Chapter 46: The Kitten… Backflip
[It’s me! It’s me!] A childish voice said happily.
Mibao looked at the black stone in her hand and asked, “How do I let you out?”
[No rush — sign the contract first.]
Xiaonian smiled, and a floating sheet of paper appeared in front of Mibao, covered with tiny writing she couldn’t understand.
No problem — the black stone could read it.
Then it freaked out.
[Hey! These terms are way too harsh! What do you mean ‘unconditionally obey Ji Xiaomi’s demands with no right to refuse’? If Ji Xiaomi dies, I have to die too? Are you treating me like a sl*ve?]
It even specifically said refusal would be punished by the Heavens… damn it!
[If you don’t want to… Mibao, put the stone back.]
Mibao blinked. “Oh — okay.”
She was about to put the stone back into the pit.
[Wait, wait! Um, can we negotiate~? These terms are really a bit too strict…] the stone pleaded.
[So what do you want?]
The black stone thought for a few seconds.
[How about this? I will protect Ji Xiaomi’s safety — if she dies, I’ll be resealed. That way I’ll be motivated to protect her!]
After all, this world isn’t that dangerous; at worst you have to watch out for cars and human traffickers~
[Hmm… that could work.]
So the floating contract changed.
The black stone read it carefully, then discovered…
[Hey, can’t I live inside the host’s brain?]
[What, you want to squeeze in with me? Dream on!]
Black stone: […]
Most systems stay in the host’s mind, right?
If it doesn’t stay in the host’s mind, where else would it live?
[You become an animal and follow her around at all times.]
[But that’ll wear me out…]
[Then just keep lying there — that’s the most comfortable.]
[…]
In the end the black stone still gave in, and signed the contract.
Next, at Xiaonian and the black stone’s request, Mibao pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the black stone.
The black stone instantly absorbed Mibao’s blood, then emitted a dazzling flash of light!
Mibao instinctively closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the black stone was gone — in its place sat a small black kitten.
“Wow! A kitty!”
Mibao crouched down excitedly and stroked the little black cat.
[I am the Beast System.]
The little black cat raised its head and opened its mouth — a young-boy voice sounded.
Mibao: “…”
Oh — the cat can talk.
Wait, the cat is that black stone from before!
“Wow~” Mibao’s eyes sparkled as she scooped up the black cat. “Xiao Hei (Little Black)!”
Black Cat: […I’m not called ‘Xiao Hei’.]
[Mibao says your name is Xiao Hei, so from now on you’re Xiao Hei.] Xiaonian said.
Black Cat: […]
Damn system!
Is it because I’m a wild system that it has to be so mean to me?
[I know what you’re thinking.] Xiaonian gave a cold chuckle. [Wild systems absorb their hosts’ energy and often cause the host’s death — no wonder you were sealed away. You probably weren’t a very good system.]
That’s why his contract terms were so harsh, and why he even tricked the other party a little.
Most wild systems are selfish; they purely exploit their host and discard them when finished.
If they have a scrap of conscience, they’ll at least leave the host alive.
The System Bureau has handled many such wild systems.
[That’s just prejudice! Sure, I force hosts to do tasks, but I’ve never killed one!] Xiao Hei couldn’t help but defend himself.
[At most… at most I just drain the energy the host gathers, then run off.]
[…]
He knew it.
“Huh? Then you’re a bad kitty.” Mibao immediately set the little black cat down and even took a step back. “I don’t play with bad kitties.”
Xiao Hei: […]
[It’s fine, Mibao. He listens to you now. Just think of it as him atoning for his sins, so when you order him around you don’t need to feel guilty.]
Mibao found that reasonable, so she nodded. “Okay!”
Xiao Hei: […]
He might not be human, but this system was really a dog.
Just then, Chaoyang and Ye Duo came back.
It was getting dark — if they didn’t return now, it would be dangerous.
The two of them, one big and one small, were both carrying armfuls of dry branches. The weather was freezing, and with nothing else to keep warm, if they didn’t make a fire tonight they wouldn’t survive.
“Huh? Where’d that cat come from?”
The moment Ye Duo walked in, she saw the black cat beside Mibao and was instantly surprised.
At first she was happy, but soon a thought hit her, and her face turned wary. “Mibao, come here!”
In the apocalypse, animals all mutated. Who knew if this black cat had mutated too?
Mibao didn’t understand, but still obediently walked to Ye Duo’s side. “What’s wrong?”
Chaoyang also noticed the black cat. His expression turned serious as he studied it for a while.
“This cat should just be an ordinary cat,” Chaoyang said. “And since we’re out of food, we can use it as dinner.”
Xiao Hei: “?!?”
Wait, since when were kids this violent!?
Xiao Hei was utterly stunned.
Normally, when kids see a cat, even if they don’t love it, they wouldn’t want to kill it on sight, right?
“I can do it, I’ve got a knife in my bag.” Ye Duo set down the branches in her arms and lunged straight at the black cat!
“Meow!”
Xiao Hei yowled and darted to Mibao’s side.
[Save me!]
As Mibao’s contracted system, only she could hear his voice.
Mibao finally reacted and hurriedly scooped him up. “Don’t eat him! He’s my cat.”
Ye Duo and Chaoyang: …?
Ye Duo was the first to catch on. Could this be… Mibao’s mysterious pet she said no one else could see?
Hiss—
But it looked so ordinary.
Chaoyang, still skeptical, frowned. “Mibao, I know you like kittens, but this one’s of unknown origin. And if we’re traveling, a cat might meow and give us away…”
“He won’t! Xiao Hei is very obedient!” Mibao’s eyes widened as she set the cat on the ground. “Xiao Hei, sit!”
Xiao Hei: “…”
What, are you treating him like a dog?
But faced with Chaoyang’s hawk-like glare, Xiao Hei obediently sat down.
“Xiao Hei, shake!”
Expressionless, Xiao Hei extended a paw.
“Xiao Hei, backflip!”
Xiao Hei: “…”
Now that was asking too much, wasn’t it?
And hey — what normal cat can even do a backflip?!
He glanced at the two other kids, only to see them staring at him expectantly, as if they really wanted to see it.
Xiao Hei: “…”
A bunch of lunatics!
Cursing inwardly, Xiao Hei still pulled off a kitty backflip.
“Xiao Hei, you’re amazing!”
Mibao clapped excitedly.
“See? Isn’t Xiao Hei well-behaved? So can we keep him?”
