Playing the Foolish Beauty in a Deadly Game - Chapter 50

Lin Qiao suddenly sighed, his entire body relaxing as he let Nelson hold him. Sensing the instant tension in Nelson’s body, Lin Qiao didn’t say he didn’t believe it. Instead, he gently patted Nelson’s back: “I understand. Can you let me go now?”

Nelson nuzzled Lin Qiao’s cheek, not questioning Lin Qiao’s attitude but instead cautiously asking, “Can I dry brother’s hair?”

Compared to Nelson, Lin Qiao was much smaller in stature. As Nelson dried his hair, it felt like Lin Qiao was being cradled in his arms. Feeling uncomfortable, Lin Qiao shifted slightly and whispered, “It itches. It feels like something’s there. My head is really itchy. Can you help me scratch it?”

After speaking, Lin Qiao realized that the action might seem too intimate. He looked up and said, “I’ll do it myself…”

Nelson stopped Lin Qiao’s hand, placed the towel aside, and inserted his fingers into Lin Qiao’s hair, carefully massaging and gently pressing. The warmth and pressure from Nelson’s fingertips were very comfortable, causing Lin Qiao to involuntarily squint his eyes and shrug his shoulders.

Nelson chuckled softly, “Brother’s hair is so soft. Does it feel good when I rub it like this?”

Nelson’s thumb gently kneaded the back of Lin Qiao’s neck. “If you often lower your head, this area needs massaging too. The muscles here are a bit tense.”

Lin Qiao let out a muffled groan as Nelson’s fingers worked on his neck. Nelson apologized, “Sorry, I’ve rubbed brother’s neck red.”

It hurt, but it also felt good. Lin Qiao wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt itchy all over after the massage, as if he couldn’t muster any strength.

He glanced at the time and prepared to go to bed, taking his black cat and Doberman with him. Nelson and Yatagarasu, left in the living room, exchanged uneasy glances. The atmosphere between them was tense.

Nelson, still looking like an innocent high school student, smiled at Yatagarasu and said, “Don’t you think you’re being a bit too nosy? Brother is mine. I’ll help him become number one. If you get in our way, I won’t be polite.”

Yatagarasu was very straightforward: “He’s useful to me, and he agreed to cooperate with me. I won’t kill you for now.”

Yatagarasu’s expression was somewhat puzzled. He wasn’t very good at interpreting human expressions or analyzing tones. He could only judge by intuition and smell. He sniffed the air, not sure what he was interpreting from Nelson, and his brows furrowed even more.

Nelson and Yatagarasu each found a room to rest. Neither of them slept soundly; their vigilance was very high. Only Lin Qiao upstairs truly slept, and he fell into a deep sleep.

At some point, Lin Qiao’s body began to change. His bones ached as if they were being shattered, the pain unbearable. Lin Qiao gasped and panted heavily, his hands clutching the sheets tightly, but he couldn’t wake up. His consciousness was fully restored, and he could feel a force like a stream of water washing over every part of his body, causing tissue damage wherever it went. Lin Qiao could even hear his bones “crackling.” The black cat and Doberman were beside him, perhaps watching him.

Lin Qiao wanted to get up and check his condition, but he couldn’t open his eyes or move his limbs. He didn’t know how long it lasted, but the pain finally subsided. Lin Qiao felt extremely tired, like the muscle soreness after intense exercise.

In a daze, he sensed something licking him, the action cautious and extremely gentle. Lin Qiao tried to open his eyes and move his limbs. Just then, something massive approached and lifted its paw, flipping Lin Qiao over.

Lin Qiao was horrified. At first, he thought he was experiencing sleep paralysis, and that was why he was slowly recovering with his pets around. But that last movement completely shattered Lin Qiao’s guess. Neither the black cat nor the Doberman could flip a person over with a single paw. What was it? What was it?

Lin Qiao panicked and let out a “meow meow” sound. This time, Lin Qiao’s heart almost stopped, and his mind went completely numb. The dialogue in his head was tinged with a crying tone: “System brother, what’s wrong with me? Have I been killed by a ghost?”

