man could hear him, but he hoped so!

After venting, Yan Jiyun ran on with Qi Feng. Squad Leader No.5’s disappearance hadn’t triggered a scene change, meaning they still hadn’t found the best way to leave or resolved the source of Teacher Qu’s nightmare terror.

So Yan Jiyun kept running. Qi Feng, riding his back, felt the legendary speed—so wild and exhilarating, he only wanted to savor it, not stop to admire the scenery.

Running triggered adrenaline, cats included; Yan Jiyun’s heartbeat echoed the surge within.

He kept going until, up ahead, he saw a massive wall.

Oh hell, this must be the nightmare’s source!

Two dinosaurs, mountain-sized, were fighting ahead—each easily a hundred tons, long limbs, necks longer than giraffes, whipping at one another.

Yan Jiyun halted. Qi Feng, still on his head, nearly pitched forward into his bristly fur, clutching fiercely at the thickening cat hair to keep from sliding off.

“These dinosaurs are incredible,” Qi Feng said, eyeing the rippling air-wall behind them. “If we get past them, we’re out.”

Of course Yan Jiyun knew that—and his “Luck Card” was almost out of time.

[Lucky Card time remaining: 03:40]

Not much left—they had to hurry.

But with two hundred tons of dinosaur between them, getting past their legs wouldn’t be easy. If he could stomp out a personality, those giant dinosaurs could easily flatten him and Qi Feng.

Suddenly, one dinosaur stopped fighting and looked his way, striding toward them on massive feet.

Yan Jiyun tensed every muscle.

Qi Feng patted his head gently. “Caramel, don’t be afraid. In a second, we’ll circle around from the side.”

Yan Jiyun understood his intent. Big as they were, dinosaurs lacked agility; the larger, the slower the reaction. While one dinosaur’s step covered a huge distance, Yan Jiyun was more nimble—he could change course the instant it lifted its leg.

In fact, Qi Feng worried more—he was just baggage here and couldn’t control his cat’s movement.

But with greater experience in feline matters, Yan Jiyun excelled at both hearing and evasion; sprinting to safety was his specialty.

Boom—boom—boom—

The dinosaur’s steps thundered closer and even gained speed. They had no time to worry about species.

Then, on the flank, a herd of dinosaurs nearly as large as Yan Jiyun closed in, blocking the alternative path.

For some reason, more and more dinosaurs surged this way.

The other massive dinosaur caught up, and now both were charging at Yan Jiyun.

So sudden—why?

Yan Jiyun couldn’t think of anything about him that would attract their attention.

Was this Teacher Qu’s nightmare world? Did stomping out that personality unleash its energy into the dinosaurs, turning them all against him?

This was ridiculous! Would he ever escape this nightmare?

So far, they’d entered three levels; apparently, they’d have to solve all three before leaving—and still find the real Teacher Qu.

Teacher Qu, Teacher Qu, Teacher Qu—

Ugh, Yan Jiyun felt his mind was nearly possessed.

Which personality was behind this nightmare, anyway?

No time for that now—first he had to flee from this herd of dinosaurs, whether they meant to brawl or hold a convention.

[Lucky Card time remaining: 03:20]

Yan Jiyun took off running again!

A stegosaurus, not much smaller than he was, charged at them, but Yan Jiyun had no intention of fighting. His target was clear—the swirling vortex not far away, an exit he recognized from the finals.

He leapt, stomping off another dinosaur’s back, using its broad body to vault higher, skipping across several dinosaurs in succession.

They weren’t as fast or agile, only able to watch as this inky shadow soared overhead.

Qi Feng, clinging to Yan Jiyun’s back, didn’t dare make a sound for fear of distracting Caramel—the first time he truly realized how extraordinary his pet was. His heart swelled with pride; his Caramel was one of a kind.

Yan Jiyun panted as he raced on. He couldn’t let any of these charging dinosaurs touch him—not even for a moment.

Were these dinosaurs migrating? Maybe they weren’t out to hurt Yan Jiyun, just stampeding in one direction. Only he and Qi Feng were swimming against the current.

Perhaps this was the nightmare—while the dreamer was Teacher Qu, the ones struggling through it were him and Qi Feng. To them, this was the true ordeal.

Yan Jiyun cursed aloud as he ran. What crappy game was this, anyway?

Not much time left.

[Lucky Card time remaining: 02:30]

The vortex exit looked two minutes away at this speed.

More dinosaurs crowded the path—Yan Jiyun had no choice but to run faster. The dinosaurs were so tightly packed, and all moving against him; a misstep, and he could be trampled in a stampede.

Now, not only was Qi Feng worried for Yan Jiyun, but both livestream audiences were on edge, desperate to see them land safely.

[Wannabe Human] Livestream:

“Tense! Go, kitten, run—don’t get hit!”

“This is so scary, I can’t even bring myself to speak.”

“Same—I’m just afraid to blink, in case a dinosaur levels him.”

“I laughed before, but now I’m scared to death. Isn’t this the ultimate food chain? Big fish eat little fish, little fish eat shrimp. The kitten’s just a tiny shrimp—so careful now!”

