I Will Grind My Way To Godhood

"..."

After a couple of seconds of silence, the cat pretended not to understand Xue Jing's gaze, gave a soft "meow," lowered its head, and took a bite of rice.

Cats that eat what their owners eat aren't exactly unheard of. As an ordinary cat, it made perfectly logical and reasonable sense for it to share its owner's meal. Nothing strange about that at all.

Me eating the same food as a human ≠ I am human.

Having convinced itself, the cat ignored Xue Jing's increasingly mocking look and continued eating with gusto!

The cat first took a bit of rice, then extended its claws like chopsticks to scoop up a piece of spicy stir-fried beef from the plate, blowing on it gently to cool it down.

Xue Jing watched speechlessly as the cat blew on its food out of fear of burning its tongue.

After a few puffs, the cat cautiously bit into the beef. The delicious flavors spread over its tongue, and having gone two days without food, the cat couldn't help but show a blissfully human-like expression.

With the first bite, its taste buds activated, its stomach opened, and its mental barriers crumbled. The cat wolfed down its meal with ever-increasing speed, alternating bites of rice and meat with great enthusiasm.

Occasionally, it ate too fast to blow properly and ended up scorching its mouth, letting out a "rua."

"Take it easy, no one's going to steal your food," Xue Jing remarked with a chuckle. Seeing the cat struggle to pick up food with its claws, Xue Jing decided to help, placing portions into its bowl so it only had to focus on eating. A generous serving of meat soup was added for good measure.

By the time the meal was over, the plates were cleared, with a third of it filling the cat's belly—quite an impressive feat given its size.

The bowl that once held white rice was licked clean, not a single grain left. The cat lay sideways on the table, its belly round and full, looking as if it were expecting.

After tidying up the dishes, wiping the table, and washing his hands, Xue Jing picked up the cat and set it down on the sofa.

Watching the cat lick its paws as if it were picking its teeth like a human, Xue Jing cleared his throat and finally spoke:

"Well then, you've completely given yourself away. Can we talk now?"

The cat's ears twitched, paws pausing mid-lick, and it looked innocently at Xue Jing.

"Meow?"

I have no idea what you're talking about; after all, I'm just a harmless little kitty.

"..."

"What, enjoying something for free and then denying it?"

Xue Jing chuckled to himself. He reached out with both hands to knead the cat's face, his fingers gently scratching its cheeks.

This was one of the spots cats loved being petted the most, and it felt incredible.

"Meow~"

The talking cat was immediately incapacitated, squinting its eyes in pleasure under Xue Jing's touch, meowing rhythmically.

It had made up its mind to just play innocent; as long as it didn't speak or interact, no issues would arise.

"......"

Xue Jing, seeing the cat still refused to admit anything, found himself at a loss for a solution.

"Forget it, let's take a shower first."

Although he had already showered earlier, carrying the cat back had soiled parts of his clothes, and he had also cooked some greasy dishes, leaving him feeling unclean.

Thinking of washing up, Xue Jing glanced at the cat lying sideways on the couch, which had already dirtied it, and he curled his lips before picking it up.

"Alright, let's bathe together."

The cat was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then its paws formed a French salute and shook like a rattle drum, its ears flattening back into "airplane ears."

"Meow meow meow meow meow!"

"You can meow at your mom if you'd like, but this bath is happening. Not even Jesus could stop it. That's my final say!"

Xue Jing snorted, picking up the cat and heading toward the bathroom.

"Meow!!!"

In the glass shower, Xue Jing had brought a small stool inside. He sat on it, squeezing some shower gel onto his hands before starting to lather the already soaked cat.

The cat had struggled but to no avail and now simply wore a resigned expression, allowing Xue Jing's hands to roam across its delicate body.

“Meow, meow, meow, meow...”

Xue Jing murmured in cat language as he petted and scratched carefully, unaffected by the cat's protestations. "I have no idea what you're saying; after all, I'm just a harmless, terrifying upright ape."

During the process, Xue Jing attempted to remove the platinum ring from the cat's tail, only to find it seemed not tightly fastened but as if it was embedded into the tail itself, unyielding.

He didn't apply too much force to avoid harming the cat, understanding that this item was not removable, being a panel-certified ‘divine substance’; a hint of mystique was expected.

Having thoroughly petted and scratched every part of the cat, Xue Jing nodded in satisfaction, turned on the showerhead, and began rinsing it off.

Once the washing was done, the cat, now all wet, looked rather comical, with its fur clinging tight to its body.

“Meow.”