The system’s voice was calm and even a bit indifferent: [No.]

[You’ve turned into a cat.]

Lin Qiao’s guess was confirmed: “Does having too high protection value turn you into a cat?”

Just as having too high affection values turns you into a ghost’s sacrifice, correspondingly, having too high protection values naturally has its own setting.

Lin Qiao felt wronged: “I’ve already made a plan to consume the protection value. Is it still too slow?”

“Does this mean I’ve failed the mission? Will turning into a cat leave me here forever? Can I still return to the real world?”

The system sensed that Lin Qiao was genuinely scared and asked so many questions in a row. The system patiently said: [Check the increase in protection value on your phone, and you’ll understand why.]

[The mission hasn’t failed. You won’t stay here. I’ll take you back to reality.]

Lin Qiao felt relieved. Then something brushed against his eyes, feeling like someone’s finger. Wait a minute, why would there be someone else’s finger in his room? Did someone notice his abnormality and enter his bedroom? Was it Yatagarasu or Nelson?

Strangely, after his eyes were brushed, the force that made it impossible to open his eyes disappeared. Lin Qiao could finally see the situation around him clearly. But the moment he saw clearly, he took a step back in shock. Because he had just turned into a cat and wasn’t used to it, Lin Qiao fell into the quilt.

Just now, the person in front of him was not Yatagarasu or Nelson, but, but someone who shouldn’t be here—Yan Ting.

Lin Qiao struggled out of the quilt and tried hard to calm himself down. To be precise, the person in front of him should be someone who looked very much like Yan Ting. At this moment, the person was naked, lying on his side, with an ugly scar on his abdomen.

Perhaps sensing Lin Qiao’s gaze, the person covered his body with the quilt.

After regaining his senses, Lin Qiao curiously and vigilantly examined the other person. He indeed looked very much like Yan Ting, but his physique was much thinner than Yan Ting’s. Although there was a layer of thin muscle, it seemed more like ornamental muscle because of its paleness and graceful lines, which was completely different from the strong physique that Yan Ting had trained in the previous dungeon.

In addition to the differences in physique, there were also some discrepancies in appearance. At the very least, Yan Ting had light-colored eyes, but they were not golden, and certainly not vertical pupils.

Lin Qiao couldn’t help but “meow” involuntarily. Golden eyes, black cat?

Lin Qiao then realized that the man in front of him had a pair of black cat ears on his head, and a cat tail under the quilt.

Lin Qiao was, oh no, the entire cat was once again thrown into chaos.

The black cat’s hair was sticking to his cheeks. He seemed to have gone through a transformation as well, sweating profusely and with a captivating blush on his cheeks.

The black cat version of Yan Ting looked much younger. His facial features and lines had become softer.

The originally gloomy, snake-like appearance was now diluted a lot, leaving only nobility and beauty.

The black cat lifted its hand and picked up Lin Qiao’s nape. Lin Qiao’s limbs flailed a few times and was placed on the black cat’s cheek.

So Lin Qiao’s belly was under the man’s nose. The other person’s Adam’s apple moved as he indulgently inhaled Lin Qiao’s scent.

Lin Qiao never expected that one day, he would be inhaled by a cat.

The black cat placed Lin Qiao in its arms again, lying on its side and stroking Lin Qiao’s spine. Surprisingly, it felt quite comfortable. Lin Qiao couldn’t help but chase the hand that was petting him with his body, from his head to his back and then to his tail. Lin Qiao couldn’t resist sticking up his fluffy behind. When he realized what he was doing, Lin Qiao nervously stamped his paws.

The black cat transformed into a human, a person with cat ears, and the other party spoke haltingly: “Qiao, likes.” Lin Qiao didn’t understand and didn’t know how to react. He tried to sniff the black cat’s fingers and made an effort to “meow” to ask how he could turn back into a human. The black cat understood but didn’t speak, or perhaps it hadn’t learned to speak yet. So Lin Qiao watched as the man with black cat ears leaned over and “meowed” at him. It was no longer a cat’s meow but a deep, unpracticed sound from a man. Lin Qiao blushed shamefully, but fortunately, as a cat, it wasn’t noticeable to others.

