Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 762 - 122: The Demon King’s Calamity (Part 2)

When it came to its senses, it saw the moon and the starry sky. Tonight there were dark clouds, and at this moment, a red falcon flew past the clouds.

Strange, when did it end up lying here?

This was completely different from what it had imagined. In its plan, these two weak yet well-informed humans would definitely recognize its appearance, which would save it the trouble of introducing itself. Next, it would imprint the darkness into their bodies, turning them into its eyes within the Imperial Capital, just as it had done with challengers in the past.

It could sense that the brave youth was still alive; it would find that youth and complete its unfinished business.

—Deliver the final blow to the youth, for that is the fate a hero deserves.

Yet now, it lay face-up in a pile of trash by the roadside, while its targeted prey grew more distant. Their conversation faintly drifted into its ears with the evening breeze.

"What was that all about just now?"

Argos asked in confusion.

It seemed someone was blocking their way, but before they could even ask, Kane gently nudged them aside. It was clear that Kane meant no harm, treating it as casually as saying, "Excuse me, just passing through," to a human.

Regrettably, the roadblock appeared only for show. With just a light push, it flew meters away, looking malnourished.

"Probably a riffraff,"

Kane calmly explained, "Despite the improved law and order in this city, there are always those who turn to crime. Let's hand him over to the Kingdom Army; after all, we're just guests here."

...

Riffraff!?

The shadow could hardly believe its ears.

It was the first time it had been addressed with such disdain, making it want to spring up and deliver a piercing attack, yet it struggled on the ground for a long time, unable to muster the strength to stand.

It must have been the magic cannon's doing.

It seemed its injuries were far more severe than it had imagined.

The shadow could only lie there, watching helplessly as its prey slipped away right in front of it—a humiliation unprecedented!

Kane, Argos, and Anapolis...!

It etched these three names into its memory, vowing that one day it would seek vengeance on these two humans and the magical creature, but before that, it needed to change tactics and recuperate.

Before it became the "Demon King," it had faced similar circumstances.

This failed hunt made it realize the harsh reality—that in its current state, it couldn't even rival an average adult. It detected no energy fluctuations from Kane and Argos; they were as ordinary as humans could be, and as for the octopus, it looked so weak that it could be snatched up and made into teppanyaki anytime it left its owner.

The shadow clenched its fists. Though it was shameful, in its current state, it would have to target small animals, devour their souls to restore itself to a state where it could easily crush a human adult.

......

Meanwhile, at Ethan's home.

"Why do you say I look nothing like a cat?"

In the living room, the black cat sat upright on the coffee table, arms crossed in defiance, questioning the ragdoll cat cuddled in Ethan's arms, "What's not as cute about me?"

A few minutes ago, she had, on a whim, engaged in a cat contest with Lindong, and ended up with a humiliating defeat. Not only could she not compare to the ragdoll cat that constantly tried to charm Ethan, but she was also criticized for not behaving like a cat at all.

"First of all, a normal cat definitely would not sit upright on a coffee table,"

Ethan stated matter-of-factly.

Since Little Dark transformed into a black cat, her image stood in stark contrast to Lindong's, making Ethan suddenly realize that Lindong's cat act was at its peak. No wonder he had lived with Lindong in Ximu Town for so long, mistakenly thinking she was a real ragdoll cat.

Sometimes, Lindong would even exhibit coy catlike expressions in human form.

As for Little Dark…

Ethan didn't want to put it too bluntly, but even the elderly men cooling off in the courtyard downstairs could tell she was a person in a cat costume.

After all, the Astrology Guild had long since opened admissions, and the Imperial Capital People were no strangers to basic transformation spells. Among them, transformation spells were included in the second-tier Astrology Guild exams, and a stroll near the Astrology Guild's campus would reveal students transformed into all sorts of fantastical little animals.

The difference between Lindong and Little Dark was as apparent as that between a Great Druid and a novice who failed the entrance exam.

"Your transformed appearance is fine, but your demeanor is nothing like a cat,"

Ethan rested his chin on his left hand. Although he didn't know transformation spells, as someone who was almost turning his home into a zoo, he felt his judgment was authoritative.

He noticed recently that Little Dark seemed to lean towards becoming a cat but felt her calculating nature was more akin to a human scheming in cat's guise.

"Little Dark, you've never actually interacted with a real cat, have you?"

Ethan quickly identified the problem.

But he didn't blame Little Dark, considering that, under normal circumstances, it was unlikely for a cat to wander into a black hole or a pollution zone.

The black cat on the coffee table froze, stammering for a long time without saying anything meaningful.

Ethan's interrogation hit the nail on the head.

She indeed hadn't interacted with cats; her transformation into a cat was purely out of jealousy of Lindong's daily antics in cat form with Ethan. Only recently did she realize a serious issue—Ethan didn't seem to have any special fetish for cats, but rather he liked being with Lindong.

Whether in cat or human guise.

But...

She was someone with a strong sense of pride, unable to bear being called a half-baked.

"I have an idea."

The ragdoll cat lying in Ethan's arms spoke leisurely, "You could go out and observe the stray cats in the Imperial Capital at night. A while ago, quite a few nobles paid big money to buy cats as pets, but after finding out they were unruly and couldn't talk, they disappointingly chased them out."

Thus, the districts where the nobles rooted saw an influx of stray cats.

"Hmph, just you wait!"

The black cat rose from the coffee table, "Let's compete again in three days!"

Leaving those words behind, the black cat jumped off the coffee table and ran outside. Once the black cat's figure disappeared into the night, the ragdoll cat turned back into human form with a blink, jumped down, and smilingly raised an eyebrow at Ethan, exuding seductive charm like a cat, "Darling, now that the annoying cat is gone, shouldn't we do something?"

"Do, do what..."

Startled, Ethan took half a step back.

"Meow~"

.........

In the dead of night.

In this darkness, the shadow finally found a new prey.

Once again, fortune favored it; it discovered many stray cats in the city—one of its favorite prey, weak yet possessing souls more abundant than most animals. It imagined someone had bought these cats, only to abandon them for various reasons.

The Kingdom nobles who discarded these cats could never imagine that their discarded pets would become its sustenance, helping it regain enough strength to hunt humans. Once then, it would slip into their manors under the cover of darkness...

The shadow found its prey.

A cat with black fur and striking heterochromatic eyes, moving differently from other strays, patrolling like a leader among the cats. Occasionally, it leaned in closely to a few cats, attentively observing them.

This was a king of stray cats.

Its soul was exceptionally abundant!

The shadow couldn't resist its hunger any longer, and as it appeared, the frightened cats scattered, while it ghosted its way to the black cat with heterochromatic eyes.

Clearly, this black cat was already scared stiff.

Its eyes widened, body taut, fur erect—a typical cat stress response.

They were always consumed in such a state.

It was about to feast...

"You damn!"

Huh?

The shadow paused for a long moment; if it had heard correctly, this black cat had spoken human words.

Just as it wanted to confirm it wasn't mistaken, the black cat surprisingly took the initiative, ramming into it like a cannonball.

"You scared all my cats away—are you looking for trouble, or are you crazy!"