The night was deep and heavy. Normally, traveling from Tokyo's city center to the outskirts would take about an hour, but because Chu Lian and the others chose a more distant route, it was nearly seven o'clock by the time they finally left the city, despite departing at five thirty.
In terms of size, Tokyo in this world and the one in the previous world were almost the same, differing only in minor details. To someone like Chu Lian, who wasn't particularly familiar with Tokyo, those changes were hard to notice unless she observed very carefully or had a distinct memory of them.
Still, through an inexplicable feeling, she understood that these two cities were ultimately different. At the very least, the Tokyo of her previous world would never exude such a lifeless aura as this one did.
It wasn't the scent of death from corpses—it was the breath of decay from a city already entering its period of decline, with destruction perhaps looming not far in the future.
From Kurosaki Satsuki's eyes, as she gazed at the gradually receding city lights, one could also see a trace of confusion—that kind of dazed feeling born from something out of place. Yet she couldn't quite comprehend what it truly meant.
Outside the car window, the streetlights flickered by one after another, and the cars on the road grew fewer. Rows of trees and bamboo groves lined the roadside, their shadowy outlines whispering that they had entered the suburban world.
From this point onward, it was no longer the brightly lit sleepless city, but a realm shrouded in mysterious natural scenery.
"I can feel a heavy deathly aura in these forests—a kind that only the dead, or those close to death, would give off," Kurosaki Satsuki said softly as she opened her eyes, which had been closed ever since they entered the outskirts.
"Why does it sound so terrifying when you say it like that?" Chu Chu, who seemed to have recovered from her earlier sadness, couldn't help but mutter.
Chu Lian, however, nodded in agreement. "In my spiritual perception, I can see some wandering souls. But there are no evil spirits. I don't know where they've gone."
As her strength grew, the secrets of this world unfolded more and more before her eyes, and she could see things she had once been blind to.
Originally, she had been unable to perceive or sense the existence of so-called spirits. But after encountering the undead in Jiuzhaigou's primordial forest, the mysterious woman on Mount Li, Ying Zheng in the Qin Mausoleum, as well as Kurosaki Satsuki and Yui, she found herself able to "see" these spiritual beings.
At first, this discovery frightened her somewhat. But after realizing that these souls were like lost children—drifting aimlessly without posing any threat—she eventually grew calm.
Now, after barely half an hour, she could already face them with composure. After all, anything that existed and could be seen wasn't truly frightening.
She firmly believed that only the unknown could inspire true fear. The known, no matter how terrifying, could never frighten her—only intrigue her.
So, in truth, Chu Lian's personality was just like that of a cat. No wonder her online alias was humorously chosen as "BlackNeko."
Meow? From the moment they left Wafuu Inn, Tina had been lying on Chu Chu's shoulder, sleeping soundly no matter what happened. But now, she stretched lazily, letting out a soft meow.
The moment she made a sound, her spiritual form immediately dissipated, returning to her normal state. Using her front paws for balance and pushing lightly with her hind legs, Tina leapt gracefully into Chu Lian's lap.
Sniffing the faint fragrance that lingered on Chu Lian's body, she purred contentedly a few times before turning to gaze out the window. In her deep, ink-black pupils, there gleamed a dangerous allure.
Cats were nocturnal creatures by nature. Even though Tina wasn't truly a cat, she shared all of their habits. Sleeping by day and waking at night was simply part of her instinct.
Throughout countless legends, cats had held various roles. They had long been regarded as the emissaries of the underworld.
Some said they possessed nine lives. Some said they were sacred beings that must not be offended. Some claimed they were vessels of souls. Others whispered they were evil spirits from the netherworld.
Whether any of it was true or not—no one could say for sure.
The origins of these titles could indeed be explained—they were born from the art of the night. In the endless darkness, cats would lightly leap across rooftops without making a sound, and occasionally, they would let out a strange meow, eerie and ghostly.
It added a touch of the uncanny—like a cry echoing from the depths of one's soul. That was what they were: creatures that could send chills down one's spine yet still inspire affection.
Thus, it was no exaggeration to say that cats were highly spiritual beings. Tina's spirit cat race had reached an unprecedented level in spiritual perception.
Death, immortality, the undying, beings from the underworld—before their gaze, none of these held any secrets.
In other words, they were natural nemeses of death gods, and the greatest enemies of entities imbued with the attribute of "death."
Previously, Tina's power had been limited by Chu Lian's strength. Her spiritual awareness had been heavily suppressed, and even her ability to see through death had been sealed.
But after one encounter and battle after another, Chu Lian had not only grown stronger but also matured in heart, allowing Tina's innate abilities to return once more.
Her eyes, capable of piercing the darkness, caused the wandering souls nearby to tremble as though they had encountered something terrifying. They let out silent, inaudible screams and fled deep into the forest.
Seeing this, Chu Lian immediately understood that Tina was showing her the change that had occurred. Not only had she become stronger, but she also possessed a natural suppressive effect on spiritual entities.
