Do You Have Any Opinion on Mechanical Cat Ears? (CAT EARS)
When Ji Yiwei saw another host pull a system out of their pocket, he was suddenly overwhelmed with regret for his previous indifference in other Infinite Spaces.
Before meeting System 2333, he had been a true loner, never allowing any external beings into his life.
Moreover, his mission was entirely different from that of ordinary hosts.
Neither the systems nor the other hosts knew this. They feared him, avoided him, treated him like a monster.
The Main Systems probably had some insider knowledge, which was why they treated Ji Yiwei with extreme politeness, accommodating almost all his requests… though most of the time, Ji Yiwei had no requests to make. He simply didn’t care about anything.
His only condition was probably never partnering with any system.
Thus, in other Infinite Spaces, what followed Ji Yiwei into each mission world was nothing more than a literal program. That’s why Ji Yiwei initially found people like Sheng Songshi utterly ridiculous—thinking their systems were mere programs. If every host were assigned just a program, the mortality rate would skyrocket by at least fifty percent.
Programs wouldn’t check on your condition.
Programs wouldn’t fight for your best interests.
Programs wouldn’t care if you were emotionally shattered or mentally drained.
Programs were just programs, carrying nothing but a cold, lifeless store interface—nothing more.
Ji Yiwei, who only ever took programs on missions, naturally had no idea how systems and hosts interacted in the task worlds.
To outsiders, his lifestyle probably seemed pitiful. Once, a Main System cautiously suggested to him:
[Perhaps… you could bind with a system?]
[The system would accompany you, and you could communicate telepathically…]
The idea of something talking inside his head was completely unacceptable to Ji Yiwei. He sneered and refused.
[I can manage on my own.]
The questioning Main System, with its curved ram horns, sighed softly and gave up persuading him.
Even when staying in the Main System space between missions, Ji Yiwei kept to himself as much as possible. If he absolutely had to go out, he deliberately avoided hosts accompanied by systems.
Why?
Because it would make him think.
He had once known the happiness of mutual companionship.
After tasting sweetness, bitterness becomes unbearable. The other Main Systems understood this well, and so did Ji Yiwei. The distortion in his heart was worsening day by day—an inevitability.
The Main Systems regarded him with a mix of reverence and fear, because they knew that once Ji Yiwei’s distortion reached its peak—
He would undoubtedly become the most terrifying enemy of all Infinite Spaces.
[…Ji Yiwei? Ji Yiwei!]
Noticing his distraction, System 2333 curled its tail into a tiny megaphone to call him. The sound snapped Ji Yiwei out of his thoughts.
[What’s wrong?]
System 2333 asked with concern.
Hearing San-san’s worry for him, Ji Yiwei’s emotions stabilized instantly.
He was so happy now!
His heart overflowed with love and peace!
He loved this world!
He loved all Infinite Spaces!
Every Main System across all Infinite Spaces shuddered simultaneously.
The screen of the bunny ball cradled in Wei Wenxin’s hands flickered to life as it woke up.
Its vertical-line eyes—clearly the same style as the cat balls—blinked sleepily before widening in shock at the sight of so many people ahead.
Bunny Ball: Eek!
"Bunny, don't be scared. These are all hosts we've met in this world—we've already chatted for a while." Wei Wenxin quickly reassured.
Under his soothing words, the bunny ball soon calmed down and curiously observed the hosts before him. But when his gaze landed on Ji Yiwei sitting quietly in the back seat, he let out a terrified squeak—Bunnys rarely vocalize, yet the sight of Ji Yiwei made him scream!
"It's... it's Ji Yiwei!"
He remembered! He remembered how Ji Yiwei had once flattened a bunny ball... Though Mother System later explained that particular bunny had been an imposter, the trauma remained.
The little ball clung desperately to his host's arm with his long ears—like host, like system, as both Wei Wenxin and his bunny now shrieked in unison.
After much gentle coaxing from his host, the pink-and-white bunny ball finally settled, though he still couldn't muster the courage to face Ji Yiwei. Keeping his gaze averted, his long ears wagged cheerfully as he introduced himself with forced brightness.
"Hello everyone! I'm Bunny!"
Unlike the perpetually exhausted cat balls, this one radiated buoyant energy—the equivalent of a child raised in loving protection, his vertical eye-lines sparkling with guileless innocence.
Upon closer inspection, his pastel spray-paint finish actually contained glitter particles, creating a dazzling twinkle effect. Mid-introduction, he even paused to adorn one ear with a tiny flower, performing his morning grooming routine.
This... was also a system?
Sheng Songshi found it unbelievable.
How rare—this system seemed to rival even System 2333 in carefree joy.
System 2333: ...?
