The Meow Pet System

Douluo Continent.

Northwest of Spirit City, Death Canyon.

In an unnamed stone valley hidden in the deepest part of the canyon, gray-black deathly energy hung in the air, yet strangely, not a breath of wind stirred at the bottom.

At the center of the valley, a moon-white crystal floated in midair.

It was no bigger than a washbasin, yet it seemed like a bottomless pit, constantly drawing in the free-floating Soul Power around it.

Even the fragmented mental fluctuations that had lingered in Death Canyon for years were slowly drawn toward it, disappearing inside the crystal.

The crystal had existed for many years.

Death Canyon was a training ground for Spirit Hall, and countless bones had been buried there over the years. The Soul Power left behind by dead Soul Beasts, the scattered fragments of human Soul Masters' spirits, and the thin moonlight that fell from the sky at night had gathered in this stone valley for countless years, slowly condensing into a Soul Embryo.

As the final ray of moonlight fell that night.

Crack.

A fine fissure suddenly appeared on the crystal's surface.

Then a second, and a third.

In the blink of an eye, the entire crystal crumbled apart, and a small, snow-white creature fell from midair.

Plop.

It landed on the ground.

"Meow?"

The little creature's head rocked from the impact. It took a long moment before he slowly managed to get back up.

He was a newborn kitten.

His entire body was snow-white, with soft, fluffy fur and not a single spot of another color. Only the tips of his ears had a faint silver sheen.

His round, golden cat eyes had only recently opened, still hazy with newborn innocence.

Most striking of all was the small silver bell, no bigger than a fingernail, hanging naturally around his neck.

The little bell hung quietly there, faintly glowing with a gentle moonlight.

The little white cat shook his head.

He had only just come into being, and his mind was still a blank. All he could do was instinctively let out a soft meow.

But he was a natural Soul Beast, born from a special kind of Soul Power. The moment he came into being, the inheritance within his bloodline surfaced as well.

Moon Spirit Cat.

An extremely rare spirit-type Soul Beast.

He was naturally attuned to moonlight and especially sensitive to killing intent, malice, mental fluctuations, and spiritual injuries.

Once he matured, he could soothe the mind, manipulate spirits, conceal his presence, and even influence other people's emotions.

If he cultivated to a high enough level, he could also temper his spirit with moonlight and form an exceptionally unusual spiritual domain.

And this was where he had been born.

Deep in Death Canyon, in Moon Soul Stone Valley.

On the Douluo Continent of this era, Heaven Dou and the Star Luo Empire stood side by side, while Spirit Hall held both empires in check. Soul Masters cultivated by hunting for Soul Rings, and Soul Beasts had never truly been the main players.

Most of the time, they were simply resources.

At the thought, the little white cat, who had only just come into being, gradually lost the dazed look in his eyes, becoming more alert by the second.

At the same time, memories from another world—memories that didn't belong on the Douluo Continent—awakened.

"Douluo?"

"Did I... transmigrate?"

The little white cat's eyes widened slowly, his expression growing more complicated.

In his previous life, he had been Lin Yan, twenty-four years old, a typical internet-age wage slave.

His pay was low, and his workload was high.

By day, his boss fed him empty promises; at night, he revised drafts for clients.

He was better at repeatedly breaking down over the words "just one last revision" than he was at writing proposals.

His death had been thoroughly modern, too.

He'd been working overtime until the early hours again that night. Lin Yan had been riding a shared electric scooter back to his rented apartment, listening to a sixty-second voice message from his boss while silently rehearsing what he'd have to say at the morning meeting.

Then, on the rain-slick road, a car ran a yellow light at the corner and sent him straight to his death.

Before he closed his eyes, he'd had only one thought.

At least he wouldn't have to go to the morning meeting tomorrow.

"..."

Remembering the last moments of his previous life, the little white cat—or, no, Lin Yan—fell silent.

The good news was that he didn't have to work anymore.

The bad news was that he was dead.