The cat started shaking off the water wildly, about to leave the bathroom when Xue Jing stopped it.

“Hold on a moment.”

Xue Jing gave himself a quick rinse too, then picked up the cat and walked out of the glass shower compartment.

He went to the bathtub, turned on the hot water, adjusted the temperature, and filled the tub.

Then, cradling the cat, he entered the bathtub.

“Meow~~” “Ah~~”

Xue Jing rested his hands on either side of the bathtub, lying inside with just his head exposed, while the cat lay on Xue Jing's chest, its head propped on the tub's edge, tail flicking below the water, creating ripples.

It closed its eyes contentedly, purring.

“Hmph, you still claim you're not human.”

Xue Jing remarked lightly.

How many cats enjoy a soak this much?

“Meow~~”

Too lazy to pretend, the cat merely meowed dismissively as a response, unbothered.

Lying on Xue Jing's chest, feeling his powerful, steady heartbeat, the cat seemed to drift off into a daze.

It’s been so long...since enjoying this kind of peace.

This person, who seemed slim in clothes, surprisingly has quite a build when undressed. Those pecs...

As if finally relaxing, Cat Cat started to notice that the young man before her was indeed somewhat handsome. Once this realization hit, it was like a crack in a dam, thoughts began to surge forth.

Unable to resist, Cat Cat stole a glance at the young man’s slightly plump belly...

While soaking in the bath and idly flipping through his skill panel, Xue Jing suddenly saw a notification pop up.

"Someone feels attracted to you, Charm Skill Experience +1."

"Hmm?"

He turned his gaze to Cat Cat, his expression subtle.

...

After finishing his bath, Xue Jing stepped out of the tub. He first towel-dried himself, then wrapped Cat Cat in another towel and started to rub her dry.

He carried her to his room, got out a hairdryer and a comb, plugged them in, and began drying her fur. As he carefully blew over every corner with the hairdryer, combing the fur smooth, Cat Cat by this time had surrendered completely to Xue Jing’s ministrations.

"Meow~~"

Well, since it has come to this, what can be done? Let him do what he wants.

Once completely dried, a shiny-coated, fine-looking black cat appeared before them.

Its emerald, slit-pupil eyes paired with narrow white lines beside them gave a refined, enchanting look to that feline face.

Xue Jing nodded in satisfaction, "Factory settings restored successfully~"

It was then he noticed that the patches of missing fur on Cat Cat seemed to have regrown?

And the belly, once round from overeating, had flattened out.

"Interesting."

Cat Cat seemed to realize she had once again exposed something, and, feigning laziness, stretched leisurely and turned away from Xue Jing to avoid showing her belly.

“Meow~”

Xue Jing didn't say more, turning to leave the room and heading to the living room.

In one corner of the living room wall, there hung a plastic dartboard, pockmarked with tiny holes, while the surrounding white walls were scratched and punctured, evidence of some long-suffering behavior.

Xue Jing took three or four darts from the holder beside the dartboard and walked to the front door, the farthest point from the board, nearly five meters away.

He picked up a sharp dart, holding the shaft with three fingers and aimed for a while.

“Whoosh!”

The dart flew from his hand, piercing the board with a loud thud, the sound resounding through the room, giving the impression of piercing power, almost as if the board were being penetrated.

Though it didn't hit the bullseye, from this distance, even hitting the board was considered accurate and skillful.

Xue Jing threw the remaining darts in his hand one by one, all hitting the board, with one even nearing the bullseye.

Throughout this week, he had made time each evening to practice darts, hoping to develop a skill in throwing.

The room echoed with the continuous thud of darts, while the cat strolled lazily into the living room, glanced at him indifferently, leapt onto the sofa, and pawed at the remote to turn on the TV, picking a cartoon to watch via a streaming app.

Since its decision to completely let loose, it no longer bothered to pretend, except for the fact it didn't talk.

Xue Jing merely glanced at it, resisting the urge to throw a dart at it, continuing his repetitive throw-and-retrieve routine.

After about forty to fifty minutes, as Xue Jing aimed with a dart in hand, a strong premonition seized him.

This dart, it would absolutely hit the bullseye.

No reason, it simply would, effortlessly!

His eyes brightened as he let the dart fly.

Thud!

The unprecedented loud noise startled the cat watching TV, causing it to puff up slightly.

On the dartboard, the dart lodged deep in the bullseye, precisely in the center, penetrating the board through and through.

Xue Jing looked at the panel.

【Conditions met; skill activated: Aiming】

【Aiming Lv1:】