As soon as she opened the front door, the robot Nini glided over to greet Yun Manman, saying in a mechanical female voice, "Welcome home, Manman. Is there anything Nini can help you with?"
While changing her shoes, Yun Manman replied, "Turn on the air conditioning and set it to 20 degrees Celsius."
The robot was connected to the entire house's system and could interact with it.
Nini responded in an emotionless, mechanical voice, "Certainly, I've turned on the cooling system for you. However, 20 degrees Celsius is not good for your health and consumes too much electricity. The current temperature is set to 26 degrees Celsius."
Yun Manman: ... I don't know whether to call you intelligent or not.
The house system and Nini were installed a long time ago, so the version was outdated, and some basic settings couldn't be changed.
Technology on the Lingyi Continent was already quite advanced. It was said that the latest smart home assistant robots could assess the homeowner's health condition and provide advice, as well as collect data in real-time for personalized adjustments.
But they were really expensive, costing several tens of thousands in Cloth Currency. The down payment and renovation for her dessert shop only cost around thirty thousand Cloth Currency.
Cloth Currency was the currency of the Lingyi Continent.
Although Yun Manman wasn't short on money, she still needed to be frugal. What if something unexpected happened in the future?
Her previous life of living alone had taught her to save money on everything, putting it aside for savings. This penny-pinching mindset was still hard to change even now.
This was a three-story small villa. Although a bit old, it was clean and comfortable, with excellent lighting – perfect for feline beastmen.
Yun Manman first went to cook some rice, and while waiting, she went to the bathroom to take a shower.
After she took off her clothes, a flash of white light appeared, and a palm-sized orange and white long-haired cat stood in the center of the bathroom.
The back and tail fur were a soft light orange, while the belly was milk-white. A pair of emerald green cat eyes were flawless, and the small cat face was sweet and adorable.
Although it was the size of an adult domestic cat on Earth, in the Lingyi Continent where adult beastmen's beast forms were generally three to four meters tall, Yun Manman's beast form was incredibly small, just like a cub.
Beastmen could freely transform between human and beast forms from birth, and by the age of eighteen, their beast form would stop growing, basically fixed at adult size.
The original owner of this body was already twenty years old, yet she was still only this big.
This made Yun Manman, who had just arrived, quite melancholic.
In this world of three to four-meter-tall beastmen, her body, which was only forty centimeters long including the tail, could easily be stepped on if she wasn't careful.
Fortunately, from her observations, beastmen mostly stayed in human form for convenience, so there wouldn't be a situation where she'd be sat on and crushed.
Besides, her beast form was really cute! Super cute!
Every time she looked in the mirror, she was stunned by her own adorableness.
Who understands! The saddest thing in this life is not being able to kiss her own adorable face!
So Yun Manman came to terms with it. After all, she just needed to avoid showing her beast form in public.
Originally, her grandmother's beast form was over three meters long, so the bathroom was built as large as a bedroom.
Yun Manman, this little pudding, standing in the center, was like a CEO sleeping on a ten-meter-wide bed.
She adjusted the water to the smallest flow and pressed start. Mechanical hands covered in synthetic skin extended to automatically wash her, with comfortable pressure and excellent technique.
The fluffy orange cat that looked like a ball just moments ago instantly turned into a slim, long shape.
Yun Manman felt very comfortable being massaged, her emerald green cat eyes narrowing into slits.
Initially, she wasn't used to this automatic washing and would shower in her human form when she first arrived.
But she found that she never felt completely clean afterward. After trying to shower in her beast form once, she understood why beastmen all bathed in their beast forms.
Beast form cleaning was incredibly thorough and refreshing.
Soon, the wash was complete, though her fur was left in a messy state.
Yun Manman walked to the adjacent drying room. As soon as she activated the switch, comfortable warm air passed through every strand of her fur.
The orange cat once again became a fluffy, warm ball of fur.
Yun Manman transformed back into her human form and took a brush from the nearby rack. She gently and carefully brushed her fluffy tail.
Perhaps because most inhabitants were beastmen, the fur shampoos and conditioners made by Kashida were the best on the Lingyi Continent.
Look at this long fur! Fragrant and smooth, each strand of fur seemed to be touched by starlight, shimmering brilliantly.
By the time Yun Manman came out of the "large dryer," she was once again a sweet-smelling cat.
The rice was also ready. Yun Manman scooped it out and let it cool briefly, then cracked two eggs into it. She mixed the egg liquid evenly with the rice, coating each grain with a golden yellow egg mixture. She then poured it into a pan and stir-fried it over high heat. When the rice grains were distinct, she sprinkled in salt, chopped green onions, and a little soy sauce. A large bowl of fragrant egg fried rice was ready.
The Lingyi Continent didn't have drinks like sparkling water. Or rather, they had done little research on sweets. Basic products like granulated sugar and syrup did exist.
