A Thick Newbie Gift Pack

Chapter 2: The Thick Newbie Gift Pack

[Current Optimal Poop Scooper: Bibi Dong.]

[Recommendation: Approach immediately.]

Staring at those two lines on the system panel, the little white cat in the center of Stone Valley fell into a brief silence.

A moment later, it honestly shrank its head back a little.

"Approach immediately?"

"Easy for you to say... that's the Pope..."

"If I charge up to her now, what's the difference between that and willingly packaging myself as a soul ring reserve? QAQ"

Lin Yan's tail stiffened for a moment.

It wasn't that he wasn't tempted.

It was just that this thigh was way too thick—thick enough to scare a cat.

Who was Bibi Dong?

The current Pope of Martial Soul Hall, a Twin Martial Souls possessor, one of the few standing at the very top of the Douluo Continent pyramid.

Let alone being just a freshly hatched ten-year soul beast; even if he became a hundred-year or thousand-year beast, in front of her, he'd probably be dealt with using just a finger.

For an existence at that level, even trying to pick a fight required technique.

Thinking this, Lin Yan forced himself to calm down.

"Can't panic."

"A true expert never fights bare-handed."

"Let's finish opening the newbie welfare first."

With that thought, Lin Yan immediately shifted his focus to the system gift pack.

All those system panels from before were, in the end, just his own innate talents and abilities.

The real cheat code had to be the gift pack.

With a thought, he opened the [New Cat Gift Pack] first.

A soft white light spread out before his eyes.

The next moment, three lines of information popped up directly.

[New Cat Gift Pack: Talent—Purring Dream, Ability—Moon Mark Time Slow, Companion Soul Tool Upgrade Card ×1.]

Lin Yan's cat face, which had been fairly composed, instantly perked up.

Damn.

Three items in one opening?

And just from the names, they didn't look cheap.

Lin Yan quickly looked at the first talent first.

[Purring Dream: A unique soothing talent of the Moon Spirit Cat. When the host purrs, it can calm the mental fluctuations of surrounding living beings, reducing hostility and wariness. If the target is in a sleeping state, they are more likely to sink into a peaceful dream. Long-term contact can slowly cleanse the mental sea, alleviating nightmares, anxiety, and hidden soul-level injuries.]

After reading the description, Lin Yan's eyes lit up.

"This is great!"

"And it's almost too good, isn't it?"

Earlier, he'd been wondering how he was supposed to win over—no, approach—Bibi Dong.

And then the system just handed him a talent like this.

Insomnia, anxiety, mental strain.

Wasn't this tailor-made for that Pope's situation?

Lin Yan couldn't help shaking his little head, a wildly absurd thought suddenly surfacing in his mind.

"Could it be that I was really sent by the system to cure the Pope's insomnia?"

"The mighty Pope of Douluo, ultimately relying on a cat's purring to fall asleep... isn't that image a bit too strange?"

But he had to admit.

Strange as it was, it was also incredibly practical.

And this thing wasn't just useful for Bibi Dong.

In the future, whether facing Hu Liena, Qian Renxue, or those Titled Douluo of Martial Soul Hall, it would probably come in handy.

The more Lin Yan thought about it, the more satisfied he felt, the tip of his tail curling up slightly.

Next, he looked at the second ability.

[Moon Mark Time Slow: One of the Moon Spirit Cat's mental control abilities. When activated, the host can more clearly capture movement trajectories and, for a short time, interfere with soul power flow and neural reactions within a certain range, causing a single target or a very small area to experience a momentary slowdown. Current cultivation is too low; it can only be maintained for an extremely short time, and its effect on high-realm targets is limited.]

After reading it, Lin Yan fell silent for a moment.

Then his eyes grew even brighter.

"A low-tier time stop?"

"No, more accurately, it's slow motion."

"But slow motion works too!"

After all, on the Douluo Continent, battle tempo was always extremely fast.

When soul masters and soul beasts clashed, a single lapse often meant the difference between life and death.

At truly critical moments, even making an opponent half a beat slower was enough to decide many things.

Not to mention that he was a cat.

What was a cat best at?

Agility, pouncing, and running away.

Slowing the enemy down, then relying on his own speed and footwork to create distance—this was a match made in heaven.

Thinking this, Lin Yan had already started mentally planning how to use this skill to save his life later.

The last item was the [Companion Soul Tool Upgrade Card].

[Companion Soul Tool Upgrade Card: Can perform one unconditional upgrade on the host's sole companion soul tool.]

