[Hell creature: Hellhound] [Aptitude: Lord (Common, Elite, Lord, King, Epic, Legendary, Mythic)] [Tier 3: 0/10000] [Name: Unnamed.] [Skills: None learned.] [Believer: True believer (provides 10 faith points daily)] [Mood: Happy] [Analysis: A hell creature with an extremely strong territorial instinct. Once it accepts a master, it will protect them with unwavering loyalty. Only one in a hundred thousand mutated beasts may possess Lord aptitude.]
"I didn't expect a little puppy like you to have Lord aptitude."
"Though you're a little below the black kitten."
"Still, you should be a rare pet in the future, right?"
There was still a short walk from the park's back gate to the nearby abandoned hospital. Zeng Shen studied the little chow chow's stat panel as he walked, sinking into thought about the dangers he would face when the future catastrophe struck.
"The apocalypse will arrive in a year. Human civilization will be destroyed, and a new civilization will begin to emerge-a civilization of gods."
"And before that transformation, there's bound to be a brutal, dark, bloody period of chaos."
"If I want to grow quickly during that period and secure a place in the future age when everyone becomes a god, I'll need to rely on this system that arrived early. I need to quickly earn ten thousand survival points to activate the prize wheel and draw its treasures. Only then can I develop my believers faster."
"In other words, survival points are the foundation of my future strength."
"I only have 3,100 survival points right now. I'm still a long way from ten thousand."
"So far, I know of four ways to earn points."
"One: recruit believers.
Two: turn casual believers into true believers.
Three: feed mutated beasts stronger than me to earn their favor, then eventually bring them under my command.
Four: situations like the one with Li Yuqing-encounter other goddesses who might threaten me and force them to retreat."
With the black kitten in his arms and the little white puppy trotting close beside his feet, Zeng Shen reached the outer gate of the abandoned hospital before he knew it.
The abandoned hospital was huge, surrounded by a wall with a large iron gate.
It was locked.
Through the decorative openings in the gate, he could tell the hospital had been abandoned for quite some time.
Several dilapidated, rusty cars in the parking area were covered in vines, and weeds overran the road leading to the main hospital building.
Apparently, several deaths had occurred here before the place was shut down. It had never reopened, becoming a home for stray cats instead.
As soon as he climbed over the iron gate, a chilly gust swept over him, making him shiver.
He picked up the black kitten and white puppy, who had slipped through gaps in the gate, and headed inside.
Suddenly, a series of urgent warnings rang out, accompanied by a violently shaking, bright red panel before his eyes.
[Warning! Warning! A group of intelligent beings occupies this location. One of them possesses combat power far beyond anything the host or the host's pets can defeat. Please leave immediately. If discovered, they will enslave the host and may use every means available to extract the divine energy within the host. The consequences will be unimaginable and agonizing.]
Ignoring the warning outright, Zeng Shen walked expressionlessly to the hospital's glass entrance.
The glass doors had shattered long ago, leaving shards scattered across the ground. He could walk straight inside.
But he did not want to spook the cats.
Standing before the shattered glass doors, he took out a packet of fish sausages and held one beneath the black kitten's nose. After letting him sniff it, he said:
"Go bring all your brothers, sisters, aunties, and relatives over. This fish sausage is yours."
"Meow."
Though tiny, the black kitten was exceptionally clever.
As though he understood Zeng Shen immediately, he gave a soft, babyish meow and darted into the depths of the corridor behind the hospital lobby.
Every so often, another meow or two rang out.
It sounded as though he was calling his friends.
Before long, it was as though he had stirred up a hornet's nest. Seven or eight different meows rose in succession from the rooms deep along the hospital corridor.
"Meow~"
"Meow, meow, meow~"
"Meow~ Meow~"
"Woof, woof, woof, woof!"
Hearing so many cats, the little chow chow put on a mighty display, barking at the hospital entrance.
The entire hospital fell silent at once.
"Shut the hell up, you stupid dog." Zeng Shen gently kicked the puppy aside.
The little white puppy had just intimidated a whole pack of stray cats.
He looked immensely pleased with himself.
Then his master suddenly kicked him aside. Bewildered and aggrieved, he was about to whimper, but he caught Zeng Shen's glare.
He promptly shut his mouth.
Once the white puppy quieted down, Zeng Shen had no intention of making more of it.
But remembering that he might frighten the cats, Zeng Shen lifted him by the scruff and placed him inside a wrecked car nearby.
He left a few fish sausages for the puppy to keep eating, then returned to the shattered glass entrance to watch for movement inside.
A little while later.
The black kitten's meows rang out again, and his little figure appeared in the hospital lobby.
Several kittens with different-colored coats followed behind him.
Zeng Shen also noticed several adult cats appearing in other corners.
