Cathulhu Online, MUNYA!

“This is your new house, munya!”

“…” Mary blankly stared at the house. However, the woman’s mind had already gone to Narnia, not listening to Xiaomao anymore.

“Um, hello? Houston to Earth?”

“…”

“Haiya…”

Xiaomao hopped on Mary’s shoulder. He lightly slapped her face with his tentacle.

PA

Mary.exe had stopped responding. She didn’t react.

Xiaomao scratched his head. He then glanced at her tender lips and the slightly-opened mouth.

Suddenly, Xiaomao had a silly idea. He didn’t know if he was infected by Lucky’s perversion, but he believed that one of his stupid skills could be useful in this situation.

Xiaomao carefully aimed one of his tentacles, pointing at her mouth.

Then…

TENTACLE PENETRATION!

A few minutes later, Mary hysterically coughed as if she was gasping for breath. She was on her knees, staring at the obnoxious catopus in front of her.

“Why did you have to stick your tentacle in my mouth?! I was almost out of breath!”

“You didn’t respond to me, munya. I thought something possessed you.”

“I was just daydreaming!”

Although Mary managed to spit out Xiaomao’s tentacle, she felt humiliated. As for Xiaomao, he cleaned his tentacle with water magic, but he couldn’t stop licking his mouth and rubbing the tentacle that he had just used.

‘I should try this technique on Lucky later… Dammit! I shouldn’t be addicted to THAT! I have a lot of work to do!’

After both Mary and Xiaomao regained their composure, they resumed negotiating.

“So… AHEM, would you work for me, munya?”

Mary wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her cloth. She looked around and pursed her lips.

“Okay.”

“So… Yay?”

“Let me confirm the employee’s benefits; Tax-free, a rent-free house, 100,000 gold coins a month, a mermaid essence core, and my family can move in with me. In exchange, I work as your secretary. Is that correct?”

Xiaomao was taken aback. He didn’t promise Mary that he would give her a mermaid essence core.

Fortunately, while Xiaomao was confused, Nymph entered the new dungeon floor and found them. She also overheard their conversation.

Seeing the expression of Xiaomao, Nymph clarified.

“I told her that she could become a mermaid if she consumed a mermaid essence core. I guess she wants to become a mermaid now.”

Xiaomao had a headache. He only wanted an honest worker to look after his cats and his guild’s affair. Still, he still had hope.

“Can you give one to her, munya?”

“That might be impossible. After all, a mermaid essence core is a crystalized life essence of a mermaid. We have to shave about 100 years of lifespan to create one, and not many mermaids want to sell their lifespan for money.”

“O-Oh…”

When Mary heard that a mermaid had to lose its lifespan to create an essence core, she was dejected.

“Never mind, then,” Mary sighed.

“But, it’s not like you can only get it from a mermaid.”

Mary was interested, “How do I get one, senior. Please tell me!”

Nymph coughed and glanced at Xiaomao, “Deep in the ocean, there is a warp gate that links to an underwater crystalized mine dungeon. There is a mineral in there that has the same properties as the mermaid essence core. You can mutate into a mermaid if you can get one.”

Xiaomao’s eyes met with Nymph’s. He understood her gesture.

But the next moment, Nymph dropped them with cold water, shutting down their hope and dream.

“By the way, that dungeon is infested with level-250 sea monsters. Kitty, you can’t go in there alone and hope to come out unharmed. You’re too weak.”

Hearing that the monster’s average level was only 250, Xiaomao smirked.

“You underestimate my power, munya!”

“I know what you’re thinking, but Lightning magic doesn’t work there. You’ll end up electrocuting yourself if you use that. Also, fire magic doesn’t work underwater.”

“Err, whoops.”

Xiaomao facepalmed. As both Lightning and Fire Element Magic were his main attacks, he had to come up with an alternative way to explore the water dungeon.

Since Xiaomao couldn’t get Mary to become a mermaid now, he sighed and told her.

“I can agree to all conditions except the mermaid essence core, munya. Until I’m stronger, that mutation thingy will have to be postponed for another time.”

Mary bitterly smiled. She calmed down and patted the kitty.

“It’s okay. Having a new job is good enough for me. Sorry that I was too greedy.”

The deal was settled. Mary officially joined Xiaomao’s guild.

DING

<Mary has joined MUNYA Guild.>

As promised, Xiaomao transformed into a human and brought Mary to her old home to fetch her kids.

During the trip, Mary gazed at Xiaomao’s youthful face and golden pupils.

“You’re kinda handsome.”

“… Thanks.”

Even though Xiaomao had decades of experience with women, he still blushed when he was praised.

“Which one is the real you? The cat form or this one?”

“Both.”

As Xiaomao didn’t want to complicate their relationship, he built a mental wall and prevented himself from extending the conversation. He also took another mental note that he needed to get a ring on his ring finger soon to scare away thirsty women and mermaids ASAP.

Soon, Xiaomao returned to Venea and found Mary’s house.

