CHAPTER 662: LITTLE SKELETON AND BLACK CAT (6)

The black cat was so shocked by this sudden declaration that it forgot it was in the midst of being angry. "Y-You want to leave this place with—with me...?" Its voice sounded choked and strained, prompting the little skeleton to tilt its skull in confusion.

What’s with this unusual reaction? Shouldn’t it be happy that the little skeleton had made a decision?

Alas, before it could ask, darkness flickered on the edge of its vision.

The sensation couldn’t be more familiar—the dormant period was starting. It was time to take a nap.

The black cat hissed sharply at the sky, presumably annoyed that the dormant period had interrupted their conversation midway. Truth to be told, the little skeleton felt a smidgen of frustration too. After all, this was the first time it had taken a step out of the art room and it had even exerted quite a considerable amount of effort to come all the way here to convey its intention to the black cat. To suddenly end their discussion here, it’s almost like they were watching a movie, only for the television to malfunction when they reached the climax.

Unsatisfied. Reluctant.

Alas, when all was said and done, it was emotionally inept to begin with. Despite the flutter of discontent, it swiftly regained its composure. It told itself that there’s no rush.

In this Cycle, what else did they have but time?

They could continue their talk in the next active period.

With that mindset, the little skeleton allowed the darkness to encroach into its consciousness, but not before bidding goodbye to the black cat. "See... you..."

As the last word settled in the air, it allowed itself to sink into a deep slumber—

—or not.

With a whoosh, the ghostly green fire in the little skeleton’s hollow eye sockets, which had turned dim for a split second, blazed with clear clarity once more. Even brighter than before.

The scenery before its eyes remained unchanged—the gloomy pitch-black sky, the rooftop of the school building, the traces of battle left behind by the players, and last but not least, the black cat staring back at him with an utterly dumbfounded look on its feline face.

The whole world was as still as a frozen lake as the two of them locked gazes without speaking or blinking as if they, too, had been affected by the dormant period.

But they knew the truth that they were not.

"Y-Y-You—" the black cat was so shocked it couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. The little skeleton didn’t fare any better either. The dormant period was here, which meant that it was supposed to lose all perception of the outside world and enter the shutdown mode. But now... it was still here, standing and alert. The unprecedented turn of events left it utterly baffled.

After a long time, the little skeleton finally managed to pose a question,

"What... is going... on?"

Unfortunately, the black cat was none the wiser. No one could explain why things were different this time around.

But if there’s a plausible explanation...

"Is it because you walked out of that room on your own, and thus you are no longer subjected to the rules of this Cycle?" The black cat voiced what the little skeleton was thinking aloud, earning it a slow nod from the latter. That was the only theory they could come up with so far, yet the more they thought about it, the more plausible it was.

If this kept on, the little skeleton could retain its consciousness even during the dormant period, and the black cat no longer needed to spend this dull stretch of time all by its lonesome.

Undoubtedly, the one who rejoiced the most was the black cat.

"Yes, yes, yes—this is awesome!!" So elated it was that it couldn’t resist throwing itself at the little skeleton’s embrace—the first affectionate gesture from the ever haughty feline—only for its soft body to collide with the solid hard ribs. It was comparable to smashing one’s own head at the wall, making the black cat see stars.

"Hiss...!"

It grimaced in pain and swiped its claw at the little skeleton, half angry and half embarrassed. "Why the hell are your bones so freaking tough? Even rocks are not as hard as you!"

Contrary to the black cat’s violent mood swings, the little skeleton still had not recovered from the fact that it might not undergo the dormant period anymore. The skully face betrayed none of its emotions, though only itself knew how shaken it currently was.

How about nap time...?

Does it mean it could no longer take naps from now on?!

***

Regardless of the little skeleton and the black cat’s reaction, the fact remained unchanged.

This was the first time for the little skeleton to experience the dormant period and it did not expect the world to become so unfamiliar. Gone were all sounds, not even the wind or the rustling leaves or the critters could be heard. It’s like the whole Cycle had gone mute. Any traces left by the players were erased and the damage repaired bit by bit, returning the school to its original state. The night sky was stagnant, and the darkness was akin to a thick, condensed entity, making one feel breathless under its relentless pressure.

It was fortunate that the little skeleton had the chatterbox black cat by its side, who was more than happy to become a tour guide.

With its tail raised high, it led the little skeleton to the perimeter around the Cycle, introducing every nook and cranny.

"I understand why humans call this place a Cycle," it snorted lightly. "As long as you keep walking, you will eventually find yourself back to the starting point. I’ve seen countless weaker ones who collapsed as soon as they realized there was no exit to this place."

This was the first time the little skeleton had ever heard of something like that, which sounded very novel to it. Despite the black cat’s blatant disdain, it insisted on walking and walking until the haunted school once again came to sight.

From a distance, the solitary building seemed to exude a gloomy aura that complemented the pitch-black sky perfectly.

The little skeleton was both fascinated and confused. "How... leave...?"

If there was no exit to this place, how could they leave?

Surprisingly, the black cat had no difficulty understanding what it wanted to ask despite its chopped and halting words. "Who said we have no means?" A calculating smirk formed on its feline face. "Didn’t the players always ride a bus here?"

The little skeleton was stunned. The black cat suggested they boarded the bus... with the players?