Chapter 48
by GideonChapter 48: Blue Star – 2
The white mist drifting along the ground seemed to understand the hidden threat in the Theater Master’s words. It surged even more violently—but that was all it did.
It was almost as though…
Something was restricting it, preventing it from taking action against him.
So…
Was there a rule here, just like in the game instances, where touching something would result in instant death?
The Theater Master felt that this possibility could not be ruled out.
As for whether things were really as he suspected…
Wouldn’t he find out by simply testing it?
After all…
【Darling, can you send me a few hundred death-substitute puppets?】
Night Jiujiu, who was currently brainstorming the third template in her little shop: …?
【What did you say? Say that again.】
A few hundred?
Why don’t you just ask me to send you to heaven while you’re at it?
【Then how about seventeen or eighteen to start with?】
The Theater Master suddenly felt that, given his abilities, he probably wouldn’t need several hundred substitutes.
【Of course, darling, if you have more, I certainly won’t turn them down~】
Night Jiujiu, who still had more than twenty death-substitute puppets in stock: …
She rounded up the number and sent him twenty.
【If that’s still not enough, don’t bother coming to me again. My advice is to stop struggling and just restart your life. Accept your fate.】
Wow, how cold-hearted.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe you.
The Theater Master grinned. Considering the death-substitute puppets he’d just received, he decided not to keep testing Night Jiujiu’s limits and provoking her further.
He straightened his cuffs and slowly turned his gaze toward the tightly shuttered shops lining the street.
A clothing store, a barbecue restaurant, a fruit shop, a supermarket…
After looking around, the Theater Master finally settled his gaze on the nearest pet shop.
There was no particular reason for his choice. Mainly…
Behind the transparent display window, specially installed to attract customers, several elegant cats were lazily sprawled across their climbing frames. Their pairs of feline eyes stared silently at the Theater Master.
“Meow…”
Perhaps sensing that they had caught his interest, the cats, which had initially seemed too lazy to move, immediately switched into customer-attraction mode.
“Meowww~”
Their voices were delicate and sweet. Although they were clearly just meowing, there was an indistinct, uniquely alluring softness to their cries, enough to make one’s heart melt…
Unfortunately—
The things the Theater Master hated most were these furry little creatures.
Especially cats like these, which were particularly skilled at acting cute and begging for affection.
Remembering how much his true self paid attention to fluffy creatures, he raised an eyebrow playfully. A trace of malice flashed through his eyes, but his expression remained that of a cat lover who had been completely captivated.
Step by step, he entered the pet shop.
And at the very moment the Theater Master pushed open the glass door and stepped inside—
Time and space seemed to stretch.
It was as though color had suddenly been painted over a black-and-white photograph, while a television drama that had been paused resumed playing.
“Hello, sir! Are you here to look around and choose a pet?”
The lights suddenly blazed to life. Inside the luxuriously decorated pet shop, a female employee hurriedly stood up and approached him.
She greeted the Theater Master with a friendly smile.
However, he did not answer immediately.
Instead, he leisurely examined his surroundings.
It wasn’t just the pet shop that had transformed into a normally operating establishment. Even the previously deserted, dimly lit streets outside seemed to have regained their former bustle after he entered.
The shops that had been closed were now filled with customers. There were shouts, conversations, and vendors calling out their wares…
It was almost as though…
With a single step, he had left hell and returned to the bustling world of the living.
The human world…
“Pfft!”
The Theater Master suddenly laughed.
So that’s how it was…
It seemed he had just discovered a huge secret.
Under the employee’s suddenly stiffened gaze, the Theater Master cheerfully made himself at home and sat directly on the sofa in the center of the shop.
Leaning comfortably against the backrest, he crossed one leg over the other without the slightest hesitation. Resting one hand against his cheek, he spoke in such a casual manner that he seemed even more like the owner of the place than the actual owner.
“Do you have any foxes?”
Although he phrased it as a question, his tone was completely confident.
“Go on. Bring them out one by one so I can play with them.”
Pet shop employee: …?
“Sir…”
She hesitated for a moment.
“Have you considered that we specialize in cats and dogs here?”
He wanted to see foxes in a pet shop that exclusively sold cats and dogs?
Was something wrong with his head?
“So your shop doesn’t have any foxes?”
The Theater Master was very good at identifying the important part of a conversation.
A look of disdain slowly appeared on his face.
“Fine, then bring me a cat that looks like a dog.”
