Chapter 46 - The Dog-hating Cat

"When fighting against Lightning-attribute enemies, Projection skills are the best option for avoiding counterattacks."

Lu Ran remembered some tidbits from the Basic Beastmaster Manual that proved how tricky the attribute could be to deal with. Projection skills used up too much energy and weren’t easy to land a hit with, so most transcendent creatures were melee types. Due to this, the automatic counter aspect of the Lightning attribute was a clear advantage.

If Captain Doofus acts as a powerful offense, I can train Sudden Death King to specialize in defense and counterattacks.

Lu Ran silently formulated battle plans. Since that lizard wanted to max out defense, then they would focus on it wholeheartedly. It didn’t have to focus on attacking since it would defend Captain Doofus. If an enemy got paralyzed through contact, it would double as a crowd control skill.

Once I mimic it with my Super Beast Mimicry, my defensive capabilities will also be off the charts. I will never have to worry about getting injured again.

"Hey! Hey, you over there!"

Lu Ran had already walked back to the hallway and was about to return to the reception room when a female voice startled him. He looked around but didn’t see anyone.

"Down here."

Lu Ran looked down, finding an elegant-looking fluffy white cat with a lush coat of fur. It was staring back at him with sapphire-blue eyes.

Huh?

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Lu Ran stared at the cat in shock. After a few seconds, he finally reacted. "What? The cat just spoke!"

He was sure that it wasn’t through telepathy or any other means!

What's going on!?

Although he knew that special lifeforms would become common in the future, coming across a talking cat still surprised him.

"What’s strange about me being able to talk?" The ragdoll cat’s lips curled. "Boy, are you the one who discovered the body of that necromancer’s victim?"

"Who are you?"

Lu Ran had telepathically communicated with various stray cats for over two years, but this was the first time he had met such an odd cat.

"Me? I’m a freelancer. The Golden Hill’s Alliance branch hired me to catch the necromancer. What a pain. I have to work even though I’m on vacation," the ragdoll cat huffed.

This only confused Lu Ran even more.

Oh shoot, Uncle Zhao Chen DID say that he requested some backup to catch the necromancer as soon as possible... He didn't say that the backup was a cat, though.

Is it the familiar of a powerful beastmaster? Why is it alone?

Forget it.

"Yes, I’m the one who found it,” Lu Ran answered.

The strange cat surprisingly didn’t pry further. Instead, it just scrunched its nose slightly.

"You reek of dog. Did you contract a canine familiar? You also have a beastmaster skill that lets you borrow its power, don’t you? You smell disgusting. Why didn’t you contract a cute kitty instead?"

Lu Ran assumed the cat was important, so he didn't dare to be rude. He sniffed himself to see if he really did smell like a dog. As it turned out, this cat’s nose was sharper than a dog’s.

"The cats where I’m from are quite powerful. Not everyone can contract one. When I was a kid, I even saw a black cat pull out a gun and shoot a mouse. It was major news and was even on TV. If I tried to contract one, it would have probably been huge trouble."

Stunned, the cat glared at Lu Ran. "Do you think I haven't seen Black Cat Sheriff?[1]

Lu Ran chuckled awkwardly. "

Hehe

, so you have..."

This cat was really interesting. It was a pretty old show. Kids nowadays wouldn’t even know what it was.

The ragdoll cat gave Lu Ran a once-over. "Now that I’ve gotten a better look, you've got a great talent. You have a special ability, don’t you? You can communicate with other species telepathically, correct?"

The room was filled with deathly silence.

Lu Ran's expression darkened as he stared blankly at the ragdoll cat. He had never revealed his abilities to it, so how could it know?

The telepathy he acquired two years ago had always been a closely guarded secret. The only thing he held closer to his chest was the Divine Deer Pendant. Although he always thought it would be exposed someday, he didn't expect it to be so soon.

Lu Ran’s frightened expression made the ragdoll cat smile smugly. "Don't be so nervous; it’s just a minor ability. I know a few people with abilities much better than yours."

That’s punishment for teasing me.

Instead of denying the cat’s claims, he asked, "You mean there are other people out there with special abilities?"