Still, Lin Yan didn't have many regrets about this sudden accident.

His parents had died early.

His relatives weren't close.

He didn't have many friends.

If he looked through his contacts, aside from the clients asking him for proposals, the landlord asking for rent, and his coworkers who only ever said "Got it" in the group chat, there didn't seem to be many people who would truly grieve his passing.

At that thought, the complicated feelings that had only just stirred in Lin Yan gradually faded.

This new beginning was just a little too outrageous.

Other people transmigrated to Douluo with Innate Full Soul Power or Twin Martial Souls.

At the very least, shouldn't he have been given a proper human body?

But when it was his turn, he'd become a Soul Beast.

A kitten small enough to fit in someone's palm.

Lin Yan looked down at his short little legs, then instinctively glanced behind himself.

After a couple of seconds, his mood improved a little.

Well.

At least his sex hadn't changed.

But soon, the surroundings drew his attention back.

The stone valley was bare, with nothing but black rock and gray earth.

Forget Immortal Herbs—even a single decent blade of grass was nowhere to be seen.

This was his birthplace, and might even become his home someday.

And yet it was this barren.

"This place is way too shabby..."

Lin Yan stared blankly around him, his mood instantly souring.

Other Soul Beasts might not be born in blessed lands, but at least they had somewhere with the resources to survive.

He, on the other hand, had been born in Death Canyon.

All he could see was desolation.

This place wasn't grand or impressive in the slightest. It wasn't even suitable for a cat to live in.

If he hadn't just inherited the knowledge in his bloodline and learned he was a special Soul Beast, Lin Yan would've suspected he'd been randomly respawned in a beginner's graveyard.

Just as he was wondering whether he should leave this wretched place and find a shelter from the wind and rain, a crisp mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

[ Ding. Host's birth detected. Meow Pet System binding in progress... ]

Lin Yan froze.

In the next moment, his mood, which had been soured by his shabby birthplace, instantly brightened.

A cheat?

Had it finally arrived?

He'd read novels for years in his previous life. It seemed they really hadn't lied to him.

Transmigration could come late.

A system couldn't be missing.

[ Ding. Meow Pet System binding complete. ]

[ Newcomer check complete. System Panel opening... ]

With a thought from Lin Yan, a translucent panel visible only to him appeared in his spiritual sea.

[Host: Unnamed]

[Poop Scooper: None]

[Cultivation: Ten-Year Soul Beast]

[Bloodline: Moon Spirit Cat]

[Treasure: Calming Bell]

[Talent: Heart-Melting Gaze]

[Ability: Soul Devour Moon]

[Gift Packs: One New Cat Gift Pack, one Hundred-Year Cultivation Gift Pack]

The panel wasn't complicated.

In fact, it was almost absurdly simple.

But after Lin Yan read it, his eyes still lit up.

Especially at the first entry.

Unnamed.

"Wait, what? I don't even have a name?"

Lin Yan's ears perked up as he immediately asked.

The system responded at once.

[Moon Spirit Cats have no fixed names in their juvenile stage.]

[The first intelligent life-form to form a deep bond with the host must give the host an official name.]

"..."

Lin Yan stared blankly for a couple of seconds.

"So basically, I have to wait for someone to adopt me?"

The system didn't deny it.

Lin Yan's feelings were complicated.

Being reincarnated as a cat was one thing.

Now he even had to wait for his future Poop Scooper to name him.

Had he really gotten this deeply into character?

Despite his complaints, he soon turned his attention to the information that followed.

Especially the second entry.

Poop Scooper.

"The Meow Pet System..."

"No wonder it sounded so familiar."

Staring at the system panel, Lin Yan belatedly realized that its setup was practically identical to a casual cat-raising game he'd played on his phone in his previous life.

The only difference was that he'd been the player back then.

Now their roles had been reversed.

He'd used to raise cats virtually.

Now it was someone else's turn to raise him.

"..."

Lin Yan fell silent again.