Lin Qiao continued to meow and communicate: “Did you not learn to speak yet? Can you understand what I’m saying?” “If you can understand, nod your head, okay? Kittens are the best.” The man with black cat ears tried to nod, and he repeated: “Kitten, I, I’m good.” Lin Qiao began to adapt to his feline body, learning to walk, but after a few steps, his four paws tripped over each other.

Lin Qiao shook his cat head: “If you turned into a human, then the dog should have turned into a human too, right? Where is he?” The black cat pursed its lips unhappily but still picked up Lin Qiao and placed him in its arms, then walked towards the door. Lin Qiao was about to remind the black cat to put on some clothes and not go out naked. However, the door was opened, and standing outside was a man at least 1.9 meters tall. His physique was more robust than Nelson’s, with extremely well-developed muscles.

Lin Qiao understood the man’s identity the moment he saw the sharp, fluffy Doberman ears on his head. The Doberman’s appearance was closer to Yan Ting than the black cat’s. Because it was a black canine, the Doberman in front of him had darker skin and a more exaggerated physique. The Doberman’s animal form had a straight back and powerful muscles, and its chest was well-developed. After transforming into a human, it was no less impressive.

The man was holding a bottle of milk. Upon seeing the black cat and Lin Qiao in its arms, he made a gesture to be quiet. The black cat’s expression visibly turned disdainful, while the Doberman closed the door and reached out to the black cat: “Give him to me; he needs to eat something.” Reluctantly, the black cat handed Lin Qiao over, and in the blink of an eye, Lin Qiao was held in the Doberman’s arms.

Lin Qiao’s paws pressed against the other’s pectoral muscles, and he boldly lifted his head, staring at the Doberman with his round cat eyes without blinking. The Doberman suddenly smiled, a very handsome smile that made Lin Qiao involuntarily kick the milk bottle. The Doberman wrapped Lin Qiao in a towel and held the milk bottle to feed him. Only then did Lin Qiao realize he was hungry.

At first, he felt a bit embarrassed and resistant, but the milk was pet milk for cats, and the more he smelled it, the more fragrant it became. Lin Qiao thought that since he had worked hard to bathe and groom his pets, made pet food recipes, and accompanied the cats and dogs for walks, play, and cuddles, it was only fair that he now received care from his pets. Yes, that’s right.

After mentally preparing himself, Lin Qiao drank the milk in large gulps. However, he forgot that it was his first day as a kitten and that he didn’t even know how to use his limbs, let alone how to lap up milk with his tongue. Drinking like a human would only lead to choking. Lin Qiao gasped for air, looking pitiful.

The black cat, now wearing one of Lin Qiao’s shirts, paced anxiously around him. It stroked Lin Qiao’s back and pinched his ears, unsure of what to do. The black cat vented its frustration on the Doberman, giving it a cold look. Lin Qiao tried to mediate with a “meow,” telling the black cat not to blame the dog, as it was his own fault for not knowing how to drink.

The Doberman poured the milk into a container and let Lin Qiao lap it up slowly. Cats drink water by curling their tongues upward, while dogs drink by curling their tongues downward. After a few attempts, Lin Qiao learned how to do it, observing as he drank.

The black cat, likely experiencing its first transformation into a human, could walk and use its fingers like a normal human, but it couldn’t speak and lacked human common sense. Wearing one of Lin Qiao’s shirts, it was fortunate that Lin Qiao preferred larger sizes, but the shirt still seemed a bit tight on the black cat. As for pants, they were even more of a problem. Yatagarasu would find them tight, let alone the black cat.

The Doberman rummaged through the wardrobe and threw a few pieces of clothing to the black cat. Lin Qiao, curious and tilting his cat head, couldn’t remember having such clothes in his wardrobe. If he hadn’t mistaken, they must have been found in the corner.

