The next morning, Cael rose early and pulled open a drawer.
Inside were small jars and packets—his makeshift cosmetic kit.
Over the past year, thanks to the Eye of All-Seeing, he'd picked up all kinds of obscure knowledge. Like how the root of bluefang grass, once boiled and dried, yielded a pure, odorless black pigment. A perfect natural cosmetic.
He applied just enough to subtly deepen the shadows under his eyes.
Then, he packed his bag, mounted his bike, and headed to school.
Without parents to call in for him, he had to request a day off in person. Luckily, yesterday's meditation class had provided the perfect excuse: Evelyn Maer had warned that overusing mental energy might cause headaches. With half the class as witnesses, the story was airtight.
"Alright," said his homeroom teacher, Mr. Maer, after glancing at Cael's pronounced eye bags. "Rest well today."
Cael bowed slightly. "Thank you, sir."
As soon as he left the school grounds, his sluggish facade vanished. He pedaled hard, wind rushing past him as he sped down the familiar road to Dongtai Street.
Earlier that morning, he'd used the Eye to locate the black cat. The deduction showed it still lingered near the textile factory.
Sure enough, he found it within the hour.
The moment the cat saw him, it darted up a wall and perched on the top, its green eyes alert and wary.
"Hey there," Cael called up.
The cat stared back, aloof.
Cael rummaged through his bag and pulled out a packet of dried fish—a snack Rhea Quin had shared with him yesterday. She'd taken to feeding him often lately, enchanted by his "miraculous" test predictions.
He shook the treat invitingly.
The cat didn't move.
Instead, it stood, tail flicking, and prepared to leap away.
Cael sighed. "Alright, plan B."
He focused, channeling energy into the Trueflame Remnant Seal.
A pulse of heat spread through his finger.
He pointed at the ground.
A tiny red dot flared to life on the concrete—like a laser pointer.
The black cat immediately swiveled its head, eyes locking onto the light.
"Meow!"
Its tail lashed. Muscles tensed.
Cael grinned. "Universal cat law: lasers win. Or rather... laser fingers."
He swept the glowing dot in a quick arc.
The cat pounced.
Mid-leap, Cael darted forward, opened his backpack wide, and caught the creature in one swift motion.
"Wraaagh!"
The cat yowled and thrashed inside.
Cael held the bag shut, murmuring soothing nonsense.
Eventually, the struggling stopped.
Whistling cheerfully, he mounted his bike and rode home.
At the gate to Keats Block, the spirit mastiffs Taozi and Lizi greeted him with friendly barks.
As Cael waited for inspection, an elderly man pulled up behind him on a squeaky bicycle. He had vegetables in the basket up front.
Cael didn't recognize him. Probably a newer resident.
Taozi padded over, sniffed Cael's bag, and barked once. A green light.
Interestingly, the black cat inside had gone stiff—likely out of fear. Spirit mastiffs weren't ordinary dogs.
"Found a stray," Cael explained.
The dogs exchanged a glance. Then Lizi gave a curt bark.
All clear.
The old man frowned. "I tried bringing in a live chicken once. They made me snap its neck before they'd let me pass. What's so dangerous about a chicken?"
Taozi gave him a look that could only mean: Because we said so.
Cael suppressed a laugh and scratched behind Taozi's ears.
The dog closed its eyes in bliss.
Lizi trotted over, clearly hoping for a turn.
The old man stared, wide-eyed. "They've never let anyone touch them."
Cael shrugged, gave both dogs a few more scratches, then rolled into the complex.
Behind him, the old man tried to pat Lizi.
The mastiff bared its teeth and let out a low growl.
The man yelped and backed away quickly.
Cael didn't look back.
Inside his apartment, Cael closed all doors and windows before unzipping his backpack.
The black cat bolted out and vanished beneath the living room cabinet.
Cael placed a bowl of food and a second of water nearby, then retreated to his bedroom.
Fifteen minutes later, he peeked out.
The cat was licking water, tail twitching occasionally.
Thirty minutes after that, it lay curled up beside the empty food dish.
Cael smiled.
Hook, line, and sinker.
The meal had been laced with powdered Blackcap Mushrooms—harmless to humans, but a powerful sedative for cats.
Not something easily found in the market.
But Cael had long since learned to predict where and when they could be harvested.
He stepped forward, pressed a hand to the cat's head, and whispered:
"Using this cat as a focus, show me what disaster awaits the factory."
A surge of cold swept across his scalp.
Spirit -1.2
And still dropping.
Then—it worked.
A screech split the air.
A new vision surged into view.
Hazy. Twisting. Horrific.
Two seconds later, it vanished.
+6 Proficiency
Total: 26 / 1000 Spirit: 6.4 / 13.2
Cael stood frozen.
Pale. Trembling.
Since arriving in this world, he'd heard tales of the Outsider Gods. Monstrous. Bloody. Unknowable.
But the brief glimpse he'd just seen?
It made all the stories sound tame.
Not even one percent of the truth.