Chapter 355: Missing Fur

Compared to reading a map, identifying places through their own sense of smell was much more convenient. So afterward, Byeol simply tossed the map aside.

Now that Joo Joowon was teaching him, Byeol finally reached out a paw and fiddled with the map. Only then did he discover that the map could actually be zoomed in and out.

Looking at the red mist area and the other dangerous areas that Joo Joowon had marked on the map, Byeol could not help flicking his tail.

What was Hwi doing his job like? Why had the litter box cleaner still passed through so many dangerous areas?!

Byeol narrowed his eyes and casually asked, "Where did Hwi go?"

"You two really do have a good relationship. You already miss him after not seeing him for a little while?" Joo Joowon rubbed his head and did not think too much about it. "Hwi went to cultivate. Don’t go over there and disturb him. You’ll be able to see him again in a few days."

Byeol did not argue with Joo Joowon. Instead, he meowed several times to tell him to continue explaining.

I’ll go sharpen my claws later and give him a few more punches. Sure enough, I went too easy on him before. He actually went outside and stopped listening to me.

...No, wait.

Several thoughts went around in Byeol’s mind. That stupid cat should not have learned how to pretend to obey while secretly doing the opposite yet.

Then could there be another possibility?

That stupid cat listened, but simply did not understand?

After all, when they were young and fighting over cat milk, Byeol had kicked Hwi’s head aside and moved it in another direction. That stupid cat would then be unable to find where the mother cat’s belly was. It could only cry out from hunger. Every time, Byeol had to finish eating and drinking his fill before kicking Hwi’s head back into place.

Hmm...

Could it be that he had already beaten him stupid when they were young?

Byeol’s thoughts began to wander.

Joo Joowon did not notice any of this. His hand habitually moved around and stroked Byeol’s body, but he suddenly noticed that the texture of one area felt different. He could not help looking shocked.

"Why is this part of you almost bald?"

Byeol: "..."

Was that even polite?!

After discovering that Byeol’s fur had become sparse, Joo Joowon immediately picked him up and looked him over from side to side. Only then did he discover that this was not the only place where his fur had become thin. Large areas of his body had also become noticeably less furry, which genuinely left Joo Joowon somewhat puzzled.

One only needed to look at Byeol’s fluffy tail to know that he carried some long-haired cat genes. So although his body was small, his fur was actually quite pleasant to touch.

Anyone who raised cats knew that they shed all year round, especially when they changed their coats during spring and summer. The amount of fur they shed during that period was especially fierce, and the current season happened to be right in the middle of it.

Byeol was an especially heavy shedder among them. Every spring and summer, the amount of cat hair he lost was enough to stuff several quilts.

However, shedding was one thing. The fluffy little creatures would never end up like humans, gradually losing their hair until there was barely any left on their bodies. No matter how much fur they shed every day, the amount on their bodies never seemed to decrease. No matter what happened, it should not have reached the point where he looked like this now.

Thinking about how Byeol’s species was no longer actually a cat, but had instead been classified by the system as "Calamity Born," Joo Joowon could not help wondering if creatures of a species called Calamity Born simply did not grow fur.

He could not help recalling what hairless cats looked like in the real world.

"..."

Thanks for asking, but she really could not appreciate them.

Joo Joowon did not even consider the possibility that Byeol might be sick.

His status bar clearly stated that his condition was completely normal. Besides, Byeol had basically been staying in a safe environment these past few days and had not gotten involved in anything dangerous. Therefore, it was impossible for something that could affect his physical condition to have happened.

So, what was going on now? Could it really be a breed related problem?

Joo Joowon couldn’t help looking at Byeol’s current appearance.

As a domestic cat, Byeol had always been among the most beautiful cats around.

It never rolled around on dirty ground, and its fur was always so white that it seemed to glow.

Byeol also had an excellent face shape. Its muzzle was neither sharp nor narrow, and its cheeks had never grown particularly round. At a glance, anyone could tell that it was a beautiful, slender little lady.

What made it even more special was that it had heterochromia, with each eye a different color. Its eyes were also the upturned type, which was considered especially attractive among cats. It wasn’t like Hwi, whose eyes drooped at the corners. One could say that just sitting there with its elegant, noble posture was enough to make people admire it. It could easily charm its two-legged servants until they completely lost their minds.

Who could possibly resist a short-haired cat that wasn’t long-haired but looked even more magnificent than one, with a fluffy tail as big as a squirrel’s?

Just thinking about the possibility that Byeol might turn into a hairless cat in the future made Joo Joowon feel indescribably conflicted.

When Byeol remained silent for so long, Joo Joowon assumed that it was feeling sad. He gently stroked the cat with an affectionate expression.

"It’s all right, my good little baby. No matter what you look like, Dad will always love you."

Byeol: "..."

How many times did it have to say this before Joo Joowon stopped treating himself like its mother?!