(A... cat girl?), my thoughts froze as I saw my "companion."
Yes, a rather young cat girl was hiding in the grass.
(We're in the jungle, so she must be some kind of 'big cat,' right?)
Many come to mind... from the imposing tiger to the small ocelot.
[Congratulations on finding an epic resource!
Name: Panthera Auratrix (Humanoid Resource) - Female - Growth Stage: Infant
Abilities: Feline Agility (F+), Wild Strength (F+), Stealth (F+), Wild Senses (D-), Great Roar (E)
Utility: A special race of beastmen, guaranteeing superior offspring in strength, agility, and senses.
Resource for: Gobrakian
Steal this resource to prevent your enemy from becoming stronger! ]
(A panther girl, huh...)
"Oh..." I exclaimed as I remembered something.
(Did I just prevent a tragedy?), I thought slowly.
Come to think of it, that goblin was about to do something horrible.
I looked back at her.
"Miu?" she meowed while looking at me, motionless.
Her ears were pointed and speckled black with golden tips. Her eyes, large and yellow, had slitted black pupils.
Her skin was white, with golden hair that shone silky and healthy.
She wore a dress made of animal skins, and beside her, a long black cat tail with golden spots.
No matter how you look at it, this girl seemed straight out of an anime or something.
(Though it's curious... why didn't she run away when she saw the goblin?)
She didn't scream in fear upon hearing the rifle shot either...
(Is she sick?), I quickly came to that conclusion.
*Rustle! (bushes moving)
"Hey little one, are you sick?" I asked as I approached slowly.
She just looked at me, her ears moving cutely.
*Slowly reach out hand.
As I was reaching my hand to her head, her eyes, which were fixed on my face, shifted to my hand.
*Reach hand.
Just when I was about to touch her head, I hesitated.
(I feel like something is wrong, but what could this girl do?), I thought as my instincts warned me of danger.
She certainly has impressive abilities, but currently, she's just an infant, so I don't think she's a great threat.
(Maybe she'll scratch me or something), I tried to convince myself and continued reaching out.
*Reach hand.
*fss *fss
I placed my hand on her head and started petting her ears.
*Show teeth.
However, as I did, she gradually revealed her small but sharp teeth before...
*Purr.
Starting to purr like a cat, closing her eyes and easily accepting my petting.
*Purr.
(Damn, I was ready for her to bite me or something...)
I sat on the ground and continued petting her.
Interestingly, her eyes glowed unnaturally, with a slight pink tint in her pupils.
(Come to think of it... didn't she have a talent that activated with touch?)
"So that's how it works, huh..." I said as I kept petting the cat girl's head.
*Purr.
*Rustle!
At that moment, I heard the sound of the nearby bushes moving; it was obviously not me or the cat girl.
(Enemies?), I immediately became alert.
*Purr.
But the cat girl didn't seem to care and even got closer to me, sitting on my lap.
*Rustle!
*Rustle!
Those sounds made me nervous as they came from different nearby spots.
*Rustle!
*Rustle!
(No choice, I'll have to act.)
Just as I was about to pull out my rifle, I noticed something.
*Stare intently.
*Stare intently.
*Stare intently.
*Stare intently.
In all the places where the bushes rustled, I saw multiple cat eyes...
(I think... I think the one I saved from something horrible was the goblin...)
--
*Sweat
I was getting so nervous that I started to sweat.
(They won't eat me, right? I befriended this cat girl, didn't I?), my thoughts were chaotic as I saw all those cat eyes staring at me.
*Rustle!
*Rustle!
Even behind me, I could feel presences I hadn't noticed before.
*Lick.
I was so nervous that I stopped petting the cat girl on my lap, which she obviously felt and let me know by licking me.
"You want more pets? Sure, but tell them not to kill me," I said as I continued petting her, hoping she would understand.
*Purr.
*Stare intently.
The stares intensified before something emerged from the bushes.
*Rustle!
"*Low growl"
The one who came out growling was a cat girl, clearly older than the one I was petting.
(Teenager? Maybe a bit younger...), I analyzed the appearance of this cat girl.
Her ears were pointed and speckled like the younger one, but her colors varied in black with silver tips. Her eyes, large and silver, with black pupils.
Her skin was white, with silver hair that had a healthy shine.
She wore a dress made of animal skins, and beside her, a long black cat tail with silver spots.
Her body was quite athletic, like a fitness model.
