World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 72 "The Cat"

The theater at Bode Bay is spacious and clean, and the lights illuminate the set in full view.

The orchestra was tuning in the orchestra pit, with violins, clarinets, trumpets, and other instruments playing different scales. Anxious audience members whispered among themselves, and the air was filled with the strong scent of cologne.

Lin An and Mi Xi were sitting in the back, and could only see the cool-toned lights of the theater covering the area above the stage through the gaps between several heads in the front row, highlighting the theme of "Cats".

"Wait, doesn't this label look familiar?"

Mishi turned the chieftain doll over and over, then suddenly seemed to notice something and showed its base to Lin An.

Although the pattern on it was scratched by a sharp object, it is still barely recognizable as resembling the foundation's logo.

"Isn't this the foundation's 'Tree of Life'?"

“Yes, it looks a lot like our company’s products.” Mishi frowned. “It must be a counterfeit. Given St. Anilov’s level of professionalism, it’s impossible for them to produce such inferior goods.”

Lin An smiled and said, "Is this considered a wage recovery plan?"

"Wuwuwu, no..."

After carefully examining the chieftain doll, Lin An found it increasingly familiar. Given St. Anilov's character, he was quite convinced that they were most likely the designers.

The true natives would not agree with the Foundation's arrangements; the two are in a state of ideological conflict, similar to that between a witch and the Foundation.

“Mishi, actually St. Anilov isn’t that ‘sacred’,” Lin An said casually. “At least the New York City branch has already given us quite a few tricks up our sleeves.”

"for example?"

"The president's report stated that due to their short-sightedness, the helicopter transporting the Thunderbird crashed, causing hundreds of civilian casualties."

“That’s true…” Mishi nodded, “but what I care more about is the five social insurances and one housing fund they offer.”

"The salary and benefits are truly unbeatable."

“Right?” Mishi smiled. “This job makes my parents and nine siblings very proud of me.”

As the two were chatting, the lights suddenly dimmed, signaling to the buzzing audience.

The moment they've been waiting for has arrived.

After a few seconds of silence, the overture to "Cats" began.

As the music began, and with the flickering lights, a group of heavily made-up musical theatre actors lightly leaped onto the stage. Their black, green, yellow, and gray patterned costumes intertwined, and cheerful singing opened the curtain.

What is a Jellicle cat?

Whether it was the flickering blue lights deliberately creating a dazzling scene for the night, Lin An felt that there was an atmosphere that did not belong to Titan, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"System, use [Listen to Invisible Breathing]."

"There are four mysterious people around you."

"By using mystical arts, the radiation value of the [Mystic Encyclopedia] has increased by 0.2%."

Upon hearing the system's mechanical announcement, Lin An raised his eyebrows.

This means that, in addition to Mishi, three other mysterious figures are hidden inside this theater building.

Wow, New York is so lively!

Is it possible that as the orbit of "Commerx" gets closer, the Mysterious Ones are becoming commonplace?
Unfortunately, the [Hand of Glory] rating is too low; it cannot obtain the location of the mysterious figures, nor do it know their specific names.

Suddenly, Mishi, standing next to him, covered his head and turned to another audience member with a dazed expression.

"Well, I think he acted pretty well."

The man was completely baffled: "What?"

"Although we can't tell their level yet, if they can be on Bodhi Club's program, they can't be too bad, right?"

"Shh!"

The audience member who was being approached by her made an impatient gesture.

"Didn't you ask me that?... Hmm, that's strange." Mi Xi looked at Lin An hesitantly. "Could it be that you were the one asking me?"

“I didn’t say anything.” Lin An snapped out of his thoughts.

“Impossible! Someone is clearly asking me repeatedly, ‘Is she acting well?’” Mishi tapped her temple. “She’s still asking me now!”

"she?"

Lin An looked at the stage. The prologue ended, and the first to take the stage to sing was a male actor. He stretched out his soft arms and sang and danced, perfectly portraying the quirky and mischievous feline.

Even so, he is undoubtedly a man, so where does this "she" come from?
According to information found online, this company performing "Cats" is actually a relatively new company. When the Bodleian revealed the cast, the New York Times saw a lot of opposition, doubts and criticisms, feeling that they were not good enough to perform such a classic musical.

However, as time went by, people witnessed the troupe's strength firsthand and gradually came to recognize their performances.

Recently, in particular, mainstream media outlets have been praising her extensively, noting that the actress playing Glamour Cat seems to be getting better and better into character.

"Was her acting good or bad... was 'my' acting good or bad..."

As Mishi muttered to herself in a daze, the music turned from cheerful to somber, the lights dimmed, the moonlight grew richer, and Charmcat appeared. The other cats tentatively met her gaze, hesitant to approach.

Does "she" refer to this charming cat?

Mishi was still talking to herself.

"'If the maximum score is 10, what score would you give her?' Sorry, I don't know anything about musicals. I just felt that these people were having a lot of fun singing, so... 10 points? Who are you? And which cat is she referring to? I don't recognize her."

