Shang Wei had taken a stab wound, and though Yu Yu hastily cast Healing to stabilize her, it was still shaky at best. Back home, Yu Yu tasked Yu Bai with taking her for treatment, with Xiang Qin and the others tagging along.
"Don't let her die," Yu Yu said casually. "She owes me now. If she croaks, you're covering her debt."
Xiang Qin's lips twitched. "…She won't die."
Yu Yu waved them off.
Once they left, Yu Yu shut down the stream and promptly fished out the Bronze Leaf. Her Spirit retrieved the small bronze branch from the light fixture. "Senior, any special traits in these two?"
The silver-white giant wolf sprawled on the sofa, ears flicking. Her deep blue eyes fixed on the branch. "Your bronze artifacts?"
Yu Yu's eyes sparkled. "Yup, but they're not super useful."
Felix agreed, her tone cool. "Barely effective. You'd do better learning Guardian skills yourself."
Yu Yu pieced them together, and they fit perfectly. The bronze branch glowed faintly green. Under Yu Yu's astonished gaze, the leaf fused seamlessly, as if it had always belonged, with no trace of splicing. This happened right under everyone's noses, catching even Felix off guard.
A flicker of curiosity stirred in her deep blue eyes. "Quite peculiar."
Yu Yu held the branch closer to Wolf Wolf, her pinky sneakily brushing the flowing fur on her paws.
Felix's sharp eyes caught it, darting to Yu Yu. Yu Yu instantly adopted a serious face, feigning utmost professionalism.
Felix sniffed the branch, then nudged it away. "This scent… I've encountered it before."
Yu Yu perked up. "What? What?"
Felix mused for a moment. "I'll take you to find it tomorrow."
A Silver Moon Sky wolf's senses were extraordinary, even if she rarely leaned on them. If Fufu were here, she'd probably track it faster. Felix rested her chin on the sofa, deep blue eyes studying Yu Yu.
Wolf Wolf's tired, time to slack off.jpg (Yu Yu's translation)
Yu Yu yearned to flop down too—face-to-face with Wolf Wolf. Or let Wolf Wolf rest on her lap, or maybe she could sprawl on Wolf Wolf's!
Wahhh, fluffy giant Wolf Wolf, why can't I hug her?
When will I max out Senior's affection meter?!
Truth be told, others were just as smitten, including Chang Yu, who'd returned home. But no one dared approach.
Wolf Wolf was gentle with Yu Yu, almost tame, but that didn't extend to others. Her gaze toward them was so cold, so detached, those deep blue eyes utterly ruthless.
Fierce wolf!
Er Er skulked around Wolf Wolf, tail tucked, and had already scampered upstairs to hide in Shu Tu's room. Maybe it was her imagination, but Yu Yu felt Er Er was getting smarter lately.
Before, it didn't grasp "no chewing slippers or cables."
Now, it understood but chose to chew, playing guerrilla games with Yu Yu and the others. Still, Yu Yu wasn't sure—maybe just a hunch…
"Don't you guys think Er Er's been acting smarter?"
Zi Shu's usual sofa was claimed by Wolf Wolf, so she settled on another.
She hummed at Yu Yu's question. "Nah, probably just picking up human traits from hanging with us?"
Pausing, she reconsidered, sneaking a glance at Wolf Wolf. "Or maybe it is smarter?"
"I saw it open the faucet to drink last time."
Fuyu piped up, "Wait, you saw that too? I caught it sneaking into the fridge, eating Shu Tu's prepped meat early."
Shu Tu gave an awkward chuckle. "Yeah… Er Er's definitely getting cleverer. Not sure if it's tied to rogue skills."
Rogue skills often awakened animal intelligence.
At that, the trio's interest fizzled.
Oh, just skills.
Shu Tu hesitated. "But… the cows and pigs at home seem a bit…"
She trailed off. "Smarter too."
Yu Yu blinked. "Huh? Really? They still seem pretty dumb to me."
Turning, she chirped, "Senior, let's go for a drive tomorrow, yeah? Then hit up a fancy dinner!"
Felix's deep blue eyes cracked open a sliver. "…Mm."
She was half-asleep. Yu Yu cast Identify on the bronze branch again. Aside from an expanded range—now covering two houses instead of one—no other changes.
She tossed it to Chang Yu. "Here, hang it on the light."
