Fenix felt that he had truly hit the jackpot. He decided to revise all his initial stereotypes about Lion.
Lion glanced at Ferran, who was still unconscious in the ward, copied the game list Fenix had compiled onto the ward panel, and walked away without looking back.
Fenix was stunned by his boss's generosity, curled up in Lion's pocket, his face full of amazement.
Looking up at Lion, Fenix found Lion's expressionless face to be flawless, making him look incredibly handsome.
What was that nonsense about Lion having a fierce face? How could he shoulder heavy responsibilities without a stern demeanor?
Take Raven for example!
With the appearance of a pure college student, wasn’t he completely suppressed by Lion before the dissolution of Lionheart?
With a wave of his paw, Fenix put on a thick filter, opened his terminal, and found that his mute had been lifted.
Fenix changed his group nickname and started typing rapidly: "Excited heart, trembling hands, here's a toast to my boss!"
Fenix: "Thanks to the organization's cultivation. Without yesterday's dedication to the organization, there wouldn't be today's Fenix making a living!"
Lancelot: "??? Speak normally."
Fenix: "Never did I imagine that I would earn a living through my mouth!"
Alfred: "Eating without a mouth? Are you suggesting using your nostrils?"
Tsk.
Coarse language!
Fenix sneered and typed: "I'm telling you, from now on, if you want me to write rainbow praise signs, it'll cost you!"
Lancelot: "? Lancelot won't agree."
Alfred: "Neither will Alfred."
Ignoring them, Fenix calculated the earnings from blowing his own trumpet and was surprised.
Fenix: "No objections allowed! Believe it or not, my rainbow praise is worth two hundred bucks per piece."
And that's monthly!
Work for a year, and it's a thousand bucks a word!
With this calculation, Fenix's confidence swelled: "Considering our friendship, I'll give you a discount – two bucks a piece!"
Lancelot was shocked by this discount.
Even though Fenix used to write rainbow praise for free, after deciding to charge and offering a discount, it made others feel like they were getting a bargain.
Lancelot: "Business genius."
Alfred: "Two bucks, no need to be so humble."
Derek: "Based on my reading comprehension, did Fenny get a raise by flattering the boss?"
Fenix gave Derek a thumbs-up and changed the group name to "Rainbow Praise Command Center."
Alfred and Lancelot were stunned.
Lancelot: "I heard that Lion is impartial, decisive, cold, and unfeeling!"
Alfred: "I heard that Lion Corp. is a place of fierce competition, treachery, and survival of the fittest!"
Fenix ruthlessly gave them both a thumbs-down.
Fenix: "How dare you slander someone's good reputation!"
Pure nonsense! Defamation!
As Fenix was about to type, he was picked up by Lion.
He was taken aback and put his terminal aside.
Having learned from Ferran's chocolate incident, Fenix's meals had long since switched to low-fat, low-salt boiled dishes.
Although the taste was a bit bland, it was certainly better than being hospitalized for a stomach wash.
— At least he wouldn't end up like Ferran, making the news!
Fenix didn't even want others to know about his awakening, let alone being featured in daily headlines.
The kitten ate quietly, then jumped off the table, heading for the training ground.
Lion raised an eyebrow slightly: "So proactive?"
Fenix nodded: "Because I need to call home this month, and I haven't yet."
If he didn't call, his parents would call him.
If he could only send messages and not communicate verbally, who knew what stories they would concoct. They might think he was tricked into a pyramid scheme and call the police.
Given the dynamic posts he had made today, it did sound rather strange when seen individually.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Thinking about it, Fenix realized this was quite possible and immediately grew nervous, scurrying towards the training ground with his short legs.
Night training was something Fenix had never seriously engaged in.
Lion propped his chin up, opened the monitor, watching the projection of the white furball standing out under the moonlight in the dim forest. Slowly, he once again opened the mythological legends.
He refined the keywords further, adding terms like "jungle," "forest," and "mountains," and considered adding "white."