Although the Doberman wasn’t very talkative, it had spoken a few words while feeding Lin Qiao. Coupled with the Doberman’s actions, Lin Qiao felt that the dog probably wasn’t a first-time human transformer. It not only spoke fluently and had coordinated limbs but also had a good grasp of human common sense and even kept clothes hidden at home for when it turned into a human.

Lin Qiao was dazed for a moment, then continued to drink his milk. He recalled seeing people from the church when he first entered the dungeon world. They were dressed very conservatively and wore hats. Lin Qiao had initially thought that the church people wore hats possibly due to customs or religious regulations. But now it seemed that they might wear hats to cover their animal ears. Could it be that the church people in this world were all pets that could transform into humans?

Before Lin Qiao could finish his milk, the Doberman came over and took it away. Lin Qiao licked his lips, seemingly wanting more. The Doberman’s voice was more similar to Yan Ting’s, but the tone was less cold: “You can’t drink any more; it will bloat your little belly.”

Lin Qiao then noticed his round, plump belly and felt a bit embarrassed. As a cat, Lin Qiao was a white kitten, and judging by its size, it didn’t seem like an adult cat but rather a few months old.

The Doberman picked Lin Qiao up in its arms, though it didn’t really need to hold him there, as one of the Doberman’s hands could easily cover Lin Qiao. Gently, the Doberman massaged Lin Qiao’s belly, and Lin Qiao took the opportunity to meow and ask what was going on: “Is it because my protection value was too high that I turned into a cat?”

The Doberman understood and could communicate with Lin Qiao: “Yes, we arrange pets that won’t transform into human forms around the sacrifices.”

A long time ago, Lin Qiao had suspected this. Back then, he had just discovered the nature of this world: humans, pets, and evil spirits all balanced each other, with both interests and conflicts. The arrival of players was to replace humans as sacrifices to the evil spirits. The higher the affection value, the more attractive it was to the evil spirits.

The purpose of the sacrifices was to appease the evil spirits and bring temporary peace to humans. This was the role of the sacrifices for both humans and evil spirits, as well as the connection between the sacrifices and humans and evil spirits.

At that time, Lin Qiao had been curious about what the sacrifices meant to pets. Now it seemed that it was indeed related to the protection value. The higher the protection value, the more severe the assimilation, and players would turn into pets and become part of the pet community.

Of course, with so many pets in this world, not every single one could be transformed from a player.

The church, representing the interests of pets, made a deal with the humans’ “Best Streamer Competition.” Pets that wouldn’t transform into humans were arranged around the sacrifices to provide protection values and assimilate the sacrifices. Meanwhile, the higher the protection value, the more likely the cats and dogs accompanying the sacrifices would gain the ability to transform into human forms.

Lin Qiao was curious: “Only sacrifices can make pets turn into humans? What about the other humans in this world?” By saying these words, Lin Qiao had already revealed his true nature. His tail tip trembled, betraying his inner unease.

The Doberman rubbed Lin Qiao’s belly: “Only pets that stay by the side of sacrifices can transform into humans.”

Lin Qiao understood that the pets of other players did not have human forms for the time being. The cats and dogs by Lin Qiao’s side were different from those of other players. The black cat had sought out Lin Qiao on its own, back when Lin Qiao had not yet revealed his player identity. Although the Doberman had been sent by the church, at that time the church was unaware of Lin Qiao’s identity, thinking he was an NPC. Thus, it didn’t matter whether the pets by Lin Qiao’s side could transform into humans or not.

The Doberman explained: “There are very few pets that can transform into humans. Generally, they are not sent to be with humans.”

“It was me who took the initiative to come to you. I really enjoy watching you.”

The government provides subsidies to every human NPC who adopts a pet, but that merely involves depositing money into their account. It’s nothing like what Lin Qiao had initially encountered, where not only was there a subsidy, but also all the items the dog needed were thoughtfully delivered.

Lin Qiao pondered, meowing as he thought, his brain unable to distinguish between talking to himself and thinking.