But each type of beastman only loved to eat their favorite foods. For example, carnivorous beastmen only liked to research meat, while herbivorous beastmen only liked to research fruits and vegetables. Generally, they preferred to eat ingredients in their original form, only going through simple cooking before consumption.
Moreover, sweetness wasn't a necessary taste for beastmen.
Compared to researching sweets, they would rather eat two apples.
Apples are sweet too, after all.
So desserts were quite rare on the Lingyi Continent, and good ones were even rarer.
The most complex dessert Yun Manman had seen here was a fruit salad, and it was made with coconut milk!
This wouldn't do! Life without desserts is a life without happiness!
She clenched her small fists and declared that she must let the beastmen know what real desserts are! What the taste of happiness is! She must conquer the Lingyi Continent with desserts!
Sparkling water is made by instantly pressurizing carbon dioxide into water using a pressure machine.
Since it wasn't a tool specifically designed for making sparkling water, Yun Manman had to search for a long time on shopping websites before finding a substitute.
It was a high-pressure air gun that looked like a weapon. Looking at its functions and uses: for shooting at beasts, for self-defense, suitable for children.
Well, it was a weapon.
But the size and function were very suitable, so Yun Manman placed an order directly.
As for carbon dioxide gas, that was even easier to buy.
After buying the items and assembling them, and after accidentally causing an explosion once, she actually succeeded.
Now all you need to do is pour the syrup into the prepared sparkling water, scoop in some watermelon, add a few ice cubes, and a sweet, refreshing watermelon sparkling drink is ready!
The icy watermelon-flavored liquid slides from the mouth into the stomach, as bubbles burst one by one in the oral cavity, sending a stimulating chill straight to the brain.
It's so invigorating! The summer heat vanishes in an instant.
It's decided! The dessert shop will debut new sparkling drinks on its first day.
Who wouldn't feel heartbroken if they didn't get to taste an ice-cold sparkling drink in the scorching summer?
Yun Manman watches the TV drama on the light screen while eating dinner, learning about the unfamiliar knowledge of the Lingyi Continent.
To be honest, the plot of this TV drama is extremely brainless and melodramatic, and it's even a period piece. It's not much different from Earth's shows, but it works well enough as background noise while eating.
Yun Manman can't help but wonder if this is some kind of parallel universe.
How frustrating! Does getting transported to another world mean having to endure trashy TV dramas too?
Under the soft lighting, the girl's tail behind her resembles a blooming flower, swaying leisurely from side to side, indicating its owner's good mood.
Siduo City, where Lili Town is located, is a city near the border region. The border area is a transitional zone, a trading area, and also a place where expelled Loathsome Beasts wander and pass through. This area is jointly administered by two neighboring countries. The country bordering Kashida is Lanqi Country, the realm of elves.
Loathsome Beasts refer not only to beastmen who have lost control of their spiritual power and turned dark, but also include other races such as vampires and dwarves who have undergone similar transformations.
In fact, the earliest Loathsome Beasts were not found among normal people, but discovered in the wild.
Loathsome Beasts possess the ability to devour. They not only cause living things to decay but also induce a decrease in the purity of normal people's spiritual power, further causing spiritual power disorders.
It is said that the devouring ability of wild-born Loathsome Beasts is ten times that of transformed ones, and they even possess a certain level of intelligence.
All countries despise them deeply, and once a Loathsome Beast is discovered, it must be killed.
A month ago, the number of Loathsome Beasts in this border area inexplicably began to increase. There were incidents of Loathsome Beasts attacking the market, and they repeatedly attempted to break through into Kashida's borders, disregarding the attacks from the guards.
Originally responsible for the border area's security this month, Lanqi Country couldn't handle it anymore and had to request support from Kashida.
The border area is desolate and silent at night. Due to severe desertification, there are no conditions for life to survive here. Only a few withered dead tree trunks stand firmly planted in the sand, while countless pairs of red eyes in the darkness stare at the flickering lights of the city walls in the distance.
Standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window high up in a building is a man wearing a dark green military uniform. This is Lu Qi.
With S-class, the strongest spiritual power, the last bloodline of the Ancient Singing Snake, and super strong combat ability, he is known as "Kashida's most solid defense line."
His short black hair is neat, with a faint deep red luster under the light. His facial features are three-dimensional and handsome, with long, sharp phoenix eyes. Below his right eye corner is a small red mole, making his skin appear even fairer.
The neat military uniform further accentuates his broad shoulders, narrow waist, slim hips, and long legs, with visibly perfect body proportions.
At this moment, he stands with his arms crossed, looking at the pairs of eyes flashing with violent red light outside the window, his expression cold and disdainful.
He feels like he can almost smell the putrid stench from those Loathsome Beasts' mouths.