"Of course. Of the thirteen beastmasters still active on Xia’s front line, there is a girl who was born with the ability to freely control telekinetic powers. Before she became a beastmaster, she was already as strong as a level 10 transcendent creature. Makes her a lot better than you, no?"

The ragdoll looked at Lu Ran as if he was just average, rendering Lu Ran speechless.

Not only did he just learn that there were others out there who had special abilities, but apparently one of them was even more outrageous than him.

She got her ability—an offensive one—over ten years or maybe even decades ago, making her as strong as a level ten transcendent creature. Wouldn’t she have been completely unstoppable in the beginner trial? Scoring an SSS should’ve been easy as pie!

"Is her name Gu Qingyi?" Lu Ran asked.

That name would always pop into mind whenever he thought of female first-generation beastmasters.

The cat looked at Lu Ran in surprise.

"It appears you know Gu Qingyi by name but don't know much else about her. I'm talking about someone else. Although little Qingyi is superior to her in scientific research, when it comes to combat ability, the only person in the country who can defeat that girl is probably that old man."

Huh. This cat sure knows a lot.

Lu Ran wondered if this familiar belonged to a first-generation veteran. Looking at it, it grew increasingly more familiar. He felt as if he had seen it somewhere before.

"Who are you? How do you know so much?" Lu Ran asked.

"

Hmmm.

Fine, I’ll tell you. You know the Cat Maid Cafe, don’t you? That's my business."

The ragdoll cat yawned.

"The Cat Maid Cafe specializes in brokering information. I can tell you're a newcomer with no background. If you ever need intel, save yourself a lot of trouble and just buy it from my shop."

Lu Ran was astonished. That was why he felt as if he had seen this cat somewhere; It was the statue in the Cat Maid Cafe!

"You’re the owner of the Cat Maid Cafe? Isn’t it owned by a second-generation beastmaster? Are you her familiar?"

"I guess you can say that, but you have to understand the hierarchy," the cat responded.

Are you telling me that you’re the boss, and the beastmaster is the servant?

Hearing a phone ring, Lu Ran stopped pressing further. Looking at the tail of the cat, he noticed that a second tail had suddenly appeared, holding a mini cell phone.

The phone floated to the cat’s ear, and the tail disappeared.

"I'm at the Beastmaster Tower and met the witness you mentioned. You can just come over,” the cat said, then quickly hung up.

"Although it's not much, special abilities are still rare. Do you want to go with me to broaden your horizons and see a necromancer in person? The souls of people with abilities like yourself are a delicacy. Eating one can help necromancers gain several levels, making them popular snacks.

"I suggest you get familiar with their fighting style in person. That way, if you ever come across one in the future, you’ll be able to escape from them more efficiently,”

Sigh.

“I'm such a nice cat," the cat commented.

Lu Ran felt his stomach churn. In the eyes of necromancers, it turned out that he was just a nutritious meal. Wait, this evil cat couldn’t be using him as bait, right?

He didn’t doubt the authenticity of what the cat said. After all, White Dragon said that the Cat Maid Cafe was the second-largest intelligence network in Xia.

"Okay, I’ll have to trouble you then," Lu Ran readily replied. This cat was certainly extraordinary. With it leading the way, the necromancer should not be able to cause any major trouble. He could just watch the battle from the sidelines.

As the two chatted, Zhao Chen hurried over. Since Lu Ran and the cat had already run into each other, he briefly introduced them to each other.

"Lu Ran, this is Manager Ying, one of the founders of the Cat Maid Cafe. Manager Ying is a very powerful transcendent creature and also the backup we requested!"

"We’ve met," Lu Ran said.

"I see. Manager Ying, how are we going to find the necromancer?" Zhao Chen inquired.

"Simple," the ragdoll cat answered. "Take me to the crime scene, and I will use a Time-attribute skill to deduce where he is. I’ll have an answer soon. When we locate him, I will use a Space-attribute skill to lock down the area around him so that he can't fly away!"

The cat licked its lips.

Zhao Chen and Lu Ran sweated profusely. It had the power of both time and space? As expected of the second-largest intelligence broker in the county. It was really good at its job.

1. A Chinese cartoon from the 80's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm1ZuSlphmU&list=PL0iUc7hoZGh6IVFDNEXwPkU1Rc5WR1FwI☜