CATMAN - 18 Avoiding Death By A Hair

He couldn’t think of any reason for the name to be written on the wall.

Asura was what system talked about being a golden lion…but why was it written on the wall of the room, and with blood no less?

The more he started thinking about it, the more it was stabbing his brain with next to no sign of an answer.

‘Don’t tell me that the notes are written in the diary and this name that is written here is somehow connected?’

He immediately shook his head in disagreement because of a single reason. The diary seemed too old while the name in the wall seemed to be written not too long ago.

Was it the monster who wrote it? But why? More importantly, how did that dumb monster know the human language to write that on the wall?

“Aarrrrrrrrrrrrgh~” Auden madly scratched his head in fuming anger.

‘Is boss very angry that he couldn’t come to save the fellow catizens before? Ah…he cares for the cats. My respect for you has risen up by a notch…boss, I’ll always follow you.’ Froy thought as he looked at Auden.

Ring~

[The host has successfully found the secret concealed by the mansion. The host has been awarded 10 CP and a space key, he can claim the award from the mailbox.]

So, this was indeed the secret hidden within the mansion. He believed that it wasn’t related to the corpses of the cats but the secret was actually the name written in the wall.

‘What does the name Asura written in the wall mean?’ He asked in his heart.

Ring ~

[System has already helped the host plenty with the reward and the hints. The secret behind the name written in the wall…the host has to figure it out by himself. The system wants the host to depend on himself more and first think plenty before he asks System questions.]

[Of course, if it is a question about the system and other skills, System would be glad to help…but the system tells the host that it isn’t the system that is currently breathing…So, the system humbly asks the host to try making his own choice more and ask less to the system regarding the secrets that concern the path might take. After all, it isn’t for the system to decide what path the host should take…system is just here to help the host in whatever path he’s going to take.]

‘Eh…? It’s talking like some human and giving me advice again…but I can’t refute because whenever I see the problem I ask for the system’s help. I guess I’m being more and more dependent like the system said. I guess I should hold on to asking the system every matter I don’t understand unless it is an emergency situation,’ Auden made up his mind.

Froy then walked inside the room for the hope of not letting the bodies of the fellow cats just rot on the wall. But the corpses were nailed too deep that he couldn’t just bite the nails out of the wall.

He powerlessly looked at Auden with a glance of asking for his help. Knowing what Froy was trying to say, he also walked through the door.

But just when he took a step in, he felt the pain surging through his feet.

“What was that…?” He muttered to himself as he subconsciously took his leg back. “It felt like I was being stabbed thousands of daggers on my legs.”

But when he looked at his leg, it was all fine and nothing had happened to it.

“Was it just my imagination?”

He again tried to enter but when his leg entered the door, he felt the same pain through his leg making him take it back again. He again looked at his leg and as before… his leg was fine.

“What does this mean? Was it just my imagination or was the pain I felt real?” He muttered.

Froy who was looking at Auden cautiously trying to enter the room was confused as to why Auden was acting like that.

Auden thought for a while but still couldn’t why that was happening so he deemed it as some imagination. He again tried to enter the room, but this time he directly jumped inside.

“What…?” He felt was something was wrong as he felt some sort of energy entering his body.

“Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhh~”

He groaned as his body was in tremendous pain. No cry could describe how much pain he was feeling at the moment and the energy was slowly rummaging through his entire body making the pain even worse.

Millions of swords slicing his heart…? No, even that wouldn’t be able to describe the pain his body was feeling.

Ring ~

[Extremely concentrated mana is entering the host’s body. The body of the host isn’t compatible with the mana and is currently destroying the body from inside out.]

[System has activated the Cat Form to reduce the pain but the host has to get out of the room by himself. The system can only maintain the Cat Form of the host for fifteen more seconds.]

[If the host doesn’t move out of the place…he’ll lose his life.]

Auden couldn’t even hear the system in his own mind…all his ear was filled with was his own scream. His mind was only a thread away from snapping from.

Froy immediately realized that something was wrong with Auden and it had happened right after he had entered the room.

Ring~

[System can only maintain the form for another 7 seconds…]

But Auden wasn’t in a state that he could move by himself so there was no way he could jump out as he jumped in.

BANG~

Froy acted right away hitting Auden with his head pushing him out of the room.

