Gentle and Easygoing Little Cat

After mastering Tree Climbing to the Advanced level, Little Arro went back to having nothing to do every day besides reading.

Boring days were especially hard to endure, yet he found it difficult to come up with any new, suitable training methods.

After asking Kabir and being refused once again, Little Arro turned his attention to the Black Cat.

Since Cat Form Fist had Tree Climbing, could there be other techniques as well?

Besides, there was a chance of triggering "Careful Guidance." Arro had not forgotten the feeling of rapidly learning a skill.

"What? You want to learn something else?"

The Black Cat lay limply atop the courtyard wall. Under the sunlight, her dark fur seemed to glow. Her eyes were hazy as she kept yawning, her voice weak. "But I don't have anything else to teach you."

"How could you not?"

Little Arro reminded her, "Cats have so many abilities. Flexible bodies, agile reactions, silent movement... all of those can be taught."

"Huh?"

The Black Cat's drowsiness instantly vanished. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Little Arro.

"You're a human child, yet you want to learn a cat's abilities?"

"You're human. A person. Do you have some misunderstanding about your own identity?"

A misunderstanding?

There had been one in the past, but Little Arro no longer had one now.

The Black Cat stood up and stared at Little Arro, earnestly trying to persuade him. "The things you mentioned are all abilities unique to cats. It's not something you can learn just because you want to. Just like how humans can stand and walk, while we find that very difficult."

Little Arro did not give up. Since the previous skill had been called "Cat Form Fist—Tree Climbing," there was a good chance that other Cat Form Fist techniques existed.

Of course, it was possible that this was merely wishful thinking. Just like the earlier "Knight's Breathing Technique"—because his understanding differed, the system had initially displayed it as "Guard Breathing Technique."

But did that matter?

Humans were naturally a species good at learning. Take Tree Climbing, for example. He did not have a cat's sharp claws, yet he had still learned it.

Cat Form Fist was not Cat Punch. Learning its form was enough.

Perhaps it was because Little Arro had spent more than half a year learning Tree Climbing before.

In any case, the Black Cat had made up her mind. She lay down, tilted her head, covered it with her front paws, and muttered, "Stop asking me. Go learn something from Kabir. I don't know how to teach the things you mentioned either."

Little Arro stared at the wall surface, crouched down, then charged forward using the techniques of Tree Climbing. Relying on momentum, his fingers swiftly hooked onto several protrusions on the wall, and he quickly sprang up onto the wall top.

He took several steps to Gemma, pushed and shook her body, and pleaded bitterly, "Teacher Gemma, please teach me! If you don't know those things, then teach me something you do know."

The Black Cat remained unmoved, pretending to be asleep.

"Teacher? Teacher?"

Little Arro pushed her several more times and waited for a long while, but the Black Cat still did not react.

Since he had already come this far, Little Arro simply climbed in front of the Black Cat, grabbed one of her ears, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Teacher, what's wrong with you?!"

The Black Cat was left dizzy by the roar. Her body jolted, and she immediately sprang up, glaring at Little Arro with an unfriendly expression.

Little Arro chuckled awkwardly a few times and hurriedly explained, "Teacher, you suddenly stopped moving. I thought something had happened to you."

"Ugh."

The Black Cat sighed helplessly, speaking with double meaning. "I really regret teaching you Tree Climbing."

"Teacher Gemma, you agreed? Thank you! What are you teaching me today?"

Little Arro spoke so quickly that, before the Black Cat could react, he had settled the matter for her.

The Black Cat froze at his words. She wanted to refuse, but did not know where to begin.

"Let's go, Teacher Gemma. Where are we training today?" Little Arro asked with a beaming smile.

Seeing Little Arro's smug expression, hatred rose in the Black Cat's heart. She licked her paw and looked at him maliciously. "Then I'll teach you Dodging!"

"Dodging?" Little Arro looked at the Black Cat in confusion.

He was not afraid of her current attitude, and it was not simply because they had known each other for a long time.

It was also because, when his mother Nicole had left the Small Town, she had specifically warned him not to stay too far away from the Black Cat. The Black Cat would definitely not harm him, and she was highly capable—capable enough to protect him.

"I chase. You run."

A trace of coldness flashed through the Black Cat's eyes as she explained with a sneer, "The entire Small Town is the boundary. As long as I get close to you, I'll use my claws to shred your clothes."

"I don't think you'd enjoy walking around the Small Town naked, would you?"

"Teacher Gemma, you're... joking, right?"

The Black Cat did not look nearly as dependable as his mother had said!

"Five-second countdown. Five, four..."

She was mad. She was definitely mad!

It had to be because I disturbed her nap, so she was mad!

"Three, two... one!"

Riiip!

His clothes tore apart. The icy Cold Wind kept pouring into Little Arro's body through the ripped hems. Though the midday sun still shone brightly, the clash between the two sensations made his experience far too complicated.

She was serious!

"Ohoho!"

The Black Cat covered the corner of her mouth with one paw, maintaining the graceful posture of an elegant noblewoman. "Who would have thought that our gentlemanly Little Arro had such a special fetish?"