From now on, if they encountered any undead, Chu Lian likely wouldn't even need to step in—Tina alone could handle them.
Thinking of that, Chu Lian opened Tina's status panel, only to be utterly shocked by what she saw.
Tina: (Attributes slightly increased)
Spirit Form Attributes: Strength 12, Agility 55, Stamina 21, Inspiration 60
Normal Form Attributes: Strength 18, Agility 30, Stamina 24, Inspiration 45
Combat Form Attributes: Strength 42, Agility 48, Stamina 36, Inspiration 40
New Abilities:
Spiritual Sight: Cats are deeply spiritual creatures. As one of the highest-ranking races, the Spirit Cats possess spirituality surpassing countless species across dimensional worlds. In their eyes, anything that has vanished from the concept of the "living" is their finest food.
Underworld Watcher: Deals +100% to ∞ damage against undead-type entities. The damage bonus depends on the Spirit Cat's will and its master's strength. Undead beings weaker than 50% of their power will fear them and not approach. Those weaker by 30% have a 20% chance to flee uncontrollably. Those weaker by 10% have a 30% chance of being erased under their gaze. All undead-type attacks deal at least 50% less damage to them.
Transformation: Switching between Normal and Spirit Forms no longer consumes Dream Points, except when entering Combat Form. However, Tina will no longer fully obey her master and may act on her own will at times.
Staring blankly at Tina's updated stats, Chu Lian couldn't help feeling speechless. Her own strength had skyrocketed thanks to the combined aid of the system, Mana Ouma, Eve, and Inori Yuzuriha. Yet this cat—who spent most of her time either eating or sleeping—continued to grow stronger even after Chu Lian's own progress had slowed.
Truly, the gap between races wasn't something that could be easily bridged.
Seeing her dazed look and the faint self-deprecation in her eyes, Tina seemed to understand what she was thinking. After a moment's hesitation, she leaned down and gently bit Chu Lian's finger, then looked up at her with an adorably serious expression.
Chu Lian blinked in surprise. Tina usually didn't bite or scratch her, let alone look at her with such impossibly cute eyes. The fact that she was doing so now must mean she wanted to tell her something—but what?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Chu Lian's mind flashed back to the feeling she had earlier when she first checked Tina's stats. "She's changed a little… I should check my own."
That memory resurfaced, and realization dawned. Tina was telling her exactly that—the Spirit Cat's growth depended entirely on its contractor's strength. If Tina had grown this much, then Chu Lian's own stats must have changed significantly too.
With that thought, she opened her own status panel:
Name: Chu Lian
Age: 13 / ???
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: 2002.02.08
Status: Gravely Injured (You were already seriously wounded, and you still pushed yourself this far. It looks like you'll need several days of proper rest.)
Stamina: 29 (Currently reduced to 16 due to critical injuries)
Agility: 34 (Currently reduced to 18 due to critical injuries)
Strength: 45 (Currently reduced to 21 due to critical injuries)
Spiritual Perception: 40
Spiritual Power / Magic Power / Mana / Inner Power: SSS / S / A / A
Currently Usable Levels: B / C / C / C
Elemental Attribute: Void
Luck: EX ~ E
Overall Strength: Spirit Rank – Intermediate ~ Unknown
Personality: Sharp-tongued, tsundere, cunning, resilient, loli
Hobbies: Acting cute, losing integrity, yuri, misandrist
Titles: Genius Literary Girl, Genius Music Girl, Drifting Wave Fairy, Loli, BlackNeko, No Integrity, Twin Lotus, Big Sis, Onee-sama, Eastern Dream
Talents: Loli Heart, Orchid in the Valley, Rose of the Eternal Bloom (Unbloomed), Sealed, Sealed, Condition Not Met, Divinity, ???
Skills: Remilia-sama's Dignity, Head-Hug Squat Defense, Seven Illusions Bow, Spiritual Bullet, Spiritual Blast
Special Abilities: Apocalypse Virus Core, Void Controller (Currently accessible to: Inori Yuzuriha)
Soul Skills: White Rose (Half-Sealed; abilities unlocked: White Halo, White Blossom)
Cultivation Method: ???
Items: Reimu's Donation Box, The Gloves Abandoned by the Ladykiller, Misaka Mikoto Outfit, Black Snow Princess Outfit, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown, Undetectable, Key of Seven Illusions (Unknown Ability), ???
Weapon: Key of Seven Illusions
Pet: Spirit Cat Cub
Completed Quests: Goddess Development Plan Main Quest ① – Debut of the Literary Girl; Side Quest ① – Sudi High School; Special Quest ① – Storm Approaches; Goddess Quest ① – Debut of the Genius Music Girl.
Talents / Proficiencies: C-rank Writing, C-rank Music, S-rank Acting, B-rank Eloquence, C-rank Basketball, A-rank Driving, B-rank Painting, B-rank Cooking, S+ Classical Chinese Instrument Mastery, A-rank Singing, A-rank Acting Cute, ???
While it wasn't a world-shattering change, the new additions still caught her attention.