4: Chapter 4 The Cat That Devoured the World? Human Choice!

"All units, stay alert!"

Zhao Jinlong's expression tightened, and his demeanor instantly turned stern.

The sudden disappearance of the pursuing freak did not make him relax.

This... tabby cat?

The way it appeared was simply too bizarre.

Just as he was feeling anxious and uneasy,

in his field of vision, the silent Gear started spinning again, and brand-new content appeared in the popped-up projection.

[Taotie Cat]

[Category: Anomalous Creature]

[Its appearance resembles an ordinary tabby cat, with a round head, wide cheeks, medium distance between ears, almond-shaped eyes, brown pupils, a relatively wide chest, limbs shaped like tails, moderate length, and strong muscles]

[This entity possesses the ability to devour, capable of devouring any known existence. It is gluttonous by nature and never satisfied until everything is devoured]

[Traits: Gluttony, Greed]

[...]

"Taotie... Cat?"

Zhao Jinlong's face stiffened, unable to process it for a moment.

Although he racked his brains and couldn't figure out why the name of a mythical fierce beast like Taotie would be slapped onto a seemingly harmless little kitty,

given the previous round of popular science from the Gear projection and its revelation of the Gu Martial Arts civilization,

he decided to temporarily believe it, and he had no choice but to believe it.

Especially since it mentioned devouring inside?!

Could the pursuing freak from just now have been eaten by this cat?

Zhao Jinlong's pupils constricted sharply.

Realizing this belatedly, he couldn't help feeling a chill down his spine, breaking out in a cold sweat.

He felt as if he were being targeted by a prehistoric fierce beast.

The harmless little kitty instantly transformed into an indescribable monster in his eyes, making him too nervous to breathe.

But soon he wouldn't have to suffer through this torment.

Because the tabby cat moved.

Swish—

The entire cat turned into a blur, flashing through the alleyway.

The terrifying speed had already exceeded the limit of the naked eye; let alone visual sight, even the tactical analyzer could not capture it.

The instantly erupted speed was beyond imagination.

Zhao Jinlong only saw his vision go dark before discovering that the tabby cat had vanished without a trace.

Just as his heart plummeted into the abyss,

thinking he was done for this time,

Whoosh—

the sound of a blur sweeping through the air rang in his ears.

The tabby cat that had vanished into a blur actually had a target unrelated to him.

It passed straight through his body, and his cheeks could still feel the biting wind blades.

"It's behind?"

Zhao Jinlong turned around nervously.

The cat's target was strikingly behind him; its locked-on prey was not them, but rather monsters that were half-human, half-insect.

"What kind of petty scoundrels dare to offend our Longwhale Gang!"

A familiar low shout rang out.

The rolling sound waves were like thunder, numbing people's ears.

It turned out that earlier, the commotion of the battle between the Armed Police Force and the freaks was too large, alarming other Gu Martial Artists inside the ancient buildings.

The monsters distributed among the pavilions and towers all rushed out.

A single Gu Martial Arts freak could easily suppress the reconnaissance unit.

With an entire gang pouring out in full force, the danger could be imagined.

Zhao Jinlong's breathing became rapid.

Fortunately, what was facing the threat head-on this time was not them, but a certain seemingly harmless kitty.

Whoosh—

A flash of light and shadow.

Before the monsters claiming to be the Longwhale Gang could make a move, the Taotie Cat rushed forward first.

Countless black shadows smashed down, pouncing forward like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, forcefully swallowing the freak.

Eaten clean without leaving a single trace of residue.

The battle between monsters erupted with a bang right then and there.

——

"Holy crap, isn't this movie promotional campaign a bit too realistic? Has special effects development already become this powerful?"

"This imagery is so atmospheric! I real-name wish this is a game promotional campaign, my top-tier graphics card is already dying of thirst!"

"Ancient martial artists are actually Gu Martial Arts parasitized by bugs, and a harmless cat is actually a man-eating monster? This plot, hiss... I feel like my goosebumps are about to rise."

"..."

The Netizens in the Gear Live stream were dumbfounded in shock.

Even if it was just regarded as a movie or game promotional campaign, these visuals were simply too realistic.

Not to mention the content, which was so explosive that people couldn't bear to blink.

Even the highest-grossing popcorn movie couldn't compare to this thrill.

The intertwining of fantasy and reality made it hard to tell true from false, making people eager to know the subsequent development.

Although the terrifying imagery made people afraid, the incomparably realistic visuals tightly hooked their curiosity.

While the Netizens were in a turmoil of emotions, a large amount of points were also born in response.

[003 Taotie Cat triggered massive emotional fluctuations, Emotion Points +2312]

[Emotion Points +3619]

[Emotion Points +1839]

The mechanical voice kept ringing in his ears, but Su Xiu's expression remained calm and composed.

Because he knew the real outbreak was still yet to come.

This was merely an insignificant early-stage recovery.

——

"Captain!"

"Should we step in to help?"

Looking at the endlessly fighting Gu Martial Arts monsters and the man-eating tabby cat on the battlefield,

the surviving reconnaissance company soldiers all had quite stern expressions.

Spectators watching the show from the sidelines could treat this as entertainment, bantering and cursing.

But they were properly people inside the play.

Facing these terrifying monsters, a slight carelessness would mean death; several blood-stained comrades earlier had already used their lives to prove this point for them in advance.

"Help?"

Zhao Jinlong frowned tightly, as if he could crush a fly between his brows.

In front of the overwhelming Gu Martial Arts freaks, the tabby cat appeared extremely isolated and weak.

Even if its devouring ability was strong and it could easily swallow a freak,

the opponent's manpower was simply too vast.

An entire gang grandly had perhaps hundreds of martial artists, all of them monsters who raised bugs with vital essence and were parasitized by Gu insects. Although the Taotie Cat was powerful, after all, there was only one of it, and it would be hard to gain the upper hand.

Although their stockpile of munitions was unlikely to cause fatal damage to these Gu Martial Artists, if it was just to pin them down, carry out blanket strikes, and buy maneuvering opportunities for the Taotie Cat, it shouldn't be a problem.

But should he help?

The Gu Martial Arts parasitized by bugs were certainly terrifying,

but this cat of unknown origin didn't seem like a friendly character either.

Eating people, devouring, greed—no matter how one looked at it, these weren't words used to describe a beast of auspicious omen.

Zhao Jinlong, whose heart was wavering and who even intended to take the opportunity to retreat,

caught sight out of the corner of his eye of the Gu Martial Artists on the battlefield gradually revealing their semi-insect forms, and his eyes instantly turned red.

No matter what, what the Taotie Cat was dealing with were Gu Martial Artists—

those monsters that slaughtered his subordinate soldiers and brutally murdered his comrades.

Whether as a soldier or as a man, he couldn't bring himself to back down just like that.

"All units!"

"Focus fire! Open fire!"

Just as he gritted his teeth and made up his mind amidst a battle of heaven and man, preparing to step in to help,

the voice of the scout Xiao Fang sounded in his ear.

"Cap, Captain."

"That cat probably doesn't need our help."

Xiao Fang pointed at the distant battlefield.

On his somewhat childish baby face, a smile uglier than crying appeared.