Thud~

As his mind was on the brink of snapping, he fell on the hallway and became unconscious.

Ring~

[Daily Quest: Perform one heroic act has been completed. (1/1)

20 CP and a Mystery box have been awarded to the host. He can claim it from the mailbox.]

Ring~

[Stabilizing the mana running inside the host’s body.]

[Mana will soon be getting rid off the host’s body by the system.]

Since Auden was unconscious, he didn’t hear any of the messages…if he had, there would be another question eating his brain.

Froy then tried waking up Auden using his head but Auden was unconscious with fumes coming out of his mouth.

“It’s dangerous here, little creature. Let’s first get him out of the house.” A voice rung from behind making Froy shudder.

He immediately turned to show his sharp nails at the person and asked with a shaking voice, “Who are you? I-if you are here for the boss…then you will have to go through my dead body.”

“Don’t get me wrong, little creature. Just take him out or it’ll be too late for both of you.” The figure said.

“W-what do you mean…?” Froy asked with his guard up.

“Tsk…crap…its going to…” He didn’t have any time to explain. So, the figure at lightning speed grabbed both Auden and Froy and jumped out through the window at the end of the hallway shattering it to pieces.

Right after the figure landed on the ground out of the mansion…

BOOOOOOOM!

The mansion detonated as if some kind of bomb. Soon after, what seemed like a creepy haunted house before was set ablaze with yellow fire which ran wild slowly burning the mansion.

Froy seeing the mansion on fire gulped and muttered, “If we had gotten out even a single second late then I sure would have been a roasted cat.”

“That’s why I told you to immediately get out but you didn’t listen to what I had to say. If I hadn’t been here, you two would be enjoying the wind breeze in heaven.” The figure said as he looked at the Froy in his hand.

“Soon, some superhero will notice the fire and come here…but I think you wouldn’t like them to see you and his guy, do you?” The figure asked.

“Yes,” Froy nodded, “Boss doesn’t want anyone to see him like this…so, most of the time he helps people from shadows.”

“I guessed correct then. Now then, hold on tight.” The figure said.

“Why?” Froy asked with a confused face.

But he wasn’t confused any longer…

Swoooooooooosh~

“Ahhhhhhhh~ H-hate…I hate heights. Let me down. Let me down.” Froy screamed.

The figure had jumped into the air using his feet and seemed to be headed somewhere.

“Are you sure?” The figure asked looking at Froy.

Froy looked at the ground which was at least a hundred meters below him and screamed, “Don’t let me down…don’t let me down.”

***

-Two Hours Later

[The system has ejected all the mana from the host’s body.]

And half an hour after the message, his eyelids started trembling as he slowly opened his eyes as he heavily gasped.

“W-where…am…I?” Auden slowly muttered as he tried to straighten his back when he felt the stabbing pain all across his body.

Ring~

[The system warns host that the body hasn’t fully healed and it will take the system about another six hours to heal the host’s body so at least he can move.]

So, It wasn’t my imagination…I really felt that. Ah…I could even see heaven’s door for a moment. But why…? Did I trigger something I shouldn’t have?

This time again he had managed to avoid death…and this time he literally avoided death by a hair.

Froy seeing Auden’s open eyes burst into tears as he hugged Auden, “Boss, you’re alive. Seeing you lying like a corpse for two hours straight…I thought you got pooped for real.”

“I’m so happy that you’re alive,” Froy said.

“W-wait a minute…it hurts…” Auden said.

“You should thank him…He’s the one that saved you when you were about to die in the mansion.” The voice came from the figure.

“He did…?” Auden looked at Froy in disbelief but accepted the fact at the end considering they were the only two in the room, “Thank you…Froy.”

“I don’t want this sort of thanks. You can say me thanks by making the relationship between white kitty and me better.” Froy said.

“I will…try my best…” Auden said.

“What? Don’t go back on your words now, boss. You already promised me that.” Froy said.

“Look me in my eyes and say it.”

“I said look me in the eyes, boss. Do you want me to use cat society secret move: Make the enemy hide his face for months?”

“Yeah…I will make it better between you and the white kitty.” Auden said.

This human has no girlfriend and a cat asks of him to make a relationship between two cats better…what a shameful life.

“Anyway…” Auden said as he looked at the unknown figure and said, “Who are you?”

