By this point, Magus had already realized that the peculiar cat sitting before him was very likely the magic item that the Starfire Church had been hunting for so obsessively. Even so, the moment the kitten suddenly opened its mouth and spoke, he felt a flicker of genuine astonishment.
Among all known magic items—especially those that had awakened higher forms of intelligence—there were indeed many whose thinking abilities rivaled, or even surpassed, that of humans. But possessing intelligence was not the same as being able to communicate like a person.
Take Hidden Dragon, for example. As its life level increased, its intelligence would inevitably rise as well. Eventually it might even surpass the intelligence of an average human. Yet despite that, it still could not speak human language. It could only hiss and grumble in its natural "lizard tongue," and perhaps, after fully awakening its draconic bloodline, it would naturally master some form of draconic speech.
However, even then, unless someone patiently invested years into teaching it human language—syllable after syllable, gesture after gesture—it would be nearly impossible for Hidden Dragon to speak human words with clarity.
Therefore, the sight of a little cat speaking fluent, melodious human language made even Magus freeze in place. Teaching a cat to articulate human speech was already a monumental task; having a magic item do so so naturally was something else entirely.
"Meow, why aren't you answering me?"
The kitten tilted his tiny head, his voice crisp and sweet—like the voice of a seven- or eight-year-old girl. The sound was so clean and pleasant that it reminded Magus of a spring born high in the mountains, bubbling crystal-clear water.
The unexpected tenderness of the voice snapped Magus out of his daze. He composed himself and replied with gentle calm, "My apologies. It's just… it's my first time seeing such a beautiful cat like you. I was a little mesmerized."
"Meow? Really? Thank you for the compliment."
The kitten's golden eyes narrowed in delight, his entire expression lighting up with visible joy. His emotions were so transparent, so vivid, that it made Magus wonder again just what sort of being he was dealing with.
"My name is Magus," he continued. "What's your name?"
"My name is Amy!" the kitten replied cheerfully.
"That's a lovely name. Tell me, Amy—how did you get into this room?"
"I came in like this," the kitten replied, and with a light hop forward—
—his small body vanished.
He reappeared a heartbeat later on the other side of the room, as casually as if he had simply walked across the floor.
Magus's eyes widened.
"Spatial travel…"
In the brief instant of disappearance, he had sensed the faintest ripple of spatial fluctuation. The little creature hadn't simply moved quickly—it had shifted space itself.
A cat that could speak, and a cat that could warp space.
Now he fully understood why the Starfire Church had never been able to capture him. Hidden Dragon could phase between the physical and the ethereal, true, but its movement still relied on speed. It could slip through cracks, dodge attacks, and cross distances quickly—but not instantaneously.
Spatial travel, however, ignored distance altogether. Within its effective range—whether a few hundred meters or several kilometers—it could simply appear at any reachable point in an instant, unhindered by terrain or obstacles. To a knight who relied on physical pursuit, this ability was nothing short of a nightmare.
Even Magus himself, before learning the Fourth-Ring spell Dimensional Anchor, had been powerless against spatially mobile creatures.
A cat with mastery over spatial travel was already extraordinary. But a cat that could also speak human language? That was even more absurd.
Just where had this little fellow come from? And what was the origin of its master?
Amy seemed blissfully unaware of Magus's complicated thoughts. He answered every question without the slightest reservation, as if it never even occurred to him to hide anything. It wasn't stupidity—Magus sensed a distinct intelligence within him—but rather a certain innocent purity, untouched by caution or deceit.
Magus lowered himself into a squat so the kitten wouldn't feel pressured and softened his voice. "Amy, why did you come here?"
The kitten hopped lightly and returned to him, landing right in front of his knees.
"Meow, I sensed energy particle fluctuations here, so I came to take a look."
Then Amy's eyes widened slightly as he sniffed around Magus.
"You have very strong energy particles on you! You're a Wizard Apprentice, meow!"
Magus blinked. "You know about Wizard Apprentices?"
"Of course!" Amy puffed out his little chest proudly. "Master taught me. Master is a very powerful wizard!"
"Your master?" Magus leaned in slightly. "What's your master's name?"
"Master's name… is Master." Amy tilted his head as if confused by the question.
"And where is your master now?"
At that, the kitten's ears drooped. His tail lowered. His bright golden eyes dimmed.
"Master… is gone," he murmured softly. "I took just a tiny nap… and when I woke up, Master was gone. Then a group of bad guys broke in. They ransacked everything and tried to catch me. But I'm clever, so I escaped."
Magus nodded slowly.
"I see. You've been through something pitiful, Amy."
He reached out and stroked the kitten's back. The soft fur slid beneath his fingertips, smooth and warm. While he soothed the little creature, his mind raced.
If Amy was telling the truth—and Magus strongly suspected he was—then the place he had found earlier had indeed been a wizard's residence. A wizard of considerable power at that. Something had happened to the wizard—disappearance or worse—and afterwards the Starfire Church had stumbled upon the location and looted everything inside.
An unpleasant twinge of annoyance ran through Magus.
What a waste. The church couldn't use any of the items they seized. If all of it had fallen into his hands instead… what an unimaginable fortune it would have been.
He exhaled softly and continued, "Then why did those people keep chasing you afterward?"
Amy stretched comfortably as Magus continued petting him, almost purring. Without even questioning how Magus knew about the pursuit, he answered with complete honesty:
"Because I was angry! Those bad guys stole Master's things. So I sneaked into their dwelling to take everything back. But… I got nervous and grabbed the wrong item. Then they kept chasing me to get it back."
"What did you take?" Magus asked instinctively.
Amy lifted a tiny paw and tapped the floor. A moment later, an egg-sized bead materialized out of thin air, appearing with a soft shimmer.
At the very instant the bead was produced, Magus sensed a faint pulse of energy from the golden bell hanging on Amy's neck.
A spatial magic item…
This kitten was carrying around something even he didn't have access to.
As a Second-Class Wizard Apprentice, Magus still had no spatial magic item of his own. Yet here was a cat—a cat!—using one casually like a toy.
The more he saw, the more curious he became about Amy's master.
Anyone capable of crafting—or raising—a magic item like Amy could not be ordinary. Possibly even a Formal Wizard, perhaps one whose existence was significant enough to be hidden from the world.
While these thoughts churned in his mind, Magus picked up the bead for a closer inspection.
It was not actually a bead. It was a perfect orb of translucent light-yellow material—godblood amber—and inside it was suspended a tiny droplet of scarlet blood.
"May I take a look?" Magus asked, pointing at the amber.
"Of course," Amy said brightly. "But be careful, meow. This thing is a bit strange."
Magus nodded. A thin layer of energy particles wrapped around his palm as a protective barrier. He gently lifted the godblood amber.
Nothing happened immediately. Only after a brief pause—once he confirmed the item posed no sudden danger—did he discreetly slip it into the Rubik's Cube concealed within his robe. Then he quickly checked its information.
The description appeared instantly.
[Godblood Amber]
Godblood content: 0.05 ml
Carrying it increases attraction of energy particles.
However, prolonged close contact causes mild mental pollution, including gradual changes in thought and cognition.
Eventually, the holder may develop a strong and fanatical faith toward the being from which the godblood originated.
Magus's breath caught for a moment.
So this was what Amy had taken.
No wonder the Starfire Church was chasing him desperately.
And no wonder the item felt so dangerous.
Even a drop—0.05 ml—of authentic godblood was not something that should exist lightly in the world.
Magus closed his hand slowly.
This discovery… would change many things.
End of revised chapter.