My name is Sylvia Moor. I am a C-class adventurer. As a beastkin, being an adventurer is one of the few jobs that allows me to keep my dignity. The other options would strip that from me. As a proud member of the Gerdan Cat tribe, I cannot dishonor them.

Beastkin, in general, have a warrior mindset, though not all tribes follow it with the same intensity. But I can say with confidence that my tribe is one of the more warrior-oriented. Unfortunately, none of our warriors have ever risen to true greatness. We haven’t produced a powerful champion, unlike other beastkin tribes across the continent.

I want to change that.

That's why I set out alone on a daring quest to find the legendary Golden Apple, a treasure that could change my fate and prove my worth. But my success came with consequences. It drew the attention of the dragon Xanxer, a name whispered in fear, a creature of unmatched malice.

I remember running from his undead horde, his voice echoing in my mind as he vowed to dissect me, to steal the gift the Golden Apple granted me. My newly gained supernatural ability to teleport saved me that day, allowing me to escape his grasp. But even with this newfound power, it can only take me so far.

And now... I fear I am running out of places to run.

My back is pressed against a tree, and every breath feels like fire in my chest. My left eye is bleeding, and my sword-arm shakes uncontrollably. I can barely hold my weapon anymore. My body is screaming at me to give up. I can’t even teleport—I've used up all my strength. The low-level undead close in, surrounding me, mere skeletons and rotting corpses. Normally, I could take them down easily, but there are too many. Too many to fight, too little strength left.

I think... my rib might have punctured a lung. I can’t breathe properly. My vision is going dark.

Suddenly, I hear a voice.

"Burn," someone says. It isn’t me.

In an instant, the undead burst into flames, their skeletal forms crumbling into ash around me. I collapse back against the tree, unable to stay upright anymore. My vision blurs further as a strange orange blur lands from above, almost feline in appearance. It has ears like mine. A tail like mine. Is this… a god?

“W-who are you?” I manage to ask, my voice weak, trembling.

"I am Kaiser," the creature replies, its voice calm and confident. “Where do you hail from, silver-eared warrior?”

"I… I am from the Cat Tribe of Gerdan—" I begin, but I can’t finish the sentence. Darkness overtakes me, and I fall unconscious.

I feel warmth, a strange but comforting heat radiating through my body. It’s soothing, like being wrapped in a familiar blanket after a long, cold night. But as the warmth spreads, I start to see something—images forming in my mind, as if I’m dreaming.

I’m back in my village.

The village is alive with the sounds of laughter, the bustling of daily life, the warmth of the sun filtering through the trees. I see the familiar faces of my kin—my mother, my siblings, the elders—all going about their usual tasks. The scent of cooking meat drifts in the air, mixing with the earthy smell of the forest. It’s a place full of life, full of warmth, and I feel the pull of nostalgia in my chest.

I see myself training with my sword, clumsily at first, but with determination burning in my eyes. I remember the way the older warriors would correct my form, how they encouraged me to push harder, to grow stronger. They believed in me. My tribe believed in me.

But the dream takes a turn. The sky darkens, and the village erupts in flames.

Screams fill the air. I remember that day all too well. The undead swarmed in without warning, and soon, the place I called home was reduced to ash. The faces of those I loved—those I fought for—flash before me, and then they vanish, consumed by fire and shadow.

My heart tightens. I can’t stop the images from playing out.

I remember running, my legs heavy, lungs burning as I tried to escape the chaos. But I couldn’t save them. I couldn’t even save myself. I was too weak. Too slow.

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The warmth that’s enveloping me now feels distant. The heat from the flames in my memory sears deeper into my soul. And then, just like that, the dream dissolves.

I start to stir. Slowly, I open my eyes.

"Where am I?" I ask, my voice groggy and my mind still disoriented.

"It’s my cat cave!" the small orange furball in front of me chirps with pride. "Well, don’t judge. It’s temporary."

I rub my eyes and take in my surroundings. It’s a simple shelter, barely large enough for me to sit comfortably. The lack of undead is the best news I've heard in what feels like forever. I glance at the strange, toddler-sized creature grinning at me.

"Where are they? The undead?" I ask.

"Ash," he says with a casual shrug, as if turning an army of the undead into ash was an everyday thing. His grin widens, showing sharp little teeth.

I stare at him, confused. He’s... small. Like, really small. And yet, I feel this immense power radiating off of him. "What are you?"

"I am a cat, don’t you see?" he replies with a flick of his flaming tail.

