CHAPTER 45: CHEAT SKILL OBTAINED!

"HELL YEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"

Finally! Finally!

As the notification rang in her ears like heavenly bells, Mimi—now back in the real world—exploded into motion. She leapt high into the air, paw pumping with pure, unfiltered joy, her fluffy tail puffing out like a giant victory banner.

She couldn’t believe it.

Holy shit, that was so clutch!

For one terrifying heartbeat, she had been sure it was all over—that she’d stay a weak, useless little Noctifelis forever. That all her dreams would end here.

But no.

Because she had believed—believed in herself, in the Heart of Destiny—she had actually pulled it off!

Damn... who would’ve thought that watching Duel Monster Magician Sugi Oh back in high school would one day save my furry little ass?!

Mwahahahaha!

Mimi cackled inside her silly little cat brain, her whiskers twitching and ears flicking as she practically rolled around in her own glee. If cats could break into evil-villain laughter, she was nailing it right now!

I’m so glad I picked up that show! Too bad I’m stuck in this medieval fantasy world now, with zero chance of rewatching it... but whatever, I’ll treasure those memories for the rest of my life!

"Come on, Lord Siamelumis! Marshmallow! Let’s celebrate—"

But then, as Mimi spun around to face her companions...

"Marsh... mallow?"

Her joy shattered in an instant. The words tumbled from her lips in a trembling whisper as her heart clenched in horror.

There, right in front of her eyes, her precious little Marshmallow had collapsed onto the ground.

"Marshmallow! Oi! MARSHMALLOW!!!"

Mimi bolted over, her paws fumbling, her tiny chest pounding with panic. She scooped the limp, trembling body into her arms and cradled her close, her fur brushing desperately against Marshmallow’s fading warmth.

Thank the gods... she was still conscious.

"Master... I’m... so glad..." Marshmallow whispered faintly, her voice fragile, flickering like a candle on the verge of being snuffed out.

And only then did Mimi notice it—her glow. The radiant aura that always wrapped around Marshmallow, majestic and beautiful... it was almost gone. Or rather, fading, dimming, flickering weaker and weaker, like a dying light bulb at its last moments.

"Please—don’t say anything! Save your strength!" Mimi begged, her tiny cat eyes brimming with tears, her voice cracking from fear.

"Lord Siamelumis, please help my baby!!!" Mimi spun around, her voice cracking with desperation as she begged the dragon for aid.

But...

Her breath caught. Her paws went still.

Because the moment her eyes fell on Lord Siamelumis, she froze in shock.

The mighty, mountain-sized dragon—who just moments ago radiated divine majesty and the overwhelming presence of a god—was faltering. Her colossal form swayed as if the ground itself could no longer hold her weight. The once-unstoppable aura around her flickered, faint and uneven.

Sweat beaded across her shimmering silver scales, and her breaths came ragged—heavy, labored gasps that seemed to shake the very air.

Damn... no way... Is that spell really... taking such a huge toll on both of them?!

Fortunately—

"Hey, don’t worry." Siamelumis forced a gentle smile, though her voice trembled faintly with strain. "She’s just exhausted. Marshmallow is fine."

Hearing that, Mimi collapsed with a shaky sigh, her tail drooping in relief.

"Phewwww!"

For one awful, bone-chilling moment, she truly thought the worst had happened. If Marshmallow had been hurt—if she had lost her—Mimi knew she would blame herself for the rest of her nine lives.

She clutched the little white cat tighter to her chest, guilt stabbing through her heart like knives.

"I... I’m sorry... If only I’d been faster... if only I’d tried harder from the very start..."

Marshmallow’s dim eyes fluttered open, weak but alive. She even leaned up and gave Mimi a few tender licks with her brushy tongue.

"Please... Master... don’t blame yourself... I... am fine..." she whispered, her voice soft as falling snow.

"Marshmallow..." Mimi breathed, her words trembling, broken.

"And besides..." The white cat managed a weak smile. "Marshmallow... saw it all... Master... you were amazing..."

Mimi burst into tears, hugging the little creature tightly against her chest as if she’d never let go again.

"Mas...ter?" Marshmallow’s frail voice squeaked, her tiny body trembling in Mimi’s paws.

It took Mimi several long minutes to calm down from that storm of emotions. Her tears kept falling, her heart still aching, but at last, finally, she could breathe again.

Thankfully, Marshmallow’s condition seemed a little better now. Her breathing, though faint, had steadied into a soft rhythm. Lord Siamelumis had even given her a few glowing, magical fruits, their light slowly seeping into her body to aid her recovery.

"Hehe..." Mimi sniffled, wiping her damp cheeks with the back of her paw before managing a shaky smile. "Back then, am I really... that awesome?"

"Nn. Master is really the best..." Marshmallow whispered, her lips curling into a faint but happy grin, her eyes glowing weakly with pride. She then licked Mimi more.

"Hehe, hehe." Mimi giggled softly, the sound wobbling from leftover tears.

"Anyway, congratulations on obtaining the skill successfully," Lord Siamelumis finally cut in. "Now, Claire, could you check your status again to make sure it’s really there?"

"Oh, definitely!" Mimi exclaimed, ears perking up with renewed energy.

Then—

"Status!" she commanded firmly in her heart.

At once, glowing letters and numbers unfolded before her eyes, forming a great translucent table of light. Her stats, her skills, all the information of her being etched across it in shining detail.

And there it was.

Floating proudly among the luminous words—the reward of all her suffering, all her tears, all her desperate belief—shone the skill she had fought so hard for:

[Divine Curse Reversal]

Skill Rank: Divine

Description: Target one curse on yourself and reverse it for a limited duration, turning it into a buff! The stronger the curse, the shorter the buff duration provided.

Mana Cost: None

Cooldown: Ready to use.

Mimi’s heart swelled with hope. With this, she could finally push back against the curse that haunted her, haunted the entire noctifelis species.

She could hardly wait to try it out, to see its effect with her own eyes!