“Hmm, I remember that if you abuse pets, you also get protection values from them, or rather, their emotional values.”

“If a player wins by abusing pets, will he also turn into a pet and become one of them?”

The black cat, extremely displeased, took Lin Qiao from the Doberman’s arms. Lin Qiao meowed uncomfortably. The black cat stopped moving, at a loss, and simply transformed back into its feline form to cradle Lin Qiao.

The Doberman was truly mature and reliable. Not only did it look at Lin Qiao as if he were a child, but its gaze towards the black cat was also tolerant.

The Doberman explained: “Only the top five can win. If any of them have excessively high protection values, the church will determine how they obtained those values.”

“If it’s through showing affection to pets, then they will be accepted by the church and become pets. For players who abuse pets, the church will simply stand by and watch.”

If a player in the top five reaches a protection value that triggers a mutation, their affection value won’t be low either. The evil spirits won’t let such a player go either. At this point, the church will inspect. If the protection value is obtained through kindness to pets, the player will be accepted and protected by the church, staying in the dungeon forever as a member of the church. If there’s a player in the top five who wins by abusing pets, the church will let the evil spirits devour them.

Lin Qiao understood that this was related to the game rules. The top five winners must be based on the sum of affection values and emotional values. A high affection value alone or a high emotional value alone would make it difficult to enter the top five. If the affection value is too high and the protection value is not, the player will be killed by evil spirits. Conversely, if the protection value is too high and the affection value is not, the player will prematurely transform into a pet. Although it’s difficult, it’s not impossible.

Players like Izutsuro, who kill pets to gain protection and affection values, don’t just kill the pets they received from the church but also other pets in this world that cannot transform into humans. In other words, abusing not only one’s own pets but also other pets will yield protection values. Correspondingly, being kind to other pets should also yield protection values from them.

Lin Qiao was curious: “So, if a player doesn’t live-stream at the beginning and spends all day with their pets, being kind not only to their own pets but also to other pets…”

“Is it possible for them to prematurely reach the value and transform into a pet due to high protection values?”

The Doberman’s eyes darkened: “There is no such case. Only players who obtain protection values by killing animals will prematurely mutate.”

“The rise in protection values on a player’s phone is monitored by the church. Once a player is found to have prematurely mutated by abusing pets, the church will send members to kill that player.”

Phones have this capability? Lin Qiao was a bit scared and hid under the black cat’s belly, which licked Lin Qiao affectionately. The Doberman comforted: “Your phone is an ordinary resident’s phone.”

So even if Lin Qiao had reached the value, the church wouldn’t pay attention, after all, the NPC humans in the dungeon couldn’t make pets turn into humans, nor could they turn themselves into pets. In this case, it’s just a high protection value, nothing extraordinary.

However, the Doberman’s tone became serious: “Lin Qiao, you must not let the church people discover that as a civilian, you have the ability to make pets turn into humans, even though you are not a sacrifice.”

Lin Qiao also realized this. Putting himself in their shoes, in this world, the number of pets that can turn into humans is very, very small. Pets must get close to players and entrust their lives to them, risking their lives to turn into humans. After all, players who are sacrifices, in order to get into the top five and win the game, will use the method of killing pets rather than loving them, because abuse yields values faster than love.

If the church were to discover an NPC, a human of this world, who also has the ability to make pets turn into humans, instead of just despairingly waiting for the once-a-year, one-month-long “Best Streamer Competition.”

A human who is neither a player nor a sacrifice, but a complete “human incubator” of the church.

Pets wouldn’t have to worry about being killed by player sacrifices, nor would they have to worry about not having enough time to reach the protection value.

The church would be ecstatic! They would go mad! They would do anything to get Lin Qiao!

Lin Qiao buried his head in the black cat’s belly, meowing fearfully. Although the black cat and the Doberman did not ask why Lin Qiao had such an ability, why he was mixed up with players, or why he appeared in the dungeon early, Lin Qiao also realized that his status as an illegal immigrant would be revealed by the church, and he could only be extra careful.