Chapter 81: The Black Cat and the Forest
The black cat’s voice didn’t sound particularly hostile, which made Xu Zhi less anxious about leaving right away.
After all, she had invested ten high-grade [Lamp] attribute cores!
The Narrator hadn’t forbidden her from moving around in this place, only warned her to return the same way she came. So Xu Zhi took a few cautious steps forward, then turned to check that the door behind her hadn’t disappeared before deciding to go a little farther.
She had barely moved when the black cat, still watching her closely, suddenly spoke again in her mind:
“You’re going forward?”
“I advise against it.”
“This place is very dangerous.”
“What if something dangerous happens to be awake? You’ll be done for!”
“Why not stay here and play with me? I won’t hurt you.”
It was really chatty.
Xu Zhi didn’t respond and continued silently forward. Her pace was slow—not only because she wasn’t in a rush, but also because with every step she took, a sharp pricking sensation spread across her skin, warning her again and again how dangerous this place was.
She walked for about two minutes, but the surroundings remained completely unchanged. The black cat followed her closely, occasionally turning into a puff of smoke, persistently pleading with her to stop and play.
Then, suddenly, it fell silent for a few seconds before letting out a strange chuckle:
“I knew it. I’m not the only one awake.”
Xu Zhi wanted to ask what that meant, but she couldn’t.
Moments later, her slow steps came to a halt.
A black shadow suddenly lunged at her, but the instant it touched the lantern’s light, it recoiled as if burned. The whole thing lasted less than a second—even Xu Zhi couldn’t clearly see what it was.
“Tch. Useless.”
“Reckless. Just woke up and didn’t bring anything back. Left its brain behind too—saw a living human and just attacked.”
“See? I told you this place was dangerous. That was just a freshly awakened idiot. If you meet something that’s been awake as long as I have, it won’t be so friendly.”
“Why aren’t you talking to me? Are you scared?”
Well, obviously.
Still, the lantern was proving extremely useful—that much gave her some relief.
“Don’t go any deeper. I’d hate to see the first living human I’ve seen in ages die right away.”
There was something dreamlike about the black cat’s voice. Xu Zhi could clearly hear it, yet moments later couldn’t recall the tone, pitch, or even whether it had a gender. Only the meaning of its words remained.
Like seeing a face in a dream—then forgetting it completely upon waking.
That was exactly what was happening to her now. Just a moment ago, she could recall the voice clearly, thinking how unique it sounded—yet the next moment, she couldn’t remember anything but the content.
Still, she stopped walking.
Since entering this place, almost five minutes had passed. Though she’d stood still for part of it, she really didn’t have time to go any deeper.
More importantly, that intense sense of danger had only grown with each step she took. She didn’t want to risk it any further.
Xu Zhi scanned the area carefully again—it still looked exactly the same as when she had entered. She couldn’t even distinguish where the entrance had been.
The shadow that attacked her had only appeared for a moment before disappearing entirely—likely hiding somewhere now.
With no other choice, Xu Zhi turned back.
“Finally being sensible? Planning to stay and play with me now?”
“Smart choice. That place isn’t good.”
As she walked back toward the door, the black cat seemed to realize she wasn’t actually planning to stay.
“Where are you going?”
“Are you leaving?”
As those words echoed in her mind, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
The moonlight tilted unnaturally, and the shadows of the trees stretched into long, twisted shapes like writhing ghosts preparing to strike.
Something was very wrong.
“Where are you going?”
The cat repeated the question.
Xu Zhi didn’t answer. She didn’t hesitate. She walked quickly toward the door.
“You have to stay and play with me.”
The moment the words landed, a shadow from a tree extended toward her feet. But as it entered the lantern’s light, the inky blackness thinned.
It didn’t disappear—just became fainter.
The moment the shadow touched her feet, Xu Zhi’s brain buzzed as though something wicked had entered her mind. Her eyes twitched involuntarily, her forward motion halted, and she felt a pull urging her to step backward.
But just then, the warm yellow light of the lantern enveloped her, dispersing the evil influence and briefly clearing her mind.
Realizing how close she’d come to losing control, Xu Zhi broke into a cold sweat.
She didn’t waste another second. While her mind was still clear, she strode toward the door as quickly as she could.
The black cat’s unwilling voice rang out in her mind:
“If I weren’t still so weak, I would’ve kept you here.”
“Why leave? Isn’t this place nice?”
“So many people would give anything to come here. You’re here now—why leave?”
“Don’t go. You’d be my favorite toy. I can give you lots of things.”
“What do you like? Bones? Organs? Or maybe limbs?”
Xu Zhi ignored the cat’s grotesque offer and decisively opened the door to leave.
As she was about to step through, the black cat let out a shriek and leapt into the lantern’s light. Xu Zhi didn’t have time to see clearly—she slammed the door shut and returned to her room.
Inside, everything was normal.
The oppressive feeling of danger was gone, and there was no black cat in sight.
Xu Zhi hadn’t felt this shaken in a long time. She was still rattled. She took out the game console and asked:
“Did it follow me?”
“That cat.”
[It cannot leave Midnight—for now.]
“Then why…”
Why did it even try?
[Congratulations. You’ve witnessed the true face of Midnight. Since the arrival of the black mist, you’re the first living person to return alive. You should feel proud.]
Xu Zhi sighed, head pounding.
“Thanks, but I could do without that kind of praise.”
[Your mental energy has taken serious damage. Do not attempt to enter Midnight again for the time being. You need rest.]
She could feel it—her mental state was indeed in a fragile place.
“Then… what did I get out of this?” she asked.
[A new type of Follower. Check your page—you won’t be disappointed.]
