CHAPTER 661: LITTLE SKELETON AND BLACK CAT (5)

The little skeleton wished for a reconciliation. Alas, it did not even know where to start.

To begin with, the word ’apologize’ did not even exist in its dictionary and the feeling of remorse was too complex for it to possess. It simply knew that it no longer wanted to be at odds with the black cat. It wanted to return to their usual routine of sitting together under the moonlight, watching the players fight against each other while occasionally munching on a snack or two...

How good would that be if such days could continue indefinitely?

But–But what was it supposed to do?

Right, hadn’t the black cat asked it to consider a few questions? They were too complicated for its empty skull to comprehend so it had opted to forgo them altogether, but this seemed like a great point to start.

Therefore, the little skeleton pondered day and night, frantically racking its nonexistent brain before it came up with a set of answers which it considered passable.

Then came the next problem—

Without the black cat coming to visit, the little skeleton did not even know where to find it.

After a day of deep contemplation, just as darkness began to set in, the little skeleton finally came to a major decision—it was going to leave this art room to search for the black cat. The little skeleton did not hesitate; it did not even feel a trace of nervousness or anticipation of someone stepping out of a place they had known their whole lives. It was simply focused on its task, like a robot executing the command it had been given.

In a way, the black cat was correct; the little skeleton was indeed dull and blockheaded. And yet all these shortcomings aided it greatly today.

Without hesitation, it marched toward the door, moving in a slow yet determined manner.

It only briefly wondered once the door came near, ’What should I do if I can’t leave this place?’

But its worry was unfounded. The door was easily pulled open with a little tug... and a whole new world unfolded in front of the little skeleton. If it had a living and beating heart, it would surely have experienced heart palpitations by now.

Staring at the dark hallway before it, another profound realization washed over the little skeleton.

Turns out, it was not trapped here. It never was. Perhaps the one who had trapped itself was it, who had never tried to step a foot out of this room.

With unwavering calmness and determination, the little skeleton took its first step forward, then another, and another, its ghostly green eyes burning brighter and brighter.

—It might just be its misconception, but it seemed to hear the sound of chains breaking behind it.

***

The little skeleton had no idea whether to call itself unlucky or not, for this particular day turned out to be the final day of the current active period.

The whole school was practically deserted, allowing it to move around unimpeded. Otherwise, if the players were to chance upon a living skeleton with ghostly green eyes roaming around the dark corridor, they might have been frightened half to death. The little skeleton looked around with childlike curiosity, eagerly absorbing the scenery around it. Its movements, once stiff and jerky, gradually turned smoother and faster with more practice.

At the very least, it no longer stumbled on the stairs.

The little skeleton chose to climb upwards, for it knew that the black cat preferred high places. It climbed and climbed, one step at a time, until it finally reached the rooftop.

But instead of the black cat, it encountered a group of players in the midst of a life-and-death battle against a horde of ghosts.

The little skeleton: "..."

Its sudden appearance stumped both the players and the ghosts.

"AHHHH!" one of the players screeched on top of her throat, her terrified demeanor suggesting she was likely a newbie. "Another ghost ahhhh we’re going to die here!!!"

The little skeleton was stunned by the high-decibel scream. A ghost? Was that player talking about it? Which part of itself looked like a ghost?

Alas, before it could even clarify, another disbelieving cry sounded, this time more familiar than ever. "Y-Y-You... what the hell are you doing here?!"

The little skeleton’s gaze pierced through the crowd to land on the black cat who was perched on top of a shed in the corner, presumably watching the final fight. The color of its fur was as dark as the sky, allowing it to hide its presence seamlessly. As those feline eyes landed on the little skeleton, its furry face erupted into a burst of rich emotions—disbelief, incredulity, amazement, but the most vivid was... fear.

But the little skeleton failed to notice its complex emotions, only feeling that the tension in its bones seemed to ease at the sight of the black cat.

I’m right

, it mused. The cat is indeed here.

Almost subconsciously, it took a step toward the black cat, entering the battlefield. This one move broke the impasse, serving like a final straw for the desperate players, leaving them twice as frenzied.

The black cat’s pupils dilated sharply. "WATCH OUT!"

The little skeleton’s ghostly eyes rotated slowly. It watched as a player charged toward it, their expression twisting in a mixture of resentment and hatred. Once pushed to the brink, someone’s potential could break through the limit, which was often referred to as sudden adrenaline. The player moved so fast that the little skeleton could only watch dumbly, its body too stiff and awkward to dodge.

Before the attack could land, however—

WHIZZ!

A sharp whistle pierced through the air, and a gleaming black spear knocked the player aside, pinning him to the opposite wall!

The little skeleton watched, almost in a trance, as the player spurted out a mouthful of blood, feeling like its worldview was on the verge of being overturned.

Did the black cat... just transform into this spear...?

***

After the chaos settled and the surviving players desperately stumbled into the bus, the first thing the black cat did was scold him, very severely at that:

"Are you stupid?! How did you come out—no, why the hell did you come here?! Do you know what you look like in those humans’ eyes?! Did you even have a shred of self-preservation instinct?! If I hadn’t acted quickly, you... you would be lucky if you could keep your ugly bones!"

The black cat launched into a furious tirade, but this time the little skeleton did not mind in the slightest.

It patiently waited until the black cat paused in the middle to take a deep breath before interjecting, "Let’s... leave..."

The black cat was stunned.

Under the stretch of the dark sky, the little skeleton gave its answer with utmost seriousness, "Leave... this pla... ce... t-together..."

From this moment henceforth, it was no longer trapped. It might not know why it suddenly gained sentience, but it knew clearly that it did not want to spend such boring days without the black cat anymore.

So if the black cat proposed to leave, it would gladly tag along.

So long as they were together.