In those days of Plants vs. Zombies

Half an hour ago, in a safe house in the university gathering place.

"Yes, it's the cattail plant spirit."

Zello called up the video captured by a surveillance camera, first fast-forwarding it and then rewinding it.

After some tinkering, a paused image appeared on the display screen facing Zello and Wendy.

"Well, this feature is obvious enough."

Zello whistled happily, pointing at the figure captured on the screen, and did not hide the excitement in his tone.

"It is indeed the spirit of the cattail plant."

Wendy blinked, her eyes focused on the snow-white cat tails.

[I don't know what it feels like, I really want to touch it...]

"You know, I came to the university gathering place to check the situation of this safe house."

Zelro leaned back in his office chair, crossing his legs leisurely. "But not long after I arrived, I heard that a cattail plant spirit appeared in this gathering place."

Wendy looked at Zelro curiously, as if anticipating what he was about to say next: "So... you reactivated the surveillance system originally deployed in this gathering place?"

"Yes, it's about a cattail plant spirit. It's definitely very valuable information."

Zelro nodded. "Every active cattail plant spirit in the Federation is registered, and the 'wild' cattail plant spirits have also made their own names. The reason I restarted the monitoring system was to collect more information about this cattail plant spirit."

He poured himself a glass of warm water and continued, "At least, I have to know who she is."

"There are cattail plant spirits with more than one tail... There are only a few with more than three."

Wendy looked at the image on the screen again. In addition to the four obvious cat tails, there were also the ends of two cat tails sweeping across the corners of the screen.

"A cattail plant spirit with at least six tails... As far as I can remember, there are only three that have made a name for themselves."

"One is Cybermew, one of Neon Punk's most outstanding legendary wanderers. Her six cat tails have been modified with prosthetics and can shoot destructive death rays... uh... I mean lasers."

Recalling someone he had worked with before, Zello couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

The experience of being almost accidentally injured by the laser tail still bothers him to this day.

"Then there's Mischi Neferhitari, the ace assassin of the Brotherhood of Blade, the Phantom Blade of the Desert Nile. She possesses seven cat tails and is currently employed by the Federation military and temporarily stationed at the Immovable Fortress."

Wendy reported another cattail plant spirit that matched the description. Obviously, it was impossible for her to appear in the university gathering place.

"A cattail plant spirit possessing at least six tails, never having undergone prosthetic modification, and able to appear in North America... From this perspective, it can only be the 'Nine-Life Demon'."

After eliminating two wrong answers, the only option left for this fill-in-the-blank question is the last one.

"Nine-life demon..."

Wendy stared at the petite figure on the screen and fell into deep thought.

Cat's tail is a body organ that every cat's tail plant spirit has since birth.

It has the same function as a cat's tail, or even better, and can flexibly grasp and hold various objects.

Generally speaking, a cattail plant spirit will only have one cat tail.

Only those cattail plant spirits with outstanding talents can have two or three cattails.

Especially the cattail grass plant spirit with three cat tails, which are among the best guerrilla fighters in the tribe.

The ability to manipulate five weapons simultaneously gives this group of amphibious soldiers even greater power.

In addition, Maowei has a terrifying ability that can be called a bug - replacing lives.

When the cattail plant spirit receives fatal damage, it will not die immediately, but will save itself from death at the cost of consuming one of its own cattails.

More importantly, life substitution can work on other people.

In other words, as long as the cattail plant spirit "voluntarily" contributes its cattail, it can help others avoid death.

The Nine-Life Demon is a cattail plant spirit that is said to have nine cat tails, which also means that she has ten lives.

The successful birth of the Nine-Tailed Girl is undoubtedly a miracle unique to the cattail grass plant spirit clan.

But in the village where she was born, the cattail plant spirits did not regard it as a miracle. Instead, they regarded the nine-tailed girl, who was still in her cradle at the time, as a taboo that could not be mentioned.

According to a prophecy that has been circulating in the village for a hundred years, the birth of the daughter of the Nine-Tailed Fox will bring terrible disaster to the cattail plant spirit clan.

The cattail grass plant spirit with nine tails can obtain the cat tails of its own kind by killing them to prolong its life.

The elders could not bear to see the tragedy of their own people killing each other.

In the end, the ten elders unanimously decided to exile the daughter of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

But the parents of the Nine-Tailed Girl knelt down and begged in front of the majority of the tribe members, and the kind elders decided to let her live until she was ten years old before leaving the tribe.

Ten years passed quickly, and all kinds of clichéd storylines naturally appeared in that village.

Isolated, discriminated against, framed, exiled...

After leaving her hometown, the Nine-Tailed Daughter disappeared, and was replaced by a plant spirit elite who became famous in the federal army five years later.

"She served in the Marine Corps attached to the First Fleet of the Union Navy in the Pacific and participated in the Second Garden War."

While Zelro was searching for information about the Nine-Life Demon, he relayed it to Wendy.

After all, his big client paid a world point, and as an intelligence businessman, he should do his best to complete his job.

"After the end of World War II, Nine-Life Demon retired from the army for unknown reasons and was subsequently labeled a 'wanted criminal' by the Federation."

"Unknown reason... Oh, what's so unclear about it? It's just that they're targeting this kitten's tail."

The familiar words made a sneer appear on Wendy's face, and Zelro nodded in agreement.

"Then, a common development in novels follows: a powerful but frail young noble from the Federation sets his sights on this kitten, intending to obtain her tail to prolong his life."

Wendy was puzzled. "The Federation clearly has plenty of life-extending treatments, but why did that guy have to use the most despicable method?"

"Hmm... I heard this young master has a long history of affairs, and several of his illnesses were caused by his own actions?"

Zelro shrugged helplessly and pointed at the Nine-Life Demon on the screen: "You know, this kitten is very beautiful."

Wendy sarcastically complained, "Why am I not surprised at all?"

Zelro spread his hands and said, "Of course, this is our great federation."

······

After lamenting the corruption of the Federation, Zello found some remaining information about the Nine-Life Demon.

After being wanted by the Federation, the Nine-Life Demon became a wanderer, wandering in chaotic areas such as war zones.

During this period, she was hunted by many forces (Federal Nobles, Imperial Army, Bounty Club, Redemption Heavenly Road, etc.), and also received help from many factions (Aomori Rangers, Gathering Gardeners, Fortitude Ascetic Order, World Communist Party, etc.).

Therefore, it is not easy to gain the trust of the Nine-Life Demon.

"You are so concerned about this kitten, maybe you want to..."

Looking at Wendy who was carefully reading the information, Zello couldn't help but ask a question.

Wendy raised her head and replied faintly, "I just thought that the war yard where I live might be able to adopt a stray cat, that's all."