[Where’s My Cat] Livestream:

“Feng-ge’s cat is so cool, but I’m terrified Feng-ge will fall off. He’s so tiny now!”

“Hahaha, for once even Feng-ge is the fragile one, being protected by his cat. His teammates need to know their Feng-ge is suddenly the weakest link.”

“I peeked at Little Blue’s stream—pure black, nothing happening. Oh, I see, Lan Mo is resting. Could it be this level features only Feng-ge and his cat, while everyone else gets to chill? This game’s evil, picking only on our Feng-ge.”

“But Feng-ge is usually so lucky—why the nightmare game all of a sudden?”

“His cat yowled, and he just followed it into the nightmare. For real, Feng-ge never should have gotten a cat—the cat totally led him astray.”

“Although, to be fair, Feng-ge seems like he’s having a good time.”

Qi Feng was certainly happy. He’d gotten the world’s only giant cat—regardless of the game mechanics, being able to grow huge was wild.

Did cat players share the same system as ordinary players?

He remembered the system explaining that Caramel used a sub-account split from his own, so theoretically, all functions matched.

He’d think more on it later; now, knowing Caramel wouldn’t be bullied anymore and could even protect them both, he felt at ease.

Yan Jiyun had no idea that his transformation card had convinced Qi Feng of his cat’s ability to take care of itself.

At last, hope of escape emerged ahead.

But the crowd of dinosaurs was thickest at the exit, with new ones constantly appearing.

For now, Yan Jiyun and Qi Feng ignored the strangeness—in the world of the mind, illogical things just had to be accepted.

Huge as his cat paws seemed, he was still just a cat compared to these megafauna.

He vaulted off the last dinosaur coming out of the vortex and landed; in front, two even more fearsome dinosaurs appeared—they could fly.

They dove down at him just as he leaped from the dinosaur’s back.

Yan Jiyun crouched, ready for action. A pterosaur snapped its vast jaws at Qi Feng riding on Yan Jiyun’s back.

No way would Yan Jiyun let that happen. Just as the pterosaur came within two meters, he sprang, front claws flashing and raked viciously at the creature’s eye. It shrieked, pain making it lose control and slam into the ground. Yan Jiyun wasted no time, slashing the other eye for good measure.

The second pterosaur, seeing its companion’s fate, aborted its dive, tucked its claws, and soared into the sky.

Carnivorous dinosaurs grabbed the toppled pterosaur, dragging it away to feast.

Yan Jiyun darted for the swirling blue vortex at the edge.

[Lucky Card time remaining: 3 seconds]

Qi Feng tightened his grip around Yan Jiyun’s neck and called, “Caramel, let’s jump through!”

Since Qi Feng said so, Yan Jiyun didn’t hesitate. With more dinosaurs charging from behind, he dove headlong into the swirling blue.

As Yan Jiyun’s Lucky Card expired, the world spun and he shrank down, tumbling as a little cat into Qi Feng’s arms.

Another scene change.

This time, there was no “waah waah” crying to guide them—the nightmare had grown more guarded, gone were the childish motifs of floods and dinosaur parks.

Both of them were unsure where they’d landed.

But they knew the bed beneath them was awfully comfortable. Yan Jiyun sprang up to take in his surroundings.

They weren’t in their dorm room, but rather a spacious, bright children’s bedroom with rows of unique stuffed toys by the headboard.

Bespoke bookshelves lined with animal- and human-shaped dolls—if it were just a handful it’d be nothing, but seeing a wallful packed together, especially the dolls shaped like real people, was truly unsettling.

Yan Jiyun’s claws extended involuntarily, almost tearing the bedsheet beneath him.

Qi Feng, learning from their forced separation in the finals, clung tightly to both Caramel’s neck and fur as they fell from the vortex—thank goodness, this time, they’d stayed together.

They could continue “exploring” Teacher Qu’s dream.

Yan Jiyun was sure they were in Little Teacher Qu’s nightmare now; in the last two scenes, Teacher Qu always appeared as a child, and in this elementary school level, they hadn’t returned to normal size—proof they’d all been trapped in childhood dreams. You wouldn’t see a dinosaur park in an adult’s dream.

As an adult, Yan Jiyun couldn’t even remember the last time he’d visited a dinosaur park.

Qi Feng climbed out of bed at once. After the dinosaur park, he realized Caramel was even smarter than he’d suspected. Perhaps the cleverness he’d shown at home was only a glimpse; being absorbed in levels, Qi Feng had barely communicated with or focused on his cat, and barely knew him at all.

Good thing, too—but maybe Caramel’s smarts were why he’d survived so often, relying not just on help from other players, but helping others himself. Otherwise, why would that “new owner” risk everything to steal Caramel?

Caramel played a huge role in their survival. Without him, Qi Feng might never have escaped the dino world.

Qi Feng picked up Yan Jiyun, who was now kneading the pillow beneath him.

Yan Jiyun couldn’t help it—stepping on something soft was instinctively comforting.

He was still a bit breathless from the run.

Qi Feng stroked his back, understanding that Caramel was tired, and didn’t make him walk.

