Chapter 244: Catnip

Words : 1223 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Chapter 244: Catnip They say that success is relative, and for many people, this seemed true. If one elated heir were to be asked, he’d say that today was a great success! While one particular highlighter would say that today was likely the start of sleepless nights. But if one Prince and one Father were asked, they’d remember today as the day for Heart Failure Episode 58.0. See, when Luca meant attracting the cat, they didn’t expect the beast to lunge with all its might. And if anyone has not seen how a Voidflayer Gnasher gets when food is presented, then good for you, for this was basically the re-enactment of that. The reaction was instantaneous. So instantaneous that by the time Luca got the small pouch of catnip that he was going to use for this cat, time had started slowing down. And this was especially true for the onlookers who saw it all. Xavier was sure his heart was going to give out because he was not going to make it. His body was screaming about this instinctive fact, and using ice at this distance and with that speed would just result in a shrapnel explosion and likely death. Luca was going to get hurt. However, he was not the only one who thought this, as the father did not expect this result. They already agreed that the Duke was acting as bait, and his son was only taking out the catnip to pass it on to him. But who would’ve imagined such a reaction? He should’ve. And he really could have. But he didn’t. And now his son was once again in danger, right before his eyes. The moment the small pouch came out of the space, the muscles of the beast tensed like a coiled spring, only to lunge forward as if possessed by a feral storm. Now, if only it lunged normally. Luca’s heart thundered in his chest, especially as it hurtled toward him, jaws agape, revealing rows of glistening fangs that promised a world of pain. And every second stretched out in agonizing detail as his mind raced to keep up. Gasps and cries erupted from the onlookers, each sound echoing like a death knell, while they all tried to run towards him. But deep inside, they all knew it. They won’t make it. Only that they didn’t have to, as Luca disappeared from his spot, and the giant cat’s charge faltered. And it slumped just as everyone’s heart skipped a beat or three. If Xavier couldn’t remember what kind of beast this was, he was now sure. This was definitely a Phasetail Lynx. For just now, no one could’ve made it on time because the beast barely spent time to take off. It practically phased right before Luca was in a position with palpable predatory intent. Admittedly, Luca wouldn’t have made it if D-29 hadn’t screeched its prompts to teleport into the space. And yet, despite the beast’s sudden loss of momentum, his cute nose would’ve still been taken out had he missed the timing. Then, suddenly, a group of people disappeared to check on the almost-shredded heir. "Son! Are you alright?!" Duke Leander couldn’t care less about the beast and immediately teleported the moment his brain realized what just happened, only to see Luca on the ground. "Oh, hi, Papa," breathed the weak chicken whose knees felt like jelly. Luca realized just what it meant to be against a beast. And while they can now compete with the help of modern technology, it was a different thing when fighting just like this. For the fear was instinctive. But he survived. Only, he’ll have to survive being piled on by his worried friends. "Brotherrrrrr! Huhuhuhu!" Ollie’s eyes were trembling, the dam threatening to break at any time. "Sorry, everyone!" Luca said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Uhhh...I didn’t expect the reaction to be that magnified." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Everyone fell on a heap next to him, as if everyone lost the feeling of their legs, and murmurs of relief were everywhere. And yet, two people couldn’t say much. Duke Leander earnestly prayed to all the ancestors while chastising himself for his incompetence. But even then, he had to repeatedly convince himself that his son was right there, being ganged upon by his worried friends. However, one Prince and husband had to calm his sea of consciousness because never had he felt such fear. Not even in the face of his own imminent death did he have this kind of reaction to loss. Loss that hadn’t even happened, but loss that felt inevitable, nonetheless. And it was like a switch. For Xavier had just rearranged the order of his priorities after one short encounter. "I’m sorry—" whispered the usually proud Prince against Luca’s head. "Me too. I’m sorry, everyone. I shouldn’t have assumed too much." "I promise I’ll take better precautions." Luca was surprised at everyone’s warmth, and even though they were all heavy, he was very happy to have survived so he could spend more time with these people. And he was really sorry and even remembered to apologize to D-29 and Sid, who almost malfunctioned under stress. They were buy-one-take-three, and the little system and the guardian mecha were the freebies that would cease to exist without its Host. "I’m sorry, guys. Maybe we should think of other ways next time," said the Dungeon owner, who really had a lot to apologize for. D-29 could only let out small puffs in the prompt as it tried coping with all the errors before recording a giant warning regarding big cats. Ollie relayed the last scene he saw of the giant cat, and Luca realized they couldn’t stay there for long, not when no one knew just how long the catnip would take effect. But just as they were about to leave, they were shocked to see Jax carrying Tortie, who was still munching on a lettuce leaf. "???" "Are you planning on bringing Tortie?" Asked Kyle, who could only blink at his friend. "Well, we don’t really have a dog. But that’s just a cat, right?" "And this is Tortie. So, shouldn’t that be fine?" Said the redhead as he held out the unassuming tortoise. Obviously, the very busy tortoise wanted no part in this, but the top dog human mentioned something about flowers, and Tortie felt like he could spare a moment. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt. What was a cat, right? It shouldn’t take too much time. And it really didn’t, for the supposedly fearsome cat was slumped on the ground, slowly rolling left and right. The catnip was effective. Well, maybe just a little too effective as the usual ten minutes became about an hour. And only then did the giant cat realize what had happened. However, when it started to hiss and growl, one puny tortoise was placed before it. "???" An insult? No. It was a threat. For when the giant cat decided to show the small offering who was boss, it was unprecedentedly slapped by a whip-like tentacle. "!!!" People held their breaths and unconsciously took a step back as one tortoise disciplined a wayward cat. And Luca never thought this was how much a Dandelion could buy. Wow. What a good investment.

Chapter 244: Catnip

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