After the mental scan incident that night, Lin Mo had gained a clearer understanding of his "owner." Wang Keke was definitely more than just a clueless rich girl with money to burn; she was highly talented and extremely alert. If he wanted to lie low and grow safely right under her nose, he had to know where to draw the line.
So Lin Mo began his "adaptive learning" and "role-playing" plan.
His first priority was to understand human speech and respond appropriately.
That wasn't difficult for someone with the soul of an adult human. The hard part was learning "naturally" without arousing suspicion. He made full use of a young tiger's "curiosity." Whenever Wang Keke spoke to him or talked with her bodyguards or family, he pricked up his ears, his amber eyes fixed "naively" and "intently" on the speaker's lips and expressions, as if he were doing his best to understand the sounds of this strange new world.
"Mimi, this is nutritional paste. Tasty, isn't it?"
(Lin Mo thought: Got it. That golden lump is called nutritional paste.)
"Good boy. Don't scratch the sofa."
(Lin Mo thought: Understood. Don't touch the soft, floppy thing.)
"Come on, let's go outside and get some sun."
By observing the context, tone, and accompanying gestures again and again, he matched each word with its specific meaning. At the same time, he began trying to respond with gestures and looks.
When Wang Keke called him "Mimi," he still resented the name, but he would swish his tail or rub his head against her palm to show that he'd "heard her."
When Wang Keke brought out the nutritional paste, he would trot over to his food bowl and sit down, his eyes full of "expectation."
When Wang Keke said, "No," he would stop whatever "destructive" thing he was doing—like trying to hook the curtains with his claws—lower his head, whimper in a hurt voice, and look at her with damp eyes.
His "cleverness" delighted Wang Keke.
"Aunt Zhang, look! Mimi is so smart! It's like he understands what I'm saying!" she exclaimed to her personal bodyguard.
The bodyguard known as Aunt Zhang remained composed, but a faint trace of scrutiny flashed in her eyes. "Miss, mutated beasts are usually more intelligent than ordinary monsters, but it's rare for a cub to be this perceptive. You should keep an eye on him."
Lin Mo's heart tightened. He realized he'd been overdoing it, and immediately decided to "cool things down." The next few times Wang Keke gave him simple commands, he deliberately reacted a beat too slowly or misunderstood her. When she told him to "come here," for instance, he ran off to play with a ball instead. He perfectly played the part of an ordinary clever cub who was "naive most of the time, with occasional flashes of brilliance."
That morning, Wang Keke carried Lin Mo to the training ground on the estate for some basic "reaction training." All it involved was using the dot from a gentle laser pointer to get him to pounce and turn, improving his reaction speed and coordination.
For Lin Mo, with his human soul and battle instincts, it was child's play. But he deliberately restrained his performance. Most of the time, he acted like an ordinary young tiger, clumsily chasing the dot, sometimes tumbling because he couldn't stop in time or getting disoriented when it suddenly changed direction.
Only on rare occasions, when Wang Keke seemed a little disappointed, did he "accidentally" show off a perfectly timed pounce or an exceptionally agile midair turn, making her eyes light up again as she decided her "Mimi" really was talented after all.
During a break in the training, a voice tinged with mockery rang out:
"Well, well, Keke. Is this the White-Skinned Winged Tiger you spent eighty million on?"
Lin Mo turned to look. A teenager in a black martial arts uniform was walking toward them. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with an air of arrogance about him, and looked about sixteen or seventeen. Behind him followed a fierce-eyed Iron-Claw Wolf cub, noticeably larger than Lin Mo. It bared its teeth and glared at him.
The newcomer was Wang Keke's cousin, Wang Xiao.
Wang Keke frowned and hugged Lin Mo a little tighter. Her voice was cool. "Cousin Wang Xiao, what do you want?"
Wang Xiao's gaze swept over Lin Mo, lingering on the little fleshy bumps on his back. His lips curled in undisguised disdain. "Nothing. I just heard Uncle's always ready to give you whatever you ask for. Eighty million, and this is what you bought? He looks so weak. He can't hold a candle to my Iron-Claw Wolf—or even the ordinary tiger cubs Wang Xin and the others picked. At the Pet Battle Tournament in three months, you'll probably be eliminated in the first round."
His words reeked of jealousy. As the family's most dazzling Spirit Reader prodigy, Wang Keke received a disproportionate share of the family's resources, making many of her peers green with envy. This "expensive" yet "weak" battle pet had become an outlet for Wang Xiao's resentment.
Lin Mo could feel Wang Keke tense up. She was obviously angry, but still maintained a basic level of politeness. "I'll raise my own battle pet myself. There's no need for you to worry about it, Cousin."
"Raise him?" Wang Xiao scoffed. "With that childish laser-dot training? Give me a break. Battle pets only grow stronger by fighting through blood and fire! Raise one like a house pet, and even the best of them will go to waste!"
The Iron-Claw Wolf behind him let out a low growl in response and stepped forward, radiating a wild, oppressive menace.
An ordinary tiger cub would probably have been trembling with fear by now. But Lin Mo felt nothing. If anything, he was a little amused.
Kid, trying to provoke me? I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice! he thought, but outwardly he shrank into Wang Keke's arms and let out a "fearful" whimper, playing the part of "weak, pitiful, and helpless" to perfection.
Sure enough, his performance only reinforced Wang Xiao's impression of him as a "useless battle pet" and stirred Wang Keke's protective instincts.
"Wang Xiao! You don't get to tell me how to train! Mimi's still young. He needs to take things one step at a time!" Wang Keke's voice hardened. "Aunt Zhang!"
Aunt Zhang, the bodyguard who had been standing nearby like a shadow, stepped forward. She didn't even release her aura, but her icy gaze was enough to make Wang Xiao and the Iron-Claw Wolf behind him freeze.
Wang Xiao snorted coldly. Realizing he wouldn't get anywhere, he threw out, "We'll settle this at the tournament," then left in a huff with the Iron-Claw Wolf.
Once they were gone, Wang Keke gently stroked Lin Mo's back to comfort him. "Don't be scared, Mimi. We'll just ignore that nasty cousin and his nasty wolf. We'll take our time. You'll do great!"
Lin Mo obediently rubbed his head against her chin, though inwardly he sneered.
Wang Xiao, was it? And the Iron-Claw Wolf? Good. I'll remember you. At the tournament, I'll use your 'nasty wolf' to whet my appetite—and test out my Devour Talent while I'm at it!
He lifted his head and looked at Wang Keke. His amber eyes no longer held feigned innocence; instead, a faint, sharp glint belonging to a hunter flickered in them.
Step one: gain trust and resources. Complete.
Step two: learn the surroundings and identify potential opponents. In progress.
Next, he just had to get stronger—as much as possible, without arousing suspicion.
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