Getting Beaten Makes You Grow

Selina has been resurrected and gained Cat Superpowers. Her behavior and habits are also becoming more cat-like. She is likely to remain in this state until she fully accepts her new abilities.

Russell held the cat toy forward a little, then suddenly stopped.

Just as he expected, Selina slapped him, her lifelike expression as if the soul of a cat had resided in a human body.

The key point is that Selina herself didn't realize this, and was having a great time playing with the cat toy, really treating herself like a cat.

"Good kitty, come to Uncle Angel."

Russell smiled and used a cat toy to lure Selina to his feet, then casually stroked her chin.

Like the Egyptian Cat, Selina was captivated in less than three seconds, squinting her eyes, tilting her head back, and letting out a pleasant hum.

"What's the difference between this and petting a cat?"

Russell was worried about having nothing to do for the next week when God delivered a giant human-shaped cat to his door. Sure enough, people who love petting cats are usually lucky.

At that moment, Selina, who was in Russell's palm, suddenly widened her eyes, her vertical pupils dilated, and she became no different from a normal person.

Realizing her situation, she felt both ashamed and angry. She pushed herself up on all fours and jumped two meters high before crashing hard onto the floor behind the sofa.

"Okay... wait, it doesn't hurt!?"

Selina looked at her hands, her pupils focused, and time seemed to slow down. She could see more clearly, hear sounds from afar, and her mind was extremely active, to the point that Russell seemed to be half a beat behind her.

Her gaze refocused, and Russell's face suddenly loomed large before her eyes. Selina gasped and fell on her bottom again.

She used the sofa to help herself up, peeking out with half her head, her voice trembling slightly. "Mr. Angel, what's wrong with me? I feel like the whole world is different. Is it because I died once?"

Selina is an easily satisfied person, and because of her habit of not arguing, she is somewhat slow to react. However, after personally experiencing a strange situation, even with her slow reaction, she noticed the changes in herself.

"Don't call me angel. My name is Russell. You can call me that."

"Uh, is that okay?"

"There is no problem at all. Just like Michael and Gabriel, there is absolutely no problem with calling them that."

"Oh oh!"

Hearing this, what could Selina say but nod repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice?

"Selina, don't let anyone know about your resurrection. It will cause me unnecessary trouble..." Russell said, sitting in his office chair. "Also, I hope you will keep my identity a secret and not spread it around."

"I understand! I understand! I promise I won't tell anyone!"

Selina swore an oath, then swallowed hard and asked, "Mr. Russell, I'm feeling a little unwell. Is it because I haven't fully lived yet, and I'm still suffering from the aftereffects of death?"

"No, you were resurrected very thoroughly, and this is not a side effect; it's a superpower related to cats."

"Meow!?"

Selina blurted it out without thinking, but realized her mistake immediately and covered her mouth in horror.

"Yes, this is it!"

Russell said with a smile, "When I found the body, you were dead beyond dead. The only way to put your soul back into the body was with the help of a cat."

Selina shook her head in astonishment, and the silly couple said, "We don't understand..."

It's okay if you don't understand; I have no idea what I'm saying!

Russell's smile faded, and he said seriously, "Cats possess a sensory ability that humans lack. This ability is generally described as 'psychic.' If you've studied mythology, you'll find that in the legends of many countries around the world, cats are associated with Gods and souls..."

"Then what?"

Russell stood up and walked towards Selina, looking directly into her eyes. "You died too thoroughly, your soul was weak, helpless and pitiful. I can only use the cat as a medium to strengthen your soul first, otherwise, I will not be able to save you."

"As for the aftereffects, they can hardly be called aftereffects, because you use cats as a medium, so you inevitably pick up their habits."

"In other words, if cats like to eat fish, you will like to eat fish in the future; if cats hate dogs, you will hate dogs in the future..."

I'm a dog lover!

"Sorry, it won't happen again. The Dog Pack will make you furious."

Selina stared in disbelief. After listening to Russell's train story, she felt her mouth go dry and swallowed several times. "It's incredible! I mean, it's unbelievable... After all, it sounds a bit unreal for a person to develop cat habits."

Russell smiled but didn't say anything. He walked to the cabinet and took out a can of premium food.

He had just pulled the tab when Selina came bounding over, staring longingly at the cat food can.

Do you believe it now?

These words struck Selina like a bolt from the blue, jolting her awake from her reverie of the delicious food. She shook her head repeatedly, saying, "Perhaps it's because it's a high-class canned food. I'm just a poor girl... Uh, it really smells amazing!"

