DSMC Chapter 197

The fake Qi Feng died right in front of Qi Feng.

Qi Feng glanced at the time remaining in the game. Everyone else was just as nervous as he was. There were only 30 seconds left. How were they supposed to leave the game now?

The original exit had been destroyed by the overly excited Teacher Qu!

If Xiao Heihei hadn’t suddenly appeared, the fake Qi Feng might have successfully ambushed Qi Feng. Xiao Heihei’s appearance gave Qi Feng that fraction of a second he needed to react, allowing him to survive. Xiao Heihei had merely landed on the ground and wasn’t seriously injured. Although its claws had been trimmed, that didn’t affect its ability to attack the fake Qi Feng.

It rather uncomfortably shook the blood off its body, then walked over to Qi Feng and looked at him.

Qi Feng asked it, “Do you know where to go?”

Xiao Heihei let out a low meow and then ran toward the bungalow. Qi Feng waved at the others, signaling for them to follow.

Yin Zi and Yang-ge had just knocked down one copy, Su Qiuming and Xu Xian had teamed up to take down two, and Qi Feng had dealt with the fake Qi Feng. There was only one left.

Thud. The last copy also fell. It had been taken out by one of Teacher Qu’s clones.

Qi Yunchu ran over. The other three still remembered being deceived by the fake Qi Yunchu, so they didn’t quite trust the Qi Yunchu in front of them.

Qi Feng had no time to explain to them. “He’s the real Qi Yunchu. If we don’t get out when the time’s up, we won’t be able to leave!”

One sentence from Qi Yunchu dispelled their doubts. “Qi Feng’s cat rubbed against my leg.”

There was no time left for them to communicate.

Everyone followed Qi Feng. Thirty seconds was enough for them to rush to the entrance of the bungalow at the stronghold.

Everyone inside and outside the stronghold had been taken care of by the crazy Teacher Qu and Chu Mo and Wen Ye. They had even found time to collect a pile of equipment. Most ridiculously, Chu Mo and Wen Ye had one person carrying the bullets and the other carrying all kinds of ammunition, while Teacher Qu had firearms strapped all over himself, all while complaining that they were completely incompatible with his aesthetic sense and simply too ugly.

Led by Xiao Heihei, they went around to the back and entered the bungalow.

Everyone followed inside.

Teacher Qu No. 3: “Isn’t the front and back both the same bungalow? Why do we have to crawl in from the back?”

Teacher Qu No. 5: “If you want to stay here, that’s not impossible. You can go through the bungalow’s front door.”

Teacher Qu No. 1 kicked them inside. “Don’t hold me up from joining the main group.”

Although they talked a lot, they didn’t delay anyone from leaving the game. When the final second of the countdown arrived, everyone left the game and appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the arcade.

Except for Qi Feng, everyone else was entering “City of Sin” for the first time. They were still somewhat dazed when they came out, but quickly recovered.

After coming out, the other Teacher Qu clones still retained Qi Feng’s appearance, but each had a completely different personality, so the other players realized they couldn’t possibly mistake them for one another.

As soon as Qi Feng came out, he rushed to the arcade machine. He didn’t see Yan Jiyun in front of the machine.

Where was he?

During those final thirty seconds, Yan Jiyun had also controlled the “protagonist” and rushed into the final-stage bungalow. Where had he gone?

Was it because he knew they were about to come out and wanted to hide his identity?

Qi Feng looked around the arcade machine and saw the sniper rifle wedged between the machine and the shooting seat. He hadn’t even taken the rifle with him. Had something unexpected happened?

He looked at the system and saw that another wave of copies had appeared.

Qi Feng guessed that Yan Jiyun had probably encountered copies and had no choice but to leave.

He picked up the sniper rifle hidden on the ground, then took the weapons he’d grabbed from the game and fired a shot at the machine’s main operating center. The wires short-circuited, crackling with sparks.

Qi Yunchu asked him, “Why did you destroy it?”

Qi Feng: “The copies have our memories. They know they can enter the game to obtain items. This game can’t continue to exist.”

Standing behind him, Su Qiuming immediately joined in without a word. He grabbed a nearby chair and smashed it directly into the game screen interface. Whether it worked or not, he would smash it first and worry about the rest later.

Although Teacher Qu No. 1 didn’t understand what was going on, he wasn’t a player, after all. Seeing everyone having such a great time smashing up the arcade, he called over his various clones.