There was no doubt the figure was a demon beast. He could see that only by looking at the figure’s face. His body was black and white like that of a zebra except for the fact that the figure was actually a white tiger with black stripes on his body.

“If you are talking about me then, I’m White Tiger; a demon beast. I think you would have guessed it by my look.” White Tiger said,

“But I cannot guess who you are…no, what you are. But I don’t have any interest in it since it doesn’t even matter to me if you are a human or a monster.”

“Then, what do you want? Here to kill me?” Auden asked solemnly.

White Tiger sighed and said, “If I wanted to kill you then why would I save you? You are weak and not worthy of my attention. I can kill you with just my breath.”

“Yes, boss, he’s telling the truth.” Froy agreed with White Tiger, “He can kill you just by his breath. His breath stinks even worse than my fart.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” White Tiger said.

“Then how did you mean?” Froy asked.

“Tsk…let’s drop this thing as it isn’t important right now. You just need to know that you are weak.” White Tiger said.

“Then why are you here…and you said you saved me, so why’s that?” Auden asked.

“Well, its because you killed that bastard whom I wanted to kill for years…” White Tiger said.

“Is that it? You stayed here just to say that to me?” Auden said as he had guessed that the White Tiger had stayed here for quite a time seeing Froy’s reaction to him.

“No…” White Tiger said.

Tak~

He bowed his head to Auden and said, “I know you might think that you killing that guy and I getting my wish fulfilled is nothing but coincidence but…coincidence though it was, I honestly thank you for doing what I couldn’t do to him for years. Thank you for killing him.”

“What? You stayed here just so you could thank me in person just for murdering someone whom you wanted to kill for years?” Auden asked.

“Yes…Seeing that bastard’s dead body made me extremely happy. And I didn’t want to owe anyone…so, I helped you get out the mansion before it was blown into smithereens.” White Tiger said slowly raising his head.

“What? The mansion blew up?” Auden couldn’t process so many things at once. He couldn’t believe that so many things had happened after he was unconscious.

“Yes boss, if this dude hadn’t saved us, we would have been all fried up,” Froy said.

“I saved you but you don’t need to thank me…I did it just so I won’t owe you anything.” White Tiger said.

“I see,” Auden said.

…

“You really aren’t going to thank me?” White Tiger asked.

“You were expecting thanks even after you said that?” Auden was dumbfounded.

“Yeah…”

“Thank you for saving me and this little fellow,” Auden said

“Haha…you don’t have to thank me…I did it just so I won’t owe you anything.” White Tiger laughed.

“Shdubdidjdd…I am going to kill you…” Auden had green veins bulging like earthworms on his forehead.

“Putting my death aside…I will tell you why I didn’t kill that bastard even after so many years,” White Tiger said.

“Actually, he is a minion that worked for Hylse and he is very powerful. If I were to give you a heads up then you should try avoiding Hylse at all cost because you not only killed his minion but also foiled his plan.”

“Foiled his plan? How did I even foil his plan? Is it related to the corpses of the cats?” Auden asked.

“In a way, yes, it is related to them. The cats on the wall were used as life barrier so that the extremely concentrated mana wouldn’t leak out. The mana was stably flowing in the room until you entered it.”

“Even though the little fellow also entered the room, animals cannot sense or absorb mana. But humans are different. Their body although can’t use mana…they take it and let it out normally…unless a broken vessel enters. A broken vessel absorbs the mana but doesn’t let it out unless someone else helps them.”

“And after you entered the room, you absorbing the mana disrupted the flow which caused in an explosion after some time.” White Tiger said,

“You foiled the plan because Hylse was planning on wiping half the city out with that amount of concentrated mana but it ended up blasting only the mansion because of life barrier still keeping the mana in check. You sure caused big trouble for yourself. So, run away if you ever see Hylse.”

“But how will Hylse even know that I did it when he’s not even here?” Auden genuinely asked the question.

“Because I’ll tell him that it was you who did it.” White Tiger said as he stood up, “Don’t get me wrong but you are still a human and every human is our enemy.”

“So, try avoiding Hylse in the future. And next time we meet, you’re dead.” White Tiger flew off as he said that.

Auden was dumbfounded.

“Wait, at least tell me how he looks so that I can avoid him…”