The True Transformation into a Cat

Following a thorough explanation, Gao Xin at last grasped the full extent of what had transpired.

“I never thought you also…” Gao Xin’s expression was a complex mixture of emotions as she gazed at her former roommate—her best friend—who had since relocated to the research district dormitories.

“Perhaps this is what they call destiny, meow?” The newly transformed Yun Juan mused, thoughtfully rubbing her tail.

“Thank you, Bai.” Gao Xin embraced Bai, who had been standing by in a daze, her tail curving high with affection.

“Mmm~ No need, friend. I like it.” Bai gently nuzzled her companion.

Gao Xin released Bai and took The Cat’s hand, intending to lead her for a physical examination and to collect nutritional supplements.

Suddenly, she paused, noticing an unusual texture.

“Your hand, it’s…?” Gao Xin quickly lowered her gaze to examine The Cat’s hand.

Instead of the soft, fair skin she expected, she saw a light brown hue extending from the fingertips to the forearm.

Upon closer inspection, fine, crack-like patterns were visible, and the touch was distinctly rough.

“It hasn’t mutated further, and I feel perfectly fine, meow. It might just be a side effect,” Yun Juan explained softly, hoping to alleviate Gao Xin’s concern.

“…Let’s get a full physical examination first.” Gao Xin met Yun Juan’s gaze with a serious expression.

Yun Juan’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she averted her eyes, her black cat ears flattening backward, her imposing aura significantly diminished.

She stammered her agreement, “Alright…”

Gao Xin and Yun Juan departed hand-in-hand, followed by a throng of eager researchers.

They were already impatient to conduct a thorough examination of the new cat-girl.

One might have thought they were deviants.

Bai, still in her human form with her long hair trailing the ground, shifted uncomfortably.

She summoned her cat bed, settled into it, and floated leisurely towards her containment room—which had now become her home.

“Prepare a suitable outfit for Xuan Bai,” Wei the Cat instructed a lingering researcher, not having forgotten the issue of Bai’s clothing.

Bai, who had seemed lost in thought, was actually reviewing her system notifications.

After forming a contract with Yun Juan, Bai had felt a feedback of some sort, and indeed, the auxiliary system had provided a prompt.

[Contractor: Yun Juan 15/4/45]

[Feedback Trait: Limb Petrification

Petrifies limbs, decreasing perception and sensitivity, but significantly enhancing the strength and hardness of the petrified area.]

Bai extended a delicate, somewhat plump hand and attempted to activate this trait.

Fine lines, like spreading cracks, crept across her palm and extended to her elbow before stopping.

The entire limb deepened in color.

She clenched her hand, then licked it once.

Bai tilted her head in distaste and deactivated the skill.

It was already impossible to groom her paws in human form; turning them to stone would only make the sensation worse.

With that thought, Bai, craving to groom herself, simply reverted to her cat form.

She unconsciously smoothed her fur, her pupils dilating as her attention focused on the system to check another notification.

[Soul Lamp Network Range Met, Public Skill Slot Cap Increased]

[Public Skills (1/2)]

[Currently Equipped Skill: Versatility]

Bai remembered this public skill very clearly.

It was precisely because she had equipped Versatility to comfort Wei the Cat that both Wei the Cat and Gao Xin had stopped playing with her.

This made Bai hesitate about continuing to manage this public skill.

She had shared Versatility so they could change forms, but they hadn’t learned it yet.

So, would it be enough to simply help them master Versatility quickly?

With this thought, Bai’s gaze fell upon the ‘Auxiliary System’ skill on her panel.

This ‘system’ could help cats learn skills, so surely it could help them too?

[Skill: Auxiliary System, equipped as Public Skill]

Meanwhile, Gao Xin and Yun Juan were gathered together.

“Whether through chemical analysis, X-rays, or component testing, it’s a normal carbon-based biological limb. Yet, its physical strength is remarkably high.”

After examining Yun Juan’s paws, the researchers reached a conclusion: it was inexplicable.

“Relax, aren’t there plenty of inexplicable things? Look at all those bizarre containment objects; how many can you explain?” Yun Juan, instead, nonchalantly comforted the disheartened researchers.

She turned to look at Gao Xin, who was gazing at her with worry, and in a fleeting moment, Yun Juan felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

It seemed similar to something that had happened before.

She had been injured during training, casually lying in the infirmary claiming she was fine, with Gao Xin standing beside her, looking exasperated.

Only then, she could never have imagined they would both transform into their current selves.

Haha, two cat-girls.

Seeing Yun Juan suddenly burst into laughter, Gao Xin frowned and turned to the doctor. “Could there be a problem with her brain? This hand looks like a sequela from a stone statue. We can’t rule out the possibility that 352 also left behind sequelae, can we?”

The researcher also froze, his brow furrowed. “Indeed.”

“Cough, cough, cough!” Seeing that both individuals were genuinely worried about her mental state, Yun Juan choked on her own saliva and coughed violently, hastily changing the subject.

“So, do I have to move here now, meow?”

“Logically, yes.” Gao Xin nodded, her tail wagging excitedly. “Are you moving in with me?”

Looking at her adorable old friend, Yun Juan felt an indescribable sense of impropriety.

She abruptly turned her head away. “Ah… probably. Are you not welcoming?”