He'd been a wage slave when he was alive.

After dying and transmigrating, he'd ended up a pet.

That was a pretty twisted turn of fate.

But then he thought about it: this was the Douluo Continent.

For a newborn Soul Beast, trying to survive in the wild on his own was obviously less reliable than finding a trustworthy Poop Scooper.

Especially since he was a little spirit-type cat, not exactly built for charging into a fight.

Surviving by being cute seemed reasonable enough.

After organizing his thoughts, Lin Yan first looked at the [Treasure] entry.

[Calming Bell: An innate soul artifact of the Moon Spirit Cat. It can soothe the spirit, nourish the soul, and weaken mental attacks from outside forces. As it grows, it can steady the mind, temporarily anchor the soul, and even interrupt spirit-type Soul Skills.]

After reading the description, Lin Yan instinctively looked down at the little bell around his neck.

It wasn't large, and was as delicate as a trinket.

Still, it was an innate soul artifact he'd started with.

It might not be anywhere near heaven-defying, but on a place like the Douluo Continent, it was definitely no small advantage.

Most importantly, it could save his life.

In the Douluo World, the strong could intimidate people with Soul Power pressure or suppress their minds at the drop of a hat.

As a newborn Ten-Year Soul Beast, he'd be terrified by any Soul Ancestor or Soul King, let alone a Titled Douluo.

With this Calming Bell, at least he wouldn't be completely helpless if he ran into a mental attack in the future.

"Not bad."

"Maybe I didn't start with a hundred-thousand-year cultivation, but having some equipment right off the bat is pretty good."

Lin Yan nodded, reasonably satisfied, and patted his little head.

Next, he looked at the talent section.

[Heart-Melting Gaze: As an extremely rare Moon Spirit Cat cub, the host naturally possesses great affinity. The higher a target's intelligence, the more complex their emotional fluctuations, and the deeper their inner scars, the harder it is for them to feel murderous toward the host.]

Lin Yan stared at the description for a full three seconds.

Then he lowered his head and studied his round face.

He raised his chubby left paw and gently pressed it.

"..."

"Well, would you look at that."

"Isn't this just legal cuteness?"

He'd been worried that as a cub Soul Beast, if he ever ran into a human Soul Master, he might not even have time to escape.

Now it seemed the system had thought things through much better than he had.

On Blue Star, this talent would simply be called "being cute."

But in a place like the Douluo Continent, where the average living conditions for Soul Beasts were unbelievably harsh, it was a genuine life-saving skill.

Especially the part that said the more complex a target's emotional fluctuations and the deeper their inner scars, the harder it was for them to feel murderous toward him.

Lin Yan narrowed his eyes.

This talent seemed a little too targeted.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed tailor-made for certain dangerous people with "unstable mental states."

And the more dangerous they were, the better it worked.

"System."

"You're not planning to have me conquer a Titled Douluo with cuteness, are you?"

The system didn't answer. Apparently, it had already made up its mind.

Lin Yan: "..."

Fine.

The Douluo Continent really was insane.

Finally, Lin Yan turned his attention to the [Abilities] section.

[Soul Devour Moon: The host can absorb moonlight to cultivate, or devour unclaimed mental energy, fragmented Soul Power, and scattered spiritual remnants, purifying them and turning them into their own cultivation. As the ability improves, it can nourish the soul, nurture the bloodline, and temporarily strengthen the host's mental power.]

Lin Yan's eyes lit up.

This ability was the real heart of the matter.

Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent cultivated mainly by accumulating years of cultivation. Growing stronger wasn't something that happened overnight.

Especially since he was just a kitten.

Who knew how many years it would take to cultivate normally?

But with this ability, things were different.

Other Soul Beasts relied on grinding away for years.

He could do more than bask in the moonlight. He could also absorb the scattered mental fragments and fragmented Soul Power drifting around Death Canyon.

It didn't sound very dignified, like scavenging for food in a garbage dump.