Chang Yu, who'd been gazing dreamily at Shu Tu, leaped lightly, hung the branch, then plopped back beside Shu Tu to watch Blue World. Since that incident, Chang Yu seemed more mature, quieter. Yu Yu wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Finally, she remembered the stream. She'd cut it off casually upon arriving home.
Reopening it, the virtual room was packed.
Feng Ye: [Why's Felix at your place? Spill.]
Yu Yu grinned. "The invitation, duh! Didn't I report to the Grand Archon already?"
"Pugris's Satchel, the invitation, the Supply Transfer Voucher," Yu Yu giggled, "I gave the invitation to Senior, and she came!"
"Next time I get one," Yu Yu winked at the stream, "I'll invite you seniors to hang out~~~"
Crowd: […]
Slightly tempted.
Felix opened her eyes, glancing at the wristband. "This place has a sun, and contamination's negligible—lower than Silver Moon, not even a hundredth of the Main Continent's."
"And there's a moon."
After midnight, mist rose, but only to about a hundred meters. A Silver Moon celestial wolf could fly up to bask in moonlight. If Fufu came, even without a Soul Moon, she could hit Legendary in two years. Felix needed to convince Yu Yu to bring Fufu over.
She continued, "The food's great, no evil gods, low stress—perfect for a vacation."
Yu Yu's smile froze. "Va… vacation?"
I'm drowning in chaos, and you call this a vacation spot?
Are you serious?
Felix shot her a look, adding, "Teacher, you should come too."
Feng Ye's face darkened. [So she hands you an invitation, and you just take it? Weren't you at headquarters? You didn't request leave—how'd you get out?]
Felix: "I'm…"
She got two words out before falling silent.
Her deep blue eyes flickered with confusion.
How'd she get muted?
Yu Yu: "What? What? Yeah, how'd you get out, Senior?"
Felix thought, then said, "I… took leave. Ask again."
The stream caught the hint. With Wolf Wolf's face filling the screen, her brief puzzlement was crystal clear.
Like she'd been muted…
Feng Ye dropped it, switching gears. "You logging on today?"
Yu Yu pouted. "I wanna take Senior out to play."
She batted her eyes innocently. "Night Sovereign's not back yet, so no rush for a day or two, right?"
Perfectly reasonable, no?
Meng: [Kinda jealous. I've never seen the sun.]
Yu Yu's eyes lit up. "Senior, I'll call you next invitation!"
Chong: [What about me?]
Yu Yu, thinking of his tail, grew even more eager. "The one after's for Senior Chong!"
Chang: […]
Feng Ye: [Heh.]
Xue: [Well said. How many classes have you skipped? You were unconscious before, fine, but now you're dodging again?]
Yu Yu's smile stiffened. "But Senior's here for a rare visit!"
Xue: [That's your problem.]
Yu Yu's face crumpled, but her eyes darted. "Can Senior teach me then? She was great before!"
She'd only switched to Xue after Felix went to headquarters. The memories were painful.
Meng: [Oh? Skipping my classes too? I thought you meant half-day play, half-day study. You're aiming for all day?]
Yu Yu: "…"
Seeing her misery, Feng Ye chuckled. [So, what's the plan?]
Yu Yu: "I'll take Senior Meng's class at night, and half the day Senior can cover Senior Xue's lessons. Perfect!"
Classes with Wolf Wolf >> Classes with Senior Xue
The next three days were paradise for Yu Yu. Day two, Senior sunbathed on the roof all day while Yu Yu fished below.
Day three, Senior switched to moon-bathing. Yu Yu and the others lined up stools, gazing up at the moon-like, gorgeous Wolf Wolf.
Titled: Wolf Wolf Watches the View from the Roof, While View-Watchers Below Watch Wolf Wolf.
Felix, of course, fiercely protested and vowed to moon-bathe invisibly next time.
Day four.
"Senior, how about a walk today?!"
Felix, deadpan: "Write."
Yu Yu pouted. "Almost done, almost! Let's grab tasty food this afternoon, then walk. Tomorrow, beach day, yeah?"
"I heard someone spotted orcas by the coast!"
Felix glanced at her, earbuds in, Yu Yu's manga in hand, a tablet nearby.
Yup, this morning, she'd shifted back to human form.
Yu Yu wailed all morning.
She pleaded pitifully, but Felix, an emotionless Wolf Wolf, refused to show her wolf form.
Annoy her too much, and she'd cast Hold Person to freeze Yu Yu in place.
Overall, after days of basking in glorious Wolf Wolf, this was torture.
Yu Yu wept rivers, but Felix was unmoved.
