As a Reincarnated NPC, I Want to Live a Peaceful Life - Chapter 23

Trouble doesn’t come? I won’t go looking for it. Trouble arrives? I won’t avoid it either. Navigating life is simply about meeting soldiers with generals, and stemming floods with earth. If you live in constant worry and fear, then what’s the point of living? — From a certain palace drama

I quite agree with those words. But in the dealings of life, where does one find the ‘general’ to block the ‘soldiers’? Where does one find the ‘earth’ to stem the ‘water’? Being ordinary, how can one create something from nothing? It’s all about finding joy in hardship and adapting everywhere, that’s all. — Yuetsu Jurei

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…..

The rain is about to start, and after that, my [Universal Concealment] will fail. I’d better find a dry place to take shelter, to avoid the awkward situation of becoming [Cold] and [Soaked].

It’s just a shame that, after the guards’ warnings, most houses in the city have their doors and windows tightly shut. They themselves are too afraid to go out, let alone invite someone inside.

I wandered around for about an hour. Although I didn’t find any vacant buildings, I wasn’t entirely unlucky either. It seems the rain won’t start for a few more hours, but it’s going to be a heavy downpour. After it begins, there will be no options left—

The situation is this: either leave the city immediately, or quickly find shelter within the city.

Clearly, the latter is wiser.

The whole way, I either had to detour around guards, ran into that Dong·Liefeng on the rooftops, or found my path blocked by thugs in the alleys. It was annoying and frustrating, but there was nothing I could do. I can’t control their actions; they can do whatever they want, as long as they don’t get in my way.

My route took me from the South Gate to the North Gate, from the villa district in the northwest to the commoners’ district in the southeast. I checked the shopping street; the alchemy shop was sealed shut, and so was the transport station. Even the shops and inns I saw the day before yesterday were closed under these circumstances. At this rate, finding a decent spot to stay is impossible.

I finished the fruit in my hand in a few bites and naturally tossed the pit by the roadside. This startled a guard, who reflexively drew his long sword—when an object suddenly moves in your field of vision, your motion detection instinctively kicks in.

Fortunately, there were almost no pedestrians on the street. Some players, compelled by quests or needs, were still out and about. The crowd density wasn’t as heavy as yesterday; on a given street, there might be two or three players.

The NPCs dared not come out. This was evident from the houses I passed—they were afraid. No matter how absurd the situation, if it came from the guards’ mouths, they would obediently comply… Well, this only applies to towns with high public security. Then again, towns with low security don’t have many proper guards to begin with.

The guards I encountered were all around levels D to C. As for Lyle, he’s an A+ level Magic Swordsman. And that Dong·Liefeng is an A level Gunner. Currently, aside from the server’s top players and a few guild leaders, no one has reached S level yet.

Of course, level isn’t everything. Your skills, your panel attributes, your equipment, and your combat ability are what truly matter… In short, use them flexibly, and you can even overcome greater odds.

It’s a very humanizing game design, ensuring players can never relax for a moment (If you’re a casual player, just ignore that last sentence).

And unless I’m careless, no ordinary person could take me down… But I shouldn’t get too cocky. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

‘Meow~ Meow~~’ Suddenly, a sweet, clinging cat’s meow reached my ears. I paused, looking around, and spotted a somewhat anachronistic cardboard box by the wall to my right.

Seeing no one around, I crouched down and slowly lifted the lid of the box—

My hand and the roots of my ears immediately tingled with delight. Inside lay a small, exquisitely formed, flower-patterned white kitten with just the right amount of fur. Its round, heterochromatic eyes stared intently at the newly “opened” sky as it meowed.

What an adorable little kitten. It was even using its tongue to lick its legs and body.

‘Meow~?’ Seeming to notice the presence of a human in front of it, the kitten hesitated slightly. Then, it propped its front paws on the edge of the box, continuing to meow while glancing around.

I tentatively reached out a hand and stroked the top of the kitten’s head…. The feeling was very pleasant, soft and fuzzy, not dry or coarse…. Seeing the kitten didn’t resist, I used my other hand to stroke its body…. So soft, like touching a plush toy, but without the stiffness of one.

‘Purrrrrr…’ The cat seemed very comfortable. Making this sound means they’re relaxed, right? I think that’s what it means.

I picked the little cat up in my hands. It wasn’t too small, nor too big. Its long tail swayed like a kite, yet with a life of its own. But perhaps feeling suddenly airborne, its fur bristled slightly.

I then remembered I was still under the effect of [Universal Concealment]. I quickly canceled it, allowing the kitten to calm down a bit. My hand stroked along the arch of the cat’s back, all the way to the base of its tail…..

It seems keeping a cat isn’t a bad choice, though it would certainly bring some trouble for me.

Gently placing the kitten back in its spot, I smiled faintly, stood up, and reactivated [Universal Concealment]—if I don’t find a safe place to stay soon, I’ll be in real trouble.

…..

…..

After the girl left, the cat meowed rhythmically a few times. From the alley opposite, a figure emerged.

‘Meow~ Meow~!’

“What took so long? Pat, you can talk, can’t you? Stop with the meowing.”

Asked this by the figure, the cat licked its paw and effortlessly leaped onto her shoulder.

‘It’s because you told me to act like a cat, Dell. I had to put in quite some effort to get into character perfectly.’

“Hehehe… But you’re no ordinary cat, my contracted spirit—Pat Micheal.”

‘Of course not! I never want to be a cat again! Dell, for this plan of yours next time, find a stand-in.’

“How could that work? Pat, you’re the best candidate.”

‘Dell, you love teasing me. Stop covering your mouth and laughing!’

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Pat, weren’t you supposed to revert to your true form and pin that girl down just now? Since we’ve confirmed she’s the culprit.”

