Chapter 15: Meow-chan, Super Evolution!

Chapter 15: Meow-chan, Super Evolution!

“Home sweet home, Meow-chan.”

“Meow~”

On the sixth floor of an old apartment in the vibrant South District, in front of a small one-bedroom unit.

Yan Huan unlocked the door, revealing a cozy but slightly cramped forty-square-feet living space.

He turned on the corridor light, illuminating the neat yet somewhat overcrowded area inside.

To one side of the corridor was the stove, while the other side housed a bathroom that separated wet and dry areas.

It was around ten o’clock, mainly because the bus couldn’t directly reach the apartment. So, Yan Huan had to transfer to the subway, making his arrival a bit late.

Meow-chan, with its tail held high, scampered around the living room, inspecting Yan Huan’s Mickey Mouse clubhouse.

Meanwhile, Yan Huan unpacked his luggage from his backpack, hanging up the clean clothes while tossing the dirty shirts into the laundry basket.

Taking out his phone, he discovered a message from Ye Lan asking,

“Are you home, Little Huan?”

Yan Huan sighed, looking at the banana-milk-like chat bubble, and typed back,

“Yeah, Aunt.”

“Good, get some rest early.”

“You too, Aunt.”

After putting his phone down, Yan Huan led Meow-chan to the bedroom, packing the books and laptop he needed for tomorrow into his bag.

He tidied up the place, took a quick shower, dried his hair, and changed into his pajamas before finally flopping down onto his bed.

By the time all that was settled, it was already past eleven.

“Creak creak.”

Compared to the fancy mattress at Ye Lan’s place, his rental’s mattress felt hard and less comfy.

And the bed frame creaked at the slightest movement; if he made any vigorous actions, it would probably turn into a musical instrument!

Thankfully, the soundproofing here was decent.

“Nothing beats your own humble nest.”

Lying on his bed, Yan Huan sighed with a blank stare, charging his phone while opening a video site.

Beside him, after surveying its new territory, Meow-chan jumped onto his bed.

Yan Huan scratched its kitty head and asked,

“So, what do you think, Meow-chan? Is the new home okay?”

“Meow~”

Meow-chan wasn’t picky; instead, it raised its head, tail straight up, with an excited look in its eyes, saying,

“Yan Huan, you are truly the best candidate to conquer those modifiers!”

Yan Huan blinked, confused by its sudden praise,

“What’s going on? Why the sudden flattery?”

“I just devoured a portion of fragments dropped by Ye Shiyu’s modifier.”

“Fragments?”

Yan Huan’s interest piqued; he set his phone down and hurriedly asked,

“What’s that about?”

“Remember what I told you last Friday?”

Yan Huan thought for a moment and replied,

“The modifier invasion from another world, looking for hosts, and then you giving me the modifiers? Are you saying your rewards will strengthen as I deal with the modifiers?”

“Exactly! The way to enhance the rewards is by consuming the fragments dropped by other modifiers. With midnight approaching, we’ll soon find out what has been enhanced. Are you excited?”

Yan Huan looked at Meow-chan, his expression not revealing excitement, but he stroked his chin in thought,

“Before rewards, could you explain how this works? Why do Ye Shiyu’s modifiers drop fragments? And why does eating these fragments make my modifiers stronger?”

Meow-chan looked at Yan Huan appreciatively, then sat elegantly, raising its paw and posing like a beckoning cat, explaining,

“I mentioned before that the way to resolve modifiers is to make them willingly abandon their modifiers. In other words, the host’s strong desire to use the modifier is the pillar of this precarious tower.

“Just now, you managed to induce a feeling of regret in Ye Shiyu, making her reflect on the correctness of using the modifier. Such contemplation is undoubtedly harmful to her desire for it. When the tower shakes due to damage to the desire, fragments will fall.

“The fragments containing power from another world are within my domain to intervene. Through my divine transformation, I can turn them into fertilizer for your modifiers, enhancing their effects!”

So, Meow-chan, you’ve evolved super naturally!

Looking at Meow-chan’s shiny, glossy fur, Yan Huan felt as if he were leveling up in a Pokémon game.

Yan Huan straightened up, showing the excited anticipation of someone ready to rub their hands together.

Alright, let’s see what surprises Meow-chan has brought for me.

But since there was still a bit of time until midnight, Yan Huan thought of a question and asked,

“Wait, if Meow-chan, you eat these fragments and my modifiers get stronger, will their modifiers weaken if they drop fragments?”

“Well, unfortunately, no meow.”

“Why not? That doesn’t follow the conservation of energy!”

Meow-chan looked at him as if he were silly, but still explained,

“Don’t forget, their modifiers come from a lewd world, and operate differently from mine! Their modifiers’ effects are closely tied to the host’s desires; as long as the desires remain strong, they won’t weaken!”

