Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat

Shen An's current soul power was at level 28. After using four Small Soul Power Experience Packs in a row, he leveled up to level 30.

Every time he leveled up like this, Shen An felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. In a great mood, he hummed a tune, thinking that the new soul ring exchange option should now be available.

Shen An glanced at the system panel and, sure enough, a new exchange option had appeared. He clicked on it eagerly, only for his good mood to vanish instantly. He even felt the urge to curse.

[System Soul Ring: 500,000 Fame Points Required for Exchange]

What the heck?! 500,000?! Why don't you just rob me?! No, robbing would be slower than this! Shen An blurted out.

The second soul ring had only required 100,000 fame points, but the third soul ring now demanded 500,000—a fivefold increase.

Seeing this number made Shen An's scalp tingle. He wasn't sure if he could even scrape together 500,000 fame points even if he drained the Soul Fighting Arena dry. After all, the entire Soto City only had a population of a few hundred thousand.

Not to mention, summoning the mysterious character required 300,000 fame points. If it weren't for the need to boost his strength, Shen An would have saved up his fame points to summon the mysterious character first.

Fortunately, Shen An realized that fame wasn't just about popularity—it also included respect, fear, and other emotions. This meant he could milk the same person multiple times.

But even so, Shen An doubted whether he could accumulate over a million fame points in Soto City. While popularity and respect were easier to gain, emotions like fear and awe were harder to come by. He couldn't just go around bullying people and acting like a thug, could he?

A line of faint text suddenly appeared on the system panel:

[After detection, the host can absorb soul rings with a lifespan of over 10,000 years. Therefore, the required fame points for exchange have significantly increased.]

[In the Douluo World, 10,000-year soul rings carry the risk of soul shock. However, the soul rings provided by this system are not only perfectly suited to the host but also carry no risks.]

[Moreover, the host can hunt soul beasts themselves. If the host finds it too expensive, host don't have to take it.] 

Alright, alright, alright.

Shen An felt his entire body go numb when he read the last line.

It was as if the system had transformed into a burly man, cursing and saying, "If you don't want it, someone else will. If you're too poor to afford it, go somewhere else."

Shen An took a deep breath. Hmph, just 500,000? I'll get it sooner or later.

In a fit of anger, Shen An angrily went to bed, still glancing at the exorbitant fame points required for the soul ring. He swore to himself that he would eventually exchange for it.

The next morning, Tom the housekeeping cat once again took charge of breakfast, while Shen An and the two girls enjoyed the fruits of his labor.

Ning Rongrong ate her delicious meal, already planning where to go for fun today. For the little demoness of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, cultivation was secondary.

Her motto was simple: eat, drink, and have fun. Happiness was the most important thing.

Zhu Zhuqing, on the other hand, found herself increasingly wanting to stay in Shen An's little house for the long term. Although it couldn't compare to the places she had lived in before, it had a charm that made her feel more and more at home, as if she had found a sense of belonging.

"Zhuqing, let's go out and play together later, okay?" Ning Rongrong happily invited Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing's heart skipped a beat. What girl didn't like to have fun? Especially at the age of twelve.

"Um, thank you, but I need to cultivate later. Maybe next time," Zhu Zhuqing politely declined.

Zhu Zhuqing was also feeling conflicted. Life with Shen An was too comfortable. Tom was an all-around amazing cat who took care of everything, making Zhu Zhuqing feel a bit lazy.

After all, the old Zhu Zhuqing would have wanted to spend every waking moment cultivating.

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Shen An's gentle face and sighed inwardly. Shen An's words that day had given her a tremendous sense of security, making her feel like she wasn't alone. This had gradually calmed her once-anxious heart.

"Alright, alright. If you're not going, then I'll go by myself," Ning Rongrong said, her eyes shifting to Tom.

"Tom, do you want to go out and play? I'll buy you anything you want, okay?" Ning Rongrong's voice was filled with temptation.

Tom's eyes instantly lit up. It was a cat that loved excitement, good food, and fun. If you were going to tempt a cat with such things, you had Tom right where you wanted him.

What cat could resist such a test?

Tom looked at Shen An with hopeful eyes.

"Alright, alright. You don't need to play the piano today anyway, so go out and have some fun," Shen An said, unable to resist Tom's pleading gaze.

What's this? It's not like I'm a controlling owner who restricts my cat's freedom. If you want to go out and play, just go. Why are you looking at me like that? Shen An thought to himself.

Shen An pondered for a moment. It was true—he had been so busy lately that he hadn't taken Tom out to have fun. Tom's antics yesterday showed that it had reached a point where it couldn't stand being bored any longer.

With Ning Rongrong, the rich girl, around, it wouldn't hurt to let her take Tom out for a walk.

After some thought, Shen An handed Ning Rongrong the [Tuffy's Firecrackers] he had drawn yesterday. Although Soto City was relatively safe, it was still good for a support-type soul master to have something for self-defense.

This cooperation with the Great Soul Fighting Arena was also thanks to the influence of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan behind Ning Rongrong. Without that, Pang Tao might not have agreed to such a deal.

Although Ning Rongrong had been quite spoiled when they first met, she had proven to be a loyal friend. When it came to money, she was generous, and when it came to trouble, she wasn't afraid to step up—completely lacking the usual caution of a support-type soul master.

"These firecrackers are quite powerful. If you run into danger, just light one and throw it," Shen An said, handing the thumb-sized firecracker to Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong looked puzzled. How could such a tiny firecracker be useful? It probably wouldn't even hurt her if she held it in her hand.

Shen An noticed Ning Rongrong's skepticism and said, "Don't underestimate these firecrackers. They're very powerful. Even Tom has been caught off guard by them."

Ning Rongrong glanced at Tom, who instinctively shrank back, clearly remembering the experience.

"Alright, alright. Since you're insisting, I'll take it," Ning Rongrong said, a slight smile on her lips.

"Let's go, Tom! Time to have some fun!" Ning Rongrong cheerfully led Tom out.

Zhu Zhuqing watched with envy. Darn it, I want to go out and play too, but I need to cultivate.

Shen An noticed Zhu Zhuqing's expression and sighed softly. He could guess what she was thinking and the pressure she was under, but there was no point in trying to persuade her. Zhu Zhuqing was a girl with strong convictions.

The best he could do was see if he could draw something useful for her in the future to ease her burden, or perhaps help her solve her crisis once his own strength improved.

Wait, if both Tom and Ning Rongrong were gone, who was going to wash the dishes on the table? Usually, Tom handled all the housekeeping, but Shen An couldn't just leave the dishes for Tom to wash when it got back. That would be too much.

Shen An looked at the messy table and then at Zhu Zhuqing, who subtly turned her face away and said, "I'm going to go cultivate now."

Alright, alright. I guess it's up to me. Shen An muttered to himself. Doing some chores isn't bad. I can't rely on Tom too much. Shen An comforted himself with this thought.

Meanwhile, outside Soto City, a middle-aged man walked in, holding a dog leash in one hand and a white radish in the other.