Chapter 8

Apart from her hair, the girl's body was covered in snow-white fur, with a pair of cat ears atop her head. It was clear she was a Mink tribe slave, specifically a cat Mink.

The Mink tribe, living on the back of the giant elephant Zou, were essentially beastmen, rare in the outside world but considered valuable collectibles to the Celestial Dragons.

Her fur appeared clean, but beneath it lay numerous scars. When she sensed someone approaching, her fur stood on end like a frightened cat, a characteristic of the Mink tribe, reflecting their animalistic instincts.

Upon realizing it was Orlan, her fur relaxed a bit. Perhaps because Orlan had treated her wounds, she subconsciously felt she could trust him.

"Is there a problem, Kate? These are dried fish products. You should be able to eat them."

Minks do not eat the meat of mammals with fur, a trait inherent to their species.

Though Shark was a shark fish-man and had no qualms about eating fish, Kate was different. Forcing her to eat mammals with fur was akin to making a human eat another human.

This was also the source of her whip scars. The Celestial Dragons had tried to force her to eat what she refused. Despite being beaten, she didn't take a bite, leading them to lose interest and put her on the cleaning list, making her part of the hunt.

To the Celestial Dragons, cat Minks were no different from house cats. A disobedient cat was meant to be killed.

"Do you know much about the Mink tribe?"

"A bit. If I offend you, please tell me."

Orlan remembered some things about the Mink tribe, but even without that, he assumed a cat wouldn't refuse fish.

"There's no offense, but you seem different from other humans."

In Mink tribe beliefs, humans were considered part of their tribe, categorized as hairless monkeys. Kate had thought this too until a year ago when her family left Zou and encountered a Celestial Dragon slave hunting squad, shattering her beliefs.

Life on Zou's back was relatively safe, but Kate had a heart condition that Zou's medical facilities couldn't treat, prompting her family to seek help elsewhere.

Unfortunately, her father found an opportunity under a full moon to try and escape with his wife and daughter. Under the full moon, the Mink tribe could use the Sulong form, gaining immense strength. However, he failed, lost control, and died from exhaustion. Shortly after, her mother, unable to bear the loss, committed suicide.

Kate, however, tenaciously survived, partly due to luck. The Celestial Dragons wanted a tame cat, so they didn't let her starve to death immediately.

But deep inside, Kate harbored thoughts of revenge, unable to forget the vile smiles of the Celestial Dragons. Though the same age as Ginny, Kate was far less cheerful.

Unlike Ginny, who had no memory of her parents and was sold into slavery from a young age, Kate had once had a happy family.

"I acknowledge human diversity; there are all kinds of people. If you're unlucky, human nature's evil can scar you deeply. But let me correct you, Celestial Dragons don't count as humans in my book."

"So, what do you think I am? A human, a cat, or a monster?"

Kate maintained a defensive stance, her body slightly hunched, a feline instinct to protect her soft underbelly in dangerous environments. She hadn't let her guard down, but there was a hint of hope in her eyes.

Orlan had seen this look many times before. He had funded an orphanage in Piltover, housing war orphans and the unfortunate from across Runeterra. It was an investment in talent, though largely unprofitable.

Some saw it as a publicity stunt, but Orlan didn't care. In Valoran, he had the means to help, so he did, showing kindness where he could without compromising himself.

"When I first arrived in these city-states, I survived thanks to others' kindness. This is my way of giving back."

"If you want a scientific analysis, I'd classify the Mink tribe as subhuman, a branch of humanity, similar to how you see humans as hairless monkey Minks. But in reality, Kate, you must understand that the body is just a shell. The soul and consciousness are what matter. Thus, under similar appearances, humans are varied.

Setting aside appearances, we are equals, with different talents and abilities. We're the same."

To the Celestial Dragons, she was a cat; to fellow slaves, a monster.

The Sulong form was a skill the Mink tribe needed to train to master. Her father hadn't mastered it, and using it forcibly led to his demise.

Fear stemmed from the unknown, and not understanding this power made people fear Kate too. They worried about the Celestial Dragons punishing them because of her or her suddenly losing control.

Living as a slave quickly breaks a person. A year of immense hardship made her somewhat radical.

Like Kuma, she had escaped alone. While Kuma simply ran with chains, she had dislocated her left thumb to slip out of her cuffs, killed a guard, and fled. The bandages and splints on her hand were made by Orlan.

"Soul of the Stars, I think you're a good person, a different kind of human. Unfortunately, good people don't live long."

"Talking like this in such times is bad luck. But what did you mean by that name?"

Orlan noticed people recently liked to call him a good person—Kuma, Shark, and now Kate. The term she used intrigued him.

"Sidereal Auran, isn't that how your name is spelled? My dad loved studying stars, so he taught me some spellings. He was a good person, so he died. My mom too. But don't worry. Dad and Mom said to repay kindness. Since I won't live long, with the full moon in three days, if you don't end up like other good people, I might save you once. After that, you'll be on your own.

If you escape, please..."

Kate wasn't as silent as Kuma described. Her questions to Orlan seemed to seek a definitive answer.

She knew her physical condition well, with her heart problem giving her little time for revenge.

The Mink tribe had a tradition of repaying debts. The answer she got made her decide.

Her tribe was a natural fighting race. With the Sulong form, she believed she could attempt revenge or protect others, shining brightly before seeking her family.

Seeing the young Kate pretending to be an adult, solemnly trying to leave her last words, Orlan stuffed a dried fish into her mouth.

"Pause. You might misunderstand something. I have many professions, including alchemist. One basic principle in this field, also my life principle, is equivalent exchange.

Life is the highest value. Only life can exchange for life. Your abilities and talents are vital to our escape plan.

Just trust my plan. I guarantee we'll get out alive. I'll show you how a 'good person' does things."

Discovering the rare Mink, Orlan adjusted his original plan slightly. This tribe's talents were valuable to him.

"Cough... I don't want to be a good person! Good people always get bullied. Bad guys get away with everything. If I survive, I'll be the worst villain ever!"

Kate seemed tempted but restrained herself after removing the fish. She then made her "dream declaration."

"So, you want to be the world's greatest villain?"

"You could say that."

"And how will you do that?"

"I'll kill all the bad guys! That'll make me the worst!"

(End of Chapter)