I’m a Cat!

Thankfully, the intervention came swiftly.

This avoided the two temporarily ‘offline’ individuals from falling into a meaningless loop of ‘Are you Gao Xin?’ ‘I am.’

As a privy individual, Gao Xin’s roommate signed a non-disclosure agreement.

Gao Xin was then assigned a private dorm within the researchers’ quarters, facilitating easier monitoring and examination.

The situation with the cat-girl Gao Xin had finally concluded.

Having expended considerable effort, Bai was at last ready to go out and play.

However, the moment she stepped outside, a problem arose—not for Bai, but for the captain assigned to supervise her.

Bai immediately pulled out her new toy, the system panel.

Drawing upon her twenty years of experience, she molded the panel into its most comfortable form: a round, semi-enclosed cat bed, adorned with two cat-ear-shaped decorations.

This was a style of cat bed Bai had once slept in, though she had unfortunately outgrown it when she reached twenty pounds.

Now, she could create an oversized version for herself.

Nestled comfortably in the bed she had crafted with her own paws, Bai looked around with delight.

She orbited the exasperated man like a satellite, circling his head with an air of satisfaction.

“Ahem, so, do you… do you have any invisibility abilities?” Wei Hongzhi, now aware that The Cat could understand human speech, attempted to communicate with Bai. “It’s not suitable for you to go out like this. Anomalous entities cannot be known to the general public.”

‘Anomalous entity?’

Bai had heard the researchers mention this several times.

Did it mean she was an anomalous entity too?

What did that even mean?

People in her previous home had adored her!

Why couldn’t she show herself now?

Though usually astute and perceptive, Bai occasionally found herself puzzled.

Due to differing perspectives, even with her abilities, she couldn’t always grasp things.

Existence was existence; why exist but pretend not to?

Communicating with humans was truly troublesome.

Yet, if she didn’t communicate, they wouldn’t understand her intentions.

They kept her confined, giving her everything she asked for, but refused to let her leave.

Were they afraid she might be in danger if she went out to hunt for herself?

She tried to think diligently, but The Cat’s thoughts quickly drifted.

She curled her tail into a question mark, flicking it back and forth with slight irritation.

‘Oh, how annoying. Perhaps I should form a contract with him too! Communication would be so much easier afterward! And he’d turn into a cat-person!’

The captain, awaiting Bai’s response, received no answer.

Instead, he inexplicably received an invitation to join the Soul Lantern Network.

The saccharine yet flat voice made Wei’s hair stand on end.

He had personally witnessed a burly man sign this very thing and transform into a young girl.

The contract invitation lingered in his ear like a ghost.

Wei’s facial muscles twitched as he mentally slammed the ‘deny’ button, but no sooner had he refused than another invitation arrived.

The usually stern, tall man looked helplessly at Bai.

Bai tilted her head adorably, her dark, blue-tinged eyes filled with confusion.

‘He won’t accept? Is it because he doesn’t want to become a cat-person?’

That transformation occurred because the mental power gap was too vast, instantly flooding the recipient with information the moment the channel was established.

Their fundamental essences were different.

Most incomprehensible information could be disregarded, but the part affecting the physical body was unavoidable.

As for why this body-altering information would turn someone into a cat-girl…

Perhaps Bai simply thought it looked good.

“I… never mind. Stop inviting me. I’ll figure something out myself.”

The captain could only be grateful that Bai offered an invitation, and, even more politely, allowed for refusal.

Truly worthy of being the safest SCP.

Otherwise, transforming into a young girl without warning would leave him nowhere to cry.

Bai offered no solution.

Going out like this would undoubtedly make her the most conspicuous creature on the street, unless they ventured into the deep mountains and old forests.

But The Cat would likely disapprove; even in a simulation room, she preferred human houses.

Fortunately, he had a solution on hand: an SCP shaped like a marker pen.

Anything written on clothing with this pen would reduce one’s presence.

The more written, the lower the presence.

Specific phrases would drastically lower it, making the wearer virtually invisible to ordinary people.

Its counterpart was an X-Acto knife.

Clothes slashed by this knife would make the wearer exceptionally eye-catching.

If certain specific areas were cut… one couldn’t help but stare even from a hundred meters away.

Neither the pen nor the knife was currently with him.

Using the SCPs themselves required an application.

However, he did have clothes with the writing already on them, common tools for Countermeasure Team members on missions.

Recalling this, the captain pulled a strip of fabric from his pocket.

Five neat characters were inscribed upon it: “I AM AN IDIOT.”

This was the specific phrase that drastically reduced one’s presence.

‘Damn it, I really don’t know how they found this anomalous item, or how they tested it,’ the captain grumbled inwardly.

Bai watched as the man hesitated for a long time, then pulled out this strip of fabric, intending to tie it to the ears of her cat bed.

What kind of cat was Bai? She instantly saw what was written on it, and even if it wasn’t for her own body, it was unacceptable!

“Meow-aow-aow!”

Bai controlled the pale blue cat bed, making it fly away to dodge.

She extended a paw and snatched the strip of fabric.

Holding it high, she watched the man below jump in exasperation.