Now, Yu Yu hunched over Senior Xue's thick, bound exam papers, scribbling furiously.
And Felix?
She listened to music, read manga, and occasionally watched documentaries on the tablet.
Her expression stayed cool and aloof, but Yu Yu could tell Wolf Wolf was engrossed.
She totally loves it!!
Post-exam, Yu Yu roped Felix into gaming with retro controllers.
Felix was dismissive at first—until Yu Yu trounced her.
In that moment, Yu Yu felt a chill of killing intent.
Wolf Wolf got serious!!!
Then Yu Yu got obliterated.
Yu Yu sank into thought. "Didn't I hit Agility 12?"
Theoretically, for this kind of game…
"Senior, what's your Agility?"
Here it was—time to fish for stats!!!
Once she knew Wolf Wolf's Agility, heh, she'd surpass her eventually!
Felix, fresh off crushing Yu Yu, was in a good mood. "17."
Yu Yu's smile froze. "H-how much?"
Felix raised a brow. "17."
Yu Yu: "!!!!"
You're a spellcaster, right?!
17 Agility—are you for real?!
That's high-tier territory!!!
Felix's lips curved briefly before reverting to her cold facade. "Back to lessons. Meng asked me to teach you music theory. We've got time—let's go."
Yu Yu looked like she'd failed her finals.
How's it that high?
17!
How am I supposed to catch up?
And the Duchess Wolf Wolf?
Are all you wolves' Agility this insane? Is life even fair?
Does Senior have some super-wolf physique too?
Zi Shu and the others had logged on, but under Felix's watchful eye, Yu Yu… played… the… piano!
She'd planned to use Spell Melody, but Felix shot it down sternly.
No magic until she mastered music theory—lest it pollute her ears.
Indeed, Wolf Wolf's ears were so keen that bad sounds hit harder than for most.
Silver Moon Sky wolves' passions tied closely to their senses.
Their noses, ultra-sensitive, favored stable, genuine, fragrant humans.
Their ears, equally sharp, loved beautiful music and soft, clear voices.
Their eyes, razor-sharp, preferred clean, tidy spaces and fresh, attractive humans.
Add storytelling, zest for life, wit, humor, kindness, and sunshine, and you had a walking Silver Moon celestial wolf magnet.
Of course, exceptions existed—like cunning tricksters who could fool wolves.
Yu Yu had long memorized Blue Star's music theory and a few familiar scores.
Post-high-tier, her memory surpassed human limits, nearly photographic.
She'd studied Allen Peninsula's music theory under Senior Meng, though the scores were sparse, mostly ritual music.
Theory done, it was time to play.
Yu Yu began.
Felix listened calmly, her face growing frostier.
If she were still wolf-shaped, her ears might've drooped to block the sound.
But thankfully, Yu Yu's Agility kicked in.
With 12 Agility and stellar memory, her music learning soared.
By evening, she played smoothly.
Pachelbel's Canon flowed through the room, its graceful notes spilling past the twilight, out the open window.
Felix's brow softened, her eyes squinting with subtle delight.
Wolf Wolf approves.jpg
On a nearby rooftop, a black cat's drooping ears perked up.
By Saint Nightingale's grace, it was finally listenable.
Another black cat, larger-framed with a tuft of white chest fur, was less striking than the pure black one.
But it was a temporary form to distinguish from Felte, so looks didn't matter.
Erisbo: "Not bad. This realm's music has some merit."
Yu Yu switched to the simpler Scarborough Fair, evoking a different charm.
Music's beauty transcended all barriers.
As the sun dipped, the room's notes quieted.
Yu Yu adjusted her collar confidently. "Senior, how was it? Pretty good, right?"
Felix nodded approvingly. "The piece was lovely."
Yu Yu, missing the subtext, beamed. "I thought so too! I know tons more. Once I memorize the scores and practice, I'll play them for you."
Felix, mildly intrigued, felt her mood lift.
Soon, after dinner, she agreed to a walk.
Yu Yu was torn between pain and joy.
Pain: no Wolf Wolf walking.
Joy: Senior walking was, rounded up, Wolf Wolf walking.
Ugh, should I trick the Duchess out next time?
Her temper seems easier to sway.
Yu Yu wanted to take Senior on the highway, imagining her dashing across the endless, flat road.
Scheming quietly, her phone rang.
"Shang Wei's discharged. Bringing her to you?"
Yu Yu: "Oh? Out already? Hurry back!"
