the only pond that could cleanse everything. I chose to walk in the direction where a faint shadow of something stood tall in the distance.
It looked like a structure, or perhaps a mountain, but its surface was a dark red, like iron rust that had endured hundreds of years of sun.
I didn't know what it was, but among all the remaining ruins, it was the only thing that still seemed to have something left, or even
"Humans."
I began my journey, climbing along the uneven path, jumping from trees to walk on sun-warmed rooftops. The air was quite cool and humid.
But now that I'm used to it, being a cat is quite convenient. As long as there's enough space for me to put my paws, I can cross or pass through easily, and I can jump much higher and farther than before.
I gently dropped onto the roof of a wrecked sedan. My eyes caught an advertisement poster for a syringe filled with sparkling silver-blue liquid, behind a dusty sliding door.
"Tired? Just knock out and let the world collapse." I read aloud. It sounded like propaganda, or "Knock can help you." Judging by the faded shopping cart icon on the sign, it was probably similar to minimarts in the previous world.
...But this sky-blue liquid is suspicious. Is it some kind of potion or booster in this world?
I exhaled through my nose, revealing a mischievous smile, just as one of my seniors once told me:
"Heroes in games are scarier than thieves." A deep, low voice of a middle-aged man.
"It's time for the hero to loot, isn't it?" I chuckled, "Heh heh," in my throat.
Greed led me to squeeze through the sliding door. A faint creaking sound echoed. Vines covered the entrance, almost completely obscuring the original path.
Inside the store, overturned shelves were piled everywhere. The floor tiles were cracked in long lines. Large tree roots pushed through the tiles.
The roof above had collapsed, leaving a gaping hole. Sunlight from outside streamed through the opening, contrasting with the dark shadows clinging to the dilapidated ceiling.
The contents here seemed to have been completely cleared out long ago. All that remained was dust and scattered plastic snack wrappers on the floor. I rummaged around until I found a snack hidden under a pile of rusty metal.
I picked up the snack in my mouth, trying to pull it out from under the thick layer of dust.
Something hit my foot!
"Meowwwwwww!!!"
I wasn't startled and didn't leap onto the checkout counter in a desperate attempt to save my life.
[ System report: New skill acquired: High Jump Level 1, Passive Skill. ] - -
Well, that's it. When I tried to look closely, I could guess that the thing that ran into me was probably a cockroach.
I sighed in relief, dropping my rear with a loud "Thump!" A loud "Eh?" echoed in my mind. The familiar feeling of comfort in my rear. I repeated it again to be sure.
"Click." My ears twitched instantly when a sound occurred.
This must be it. I quickly got up and used my paw to push aside the heart-shaped leaves. Yes, this is what the "slaves" in the 2000s world wondered about. Even if I say so, it's just this little thing.
Thump...click...thump...click. And it got faster and faster.
I grinned widely, resting my paw like a flower. I could hear a hallelujah in the background.
Haa~~llelujah.
This is... so incredibly good. The slight bump on the edge of the button, the soft, comfortable feel under my paw. This is clearly a massager.
...While I was enjoying the old keyboard, almost forgetting something I shouldn't have remembered for a moment.
A faint "Crunch...crunch..." sound came from the darkness, like bones moving rhythmically from beneath the ceiling.
A faint sound... but heavy enough to awaken the cat's hunting instinct. I held my breath unconsciously. Both ears perked up to their fullest extent. Silence...Only a piece of ceiling tile fell, hitting the floor with a soft thud.
[Skill: Danger Sense activated. Detected synthetic lifeform, Arachnid. Danger Level B. High chance of severe injury or death. Recommendation: Engage cat gear.]
…Oh, hell no.
A bead of sweat dripped onto the keyboard. At first, I thought it was a toy, until its sound summoned something strange.
I stopped playing with the keyboard, swallowed hard, and slowly looked up, following the sound.
A dark shadow was crawling out from under the darkness, moving unnaturally. Its arm twisted, squeezing through a hole in the ceiling tile.
My heart pounded. With trembling legs, I tried to step back and hide behind the counter, while secretly watching the shadow climb along the ceiling until its form became clear.
It looked like an Arachne from mythology. Its upper body was human, but its eight long, twisted legs extended down into human arms, pale and dark like a drowned corpse. Both hands covered its eyes. Its dark black hair flowed down, pooling on the floor.
It leaned forward and mimicked a cat's meow.
"Meowwwww~"
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Next Episode Preview
"When Satan is slacking off and the boss is angry, does the fate of the world have to fall into our hands?"
Thwack!! [Shelly pops her head into the screen and gives a knuckle rap]
"Nobody's~ slacking off! Let's just say, don't pay attention to that dirty box cat!"
(Camera zooms in on Shelly, who blinks her eyes cutely)
"Ahem… When a box cat has to face terrifying monsters from another world, and his inherent skills are utterly cat-like, how will he survive this situation? Find out more in 'If a Cat is the Protagonist, Then This Other World is Probably Doomed, Meow~'
"o.o"S