“So, even if they drop many fragments, the modifiers’ effects won’t diminish at all?”

“Exactly, meow.”

“That’s fine then.”

Yan Huan lay back down in exasperation, while Meow-chan pushed him gently with its paws, saying,

“Don’t be disheartened, meow! The fact that they dropped many fragments means the host is already seriously questioning the use of the modifiers; they’re not far from voluntarily giving them up!”

That’s true.

After all, this was just the second day since it began, and Meow-chan had already received the first fragment before the first weekend was over, showing a promising start.

No wonder it praised Yan Huan as the chosen one for resolving modifiers.

But Yan Huan wasn’t too concerned with all this lofty stuff; what interested him was the enhanced rewards.

Originally planning to watch videos and then sleep since he had to wake up early for school, he was now fired up and decided to wait until after midnight to check out his rewards before hitting the hay.

Scrolling through cat videos, the time quickly approached midnight.

As he glanced at his phone showing twelve o’clock, he sat up and turned to Meow-chan, who had also perked up, saying expectantly,

“The time’s up, let’s see!”

“Meow~”

With a meow, Meow-chan instantly released a shimmering, golden stream of light from its mouth.

The light burst before Yan Huan, gradually forming lines of ethereal text.

【Modifier Level Change: 1→2】

【Reward Pool Level Changed to 2, which means you will randomly unlock stronger rewards!】

【Modifier Evolution Count +1, Random Attribute Fragment +1】

【Please select your preferred evolution route from the following two branches:】

What’s this?

The modifiers can even choose evolution routes?

Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, then continued reading.

【Evolution Route One: Wholesale】


【Gain an extra reward each week, but two of the three rewards will come from one level lower reward pool.】

【Evolution Route Two: Devil’s Contract】


【In each weekly selection of three items, one will come from a lower-level pool, one from a higher-level pool. Choosing a higher-level reward comes with a mild, time-limited curse.】

Yan Huan blinked and then pinched Meow-chan’s chubby face, frowning as he questioned,

“Wait, we’re gambling here? What’s a reward pool, and what’s this evolution route nonsense?”

“Since the modifiers were born, I can no longer directly intervene with the effects, meow! Regardless of form, either way, it’ll help you in some way!”

After receiving no answers from Meow-chan, Yan Huan had no choice but to refocus on the two options in front of him.

Clearly, all three rewards he obtained last Friday had come from the level one pool.

Two were useless, and one was somewhat useful.

So, it seemed that the level one pool items were quite mixed; trying to pick something useful would probably just mean finding the least useless one.

Mainly, he had no clear idea of what rewards might be present in level two or higher, making it hard to make an instant decision.

Still, whatever the higher levels offered, it shouldn’t be too ridiculous; he wouldn’t suddenly get Superman or Doctor Strange-level rewards.

After all, Meow-chan’s intention was to maintain the reasonable operation of the world line; these rewards were to help him complete tasks and afterward live better, not to raise another ‘hero’ out of nowhere.

Having realized this, Yan Huan felt somewhat reassured.

He decided to try a tasty appetizer before the main course.

So, he opted not to choose an evolution route initially and instead looked at the 【Random Attribute Fragment】 above.

Self-explanatory!

Here goes the gamble!

【Charm Fragment — Slightly increases your attractiveness to others of your kind】


【Kid, this world is all about looks.】

【Reproductive Fragment — Slightly increases abilities related to reproduction】


【Once, a gentleman used it as an excuse.】

【Stamina Fragment — Slightly increases your stamina】


【Hmm, stopping the late nights might yield faster results.】

Yan Huan pursed his lips, deciding to choose the first one.

The third one went without saying; anything earned through consistent exercise wasn’t worth wasting a modifier on.

As for the second one…

How should he put it? In the current situation where risking it all against modifiers could result in unlocking severe defeat CGs, obtaining that seemed a bit like paying to work.

The first and second were somewhat similar, but the charm fragment’s versatility was more suitable.

As the charm fragment transformed into golden light, it slowly flowed into Yan Huan’s body; he grabbed the front camera to take a look, finding no noticeable changes.

Slightly—

Yan Huan recalled the description of that charm fragment.

Isn’t this a bit too slight?!

It’s almost negligible!

Yan Huan shook his head and finally focused on the more significant evolution route choices.

He ultimately chose the latter.

He had no idea what higher-level rewards might hold, but the lower-level rewards were tough to consider, so he might as well take a gamble.

Go big or go home!

“Buzz buzz buzz!”

With Yan Huan’s choice, the golden light surged and ultimately erupted into three differently sized golden orbs from Meow-chan.

From left to right, they grew larger, in accordance with their reward pool level.

The last one, being a bit bigger, was also enveloped in some dark mist.