(She will definitely be a bombshell when she grows up), I mentally praised her appearance.
Even I, who wasn't usually attracted to younger girls, had to admit this one was quite attractive.
*Slow steps.
She came out walking slowly on... all fours?, approaching us.
(Her hands are almost identical to human hands except for the nails, so this should be an attack or defensive stance...), I analyzed her behavior and related it to that of a domestic cat.
*Slow steps.
*Slow steps.
She continued walking until she was right beside me, but instead of attacking...
"*Low growl," she growled at the younger cat girl I was petting.
"Miu?" the young one meowed to the older one, with a look of... confusion?
"*Growl," this time, the older one made a stronger growl, which the younger one...
*Lick.
Did not seem to understand.
(I can guess what she's trying to communicate, but...)
*Purr.
It seems I have already domesticated the young one.
*Fixed stare.
The older one then shifted her focus to me, staring intently before starting to circle around me.
(...)
*Tail movement.
With her tail, she began to give me small touches, each time longer.
(I'd better stay still...), I thought, although technically it was the only thing I could do.
*Circle.
The older cat girl positioned herself behind me and peeked her head over my shoulder.
*Sweat.
(Touch... that's the only requirement for the talent, right? I just need her to touch my skin and she'll fall under my charm), I thought, nervous.
*Brief rub.
*Rub.
She placed her head on my shoulder and started rubbing against me.
*Purr.
*Rub.
She rubbed her head against mine while purring.
*Side glance.
I glanced at her and saw her eyes...
*Pink glow.
(Thank God...), I thought, relieved to see that glow in her eyes!
*Purr.
*Hug.
(Uff, she's strong), I thought as I felt her disproportionately strong hug.
*Meows.
Upon seeing us, the other cat girls emerged from their hiding places.
[Congratulations on finding an epic resource!...]
[Congratulations on finding an epic resource!...]
[Congratulations on finding an epic resource!...]
[Congratulations on finding an epic resource!...]
Numerous notifications began to appear...
--
*Meows.
(Thirty... thirty-five... forty?), I mentally counted all the cat girls.
There were forty, all quite young; the oldest was the one with silver hair.
(Well, technically they're panther girls, but it's easier to say cat girls.)
*Rubbing.
*Rubbing.
"*Growl..."
They all rubbed against me, and some even growled for attention.
(Is this talent really that powerful? I don't think so. Maybe it's because they're wild), I speculated.
Analyzing their behavior since I found the first cat girl, I realized they have a simple thought process.
This is key since, by relying on their instincts, they are more susceptible to charm talents or abilities. After all...
Attraction is an instinct.
(They are a resource, but... technically, they're not much use to humanity beyond being labor...)
And other things.
(Maybe I should put collars on them, right? No matter who they encounter, they won't have a pretty end), I convinced myself that putting collars on them would be best, trying not to feel bad.
If they end up with goblins, it doesn't take much to imagine what will happen.
As for other humans, there are paths that are not very pleasant.
*Rubbing.
I looked at them again; there were at least five different types, but they all seemed like a united family.
*Lick.
(In these cases, you have to be selfish, Ethan! You found them, they're yours, you shouldn't feel bad. After all, they're just pixels, very realistic pixels, but pixels), I convinced myself and decided to take out a collar.
"I'll put it on you." It wasn't hard to choose the first one since she was right behind me.
It was the oldest, the one with silver hair.
*Pet.
*Purr.
I turned carefully not to hurt the others and slowly put it on her.
*Click.
The luxurious jeweled collar shone for a moment when I closed it.
*Shrink.
(As expected, it adjusts to the wearer. Now...)
[Syncing...]
My bracelet showed that message.
*Meows.
They all watched curiously while meowing.
[Sync complete!
[Super Luxury Beast Collar 01:
Name: N/A
Female
Growth Stage: Adolescence
Species: Panthera Auratrix
Race: Tower Native
Talents: Great Intuition, Natural Leader
Abilities: Feline Agility (F+), Wild Strength (F+), Stealth (F+), Wild Senses (D-), Great Roar (E)
Status: Healthy
Overall Rating: E]
(She's strong... what if I train them?), I imagined commanding an army of cat girls.
"Share 'Discount God' talent," I instructed the tech core, but...
[The 'Discount God' talent was not directly granted by the tower]
"Oh," I exclaimed, disappointed.
Then again, it wouldn't be very useful. After all, it's just discounts, and for that, you need money.