“Of course I welcome you! To be frank, ever since I changed, I’ve felt a constant sense of unease. Having you with me would make things so much better.”

Gao Xin joyfully hugged Yun Juan, then quickly reacted, releasing her grip and waving her hands in flustered apology. “My apologies. In this state, I always tend to seek physical contact, meow.”

“This is fine. Ah, no, I mean, it’s okay, I don’t mind, meow.” Yun Juan turned her back and frantically chanted in her mind, ‘She’s my sister, she’s my sister, don’t overthink it, don’t overthink it.’

Hang on, I’m a cat-girl now too, so cats cuddling is perfectly normal, right?

Yun Juan suddenly realized this.

The door to a new world was about to open!

Just then, both cat-girls, their faces flushed, simultaneously froze.

They felt a profound stir deep within their souls, as if some immense change had occurred.

[New Skill Equipped]

“New skill? What’s that?” Yun Juan questioned Gao Xin, her senior in cat-girl transformation.

“Simply put, it’s a special ability Bai shared with you, like a containment object. This is the second skill. The first skill is said to allow shape-shifting. Bai demonstrated it for us, transforming into a human, but it’s incredibly difficult to use. Even now, Captain Wei and I can only change our hair color.”

“I see. Hmm, so what’s the new skill?” As Yun Juan finished asking, she froze, a cascade of text suddenly appearing before her eyes.

[Auxiliary System Installing]

“W-w-what is this, meow?!” Yun Juan cried out in surprise, pointing at the empty air before her.

“What? What? This cat can’t see anything, meow?” Gao Xin was also startled and became flustered.

“It’s lines of text floating in the air, saying ‘system’ or something?”

“What system… Huh? Wait, I see it too, meow-ow-ow!”

[System Installation Complete]

[Name: Yun Juan]

[Race: Cat-Human (Named by Xuan Bai)]

[Mental Power / Mental Flow / Mental Power Cap: 15/4/45

(Note: Mental power is necessary for using abilities and processing information; it recovers automatically. Mental flow determines your information processing capabilities and skill release speed.)]

[Current Skills/Traits: Limb Petrification, Versatility (Public), Auxiliary System (Public)]

The system installation completed amidst the two cat-girls’ exclamations.

A series of information panels materialized before them.

Since their mental power hadn’t reached Bai’s level of freely squandering and altering reality, they couldn’t conjure truly tangible panels that could be poked, warped, or flown.

Instead, they could only create illusory panels visible only to themselves.

“Wow… this is so cool. Our leader is so f*cking amazing, meow.”

Having read many web novels, Yun Juan immediately connected it to a host of things: this familiar interface, these familiar game-like skills.

It was truly awesome.

“Bang!!!”

A tremendous crash startled the two cat-girls, making them leap in place and bump their heads against the ceiling with a thud.

Gao Xin and Yun Juan, their faces etched with resentment, clutched their heads and ears, looking at Wei the Cat, who had kicked open the door.

Wei the Cat was beaming with excitement. “Did you two see that too? The system?”

The two cat-girls nodded, still glaring with annoyance.

“Ah… sorry, I was just too excited, meow! I discovered something new!” Wei the Cat excitedly urged them to quickly check the skill, Versatility. “Just think, ‘I want to see the specific information,’ in your head.”

Yun Juan, puzzled, followed the instruction and looked at her skill.

[Versatility: Transform Form]

[Your mental power is insufficient. It is recommended to apply a false information layer. Using a false information layer yields the same transformation effect but will fail if subjected to a certain degree of damage.]

[Detecting available information layers.]

[Available: Siamese Cat]

[Available: Male Human]

“!!!!”

This? Could it be?!

Beside her, Gao Xin also turned in surprise to look at her dear friend.

“Want to try it?” Wei the Cat suggested.

The three cat-girls nodded.

After a flash of light, Captain Wei’s perspective shifted higher, and tears welled in her eyes.

It was so moving; she hadn’t expected to have the chance to experience this perspective again.

“You two… huh? Where are they?” The fully transformed Captain Wei looked around the room, finding Gao Xin and Yun Juan gone.

“Meow~”

“Meow-ow!”

Two tiny meows came from below her feet.

Wei looked down to see a Siamese cat and a long-haired cat.

“Gao Xin? Yun Juan?” Wei asked incredulously.

“Meow~” The two cats nodded.

“You two… don’t you want to turn back into humans?”

The hum of machinery echoed as Bai watched the door open.

Wei the Cat walked in, her ears twitching, carrying several pieces of clothing.

“Meow?” Bai approached curiously, sniffing the garments.

“These are for you. Next time you turn human, remember to wear proper clothes.” Wei the Cat placed the clothes in the room, preparing to leave.

“Mmm~ Meow-woo?” Bai lay on the clothes, inquiring through their contract.

‘Aren’t you going to turn into the form you like?’

Bai had already seen that they could now transform back.

“There’s no point. Before, I was just unaccustomed to it. A brief change in appearance can’t alter reality. I haven’t quite understood it yet, unlike those two youngsters—oh, now they’re young ladies.”

“But still, thank you.” Wei the Cat stroked Bai’s head. “At least now I can continue to stand on the front lines, so I need to conserve mental energy even more and always be ready.”