C23 Hunt Begins!(2)

Moreover...

"Meow~" She emitted a meow, a sound of emotional expression among her kind.

While animals can communicate, their exchanges lack the complexity of human language, often resembling simple human expressions like "Ah?" "Oh?" "Eh?"—basic conveyances of feeling.

"Hehehehe."

The "big cat" arched its tail, signaling an aggressive stance, yet the sound it made was like a mocking laugh, incomprehensible to Rui.

It was neither cat nor human; it had transformed into an entirely different creature.

It appeared that the potion the Untamed Organization had acquired wasn't one that enabled their kind to evolve into human forms. Rui's sharp intuition had led her to the conclusion that this drug was more akin to an evolutionary overture—engulfing, enlarging, yet lacking the crucial element of the 715 evolution: the awakening of intelligence and the ability to become human.

"Hehehehe."

Rui leapt back, narrowly evading the "big cat's" probing pounce, and vanished into the shadows once more.

The "big cat," with a menacing grin and drool dripping from its jaws, scanned the surroundings, searching for the female whose scent had triggered its primal urges, its eyes and another part of its body engorged with blood.

Swoosh—

It swiped its claws to the right but hit nothing. Rising on its hind legs, it unsheathed sharp claws and resumed its vigilant survey of the area.

"Ho..."

Suddenly, its fur bristled. It whirled its hefty frame and lashed out behind, a moment too late, as another slash marked its back without finding its target.

"That creature reeks of bad omens."

"Master Shu, do you feel it too?"

Perched above, the two observers watched as the cat swatted at nothing but air, while Rui, like a specter, silently etched scar after scar onto its body. They mused, "Putting aside my innate fear of cats, this being hardly resembles one of us. It's more akin to a wild beast driven by unchecked desire."

"Even the wild ones have a mental lock, a restraint on their desires that prompts them to pause and reflect." Ling, donning a bird mask and perched on a tree limb, observed, "But from this creature, I sense no shred of reason. Could it be an incomplete evolution?"

"No, it's been several days already, and its size indicates it's consumed enough to evolve," Master Shu stated, perched on the eave. "It didn't evolve; it became a monster. Rui likely shares our sentiment, which is why she didn't cease her assault. She figured the best course of action was to execute it right here."

"What's with the Untamed Organization, creating such hideous creatures? They're not the least bit beautiful," Ling grumbled. "Let Rui handle it. We need to dispose of this thing quickly."

"Yeah, that creature won't last much longer."

They turned their attention back to the battle's epicenter, just in time to see the 'big cat' emit a defiant roar before collapsing.

"Is it over?"

Rui crouched atop a telephone pole, eyeing the bloodied big cat on the ground with caution. She furrowed her brow, scrutinizing it, then casually spat out a fishbone with a 'puff.' The fishbone lodged itself in what used to be the nose, yet the big cat remained unresponsive.

"It may be a monster, but it's foolishly simple."

After a moment, Rui gracefully descended to the ground and sauntered over to the big cat. In the face of such a cumbersome adversary, her feline instincts dictated a slow, torturous demise, inflicting wounds bit by bit.

Observing the blood that had pooled into a small pond, she surmised that the creature had already succumbed, its body temperature steadily falling.

"The days ahead might prove challenging. If these sorts of beings enter the public eye, our habitat will undoubtedly shrink even further."

She exhaled a weary sigh, acknowledging the difficulty of existing on society's fringes as an undocumented individual. If push came to shove, she'd have no choice but to smuggle her companions abroad—survival was paramount.

"But what exactly is this thing?"

She kicked a pebble toward the creature's head, confirming its utter stillness, before approaching for a closer inspection. The overall shape bore a feline resemblance, and the anatomy was similar, but it was marred by irregular growths—perhaps from swelling in the sewers or some other cause. Its body seemed overdeveloped compared to its limbs, giving it a stunted appearance.

Narrowing her eyes, she noticed scale-like patterns on its tail, and atop its head were two swollen masses. One had burst open, revealing a black, keratinous substance.

It was as if a myriad of animals had been stitched together.

The revolting sight instinctively made her step back, but in that instant, chaos erupted!

Swish!

A long, slender tongue shot out from the "big cat's" gaping maw. Rui caught sight of it! This was no feline tongue, but rather one belonging to a snake, lizard, or frog, designed for striking!

"Not good!"

Despite her attempt to leap back, the laws of physics prevailed. There was a moment of exertion and recoil, yet the tongue had been lying in wait, coiled with potential energy like a compressed spring, and it struck with the force of a bullet, slamming into Rui's abdomen!

"Clang!"

Rui was hurled through the air, slamming into the warehouse's rolling shutter door and leaving a perfect silhouette imprinted on the aluminum alloy.

"Cough! Playing dead?!"

Rui coughed, shook her head to clear it, and stood back up. She tossed aside the severed, slimy tongue.

"Ho ~"

The feigning big cat winced as it felt the sting of its severed tongue, whipping it back into its mouth like a lashed whip. Its eyes, blood-red, fixed on the female with renewed focus.

Damn.

Rui assessed the damage to her body. Everything else was secondary; her primary concern was her spine, which seemed to have taken a hit in the collision, causing pain with every movement.

Rui gave a self-deprecating chuckle. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, drawing her in to observe this unknown foe. Indeed, curiosity could be a cat's downfall.

Sensing the big cat coiling for another strike, Rui swayed forward, claws at the ready.

She stood there, seemingly blending into the void, no longer emitting any scent, warmth, or sound, becoming one with the shadows.

It looked like she'd need several days of rest after this battle...

"Ho ho ho ho!"

The big cat, drenched in blood, shook its head, puzzled. The female seemed both present and absent, but driven by its animal instincts, it didn't hesitate, ready to devour the accursed female. Then, another voice diverted its attention.

"Hey, monster."

It turned toward the source of the sound, its eyes alight with voracious hunger.

There stood a human, a living meal on the move. In comparison to the cold female, this new arrival exuded a scent that was irresistibly tantalizing.

However, in the next instant, the person's action caused the cat to react as though it had been shot out of an electromagnetic catapult. With a sudden whoosh, its fur puffed out, electrified, and in defiance of the laws of physics, it leaped backward into the air in a bizarre arc.

Because he had pulled out a fluorescent green stick.

It resembled an oversized, luminous cucumber.

"Meow!" Even Rui, who stood there, involuntarily shuddered and emitted a pitiful cat's wail.