Pov Eva Laftire:
I was in the lab, experimenting with a few things when...
*Meow
(That sound...? A cat? No, maybe I'm just imagining things.)
I thought it was my imagination playing tricks on me, so I ignored it.
[Success rate for creating the muta-gen 'Monstrous Vitality (F+)': approximately 15%.
Notes: More genetic material from the original source is required]
(A mediocre rate, huh... looks like these goblins don't have good genes.)
Currently, I was researching a way to extract abilities from goblins through their blood and recreate them in a functional muta-gen.
"The results are bad, I need either quantity or quality," I concluded my research for the moment.
*Writing.
*Meow.
(That's definitely a cat. Did Ethan bring a cat?), this time, I clearly heard a feline-like meow.
I'm not against pets, but my preference is for plants, especially cacti.
(The ones I have in the lab don't require much to live, after all.)
*Wri-
Meow.
(Now that I think about it... isn't it getting louder? Did it accidentally get into the lab?), I wondered as the meowing sounded very close.
I got up from my chair to check.
*Footsteps. *Footsteps.
Nothing on the second floor.
*Going downstairs.
I went down to the first floor and headed to the reception area.
*Step-
My steps halted when I saw the source of the meowing.
(Is that...?)
*Meow. *Touch. *Touch.
"A... cat girl?" I couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing her.
She was a young cat girl, her body mostly human except for her cat ears, tail, and eyes.
(Red hair, reddish spots on her ears, spotted tail... a big cat?), I thought as I observed her actions.
She was curiously touching an empty shelf.
*Step.
I approached to get a better look, but...
*Surprised!
*Stare.
She, startled, immediately fixed her gaze on me.
*Growl.
"Scared," I heard a cute voice coming from her.
(Scared? Now that I see her better, that collar...)
Just then...
[You have a new message!]
**[Silent Shadow:
Silent Shadow: "Eva, are you busy? I need to show you something."
Eva (You): "Is it about a cat girl?"
Silent Shadow: "Oh? You've already seen them? Well, that saves some explanation, but you should come to the mansion."
Eva: "Understood."]**
It was a message from Ethan, my fiancé, requesting my presence.
(He spoke in plural, didn't he? How many of these girls did he bring?)
I looked at the one in front of me.
*Growl.
"Scared," that cute voice repeated as she slowly moved towards the exit.
*Follow with eyes.
I followed her with my eyes.
*Cautious steps.
*Open the door slowly.
*Bang! Whoosh!
With a bang, she ran off in a certain direction.
(Interesting), I wasn't bothered by it; instead, my curiosity grew.
--
"So... these girls are actually a resource," I said as I processed the information Ethan had given me.
A summary?
He killed a goblin who likely found this 'epic resource' first, which turned out to be an ambush.
(It's a bit dubious that the reason they didn't attack Ethan was because 'they liked him.')
He then established a private base, which obviously caught the attention of nearby enemies, who turned out to be too many for him.
Fortunately, his private base had a feature that allowed him to forcibly leave in exchange for credits.
(No doubt it was quite an adventure, wasn't it?)
"Yes, what do you think?" Ethan asked for my opinion.
"Hmmm, they are quite useful for us Earthlings. After all, we also have a high reproductive capacity. Though most likely, they'll be used for leisure or manual labor," I analyzed.
Most great civilizations throughout humanity used slaves for their heaviest work, so it's not far-fetched to think that beast-men, like these cat girls, would be used for that purpose.
(Plus, unlike us humans, they don't have human rights.)
In fact, they aren't even living beings; they're just animated pixels with VR technology.
"Reproduction, huh..." Ethan muttered.
"Yes, although we can't match the enemy's growth rate, if we see it as a long-term investment, it would be quite profitable," I argued.
There's no doubt that the physical capabilities of beast-men are superior to humans, so it benefits us to increase their population.
(These will be especially useful when humans form some political system.)
And there's no doubt there will be one; in fact, I think the guild we're in will take that step when we gain more power.
"Hmm... well, changing the subject, I want all of them to know you and understand your hierarchy here," Ethan said while sitting on the couch surrounded by a bunch of cat girls.
(There are 40, aren't there?)
"Girls, she is... How do I explain this in terms they understand?" Ethan tried to introduce me but seemed to struggle finding the exact word.
(There are no males among them, and most are very young, so they probably don't understand the term 'fiancée' or 'wife' well.)
Although it might not seem like it, introducing me properly is crucial, as it will help them understand my authority here, whether by obeying me or simply respecting me.
"Some wild cats create matriarchal structures," I gave him a hint.
(I never thought those silly talks with my mother would be useful here), I thought ironically.
"Oh? Well, girls, this is Eva, she's my fiancée and the matriarch of this place," Ethan said as he stood up and positioned himself behind me, so everyone could see me.
*Pats on the shoulder.
"Girls, don't attack her and behave well," he continued his introduction while giving me some friendly pats on the shoulders.
*Quiet meows.
The girls started meowing.
(Clever. By doing this, those girls will understand our closeness in some way.)
Although there was one who didn't seem satisfied.
*Narrow eyes.
She was a cat girl with silver tones in her hair and fur, and probably the oldest among them.
(I'll have time to win her over.)
"By the way, Eva, darling, I'd like you not to dissect them or anything like that, ha, ha, ha," this time, the comment was directed at me.
(...)
I won't deny that I had a fleeting thought about doing that, but I guess I'll restrain myself in that regard.
"I understand, though I'd like you to assign one or two to me. I have a feeling these girls have great potential," I requested.
(Cats are very intelligent. These girls can understand me thanks to that collar, so... can they be literate? And if so... to what extent?)
"I understand, but you know, I'd prefer not to force anyone if they don't want to be with you," Ethan warned about a possible refusal.
"No problem."
"Girls, Eva is a bit lonely and sad, so... is there anyone who wants to play with her for a while?"
(A curious choice of words...)
At first, no one moved.
*Low meows.
"Nyan."
But one girl bravely stepped forward.
*Slow steps.
*Head down.
It was, curiously, the cat girl who entered the lab, the one with the reddish fur.
"Don't worry, we'll have lots of fun," I told this brave young girl.
*Petting.
As I petted her.
That day marked the beginning of the formation of one of the most powerful forces humanity would see, a force especially feared by them.