“Smash up the arcade.”

After all, they had plenty of people. They could smash whatever they wanted, however they wanted, practically like a gang of bullies on the rampage.

Before long, all the NPCs in the arcade had fled. Just like the other areas of the mall, the entire arcade was empty.

Teacher Qu No. 6 suddenly ran up to Qi Feng. “Where’s the cat?”

Qi Feng also realized the problem. Where had Xiao Heihei gone after coming out of the game?

Before he could think about it, they heard movement outside. It wasn’t made by a person, but by the sound of cats meowing.

Qi Feng said to them, “Everyone, count up your equipment. We’re going to have to deal with a new wave of copies.”

As he spoke, he ran out of the arcade. The Teacher Qus also followed him, and they had all heard the cat’s cries.

Seeing them run, the others naturally ran too, thinking that some major event had happened.

But after running out of the arcade, they saw a group of black cats in the central area on the first floor, all yowling.

Xiao Heihei, who had run out of the game, was also standing below. They were evenly distributed, five on the left and five on the right, with one leader in front of each group of five.

The one yowling was the cat standing in the very middle. It arched its back and kept crying at the other cat standing in front of it.

Qi Feng carefully counted the number of black cats downstairs. There were actually ten!

According to the way copies were calculated, ten cats appearing meant there had originally been five cats before the replication. And from what he had learned from Yan Jiyun, besides Caramel there were four others. So there were now ten in total, and his Caramel was among them.

He knew which one it was. It was the one calmly watching the black cat that was yowling and cursing, standing completely still. That was his Caramel.

He had finally found his Caramel!

Qi Feng was so excited that he almost wanted to run down from the fourth floor to reunite with his cat. Fortunately, he still had enough rationality not to rush down and disturb them.

Every copy cat was willing to listen to him not because he was the owner of the black cat, but because he was Caramel’s owner. Only those who had submitted beneath Caramel’s claws should be friendly toward its owner.

All the players who had just come out of “City of Sin” stood with Qi Feng by the corridor railing, watching the black cats fight.

This was probably a scene that could never appear in any top-level instance. Let alone a top-level instance, it might not even exist in an intermediate-level instance.

They had never imagined there could actually be a moment of relaxation.

[Want to be Human] livestream channel: 

“AAAAAAAH! I just want to scream right now. After entering this instance, the huge scene I’ve been waiting for is finally coming!”

“So many cats! Ten of them, there are actually ten! Can I have one? Can’t the game launch some kind of livestreamer cat adoption event? This crappy game has absolutely no creativity!”

“I just want to know how Kitty Baby is going to deal with these five freshly made little kitties in front of him this time.”

“So fierce. These cats are all way too fierce, and their mental states don’t look great either. I think every single one of them desperately needs some training. I’m a veterinarian at a pet hospital. Send them to me, I’ll make sure they’re properly treated.”

“Forget everything else, Kitty Baby, charge! Take these five freshly made underlings!”

The players watching the show upstairs practically wanted to grab popcorn and soda and pull up chairs to watch. They gradually relaxed and began chatting like they were at a tea party.

Su Qiuming was the first to speak. He happened to be standing beside Qi Feng. “Which one is your cat?”

By now, there probably wasn’t anyone who didn’t know that Qi Feng had a black cat and had brought it into the instance with him.

He had never seen Qi Feng nervous like this — not for a person, but for a cat. From this, it was clear that this cat meant a great deal to him.

Qi Feng could recognize the real Caramel at a glance, and he didn’t hold back at all when praising his own cat in front of others.

With a hint of smugness, he said, “The one that isn’t making any noise. But once it wins the fight, all these cats will be mine.”

Teacher Qu No. 1: “Don’t be so greedy. None of them are yours. I’m their owner.”

Chu Mo rested his chin on his hand and pondered for a moment, then nudged Wen Ye with his elbow. “Should I switch from raising dogs to raising cats? Cats seem more useful than dogs.”

Wen Ye: “Let’s talk about raising cats after you take your dog back from my house. Thanks.”

Chu Mo shrugged. “Okay.”

Xu Xian: “What’s so interesting about cats fighting? Let’s go down and chase the other five away. Wouldn’t Feng-ge’s cat win then?”

