Saving The World Together

Inside the city, dusk settled deeply, and several streetlamps stood alongside the road, casting a bleak white light akin to the cool glow of the moon. The cold wind whistled through the alleys, provoking pitiful howls from stray dogs.

Despite being a prosperous metropolis with the highest economic and cultural strength in the country, the nightlife of its citizens couldn’t compare to that of small towns and villages. After nightfall, every household shuts its doors and windows, rarely venturing out unless absolutely necessary. "They say Su Fang City is the gateway between our world and hell. Going out at night might expose you to demons crawling out of hell to claim lives," the girl walked down the road with a flashlight, tightly gripping her friend's arm, "so the locals here tend to go out and return early, avoiding the night altogether."

"The rules at your hotel are truly odd," another girl remarked with a touch of disapproval while trying to comfort her friend, "But don't worry, we'll be home soon. Besides, what demon could be more relentless than our boss? Working late into the night and not even giving us a day off tomorrow."

Before she could finish, a heavy clunk echoed as something fell to the ground. In the dimly lit and narrow alley, something seemed to stir and rush out.

The girl shuddered in horror and huddled closer to her friend. Her friend, relatively composed, took the flashlight, saying, "Don't be scared, it's just a trash can knocked over by the wind."

The flashlight's beam fell upon the overturned garbage, and before they could discern anything, a large yellowish-brown cat suddenly leaped out of it.

The cat was filthy and unkempt, with patches of black-green mold on its belly emitting a pungent odor. Its glazed eyes gleamed with an ominous red light, revealing its ferocious bared teeth dripping with thick saliva onto the ground.

Her hand trembled as she took a few steps back, her voice quivering, "Is this cat sick?"

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she turned sideways to shield her friend and summoned the courage to face the large feline. Meanwhile, her friend hastily pulled out her phone from her bag, ready to call the police.

Before the phone could be unlocked, the cat suddenly became agitated, ignoring both of them and growling as it lunged back toward the trash can. Mid-attack, it was engulfed by a sudden gust of wind, vanishing into the darkness almost instantly.

Clutching each other tightly, tears of relief welled up in the girls' eyes as they sprinted hand in hand toward the exit, not forgetting to dial the police on their way.

They fled far away, leaving only a blurry figure at the tarred intersection. One of the girls abruptly turned her head, repeatedly glancing back at the decrepit alley. Her friends called out to her several times before she snapped out of her trance.

"There was a cat just now."

"A cat? Where did you see a cat?"

"Nothing, perhaps I imagined it."

The night wind carried their conversation back into the alley.

The figure hunched over the trash can stirred.

Obscured by the pale moonlight hidden within the dark clouds, the trash can appeared as a shadow cast by the willow tree. Only upon a close approach and careful observation could one discern a real person.

Claude, in all-black attire from clothes to mask, at first glance, resembled an abandoned human sculpture. Yet, the perky dog ears atop his head and the long tail swinging behind him ruthlessly exposed his disguise, turning this appearance, which might have seemed like an attempted robbery, unexpectedly cute.

Holding a miniature toy water gun, he walked to where the large dog had disappeared, bent down, and performed an unknown action, seemingly pulling a palm-sized silver metal piece from thin air.

"Is this the fragment of the dog god's body you mentioned?"

With a slight pressure on his fingertips, the seemingly indestructible metal block emitted a bright, shimmering light like a shower of stars, then returned to its original place.

"Yes, now do you believe me? Once you dispel the Hell Cat that invaded the mortal world, there's a chance to obtain the Dog God's fragment as a reward. You can strengthen yourself and become an invincible superpower!" The voice conveyed joy and pride.

"I never thought you were a liar. What liar can make people grow dog ears and tails?" Claude sighed, removing the mask to reveal his young, innocent face. "But why? Just because I picked up a stray dog that was in a car accident three days ago?"

There was a pause in the voice's response. Instead of answering Claude's question, it shifted to another topic.

"As long as you collect enough fragments, you can gain superpowers bestowed by the Dog God, like immense strength, magic, or even immortality. Isn't that appealing?"