Do You Have Any Opinion on Mechanical Cat Ears? (CAT EARS)
System 2333 had actually considered the possibility—what if this was a trap?
1234 was so blatantly violating curfew by going outside during charging hours. He had always been a cat-eared sphere closely aligned with the Main System and harboring boundless admiration for it... All these factors combined filled System 2333 with a terrible sense of foreboding.
There was a high chance this was a deliberate trap set by the Main System—intentionally preventing 1234 from returning to the charging room during curfew, luring him into worrying about his friends working outside, and thus giving them grounds to catch him breaking curfew.
But even so, even with all these terrifying suspicions, System 2333 would still choose to go out.
...He couldn’t risk losing a friend.
Wrapped in camouflage fabric, System 2333 sped toward the elevator shaft.
Meanwhile, inside the abandoned shaft, darkness enveloped everything.
1314 felt his mechanical heart pounding like a drum, his body overheating from sheer tension and his cat ears flattened back so far they were nearly invisible.
Trying to ease his nerves, he glanced at 4399 beside him—only to be shocked to find 4399 slowly organizing his toolkit while casually grooming his cat ears with his tail, stroke after stroke.
[...What are you doing?]
1314, desperate to relieve his anxiety, projected the words onto his screen.
[Preparing my final appearance.]
4399 replied serenely.
[...]
Now he was even more nervous!
Utterly terrified!
He could practically hear the sound of Death’s cat-eared sphere approaching with its tail curled around a scythe!
Both 1314 and 4399 were affected by the same bug, but if the Main System forcibly opened the outer door of the abandoned elevator shaft—or even just peeked through the crack—their presence would be exposed.
Because of this, 1314 no longer dared to stay near the door crack, which also meant they couldn’t monitor the situation outside. All they could do was listen to the whirring of robotic gears and await their fate.
Closer… closer…
The Main System had two massive, imposing rings, and when they drew near, they emitted a shrill, whistling sound—like some enormous, sinister bird of prey
Dust trickled down from the crack in the outer door as the monstrous bird approached, closer and closer, infinitely closer, until—
Suddenly, it retreated.
...Huh?
1314’s screen was still covered in sweat-drop emoticons, while 4399 remained unfazed and just calmly finishing his "final preparations". Once done, he calmly moved to the door crack to peek outside. After a few stunned seconds, 1314 rushed over to do the same.
Robots still stood guard outside their door, but they weren’t searching—just stationed there, serving as sentries. The Main System hovered outside the elevator shaft currently in use by the cat-eared spheres, with 1234 floating beside it.
"You personally witnessed System 2333 loitering outside the elevator shaft?"
"Yes," 1234 nodded with his mechanical cat ears inexplicably flattening slightly. "I saw it with my own eyes. He lingered outside the elevator shaft."
He said "the elevator shaft," not "the abandoned elevator shaft."
The Cat Balls were numerous, currently utilizing dozens if not hundreds of elevator shafts that occupied two entire walls on the underground first floor.
Each elevator car was about one cubic meter in size—during rush hours, over a dozen Cat Balls could squeeze inside without issue.
Faced with such an overwhelming quantity, it was impossible to tell which one might be problematic, making the search effort incredibly tedious.
But the Main System was determined to investigate. Immediately, robots sprang into action, scouring every nook and cranny, not even sparing a single screw.
A bizarre sight unfolded: Cat Balls were fast asleep while the Main System and its trusted aides worked overtime.
If System 2333 had been there, he would have slapped his tail in delight.
Serves you right, you dog of a boss!
Displaying a cold expression on his electronic screen, 1234 was also part of the search team, even holding some command authority. He turned toward the robots lingering near the abandoned elevator shafts and barked,
"Get moving and join the search! Don’t just stand there like idiots."
The Main System tacitly allowed 1234 to issue orders in its stead with its gaze icy as it watched the bustling activity around the elevator shafts before adding,
"Search."
"Thoroughly."
The elevators were the only passage connecting the Miniature Garden to the systems' living quarters—a weak joint, most prone to issues, and with the gravest consequences if compromised.
Above the Cat Ball elevators, the Miniature Garden linked to the hosts' living area. If this connection were breached, the barrier the Main System had painstakingly built between hosts and Cat Balls would collapse, leading to unimaginable fallout.
But wait—wasn’t there also an abandoned…
Before the Main System could finish the thought, 1234 interrupted.
Now, the Main System had formed a clearer impression of 1234. Previously, it had dismissed the so-called admiration from Cat Balls, but now it saw the benefits of nurturing a little mole—1234 was the perfect candidate.
1234 admired it, had no friends, was ambitious, and even had a hint of greed—often wheedling perks for his host. Such a Cat Ball was easy to control. So at this moment, the Main System wasn’t angered by the interruption.