This went without saying.

Lin Yan lowered his head to glance at the small silver bell hanging around his neck, and his mood instantly improved.

The Calming Bell was already decent.

Now he could also get a free upgrade.

This wave, this wave was taking off from the ground, a cat's life was promising OvO.

But Lin Yan didn't rush to use it immediately. Instead, he turned his attention to the second gift pack.

[Century Cultivation Gift Pack.]

Just from the name, he could tell this was likely a reward related to age limit.

With a thought, another cluster of light scattered.

[Century Cultivation Gift Pack: Century Cultivation Card ×1, Mimic Breath ×1.]

Lin Yan's eyes lit up.

Two more!

First, look at the first one.

[Century Cultivation Card: Upon use, can stably elevate the host's cultivation to the century level, with no hidden risks to the foundation.]

"This one's easy to understand."

"Jumping from a decade straight to a century—still a small fry, but at least not in that newborn state where anyone could step on me."

Lin Yan was very self-aware.

A century-level soul beast on the Douluo Continent was still nothing.

But the problem was, he hadn't even fully adapted to normal running yet.

Being able to jump directly from a decade to a century was already incredibly satisfying.

At least he went from "a newborn that could die at any moment" to "a little cub that can barely protect itself."

And the second item, [Mimic Breath], didn't disappoint him either.

[Mimic Breath: Can suppress the host's soul beast aura and slightly adjust certain external features, making the host appear closer to an ordinary domestic white cat. Those with cultivation far higher than the host, or those who examine closely with mental power at close range, may still have a chance to detect the anomaly.]

After reading this, Lin Yan almost couldn't help meowing out loud.

This thing was practically divine.

Human soul masters on the Douluo Continent were no joke when it came to their sensitivity toward soul beasts.

Especially high-level experts—with just a casual sweep from a distance, they could roughly judge a soul beast's age limit and special traits.

As a rare mental-type soul beast who had just been born not long ago, his aura was naturally not ordinary.

If he really strutted around openly like this, even encountering ordinary soul masters might not be safe.

But with Mimic Breath, everything changed.

The difference in treatment between an ordinary house cat and a rare soul beast was like heaven and earth.

The former was "Ah, what a cute little cat."

The latter was "This cat's not bad, kill it and see if we can get a soul bone."

Completely different concepts.

"Good stuff, really good stuff."

"System, you actually have a bit of a conscience this time."

Lin Yan offered a sincere compliment.

The system ignored him.

Lin Yan didn't mind. He pressed his advantage, smoothly asking the question he cared about most.

"System, how do I get more gift packs later?"

"It can't just be this one newbie reward, right?"

A stream of information immediately flooded into his consciousness.

Lin Yan closed his eyes, quietly digesting it.

When he opened them again moments later, he had a general understanding of how the system operated.

Simply put, the Meow Pet System's rewards came from three main sources.

First, bonding with a Poop Scooper.

The first time he bonded with a high-quality Poop Scooper, he would receive a bonding reward based on the target's fate, strength, and importance to destiny.

Second, daily interaction and fate alteration.

As long as he accompanied, soothed, healed, or even changed the target's original tragic trajectory, he could earn [Meow Wish Value].

Third, milestone breakthroughs.

Every time the host crossed key thresholds—a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years—the system would issue corresponding milestone gift packs.

And it wasn't just his own breakthroughs that gave rewards.

If a bonded Poop Scooper completed an important growth milestone, the system might also issue a collaborative reward.

Seeing this, Lin Yan's eyes narrowed.

Got it.

Completely got it.

This was telling him to leech off big shots while growing himself, and conveniently patch up their regrets along the way.

"This system..."

"It feels like it's teaching me to eat soft rice with a hard face."

Of course, soft rice or not, he still had to earn his own bowl.

Thinking about future Poop Scoopers, Lin Yan began to seriously consider his options.

Since the stronger the bonded target, the richer the reward, his first choice naturally had to be the top figures of Douluo Continent.

Bibi Dong was unquestionably number one.

Her strength, status, fate, and regrets—all maxed out.

But her danger level was also maxed out.

Below her, there were still alternatives.

For example, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan.

He'd heard that Titled Douluo loved flowers like his life and had refined tastes.

A fluffy, clean, glowing little white cat like himself probably wouldn't be too disliked by him.

Another option was Hu Liena.

One of the future Golden Generation of Martial Soul Hall, decent in status and potential, and women usually had a higher tolerance for cute creatures.