Even with the sun out, the cold northern wind was not easy to bear.

Little Arro might have been young, but his mind had long matured. If he truly ran naked around the Small Town...

"Tsk, is that our future lord? So small!"

"Don't talk nonsense. He's only three, after all."

"But... oh dear!" Frowned, sighed, shook their heads.

"Will we still have to follow him in the future? What if people from other towns misunderstand and think we're all the same?"

"Let's observe him in secret once he grows up. If he doesn't grow up... then we'll rebel!"

"Good idea!"

Could he even go on living after that?

There would be no point in living at all!

"Since you enjoy it so much, then let Teacher Gemma properly satisfy your unspeakable fetish!"

Run!

Little Arro no longer harbored any illusions. He quickly turned around, gripped the wall top with one hand, and lowered himself over the side.

The Black Cat lightly jumped down from the courtyard wall and lazily followed behind Little Arro, chattering without pause.

"Oh~ That pose of yours is truly beautiful. It reminds me of that stupid little bird. Do you know what happened to it?"

"One of its feet got stuck—stuck in a tree trunk! Ohohoho~"

"Jump, jump, yes! Just like that. Like a stupid hamster, leaping into mid-air. All I need to do is run over a little faster, open my mouth, and wait for sweet mouse meat to fall right into it."

"That feeling was truly wonderful. Just like that wild dog I chased last year. It ran everywhere in a panic. Do you know where it finally ran to?"

"Ohohoho~"

"It fell into a dung pit. When I saw how infatuated it looked, I decided to let it go."

"Perhaps... you could learn from it?"

The nonstop Dash left Little Arro feeling short of breath, while the relentless verbal bombardment made his thoughts even more chaotic. He wanted to block out those words, but the Black Cat's dramatic stops and starts in tone always drew his attention.

She was truly talented. What a waste that she was not a comedian.

Right, this world did not have crosstalk—never mind, then.

...What am I even thinking about?

Little Arro smacked his own head.

Think of a way to resolve this predicament already!

"My poor Little Arro, did water get into your head? Your Teacher Gemma has a wonderful solution."

"See that dung pit beside you? Jump in. The water in your head will freeze, and then it can fall out."

She had gone crazy. Gemma had completely gone crazy!

Little Arro panted urgently and ran with all his strength.

Wait!

Gemma had not torn his clothes for a while. There was no way she could not outrun him!

Why?

What was she thinking?

How could he possibly calm her anger?

Riiip!

"A good child who loves exercise mustn't slack off~"

Little Arro was filled with grief. He could only swing his arms and speed up, continuing to run.

"That's more like it!"

"Good child who loves exercise, I'm about to rip the left leg of your pants, just like how I once tore open that dog's backside."

Hearing the wind whistling behind him, Little Arro's nerves tightened. He turned and dodged.

"Oho, you actually avoided it."

"I'm coming again. This time, I'll tear your back, just like I tore apart that little bird. Oh~ That little bird tasted so sweet!"

Daring not to hesitate, Little Arro immediately rolled aside and cried out miserably, "I'm only a little over two years old! Why are you treating me like this?!"

"What? What is my adorable student saying? Oh~ You're thanking your teacher because you succeeded in seeking instruction? No need to thank me. This is what a teacher should do. Your Teacher Gemma will definitely give you—Careful Guidance!"

You have received Careful Guidance from the Black Cat Gemma and learned Cat Form Fist—Dash.

Cat Form Fist—Dash: Beginner (slightly enhances Five Senses perception)

What?!

Seeing the system notification flash before him, Little Arro froze.

Riiip!

The sudden chill on his backside instantly snapped Little Arro back to his senses. He was still in danger!

No way, my pants were torn open?!

While running, Little Arro hurriedly glanced to the side and secretly sighed in relief. Only a tear had been made; his butt was not exposed yet.

Riiip!

The sleeve on his left side was torn again. The Black Cat reminded him teasingly, "Getting distracted while learning is not what a student should do~"

The Black Cat leaped lightly from side to side, as though playing with a mouse.

She was herding him!

As he focused on running, Little Arro suddenly realized it.

He could clearly sense that whenever he ran toward the Small Town's streets, the Black Cat slowed down somewhat. But if he did not go where she wanted, she would rush up without hesitation and tear another hole in his clothes!

What was she trying to do?

Was she planning to make him parade through the streets in tattered clothing?

Or would she completely shred his clothes once they reached the streets, causing him social death?

Either was possible!

It depended on how much anger remained in the Black Cat's heart when they arrived!

The street was right ahead!

"Teacher Gemma, I know I was wrong!"

A person had to bow their head under someone else's roof, and besides, he was apologizing to his own teacher—there was nothing shameful about that!

Little Arro comforted himself and continued shouting, "Teacher, I absolutely, absolutely won't make this mistake again! Please let me go!"

Through his hearing, Little Arro noticed that the Black Cat's Footsteps had hesitated. She had slowed down!

Little Arro was overjoyed, but he did not dare stop. Pretending not to notice, he continued shouting, "I'll never disturb you again when you're resting, Teacher!"

Closer. The street was closer!