The pair of teenager and middle-aged man quickly followed behind the stray cat which disappeared into the forest. Upon reaching a secluded fence by the corner of the road, the pair simply scrunched their back and produced an enormous explosive force which propelled them over it. Their movements were as quick and agile as a monkey as they continued stalking the cat.
The pair had far surpa.s.sed any ordinary human beings in terms of their speed, mobility, and agility. Even the stray cat failed to detect their presence.
Finally, they noticed the stray cat stopping by the eaves of a building as it laid there to rest. A frown appeared on their faces as they groaned, "D*mn it, it seems like that cat is not leading us to the cat king."
However, the tattooed man remained unfazed and responded, "Be patient. These ordinary cats have no method of communication within themselves. But it would eventually lead us to the cat king if it still exists."
A smile crept up the teenager"s face as he sn.i.g.g.e.red, "I guess it"s the cat king"s unlucky day. Today, he will finally meet the true monster."
For the next hour, the pair wandered around like spirits as they continued stalking the cat, which was oblivious to their existence, in search of the cat king.
Within the Village of Dreams, Roly Poly was wandering around the forest with his head buried in his chest. The perfect illusion had created the ideal natural environment for the supercats to enjoy. The effects were not limited to what he saw but extended to what he heard, smelt, touched and even tasted.
This meant that he could make out the earthy smell stemming from the scent of the ponderosa pine forest. His paws could detect the texture of the gra.s.s and even the branches and twigs scattered across the ground. He could even discern the uniquely bitter taste tingling on his tongue as he stuffed a handful of gra.s.s into his mouth.
However, Roly Poly was not accustomed to life spent in the outdoors. He had spent his entire life as a domestic cat. The difference between a stray and domestic cat"s lives was worlds apart. After spending so much time within the comforts of the four walls, these domestic cats no long yearned nor appreciated the freedom of the outdoors.
It was not just the environment affecting Roly Poly; the previous incident continued lingering at the back of his head.
"D*mn it. Of all people, why did I have to faint in front of Diana? How did this happen? In her eyes, I am definitely the most stupid and r.e.t.a.r.ded male cat."
Sham spiraled through Roly Poly and he could not even walk with his head up high. He just wanted to curl up in shame. Suddenly, he noticed a unique scent permeating the air. Immediately, he raised his head and noticed a furry object lying in the corner of his eyes. That body shook from time to time and it seemed like it was crying.
That long and puffy white fur adorned with dark-colored patterns and the tail that was as thick as a faux fur shawl …
"Diana!" Excitement overwhelmed Roly Poly as he started sprinting in that direction. He exclaimed, "Diana, I accidentally tripped just now. I didn"t faint. I wasn"t scared of them!"
Diana"s ears quivered when she heard Roly Poly"s exclamations. Suddenly, she turned her head around and what Roly Poly saw made the pit of his stomach fell.
Roly Poly started rubbing his eyes vigorously in an attempt to see clearly. He mumbled, "You … you are not Diana?"
What Roly Poly saw was actually Caesar. With his forehead puckered together, Caesar heaved a long sigh of despair, "Are you looking for my daughter? She is not here. She had left for a walk with her mother."
"You are Diana"s dad, Caesar?" In Roly Poly"s eyes, everyone belonging to Elizabeth"s family was a precious treasure.
"Technically, I am. However, I"m just a father that had failed miserably. My wife disdains me while my daughter treats me like s.h.i.+t. Even the hooligan along the streets tried to bully me." Sadness clouded his features as he continued, "What"s the point in me living?"
Roly Poly could empathize with his emotions as he nodded his head in agreement, "Indeed, there are too many evil cats in this world. All of them are bullies or a.s.sholes. They only know how to build their happiness upon someone else"s suffering."
Suddenly, Caesar"s eyes sparkled with happiness as he finally found someone who understood him, "Your words really struck a chord with me. These a.s.sholes only know how to bully the defenseless cats with their stupid abilities. A truly strong individual would never use its power for such immoral acts."
Roly Poly continued, "However, female cats are attracted to such nasty behavior. All they see in their eyes are their flashy moves and cool behavior. How can they be so superficial?"
"Yes, yes!" Caesar nodded his head violently and replied, "Female cats are growing increasingly superficial! One day, when I finally unleash my true power, no male cat would be able to hold a candle to me."
Roly Poly and Caesar regarded each another as their long-lost brother and hit it off instantly. Caesar slapped Roly Poly on his back and announced, "Good brother, you are the second most loyal brother I"ve ever met in my life. We might not have the fortune to be blood brother but from today onwards, we will be sworn brothers. Till death do us apart!"
"Caesar brother!" Happiness bloomed inside Roly Poly as his face radiated with a bright smile. He thought, "Yes! I have one more opportunity to get closer to Diana!" He did not care about the possible implications for dating your brother"s daughter.
