225 The Price of Teacher Cat
The moment Dekan stepped into the restaurant, just like when he had first entered the interrogation room on the first level, he perceived the operational rules of this place.
【Restaurant of the Demon King’s Favor】
【Hourly wage of 30 Demon Points.】
【Tips can be collected from customers; however, if the customer becomes dissatisfied, anywhere from 10 to 50 Demon Points will be deducted each time.】
【Maintain order within the restaurant. No indecent clothing, no fighting, and no eating without paying are allowed.】
【The Warden’s embodiment—the Demon Eye—will watch every corner of the restaurant and make judgments. Severe violators will be executed.】
“I wonder what happens if these… prisoners violate the rules?”
Dekan asked.
“I’ll try to turn a blind eye, but if it gets too out of hand, I’ll have to eliminate them. Otherwise, there’s no way to report back to the Demon King.”
The Warden replied in a robotic tone.
Dekan nodded.
It seemed that although there was some bias, the rules were at least enforced.
The Demon Eye appeared to be the strange light fixture shaped like a giant eyeball on the ceiling.
The existence of this prison level was the greatest accommodation for these prisoners.
And the rules were their final and absolute boundary that must not be crossed.
Just as Dekan was about to start work, he suddenly noticed a familiar Black Cat seemingly confined in a display window embedded in the wall of the restaurant.
It didn’t seem to be a prisoner or an ingredient.
Was it… simply a decoration?
“Meow!”
Teacher Cat was momentarily surprised when it saw the silver-haired, blue-eyed Little Succubus Guard.
But within a second, it reacted!
This was Dekan!
Despite his current innocent appearance, Teacher Cat knew it was all an act by Dekan.
The kind of sinister aura around Dekan was something others couldn’t mimic.
Being almost always around Dekan, it knew him better than anyone.
“Excuse me… what’s going on with it?”
Dekan pointed at Teacher Cat and asked the Warden.
He really didn’t expect to encounter a teammate here.
And worse, such an embarrassing one.
The Warden: “It is counted as part of the restaurant’s assets.”
Dekan: “Can I buy it?”
The Warden: “…Yes.”
Deals among demons were simple.
With enough compensation, almost everything could be traded.
“I want to buy it.”
Dekan had decided.
Even if the Warden asked for an exorbitant price.
He had to get his cat back.
It would be quite nice if he could exchange Demon Points for the cat without any trouble.
If the price was too high, Dekan would consider special measures.
If possible.
Dekan really wanted to be a good person.
Since coming to this prison, he neither stole nor robbed but worked diligently to earn wealth.
If there was a Demon Payment App on the Demon Bracelet, it would surely display his “Demon Credit as Excellent.”
“Meow…”
The distant Teacher Cat watched Dekan with great tension.
It was too far to hear the conversation clearly between Dekan and the Warden.
But it knew Dekan was trying to save it!
“Are you sure you want to buy it?”
The Warden frowned, asking.
Dekan felt something was off; this reaction implied the price might be quite high.
“Please tell me the price. I like this cat very much.”
Dekan still wanted to confirm as he waited for the Warden’s quote.
“Its price is 50 Demon Points.”
“Eh?”
Dekan was temporarily stunned.
50?
What sort of cat comes with a magazine?
Dekan realized the Warden’s earlier hesitation was probably because of disbelief at him wanting to buy such trash.
“Do you want it?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
Dekan struggled to suppress his laughter.
After all, a map of the Demon Realm was worth two Teacher Cats.
He put on a painful face and determined to buy it.
From now on, Dekan decided to use Teacher Cat as the unit of Demon Realm currency.
50 Demon Points equalled one Cat or one Dami.
Then,
Dekan completed the payment and successfully took Teacher Cat out of the display window.
Teacher Cat tightly curled up in Dekan’s arms.
It seemed extremely frightened, still trembling.
The last time it was separated from Dekan in the Shadow World,
it at least quickly found Cornelia.
This time it had been trapped alone in this terrifying display cage on the seventh level of the Shadow World from the start.
It had waited such a long time for Dekan to come find it.
It had almost started to cry.
But soon it leapt into Dekan’s shadow.
Only there did it feel safe.