Bai flicked the tip of her tail playfully, then turned her gaze to the strip of cloth hooked on her claw.

All-Seeing Eye, activate!

Hmm… it was a jumble, hard to understand.

No matter, The Cat had her new toy to help!

A separate display screen extended from the cat bed:

[Derived from the SCP “Pen of Presence,” codename A-3755. When worn by being “tied,” it greatly reduces the wearer’s presence. Those with insufficient mental strength will be mentally influenced to loudly read the inscribed text. Prolonged use will lead to a strong desire for self-expression after removal.

Those who seek attention will not achieve their desire.]

With the system’s help, Bai understood everything clearly this time.

He wanted to tie this to her to reduce her presence?

She couldn’t do such a thing, but she could learn.

The Reincarnation skill she used to sneak out of confinement was obtained by contracting with a Reincarnation cat.

Therefore, contracting with this item should grant her its skill, right?

In Bai’s eyes, the contract process was clearly visible.

Although this strip of cloth wasn’t a sentient being, could it still be contracted?

Thinking this, Bai sent a link request to the inanimate object.

After a long wait, the strip of cloth remained completely still.

Bai tilted her head in confusion.

‘Was it impossible?’

Ignoring the captain below, who had realized he was helpless against a flying cat, Bai fell into deep thought.

However, Bai quickly devised a solution.

The contract failed because there was no response, and no designated owner to respond.

So, she would just respond on its behalf.

The confident cat pretended she couldn’t understand what was written.

She bit the strip of fabric, winding it around her precious cat bed, then initiated the contract again.

The panel’s information began to update:

[Contract target has no mental activity, notifying current owner – current owner is this system, notifying administrator]

[Invitation from Xuan Bai: Do you wish to join the Soul Lantern Network?]

[Contract target and contractor are the same entity. Soul Lantern Network cannot be joined repeatedly. Do you wish to contract a subordinate unit?]

[System already in network, do you wish to contract a subordinate unit?]

[Contract achieved]

The moment the link was established, the air around the strip of fabric began to subtly distort.

In the blink of an eye, the strip’s appearance completely changed.

Smooth, pale blue fabric formed a cat-head-shaped ribbon, with “I AM A KITTY!” written on it in a cute font, followed by a simple sketch of Bai’s cat head.

[Ribbon from Xuan Bai: Greatly reduces the wearer’s presence. Those with insufficient mental strength will be mentally influenced to feel that Xuan Bai is truly wonderful.

Kitties are truly wonderful, thank you kitties.]

At the same time, Bai received a notification that she had acquired a new skill: [Hide and Seek].

[Hide and Seek: Freely reduce your presence. You can freely set the mental power threshold required to detect you.

Mental interference has been integrated into the skill: Pure Land of Mind.]

Only then did Bai contentedly carry the new ribbon down.

She nodded at the man, who looked as if to say, ‘Oh, my little ancestor, you’re finally down.’

She then placed the ribbon from her mouth and pushed it toward him.

“This is…!?”

Looking at the adorably styled ribbon in his hand, the captain immediately thought of his team member who had become a cat-girl.

But having just left, they couldn’t immediately go back.

He would play with this little ancestor for a bit longer before reporting.

The captain reached out to tie the ribbon back onto the cat bed, wondering if it was still effective now that it had changed so much.

Bai, however, floated backward again.

Hide and Seek, activate!

The cat’s presence gradually vanished until she was right before his eyes, yet the captain could no longer see her.

“Oh my God,” the captain exclaimed in surprise.

Half of his shock came from Bai’s endless array of strange abilities—the ribbon’s previous effect hadn’t been this potent, and he wouldn’t dare let The Cat use something he couldn’t even see.

The other half was resignation to this little creature becoming even more elusive.

She already seemed capable of spatial travel, and now she could turn invisible.

“Mmm-goo~ Purrrr~”

Bai joyfully deactivated the effect, rapidly flicking the tip of her tail.

She circled Wei Hongzhi, showing off incessantly.

‘Fine,’ he thought.

Regardless, the travel problem was finally solved.

The man walked down the street, watching the crowds completely ignore the large clump of cat bed floating above his head.

He quietly asked in amazement, “How did you do that?”

Bai ignored him.

She knew, but he refused to sign a contract, so how could she explain?

[Wei Hongzhi, Mental Strength: 39/5/50 (Mental Strength/Mental Flow/Mental Strength Limit)]

[Hide and Seek: Current detection threshold for user set to Mental Flow >= 5]

The Cat specifically observed the ordinary people on the street.

Most had a Mental Flow of 2, with only a few at 1 or 3.

Bai flew a little higher, excitedly taking in everything around her.

This was a big city, with so many things she had never seen before!

This bird’s-eye view was also so much fun!

Bai flew freely, without any hindrance, which only complicated things for the captain following below.

He had to crane his neck, crossing streets and navigating alleys.

Several passersby, seeing him constantly looking up, inexplicably followed suit, but they couldn’t see Bai.

They could only scratch their heads, puzzled, as they stared at the empty sky.

‘What is this?’

Finally, Bai stopped beside a vending machine at the entrance of the commercial street.

She gazed at the square box filled with colorful bottles and cans, something she had never encountered before.