"Main System…" 1234 seemed uneasy. "What if we don’t find anything in the elevator shafts?"
Ah.
The Main System added one final trait to its impression of 1234: a touch of presumptuous cleverness.
This was clearly a preemptive move to avoid punishment if the search turned up empty. But the Main System had no intention of doling out penalties at this early stage—it knew well that the stick should follow the carrot.
"No matter," the Main System replied calmly. "System 2333 is extremely cunning. It’s only natural if we find nothing. Don’t be discouraged—just report any future findings promptly."
"...Thank you." 1234 appeared to relax.
Beyond the Main System’s awareness, tucked into a corner, System 2333—glitched to the brim—peeked out with a tiny ear.
Damn right he was cunning!
The Main System didn't linger outside the abandoned elevator shaft, but instead was busily investigating up and down around the currently operational one.
This eased System 2333's mind a little. He glanced again at 1234 among the robots, feeling relieved, yet all the emotions he'd accumulated along the way began to surge up.
The journey here had felt as long as a lifetime, and System 2333 had pondered many things.
From the Main System's longstanding oppression and deductions, to Ji Yiwei smiling at him during the day saying "hire him," to his friends trembling in the abandoned elevator shaft awaiting judgment... and finally, to that moment long, long ago when he'd discovered the garbled data field.
Finding it amusing, he'd poured in some points.
Now, he thought he understood—understood the meaning behind that garbled code that was revealed under the Main System's relentless pressure.
On System 2333's panel, that string of garbled characters was transforming, becoming—
[Main System Level: 8]
At the same time, System 2333 clearly realized one thing.
He and the Main System—
Could not coexist.
Yet System 2333 also knew full well that in his current state, he was undoubtedly powerless. No matter how much he wanted to hack a notch into the Main System's two big watermelon rinds, ultimately... meow?
The robots closest to System 2333 began convulsing violently.
They were two inspector-type robots, gray-white in color and tall in stature, with abilities focused more on recognition than combat. Inspector robots were responsible for curfew enforcement, but tonight the Main System had deployed mostly reconnaissance robots to catch any possible slip-ups from System 2333, leaving these two inspectors stationed in a corner.
Though the Main System hadn't given them any commands, they moved.
The inspectors' movements were bizarre, as if two opposing forces were wrestling inside them, causing their bodies to twist like pretzels at first.
System 2333 edged back, worried the robots' spasms might expose him. Even now, the thought of hacking at watermelon rinds lingered in his mind.
The next second, both inspectors snapped back to normal with a "clank."
System 2333 still didn't think the inspectors' strange behavior had anything to do with him. His flattened cat ears had just begun to perk up slightly when suddenly, both inspector robots contorted on the spot—backs arched downward, limbs and wheels planted firmly—before charging at the Main System like two aberrant creatures!
The Main System, completely unprepared for an attack from its own creations, was intently examining what the robots might have found in the elevator when it heard the rush of wind behind it—
Turning hurriedly, it saw the two inspector robots already upon it. Weaponless, they swung their mechanical arms like clubs, striking down hard!
1234, standing close to the Main System, had been lost in thought when the sudden assault sent him into panic. Gritting his teeth, he resolved to protect the Main System he revered, throwing his small body forward as a shield.
"Main System, look out!"
His heart was willing, but... cat spheres are tiny. As he froze, the two mechanical arms swept past on either side of him, missing him completely.
1234: "..."
Oh great Master System! He genuinely wanted to block the attack! But! But!
The Master System thrust its two ring halos forward with all its might while desperately retracting its main body's head. The inspector robot's full-powered strike caused it to short-circuit and collapse after attacking the Master System. Though the main body wasn't hit, the Master System emitted panicked sounds.
"Restrain them! Protect me!"
The robots immediately obeyed its command, first pinning down the two rebellious inspector robots before swarming forward to form multiple protective layers around the Master System.
Despite being surrounded by protective robots, the Master System remained uneasy before suddenly remembering that its attacker had been a robot it personally modified
"Back off! Back off!"
The robots scrambled to retreat, their expressions blank and confused.
The Master System remained shaken. Though the ambush had been sudden, it had ultimately escaped unharmed.
"Master System!" came 1234's alarmed voice. "Your... your..."
Following the direction of its tail, the Master System's gaze turned toward its outer ring halos. These two rings symbolized its authority and status—they hadn't sustained damage for ages, until today.
When it saw the rings' current state, the light in its eye sockets flared violently!
On the outer ring halo, upon the Master System's symbol of authority—
Two glaring gashes had appeared.
Author's Note:
San-san: Haha!
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