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HC: Pacifist | Ch. 210 - Lin’s Adventure

Added 2024-02-01 10:34:13 +0000 UTC

At first, the bumps caused by the horse’s ride were pleasant. They helped rock little Lin to sleep. He was a kitty cat with a lot of growing to do and plenty of milk in his belly to digest. Whatever help he could get in sleeping more was welcome.

No matter how he stretched and twisted, only soft, fluffy, warm wool surrounded him, making him feel comfortable and safe. Growing up in the machine’s egg had been cold and lonely, but here, in the safety of this softness, he could hear his human’s heart beating, one more instrument in the lullaby that kept him well-rested.

Life for a kitty cat was simple. Eat, sleep, eat, sleep, a clickety-clack similar to the horse’s canter and the human’s heart. But now, there was a third component to life. It was an expansive desire that came in the form of burning questions: What is beyond this softness? What is beyond this safety? At first, it was just a tiny question, something to be dreamed about, but now the thirst to know more was creeping into his conscious thoughts and, worst of all, was starting to affect his precious sleep.

The first time he felt this emotion building up, the only thing that had appeased it was leaving his soft nest. When the warmth of the wool became scorching heat and the human’s heartbeat became noisy, coming out and seeing a little of the vast, wide world was the only thing that offered some relief. Soon, however, the world became cold, scary, and lonely, and he had to retreat into the safety of his human’s soft clothes.

After a while of the bumpy ride, the human resumed his two-legged traveling motion, which made his heart beat faster but offered a smoother ride. The shift was enough to wake Lin from his slumber. He sniffed the air around him and encountered all sorts of exciting new smells. Since he was born, he had only smelled the city and its sewers, but now the smells felt fresh. Soon, the scent changed, and the noise of many humans talking overwhelmed little Lin’s senses.

He wanted to see what was going on out there, but something greater than his desire to explore stopped him from leaving the safety of his human's robes. There were other powerful creatures here. Unlike the distant memory of other scents like his, these were scents of different entities, dangerous uncertainties.

Lin took a nap, and when he awoke, it was to a thunderous noise followed by a deafening silence. He couldn’t hear the skittering sound of that funny ball his human carried in his pocket anymore. Where had his little ant friends disappeared to? And was that a roar he’d heard?

The explosive sound filled him with hope, and he anticipated a reunion with his uncles and aunties. The last time he had heard such a roar, Aunty Sawabi had fed him the most delicious milk he’d ever tasted. His human kept feeding him milk, and he knew that he meant well, but he really had much to learn from his aunty. Lin’s belly had never felt as full as after having that delicious meal.

He also remembered earthy smells, hot breaths, and the cleansing tongues of others like him, cleaning and nurturing him, making him feel loved and cherished. Even though his human was nice and fluffy and fed him, he never licked him! What was wrong with him? Those uncles and aunties filled a void in his kitty cat’s little soul, and he loved them for it.

He waited for his uncles and aunties to arrive; however, the scent changed abruptly, and Lin’s elation turned into terror. His human was in danger, too. His heart was beating furiously, and all his muscles were tense. Lin instinctively tried to make himself as small as possible, avoiding making any sound. All he dared to do was to sniff the air around him discreetly, but past the smell of the human and the warmth of wool was only the stench of death and decay. Why had his human brought him to this place?

There was quiet. The big bad monster hadn’t yet spotted them. All of a sudden, however, chaos unfolded. Sounds of explosions, clashes, screams, and the smell of burning air overwhelmed Lin. A little spark of curiosity drove him to peek outside and see what was going on, but he couldn’t move. He was afraid of being found and harmed.

Heart racing and muscles shivering, he curled into a little ball, hoping his human would take him to safety, and sure enough, his pet didn’t fail him. Lin didn’t know what the human had done, but the sounds of battle became more distant, and his human’s heartbeat slowed, signaling that the danger had passed. After a few long minutes of quiet, little Lin cautiously climbed his owner's chest and poked his head out of his robes.

They were inside an ugly, abandoned building. It had a very tall ceiling and was spacious inside. He felt the urge to hiss at the ugly bug that had made him afraid. It smelled dangerous and looked nasty. He would leave that for another day, though. His human was pursuing one of his little hobbies, working with thread. He nodded approvingly. Little Lin liked soft things, and those fluffy balls looked fun. He would request one from his human later.

Curiosity satisfied, Lin retreated into his human’s robes, but just as he did, he poked his head out again.

Sniff. Sniff.

Lin’s little nose twitched. Hidden under the filthy stench was the smell of food. His stomach rumbled in response. He had been famished since his human had gone into that gathering of humans, but he had waited for a time when there weren’t other dangerous smells around. This smell, however, awoke Lin’s hunger.

It didn’t look safe to leave his human and go check where the yummy food was. He would just signal his human that it was time to tend to him.

I am hungry. Milk. Now.

