The two turned the street corner, and Amber spotted the giant cat from afar.
Originally skeptical, she gaped in shock, her gaze firmly captured by the enormous fluffiness and the pink paw pads as big as body pillows.
It was a tortoiseshell cat, a type of calico, covered in dense dark patterns that gave it a mysterious and elegant air.
One front paw hugged its chest while the other waved back and forth, beckoning customers.
“Ehehe… such huge fluffiness… and those soft paw pads…”
Amber’s cheeks flushed red, her heart racing as she fidgeted with her fingers, dying to rush over and give it a good rub.
The cat was simply enormous. When the wind blew, its fat body—blanketed in thick, garlic-clove-like fur—rolled like grassy hills. Picnicking on it probably wouldn’t work; the fur was too dense to keep utensils steady.
Aah… I want to lie on it… kick my arms and legs… and those round paw pads… oh my god… how can there be such huge cat paw pads…
Amber closed her eyes, unable to believe it was real. She clenched her fists, trembling all over.
“Hey, the little dog at home would be heartbroken,” Ashley teased.
The tortoiseshell cat’s lantern-like eyes swiveled, scanning passersby. Occasionally, it sneezed with a pfft, its fur standing on end like it had been electrocuted before settling lightly back down.
Peering into its wide-open mouth revealed a completely hollow cavity—the entire cat was just a costume.
Where teeth should have been sat a row of shelves stocked with twisted, irregular pearls.
Sorted by size, the smallest were ping-pong ball volume, the largest like shot puts. Not a single one was perfectly round—not even slightly regular droplet or oval shapes. They resembled insects trapped in scalding wax tears, writhing in agony before solidifying.
These Baroque-style giant pearls had dark tones—jet black, deep purple, indigo, dark blue, and so on—shimmering with eerie, hypnotic arcs of light.
Further inside, short, velvet-like fuzz lined the walls, outlining tables, chairs, stools, and sofas. Everything was fluffy, even the curtain to the back room, woven from cat hair into a tapestry.
The Monster Lolita sleeping on the sofa suddenly opened her round, full-moon eyes. She flipped over, dashed to the door, her bear-pelt robe—made from an entire skin—dragging on the ground and sparking static.
“Little Ai! Hug!”
Delwei reached out her arms. Despite the static that would surely zap anyone, Ashley still embraced her.
“You two know each other?” Amber asked impassively.
“Eh, didn’t I tell you…?” Ashley blinked, noticing the ditzy loli seemed a bit unhappy, and quickly explained, “We’re just normal friends!”
“We’re—Fig and Tentacle Oath best friends!”
Delwei raised her hands, her little arms slipping free from the bear pelt. A slit in the robe’s hem revealed her snow-white, smooth little legs.
Hey…
Are you seriously just wearing a single bear pelt?
Ashley grumbled inwardly.
“Fig and Tentacle Oath… what’s that?” Amber asked curiously.
“It’s—”
“Shut up!”
Delwei started to explain, but Ashley clamped a hand over her mouth, shooting her a frantic warning glare.
“Ahem, are you selling pearls? How much per one? Or per ounce?” Ashley swiftly changed the subject.
“Not for money—trade for yummy food!” Delwei smacked her lips expectantly.
Ashley glanced at the door. No wonder there were no customers; whatever caught her eye wasn’t ordinary fare.
A few customers, dressed unlike locals, approached with devices. They spun pearls in their hands, measuring for supernatural fluctuations, but all shook their heads and set them down.
Evidently, either the pearl shells blocked detection, or they were just mundane objects.
“Where’d you get these?” Ashley whispered.
Delwei patted her little belly. “Things I couldn’t digest… slowly ground into pearls.”
“Eh, are you a clam spirit or something?” Ashley couldn’t help but quip.
But thinking it over, given Delwei’s pickiness and powerful digestion, whatever was wrapped inside had to be indigestible supernatural material—maybe even a formed supernatural ability.
This is basically gacha pulls, huh?
As for why the shells blocked scans, she guessed it was a property of the Monster Lolita’s secretions.
“Because I ate your squid, here’s one for you. Go pick,” Delwei said, pointing to the shelf of smallest pearls.
“Pick one for me. They say fools have fool’s luck,” Ashley clasped her hands pleadingly. “Please, Amber!”
Amber turned to leave.
“Wahhh! I’m sorry!” Ashley hurriedly coaxed her back. “Pick one to give you.”
“I don’t want your stuff.”
Though Amber rejected the gift, she still used her own ‘fool’s luck’ to draw a single for her.
Ashley gripped the walnut-sized irregular pearl. It weighed heavily in her palm; even a knife couldn’t scratch it. Hardness near ceramic—not ordinary pearl at all.
Then Delwei sidled up to Amber, wrinkling her little nose and sniffing around.
What’s this kid… doing?
Amber pursed her lips, baffled.
“You smell like something yummy…”
Delwei struck like lightning, snatching a wriggling silver small fish. Then, like slurping a soup dumpling—slurp slurp—she sucked at the metal lifeform, her throat bulging repeatedly.
“No! That’s…” Amber panicked, but luckily Ashley stopped the Monster Lolita’s feast in time.
“You can’t eat things that aren’t yours! It’ll cause a commotion,” Ashley said sternly.
Delwei obediently released her throat. Like a cormorant regurgitating, the little fish darted back to Amber in terror.
“Can I buy it? This could trade for a small pearl,” she counted on her fingers.
Amber shook her head, explaining it was from her teacher and couldn’t be lost.
“Okay…” Delwei said dejectedly.
She mentioned she occasionally ate normal food but wasn’t passionate about it. She didn’t mind skipping meals, as she often waited long or traveled far for favorites—and had grown used to it.
Mission accomplished, Ashley walked Amber home. After the day’s company, Amber no longer disliked her but still harbored reservations.
Still, it was just the first day. Hehe, this smooth already? Tomorrow she’d clip nails and eat pineapple. To avoid hurting Amber’s Little Flower, pulling them out was fine.
Ashley left Ramhorn Street in high spirits, turned onto Fourth Avenue, then into Craftsman Street, arriving at Blackfoot Workshop.
The Blackfoot Loli took the pearl curiously, placed it on the scanner, and after hearing Ashley’s description, said:
“You mean she secretes substances that conceal supernatural fluctuations—or that’s just one trait? Do you know what this means?”
“She might be a powerful assassin,” Ashley pondered.
“No, scarier than that. Remember, she’s not human. She’s a predatory monster—and a master of disguise. She could eat you whole and sneak out of the city. Don’t forget, you’re emitting supernatural fluctuations too, and yours seem very strong. Monsters are unpredictable. Don’t let her cute appearance fool you; she will eat you,” the Blackfoot Loli warned.
Ashley fell silent.
“If you really want to befriend her, trade for more pearls. Check if there are human remains inside. If you find she’s devouring human supernaturals, you know what to do,” the Blackfoot Loli sighed.
Ashley nodded.
The Blackfoot Loli picked up an electric grinder, ready to cut a window like opening a jade rough stone.
