24: Chapter 24 A Blood Pressure Crisis Caused by a Cat

Gazes accompanied by a faint, lingering pressure.

However, Su Bai felt no tension. He channeled his magic power into the card and said calmly, "Activate."

Sss...

Pink and black mist permeated from the card face, like strawberry cotton candy mixed with abyss sludge, and then ignited.

The mist swirled, condensed, and took shape on Su Bai's palm. Within a few seconds, a snow-white ragdoll cat was crouching in his palm.

Long ears hung on both sides of its head. Its tail was as fluffy as cotton candy. A pair of red glass eyes devoid of emotion or warmth. A subtle curve hung on the corners of its mouth, making it impossible to tell if it was smiling or plotting something.

Kyubey tilted its head.

"Su Bai, good morning."

It did not open its mouth, but that calm, mechanical voice resonated in Su Bai's mind.

The queue fell silent.

To be precise, the entire Class Seven formation fell silent.

The hum of weapons, the boasting, and the mutual compliments that had been echoing just a moment ago—all vanished in this instant.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on Su Bai's palm as if drawn by a magnet.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu looked down at the ragdoll cat.

He looked at the cat first.

Then he tilted his head to look to the side—Zhao Dahai's mace, the Han Shuang, the Master of the Ice Prison Longbow in Lin Xiao's hands, and the short swords and daggers in the hands of the students in the front row.

Then he turned back to look at the cat again.

The cat tilted its head.

"Hello."

"...This."

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu spoke. His voice was strange; it didn't sound like anger, but more like his brain was struggling to process a piece of information that didn't fit any logical rules, causing a dead loop in the processing.

"What is this?"

Su Bai answered honestly, "Kyubey."

"What is Kyubey?"

"A cat."

"This doesn't look like a cat!"

"...A cat-like creature."

"I damn well know that!"

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu's cheek twitched. "I'm asking—what kind of Armament is this?"

"A Conceptual Armament. The full name is 'Conceptual Armament: Incubator Kyubey'."

"Armament." Deputy Commander Zhou Mu interrupted him, his voice rising. "It has the word 'Armament'. Do you know what an Armament is? Swords, blades, shields, hammers, guns—"

He pointed to the circle of cold, gleaming weapons around them. "These are Armaments. And this thing of yours—"

He pointed at Kyubey, his finger trembling.

"This is a ragdoll!"

"This is Kyubey."

"You..." Deputy Commander Zhou Mu's eyes widened, his brain momentarily unable to process the situation. "Can you stop saying Kyubey?"

"Fine, it's a cat."

"I'm not talking about the cat!!"

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu was losing his mind. "Do you know that we are about to participate in the most important Monthly Exam ever, broadcast nationwide, and the legendary Li Qingyue will be conducting the grading! This is a master-disciple recruitment event; we are being tested on our Armament Cards. Don't embarrass me!!"

"So... this is an Armament Card." Su Bai said calmly.

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu: "..."

Zhao Dahai was standing to the side with his head down, his shoulders trembling slightly—it was unclear if he was afraid or holding back laughter.

Lin Xiao had a blank expression, but her grip tightened on the Han Shuang, the Master of the Ice Prison Longbow. She actually wanted to pet Kyubey; strictly speaking, this creature did look cute, and it had some lethality toward girls.

But the situation seemed serious, so she maintained her blank-faced persona.

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu's breathing became heavier. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice within the range of "the rationality a teacher should have."

"Fine. Su Bai, you say it's an Armament, so tell me—what can this thing do?"

This was a freebie question.

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu was giving him a chance. As long as Su Bai could name even one combat-capable function—if it could bite, scratch, or be thrown as a projectile weapon—he would hold his nose and accept it.

Su Bai opened his mouth, preparing to summarize Kyubey's core ability in the most concise language—

Then Kyubey spoke first.

Not to Su Bai.

But to Deputy Commander Zhou Mu.

The white ragdoll cat raised its head and looked straight at Deputy Commander Zhou Mu with those red glass eyes devoid of emotion or warmth.

Then it tilted its head, and a calm, emotionless voice resonated directly inside the bus.

"Hello. Would you like to sign a contract with me and become a Magical Girl?"

Silence.

The entire formation was even quieter than before.

If it was just quiet before, now it was—not even the wind was blowing.

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu didn't move.

He stared at the cat.

The cat stared back at him.

After about five full seconds, Deputy Commander Zhou Mu's lips slowly opened, closed, and opened again. His expression shifted from confusion to bewilderment, from bewilderment to disbelief, and finally settled into a state between being struck by lightning and being insulted to his face—a blank stare.

Magical Girl.

Him.

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu.

Former Deputy Commander of the Seventh Legion of the Abyss Crusade Army. Forty-two years old. Single.

A man who survived alone in the territory of a Tier Nine dragon on the abyss battlefield.

Being asked by a ragdoll cat—whether he wanted to become a Magical Girl?

"...What on earth is all this!!!!"

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu's roar shook the entire parking plaza.

Students from nearby classes turned around, confused.

The students of Class Seven all kept their heads down tightly, their shoulders collectively trembling.

Zhao Dahai was already squatting on the ground, covering his mouth with both hands, tears in the corners of his eyes—not from crying, but from holding back laughter.

Lin Xiao turned her face away, the ice crystal body of the Han Shuang, the Master of the Ice Prison Longbow reflecting her slightly upturned lips.

"Su Bai!!!"

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu's voice rose another octave. His face had completely turned purple-black—the color that only appeared on the abyss battlefield when someone was stepped on directly by a dragon.

"You've spent three years in your senior year studying card crafting, three days researching advanced spatial theory, and in the end—you brought out a ragdoll toy that asks people if they want to be a Magical Girl?!! Did an abyss monster kick your brain?!!!"

"Teacher Zhou, it really doesn't just ask that—" Su Bai tried to explain.

"Then make it demonstrate! Demonstrate its combat power!!" Deputy Commander Zhou Mu stepped back half a step, crossing his arms over his chest. "Come on, do it to me, let me see what this cat can do to a forty-two-year-old retired veteran!!"

Kyubey tilted its head.

"Deputy Commander Zhou Mu. Your causality rating is medium-high. After signing the contract, your Magical Girl form will possess the following characteristics: silver-gray heavy armor and a mace Armament, belonging to the close-range suppression type. Your exclusive magic is named—Abyss Roar. The recommended background BGM for transformation is 'Seventh Legion War Song'. Do you need me to demonstrate the prerequisite steps for the contract now?"

Deputy Commander Zhou Mu's mouth opened.

Closed.

Opened again.

You even thought of the transformation BGM?!

And why is it a mace?!

What's even more outrageous is—he looked at the mace in Zhao Dahai's hand, then looked at Kyubey again—this guy actually knows how to match weapons based on one's temperament?!