The original twenty-thousand-page document was reduced to just two thousand pages.
...
The moment Fenix stepped into the training ground, he realized that running to do night training might have been a huge mistake.
Everyone knows that the night forest belongs to insects and small rodents.
During the day, Fenix had wondered why he hadn't encountered all 528 species of animals in the jungle difficulty.
But now he knew why!
Fenix clung to a tree trunk, digging his claws into the bark, staring in despair at the dense swarm of termites emerging from the ground.
Damn!
Oh damn!
Damn you!
With this effort, why not create some large animals instead of a swarm of micro termite robots?
Is the designer of this map and difficulty level sick?!
I suspect they have serious issues!
Serious issues indeed!!
Fenix, both terrified and alert, pricked his ears, digging his claws deeper into the bark, feeling his scalp and every hair on his body twitch as he heard the sound of termites gnawing on wood.
Damn!
Damn it!!
Sounds terrifying!!
Fenix shivered and started climbing the tree frantically.
Rather than being covered by termites or having them crawling into his ears, he would rather die!
As Fenix dug his claws into the bark, he accidentally disturbed a tree snake hiding in the branches.
Before the venomous tree snake could attack, the cat cub unleashed a burst of energy, kicking the snake away, sending it falling into the swarm of termites below.
Fenix turned around and saw the termite robots acting according to their natural behavior.
They tore apart the robotic tree snake, reducing it to tiny pieces.
Fenix: "...?"
Fenix: "???"
Damn!
Fenix was terrified!
He withdrew his gaze and climbed higher, leaping among the branches, startling countless sleeping birds, and escaping far away.
The white kitten perched high in a branch, cautiously observing the silent yet bustling forest, eventually finding a woodpecker's nest, chasing the bird away, and settling inside.
Woodpeckers typically build nests in natural tree cavities, free from snakes, rats, and insects.
Fenix understood this, but he still dared not sleep while hiding in the tree cavity.
If something unexpected happened and he woke up to a nest of termites or faced a colorful giant insect...
Damn!
Fenix felt he had developed a severe case of insect PTSD.
Just thinking about it made him feel suffocated.
No, no.
Fenix, calm down.
Sleep was necessary; his awakened form was still growing and needed proper care.
Fenix pondered for a moment, looking down at his white fur, which was exceptionally conspicuous in the darkness, and then up at the satellite hanging high in the night sky.
The light leaked through the jungle, falling on his white fur, making him stand out like a 1000-watt lamp.
Everyone knows that insects are attracted to light, although some are negatively phototactic, many still rush towards the light.
Like moths.
Without hesitation, Fenix extended his sharp claws, tearing off a chunk of bark to block the tree hole, and positioned his furry bottom to guard the entrance, listening vigilantly to the sounds outside.
...
The next morning.
When Lion woke up and went downstairs for breakfast, he found a rainbow-colored unicorn floatie in the pool.
Stepping outside, he saw Fenix sprawled on the floatie, looking completely dazed.
Lion walked to the edge of the pool: "Fenix?"
Fenix turned his head languidly to look at Lion.
Lion tossed his terminal over.
Fenix caught the terminal with his paw, curling his tail around it.
Fenix never imagined that as a cat, he would experience such a day.
— He actually felt safest in the water.
No termites, no gigantic moths, no venomous spiders, centipedes, or caterpillars.
Though there were water spiders and flying mosquitoes, the fish in the water weren't idle, gobbling them up one by one.
He spent the latter part of the night perched on a wide branch over the water, nervously taking a nap.
Thinking about his experience last night, Fenix felt he had already died once.
Boss, it's tough!
Fenix is suffering!
Sleeping in a tree hole, the door was chewed by termites!
Escaping, he was bitten by a venomous snake, stung by a scorpion, attacked by a leopard, and even slapped by a bear!
Finally, he escaped the crocodile's threat by jumping into the water, finding temporary peace!
Fenix held back, but couldn't help it, typing: "Boss, I think if I do night training a few more times, I won't grow taller!"
