Cindy

The silent camp had already lit a bonfire. Nord had Ryman put some bread in a bowl to boil, then add a little chopped dried meat. He had never raised a cat in his previous life and had no idea what food a kitten this size should eat, but given their current conditions, a bowl of meat mash was already quite good.

Nord sat beside the bonfire and placed a steaming bowl of meat mash before him. Looking down, he found that the kitten in his arms had awakened at some point. She raised her head to stare at the fragrant food below, her eyes full of longing. Yet after several days of hunger, she no longer had the strength to jump from Nord's arms to eat. Even lifting her head took all her effort.

As Nord pondered this, Little Mountain Cat's raised head drooped weakly, and she let out a whimper. It seemed she could no longer feed herself. Nord had not expected that after coming to another world, he would have to become a cat servant. With no other choice, he used a wooden spoon to bring the warm meat mash to Little Mountain Cat's mouth.

At the sight of the food delivered to her lips, Little Mountain Cat perked up. She swallowed the meat mash on the spoon in one bite, squinting her eyes with an intoxicated expression on her face. Nord found feeding a cat rather novel. No wonder there had been so many cat owners in his previous life—feeding a cat was actually quite fun. He fed her spoonful after spoonful until he noticed that half the bowl of meat mash had vanished.

Nord did not dare feed her too much. Someone who had been hungry for too long could not eat too much at once, and cats were probably the same. He would wait until she had digested some of the food in her stomach before slowly feeding her the remaining half bowl.

Little Mountain Cat waited for a long time, but when she realized the food was not coming as expected, she could not help turning to look at Nord. Her clear eyes seemed to say, Hurry up, I'm not full yet.

Looking at Little Mountain Cat's adorable appearance, Nord wanted to laugh. He stroked her little head and began talking to her, whether she could understand him or not.

"You can't eat any more. Stop and rest for a while."

Little Mountain Cat stared up at Nord for a long time. When she realized he truly would not give her any more food, she immediately became dejected, lowered her head, and hid in Nord's arms to rest.

Watching the dancing flames, Nord felt exceptionally calm. He also had a feeling that this trip into the mountains would be different from the last one. He would definitely gain something.

The next morning, Nord woke from his sleep and stretched. He discovered that Little Mountain Cat, whom he had placed beside him the night before, had vanished without a trace. A faint sense of loss welled up inside him. So she still left? Last night, Nord had fed Little Mountain Cat the remaining half bowl of meat mash. After eating and drinking her fill, she had quickly fallen asleep, so Nord had placed her beside him to rest properly.

He had not expected her to be gone so early this morning. Perhaps she belonged to the mountains and forests after all. He hoped he would see her again someday, though whether she would still recognize him then was another matter. With that thought, Nord stood up.

By chance, he noticed a tiny figure standing beside the nearly extinguished bonfire. She stood on a stone beside the fire, stretching her head toward the wooden bowl that had held the meat mash last night.

The joy of regaining what he had lost filled Nord's heart. Fate truly worked in mysterious ways. In just one day, Little Mountain Cat had seemingly become an emotional anchor for him, something he found hard to part with.

Walking over to the bonfire, Nord smiled as he watched her stare blankly at the wooden bowl. Little Mountain Cat also noticed that Nord had come to her side and turned to look at him.

"Meow~"

Nord could not understand what Little Mountain Cat's cry meant, but he understood her intention. Why was the delicious food in the bowl gone? Nord crouched down and stroked her head.

"I'll make you some later, you little glutton."

"Meow~"

Little Mountain Cat did not resist Nord's touch. Though her body was still somewhat thin and weak, she easily jumped down from the stone and crouched beside Nord's feet.

Soon, Ryman and the others rekindled the fire and began preparing breakfast. The same meat mash was placed before Little Mountain Cat again. This time, Nord did not need to feed her, as she had regained her ability to move.

However, the scalding-hot meat mash left Little Mountain Cat helpless. She cautiously stretched out her tongue for a lick, only to be burned by the steam. She began circling the wooden bowl, unsure how to take a bite.

Nord ate his fragrant toasted bread as he watched Little Mountain Cat eat with great interest. After circling the wooden bowl several times and realizing she truly could not reach the food, she raised her head toward Nord and let out several cries that sounded almost like she was acting spoiled.

"Meow~"

Nord's smile never faded as he watched Little Mountain Cat's endearing appearance. Since she had already asked, he could not simply stand by. He took out a wooden spoon and began stirring the bowl, occasionally scooping out a spoonful to feed the anxiously waiting Little Mountain Cat beside him.

Once the steam had dissipated, he let Little Mountain Cat eat by herself. Nord stood up, called out to Ryman, and signaled that they could pack their things and set off.

Little Mountain Cat quickly finished the meat mash in the bowl and looked up at Nord. Just then, Nord lowered his gaze toward her. Their eyes met—one pair pure and clear, the other full of expectation.

"Little Mountain Cat, are you willing to come with me?"

Nord crouched down again and held out his hands. Without the slightest hesitation, Little Mountain Cat jumped into his arms, and joy once more filled Nord's heart.

He lifted Little Mountain Cat over his head. Looking at this hunter of the forest, this spirit of the night, Nord wondered what name he should give her.

"Cindy! Your name will be Cindy. One day, you'll also become the ruler of the forest."

Just as Nord was rejoicing, a line of system information unexpectedly flashed before his eyes.

A Black Mountain Cat has joined the party.

Nord's heart was full of questions. He had never imagined that animals could count as a Troop Type. How many unknown functions did the system still have waiting for him to discover? At that moment, Nord desperately wished he had a guide in front of him instead of having to explore everything on his own.

Of course, Nord was only grumbling inwardly. His attention was quickly drawn to the new information. Opening Cindy's panel, Nord was still somewhat curious.

Name: Cindy

Race: Lynx LV1 (0/100)

Attributes: Strength 1 (5) Agility 2 (10) Intelligence 2 (6) Charm 4 (9)

Cindy's panel was much simpler than a human's. There was no such thing as weapon proficiency. Nord also discovered that Cindy, who was only a little over a month old, truly had very low attributes. Other than her Charm attribute, the rest were hardly worth mentioning. Sure enough, being cute was the way to go.

Nord also found information in the Troop Type interface. He could not help wondering where he could recruit this kind of Troop Type. Capturing Black Mountain Cats in the forest would not be worth the effort. Setting aside their combat strength, their agile movements alone made them far from easy to catch. Nord turned his gaze toward Cindy. Upon taking a look, he found that Cindy was a female cat. It seemed the future of this Troop Type would depend on Cindy carrying it forward. The little one had a heavy responsibility ahead of her. The still-clueless Cindy had no idea that Nord had already set his sights on her descendants.

Troop Type: Lynx

Troop Type Information: A unique Troop Type of the lynx clan. They are elegant hunters and beloved children of the forest. Their nimble movements allow them to come and go without a trace in the woods. They perform even better in battle at night, and their prey often dies silently in its sleep.

Troop Type Attributes: Strength 5 Agility 10 Intelligence 6 Charm 9

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