Fang You: "?"
Setting aside the game's production and descriptions, the black smoke continuously billowing from the treasure box alone made it seem as if some great demon king was about to break free from its seal.
It was a little creepy!
Even though it was a game product, Fang You put the treasure box down, quietly retreated to the windowsill, and swallowed.
"It's probably fine, right?"
Xu Le seemed to have heard his silent plea. The treasure box on the floor continued to emit black smoke, but there was no other abnormality.
This black smoke was peculiar. It didn't spread; instead, it flowed out of the treasure box like a viscous black liquid, converging in mid-air.
This black cloud grew from the size of a pebble to a fist, then to the size of a laptop bag, before the treasure box finally stopped emitting smoke.
The next moment, the black cloud descended, stretching and transforming like noodles into a completely ordinary black cat, albeit one with very glossy, dark, and shiny fur.
It met Fang You's gaze, tilted its head, and let out a, "Meow~?"
...
Fang You was rubbing the black cat's head. After a dozen seconds, the black cat disdainfully pushed him away with its paw.
"It's quite strong."
He had tried to resist just now but seemed to have been overpowered.
"How can I be weaker than a cat!"
Fang You opened his status panel. Next to his character portrait, a lazily sprawled black cat had appeared. Under the 'Abilities' section of his panel, a 'Pet' indicator had also been added.
[Pet: Black Cat (Renameable)]
[Physique: 5.9]
[Spirit: 6.5]
[Life Energy: 6.26]
[Mystery: 0]
[Abilities: Pierce Illusion, Giant Transformation]
[Description: ...]
This black cat's strength was perhaps… a little strong! Its two combined attributes were stronger than the current top worker, Old Brother Black Blade, of Xin Huo Unit 1!
There were also two seemingly powerful abilities.
—
[Pierce Illusion: The black cat's gaze can penetrate illusions, suppress malevolence, and reveal eerie spirits.]
[Giant Transformation: A special transformation ability that can significantly increase its dimensions and size for a short period. The duration of this energy is relatively short.]
Not only did it have two abilities, but the black cat itself possessed direct offensive capabilities against malevolent spirits and was quite effective against them, much like the demon-slaying greatsword.
At the same time, he discovered that on the game interface, he could cultivate this black cat like an Apostle. The only difference was that as a pet, it could not stray too far; its strength would continuously wane if it did.
This dashed Fang You's idea of sending the black cat out to work alone. Even so, this cat was incredibly powerful, perhaps capable of replacing Old Brother Black Blade as the current main combat force.
Fang You's gaze towards the little black cat had completely changed.
"From now on, your name will be Hei Tong. Work hard, and our future will be bright."
"Meow~"
The black cat... Hei Tong glanced at him, then turned its body away, its hindquarters facing him, ignoring him.
Fang You: "???"
"Disrespecting me, the Savior, the Xin Huo Mentor, is simply..."
"Considering you're the main combat force, I'll forgive you."
...
Although Hei Tong was clearly aloof, it was only aloof. Fang You could occasionally pet it and issue a few commands. It would meow but completely understood them... though the more commands he gave, the more impatient Hei Tong would become, dragging its feet and showing various signs of disdain.
"Bad review! This employee's performance is unsatisfactory!"
"But it's strong."
After a period of in-depth communication, Fang You finally gained a better understanding of Hei Tong.
Hei Tong's range of activity wasn't very long at the moment, but it was acceptable, around a few hundred to a thousand meters... This was naturally communicated through gestures: stretching its paw once, twice, thrice, and four times to indicate distance.
This almost made Hei Tong slam the table.
This distance was fine. When combat was needed, he could completely throw Hei Tong out... It would tank, and Fang You would deal damage; wouldn't that be perfect?
Moreover, it could transform into black smoke and be recalled into the sealed treasure box... although the cat was rather unwilling to return.
In short, it had many uses yet to be explored.
It was also very easy to care for. Hei Tong already understood his words, and there was a very crucial point... Hei Tong looked like a cat, yet it could transform into black smoke. It was perhaps a spirit body but not entirely so. In this state, Hei Tong did not need to eat.
Being able to survive without eating meant he could save on cat food!
This was great, as Savior Fang's finances were already a bit tight.
"Meow~"
Hei Tong glanced at the cat food icon on his phone, then turned its head away, its feline face showing disdain.
...
In the evening,
After using the skill cultivation card three more times, Fang You lay on his bed with vacant eyes, as if he could exhale black smoke rings.
Hei Tong, in the distance, glanced at him and then paid no mind, squatting in front of the computer on its own, its paws pressing the mouse, opening a novel titled 'Starting from a Contracted Spirit'. Looking at the dominant spirit beasts within, Hei Tong nodded slightly.
"I, the great Hei Tong, shall stand between heaven and earth like this, meow~!"
...
Fang You glanced at Hei Tong, then at himself, his hands feeling weak.
Although his awakened Physique had become much stronger, three sessions of Palm Lightning cultivation in one night were truly not something a human could endure. It was too exhausting, but he had no time. To break through to the next level of Palm Lightning tomorrow, he had to push himself today.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have time.
After resting for a while, Fang You got up and made instant noodles... As he passed by, he glanced at Hei Tong. It was a pity that this foolish cat wouldn't make him noodles, forcing him, Savior Fang, to get up and cook.
He couldn't not cook; the consumption of diligence and effort was also very high. He feared waking up hungry in the night.
Oh, right, he wasn't planning on sleeping normally tonight.
After finishing his late-night snack, Fang You lay in bed, skillfully pulled the covers over himself, and picked up his phone, selecting 'Cultivate - Use Energy Elixir' for his character.
Immediately, it felt as if energy surged from within him, or as if his mouth was forced open and something was poured in.
His body warmed, but it wasn't uncomfortable, just a gentle heat. His eyelids slowly closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.
...
"As expected, the elixir is comfortable. Not only is there no pain, but it also aids sleep. I feel refreshed upon waking."
Fang You stretched his back and found Hei Tong still squatting in front of the computer in the distance, not looking tired at all.
Had it been reading novels all night?
"Damn! Even I, Savior Fang, don't have time to read novels! If Hei Tong couldn't leave far and couldn't take on missions alone, Fang You would have made it experience 996 and 007."
He wouldn't bother with this foolish cat anymore.
The Life Energy within him flowed, feeling incredibly abundant. Fang You checked his panel and revealed a surprised expression, "It actually increased this much. The green-grade elixir is truly potent, more than doubling it."
His previous Life Energy was 4.4, and one bottle of Energy Elixir had given him an increase of 5 units.
Of course, this was a fixed increase. As his strength grew, this growth ratio would become increasingly insignificant. But regardless, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say his endurance had doubled now.
Then there was Palm Lightning, which he would soon break through, and the Lamp Fire White Robe and pet Hei Tong he acquired yesterday.
He, Savior Fang, had received an epic enhancement!