Time to sign her up! Little slave secured!!!
Though slightly risky, the haul—Bronze Leaf and a slave—left Yu Yu bubbling with glee.
Felix: "Where're you signing her?"
Yu Yu: "Hide out on the Main Continent?"
Two cats on the rooftop pricked their ears.
Felix: "…Fair enough."
Yu Yu: "But Night Sovereign's not back yet, so I can't go to the Continent."
Felix: "…Then try Roland."
Cats' ears perked.jpg
Night had fallen. They strolled by the river, silver moonlight casting a shimmering mirror on the water. A cool breeze soothed, lifting their spirits.
Sometimes, no words were needed—a breeze could brighten the mood.
The heart's heavy shadows lifted, as if slipping back to a carefree world.
After a while, Yu Yu's ears twitched. "Senior, hear a cat meowing?"
Felix, basking in the night breeze and moonlight, nearly shifted to her true form, restrained only by Yu Yu's presence.
She pointed casually. "Over there."
Yu Yu, fixated on the meows, hurried over.
Twenty meters out, she heard a cat's desperate cries.
Yu Yu dashed forward.
"Don't worry, I'm coming!"
A cat had fallen into the river, bobbing in the current, occasionally surfacing with heart-wrenching yowls, utterly pitiful.
Yu Yu, with shaky Windriding, flew to the river's center to save it.
Good news: she succeeded, rescuing a scrawny, filthy cat.
Bad news: her Windriding glitched, dunking her and the cat multiple times before reaching shore.
Panic makes steering tough (not really).
Onshore, Yu Yu's foot sank into mud, forcing her to summon an Earth Elemental to pull her out.
Cradling the cat, she reflected, "I messed up. Should've summoned a Water Elemental to fetch it."
Night Sovereign: "…"
Hindsight hero.
Felix, watching for a while, remarked coolly, "Your Windriding's abysmal."
Yu Yu deflected, "That's 'cause I haven't studied long! Senior Meng already called me a prodigy."
Felix paused, then deadpanned, "Has Senior Meng been worn down by you that much?"
She used to be so proper.
If she was talking like that, her personality had shifted.
Yu Yu clutched the cat. "Senior! That's slander! I, Yu Yu, reject such defamation!"
Felix, arms crossed, said coolly, "Using a fourth-ring spell to save a cat…"
She trailed off, but the point was clear.
Yu Yu: "!!!!"
Wolf Wolf's mocking again!!!
Someone rein her in!
Back home, Yu Yu bathed the cat, which was very displeased and very grumpy.
But Yu Yu wasn't surprised.
Cats, right? Few love baths.
Washing it with warm water, she soothed, "The river's cold—you don't wanna get sick, do you?"
"Be good, it's almost done. Squirm, and water'll get in your eyes."
Muttering to herself, "Gotta take you to the vet tomorrow. Not sure if you're grown—might need neutering."
Night Sovereign: "!!!!"
Felix: "!!!!"
Yu Yu, oblivious to their reactions, kept mumbling.
"All done, let's dry you off—don't be scared."
She grabbed the big cat's blow-dryer for the little one.
The cat seemed oddly smart, sitting still as she dried it.
Cats usually feared such noise—Yu Yu had seen bath-time battles before, pure chaos.
But this cat was docile, obeying after initial fuss, letting her wash its chin and paws.
Soon, the bathed cat was presented.
A black cat with emerald-green eyes.
Yu Yu's mind flashed to another cat.
"Haven't we met somewhere?"
She frowned, puzzled.
Felix studied it, sinking into thought.
Yu Yu quickly moved on, gleefully carrying the cat upstairs.
Senior won't let me pet her, but I can pet a cat, right?
Big Cat's great, but too warm to cuddle—little cats are cuter.
Yu Yu snapped a nine-photo grid, posting:
Saved a drowning kitten today. Named it Wuwu—so gorgeous! Look at its eyes, like emeralds!
[Photos] x9
Not satisfied, she cross-posted to the Magic Circle forum, flaunting her cat globally.
Suddenly, she spotted a cup on the table.
A giant imitation milk tea cup she'd bought ages ago.
Felix, just entering, saw Yu Yu's next move.
She plopped the bewildered black cat into the cup.
Perfect fit—cats really were liquid.
Yu Yu added an unopened straw.
Hearing Felix, she beamed, snapping photos. "Senior! Look!! Cat! Cat! Milk! Tea!"
Felix: "…"
The black cat in the cup sat, stunned, like a statue.