Beside him, his deputy Lu Xi, shaking his green hair, reports today's battle situation: "...Today we eliminated 208 Loathsome Beasts. I've ordered people to pile them up and clean them with vaporizing liquid. The reconnaissance team has discovered that the wave of Loathsome Beasts has retreated beyond the warning line, but they're still lingering around. It's bizarre, these Loathsome Beasts suddenly seem to have gotten smarter, they're not charging forward anymore, just standing guard there."
Loathsome Beasts basically act on instinct, with no rationality or thoughts to speak of. Such restrained behavior is truly rare.
"General? General? Did you hear me?"
Seeing no reaction from the man in front of him after finishing his report, Lu Xi raised his voice.
Lu Qi disgustedly pushed away the head that had leaned close, his deep red pupils looking at his deputy: "Noisy, noisy, noisy, you're as clamorous as a parrot."
Lu Xi rubbed his eye-piercingly green hair, chuckling: "I'm a chameleon, you know."
Lu Qi lowered his eyelids: "Were you castrated?"
Lu Xi was momentarily choked. The recently popular TV drama was a period piece, which he had been following enthusiastically.
Lu Qi continued to add salt to the wound: "Watch less of those brainless TV dramas. Your IQ might end up lower than a Loathsome Beast's."
He looked towards the boundless night outside the window, his phoenix eyes profound: "They're waiting for me."
Lu Xi had long been accustomed to his superior's poisonous tongue and disdain, and wasn't bothered at all. Now hearing Lu Qi's words, he was stunned: "What?"
"Haven't you noticed that every time I appear, the Loathsome Beasts become particularly frenzied?"
They become so agitated that they seem to want to drag him down from the sky.
Lu Xi really hadn't noticed. He thought it was because the general's attack power was particularly strong, able to take down a bunch of Loathsome Beasts each time.
Lu Qi glanced at his slightly confused deputy: "It's a miracle you've managed to survive on the battlefield with your level of observation. I've already asked Lan Yuxiang to experiment with my blood, the results should be out soon."
Then he reverted to his usual world-weary and indifferent expression, the brief moment of seriousness already gone.
Now it was Lu Xi's turn to jump up: "What! General, you actually entrusted the task to that stinky bird Lan Yuxiang! Is it because this humble servant hasn't been attending to you well enough..."
"General, the results are out." A gentle male voice interrupted Lu Xi's outburst.
Lu Xi seemed to have been choked, glaring hatefully at the newcomer.
Lan Yuxiang's black hair was interspersed with strands of blue, tied into a low ponytail at the back of his head. His eyes were calm and gentle: "General, I took your blood and made a round, and indeed most of the Loathsome Beasts became agitated, wanting to follow."
"Also, the reconnaissance team just sent back a message that they've discovered some Loathsome Beasts moving towards the west side of Siduo City."
Loathsome Beasts wouldn't target Lu Qi without reason. Various behaviors indicated that someone wanted to use the Loathsome Beasts to harm him.
Lan Yuxiang was very puzzled. Who would want to harm the general?
The general had been raised by His Majesty since childhood, and he was on good terms with the other princes. He didn't seem to have any enemies, right?
Could it be because of his mouth and irritating attitude?
But surely not to this extent.
Lu Qi stroked his chin, looking at Lan Yuxiang: "Alright, I understand. Thank you for your hard work, Colonel Lan. The west side of Siduo City, you say? Looks like I'll need to pay a visit."
Lan Yuxiang came back to his senses and replied, "It's not tiring. It's all part of my duty, for the General, for His Majesty, for Kashida, for the Beast God."
He answered Lu Qi in the gentlest tone, but his blue eyes turned to Lu Xi: "Isn't that right, Deputy Lu?"
With that, he withdrew.
Lu Xi: ...
Ugh, you damn bird! I'll pluck those precious feathers off your head one of these days!
Lu Qi leaned against the window, chuckling as he watched Lu Xi's face turn red with anger.
He wondered if a chameleon's beast form would also turn red when angry.
"General! Lan Yuxiang, he..."
Lost in his thoughts, Lu Qi didn't even look up: "What is it? If you can't out-argue Lan Yuxiang, don't come bothering me. If you ask me, to win an argument, you should watch less of those mindless TV dramas..."
Lu Xi: ... How do you know that the damn bird hasn't watched them too?
He was speechless at Lu Qi's wicked pleasure in watching his subordinates bicker. "It's not about that, General. The western side of Siduo City that Colonel Lan just mentioned is in the direction of Lili Town."
"Mm-hmm, and?"
Lu Xi looked at him with pity, enunciating each word: "General, the permanent residents of Lili Town are mainly feline beastmen."
"Your least favorite type of beastmen. Are you sure you want to go?"
Lu Qi froze: ...
Lu Xi added another sentence: "Actually, it might be good for you to get used to being around feline beastmen more, after all, General, your future partner is a feline beastman."
Lu Qi: "Shut up."