Yang-ge: “I don’t think we can. Cats fight to compete for territory. Whoever wins gets ownership of this territory.”

Yin Zi was troubled. “Why have I never been liked by cats or dogs?”

Qi Yunchu: “It might be because of your particular job. Some people have a special smell on them that cats don’t like to approach.”

Yin Zi: “Mm, I’m a mortician. I often deal with dead people.”

At that moment, Yin Zi received the attention of every male player present.

Chu Mo: “That’s badass. I used to get scared whenever I saw that.”

Qi Yunchu: “A heroine among women.”

Yang-ge: “I’m only finding out now.”

Su Qiuming: “That’s pretty good. You don’t need to engage in meaningless social activities. It’s a decent profession.”

Yin Zi: “You all really think so?”

Qi Feng: “Mm.”

Yin Zi: “After we get out of the game, let’s all add each other on WeChat. Friends get twenty percent off.”

Everyone: “……”

The other players watched the black cats fighting purely as a way to relax, but only Yan Jiyun remained on high alert. All his attention was focused on dealing with the copycat in front of him that had been howling at him for almost a minute, yet stubbornly refused to attack.

This black cat that had been copied this time seemed to have a stronger combat ability than Xiao Huang and Xiao Lv, and its howls were even more ferocious.

He didn’t dare relax his guard. It was just that the one in front of him had been cursing for too long, and the noise was starting to hurt his ears.

Yan Jiyun couldn’t determine what the new copy was like, and the howling certainly made it seem imposing. He didn’t like making noise when fighting, which made his side seem somewhat weaker.

“Mroww—! MROOOOWWW!!!” 

The leader was still cursing and swearing.

Yan Jiyun really couldn’t take it anymore. ‘Fine, curse all you want, but you’re not even making a move. Are you actually capable of fighting or not?’

He observed for a while. The new copy’s fur all stood up, and its back was arched very high, looking as though it could pounce on him at any moment.

Waiting any longer would only waste time.

Facing five cats roughly the same size as him was different from players facing five copies of themselves. One advantage he had over the other players was that he had four cats behind him as well. Five versus five— neither side had the upper hand.

“Mrow! Mreeaaawww!!” 

This chatterbox cat was still cursing, and its curses were becoming unbearable to listen to. If it kept going, he didn’t even want to admit that this was his copy. He wasn’t a chatterbox cat.

Yan Jiyun’s emerald-green eyes stared motionlessly at the chatterbox cat. He didn’t attack simply to make the chatterbox cat lower its guard. The more relaxed it became, the easier it would be for it to expose an opening.

Sure enough, the copycat relaxed. It blinked once, and its howling weakened.

At that very moment, Yan Jiyun leapt up with his hind legs and launched a surprise attack. With lightning speed, he slapped the chatterbox cat squarely in the face and directly pinned it to the ground.

The chatterbox cat was ultimately his copy, so its reaction speed was also very fast. It immediately counterattacked, but because it had spent so long provoking him with its howling, it had fallen into a passive position. How could Yan Jiyun not know the several moves he himself used when fighting? The moment the chatterbox cat made a move, he knew what it would do next, allowing him to precisely block all of its movements.

The two cats moved so quickly that ordinary people probably couldn’t see them clearly. The players, who had spent a long time immersed in games, had trained their dynamic vision as well, so they watched very carefully, as if they were watching an extremely important World Cup football match.

Yan Jiyun slapped the chatterbox cat repeatedly across the face. Finally, the chatterbox cat was beaten so badly that it could barely lift its head. Cat fur was scattered all over the ground, its head was buzzing from the beating, and even its reactions had become sluggish.

Even its cry had changed: “Meow~”

Yan Jiyun heard its plea for mercy, so he stopped pressing one foot against the chatterbox cat’s face.

He released it and let the chatterbox cat get back up.

At this moment, Xiao Huang, Xiao Lv, and Xiao Heihei, and Xiao Heihei, who were standing behind him, immediately pounced on the other four cats, while Xiao Bai stood blankly in place, unsure whether it should go forward and beat up the remaining black cat.

Yan Jiyun rolled his eyes internally. How could he have such a cowardly copy? It made no sense.

With no other choice, he could only do Xiao Bai’s job himself. He directly pounced on the somewhat sluggish cat behind them.