Roly Poly could not help but ask, "Caesar brother, what do you plan to do for the rest of the day?" Roly Poly prayed that he could tag along and meet his family. He had long forgotten about Dust Ball and his previous attempts to return to the apartment.
"I intend to look for my other loyal brother, Ares. This cat, Ares, has a righteous spirit which is seldom seen in today"s world. There are too many cats within the Village of Dreams. We must form a strong and united front, consisting of virtuous people like you and me. Why not you join me in meeting him?"
"Of course, Caesar"s brother will naturally be my brother as well."
"My loyal brother!" Caesar beamed with excitement as he patted Roly Poly on his back. Next, the pair of sworn brothers made their way towards Ares as they disappeared into the horizons.
"Roly Poly, this stupid fellow!" Dust Ball craned her neck out of the bushes and gave a menacing snarl. She thought, "This guy"s movement is too slow and he is too undependable. I think I should be the catcher instead. It would take eons before he manages to catch me. Or maybe … I can find another cat to play with."
Dust Ball immediately translated her thoughts into actions. Her wild nature unleashed as Dust Ball leaped onto a tree branch before disappearing into the shadows.
The perfect illusion had flawlessly altered the cats" five senses. In reality, Dust Ball might have been running on the spot. However, she could clearly feel the adrenaline rus.h.i.+ng through her as she charged against the wind blowing across her face. She felt the gra.s.s brus.h.i.+ng across her paws and the fragrance of the newly-bloomed flowers flooding her nose. Everything was real to her. There was nothing fake about it.
Joy warmed her from within as she finally experienced the freedom which she had long yearned for.
Dust Ball was extremely different as compared to Roly Poly, who had been raised as a domestic cat since young. The most salient difference between them was that stray cats had already grown accustomed to the freedom which they enjoyed in the wilderness.
Domestic cats loved to spend time at home and hate to leave it. Stray cats which were used to the outdoors hated being cooped at home and would grab on to any opportunity which allowed them to leave.
Dust Ball only chose to remain inside the apartment because of the influence of Celestial Beats. However, after months of rehabilitation, her body had almost fully recovered from ramifications of dwarfism. She had regained the spring in her steps and felt an unprecedented euphoria at this moment.
With a few strides, she had almost reached the borders. She was like an elegant Cheetah as she hid under the undergrowth and slowly crept towards her target.
As compared to domestic cats such as Roly Poly, Elizabeth, and Matcha, Dust Ball possessed superb hunting skills which were unparalleled among them.
She could feel her blood pulsating through the body, and the adrenaline rus.h.i.+ng through her as she began to hide, sprint and hunt.
She could not help but licked her razor-sharp claws and mumbled, "This is the true game."
Dust Ball loved real life hunting games compared to the computer games which Matcha reveled in. Actually, most cats preferred hunting games. On the surface, it might seem like a simple game of chase. However, it involved complex elements of reconnaissance, spying, and hunting. This was why Dust Ball had fallen in love with it.
She had no choice but to resort to playing with Mango back at the apartment.
Dust Ball"s yellow eyes peered through the cracks between the leaves as she observed the situation ahead of her. Ares and five other cats were at the borders and were in the midst of an intense discussion.
Ares glanced at the signboard in front of him and mumbled, "Danger, do not exceed." He tilted his head from left to right as a glimmer of brilliance flashed across his eyes. He commented, "I believe this is the border of the Village of Dreams."
Beside the words was an awful drawing of a skull.
Lucifer nodded his head in agreement and commented, "I"m not sure what kind of magic or power lies ahead of us which will stop us from leaving this place."
Fūjin scrutinize their surroundings and saw the infinite mountains stretching into the horizon and commented, "Aren"t there just gonna be more mountains as we proceed forward?"
"King George has mentioned before that everything here is not real. They just seem real." The American Shorthair commented.
Gaia just stared at his paws and was totally indifferent to their discussion. He commented, "How long are we going to discuss for? Let"s go back and play Diablo 2!"
"Aren"t you curious what lies ahead of this?" Ares threw a disdainful glare at Gaia. Then, he fixed his eyes on the horizon as all sorts of thoughts rushed through his head. He commented, "How dangerous is it going to be? What will happen if we really leave? A cat without curiosity is as good as a cat without a soul."
Lucifer nodded his head and was similarly br.i.m.m.i.n.g with curiosity, "We need a brave cat to volunteer. This cat would cross the border and find out what lies ahead."
Fūjin added on, "This cat must be both brave and quick-witted. The cat of all cats."
Rakshasa turned his head towards Gaia and continued, "Also, this cat must be someone who we can depend on, preferably our brother in arms."
A few seconds later, the silence was punctured by a deafening scream as Gaia was thrown across the signboard and landed on the gra.s.s patch beyond the borders.