Afterward, the Warden gave Dekan a few more instructions and then left the restaurant.
Dekan’s job was simple: if the prisoners called, he responded; as long as he served the customers well, everything was fine.
Just as Dekan was getting ready to officially start work.
“Dekan… Was I really expensive, meow…”
Teacher Cat, feeling guilty, emitted a faint sound from inside Dekan’s shadow.
It felt as if it had been a burden to Dekan this time.
Looking at Dekan’s hesitance and subsequent painful expression, it figured Dekan must have spent a lot of hard-earned resources rescuing it.
“Indeed, it was very expensive. If it weren’t for the money I risked my life to earn in the previous two levels, I wouldn’t have been able to buy you back.”
Dekan whispered faintly.
Though he wasn’t risking his life.
“Sorry, meow.”
“Hum, just follow my instructions in the future.”
“Meow, m…”
In critical moments, Dekan was still reliable.
Teacher Cat now even felt somewhat guilty for repeatedly competing with Dekan for food in the past.
Dekan had always been like this.
Never counting the scores.
Teacher Cat even began to think living with him wasn’t so bad.
However, at this moment.
Dekan was laughing inside.
Hee hee hee, you wretched cat, I remember when you stole my potions, when you led Cornelia to bump into me in the abandoned mountain mansion, and when you kicked me out of my bed to steal my cat treats in the dorm…
Dekan’s intention wasn’t to subdue the stubborn Teacher Cat for just a while.
He still liked the defiant Teacher Cat.
What he anticipated was,
when Teacher Cat returned to the real world,
and saw this recording from the Shadow World, Teacher Cat would undoubtedly discover,
it was only worth 50!
Dekan couldn’t wait to see how humiliated Teacher Cat would be when it discovered the truth and screamed embarrassingly!
Splendid!
“So I’ll start working soon, you just stay hidden, Teacher Cat.”
“Will there be any danger… meow?”
Teacher Cat had noticed earlier; those noble gentlemen were all obviously looking at Dekan with covetous eyes.
Dekan’s appearance now was almost perfect in every aspect.
But this wasn’t what scared Teacher Cat.
What scared Teacher Cat was Dekan’s angelic smile.
When Dekan showed a demon-like grin, the situation usually wasn’t too serious.
But when Dekan displayed an angelic smile,
the danger level changed.
“There’s none. I’m now a flawless, virtuous person.”
【Moonstone Reward】
Attention! This reward is not for extra chapters! Just Moonstones!
【More Moonstones】→【More Illustrations】
On the basis that seven illustrations have been confirmed, from now until 24:00 on August 31st,
【An additional illustration for every 1500 Moonstones, no upper limit】
【Round up】: For example, if we reach 1600 Moonstones, that would mean 1.07 illustrations. Since illustrations must be rounded to whole numbers, I’ll round up and aim for 2 extra illustrations, making the total, including what’s already arranged, 9 illustrations.
The artist is up next in the queue, which means the first illustration will come out at the end of this month.
Then, every week thereafter, there will be at least one new illustration until the end of the next two to three months, with continuous updates!
After sacrificing his wallet and spending 10,000 yuan to arrange seven illustrations, I’ve heard from the readers that more characters’ illustrations are desired.
But commissioned illustrations are really expensive… Unlimited commissions might put me under a little strain.
However, though I’m not quite sure of the results of this reward scheme, as long as there are no pending chapters, I’m not afraid.
Certainly, it wouldn’t end with waking up one day to find all my savings gone…
Currently, the Moonstones count is at 28535. I’ll sleep now, and tomorrow I’ll see how many more we’ve received.
This time, Mr. Iron-head will not back down! There is no early deadline; it’s extended all the way to August 31st!
Even if there is no longer a five-Moonstone limit per vote, what am I afraid of? If someone wants to fill a van with people to vote for me? Would they make me get 10,000 Moonstones? Paying an extra 3000 yuan for illustrations at 2000 Moonstones would mean nothing to me. Ridiculous.
After seeing the big ups and downs last month, I can confidently say—
Do I have a der? (Defiant smile)
Be a proud father, come vote for me. Show your skills and bankrupt me if you must!
