Chapter 96 Hello, My Cat (System) Master, tell the truth...

To be honest, Lin Yue had prepared for the worst before setting off. He even rehearsed in his mind several times how to outwit and outfight the mutated slugs in the fog, and how to protect the elderly and children and fight his way out of the Shadow Claw Leopard's siege.

However, the journey to Silvermoon Forest was a million times smoother than he had imagined.

The mist that had once caused them so much suffering, filled with corrosive poisonous gas and all sorts of bizarre monsters, seemed to have become docile overnight. So docile that even the makeshift gas masks they had prepared beforehand were completely useless.

Even more strangely, they didn't encounter a single wild animal along the way.

Occasionally, when camping at night, one could sense a few pairs of green eyes peering out from the shadows of the distant trees. But when they saw the blazing campfires surrounding their camp and Xiao Fen dozing by the fire, occasionally letting out a few intimidating growls, those potential dangers would wisely retreat.

“That’s strange…” Lin Yue added firewood to the fire while stroking his chin, completely puzzled. “Could it be that our group is too poor, with too many old people and too few young ones, that even wild animals are too lazy to rob us?”

He arranged for the elderly and children to rest on the Hope No. 1 heavy truck. Those who couldn't sleep huddled close to the truck, and a ring of bright torches was lit around them to dispel the darkness and cold.

And so, in an eerily peaceful atmosphere reminiscent of a picnic, the migrating caravan finally arrived at the true outer reaches of the Silvermoon Forest at noon on the third day.

The trees here have grown taller and denser, their ancient branches completely obscuring the sky. The ground is covered with a thick layer of moss, and massive rocks and gnarled tree roots are everywhere.

Hopefully, the massive wheels of the No. 1 heavy truck are now unable to move an inch here.

"Elder, the car probably can't get through this road ahead." Lin Yue frowned as he looked at the almost impassable primeval forest before him. "There are so many elderly people and children; we can't just let them walk in on their own, can we?"

“No need to worry, Lin Yue.” Elder Farador pointed ahead. “This area is already within the protection zone of Silvermoon Forest. From here on, the real dangers actually decrease. At a young man’s pace, we can reach the elves’ outpost in less than half a day. My idea is that we settle down here first, and you and I, along with two other young men, will go ahead to ask the elves for help. Once we find them, we can ask them to send someone to help bring the elderly and children inside.”

"That's a good idea," Lin Yue immediately agreed.

He left Xiaofen behind and solemnly instructed her, "Xiaofen, I'm entrusting this place to you. Protect everyone. Don't let anyone approach before I return, understand?"

Xiao Fen nodded understandingly, then walked to the outermost edge of the line and squatted down beside the cart like a loyal sentinel.

Lin Yue then addressed the remaining people, saying, "Everyone, rest here. If we haven't returned by tomorrow morning, immediately take everyone and return to Hope Town the way you came. Don't hesitate."

After explaining everything, and considering that the elves were more friendly to the Silent Ones, Lin Yue, Elder Farador, and two agile young Silent Ones, along with enough water and dry rations, plunged into the deeper and more mysterious primeval forest.

The further Lin Yue went, the more alarmed she became.

The trees here seem to have a life of their own, actively avoiding the road and forming natural forest paths.

Along the way, he saw many exotic flowers and plants that he had never seen before on the outskirts of the Cursed Land, some even emitting a faint glow. Some plants had leaves as clear as crystal, while others had flowers that changed color with the light.

"My goodness... if Norm and the others saw this, they'd be ecstatic!" Lin Yue exclaimed in amazement. "It's a pity the system is still upgrading, otherwise we could have gotten a whole bunch of free plant encyclopedias. I wonder when it'll finish upgrading..."

Elder Farador's pace gradually slowed. He needed to stop frequently to carefully examine the trees and rocks around him that looked almost identical, recalling the ancient path hidden deep in his memory.

Just as they were about to go around a huge, moss-covered rock, a soft rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes not far ahead.

Everyone instantly became alert and instinctively gripped their weapons.

Before they could even see what it was, a familiar voice, full of venom, rang in his mind, leaving Lin Yue petrified on the spot.

[Idiot! You've gone to the wrong place!]

The next second, a ghostly black figure darted out of the bushes like lightning and pounced directly on Lin Yue's face.

"Holy crap!"

Lin Yue was startled. Everything went black before his eyes, and a furry sensation instantly covered his entire face. He instinctively tried to struggle and reach out to grab what was on his face.

But after the thing pounced on his face, it didn't make any aggressive moves. It just lay there quietly and even rubbed its soft body against his face.

Lin Yue's hand froze in mid-air. He groped and grabbed the thing's two warm forearms, then forcefully lifted it off his face.

He held it up to his eyes and saw clearly that it was a kitten with green eyes and an entirely black body.

His appearance... seems vaguely familiar.

The little black cat was held in mid-air by him and wagged its tail in dissatisfaction.

Lin Yue, unable to appreciate its cuteness, suddenly snapped back to reality and urgently called out to Elder Farador, who was about to continue leading the way, "Elder, wait a minute, are you sure this is the right path? I... I suddenly felt that the path ahead... seemed a bit dangerous..."

