Chapter Text
Zhou Mignrui reeled back in pain, his head spinning from the dizziness. A brain. hemorrhage? What on earth happened between him sleeping and waking up.
The blurriness and the pain in his eyes finally eased and he was able to finally see a little bit.
His vision a bit muddy as if the liquid that was in his eyes still had not been cleared was able to see the crimson light from he moon fall and illuminate the room around him.
Crimson? What? He choked finally moving his hand to wipe the blood off from his eyes. Finally clear he was able to see the crimson moon hanging in the sky.
And bit by bit, the things in the room came into focus.
Blood?
Gun?
Gun!
He suddenly got up, as a normal programmer working 007 he had never seen a one in real life, this was definitely not his home! Was he kidnapped? What happened?
His gaze moved quickly around the room falling on a peculiar broken mirror. Well the mirror itself was not that weird. What was peculiar was that. . . that was not him in the mirror. That was not his face.
He experimentally felt his face, only then registering that he might have really transmigrated.
A gently European face, brown eyes. . . and a pair of cat ears? He experimentally tugged at it for a few times. Feeling the obvious pain and discomfort he stopped, instead focusing on the blood the more immediate problem here.
He quickly got up, taking a rag he quickly started wiping the various objects in the room down. The bloody splatter on the lamp, the trail on the table, the blots on the ground.
After going to the nearby shared bathroom to clean himself up a little bit until he couldn't smell the blood anymore he sat back down on the chair with a big sigh, attempting to organize the memories that had been slowly trickling into his brain the entire time.
Klein Moretti, he was a fresh history graduate. He had a brother and a sister. And most importantly he was a cat.
Yes, animal human hybrids were the norm in this world. Although pure humans did exist, they were just considered one of the species that inhabited the world.
Mingrui sighed, getting up to shake his tail and touch his ears a few times. Although it was quite novel and interesting he still wanted to go home. Where his entire life was. His family, friends, job and luxuries like the internet and fast food. How can he leave them all behind? And for what, a cat tail?
He leaned back trying to think back on what had happened prior to his transmigration. It was quite the normal day in fact. The only difference was. . . the ritual!
He did A luck enhancement ritual that evening and although nothing happened afterwards, that very night he transmigrated! Mingrui huffed opting to try that ritual again once he gets the required materials.
"Klein! Did you pull an all nighter again?" Mingrui jumped not having heard her coming into the room. Cats. . . can be really quiet, that almost made Mingrui have a heart attack.
"No, no I just woke up a little early and-"
"Go back to sleep Klein. I know you are really nervous about that interview. But at this point, is there any point in trying to cram now? That'll only tire you out. How about you go and get some groceries to clear your head." Mingrui's heart warmed from the care and he felt sadness for this kind girl who would be losing her brother soon.
'Sorry, Melissa, but I have to go home' but he kept it to himself only nodding in response.
"Get only 8 pounds of bread, it spoils too easily in the heat and also get some lamb I'll make us some lamb soup to celebrate your grsduation tonight! " she smiled as she said it, seeing the somewhat dumb look on her brother's face a small trace of exasperation appeared, causing her to remind him the prices of groceries and not to get scammed before leaving.
Seeing her leave, Mingrui calmed down thinking again. He should attempt the ritual today. After all its unknown whether that suicide attempt was really a suicide, and besides he used a gun. How can Melissa in the other room didn't wake up at all, and even more unbelievable was that she was also a cat, born with keen ears that surely could easily hear it.
But she heard nothing. Either she slept like a pile of bricks or something else had intervened.
Klein wore the most familiar suit in his memory, a dingy little thing that had seen better days, and a little money from their safe place and left their rented home. Heading to the market place, he saw various beast people walking up and down the streets.
A tall cow person carried heavy carts with one hand and a small rabbit person quickly Went though various small alleys and pathways. It seemed that for smaller races, a series of paths and alleys were created for them to run, jump and climb through them. They were more or less unofficial little shortcuts that became a normal sight, so much so that most forgetter that the only roads that were actually maintained by the state was the main roads.
They were built from small spaces left between homes, alleyways, rooftops and even some eaves that the owners have obviously given up trying to restrict.
