https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-3-The-Cat-that-Speaks-Human-Language/12619619/
Chapter 4: Divine Skills
"Huh?"
Xueheng was perplexed, first suspecting that he was hallucinating. He surveyed his surroundings, finding no one nearby, ruling out the possibility of someone playing a prank by pretending to be a cat. He inspected the cat further and found no devices that could produce the sound.
Xueheng paused, pondering the situation, his curiosity piqued yet tempered.
While the concept of a talking cat was commonplace in fantasy stories, encountering it in reality was uncanny. It was best to avoid any potential strangeness.
He quickly took out several sausage sticks from the supermarket bag, tore open the packaging, and placed them on the ground. Then, he stood up, ready to leave.
Just as he rose, the unconscious cat's tail twitched involuntarily, causing the platinum tail ring to brush against his finger.
[Detecting divine substance. Absorbing divinity...]
[Contact lost. Divinity absorption failed.]
The semi-transparent skill panel suddenly appeared, displaying two lines of text he had never seen before.
Xueheng froze, halting his initial intention to distance himself.
"Oh well... I guess I have no choice. This panel is my lifeline. To investigate this anomaly, I'll have to take it with me."
He sighed, feeling a strange excitement within.
Xueheng bent down and picked up the black cat with the four white "gloves," unbothered by the dirt. The platinum tail ring on its tail now touched his body.
[Detecting divine substance. Absorbing divinity...]
On the panel, golden specks of light began to emerge from the originally pale blue transparent interface, gathering towards the bottom. Faintly, it seemed like a new skill was taking shape.
"Divinity... That sounds pretty awesome."
Xueheng's curiosity grew as he held the cat. He was about to head home when he remembered something and turned back towards the supermarket.
Entering the supermarket, he bought a bag of cat food from the pet section and asked the cashier for a large bag. He put the cat food and his previous purchases into the bag, then held the cat in one hand and carried the large bag in the other, leaving the supermarket and returning home.
As soon as he entered, he placed the plastic bag containing the ingredients and cat food on the table and sat on the sofa in the living room, still holding the cat.
Due to the panel's prompt, he couldn't afford to lose contact with the cat's tail ring, lest the divinity absorption failed.
Although he didn't know what would happen after successfully 'absorbing divinity,' it was unlikely to be a bad thing based on typical story tropes.
The golden specks on the interface continued to gather, and Xueheng gently stroked the cat with his free hand.
Its fur was messy and patchy, but upon closer inspection, one could see that it was a fine-looking cat.
The fur colors were distinct, with the four white "gloves" clearly delineated from the rest of its body. Its whiskers were neat, and it had white fur extending from the corners of its eyes like eyeliner, giving it a slender and refined appearance—the kind that exuded an air of elegance and beauty.
"Little Biezhi is quite something, isn't she?"
Xueheng gently stroked the cat, his anticipation growing.
He didn't know exactly what he was expecting—whether it was the changes the panel would undergo after absorbing divinity or the potential exciting shifts in his life due to this talking cat.
"…."
Xueheng suddenly smiled.
"I'm still Xueheng after all…"
The thought of bringing home a talking cat didn't fill him with anxiety about the unknown risks but instead sparked a thrill at the prospect of the changes it might bring to his life.
This was the heart of a youth, yearning for adventure rather than the stability sought by a middle-aged man.
Having resolved the doubts in his heart, Xueheng calmed down. As he waited for the divinity absorption to complete, he picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, flipping to the news channel.
"…The 37th U19 Unlimited Elite Fighting Competition is about to begin its preliminaries. Young star players from various clubs are gearing up and eager to participate… Today, let's interview one of the seeded players in this tournament…."
"…At 2:00 p.m. on October 8th, a brief 'Boundary Quake' occurred on Huaijiang Road in the eastern district of Qingcheng City. The magnitude was 4.1, and under the direction of Executive Councillor Chu Minyi, the public carried out an orderly emergency evacuation with no casualties reported…."
