Chapter 26: Hunted by the Black Mist

It was a cow cat, but its size was absurd—a full three meters tall and five meters long. Its black-and-white coat stood out starkly against the black mist, and its amber eyes shimmered like the headlights of a car.

"What... what is this monster?" Pan Guang’s voice cracked with terror.

The giant cat slowly turned its head, its massive eyes scanning Pan Guang before shifting to Mu Chen. The air seemed to solidify; the three parties stood in a stalemate, neither daring to make a move. The giant cat took a step forward, and the ground trembled slightly under its weight. It opened its mouth, revealing a row of teeth as sharp as steel blades.

"I... I’m leaving!" Pan Guang, abandoning all pretense of dignity, turned to flee.

"Hold it." The cat actually spoke, its voice deep and resonant, like rolling thunder.

Pan Guang stopped dead in his tracks, frozen to the spot. A talking mutant beast? This was completely beyond his comprehension.

"You humans are truly interesting," the cat said leisurely. "That was quite an intense fight just now."

Mu Chen gripped his katana tightly, his muscles coiled. A beast that could speak possessed intelligence equal to or greater than a human’s. Such a creature was a thousand times more dangerous than a common monster.

"What... what are you?" Pan Guang’s voice trembled.

"What am I?" The cat let out a low chuckle. "I am the administrator of this region. If you’re going to fight on my turf, you should at least greet me, shouldn't you?"

An administrator? Mu Chen’s heart sank. The status of this cat in the black mist was clearly extraordinary.

Pan Guang swallowed hard, his voice shaking. "Right... we’ll leave now. We won't disturb you any further."

"Leave?" The cat’s voice carried a playful tone. "But you’ve already woken me up."

Before the words had finished echoing, the giant cat lunged at Pan Guang. For a creature three meters tall, its speed was preposterous. It moved with an agility that belied its massive, hulking frame.

"Ah!" Pan Guang screamed as his telekinetic energy surged outward. Countless shards of rock and debris instantly condensed into a wall, attempting to block the beast. But when the debris struck the cat, it was simply deflected by its fur. Not a single hair was harmed.

"Is that all you've got?" the cat sneered.

Its giant claw, accompanied by a howling gust of wind, came crashing down like a collapsing mountain. Pan Guang’s telekinetic shield shattered instantly. He was swatted away like a fly, flying a dozen meters before slamming uncontrollably into a large tree.

"Ugh!"

Pan Guang spat out a mouthful of blood, his face deathly pale. He tried to crawl up, but his bones felt completely shattered.

The cat ignored Pan Guang and turned its gaze toward Mu Chen, its voice still playful. "Your turn, kid. That teleportation of yours is quite interesting."

Mu Chen remained silent. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade, his muscles tensed. He stared fixedly at the beast, his mind racing to find a flaw he could use to escape.

The giant cat slowly sat down, its tail swaying gently behind it. "No need to be so guarded," it said. "I bear you no ill will."

Mu Chen pointed the tip of his katana toward the ground and asked coldly, "No ill will? Then what about that one on the ground?"

"Him?" The cat’s voice turned instantly icy, radiating an unquestionable murderous intent. "He deserves it. Murdering the innocent, bullying the weak—scum like him living in this world is a pure waste of air."

Mu Chen was profoundly shocked; he nearly lost his grip on his sword. A mutant beast, actually capable of saying such things? Distinguishing between good and evil? It completely overturned his worldview.

"Surprised?" The cat’s voice held a hint of amusement. "Do you think beasts are supposed to be savage, bloodthirsty, and only capable of slaughter?"

"Aren't they?" Mu Chen replied in a low voice.

The cat let out a low laugh. "The descent of the black mist didn't just change our size and strength; it changed our intelligence. Some beasts have indeed become more brutal, but others... have become more rational, and even possess their own rules."

The cat stood up and walked toward Chen Si. Looking down at the unconscious young girl, its voice actually carried a trace of concern. "This little girl is severely injured. She needs immediate treatment."

Mu Chen flashed forward, blocking Chen Si’s path. He held his katana across his chest and demanded sharply, "What do you want?"

"To save her." The cat spat out a green fruit. "This is a Healing Fruit. It can rapidly knit together external wounds."

Chen Si weakly opened her eyes and nearly fainted upon seeing the giant beast.

"Don't be afraid," the cat’s voice softened. "I won't hurt you."

Mu Chen hesitated for a moment before walking over to retrieve the green fruit. He inspected it carefully and found nothing amiss. "Why are you helping us?" he asked directly.

The cat sat back down. "Because you are different. That girl has a kind heart, and you... you have a special aura about you."

"What kind of aura?"

"The aura of the System," the cat said, the words striking Mu Chen like a bolt of lightning. "You are also one of the chosen."

Mu Chen’s heart was in turmoil. It knew about the existence of the System?

"You seem surprised," the cat continued. "Actually, it’s not just humans who have Systems. A few lucky ones among us mutant beasts have obtained them as well."

The information was too staggering for Mu Chen to respond immediately.

"Don't overthink it," the cat said, standing up. "Go ahead and heal the girl. As for other matters, we can talk about them later."

Mu Chen nodded and fed the Healing Fruit to Chen Si. The fruit melted upon contact, and the wounds on Chen Si’s body began to heal at a visible rate.

"How amazing..." Chen Si whispered weakly.

"You may go now." The cat turned to leave. "Remember, this region is my territory. If you have trouble in the future, you can come to me, provided you do not kill the innocent."

"Wait!" Mu Chen called out. "What is your name?"

The cat glanced back over its shoulder. "My name is Xiaobai."

"Xiaobai?" Mu Chen was speechless. Such a formidable, giant beast was called Xiaobai?

"Surprised?" Xiaobai bared its teeth in an eerie grin. "I was indeed an ordinary cow cat before, and that is what my owner called me."

With that, it turned and walked into the black mist, vanishing in an instant.

Mu Chen helped Chen Si up, both of them still immersed in the shock of what had just occurred.

"Mu Chen..." Chen Si asked softly, "Did that cat... really want to help us?"

Mu Chen looked toward the direction where Xiaobai had disappeared. "I think so. But this world is becoming increasingly complicated."

In the distance, Pan Guang struggled to his feet. He glared at Mu Chen’s direction with venomous eyes, silently harboring his grudge. "Kid... I’ll remember this debt..." he hissed through gritted teeth, before stumbling away into the black mist.