Adhering to the principle that the customer was always right, the employee took a deep breath.
This was a little ridiculous.
But not particularly outrageous.
It was still within the range of things she could tolerate…
And so, the pet shop employee endured it.
She forced herself to put on an extremely professional smile. However, the moment she turned around, that smile vanished without a trace.
“Click—click—click—”
As her high heels struck the tiled floor, producing a series of crisp footsteps, nearly every pet in the shop eagerly pressed itself against the display windows.
Even the dogs that weren’t the requested breed were staring at the employee with burning eyes, practically wishing they could leap out and be selected.
But…
The employee walked straight past the front rows.
Remembering the Theater Master’s disdainful gaze, she felt irritated. She had absolutely no intention of choosing one of the cats in the front rows for him. That way, when he died, at least his suffering wouldn’t be as brief as that of the cats in the other rows.
And so…
One row after another, and then another—
Until she finally approached the very last row—
Inside the display enclosures hidden in the shadows, the cats gradually lifted their heads at the sound of approaching footsteps. One after another, their feline eyes opened.
Compared with the cats in the first few rows, there were only three in this final row.
From left to right, they were:
A Ragdoll cat with one blue eye and one golden eye, a silver-white long-haired Maine Coon in the middle, and…
On the far right, a completely black, long-haired Lionhead cat with a pair of green eyes.
The employee didn’t know whether these three cats looked like dogs, but she did know one thing: only these three could barely hold their own against the shop’s “King of Dogs.”
“Meow?”
The Ragdoll stretched lazily, having just woken up from its nap. It twitched its little whiskers, its soft, gentle meow seemingly sweet enough to melt anyone’s heart.
Unexpectedly, the employee’s expression changed from one of fear to one of utmost respect.
“Meow—”
The Maine Coon in the middle stood up and lazily swished its tail.
Seeing this, a trace of regret flashed through the Ragdoll’s eyes. It yawned, rolled over, and settled back down.
The Lionhead cat on the far right remained silent from beginning to end. Seeing that the Maine Coon had made its decision, it also closed its eerie green eyes once more.
“Click.”
The lock on the middle display enclosure suddenly opened by itself.
The Maine Coon gracefully stepped down onto the floor. Its paw pads touched the ground so lightly that they made absolutely no sound.
With the employee following behind it, head lowered in deference…
It appeared before the Theater Master in a completely unrestrained manner.
“Meow~”
Its lazy, languid meow was filled with the arrogance befitting a cat that knew it ruled the world.
The Maine Coon held its head high and puffed out its chest. Its magnificent, extravagantly thick fur and tiger-like coat patterns displayed its exceptional appearance from every angle.
Especially its tail, which was as fluffy and dense as a feather duster. Even the slightest swish caused its long fur to ripple, creating an effect reminiscent of an autumn breeze sweeping across a wheat field, sending waves rolling through the golden stalks.
The Theater Master stared intently at the Maine Coon.
That burning gaze, that reluctance to look away…
Although it knew that the human before it was nothing more than a meal to replenish its strength while recovering from its injuries, the Maine Coon couldn’t help developing a little appreciation for the Theater Master’s taste.
Mm—
It knew it! Anyone would be captivated by its magnificent coat!
Since this human at least had some appreciation for beauty, it would graciously spend a little less time playing with him later.
As the Maine Coon licked its paws, it was just about to leap onto the sofa and magnanimously claim its meal—
“What an ugly thing!”
The Theater Master closed his eyes, looking utterly unable to bear the sight.
It was as though he needed a moment to recover and mentally prepare himself before finally finding the courage to open his eyes again.
He was so horrified by its ugliness that he could no longer maintain his previously arrogant sitting posture. Pointing at the Maine Coon, he looked at the employee in utter disbelief.
“Wouldn’t this lousy cat even fail to show up in a color photograph?”
The employee being questioned: …
The silver-white Maine Coon, whose eyes were the exact same shade as its fur: …?
The Maine Coon stared at the Theater Master in disbelief. It simply couldn’t believe that a human could utter such a coldhearted lie!
This was an insult no little kitty should ever have to endure!
The Maine Coon instantly bristled.
“Meow! Meowww!”
It angrily raised its tail in a threatening display. However—
The instant it opened its mouth, a finger swiftly and accurately slipped right inside.
The Maine Coon, whose threatening cry had been forcibly cut short: ???!!!
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