Chapter 448: You’re as Important to Me as Joy
Chapter 448: You’re as Important to Me as Joy
In the vast suburbs, a monkey-shaped monster dashed through the dense forest.
Beneath its ribs grew four arms each over two meters long. Each time it grabbed a tree trunk and swung forward, it covered more than ten meters – almost as fast as a speeding car.
The red-faced monkey monster kept glancing backward with human-like panic, as if fearing pursuit from terrible enemies.
Swish!
The sharp sound of slicing through air erupted as an ice spike shot through forest gaps toward the creature.
Caught mid-swing with no foothold, the monkey monster could only twist desperately.
The ice spike missed its chest but froze a clump of fur before passing through.
Thunk!
The projectile embedded itself in a distant large tree’s trunk. Frost instantly spread, turning the entire tree into icy statuary.
The monkey monster stared in horror at a white blur moving through the forest too fast to see clearly.
It recognized the powerful Snow Cat that had been hunting it for the past hour.
“Waa! Waa! Waa!”
The monster shrieked for help while fleeing faster.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
More ice spikes flew as the monkey frantically dodged, its four arms barely keeping it alive through the barrage.
When the nesting ground came into view, the pursuing Snow Cat intensified attacks in desperation.
The monkey monster finally relaxed – dozens of companions in the nesting area would surely repel or even kill this pursuer.
As it imagined revenge, an enormous cat paw suddenly shot from behind a tree trunk.
Wham!
The unprepared monster collided with the paw and got batted backward.
It flew through air like a cannon shell, crashing through treetops until its flailing arms caught a branch midair.
Before relief came, stabbing pain erupted in its arm.
Looking up, it found its limb frozen to the branch.
An elegant Snow Cat landed gracefully above, looking down with cold superiority.
“Finishing strike incoming, meow!”
A cheerful cry announced another Snow Cat’s approach.
The monkey recognized this fat cat – the same one who’d ambushed it earlier.
The chubby feline leaped upward, its body swelling into a two-story-tall behemoth that crashed down like a falling mountain.
Crack! Crack! Crash!
The massive tree exploded into fragments, earth beneath collapsing into a huge crater.
“Oops! Ice Block, you okay?”
Tsukikage Chuxia let out an exaggeratedly fake scream while deliberately twisting her massive body, grinding herself against the ground several more times.
Then she stood up and scraped her claws at the pit’s bottom. “Huh? Where’d it go?”
“What are you searching for?”
The voice came suddenly from above her head.
Qingxue had shifted to human form, standing atop Tsukikage Chuxia’s head while holding the Monkey Monster frozen into an Ice Block. She pressed her foot against her sister’s forehead, grinding her heel down.
“Strike properly next time when finishing off prey. Don’t move like a clumsy pig.”
“Ah! Why’re you on my head? Get down!”
Tsukikage Chuxia swiped furiously with her paws, nearly concussing herself.
Being too close to the Monkey Monster’s habitat, the sisters kept quiet and swiftly departed with their catch.
Traveling through the Dense Forest in their true forms, Qingxue leapt between trees while Tsukikage Chuxia lumbered below. The latter’s truck-sized body carried a massive iron cage containing neatly stacked frozen monsters – their three-day harvest.
“I’m exhausted! Not moving another step!”
Tsukikage Chuxia collapsed, her body shrinking rapidly until the iron cage pinned her flat. She oozed out liquid-like from beneath the cage, now palm-sized yet still resembling a plump kitten.
Qingxue waited an hour before landing on the cage. Watching her sister’s sprawled limbs, she materialized an ice hammer and smashed downward.
THUD!
Tsukikage Chuxia pancaked into the Ground. She sprang up, spherical body inflating as she glared. “Trying to kill me, you wretched cat?!”
“You’ve rested enough. Move.” Qingxue’s cold tone brooked no argument.
“No! I’m bleeding internally!” The fat cat flopped down, paws clutching her belly. “You carry it!”
Qingxue eyed the lazy creature, weighing two options: beating the cat into compliance (risking a day-long cold war) versus baiting her with treats (costing extra provisions). Though preferring violence, she chose pragmatism.
“Today’s our meeting with Lord Cheng. Don’t you crave joy and dried fish?” Qingxue’s icy voice worked magic as the cat’s ears twitched upright. “The later we arrive, the less game time you’ll have tonight…”
Before she finished, the fat cat had already scurried under the cage. Expanding to truck-size, she cheerfully marched onward with her burden.
Qingxue’s lips curved slightly, revealing a sense of intellectual superiority.
Perhaps while still in the womb, she’d stolen all her younger sister’s intelligence as the big sister.
When about to follow, Qingxue suddenly turned to look behind her, sapphire eyes flashing with vigilance.
For a moment, she’d sensed something watching them from behind the scenes.
After observing for a while and finding nothing, she turned away.
Tsukikage Chuxia shouted from ahead, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up!”
Qingxue suppressed her doubts and leaped forward to catch up.
Deep in the shadows of the Dense Forest, a pair of eyes opened, watching the departing cat sisters.