The wooden house was not maintained very well. Patched walls and roof were rough, and cold wind leaked into the house.

Inside the house, there was a little dug area in the middle like an ancient Japanese house, where the locals put a campfire and a cooking pot there.

Today’s weather was not that chilly. However, children were still sensitive to temperature changes. The two kids in thick clothes and blankets sat in front of the bonfire.

Mary was a single mother. Her husband was killed by a monster, and she had no choice but to raise her children alone. Her first son was 5 years old, and the daughter was three. Both kids resembled their mother as they inherited her eyes, mouth, nose, and wavy hair.

Next to the children, an old lady had been reading a book to them. She had a disfigured face, hunched back, and blistered skin as if she was infected by a deadly disease.

“I’m home, kids,” Mary rushed to the children.

“Mama!”

The two kids jumped out of their blankets and hugged their mother. The old lady also stood up.

“You’re home earlier than usual. Do you still need me here, today?”

“No, big mama,” Mary bit her lower lips and gave the old lady 100 gold coins. “You don’t have to come tomorrow. I’ll be moving out.”

“Oh, really? Well, I’m fired, then.”

“Yes, you’re fired.”

“What about the rent this month? You haven’t paid it yet.”

Xiaomao had been listening to the sideline. Upon hearing that the old lady asked for the rent, he figured out their relationship.

That old lady was the house’s owner, and she had also been working as a babysitter for Mary. Still, both women didn’t seem to like each other much.

Mary gritted her teeth, but she didn’t say anything. She glanced at Xiaomao.

Xiaomao raised his brows at first. Then, he caught the hint. Since Mary was released from her duty without severance pay, she didn’t have enough money for the rent.

As a gentleman and Mary’s new boss, he added himself to the conversation.

“How much is she owing you?”

The old lazy sized-up Xiaomao. Then, she scoffed, “A total of three months’ worth! Including the interests, that will be 60,000 gold coins!”

Mary suddenly bellowed, “HEY! The rent is 10,000 a month! How come it is 60,000?!”

“As I said, INCLUDING THE INTERESTS.”

“You… scammer!”

“This is how the world works, woman. Now, pay up or I’ll sell your kids to the empire!”

Xiaomao shook his head. He brought out six gold coins, worth 10,000 a piece, and dropped them to the ground in front of the old lady.

“There you have it. 60,000 gold coins, right?”

The old lady sneered. She shamelessly collected the gold coins on the ground, “That’s more like it. Now, get out of my house.”

Mary glared at the old lady and spat at her feet. She carried her daughter in her arms and pulled the little hand of her son.

“Boss, could you bring that crate and the blankets with you? That’s my belongings.”

“Okay,” Xiaomao nodded.

“Hold it, fellas! That crate is mine. All content inside is also mine! I also bought the blankets for the kids, so they’re technically mine as well!”

“YOU SKUNK!” Mary lost it. She had the urge to murder this evil lady.

Xiaomao extended his arm and got in front of Mary, “We have a better place to live. Let’s leave.”

“…”

Mary grudgingly glared at the old witch while the latter laughed at her.

“Go. Go with your young lover, foolish bitch! You should have thanked me that I let you live in my house for only 10,000 gold coins a month!”

Mary didn’t bother listening to the old lady anymore. She turned around and stomped out of the half-broken house in anger.

Xiaomao glanced at the old lady and looked at her name.

Margaret, the Pangu Cultist, Level 275

‘Pangu cultist? Interesting.’

Xiaomao scoffed and exited the house. The old lady also sneered at Xiaomao, “Loser.”

When Xiaomao and Mary left the house, the latter was on the verge of crying.

“That house was supposed to be my house.”

“What happened?” Asked Xiaomao.

“That woman is my mother-in-law.”

“Where is your other family? What about your parents or our old house?”

“That was actually my house. My parents died when I was young, and I ran out of money, so I sold this house to someone else. Coincidentally, the one who bought the house ended up becoming my husband, and he invited me to move in. We had a family and…”

Xiaomao’s expression turned stiff. It seemed that this family had some sort of K-Drama scenario going on, which was not his forte.

It was not hard to guess what happened in this family. After Mary’s husband died, these two women might have fought a lot. However, for the sake of the kids, Mary remained there.

Then, Mary dropped a bomb.

“One day, she joined a cult and tried to trick everybody to become a cultist as well. I and my husband Daniel refused. A week later, Daniel was dispatched to get rid of a roaming monster and was killed. I don’t have proof, but there was no monster. He was killed by the cultists!”

Mary stopped talking.

That was enough information. Xiaomao didn’t need to hear anything else.

He silently flew the family back to his dungeon.

But after Xiaomao left Mary and her kids to settle down, he returned to Venea as a catopus.

Hovering above the house, Xiaomao brought out his staff. He thought of the old witch.

“Your house? Right, if you said so. Because it’s made of old wood, it would have been a shame if it suddenly… MU-NYA-NYA!”