The black kitten meowed at the five kittens behind him, signaling for them to follow, then ran to Zeng Shen's feet. First, he rubbed his head against his trouser leg, then looked at the fish sausage in his master's hand and flicked his little tongue.
[Warning! Warning! The host is surrounded by a group of intelligent beings bearing the bloodline of Bastet's descendants. They are fierce and untamable, and all possess strength far above the host's. If the host is enslaved, they will extract the divine energy within the host. Please lead your kin to break through the encirclement immediately! Leave this location.]
As the frantic notifications echoed in his mind and a virtual panel full of warnings hovered before his eyes,
Zeng Shen looked at the stray cats watching him from the surrounding corners.
These things are going to enslave me?
Extract energy from me?
How? Are they going to turn into cute girls?
And squeeze me dry like peanuts in an oil press?
"You little glutton. Here's your reward."
Zeng Shen crouched down and placed the fish sausage on the ground for the black kitten. Then he tossed down a few more, trying to lure closer the five kittens and the adult cats watching from other corners.
These strays had lived outdoors for a long time and retained plenty of wildness. They were not as quick as house cats to trust humans or approach them.
But Zeng Shen was patient. He waited quietly for one of the strays to give in to temptation and come closer.
Time ticked by.
The first to give in were the kittens, who had been born recently, just like the black kitten.
A little orange kitten, orange all over and seemingly an orange tabby, was the first to approach Zeng Shen-or, more precisely, a fish sausage lying in front of his feet.
"Meow~" The orange kitten looked at Zeng Shen with curious, gleaming eyes and meowed, as though asking permission to eat.
"Go ahead, little one," Zeng Shen said with a gentle smile.
Perhaps sensing the kindness in his smile, the orange kitten bit into the fish sausage on the ground and began to eat. It made little smacking noises as it chewed, occasionally raising its bright little eyes to look at Zeng Shen. It was adorable.
[Congratulations, host. You have earned the favor of a young creature bearing the bloodline of Bastet's descendants. Survival points +10.]
Once one kitten approached Zeng Shen, the others quickly gathered around as well.
They meowed and began eating the sausages before them.
They, too, looked up at Zeng Shen with sparkling little eyes as they ate, looking especially cute and endearing.
[Congratulations, host. You have earned the favor of four young creatures bearing the bloodline of Bastet's descendants. Survival points +40.]
The adult strays hiding in the corners quietly watched everything unfold.
Seeing that Zeng Shen meant no harm, they exchanged a meow or two. Then two large white strays with black spots cautiously approached, stopping five meters away from him.
"Here, this packet of fish sausages is for you." Zeng Shen took a packet of large fish sausages from his backpack space, tore it open, and tossed it over.
The two large white cats with black spots startled and darted back. Along with all the other adult strays, they vanished without a trace.
Zeng Shen was dumbfounded.
"Since when did cats become such cowards?"
"And these things want to fucking enslave me?"
Muttering to himself, Zeng Shen took out another packet of small fish sausages and tipped them onto the ground for the six kittens beside him. Then he patiently waited for the adult strays to reappear.
Half a minute later.
The two large white cats with black spots reappeared in Zeng Shen's sight, along with the other adult strays that had vanished earlier.
As soon as they appeared, the two spotted white cats slowly approached the packet of large fish sausages Zeng Shen had tossed over.
They sniffed it first, then each swiftly snatched a large sausage and ran aside to eat, watching Zeng Shen warily.
Seeing there was no danger, the other adult strays also hurried over, picked up fish sausages, and carried them into hidden corners to eat.
Meanwhile, they occasionally raised their heads to watch Zeng Shen.
Before long, the adult strays had fought over and finished the entire packet of large fish sausages.
Seeing this, Zeng Shen tossed over another packet.
This time, neither the two spotted white cats nor the other adult strays bolted out of sight. Instead, they shot over like rockets, grabbed the fish sausages, and squabbled over them as they ate right there.
After finishing the second packet of large fish sausages, the adult strays seemed full. Some sat where they were and studied Zeng Shen, some slipped away to who knew where, and others returned to their nests to watch him.
But not a single one came closer.
Watching the adult strays grow lazy after their meal, Zeng Shen could not help feeling puzzled.
"These adult strays have eaten their fill. Why haven't they given me any survival points?"
"Did they just freeload off me?"
"And why haven't these little strays become my kin and believers like the black kitten?"
"I spent a hundred yuan on these fish sausages. If all I get is fifty survival points, that feels like a loss no matter how I look at it."
Zeng Shen shook his head and rubbed between his brows.
"Could they still be wary of me?"
With that thought, Zeng Shen decided to return tomorrow to keep feeding them. He picked up the black kitten and white puppy, then climbed back over the abandoned hospital's iron gate.
[Congratulations, host. You have led your kin and mount to successfully break through the encirclement of a group of powerful intelligent beings. Survival points +1000.]
"Not a loss anymore."