Chapter 403: The Cat
"Time to read, no phone allowed!" Lin Yuedong, who had just celebrated his twenty-third birthday a few days prior, forcefully slapped his right hand with his left, stopping it from reaching into his pocket.
He had been sitting and reading for less than ten minutes, yet this was already the third time he'd instinctively reached for his phone. He always had to glance at it, whether there was something important or not, even if, most of the time, no one was looking for him.
But ever since the heavy snowfall that occurred in June, two weeks ago, this severely phone-addicted young man had been experiencing the most trying period of his life.
During non-permitted hours, his smartphone, which originally boasted an overwhelming array of features, became akin to a black-and-white screen phone from decades past after being restricted by the System.
"To think our little Linzi would actually resist temptation and study diligently. This meow is truly enlightened." A calico cat, sprawled on the floor behind Lin Yuedong, rubbed the fur on its face with a hind leg, then spoke in a strange, mocking tone.
Unlike Lin Yuedong, who had no innate ability to awaken powers, his family's ginger cat had secretly mutated successfully a few years ago. After overcoming the Secret Realm's mental manipulation, it chose to remain in their home.
After several years of learning, this intelligent cat, apart from its appearance, had become no different from a human in every other aspect: it played games, watched TV, photoshopped its own pictures, changed its name, and later even learned to mimic human speech using the powers gained from its mutation...
"Stop chattering, I'm reviewing!" Lin Yuedong exclaimed, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "The System assigns a mountain of study tasks every day; it's practically killing me! And I still have to make extra time for reading."
"Better than loafing around like a useless salted fish, playing games all day. Salted fish are only fit for my extra meal!" the ginger cat retorted with the air of an elder.
As using the virtual reality system was quite taxing on one's mind, ordinary people were restricted to a maximum of five hours of network access per day to prevent mental exhaustion. Of this, three hours were allocated to System-assigned study tasks.
After those three hours, if one hadn't completed the day's tasks, they would have to squeeze in extra time to catch up before the weekly test on the weekend.
"I shouldn't have been so impulsive back then, filling in 'Great Developer' under the 'Dream' section! Now I wouldn't have so much to learn!!!" Lin Yuedong shrieked hysterically.
As a half-baked computer science graduate from a third-rate university, he had, over the years, been subtly influenced and once fantasized about becoming a big shot in the industry. However, his "three-minute enthusiasm" for studying meant Lin Yuedong had never escaped the fate of a salted fish.
So, in a moment of impulsive excitement that day, he followed his usual inclinations under the System's mental guidance and filled those six characters into the form. Now, Lin Yuedong was so full of regret his intestines felt green.
"You can't even write half of the nine basic sorting algorithms, and you claim to be a coder? You're worse than this meow." The ginger cat continued its "Grand Sarcasm Art."
Over the past few years, having awakened its intelligence, it had often attended classes with Lin Yuedong, proving far more attentive than its owner, who spent all day playing on his phone in the back row. Accumulating knowledge day by day, with its normal human-level intelligence, it could now be considered half a programmer.
"Don't think I'll forgive you just because you changed your name to Chocolate!" He slammed his book shut and, utterly exasperated, chased after the ginger cat in the direction it had fled.
This rather adorable little ginger cat had, a few months ago, suddenly changed its name to Chocolate and insisted that Lin Yuedong refer to it by that name from then on.
For over a decade, the number of these pets, hidden within human society, who had awakened intelligence and abilities, remained an unknown.
Most of those born into human society, after mutating, largely ignored the Secret Realm's mental manipulation and chose to remain in their original homes.
This was because, for these pets, the true nature of the wilderness was completely unknowable. From birth to maturity to old age, they had likely spent their entire lives alongside humans.
Compared to the familiar human society, the unknown world signified greater danger.
Unlike edible animals raised in harsh conditions on farms, ranches, and breeding grounds, who would instinctively resist humans and flee under the Secret Realm's guidance once they gained power, pets rarely harbored strong animosity towards humans, as most of them had never witnessed humanity's cruel side.
"Aliens, mutated species, other beings—as long as they can be used by me, what difference does it make? What the naked eye perceives as appearance is, after all, merely an arrangement of light reflections." Bai Mo, observing the cheerful chase between the man and the cat through the System connected to Lin Yuedong's body, promptly made a decision.
As the thought arose, time around Lin Yuedong seemed to freeze; all motion ceased. However, as an ordinary person, he remained oblivious.
"Who's there?!" The mutated ginger cat, running ahead, sensed something was amiss. Its originally nimble body suddenly became immobile, as if trapped in an ocean of glue.
"Crackling..." Blue-white electrical arcs sparked on Chocolate's paws, and the fur on its back instinctively bristled with tension.
Mutated creatures did not possess systematic research methods like humans, capable of understanding internal bodily structures, developing various uses for spirit energy, or constructing Spirit Arts beyond their innate abilities.
They could only constantly refine their nearly instinctive abilities, training through repetition until they achieved maximum effect.
"An interesting little cat." A deep voice suddenly resounded within its body.
"What is that?! Don't scare this meow!"
"Welcome to the Destiny System's permanent port. Your initial survival points are 100, morality points are 100, contribution points are 0, ID is..." A segment of what sounded like a mechanical synthesized voice answered Chocolate's query.
As for the deep voice, it, like the sudden appearance and disappearance of the world's stillness just now, seemed to have been a mere illusion from beginning to end.
"Why am I also being shackled by this thing!!!" After regaining its ability to move, Chocolate desperately rolled on the ground, protesting the uninvited 'tight-fitting headband.'
Having always yearned for freedom, it used to wear a smug, schadenfreude-filled expression whenever its owner was constrained by the System.
"Shackled by what?" Lin Yuedong, completely oblivious to what had just transpired, asked, watching Chocolate suddenly throwing a tantrum and rolling around. ranOBES
"What else could it be? That infernal System you humans created! This meow, an unregistered resident, has been caught..."
"So, you'll also have to work with me from now on?" Lin Yuedong wore an expression that clearly said, "You've got it coming." He had treated Chocolate like a person for years, so its becoming a part of the System didn't surprise him much.
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