He waited for the human to respond but kept playing with wool, ignoring him. Why wasn’t he giving him milk?!

I am hungry. Feed me now. NOW!

Roth was knitting his second sweater. He made the sweater’s waistband using [Rib Stitch] and observed the final product.

Congratulations! You've successfully crafted [Wool Sweater].

+960 ecotailor XP.

Wool Sweater (Common)

Crafting Grade: B+.

Top

Item description: A comfortable sweater that will keep the chill away.

Item effects:

+85 hp;

+8 wisdom;

+3 dexterity;

+5% status resistance.

Surprisingly, he had come very close to getting an A on his second try. The transition from the sleeves to the main body of the sweater was slightly asymmetrical, and he had missed a few stitches. Cracking his neck, Roth tried again. There was nothing but the needles in his hands and the pull and push of yarn. There was no battle, messages, or notifications, just the sweater.

Lin tried again to ask for milk, but his owner wasn’t paying attention. Lin's mood soured, and he contemplated the need for training this human further. How dare he put wool above his happiness? Lin was at a crossroads. On the one hand, he felt afraid of leaving his disobedient human, and on the other hand, he was hungry, and no one was feeding him.

He decided to wait. His stomach rumbled louder, louder, and louder until it became as loud as Uncle Zion’s roar. His hunger eventually became strong enough to overcome his fear, and Lin decided to find out the source of the enticing scent. He quietly left his human’s clothes out through the back door and retreated into the shadows. The observatory’s walls were gray, similar to his fur, helping him blend in and feel safer.

Suddenly, the monster charged straight toward his human. Lin froze. He wanted to run, but his legs wouldn’t move. Another human stepped in and blocked the attack, saving little Lin. With the danger gone, he dashed away toward somewhere safer and, coincidentally, where the yummy food was.

This was the farthest Lin had ever been from his human, and his tiny heart was racing. His instinct told him to return to the safety of the robes, but here, the aroma was stronger, and his hunger only grew. Overtaken by curiosity and appetite, he found a big metal box.

Seeing it, excitement awoke in little Lin. He had never felt this before. There stood the big metal box that belonged to someone else. So did the food inside. He knew it was wrong, but why did the idea of taking something from where it was considered safe fascinate him so much? What would it be like to break into that box, eat all the food, and then get away without anyone knowing the wiser?

Once the thought formed, it became an overwhelming compulsion, a song he couldn’t turn off. Compelled by the tantalizing scent, he tried to open the box. Drawing his claws out of the paw, he fumbled around the door. Nothing happened. Then, there was a blur and a gust, and the lock gave way.

Someone had helped him. Who? Before he could think more of it, the faint scent became a lush, irresistible aroma, and Lin entered the box. There was something weird about this box. The inside of it was much bigger than it should have been. There were piles of junk and mountains of golden metal, but Lin didn’t care about any of that. He ran, excited to get to the prize.

Finally, there it was—sweet, perfumed food of all possible colors, glittering under the light and calling for little Lin. The little kitty cat excitedly climbed the first rack and found a tiny fish that smelled amazing. He sniffed it and licked it. The flavor explosion made his tail stand erect and his pupils dilate. He bit into it. The explosion of flavor gushed into his mouth and only made him hungrier.

This was so much better than his human's stinky milk. It reminded him of his auntie's delicious treat that had made him stronger and sharper. He kept eating the fish, and even as he chewed on it, he felt his claws become harder and his fur shinier. Filled with newfound strength and clarity, he moved on to the next meal in his course. He would keep eating until satisfied and maybe bring back some for the human. He would use it as a treat to reward him whenever he did something right. His instinct told him that positive reinforcement was a good way to train humans.

He wondered if his human had noticed he was gone and if he was worried about him.

ColdHand - “What are you doing, Ticket Boy? Why are you crafting?”

BlueFire - “Roth, we’re trying to talk to you. Are you having a stroke? Why are you moving like that? You’re freaking everyone out. We’re calling an ambulance.”

BlueFire - “Never mind. The Ogres have a psychiatrist. Ogre tells me he’s willing to pay for a few appointments for you once this is done. Just so you know.”

Lin is hungry. “I am hungry. Milk. Now.”

Lin is hungry. “I am hungry. Feed me now. NOW!”

You haven’t fed Lin.

-1 affection.

ArmlessShark - “Hi, Roth! I got a message saying you left the guild. What’s going on? We haven’t heard from you in hours. Is everything OK? Please let me know how the quest is going. Drake.”

Lin has triggered [Naughty Antics]. Beware! He might get himself into trouble.

Lin’s genes awaken as he sees a vault. Lin has self-taught [Breaking and Entering].

Lin has eaten [Celestial Sardine].

+8 dexterity;

+7 wisdom;

+20 hp;

[Level Up!]

+2 dexterity;

+3 subterfuge.

[Level Up!]

+3 subterfuge;

+1 strength;