The world outside was quiet—no footsteps, no sobbing. But suddenly, a man and woman’s voices rose in heated argument downstairs—loud enough to be alarming.

Qi Feng quickly found an athletic backpack in the room. Yan Jiyun jumped in voluntarily—now was hardly the time to fuss over comfort; it was more important to find the story’s plot.

Nightmares always sprang from what people feared, dreaded, or wanted to avoid the most.

Yan Jiyun, with sharp hearing, didn’t need to go downstairs to catch the conversation, but Qi Feng had to get closer, at least close enough to see what they looked like.

Qi Feng carried Yan Jiyun out of the cozy children’s room.

He tiptoed carefully down toward the first floor.

The house had a clear layout: living room on the first floor, bedrooms on the second, and the third floor unknown for now—they were on the second.

Squad Leader No.5 was right about one thing—this was a wealthy family.

Still, as the saying goes, the richer the home, the more complicated the issues.

A person’s happiness or misfortune almost always stems from their original family.

Though the voices downstairs were raised in argument, neither sounded rough or uncultured; they spoke calmly, each trying to reason out their point of view—this was an extremely rational dispute.

Rather than arguing over children or love, their focus was almost entirely on personal fulfillment and careers; their self-worth trumped family matters.

The woman’s voice was gentle but resolute: “Qu Xiangge, I know your time is precious, but so is mine. One way or another, we must come to an agreement today.”

Qu Xiangge, evidently not backing down: “I’ve already sent you the contract. Tell me what’s not to your satisfaction.”

The woman replied, “As I said, divorce needs a plan. I’ve been clear—I want you to have custody of our son.”

Qu Xiangge answered with a chilly laugh: “When we were dating, I didn’t want this child. You said it was a life, and I agreed to let you keep it. But now, you’re pushing him onto me. I’m being honest—I can’t take care of him.”

The woman said, “But you’re still his father, and it’s your responsibility and duty to care for him. I’m flying to Country A for an exhibition tomorrow and will be traveling the world in the future, while your career is based here. You’re the more suitable parent. I hope you’ll take a mature view of the matter.”

Qu Xiangge replied, “Lin Mu, there’s no negotiating this. You decided to have the child.”

Lin Mu, for that was her name, tossed her hair back and nodded: “Yes.”

Qu Xiangge shook his head: “You really are a heartless woman.”

Lin Mu remained composed: “I told you from the start, I had no intention of giving up my career. Now I simply want to pursue it—aren’t you the same?”

Qu Xiangge: “True. I married you to avoid a marriage of convenience, but after divorce, I’ll rebuild my family.”

Lin Mu: “You say I’m career-obsessed, but you’re no less so than I am. At least I’m not rushing to start over.”

They talked for a while longer and quickly reached an agreement.

Qu Xiangge left with the papers, while Lin Mu went upstairs to pack. Soon she left, dragging her suitcase out the door.

She gave instructions to the nanny in the kitchen and left with her luggage.

Not once did they mention what would become of the child.

Qu Xiangge was likely Teacher Qu’s father, and Lin Mu his mother.

Divorce right from the start—so decisive.

From Lin Mu’s or Qu Xiangge’s perspective, they’d be praised for the swift, clean break. But from Little Teacher Qu’s point of view, these were parents shirking their responsibility as quickly as possible, only interested in giving birth, not raising their child.

Perspective changes everything—different vantage points yield different conclusions.

Yan Jiyun pricked his ears, surveying the house. Why was there no sight of Squad Leader N this time?

Now, only the nanny was moving about downstairs. She laid out a full meal, then made a phone call from below; the phone in the children’s bedroom rang, but nobody answered.

Yan Jiyun guessed she was calling Teacher Qu himself.

She called twice more, still no answer, then went upstairs.

Qi Feng quietly followed, shadowing her to the third floor.

She knocked gently on the southern room. As it opened, Yan Jiyun and Qi Feng heard the whir of a sewing machine inside.

The nanny called softly, “Xiao Qiao, it’s time to eat.”

But the sewing machine whirred on, refusing to stop. “Are Mr. and Mrs. not eating at home tonight, either?”

The nanny: “If you keep waiting, the food will go cold.”

After a while, the sewing machine finally stopped.

A child identical to the squad leaders emerged.

His face was expressionless, focused only on his own path, unaware of Qi Feng hiding behind a large flower vase.

So this was the real Teacher Qu?

This was what he looked like. If you only knew his background, you might not feel pity for him. But knowing both his apparently loving parents had just cast him aside, Yan Jiyun genuinely felt sorry for the kid.

Qi Feng didn’t follow Little Teacher Qu downstairs right away. Instead, he pushed open the door of the room the boy had just vacated.

Standing at the threshold, Qi Feng froze.

Yan Jiyun, poking his head out of the backpack, wondered why Qi Feng was motionless, as if petrified.

Driven by curiosity, Yan Jiyun looked into the room.

At the center stood a white sewing machine, and all around, on walls and floor, were dolls sewn with twin rows of bloody tears.

Horrified, Yan Jiyun jerked his face away and buried it in Qi Feng’s chest.

Block it out—block it out—he didn’t want to see any more.

This scene was too damn terrifying!