Chapter 378: What We Are
During the time Michael and Ruby had spent together, he had come to one conclusion.
Perhaps it was because the feline people were created by a sentient AI that sought to use them as fuel, or perhaps it was simply a byproduct of their altered human souls... One thing was undeniable.
The feline populace possessed tremendous potential when it came to cultivation. Evidently Ruby had reached the Grandmaster realm at a shocking pace.
Her natural talent, whether she had been born with it or more accurately engineered, put even the most famous young prodigies to shame.
And that gift now played a cruel joke on the feline kin. Upon closer examination, Michael realized that, although the patient woman held the potential to become a mighty cultivator, a foreign presence was holding her back.
She was able to cultivate with every breath, drawing in far more spiritual energy than normal. Yet, in the next moment, that energy would simply dissipate, leaving her cultivation efforts futile.
Even worse, the woman wasn’t a mere mortal but an Expert. Yet, despite reaching the third realm of cultivation, she had still been rendered powerless by the disease.
In hindsight, it made all sense now. The natural affinity Ruby’s kind had for spiritual energy accelerated the spread of the vile disease among them. With no way to distinguish the sick from the healthy, it fueled the idea that they were an alien race, sent to handicap mankind.
"Y—You just said ’Oh’!" The woman murmured in fright. "I—Is it really that bad?! Doctor, am I not going to make it?!"
Since he was a Lord, Michael could perceive what most couldn’t, which explained the lack of understanding the populace had on the subject.
After reassuring that she would be fine and warning her up front about his unusual methods, he summoned Devil and Heaven’s Judgment.
Three heads thought better than one. Not to mention being soul weapons should have given them advice on understanding the core of the problem.
’Spoiled goods, if you ask me.’ Devil remarked. ’But hey, look on the bright side. With the fear of the pandemic spreading, there won’t be many depraved humans pressuring the vulnerable and inexperienced feline kind to engage in otherwise unwanted sexual acts just to satisfy their twisted fantasies. Frankly, this so-called discrimination is nowhere near as dire as Robert made it out to be.’
’Heartless bastard!’ Heaven’s Judgment bellowed. ’For lacking any reproductive capabilities, your thoughts sure like to flow in that direction!’
She focused on the patient next.
’Unfortunately, not much comes to mind. The poor woman is an outsider force. Unless you personally get infected, Master, I won’t be able to arrive at any conclusions. Though I can state the obvious... This is manmade, not an illness originating from Ruby’s kin. Maybe there are even traitors somewhere higher in the chain. Please be careful.’
Michael let out a deep sigh, storing the weapons back into his soul before they could descend into another full-blown verbal confrontation.
He had grown accustomed to humans betraying their own kind, all to further their agendas. Never did it get easier.
After confirming that the patient was stable and her condition hadn’t worsened, Michael made his way back to the crew.
Sparing no details, he briefly explained that the disease had the effect of rendering cultivation pointless. Robert, the only other Lord among them, nodded, having arrived at the same conclusion.
Ruby clenched her fists in frustration. "How are we meant to help them?"
Due to the shared concern of the plague, businesses that should have kept the place flourishing were unsurprisingly nonoperational. The public’s fear caused a lack of goods in the feline district.
For cases such as this, the capital was, of course, more than willing to cooperate, providing the necessary provisions all to ensure a massive famine doesn’t spread along the plague.
Though sadly, that fueled the growing discontent for Ruby’s kin. If the general populace got the impression that the felines were receiving unfair advantage, it would do no good. To complicate things further, the cults spared no effort to taint the feline image even further.
After a moment of consideration, Ruby reached a conclusion. "Michael believes the disease is man-made. Out of everyone, the cult looks the most guilty. Investigating them might bring us closer to the truth... If not, at least we can put an end to them. Two birds with one stone!"
Nana, the elder woman who had helped Ruby escape her confinement, had asked her to save her brothers and sisters... And that was exactly what Ruby was determined to do!
These were her people, and she was willing to do whatever it took to help them!
"Realistically that’s the best lead we have right now." Robert nodded in agreement.
"According to Livia, there have been reports of sabotage, specifically targeting the feline kin. It’s one thing to hold a dangerous belief, but if they actively try to suppress them, it’s considered treason of the highest order. We have more than enough reason to take action."
With the rest of the crew agreeing to the plan, they split up, covering a wider area. Minimizing blind spots should allow them to spot irregularities more quickly.
Michael traveled with Ruby. Although she could have been considered semi-famous, having appeared on the internet several times, no one recognized her. Ironically, the protective attire she wore also hid her identity.
However, that didn’t discourage Ruby one bit. Moving from one kinship to the next, she briefly revealed her cat-like features to earn their trust, hoping to gather some insider information.
Meanwhile, Michael examined the people carefully. Some were healthy, yet aware that venturing outside would earn them wary glances, they chose to stay in their district despite the risk of contracting the disease. Others had already been infected but had not yet suffered the full effects of the plague.
He was by no means a doctor, but his understanding gradually grew. In times like these, knowing what he was up against was already half the battle.
With Venus having a longer day-and-night cycle than years, time seemed to pass in a flash. Ruby had approached numerous members of her kinship, quietly confirming her already strong beliefs.
"I don’t get it." She murmured.
"All of us are the same. Humans... felines. We all think and behave the same. So why... Why does being altered make them hate us?"
Ruby curled into a ball.
"Maybe I’m making a mistake? Being one of them... does it make me blind to reason?" She shifted her gaze to Michael.
"Please be honest... am I a monster?" Her mask obscured her teary eyes. "You and the crew have always been so kind. Surely you won’t reject anyone out of principle.... Not even a freak of nature like—"
Before she could finish, Michael embraced her tightly. "I told you before, and I’ll say it again. Ruby, your soul may be altered, but you are truly human. You have seen how I treat anything alien. So take my words at face value... You are not a monster. You’re you, Ruby, and that’s enough."
"You may be right." Ruby murmured, refusing to sob as she returned the hug. "I guess I’m just too shortsighted to realize that."
At that very moment, Ruby regretted wearing protective attire. Her feline instincts flared like a blazing inferno, sudden warmth urging her to lick Michael’s face... No, the impulse proved uncontrollably intense and irresistible. Caressing just his face wouldn’t satisfy her anymore...
The moment was suddenly interrupted by a startling explosion, echoing not too far from them.
"Bingo!" Michael exclaimed, grasping Ruby’s hand leading the way.
"See? Waiting all this time wasn’t for naught. It’s time we have a talk with these cultists!"