But she was probably still young now, and her cultivation was far from Bibi Dong's stability.

As for Qian Renxue...

Lin Yan thought about it for a moment, then silently put that name at the bottom of the list.

Not because she was bad.

Mainly because she was too troublesome.

Her identity was too special, tied to the Worship Hall and Qian Daoliu. If he really went to leech off her, he'd probably stir up all kinds of trouble.

"Forget it. I'll put Bibi Dong first."

"If that doesn't work, I'll consider Chrysanthemum Douluo."

"Anyway, hugging the thickest thigh is always the right move. If I can't hold on, I'll just switch to the next one. No big deal... right?"

By the end, even Lin Yan wasn't so sure.

But thinking about this was still too early. For now, improving himself was the priority.

With that in mind, he didn't hesitate. He first used the [Companion Soul Tool Upgrade Card].

The next moment, the Calming Bell around his neck trembled slightly, and a gentle silver light began to flow.

A few shallow moon patterns appeared on the bell's surface. Its original delicate, compact shape didn't change much, but its aura was noticeably deeper and more solid.

The system panel refreshed simultaneously.

[Calming Bell promotion successful.]

[Current quality: Century Companion Soul Tool.]

[New effects: Moon Storage, Bell Space.]

Lin Yan immediately read the details.

[Moon Storage: Can store a portion of moonlight power for daily cultivation or temporary replenishment during battle.]

[Bell Space: The bell contains a small storage space of its own, currently only capable of holding non-living items and pure energy.]

After reading these two lines, Lin Yan nearly burst out laughing on the spot.

Storage function!

Though it wasn't any kind of offensive boost, its practicality was absurdly high.

Not to mention anything else, from now on carrying things, hiding things, and hoarding resources would all be far more convenient.

Moreover, a Companion Soul Tool with its own internal space was clearly no ordinary item.

Lin Yan extended his mind into the bell and immediately "saw" a hazy space, not too large.

Grayish-white mist swirled around, roughly the size of a small room. For now, it was empty, with nothing inside.

Even so, it was more than enough to satisfy him.

"Not bad, not bad."

"If I get the chance later, I can stockpile herbs, Gold Soul Coins, even dried fish... cough, scratch that last one."

Though a cat really wanted to eat fish.

But as an ambitious Moon Spirit Cat, he still had to maintain some dignity.

Next, Lin Yan used the [Century Cultivation Card].

A warm current surged from within his body.

It felt like a mass of extremely pure soul power origin flowing through his limbs and bones.

His skeleton, flesh, meridians, and spiritual sea were all gently refined in that moment.

The entire process wasn't painful at all.

In fact, it was almost too comfortable, like suddenly curling up on a cushion that had just been sun-dried in winter, making the whole cat melt.

When the warmth faded, Lin Yan could clearly feel that he had grown much stronger.

His body was a size larger than when he was first born.

Though still in cub form, he had gone from palm-sized to a little milk cat that could be held in both hands.

His limbs were stronger.

His claws were sharper.

The soul power and spiritual energy within him had also stabilized considerably.

At the very least, if he had to walk a few steps now, he wouldn't embarrass himself by tripping flat on his face like before.

[Cultivation: Century Soul Beast.]

Looking at the refreshed information on the system panel, Lin Yan nodded with satisfaction.

"Finally, a bit of security."

"Still weak, but way better than when I first hatched."

As for the last item, [Mimic Breath], Lin Yan quickly learned it.

This wasn't complicated; it was more like a small technique for concealing one's aura.

As he activated the ability, the slightly unusual moonlight aura on his body gradually faded, the silver gleam on his ear tips became extremely faint, and the Calming Bell around his neck was half-covered by his fluffy white fur.

If one didn't look closely, he now appeared to be just a very ordinary, very cute little white cat.

"Good skill."

"From now on, if I slip into a crowd, who would ever guess I'm a soul beast?"

"As long as I don't run into some freakishly strong mental powerhouse, I should be fine."

Thinking this, Lin Yan paused for a moment.

Then he silently raised his head and glanced in the direction of Martial Soul City.

"...So, Bibi Dong is probably exactly that kind of freakishly strong mental powerhouse."

"Tch, tricking her is still going to be pretty tough."

But tough or not, it was always right to try out new abilities first.

The first thing Lin Yan attempted was [Purring Dream].

The little white cat sat down on the spot, relaxed his body, and soon a soft, faint purring sound came from his throat.

