The two kittens peeked out from behind their mother, their tiny tails swaying as they curiously observed Hao.
Slowly, they inched forward. One boldly pawed at Hao’s sleeve, while the other sniffed his fingers before letting out a tiny, high-pitched meow.
Hao blinked. His hand twitched.
“…Too cute.”
He scooped up one of the kittens. It was so small that it fit perfectly in his palm. The little thing blinked up at him, then immediately began gnawing on his finger with its barely-there baby teeth.
Hao let out a helpless chuckle. “Oi, I’m not food.”
The mother cat let out a soft mrrp, and Hao felt a tap on his knee.
He looked down.
The other kitten had climbed onto his lap, its tiny paws pressing against his clothes as it stared up at him, tail swishing.
Hao sighed. “You too?”
The kitten answered by rubbing its head against his chest, clearly demanding attention.
Mo Xixi watched silently as the fearsome spiritual beast’s family turned Hao into their personal climbing post.
Her boss was actually getting bullied by baby kittens!
One of the kittens, after thoroughly inspecting Hao, turned its attention elsewhere.
Tiny paws padded across the floor.
Straight toward Mo Xixi.
Mo Xixi stiffened.
The little black kitten stopped right in front of her shoes, tilting its head up to look at her with big, round eyes. Its tiny tail swayed.
She stared.
It stared back.
Neither moved.
“…Uh, boss?”
Hao glanced over, then smiled. “Oh? I think it wants a pet from you.”
“A… pet?”
As if to confirm Hao’s words, the kitten let out a small, expectant meow and nudged her shoes with its tiny head.
Mo Xixi, the terrifying prodigy and heir of the Ashen Curse Cult, was now frozen because a kitten wanted affection.
Hao laughed. “Come on, Little Xixi. It won’t bite.”
Mo Xixi sighed, crouched down, and hesitantly reached out.
The moment her fingers brushed against its soft fur, the kitten let out a pleased mrrp and leaned into her touch.
This… wasn’t so bad.
As the day went by with no new customers, Hao and Mo Xixi spent their time with the cats.
When lunchtime came, they ate their meal with the feline trio, sharing bits of food with them. Hao wasn’t sure if instant noodles were suitable for spiritual beasts, but since the mother cat had eaten them before with no issue, he figured it wouldn’t hurt.
After finishing their meal, as usual, Mo Xixi entered enlightenment.
But then something unexpected happened.
The tiny kittens were also sitting still!
They were in a perfect loaf position, their tiny bodies faintly glowing.
“What?”
’Have they also entered enlightenment?’
Were they really just normal cats? Or had they somehow evolved because of the instant noodles?
Hao turned to the mother cat. She sat a short distance away, her blue eyes locked onto her kittens as if carefully observing their changes.
But why hadn’t she entered enlightenment?
Had the mother cat not eaten enough instant noodles?
As time passed, the three finally moved. Mo Xixi opened her eyes, her aura now stronger than before.
She was already nearing the 6th Stage of Heavenly King Realm.
Meanwhile, the two kittens… looked exactly the same. No visible changes. They simply stretched, yawned, and immediately snuggled up to their mother.
At least, that’s what Hao thought.
But Mo Xixi noticed something else. Their tiny claws had grown slightly longer and sharper!
Night fell.
Mo Xixi had finished her shift earlier, so Hao let her rest. Yet instead of taking it easy, she busied herself carrying the cats to the storage room, where she made a discovery.
They liked sleeping in carton boxes!
The second she set down an empty box, the kittens practically dove inside, curling up together. Even the mother cat settled inside as if it was the most natural thing.
Mo Xixi stood there for a long moment, staring at them.
No new customers came as closing time approached.
Hao glanced at the cats. After some thought, he made a decision.
He was adopting them.
The mother cat? Kurome.
The male kitten? Yoru.
The female kitten? Tsuki.
The three cats seemed happy with their new names. Kurome gave a slow blink, Yoru let out a cheerful meow, and Tsuki purred as she rubbed against Hao’s hand.
“Alright. Welcome to the store, you three.”
After closing up, Hao brought the cats to the third floor, intending to let them sleep in his room.
But –
All three of them immediately ignored the soft bedding and jumped into the carton box he had brought along.
Kurome curled up inside, while Yoru and Tsuki wiggled their way in beside their mother, purring.
Hao stared.
“…Seriously?”
Hao sighed, rubbing his forehead.
He had just adopted three mysterious black cats, and they preferred a cardboard box over a proper bed.
But as he watched them rest peacefully, a small smile formed in his face.
“…Fine. You guys win.”
And just like that, the Dimensional Convenience Store had three new residents.
Hao stretched lazily, about to turn in for the night when a habit kicked in – checking his system interface before sleeping.
Good thing he did.
────────────────
Side Task 1: Accumulate 30 crystals from Cola.
Progress: 24/30 → 30/30
Reward: Unlock new product – Lime Fizz. It will be delivered to the storage area after business hours.
Status: Completed! Claim your reward now?
────────────────
He tapped “Yes” on the screen.
A satisfied grin spread across his face. Lime Fizz was finally here!
Now, this was his drink of choice. Compared to Cola, it had the perfect balance of tangy and sweet!
Another day arrived, but this was no normal day – this was special!
Hao got up early.
Not because he was afraid of the system’s heavenly tribulation.
…Okay, maybe he was.
But that wasn’t the reason today.
It was because of the new product!
Mo Xixi and the cats were still asleep as Hao headed downstairs to the storage area. He quickly found the newly delivered cartons and began unboxing them.
As expected, there were the usual stacks of Beef-Flavored Instant Noodles, Chicken-Flavored Instant Noodles, and Cans of Cola.
But Hao’s eyes were searching for something else.
And then, he saw it.
Lime Fizz.
The cans were neatly stacked, each one shining under the storage area’s lighting.
At first glance, the size and shape were identical to a can of Cola – the same metal material, the familiar tab at the top. But the design?
Completely different.