Amid the drifting smoke, Kiwi's gaze gradually grew resolute.
She knew this might be an opportunity.
Meowmon had easily broken through her data barriers, and its strength within the cyber dimension was no weaker than that of a wandering AI. If she could truly gain Meowmon's recognition, she would have a powerful data-based AI at her side.
With that thought, she stubbed out her cigarette and re-entered the cyber dimension.
Within this virtual world of data, Kiwi and her partner Meowmon began working together in close coordination.
Using her sharp judgment and exceptional hacking skills, Kiwi was responsible for locating dark data and hidden cyber viruses throughout the cyber dimension.
Meowmon, fearless and bold, took on the role of combatant. It fought head-on against enemies while also absorbing and transforming the data it obtained.
Whenever the account display flashed with "+200" from time to time, the smile in Kiwi's eyes grew more pronounced.
Those numbers represented the results of their efforts—and the best proof of their success.
However, time in the cyber dimension was extremely chaotic.
Because thoughts moved at incredible speed, time itself seemed to stretch infinitely. Even so, the flow of time remained synchronized with the outside world.
As a result, Kiwi had no idea how long she had been active inside the cyber dimension. Even she was beginning to feel a hint of fatigue.
At that moment, Meowmon once again eliminated a piece of dark data on its own.
Immediately afterward, a dazzling white evolutionary light erupted from its body.
A data network spread out like an ornate cloak, tightly wrapping around Meowmon.
Bathed in the light, Meowmon's form began to change, and it ultimately evolved into a beige, floppy-eared puppy with a golden, sacred digital ring around its neck.
Meowmon → Evolution → Puppymon
"Wow… it's so cute."
Looking at the lively Puppymon in front of her, Kiwi couldn't help but sigh.
This was a genuinely adorable pet—how could it not be cute?
Puppymon stood upright proudly, placed its paws on its hips like a human, and declared in a childish voice,
"Hehe! This lady is the cutest dog in the world!"
Kiwi gently patted Puppymon's fluffy head, preparing to continue searching for more dark data.
At that moment, however, Puppymon stretched out a small paw, grabbed her hand, blinked its round eyes, and said seriously,
"That's enough for today, Kiwi. You need to rest properly. I was just notified that it's dinner time, and we're supposed to go eat."
"Huh? Is it that late already?"
Kiwi looked doubtful. To be honest, she had been completely absorbed in the joy of earning money and hadn't noticed the passage of time at all.
In just one afternoon, she had earned forty thousand euros.
That speed of earning money was no different from robbery.
Her mind was filled with thoughts of profit—how could she be in the mood to eat? She only wanted to keep going without stopping.
Seeing Kiwi's indifference, Puppymon stomped its feet anxiously and scolded angrily,
"Go eat right now! Take care of your body, idiot!"
After saying that, Puppymon kicked Kiwi in the face and forcibly disconnected her from the system.
"Take care of my body…?"
Kiwi, suddenly logged out, froze in place.
Puppymon's words struck her like a bolt of lightning through the darkness, yet also felt like a warm current flowing into her heart.
Such a simple, sincere concern was something rare for Kiwi—almost extravagant. It pierced through layers of fog and struck the softest part of her heart.
Kiwi slowly rose from the freezing pool and stepped out.
Every movement felt heavy, as if she were carrying an invisible burden. The moment she left the water, thick steam rose around her body, caused by the intense heat released by her high-speed prosthetics.
The heat instantly evaporated the crystal-clear droplets clinging to her skin, leaving nothing behind.
She felt as though she could continue—but reality made it clear her body had already reached its limit.
If she kept pushing herself, she would likely suffer irreversible damage.
The blue gemstone embedded in Kiwi's chest emitted a faint glow as her cooling prosthetics activated.
Cooling fluid surged rapidly through the prosthetic system and catheters like a rushing river, steadily lowering her body temperature.
The cool sensation was extremely soothing, gradually restoring her to a normal state.
With light steps, Kiwi walked into the dining room, ready to eat—only for her relaxed mood to freeze instantly.
She stared at the scene before her in disbelief.
Her beloved Puppymon was lying comfortably on Xiao's legs, eyes half-closed, wearing an intoxicated expression as it enjoyed the gentle stroking of his fingers, occasionally letting out soft, contented giggles.
"Damn traitor!!"
Kiwi felt a surge of uncontrollable anger, as if she had been betrayed.
She was clearly Puppymon's owner—how could it shamelessly throw itself into someone else's arms and act spoiled?
"Huh?"
Xiao and Puppymon both turned to look at her, their expressions clearly asking what she was so upset about.
"╭(╯^╰)╮!"
Kiwi snorted angrily and turned to leave. However, upon seeing the exquisite dishes on the table, her body trembled, and she silently walked back.
"???"
"Sneak~"
Xiao blinked and chuckled softly. Without saying anything, he added another set of bowls, chopsticks, and cutlery.
The delicately prepared meal made Kiwi linger over every bite.
She ate eagerly, because she realized that what she was eating was real meat and vegetables.
She was already in her thirties—nearing forty. Since her birth, decades had passed, and this was the first time she had ever eaten genuine meat and vegetables. (T/N:That's actually very sad.)
It was unbelievably delicious.
Thanks to the efforts of the Mechanicum, large areas of the Badlands had regained their ecology and could now be cultivated on a large scale.
However, wealthy individuals around the world had long received news that Night City's fruits and vegetables were picked fresh and immediately shipped to the homes of the rich—and even to the Crystal Palace in space.
These pure, natural foods had become objects of envy for countless people.
On Night City's billboards, a single organic cucumber was priced at three hundred euros—nearly half a month's salary for an ordinary person.
Yet tonight, she had eaten a full meal of four dishes and one soup, all made from pure ingredients.
This meal alone was probably worth tens of thousands of euros.
There was even real rice.
Rice.
Even eaten plain, it was sweet and fragrant—so delicious that it didn't need any side dishes at all.
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