"…The Kongde Security Company has announced the successful destruction of the large criminal organization 'Dragon Sect.' Kongde's leader, Guan Yingzhi, declared that the Dragon Sect was a pseudo-religious illegal gang that had poisoned society for over sixty years. To maintain social stability and ensure citizens' safety, Kongde Security will not tolerate any lawbreakers…."
"Recently, a batch of cross-border smugglers carrying a large number of illegal goods has crossed the edge of the city's defense line and is heading inland. Citizens of Qingcheng City, please be vigilant and take necessary precautions…."
…
Time passed, and the news continued.
[Divinity absorption complete.]
As the words popped up on the panel, the floating golden specks of light began to dissipate.
At the very bottom of the skill panel, a new skill appeared, and unlike the usual black font of regular skills, this one shone with golden light.
[Twin (Inactive): Divine Skill, Activation requires Divinity 525/500]
[Condition met. Activate now?
Yes/No]
A divine skill? Xueheng's eyes narrowed.
Just from the name, he could tell that it was on a whole other level compared to ordinary skills.
Without hesitation, Xueheng tapped his finger on the 'Yes' option.
[Activation successful]
[Twin Lv1 (Upgrade requires Divinity: 25/100)]
[Effect:
Passive: Possess two lives. After death, you can freely choose the time of resurrection within seven days. Cooldown: Three months.
Active: Locked (Requires Divinity to unlock: 25/500)
Divine Incarnation: Locked (Unlock Condition: Reach Level 10, Divinity 25/2000)]
"What?!"
Xueheng was astonished.
Although he had anticipated that a 'divine skill' would be extraordinary, he never expected it to be this overpowered.
"Alright, panel, you're showing your true colors now. You never intended to be an ordinary cheat, did you?"
Just a moment ago, the skill panel seemed like an ordinary, mundane cheat, albeit with a faster growth rate. But with the arrival of "Twin," it had propelled him straight into the realm of the extraordinary.
This skill defied all logic and physics.
Two lives, with the ability to choose the timing of resurrection after death, meant that he wouldn't have to worry about his body being guarded to prevent resurrection, nor would he suffer the embarrassment of being killed again immediately after reviving.
This was an ultimate life-saving technique, and it wasn't even a one-time use like a resurrection coin. Instead, it had a cooldown period, essentially granting him infinite lives.
According to the panel, this was just the passive effect of "Twin."
"You've got to be kidding me. Why?"
Xueheng felt like ants were crawling all over his body.
If the passive effect was this broken, the active effect would surely be even more outrageous.
But it required divinity to unlock, and he had no idea where to get more divinity.
And what about this 'Divine Incarnation'? What effect would that have...
Countless thoughts raced through Xueheng's mind, and his expression fluctuated with his swirling emotions.
At that moment, the cat in his arms twitched its eyelids and slowly opened its eyes.
It lifted its head, its beautiful emerald-green eyes fixing on Xueheng, who was holding it in his arms.
Seeing this, Xueheng momentarily set aside his thoughts and reached out to stroke the cat's head.
Feeling a bit guilty, he asked, "Are you awake now?"
He had initiated the divinity absorption without the cat's consent, and he wasn't sure what impact it would have on the little feline.
In his excitement earlier, he hadn't given it much thought, but now he realized that taking something so important without asking might be a bit...
While Xueheng considered his moral compass to be flexible and adaptable, and he would have still absorbed the divinity regardless, seeing the 'victim' awake and in front of him made him feel a bit guilty.
The cat, curled up in Xueheng's arms, stared at him for a while, seemingly trying to make sense of its current situation.
It looked around, taking in its surroundings, before turning its gaze back to Xueheng's face.
A glint of light flashed in its emerald-green eyes.
The cat meowed.
That voice.
It sent shivers down Xueheng's spine.
...
To be continued...
(End of Chapter)
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