Elder Farador was taken aback. He looked again at the open path behind the rock, then at the narrow side path that was almost invisible and hidden by vines, and frowned.

He closed his eyes, desperately searching through the depths of his memory. After a long while, he suddenly opened his eyes, a flicker of lingering fear in them.

“…Yes…I must have misremembered.” Elder Farador sighed deeply, a bitter smile on his face. “As one gets old…one’s memory really doesn’t go astray. That path ahead is a dead end leading to the Bewitching Swamp, filled with illusions and poisonous gas…The real path should be this…hidden path beside us…”

He looked at Lin Yue, his eyes filled with surprise and confusion: "Lin Yue, how did you know? Could it be... that you can also sense the danger in this forest?"

The two silent youths also looked at Lin Yue with the eyes of someone looking at a monster.

"Uh... well..." Lin Yue couldn't very well say that he had a sharp-tongued navigation system, could he? He could only point to the "culprit" in his hand and forcefully explain, "Maybe... maybe it's fate? Look, if this little guy hadn't suddenly rushed out and pounced on my face, delaying us for a moment, we might have walked straight into that dead end. What does this mean? It means that it is a lucky star sent by heaven to save us."

Elder Farador and the two Silent Youths were also stunned when they saw the little creature. They had never seen such a creature in the Cursed Lands before.

"What...what is this?" The elder stared at the little black cat, his eyes filled with confusion. "It looks...somewhat like a shadow leopard cub from the forest, and also somewhat like the cat-like beastmen of those orc tribes...but its aura...is very strange..."

"Lord Lin, quickly throw it away!" a young man who was a silent observer urged anxiously. "You can't just touch things in the forest. Who knows if it's poisonous?"

Lin Yue ignored them. He simply held up the little black cat, his eyes filled with nostalgia, uncertainty, and a hint of absurdity.

“…Little Black?” he called out tentatively.

"Idiot, let go!" The familiar voice rang in his mind again.

Lin Yue's hand trembled, almost dropping the cat. He incredulously muttered to himself in an even more uncertain tone, "...System?"

The little black cat struggled impatiently for a moment, then nimbly slipped out of his grasp. With a light kick, it jumped directly onto his shoulder, found a comfortable spot, tucked its little paws into a ball of black fur, and began to doze off.

At the same time, the familiar semi-transparent interface that Lin Yue hadn't seen for a long time reappeared before his eyes.

However, this time the interface is more concise and has a more technological feel. The original modules have been reorganized, and several new unknown icons have been added.

At the very top of the interface, a line of large, softly glowing white text clearly displays:

[The "A Bite of Civilization" system V2.0 upgrade is complete. Hello, my host.]

Lin Yue: "..."

He is now 100% certain.

This seemingly harmless little black cat, which appeared out of nowhere, really was the dog system that accompanied him all the way, complained about him all the way, and helped him all the way!

"No... how... how did you become like this?" Lin Yue asked in his mind with a tone of disbelief.

"Upgraded, now you can do this." The system's reply was as concise and aloof as ever.

"Then...now that you have a physical form, do you have a name?"

【No. 】

"Shall I pick one for you?"

【casual. 】

"Xiao Hei, you can call yourself Xiao Hei."

【casual. 】

"If you have no objections, then we'll call him Xiao Hei."

[...]

Seeing that it didn't object, Lin Yue took it as consent. He cleared his throat and, trying to appear calm, said to Elder Farador and the others who were still looking tense, "Ahem, Elders, everyone, look, this little guy just saved our lives. It's fate, destiny! And it didn't attack me. I think it's so small and pitiful. What if we leave it here and it gets eaten by other wild animals? I think... I think I should adopt it."

So, with the addition of a little black cat of unknown origin, the now somewhat mixed-origin expedition team continued its arduous journey through the forest.

The little black cat seemed to have no interest in traveling. Most of the time it curled up on Lin Yue's backpack or shoulder and pretended to sleep. Only occasionally would it open its eyes and lazily look around at its surroundings.

"Little Black, Little Black," Lin Yue kept bothering it as they walked. "After you level up, besides turning into a cat, what new functions do you have? Can you give me something like instant max level or unlimited points?"

No comment. Please explore on your own.

"Tch, stingy." Lin Yue curled his lip and changed the subject, "Xiao Hei, are you hungry? I have some dried meat strips and compressed wild vegetable pancakes, do you want to try some?"

Xiao Hei didn't even bother to lift its eyelids; its black tail just swished impatiently back and forth, gently patting the back of Lin Yue's neck.

Lin Yue was helpless against its aloof attitude.

After all, this is his system, his cheat code. Now that it has taken physical form, and is even a cute and cuddly little kitten, he has to treat it like royalty.

He even solemnly introduced Xiao Hei's name to Elder Farador and the others.

"Elders, look, its name is Xiao Hei, how cute it is."

Elder Farador: "..."

The Silent Youth A: "..."

Young Man B, the Silent One: "..."

They looked at the black fur ball perched on Lin Yue's shoulder, not even bothering to lift its eyelids, yet conveying a haughty "I understand, get out of here" attitude with the tip of its tail, and a thought simultaneously popped into their minds:

Is this Lord Lin Yue... really a little off in the head?