527 The Infinite Flow of Idleness ? (1/2)

It was becoming impossible for Roly Poly to hold it in. Even with his paw clamped against his mouth, morsels of laughter were radiating off him. The fat rolls on his body were wobbling violently from the reverberations.

Zhao Yao patted Matcha's head before dumping him on the ground.

”Go to that corner there and stand on your hind legs. You are not allowed to sit unless I say so,” he ordered.

Matcha's face was wet with tears as he meekly did as he was told.

”I'll deal with you when we're home,” Zhao Yao added, throwing him one last dirty look.

Then, he turned to Michael and said, ”For now, I want to talk to you. Tell me what your plans for the Cat King of the West are. What kind of dream is he stuck in?”

Michael was dumbfounded. He never would have expected that his final hope, Matcha, would give up so easily. There was no fight. There was no brawl. The cat just surrendered. He looked towards him and shouted, ”Sir George! Why aren't you fighting back? Didn't you tell me that you only lent him your power because you pitied him? Didn't you say that you've had enough of his tyranny?”

Matcha's protestation was instant.

”Lies! You're telling lies!” he shouted, before turning his pair of large, innocent eyes at Zhao Yao, ”Zhao Yao, Zhao Yao, I don't know what this foreigner is talking about. I'm loyal only to you.”

Zhao Yao rolled his eyes before gripping Michael's collar roughly.

”Save your breath,” he warned the blonde, ”My cats will never betray me. Now, tell me what the hell you're doing to the Cat King.”

Even though Michael had no clue what Matcha had mewled about, he could still conclude that the ginger cat had no intention to fight his owner. He had no way out except to start talking.

He had barely opened his mouth when a surge of anger stormed his body. He was overcome with an uncontrollable fury that made him throw a punch at Zhao Yao.

Zhao Yao caught Michael's fist almost immediately. He narrowed his eyes at his opponents, studying him. Hostile thoughts towards Michael were invading his mind. He felt that everything that had happened was this stupid blondie's fault and he really, really wanted to bash his skull in.

The two men were not the only ones who were suddenly overwhelmed with rage. The supercats who surrounded them were beginning to look crabby.

Matcha had extended his sharp claws. Roly Poly was baring his teeth. The ragdoll cat family had begun to hiss.

Only Ares and Sphynx Cat were unaffected. The pair observed the changes around them curiously.

”I wonder what's going on?” Sphynx Cat asked.

Ares thought about this for a moment before responding. ”This looks like a superpower to me. We might be protected because of my deflective shield.”

At this, he expanded the reach of his shield to cover every man and cat that was at the end of the tunnel.

The tense expressions on their faces instantly relaxed. They were still full of fury, but it was not as intense as what they felt before.

”You fools!” Michael shouted, ”It's the Cat King! That was him activating his power!”

Rationally, Michael knew that there was no point in getting angry or throwing a fit. However, there were still remnants of rage left that made it impossible for him to speak unless it was at the top of his lungs.

Zhao Yao rolled his shoulders and shook out his arms and legs.

”What happened exactly?” he wondered aloud.

”That was the Cat King's work,” Michael yelled, ”His ability is to transform the temperaments of those around him to match his own. He had been a religious Buddhist, so he could reform the prisoners here.”

”Now, Nightmare Cat is keeping him in a dream that is filled with endless agony, rage, and violence,” he continued, still speaking at full volume, ”This is why the people and cats that are within his reach have become more and more aggressive!”

All along, Michael had only asked Nightmare Cat to test the waters. He had never sanctioned a transformation as drastic as the one he just experienced.

It would seem that the defeat at the hands of Zhao Yao had incited Nightmare Cat to forgo protocol. He was desperate for some revenge and the Cat King's power was the easiest way to get it. He would convert every supercat in the prison into feral monsters that would tear Zhao Yao apart, or at least cause him a bit of trouble.

Even without the cats, Zhao Yao's new, antagonistic personality would ensure that he would initiate conflict and unrest wherever he went.

”How big is the Cat King's reach?” Zhao Yao shouted at Michael.

”He can affect the entire prison!” Michael bellowed, ”You've got to kill him! He's a time bomb that can detonate any time now. When that happens, the supercats will be exploding with rage!

”Make Nightmare Cat stop!” Zhao Yao yelled back, ”Can't you just give him sweet dreams instead?!”

Michael shook his head vehemently. Frustration was building in him like a hairball.

”No, I can't!” he cried, ”That cat does not listen to me. Even if I wanted to stop him by force, I can't. He's still in the dreamscape. He's untouchable!”

A throbbing headache was developing beneath Zhao Yao's temples. He did not want to imagine the chaos that would ensue when dangerously hostile supercats, prisoners, and prison guards clashed.