‘Well… it felt so good, so I….’

“In my impression, Pat, you’re not usually this laid-back, to the point of passing up an opportunity.”

‘Hey, hey! There’s a reason! Dell, don’t be mad… I felt a certain aura from her that calmed me down. It was like… a scent that could soothe me.’

“An aura that can calm Pat? Hmm… Something like a Pandrola sedative?”

‘No, no, no, Dell, don’t think of things like that… That aura, to be honest, it settled my impulses, the magic I was gathering and ready to release. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have been able to stop.’

“Well, Pat, don’t blame yourself too much. There will be other chances, right?”

‘Right, right, Dell… Also, I know about your father. He and that girl Emma meant well. For a human, forming a contract with a magical creature like me takes a great toll on your body… Dell, do you… regret it?’

“(Shakes head) Mmm, I don’t regret saving you, Pat, not one bit. Even if I didn’t realize you could die, I’d still choose to be with you.”

“Is that so… Then everything’s fine. Alright, Dell, let’s go after that girl!”

“Let’s go. Be careful, the weather has been strange lately.”

‘No problem, Dell. I’m here.’

…..

For some reason, I felt like something was watching me. This pervasive discomfort raised goosebumps—the feeling was like being stared at intently, making me shiver involuntarily.

There didn’t seem to be any guards around here. Maybe they’ve already patrolled this area? In any case, I could walk safely through the alleys and streets now.

That guy wasn’t on the rooftops either. Seems he’s given up—

Ahem, seems like there aren’t any major problems. Just need to find shelter from the rain and then leave the city. It would be even better if the chill running down my back would disappear.

Alex and the others were only teleported away this morning, to that [Feltro]. It hasn’t been long; with that bag of gold coins, they can probably manage fine, maybe even leave the city already.

[Feltro], according to Benjamin, is apparently a city of demi-humans, with many friendly beast-kin or the like. They should be safe there, unlikely to encounter any danger. It would be even better if it’s not too far away.

In a few days, we should be able to regroup… provided I can get out of this damned [Malates].

The echo of iron chains still rang in my ears. I snapped my gaze upward and spotted a familiar figure—probably Nasi’s older sister.

I don’t know why she’s following me, but she’s definitely after something, like the sudden bleeding wound that appeared on my left hand.

She couldn’t be hoping to get my blood, could she?

But what purpose would that serve? Is my blood incredibly powerful? At best, it would dry up and disappear in a few minutes or seconds. Even if used as some kind of medicinal ingredient, it wouldn’t have any effect.

As for my [KRYY’s Blood], it truly can heal severe, even fatal wounds, but only those caused by ranged attacks.

However, if it’s a ranged attack… whether it’s from throwing knives, arrows, gunshots, cannon fire, explosions, or even spells—as long as it’s not close-range damage—I can pretty much heal you up in no time. It’s so overpowered it can even revive creatures killed by ranged damage (provided their soul hasn’t dissipated).

It works on me too, which is why I blurted out earlier that I “wasn’t afraid of that Dong·Liefeng.” His gunshots are utterly useless against me; completely ineffective… Wounds caused by ranged damage heal rapidly within seconds, returning to their original state. Therefore, it’s impossible for me to die from any ranged attack (Don’t ask why; let’s just say I’ve tested it before).

[KRYY’s Blood] is my unique trait. No one else in the world could possibly possess it. Only I know this secret… So, if she wants my blood, it must be for some other purpose.

This is troublesome. I’ll just ignore her.

‘Meow~ Meow~’

“Huh? Eh? Isn’t this the little kitty from before? Didn’t want to stay alone, so you followed me? Come here, come here…” Hearing the meow, I instinctively turned around, crouched down, and spread my arms, wanting to hug the cat, forgetting it couldn’t see me. It kept walking forward, not noticing me.

(Ding-a-ling-a-ling)

Hear that? That’s the sound of my IQ plummeting and then scrambling back up.

…

‘Purrrrr~ Purrrr~’

I gathered the cat into my arms. My fingers stroked back and forth under its chin like I was gently buffing a nail, the pressure light and soft, because you have to treat a kitty gently…..

What’s wrong with me? Suddenly obsessed with petting a cat? Why can’t I stop my fingers?

An inexplicable smile spread across my face from the tactile sensation of my fingertips, like being addicted to smoking—just can’t stop (though I’ve never smoked).

Through the fabric of my sleeves, my arms could perfectly trace the cat’s soft outline, like cotton candy—Maybe I should just keep it….. No, that won’t do. I don’t have the extra energy for that.

“I’m sorry, I can’t keep you. And a cat like you must have an owner. Maybe she accidentally lost you?”

‘Meow?’ The little kitten stood up in my arms, arched its back in a stretch, then began prowling around on my body.

“Ooh… Hahaha, that tickles! Don’t walk around like that, haha! Oof! Oh no, I’m laughing too loud, hahaha….”

Finally, it obediently jumped down to the ground, licked its fur, and then—

‘Meow~ Little girl, thank you for petting me. It felt so good~’

“Mhmm…. Huh? Wait a minute, little kitty, you can talk?” I was startled. I had thought it was just a cat, never expecting it to speak human language.

This is a world full of fantasy; a talking cat shouldn’t be that surprising, right?

I deliberately put on a smiling face, but my heels were subtly creating distance, stepping back from the “kitten.”

‘Oh my? What’s wrong, little girl? Just because I can talk, you’re backing away?’

“… Because only magical creatures can speak human language while maintaining an animal form. I’m well aware of that.”

‘It seems I can’t fool you with the simple excuse of magic, naive little girl.’

For every step I took backward, it advanced the same distance, like angling a fish, slowly closing in—and then—

A dazzling blaze of crimson phoenix fire erupted around me…