"Quiet down!" The audience members next to him couldn't stand it any longer and scolded him angrily. Mishi apologized repeatedly and lowered his voice even further.

"Can't you all hear me? Who's speaking...?"

"Tsk, this place is too far from the stage." Lin An's eyes darted around as he gripped the magic wand at his waist. "Mishi, ignore that guy and focus on the musical."

After the Glamour Cat's appearance, the Elder Cat in white socks takes the stage, and the musical returns to its joyful state.

This troupe fully demonstrated its innovative spirit. In addition to singing and dancing on stage, several actors jumped out from the aisle of the audience seating area and randomly selected a lucky audience member to interact with.

The music was upbeat, the lights were rotating, and the audience was overjoyed. They looked at the stage one moment and at the actors up close the next, and for a moment they didn't know which way to turn their bodies.

When it was Lin An's turn, a musical actor stretched out his paw at them, which made everyone burst into laughter.

He winked at Lin An, who pressed his finger on his wand, and energy shot out.

A change in perception, followed by a sudden, intense urge to defecate, caused the actor to immediately clench his legs, rendering his interaction with the audience perfunctory.

Fortunately, the stage went dark, and this scene was about to come to an end.

"where are you going?"

When Mi Xi noticed Lin An getting up to leave, she asked him in confusion.

"Going to the restroom." Lin An followed the actor and disappeared into the darkness. "And while you're at it, pass on your answer to that guy who keeps asking questions."

The actor, impatient, turned into the backstage restroom of the theater, took off his bodysuit, hung it on the coat hook in the stall, and the moment he turned around and opened the toilet seat, the costume slipped out through the crack in the door like a slippery fish.

Blue gemstones, floating lightly.

"Who stole my clothes?!"

The actor quickly opened the door and saw a young man with black hair wearing fluffy cat ears winking at him.

"Meow~"

Before the actor could say another word, a strange long stick struck him hard on the forehead, and the actor fell backward onto the toilet. The toilet door slowly closed.

After donning costumes and wigs, Lin An smoothly entered the backstage area. The other actors in the audience also rushed back. The makeup artist took advantage of the time before the next play began to touch up their makeup.

Lifting his cat tail, Lin An blended in with the extras, observing the movements of others, and then kicked his way onto the stage.

This is the warm-up dance for the charming cat before her next appearance.

As the dance unfolded, Lin An's gaze suddenly met that of two people in the audience below. Both of them paused for a moment, then Lin An spun around again and hid behind the other cat performers.

This man and woman should be the two mysterious individuals that [Hand of Glory] has identified.

Their radiation levels were not low, but their pollution levels were quite healthy. They had been relatively calm, but the moment they sensed Lin An, they suddenly became somewhat nervous and excited.

Judging from this reaction, is it the New York Foundation's control team?

The two, like Lin An, are probably keeping watch on this mysterious figure hiding in the theater troupe at Bodehui.

The rhythm gradually slowed down, and following the main group, the actors retreated to the side of the stage, and a spotlight shone on a woman wearing a gray-brown coat.

She walked gracefully and with noble steps to the center of the stage.

The much-anticipated Charming Cat has arrived.

Lin An observed the female lead from the other side, and sure enough, she exuded an aura that was clearly out of place on Titan.

He really is a mysterious figure.

With her graceful and spirited dance steps, Charming Cat's slender fingers drew the audience's attention, but her eyes showed no sorrow or melancholy, her expression blank, like a lifeless puppet.

The singing was light and flowing, a beautiful sight.

“Memory, turn your face toward the moonlight, and let memory lead you there.”

As if in a trance, Lin An found himself beside a dark stream, moonlight scattering around him, listening closely to the song of the gray cat on this dreamlike hill.

"Memory, alone under the moonlight, I can smile at the past. I was beautiful then."

Although Lin An was somewhat unsure, based on the discussions on the World Tree Forum and the status of Charming Cat, an answer was becoming clear.

"With your witness, the [Cat Fairy] illustration has been unlocked in the encyclopedia."

Lin An silently read out the name, and the system notification sounded simultaneously.

However, the familiar panel was not pasted on the face of the charming cat. She sang loudly, and the music flowed elegantly, stirring the hearts of the audience.

Wait, isn't this person?

Realizing something was wrong, Lin An suddenly looked up and saw an inconspicuous female extra standing in the opposite corner. She had pale makeup on, wore a cat-print bodysuit, and her lips were slightly moving.

Judging from her lip movements, she was actually singing lines from "Glamour Cat".

Lin An remembered this person. In the chorus just now, the female extra, just like him, worked diligently as a background figure. Despite singing her heart out, her voice was like salt mixed into the sea, blending into the chorus without leaving any impression.

But at this moment, right above her head, the green data, like the most conspicuous label, revealed her identity.

A brand new medium came into Lin An's view.

"The Emperor of War..."

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(End of this chapter)