Though the strangest thing in this world was actually the fact that normal animals actually existed. He had quite the disconnect seeing a horse man driving a . . . horse carriage.
He quickly spoke off his confusion going to a familiar bakery to get the required bread. The owner was an old hen. A few brown feathers struck out of her hair but most of them had already faded in color due to age. She was quite familiar with Klein, making small talk about his recent graduation.
Mingrui vaguely answered the question, after all although he remembered this woman vaguely, he could not quite grasp how lcose ha had been.
After a few exchanges he quickly excused himself with the excuse of wanting to quickly get home to practice more. Hopefully even if she notices something wrong her first thought would be that Klein was only nervous about his coming interview.
He walked off, carrying the few bags of groceries he ended up. Squirming between multitudes of beast men, he made a observation that most of the people he saw were herbivores. Maybe because more often not herbivores are herd animals? And carnivores are usually loners. So maybe the demographic he saw today reflected that.
He passed by a circus when a tent caught his eye. It was a clairvoyant's tent.
"Young man. . . Do you wish for a divination? This is the first one of the day so it will be on the house" Mingrui immediately wanted make a run for it but in the end his curiosity won over, his tail swishing behind him he made his way over to the table.
As he left the table he thought about the card he drew. The 'Fool'? If the so called clairvoyant lady was not a beast tamer in disguise he would have immediately clocked her as a real seer. After all, the card represented new beginnings and what else would be fit that more than transmigration?
But in the end she probably didn't even shuffle the cards probably leading the card 0 to end up on the top.
He sighed unknowingly his ears falling along with his mood. But that's fine, mysterious person like that isn't probably good for him in this state. He won't even be able to protect himself.
Locking the door after him, he finally sighed in relief. He felt a bit scared during that outing, after all the Moretti siblings lived in the bad part of town, and he was a little afraid that all of a sudden a crook would walk out and rob him.
He took a final deep breath, letting himself calm down.
Taking the four pieces of stable food he placed them in the four corners of the room. His talk moving behind him nervously he closed his eyes in preparation.
"The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" one step
"The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" another one
"The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" a third one
"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" the fourth step.
Taking in a deep breath he waited for a change.
Then all of a sudden, indescribable whispers started squirming into his mind. Old and young, masculine and feminine various voices filled his mind, almost driving him insane.
He closed his eyes from the pain, thin prices of tears started grouping in the corner of his eyes. His body going rigid, and his tail becoming stiff.
Then the voices faded and when he opened his eyes he found himself in a vast expanse of grey fog. He could not see the end, various shapes in the distance only made him want to retreat from this place.
He moved back in fear only to bump into a pulsating red star.
After ending the meeting as the Fool, he sighed in relief. He looked down, down at a unfamiliar set of hands.
'I guess for now I am Klein Moretti' He closed his eyes attempting to invoke the feeling of falling down.
"Heh, you're quite the brave fellow. Holding a meeting in someone else's home" Klein jumped, looking back he saw the undescribable shapes he saw before collapse into a small humanoid shape, floating above him.
"But that's alright, it's only expected" He could not see the voice's owner. Only his vague shape hanging above him.
"I'm sorry sir. But perhaps are you the Celestial worthy of heaven and earth? Can you bring me back home?" the world around him boiled, and the figure shaked in fury.
"Don't call me that. He and I are . . . just don't mention his name again. And no I cannot bring you back home I'm afraid"
"I- I see, apol-" Klein himself shaked in his boots, scared and trembling. His fur raised and unconsciously he found himself stretching to look bigger.
"No it's only right for you to use this place as you wish"
"What? why?"
"You are of my bloodline now. I admit it was quite selfish of me but I wished for a child. And seeing you fall through my realm. Let's just say I intervened "
"You aren't exactly a cat anymore. Well a normal one anyway. Like the demonic hounds of the night pathway, and the feathered serpent of the death pathway. You are one of the few special species pertaining to the mystical. One related to the fool pathway" Something fell on his head, something soft.
"You wish to attain a potion for the spectator in the next meeting and become a beyonder like that right? Don't. The best option for you now is the seer."
"So choose the seer pathway. And be careful, don't let anyone find out about your new heritage."
Klein woke up on the floor the midday sun still falling on his face.