Lion stated the facts: "You're 22."
?
22? So what about 22?
Can't a 22-year-old grow taller?
Fenix was serious: "I heard some people can have a second growth spurt, Boss."
Lion: "..."
...Alright.
Dreams make everyone great.
Fenix could tell that Lion was being evasive.
He cited an example: "Really, Boss, maybe I'm one of those people. Otherwise, how do you explain why I only awakened at 22? Maybe my body realized I could awaken because of my second growth spurt..."
Fenix looked at the words he had typed and felt they made a little sense.
Right!
If not for a second growth spurt, why would he awaken at 22?
There's no reason!
Damn.
Fenix took a deep breath.
Once the awakening period ends, supplementing with some calcium, could the basketball prince of Sea University break the 180cm barrier?
While Fenix always claimed to be 180cm, his actual height was 178cm.
But 178 rounded up is 180!
After learning math for so many years, shouldn't he apply it practically?
Fenix felt justified.
Learning to apply knowledge flexibly is exactly what the smart and clever Fenix does.
Fenix quickly convinced himself.
He flipped over on the floatie, typing firmly: "Apart from a second growth spurt, I can't think of any other possibilities!"
"There is still one possibility," Lion said slowly. "Your awakened form isn't a common species."
Fenix was stunned.
He peered at his reflection in the water, looking unmistakably like a cat.
Fenix opened his mouth: "Meow—"
Listen to this standard meow.
Clearly,
it's a cat, no doubt.
Why wouldn't it be a common species?
Honestly, if Fenix wasn't a common species, Athena would probably complain to the developers and ask for a refund.
How could there be a fantasy species besides Athena in this world!
Don't the developers want to make money?
Of course, though he said that, if he really was a fantasy species, it seemed pretty cool.
Fenix crouched on the floatie, rubbing his paws.
Think about Athena.
The unique mermaid lady in the universe!
In peacetime, she has enchanting songs, beautiful looks, weaving water into silk, and tears into pearls. Even if she doesn't sing, selling mermaid by-products could make her rich.
When fighting, she extends venomous claws and sharp fangs, and a flick of her beautiful tail could cause a severe concussion in a grown man.
Versatile, capable of attacking and defending, fit for battle and romance.
Only this powerful setting could support the eccentric behaviors of the Athenas.
Thinking about it, being a fantasy species would be fantastic!
Unfortunately.
Fenix looked at his reflection, pawing the floatie, sighing: "Although I don't know the specific species, it's definitely not a fantasy species."
Lion raised an eyebrow, reaching down to pull the floatie back to the poolside.
"Are you sure?"
Of course!
This is an otome game world after all.
Although this world is real for Fenix, its essence cannot be ignored.
Lion showed Fenix his terminal screen, which clearly displayed:
"Forty miles to the north is Huoshan. It has many trees. There is a beast here, resembling a fox, with a white tail and mane. It is called Feifei. Raising it can alleviate worries."
— From Shan Hai Jing (The Classic of Mountains and Seas).
Translated into plain language:
"There is a creature called Feifei, resembling a cat, with a mane and a white tail. Raising it can relieve worries."
Fenix was stunned, slowly typing a question mark: "Me?"
"High probability."
???
What? What's going on?
Are the developers not charging?
No way.
Is Fenix about to become the second powerful fantasy species in the universe?!
One that can fight Raven and Asmodeus?!
Fenix suddenly got excited.
Wow.
Fenix could have this day!!
Awakening is truly a wonderful thing!
Amazing!
Fenix rubbed his paws, staring at the text for a long time, his heart pounding, trying to swipe down, but found nothing else.
Fenix couldn't help but take a deep breath: "Just this?"
Lion nodded: "Indeed, that's all there is about this creature."
?
Damn!
What weak fantasy species!
Its combat power seems less than 0.001 of Athena!
Pah!
Useless awakening! Wasting my money! What trash! Get lost!!