After several rounds of fighting, he was now much calmer and more composed when fighting than before. No matter what kind of opponent he faced, he wasn’t afraid. As long as he could see their reactions clearly, the copies were no match for him.

The sluggish black cat was quickly knocked down by Yan Jiyun. It didn’t react particularly strongly and soon submitted. Xiao Huang and Xiao Lv had inherited eighty percent of Yan Jiyun’s combat ability, so before long, the five-versus-five battle was over.

The five newly created copies hadn’t even had the chance to develop the thought of becoming villains before they had already been beaten into submission.

In this high-pressure dungeon, dealing with a few cats was actually no longer difficult for Yan Jiyun.

The battle was over, and the several cats had already joined the players’ side. Next, it depended on whether they were willing to follow him.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Huang and Xiao Lv didn’t leave. Instead, they waited for something.

Yan Jiyun understood.

The last time he finished fighting with them, he had taken them to eat canned food. Could it be that this time they wanted to eat again?

After all that, it wasn’t his combat ability that had conquered them, but those fragrant cans of food.

But now he was being watched by a group of players. Everyone already knew that he was Qi Feng’s cat, and after he turned back into a human, there would be one fewer cat. He would very likely be suspected.

He didn’t do things he wasn’t confident about, and right now he needed to establish his authority over his little minions.

He didn’t need to run upstairs. Qi Feng came downstairs immediately after he finished fighting.

Qi Feng was also worried that his cat might suffer a loss, but after watching the first fight, he knew that Caramel had no problems at all, so he simply went downstairs.

As soon as he came down, everyone else followed him, even the Teacher Qus, who all had Qi Feng’s face. The impact was still quite strong when they faced Yan Jiyun directly.

There were too many Qi Fengs. He was almost unable to look at them all.

Yan Jiyun ran toward the real Qi Feng and led him toward Building C.

Several Teacher Qus watched as the real Qi Feng followed one of the black cats that was leading the way. The other black cats followed as well, so naturally they had to follow too.

The other players didn’t understand what was happening. Remembering that the black cats had led them out of “City of Sin,” they assumed there had been some important discovery, so everyone grabbed their guns and ammunition and chased after them.

Only when all the cats and players arrived at the canned-food shop Yan Jiyun had discovered earlier did they stop.

Yan Jiyun jumped directly onto the counter and waited for Qi Feng to open a can for him. Fighting really did make him hungry. No wonder Xiao Huang and Xiao Lv had been staring at him. He was the only one who could open the cans.

Besides canned food, there were also cat treats, catnip, teaser wands, and other cat-related food and toys here, all of which the Teacher Qus had dug out.

When Su Qiuming and the others arrived, what they saw was several Qi Fengs busily opening cans and feeding the cats.

The sight of nine black cats sitting in a row and eating canned food was quite shocking.

If the system interface hadn’t clearly indicated that they were still in the instance, one might have thought they had accidentally wandered into a cat café exclusively employing black cats.

Yan Jiyun leisurely licked the tuna from his can. There was still some broth inside, replenishing the water he lacked.

Eating canned food twice within four hours… this was something he had dreamed of for a long time.

Su Qiuming suddenly asked curiously, “How did they know there was canned cat food here? I saw some empty cans at the entrance too.”

Qi Feng simply said, “Someone discovered this place. That person fed them.”

Chu Mo thought of the mysterious person who had shot Qi Yunchu in the head. “The person who sniped Qi Yunchu?”

Qi Yunchu was staring at the cats eating canned food when he was suddenly called out. He raised his head. “My copy was killed?”

Chu Mo: “Badass, right?” He looked around. “Did he follow us?”

Wen Ye said, “He didn’t bring his sniper rifle.”

Chu Mo: “Then he must have encountered his own copy.”

Qi Yunchu: “Who? Did your teammate come in, Qi Feng?”

Xu Xian: “But there isn’t a sniper among Feng-ge’s teammates, is there?”

Yan Jiyun: “……”

As expected of people who were all guild leaders. If this continued, he was going to be exposed.

He looked up at Qi Feng, who had a completely calm expression and clearly had no intention of answering the question of who the “sniper” was. Yan Jiyun felt like he was being protected.

Seeing that Caramel had finished eating its canned food, Qi Feng lowered his head and quietly discussed with it, “Caramel, take me to find your new owner. He’s probably run into some trouble.”

Yan Jiyun: “……” No!