Seeing that Selina was unwilling to face reality, Russell had no choice but to use his trump card to make her completely surrender.

He took a palm-sized white glass bottle from the cupboard and poured out some plant debris. "This is catnip, like a potent liquor that drives people crazy. Cats are powerless against it. Dare to come closer and smell it?"

Without even getting close, Selina's enhanced sense of smell had already detected the scent of catnip, and she stood there, dazed.

A moment later, she shivered and, sniffing the air, lunged at Russell, knocking over the glass bottle containing catnip.

Large pieces of debris fell on Russell, and then he was tightly entangled by the octopus-like figure, his back against the wall, with no room to struggle.

Selina clung tightly to Russell, using her feet when she couldn't use her hands, rubbing against him to try and get completely covered in the catnip.

(一`一)

"Selina, wake up! Stop this! You're a human, not a real cat. Show some human pride!"

Russell loudly advised her, but due to the taboo against physical contact between men and women, he could not touch Selina. He hoped that his strong words would awaken her self-respect and self-love as a human being.

(一`一)

Hey, is anyone there? Just say something so I know you're here. And remember to vouch for me later: Selina hit me first! My nose was bleeding, but I didn't even dare fight back!

Half an hour later, Selina snapped out of the terrifying effects of the catnip, huddled awkwardly on the sofa, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mr. Russell, I didn't mean to."

"It's alright, just don't touch this stuff again," Russell scolded sternly. It would have been even better if his nostrils hadn't been stuffed with tissue paper.

"Mr. Russell, is there a way to remove cat-like habits from my body?"

The facts were undeniable, and Selina had no choice but to believe them. Recalling her frenzied state just moments before, she couldn't help but shudder. She thought to herself how lucky she was; her first encounter with catnip had been with an angel of goodness, otherwise, she might have been turned into some kind of cat.

Then, she became even more afraid. What if she encountered someone who knew her weakness, especially a man? The scene...

This is terrible!

"Removal is impossible; you can only adapt to the cat's habits inside you on your own."

Looking at Selina, who looked utterly dejected, Russell comforted her, "Don't be greedy. You've already won big by getting a free life."

Selina said, feeling wronged, "But what if I encounter a pervert in the future?"

"Hit him!"

Russell continued, "As you've probably noticed, after your resurrection, you gained Cat Superpowers. Your vision, hearing, and sense of smell have all been enhanced, and even your speed, strength, stamina, explosiveness, and neural reflexes have surpassed those of ordinary people."

"So what? If the other guy pulls out some catnip, no matter how good I am at fighting, it's useless!"

"Training! By constantly honing your skills, you can use your strong will to suppress the cat's instincts. Moreover, training will make you stronger..."

Russell said something that left Selina speechless, "With systematic training, unleashing potential, and unlocking that potential, reaching Superman level is not impossible."

Did Batman die too?

Hearing this, Selina perked up immediately, her childhood fantasies rekindled, and she asked with burning eyes, "Mr. Russell, I can become a superhero, right?"

"No!"

Russell's expression was extremely solemn. He raised his hand and pressed it heavily on Selina's heart. "A hero's strength is irrelevant; what matters more is the strength of your heart. Of course, courting death is an exception. If you don't have the strength but insist on being strong, you will only harm yourself and others."

"Mr. Russell, how can I train to temper my will?" Selina suddenly became excited, not giving much thought to the fingers still lingering on her chest.

The angel who resurrected her, who was also her spiritual mentor, was such a great figure, how could he possibly take advantage of her!

Impossible!

"Resurrecting you was a moment of weakness on my part, but I do bear some responsibility for letting you pick up cat-like habits." Russell put his arm around Selina's shoulder and led her toward the gym. "For the next seven days, I will give you intensive training. How far you go depends on your own willpower."

"Only seven days?" Selina was a little disappointed.

"Just seven days, because after seven days I might have to leave Gotham."

"Where are we going? Are we going to hell to destroy the demons?"

"This is none of your business. You're too incompetent, and it's not good for you to know too much."

"Oh!"

On the ring, Russell picked up boxing gloves, protective gear, and other fighting equipment and handed them to Selina: "You have great potential. Ordinary training is meaningless for you, so I have prepared the most direct and effective training method."

"What is it?" Selina cheered inwardly, her face beaming with uncontrollable joy.

Bang!

Russell knocked Selina down with a straight punch, then looked at the kitten rolling on the ground and said with a smile, "Let me teach you what fighting is all about. Simply put, it's about getting beaten up!"

"Wait a minute, I'm still a beginner..."

"Being beaten makes you grow; after being beaten for a while, you won't be the same person anymore."