…
When nightfall arrived, a drop of blood from Qingxue transformed into a sparrow, guiding the sisters through the woods to their meeting point.
Under the moonlight, they could see a bright flame in the distance.
Fang Cheng had already lit a bonfire and prepared barbecue, having built an overnight shelter using Steel Blood during their three-day separation.
“Ah Cheng!”
Tsukikage Chuxia dashed over, threw down her iron cage, and jumped into his arms. “I missed you so much!”
Fang Cheng caught her chubby body with both hands. “You just miss my joy and dried fish.”
Even when exposed, the cat girl kept clinging shamelessly. “You’re much more important than snacks in my heart!”
“Good answer.”
“Then give me the joy and dried fish now… Ouch!”
Fang Cheng dropped her directly onto the ground, turning to Qingxue. “You’ve worked hard.”
Qingxue shook her head. The mission had involved considerable danger and pressure, with several life-threatening moments.
But it proved worthwhile. Under constant pressure, both sisters’ abilities were rapidly improving, nearing new steps of power.
After persuading Kanzaki Rin, Fang Cheng took the two cats monster-hunting in Hokkaido’s suburbs.
To pressure them and improve hunting efficiency, he chose to act separately, reuniting every three days.
This allowed Fang Cheng to hunt all monsters within range without needing to care for them, while the cats faced dangers alone to unlock their potential.
The results showed clearly. In less than a month since leaving Mechanical City:
Qingxue approached Hazard Level A-.
Tsukikage Chuxia finally entered Hazard Level B, awakening the ability to control her body size. Though her true form remained chubby, she no longer feared becoming too fat to move.
As Qingxue took over the cooking mission, Fang Cheng approached the iron cage filled with Ice Blocks.
These frozen monsters remained alive according to his demands.
He dragged out the icy monsters and killed them one by one.
Life Fragment +1
Life Fragment +1
Life +1
Life Fragment +1
Remaining: 362
……
After slaughtering the dozen monsters in the iron cage, Fang Cheng only obtained 8 lives.
He noticed that once his Life number exceeded 200, the System hadn’t upgraded further. Worse, the lives he gained began dwindling.
Previously, killing a Hazard level B monster would grant at least 3-5 lives.
Now he mostly got 1 life, sometimes just a Life Fragment.
Fang Cheng speculated two possibilities.
First, his current power might be too strong—low-tier monsters’ life essence could no longer sustain a full revival, requiring higher-level prey.
Second, the System might be forcing him to hunt more frequently by reducing gains.
Either way, it made his work grueling.
Over twenty days had passed since leaving Mechanical City. Despite working day and night, the number of monsters he’d slain was beyond count. Yet he’d only secured 162 lives.
Returning to the campfire, he found Tsukikage Chuxia grease-faced from eating. The fat cat immediately held out her chubby paw.
“Hurry up, Ah Cheng! I’m starving!”
To motivate her, Fang Cheng rewarded her with joy and dried fish during their triweekly meetups.
“All you do is eat!” Fang Cheng grumbled while rummaging through his shadow.
After merging Shadow Dweller with Ghost Shadow Stealth, his shadow’s storage space had expanded. Growing Proficiency kept increasing its capacity.
His searching hands came up empty. “No more. We’re out of joy and dried fish.”
“WHAT?!”
Tsukikage Chuxia froze like she’d been thunderstruck. With no return to Mechanical City scheduled, her treats were gone indefinitely.
“You promised a year’s supply!”
“I… might’ve snacked on them.”
Tears pooled in the catgirl’s huge eyes, her trembling lips mimicking a jilted lover. Just as she wailed—
“Look what I found!” Fang Cheng yanked catnip from his shadow.
Her cry died instantly. She pounced, clawing at his hand to lick the herb.
“Qingxue! Want some?” Fang Cheng teased, waving another sprig. “One sniff won’t hook you!”
Qingxue stared coldly. “Keep your weeds.”
Undeterred, Fang Cheng patted his thigh. Qingxue glanced at her drooling sister, sighed, then shifted to cat form and flopped onto his lap.
Fang Cheng blissfully petted both felines, nuzzling Qingxue’s fluffy body. If only Tsukikage Chuxia were a dog, he’d have the perfect pet combo.
That night, he hugged Qingxue like a plush pillow while Tsukikage Chuxia gamed nearby. By dawn, the pillow had become a snoring fat cat—Qingxue already cooked breakfast.
After meals, Tsukikage Chuxia hoisted the iron cage. Qingxue perched on her head as the sisters departed.
They ventured into uncharted territories. Though Iron Fortress governed Hokkaido for decades, most monsters still ignored central rule. Many never left their birth areas, let alone explored all of Hokkaido or Area 11.
The twins knew Iron Fortress, Tokyo, and Mechanical City well—but much of Hokkaido remained foreign. This expedition filled those gaps.
By midday, they’d covered vast ground yet found only trivial monsters. Only Hazard level B+ prey offered worthwhile experience… and lives for Fang Cheng.
“Ook! Ook!”
Sudden monkey shrieks put Qingxue on edge.