"Purr... purr..."

The sound was very soft.

Not noisy at all.

It even carried a strangely soothing quality.

As the snoring echoed, the mixed, cold, and sinister aura lingering in Stone Valley actually eased a few degrees.

Even the faint, broken spiritual fluctuations nearby seemed to settle down, as if soothed.

Witnessing this, Lin Yan's eyes lit up slightly.

It worked!

And the effect was even more direct than he'd imagined.

Though there were no living creatures in Stone Valley for him to test on right now, just seeing it affect these scattered spiritual fluctuations proved this talent was no empty show.

"Not bad."

"From now on, if anyone has insomnia, I'll just lie down by their bed and give them physical sleep aid."

"Especially a certain Pope..."

Thinking this, Lin Yan couldn't help narrowing his eyes.

This skill seemed tailor-made for Bibi Dong.

Next, he tried out [Moon Mark Time Slow].

The little white cat fixed its gaze on a small stone slowly rolling down a slope not far away.

With a thought, both his soul power and spiritual power were mobilized at once.

In an instant, the world in Lin Yan's eyes changed.

In the ordinary valley, countless faint silver trajectories appeared.

Wind blowing through broken stones, dust drifting, air currents flowing—all seemed traced with clearer outlines.

And that rolling little stone, as if pulled by a silver thread, stood out sharply in his vision.

The next moment, the ability activated.

The small stone jerked to a halt.

As if someone had hit a slow-motion button.

It was still rolling, but suddenly much slower, as though trapped in a layer of invisible, viscous liquid.

This state lasted only a brief moment.

At most a single breath.

Then the stone resumed its normal speed, clattering down to the valley floor.

At the same time, Lin Yan felt a slight dizziness in his head, and his soul power was drained by nearly half in an instant.

"Tch..."

"Strong effect, but huge consumption."

Lin Yan shook his little head, his expression a bit dazed.

This move was indeed powerful.

But at his current stage, it could only be used as a trump card.

If he spammed it in normal fights, he'd probably drain his mana pool dry before the enemy even made a move.

"Still, no big deal."

"As long as it can save my life at a critical moment."

"A budget version of time-stop is still time-stop, right?"

After confirming his two new abilities, Lin Yan didn't forget his old standby.

[Soul Devour Moon].

This was the true core of his cultivation at this stage.

Coincidentally, Moon Mark Time Slow had just consumed a lot of soul power, making it the perfect time to test the recovery effect.

As he activated the ability, a suction force emanated from the little white cat's body.

The thin moonlight and scattered soul power around him were slowly drawn in again.

But this time, it was much steadier and gentler than right after his birth.

Strands of gray-white light particles entered his body, and Lin Yan could clearly feel his depleted soul power recovering bit by bit.

Yet as he absorbed, he noticed something was off.

The residual energy in Stone Valley... was pitifully scarce.

Much thinner than what he'd initially sensed.

The entire valley was barren, not even a blade of grass. He'd originally thought it was just Death Canyon's harsh environment making it impossible for plants and small beasts to survive.

But now, it seemed things weren't so simple.

Lin Yan stopped cultivating and looked around thoughtfully.

Black stones.

Gray earth.

Not a blade of grass grew.

Even the faint traces of moonlight lingering on the ground had nearly faded away.

Then he recalled the scene from when he was born—that Soul Embryo constantly devouring the world's soul force, death qi, and shattered mental fluctuations...

Lin Yan fell silent for two seconds.

Then his cat face slowly turned a little guilty.

"Wait..."

"This Stone Valley... wasn't naturally bald, was it?"

"Could it be that before and after I was born, I just devoured everything here that could be eaten?"

The more he thought about it, the more possible it seemed.

Not just possible.

But highly likely.

From his gestation to his birth, he'd probably been milking this Stone Valley dry for years.

Moonlight, soul force, remnant souls, mental fragments...

Nothing was spared.

No wonder it was so barren here.

Turns out it wasn't the environment's fault.

He'd gnawed it bald himself!

"..."

Lin Yan's little mouth hung open, the whole cat stunned.

After a moment, he took a very, very soft breath.

"Damn."

"I thought it was the system giving me a crazy boost."

"Turns out, I was the biggest natural disaster around here."

And just as he guiltily retracted the Soul Devour Moon—

Deep in the darkness outside Stone Valley.

A violet-black figure slowly came to a halt.

The night wind was still.

The valley was silent.

Only a pair of dark purple eyes quietly gazed this way.