Apocalyptic Crazy Kitty

Chapter 38: The City That Drives Cats Mad

In the early morning light, the outline of a city came into view. From a distance, the city looked gray and hazy, like a giant spider’s nest, yet it exuded an eerie beauty that made one irresistibly drawn to enter it. Upon reaching the outskirts of Weicheng, Zuo Chen and his group realized that every building in the entire city was entangled in a web-like substance. It looked just like a spiderweb, but was much thicker—consisting mostly of threads as thick as a finger, all covered in dust. Even the zombies roaming the city streets had several strands of these threads clinging to them to varying degrees, making them look like marionettes—a truly bizarre sight. Sitting in Mo Xiaoqing’s lap, Zuo Chen looked out at Weicheng and was suddenly overcome with the urge to tear the entire city to shreds—it was nothing short of a giant spiderweb! What on earth is wrong with the Wei Abyss? How did it turn the ruins of Weicheng into this… No, I have to hold back, I have to hold back… Clenching his cat paws slightly, Zuo Chen forced himself not to think about the sensation of snapping those threads. Although the buildings on the city’s outskirts were also entangled in webs, there were far fewer of them; the deeper one ventured into the city, the more densely the threads were woven. Looking toward the city center from the outskirts, some high-rise buildings were completely covered in layers of spiderweb-like threads, making them look like cocoons. The group found a dilapidated six-story apartment building and slipped inside. As they made their way through, they discovered that even the staircase was covered with numerous threads, blocking their path. Mo Xiaoqing felt a sudden heaviness in her chest and let out a muffled groan, but Zuo Chen had already leaped forward, his slender bone claws extended, slashing his way through the threads. “Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow!” The Orange Cat leaped like the wind, walking directly along the wall as its claws swung relentlessly, severing the threads clinging to the walls that blocked their path. Seeing those threads, he simply couldn’t resist the urge to tear them apart! Scratching threads, pouncing on light, and burrowing into cardboard boxes—for a cat, these are simply some of the most irresistible temptations! After a flurry of leaping and darting—darting through the entire building and snapping every thread blocking his path—Zuo Chen finally landed back in Mo Xiaoqing’s arms, causing her to gasp once more. Mo Xiaoqing seized the opportunity to grab Zuo Chen’s belly and give it a few gentle rubs: “Good job, Your Majesty!” A silly grin spread across her face. The group made their way through the now-clear stairwell, took out a few more zombies inside the building, and opened the iron gate leading to the rooftop. A gust of wind blew in, revealing a zombie wandering aimlessly on the rooftop, its entire body entangled in strands of thread carried by the wind. Who knows how long it had been on the rooftop—it was wrapped up like a ball of yarn. Before Mo Xiaoqing could even react, she felt a sudden heaviness in her chest. The Orange Cat had already leaped forward, its eyes gleaming, claws extended in midair. With a “thwack,” it slammed into the yarn-ball zombie, sending it flying off the roof like a tennis ball… Smashing yarn balls is a cat’s destiny! That swipe was absolutely exhilarating, wasn’t it! The Orange Cat landed on the edge of the rooftop, still basking in the thrill of the strike, when it accidentally glanced down—and its eyes immediately lit up with excitement. The street was actually teeming with zombies wrapped in yarn, looking just like walking balls of yarn. And the strands of yarn tangled between the buildings sent a surge of fighting spirit coursing through his veins! Meow, I’m gonna swat and scratch to my heart’s content—a full-on battle of swats and scratches! His feline nature roared within Zuo Chen. No… I can’t keep swatting anymore. It’s time to eat… I need to survive this zombie horde first… His human side struggled relentlessly. Soon, the human attendants saw the chubby Orange Cat crouching at the edge of the rooftop, muttering a mix of human speech and cat-talk. One moment he’d look down below; the next, he’d turn his head back to scratch the wall incessantly, occasionally lifting his hind paw to give his chin a kick. Before long, he’d scratched the wall to shreds, exposing the rebar inside… This really is a city that drives cats crazy! Finally, Zuo Chen temporarily suppressed his urge to go out and scratch the place to pieces. He turned his head away from the city and began giving orders to set up the stove and cook. He had no choice—he still hadn’t kicked the habit of needing to eat every six hours, so when it was time to eat, he had to eat. This time, Zuo Chen chose ordinary ingredients. There were still plenty of ingredients left over from the Yancheng