【Skill: Oral Skills. As the name implies.】


【In the capital, there are skilled oralists.】

【Ability: Unrestricted Vitality. Your recovery speed of stamina and energy will be significantly enhanced, but your appetite will also greatly increase.】


【The greater the ability, the greater the appetite.】

【Ability: Learning Conqueror. When engaged in learning-related tasks, for every half hour of focus, you’ll gain one layer up to a maximum of 10 layers. After stopping focus for 10 minutes, layers clear. Each layer increases learning efficiency by 15%. When fully layered, you’ll also gain a significant intelligence boost.】


【I will conquer all the unknown until I turn into bones.】

【Curse: You will inevitably feel mildly drowsy when not focused for 5 days.】

Looking at the third golden orb bursting with text, Yan Huan was inevitably intrigued.

Although not surprisingly, the offered abilities wouldn’t be earth-shattering, the level three rewards definitely had impressive effects.

A full stack would mean an increase to 250% of his previous learning efficiency, plus a significant intelligence boost, filling it to max would only take five hours.

And the mild drowsiness—

That didn’t seem too hard to overcome.

Yan Huan nodded repeatedly at the rewards before him; he decided to select the learning conqueror with the attached curse.

For his life, this ability could substantially elevate his learning efficiency, which would be very beneficial for his future development.

For tackling modifiers, this ability could also save him time completing related coursework, allowing him to devote more time and energy to the modifiers.

In summary, this was a very useful reward.

The golden orb suddenly exploded, and the golden light along with the dark mist swirled into Yan Huan’s body.

He blinked and, before experiencing the effects of the learning conqueror, the drowsiness washed over him.

He felt his eyelids grow heavier; if he relaxed even a little, he’d probably start dozing off soon.

Yan Huan would term this his “anti-insomnia artifact.”

After yawning, he finally could rest for the night.

But it left him with the feeling of having stayed up late watching an intense e-sports match, only to see his team fall short with a score of 1:2.

The match was thrilling but undeniably disappointing.

He set an alarm to wake up early for school and turned off the bedside lamp, bringing Meow-chan close into his embrace.

“Meow~”

Meow-chan nestled against his chest, and Yan Huan pulled the blanket over both of them, leaving only its big, green eyes visible in the dark, gazing back at him.

“Meow-chan, I thought you’d be completely unstoppable, ready to sweep everything and be your true self. But somehow after this super evolution, you still seem far from the effects of the other modifiers.”

Yan Huan squinted, sighed, and spoke up.

Ye Bai’s indifference, Ye Shiyu’s hypnosis, and that mystery blonde girl’s super ability…

Thinking about it, he felt quite a headache.

“Meow?”

However, Meow-chan merely tilted its head.

Watching Yan Huan lying there, Meow-chan suddenly spoke in his mind,

“Yan Huan, do you genuinely think those modifiers came here to help hosts fulfill their wishes?”

“…I know they came to invade and destroy the world line. But those modifiers are so strong; aiding them in achieving their desires is probably just a side effect, isn’t it? Even if those desires might be somewhat filthy.”

Meow-chan shook its head seriously while saying to Yan Huan,

“I have always called those things modifiers and not cheat abilities, hacks, or systems, because they are not cheat tools that are beneficial without any harm. On the contrary, they are tumors that can destroy the host as well.”

In the darkness, its crystalline green eyes fixed intently on Yan Huan as it emphasized each word.

“Using those modifiers comes at a significant cost, Yan Huan.”

“….”

Yan Huan stroked Meow-chan’s warm body, contemplating his response,

“Don’t tell me the so-called cost is divine retribution, fate’s cycle, or some moral interrogation; I won’t believe that stuff.”

“Not that, Yan Huan. I’m talking about real costs. Even though I don’t know exactly what that cost is now, I know it must exist.”

Looking at Meow-chan in the darkness, Yan Huan blinked, then sighed deeply, closing his eyes completely.

He then smiled slightly and said,

“Well, no matter what, I feel mentally more balanced now.”

“Meow~”

Meow-chan obediently nestled in his arms, let out a soft sound.

The bedroom fell silent, seemingly a prelude to sleep.

However, the next moment, Yan Huan suddenly thought of something and immediately opened his eyes, looking at Meow-chan.

“So, does using your modifier have costs too? Even if they aren’t as severe as theirs.”

“Meow~”

Meow-chan lifted its head, looking at him as if to say, “I’m a cat; how can I talk like a human?”

“Does it or doesn’t it?”

“Meow~”

Meow-chan playfully blinked, the cutest little cat in the world.

But Yan Huan could tell that it was annoyed about his previous comment, hence now being silent.

Frowning, Yan Huan pinched its chubby face and shook it,

“Meow-chan!”

“Okay, okay! No more pinching my face, meow!”