His happiness came entirely from Ji Yiwei—what right did Sheng Songshi have to judge? Shouldn't he focus on treating Xiao Yi better instead?
Bunny was quite the diplomatic ball. After primping, he extended his ears like a statesman offering handshakes—or rather, "ear-shakes."
"Pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you..."
Civilized! Polite!
Having completed the greetings, Bunny stared expectantly at the other hosts. When no response came, his perky ears drooped in disappointment.
"Where are your systems? Aren't they introducing themselves? I've never met a cat ball before!" He peered at their pockets—all suspiciously flat, clearly unable to conceal spherical companions. Scratching his head with an ear, he waited.
"Well, here's the thing..." Never had Sheng Songshi felt more acutely that his Infinite Space operated differently. He struggled to explain, "Our systems... don't enter mission worlds with us."
Bunny's screen slowly crumpled into a frown.
Weird. So weird. Weirder than a rotten radish.
He didn't think the cat balls were cowardly—obviously such arrangements came from higher authority. Their Main System must be truly bizarre.
But there was nothing he could say about other Infinite Spaces. Reluctantly accepting that he couldn't greet the Cat Balls by shaking ears or tails, he felt a bit sad—until another thought suddenly cheered him up.
With so many hosts present, this must be a joint mission! He could just enter the Cat Balls' public channel to say hello!
Cat Balls! Wait for him! Bunny's coming!
The Bunny Ball quickly scanned for nearby channels, excitedly smoothing his mechanical bunny ears twice before diving right in!
Oof!
His consciousness bounced off the barrier surrounding the public channel.
Failed to join group chat!
Staring at the bright red [Communication Prohibited] firewall in his mind, tears began welling up on his screen.
D-did the Cat Balls hate him?! No way!
The Cat Balls' channel remained silent.
1314 watched as the other system repeatedly failed to join—starting confident, then doubting himself, eventually wailing outside the firewall while banging his ears against it with loud clangs, before finally melting into a despairing bunny pancake on his host's palm. He couldn't help asking:
"He can't get in, is it because..."
1001 gave a quiet "Mhm" in confirmation.
"Most likely."
1001's screen turned icy cold
The Main System was determined to isolate them on this lonely island, making them believe all its arrangements were absolutely correct and compliant with Infinite Space regulations.
To achieve this, it even employed despicable measures like communication firewalls to completely sever their connections with other systems, minimizing risks to the extreme.
Yet they had so many things they desperately wanted to know...
What was the proper way for systems to live?
Was it truly inevitable to endure workplace exploitation and 24/7 overtime like them?
Damn it, why couldn't they connect with Bunny Ball?!
"...Maybe I can try something," System 2333 suddenly spoke up.
The other Cat Balls instantly perked up—was Miracle Cat Three-Three about to exploit another bug?!
"Well, not exactly a bug..."
2333 removed his left ear—the one usually used to receive Main System commands, which might have been tampered with.
If the Main System blocked communication channels between Cat Ball systems and others... what about using the Main System's own channel?
Not the Big Watermelon's channel, of course, but System 2333's personal Main System line.
2333 opened his panel, scrolling to the bottom. Since Bunny Ball appeared, a small phone icon had automatically appeared in the corner of his Main System interface. Holding his breath, he pressed it.
Bunny was still stubbornly attempting connections but kept failing repeatedly until it tears could now fill an entire tank. He was about to give up completely when—beep!—a connection sound rang out.
Bunny Ball stared at the connected Main System channel, it ears going limp.
"Mommy?"
System 2333: "..."
Call me Daddy! Daddy!
The atmosphere was a bit awkward, but System 2333 was a socially fearless little kitten. Immediately discarding that pointless embarrassment, it cheerfully spoke as if greeting a new friend.
"Hello! I'm System 2333. You can call me San-san."
The bunny immediately covered the screen with its ears in embarrassment.
"H-Hello!"
"Hello!"
"Bow!"
"Bow!"
Be civilized! Understand manners! Kitty and bunny become good friends!
"Sorry San-san, this channel is usually only used by Mom, so I..." The bunny had already recovered from its earlier embarrassment, though still bashfully twitching its ears even knowing the other couldn't see.
But System 2333's heart skipped a beat at this.
"Mom?"
Hearing the question, the bunny became super excited.
"Yes! Mom! Mom is a bunny sphere infinitely bigger than me, and also our Main System!"
The Main System is... a giant bunny sphere?
System 2333 immediately recalled those two enormous cat ears.
After some thought, it cautiously asked.
"Bunny, I want to ask—since we're cat spheres, is it possible our mom is..."
"A giant watermelon?"
Bunny: "..."
So weird! Weirder than a rotten carrot!
Author's Note:
Bunny: Different species entirely! Kitty, get a grip!
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