Bihai Grand Hotel, so Zuo Chen took out a large piece of beef brisket and began making braised beef brisket. Seeing the beef brisket—which, despite having been frozen for a long time, still looked tender and fresh—Mo Xiaoqing’s mouth dropped open, and her mouth watered uncontrollably. He cut the beef brisket into chunks, added ginger slices and star anise, and blanched it in boiling water for a while. He heated oil in a wok, caramelized the sugar, and added the beef brisket. He added dark soy sauce and cooking wine to remove the gamey smell. Add water and simmer for half an hour, then add salt and oyster sauce and continue simmering. The aroma of braised beef brisket began to waft across the rooftop, and Mo Xiaoqing’s drool was soaking her chest. The Great King was truly a remarkable cat in the apocalypse—not only did he look cool while killing people and setting fires, but he could actually cook, and his culinary skills seemed outstanding! Erzi and the others standing nearby were already used to this; now, each holding a bowl, they waited for the beef brisket to come out of the pot. The rumbling of footsteps and the growls of the zombies echoed from the distance, growing louder as they approached. Soon, the building they were in began to shake—the tide of zombies had reached the outskirts of Weicheng’s ruins. The zombies’ low growls and frantic footsteps merged into a single sound that, from the rooftop terrace, actually sounded like the surging tide. Though tens of thousands—perhaps even hundreds of thousands—of frenzied zombies swarmed below, Zuo Chen showed no reaction, continuing to keep a close eye on the braising beef brisket. Based on his understanding of zombies, ordinary ones could sense the aura and pressure of a stronger being. Faced with the Wei Abyss within Weicheng, this tide of zombies would inevitably come to a halt. Sure enough, when the zombie horde—which had been charging at breakneck speed—encountered Weicheng, it was as if a raging current had struck a boulder in the water; the horde began to scatter in all directions, ultimately circling around Weicheng as it pressed onward. Although these mindless zombies were unaware of the existence of the Wei Abyss, their instincts told them not to enter this city, which resembled a spider’s nest. On the rooftop, the braised beef brisket was already steaming with a rich, savory aroma, its juices thick and flavorful. Everyone immediately served themselves portions of the beef brisket, each holding a bowl of rice, and began to eat heartily. Mo Xiaoqing picked up a piece of braised beef brisket and put it in her mouth, letting out a satisfied sigh as she wondered if she were dreaming. “Beep… Host detected cooking food. Measuring the Feeder’s pleasure level…Eater No. 1’s pleasure level is Level 6, Eater No. 2’s is Level 5, Eater No. 3’s is Level 5, Eater No. 4’s is… Eater No. 8’s is Level 6… Based on the highest level—exceeding Level 5—the conditions for reward distribution are met. Recording the molecular composition of the food; beginning random distribution of Level 6 rewards.” The highest reward this time was only Level 6. However, this was exactly what Zuo Chen had expected. Erzi and his group had been eating quite well these past few days, so the food didn’t have quite as much of an impact on them. As for Mo Xiaoqing, she came from the Shenlin Base of the Divine Presence Organization; even if the food there wasn’t great, it was certainly far better than what this group had been eating in the wilderness and ruins. Getting a Level 6 reward was already quite good. As for the prizes, Zuo Chen didn’t hold out much hope either. He now understood that maintaining a laid-back attitude toward such matters was crucial; going with the flow made life much less stressful. Sure enough, against the backdrop of a rousing athletes’ march, a wormhole materialized in the void, and stacks of cash flew out of it, which Zuo Chen casually tossed into the fire. Mo Xiaoqing stared wide-eyed at the stacks of bills appearing out of thin air. Just as she was about to ask what was going on, she saw Erzi and the others all looking as if they’d been struck dumb, quietly eating their meals, so she immediately abandoned the idea of asking. Erzi and the others had long understood that when money fell from the sky, it usually meant the Great King was in a bad mood—it was best to turn invisible and avoid drawing his attention. “Guh—” A piercing, eerie howl suddenly echoed from the direction of Weicheng, followed immediately by a deep, resonant voice radiating outward from the city’s center in all directions. Everyone present felt as though the sound were ringing right in their ears, causing their minds to waver for a moment. “Come, my prey…” “Meow!” Zuo Chen’s eyes widened suddenly. He leaped to the edge of the rooftop and gazed toward the center of Weicheng. That voice—it was the Wei Abyss! “Roar—” At the edge of Weicheng, a tide of a million zombies roared in response!