Not a god? Just a cat? I squint, looking at him again. He’s weird, sure, but in a world full of magic and monsters, maybe this isn’t the strangest thing I’ve seen. Maybe he’s some kind of magical beast that gained sentience? But that’s unheard of... the only magical species known to break free from pure instinct are the Apekin.

"You need to get away," I say, the urgency suddenly hitting me again. "The evil dragon is after me. Your help might have endangered you—"

"Hah!" he interrupts, puffing up his chest. "Don’t look down on me! Xanxer is dead!"

I blink. "What?"

"Yeah, I killed him. Boom! Explosion! Flames! Sent him flying." He gestures dramatically, acting out an imaginary explosion. "And then, poof, gone."

My heart skips a beat. "You... killed Xanxer?"

"Yup!" He nods, looking way too smug for a creature his size. "The evil dragon who’s been terrorizing you? Yeah, that guy is toast. Literally."

I sit back, trying to process this. Xanxer... dead? The dragon who nearly wiped out my village, who’s been hunting me relentlessly—gone? Just like that?

The orange cat stretches and yawns, as if this is all no big deal.

"You don’t need to worry anymore," he says, almost lazily. "I’ve got everything under control."

I stare at him, still trying to wrap my head around it. Is it really over? Could this strange, fiery furball really have done what no one else could?

"What... are you?" I ask again, this time with a little more awe.

He grins, tail flicking behind him. "I told you. I’m a cat. And I’m Kaiser!"

“Okay, here’s the deal. You work for me now!” Kaiser declares with authority, puffing out his tiny chest.

“Huh?” I blink, still trying to catch up. "What do you mean?"

“I’m going to build a kingdom!" he continues as if it's the most natural thing in the world. "Tell me, what’s the biggest cat kingdom around here? I’m going to dethrone their king and replace him. I’m sure they’ll be so thrilled to have me that they’ll make my coronation a holiday!”

“There is no cat kingdom,” I say flatly, unsure if he’s joking or serious.

Kaiser freezes mid-pose, his eyes wide. “What!? Ridiculous! How are you living your life now? I’m ashamed to associate with cats like your lot! That’s super sad, you know? Were your ancestors incompetent?”

“Hey, don’t talk about the cat people’s ancestors like that! We’ve produced lots of heroes, powerful casters, and adventurers!”

He raises a furry eyebrow. “How about a cat king?”

“Uuh... no…” I admit reluctantly.

“See? That’s what I’m talking about. Heroes? Casters? Adventurers? They’re all just on some king’s payroll, aren’t they?”

“Not really… There’s the Guild, and then there’s the economy—”

“If you keep giving me this nonsense exposition, I swear I’ll use vicious mockery on you,” he cuts me off, his tone half-threatening, half-annoyed.

I frown, crossing my arms. “You’re the one spouting nonsense.”

He points a paw at me. “You’re ugly, you lack fur, and you’re ugly.”

I gape at him. “People think I’m pretty, though…”

“Yeah, because you’re gullible,” he shoots back, grinning like he’s won some argument.

“Ugh…” I groan, rubbing my temples. Is this really happening right now?

“Let’s go. Time is of the essence,” Kaiser says casually, padding ahead of me.

I follow him out of the cave, blinking in the sudden sunlight. Then I freeze, my jaw dropping. The entire forest in front of us is... gone. A wide swath of trees has been reduced to ash, the ground scorched black as far as the eye can see. Whatever wasn’t burned looks twisted, as if the land itself was reshaped by something unnatural. The destruction is overwhelming.

“What the hell happened here?” I mutter, staring at the wasteland in disbelief.

“Hm?” Kaiser glances over his shoulder, seemingly unbothered by the sight. “Oh, that? I fluffed Xanxer to death. Not even a close fight, honestly!”

I turn to look at him, half expecting him to be joking. But no, his face is as serious as ever. “You fluffed him to death?”

“Yep!” He puffs out his chest again, clearly proud of himself. “Not much left of him after that. Classic fluffing technique, if I say so myself.”

I don’t know what to say to that. I’m not even sure I want to know what his ‘fluffing’ actually involves. I just shake my head, trying to process the fact that this little furball obliterated an entire section of the forest, all to deal with Xanxer.

"Uh-huh... and this was necessary?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course! You think he’d just leave if I asked nicely?” Kaiser smirks, as if the idea of diplomacy is laughable.

I sigh, rubbing my temples again. “I feel like I’m going to regret this...”

“Oh, you will,” Kaiser grins, “but not for long. We’ve got a kingdom to build!”