But no matter how undignified it was, it was still a genuine path to growth.

Besides, a place like Death Canyon was full of unclaimed souls and scattered Soul Power.

It was a dangerous place for other Soul Beasts.

But for him, it might just be the perfect training ground at this early stage.

At the thought, Lin Yan's mood finally improved completely.

He had a companion Soul Tool.

A life-saving talent.

An ability that could grow stronger.

And he still hadn't opened the New Cat Gift Pack or the hundred-year cultivation gift pack.

This start wasn't his dream beginning, but it certainly wasn't bad.

More importantly, since the system was called the Meow Pet System, there was a good chance it did more than just give him a status panel.

Sure enough.

As if it had sensed his thoughts, the system prompt soon appeared again.

[The Meow Pet System has been activated.]

[The host can gain stable protection and resources for growth by bonding with a Poop Scooper.]

[By accompanying a target, soothing their emotions, mending their regrets, and changing the course of their fate, the host can earn Meow Wish Value and milestone rewards.]

[The higher the Poop Scooper's status, the greater their destiny, and the deeper their regrets, the more generous the rewards.]

After reading the explanation, Lin Yan understood completely.

This was a system that had him approach important figures, get taken care of, and complete tasks for rewards at the same time.

In short.

The tragic characters of the past needed saving.

Now the system had sent him, a cat, to do it.

Lin Yan couldn't help clicking his tongue.

"Why does this sound so much like being a therapist?"

"A fluffy one, at that."

But jokes aside, Lin Yan had already accepted the setup.

After all, the Douluo Continent was never short on regrets.

There were those tormented by fate.

Those dragged along by hatred.

And those who could have had a better life, but ended up trapping themselves in a dead end.

As for the person closest to him at this point who best fit the three conditions of "high status, great destiny, and deep regrets"...

A name popped into Lin Yan's mind almost instantly.

Bibi Dong.

The current pope of Spirit Hall.

A superlatively tragic figure in the original story, one who couldn't be ignored.

The moment he thought of that name, Lin Yan inexplicably shuddered.

There was no other reason.

She was simply far too dangerous.

She wasn't just some ordinary big shot.

She was someone who could crush a ten-year Soul Beast like him into a cat pancake with a flick of her finger.

"System."

"You're not actually planning to have me go bother the pope, are you?"

As soon as he spoke, the system panel flickered.

The next moment, a new prompt appeared.

[High-compatibility target detected nearby.]

[Matching...]

[Match complete.]

[Optimal Poop Scooper: Bibi Dong]

[Identity: Pope of Spirit Hall]

[Condition: Chronic insomnia, emotional repression, accumulated murderous intent]

[Initial compatibility: 82]

[Recommendation: Approach immediately.]

Lin Yan: "..."

Stone Valley fell into a terrifying silence.

The Little White Cat crouched on the spot, his round golden eyes wide open. Even his tail had gone stiff.

It really was her?

And the system's recommendation was unbelievably inhuman.

What did it mean, "approach immediately"?

That was Bibi Dong!

With his tiny body, shouldn't he at least find a softer patch of ground before going over, in case he died a less painful death?

At the thought, Lin Yan instinctively hunched his neck. The Calming Bell around it swayed gently, giving off a faint, delicate chime.

Ding.

The sound rippled through Stone Valley and, strangely enough, calmed his nerves.

Lin Yan was silent for a moment, then slowly raised his head and looked toward Death Canyon, cloaked in darkness beyond Stone Valley.

The moonlight was faint.

The night wind was cold.

And Spirit City lay at the far end of that darkness.

"Fine."

"I've already been turned into a cat. I can't have gone through all that just to chicken out."

"If it's the pope, then it's the pope."

"As long as she doesn't swat me dead on the spot, I think this might... still be negotiable."

The Little White Cat flicked his tail, doing his best to look calm.

But those round golden cat eyes seemed to say just one thing—

Isn't this beginner quest a little too far over my head?