Some people are still alive, but she is already dead.
Sometimes true desolation is nothing more than the death of the heart.
Meng Xingyao couldn't help but sigh, clutching her head as if regretting that she hadn't checked the almanac before leaving today.
She had just passed by a beauty and simply wanted to add her to her collection.
As a result, she first encountered an unknown Extraterritorial Creature, which happened to be a bizarre Tentacle Monster.
After finally being saved, social death aside, the cosplaying young lady who caused the incident turned out to be a genuine Cat Girl.
Encountering two Extraterritorial Creatures in a row, she was first ruthlessly disciplined and now inexplicably became the Cat Girl's slave.
Meng Xingyao ┭┮﹏┭┮: Wuwuwu, why is my life so bitter!
Meng Xingyao still had some understanding of Extraterritorial Creatures.
Abilities from other worlds are diverse and strange; a slave contract was not impossible.
Therefore, Meng Xingyao didn't have much doubt in her heart.
Moreover, just now, she suddenly noticed a hint of abnormality—a bizarre connection had faintly formed between herself and the contract in the other's hand.
If she dared to violate the contract, she feared it would trigger some unpredictable and terrible consequence.
This also convinced her that the other person was definitely not an Ability User; after all, in their world, such a thing had never existed.
In other words, just now, Meng Xingyao had unknowingly "sold" herself to the other party.
At the thought of this, Meng Xingyao felt immense regret.
At this moment, Cipher didn't forget to spread out the contract and continued to twist the knife.
"Meng Xingyao... that's a nice-sounding name, and you look quite cute too.
Don't worry, as long as you're obedient in the future, I, your Master, won't do anything to you."
After speaking, Cipher gently withdrew the contract and then gave the other a brilliant smile.
Meng Xingyao ┭┮﹏┭┮: Why can such a picturesque Cat Girl use such a gentle, heavenly voice to spit out cold words enough to freeze one's heart?
Meng Xingyao felt like she had only just woken up to the reality of the situation.
It turned out the heartwarming consolation from before was only to make her lower her guard.
Everything was a tactic used to enslave and control her.
Could it be that even the previous...
Meng Xingyao's face suddenly turned pale as a bold guess appeared in her heart.
She questioned the other in a breakdown.
"Could it be that everything before was part of your calculation? Was your goal from the very beginning always me?"
"Hmm? Little princess, you have quite a rich imagination, but why would I need to specifically calculate against you?"
Cipher certainly understood her meaning, but she would absolutely never admit it.
But now that Meng Xingyao's IQ had finally reclaimed the high ground, she clearly didn't plan on giving up.
Her face flushed red as she demanded angrily.
"I don't believe it. Then how did you save me, and where did the previous Extraterritorial Creature go? And why did you specifically come to such a remote place?"
It had to be said that after the brain discarded a lot of lewd waste, this Magical Girl's IQ had clearly improved a lot.
But in front of a millennium year old "human" spirit like Cipher, she was still too green.
Cipher calmly crossed her arms, a teasing smile appearing on her face.
"Little princess, you seem to have mistaken one thing, right?
From start to finish, you were the one who followed me all the way here. That is to say, we had never met before, so how could I have calculated against you in advance?"
Hearing this, Meng Xingyao's expression froze.
She couldn't refute this point.
Seeing this, Cipher chuckled and then spoke.
"As for the Extraterritorial Creature you mentioned."
Cipher kicked the "rope" that had been cast aside.
Meng Xingyao looked over, and her pupils suddenly constricted.
The Tentacle Monster that had left her completely defenseless had been casually dealt with by this harmless-looking Cat Girl.
She looked at the other's neat clothes and uninjured appearance, then compared it to her own pathetic state, and a surge of indescribable shame and shock instantly welled up in her heart.
Clearly, the process the two of them went through when facing the Tentacle Monster was completely different.
"As for why I would specifically come to such a remote place..."
Cipher didn't say much, just slightly tilted her head and cast her gaze toward a corner nearby.
Seeing this, Meng Xingyao felt curious and followed the other's line of sight.
After she saw the scene before her clearly, her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, and she lowered her head in silence.
An indescribable sense of shame surged into her heart like a tide, almost drowning her.
Not far away, several kittens were huddled together in a deep sleep.
Their dirty fur and emaciated bodies silently told of their status as strays.
On the ground nearby, opened bags of cat food were scattered about, a fairly clean blanket was folded neatly, and a few small items were strewn on the floor.
Clearly, these items didn't appear out of thin air; someone had silently prepared this warm haven for them.
The only one who could possibly be silently caring for these stray cats was the Cat Girl beside her, Cipher.
So now the facts were very clear.
This Cat Girl came here to feed the cats as usual, and after coincidentally finding her in danger, she chose to act heroically and rescue her.
And she, in the end, hadn't even said a word of thanks, but instead repaid kindness with enmity by questioning the other.
Cipher: (ಡωಡ)
Seeing the other fall into silence, even showing a hint of guilt, Cipher secretly laughed in her heart.
She was an honest kitty; every word she spoke was the truth.
After all, the previous "Tentacle Monster" was not in her plan at all, so she wouldn't take the blame for that.
And Cipher also had her pride, so this matter had to be buried in her heart forever.
As for that so-called "slave contract"—it was naturally just a piece of ordinary white paper she had scribbled on.
Looking at it now, the atmosphere she created was quite effective.
It managed to completely bluff the Magical Girl.
Just as Cipher was secretly feeling proud, Meng Xingyao suddenly murmured in a low voice.
"That... thank you for saving me. Just now... I misunderstood you."
Cipher (=ↀ⩊ↀ=): Look at that, she even has to thank us.
Cipher, with her keen hearing, naturally heard it.
But now, she deliberately leaned in a bit closer and said in a teasing tone,
"Hmm, what did you just say? I don't think I heard you clearly."
Meng Xingyao: (/∇＼)
Meng Xingyao clearly noticed the curl of the other's lips and knew this shameless Cat Girl was teasing her.
This made her cheeks inevitably flush.
After this, Meng Xingyao also successfully learned her master's—this Cat Girl's—name: Cipher.
At this moment, suddenly recalling the contract, Meng Xingyao asked tentatively,
"Sister Cipher, why did you use this kind of contract on me? This thing should be quite precious, right?"
After all, as an Otherworlder, Cipher would surely have one fewer of these things every time she used one.
Cipher spread her hands helplessly, her answer very sincere.
"That's naturally because you, little princess, discovered my identity as a kitty. Otherwise... would you rather I kill you to keep you quiet?"
"Ah?! No no no, that won't be necessary!"
Meng Xingyao waved her hands frantically.
After all, the other probably really had that kind of ability, not to mention she had already become her slave now.
At the same time, she also roughly guessed the reason.
As an Otherworlder, Cipher was essentially an undocumented resident in this world.
If the other were just a human from another world, it would be fine, but the key was that she was a Cat Girl, not even human.
In this situation, even Meng Xingyao wasn't sure how the Ability Bureau would handle it.
Not to mention other organizations.
Presumably, in their eyes, Cipher was a perfect experimental subject or some such item.