In Honkai with Tom Cat

Li Huan hadn't expected this. Although he knew he would be assigned an identity, why did it have to be as a janitor?

"This is too degrading," he thought, unable to help but complain aloud. "Why a janitor?"

[That's just a temporary identity, nothing important.]

Fine, let's not dwell on that for now.

After mentally responding to the system, Li Huan put away his things and started tapping on the system's interface.

Earlier, when they were rushing to reach Nagazora City before nightfall, he hadn't had time to properly look at the system's interface. Now that he had time to rest, he could finally take a closer look.

The system's interface displayed three tabs: one for tasks, one for personal status, and one for follower status. Simple and straightforward, but still worth explaining.

Completing tasks was the only way for Li Huan to gain rewards and enhancements at this time. The personal status tab showed his current stats, while the follower status tab displayed Tom's status.

Li Huan opened the task tab, only to find the list empty. As expected, he couldn't help but ask:

"When will you give me a task?"

[Tasks don't appear just because I want to give them to you; they show up when the time is right.]

The vague response left Li Huan with nothing more to say, so he could only reply dryly, "Alright, you're the boss."

He moved on from the task tab to the personal status tab, which didn't seem too eventful.

Li Huan's personal status wasn't much to look at. It essentially listed the stats of an average young adult: strength, speed, and intelligence are all above average. The only area of concern was his health.

[Due to prolonged periods of staying up late, your body has sustained some damage. Please maintain a healthy sleep schedule.]

Looking at this section left Li Huan feeling a bit helpless.

He had been working a job that often required him to pull all-nighters, and that lifestyle had gone on for about a year.

Though he knew the overtime was a necessary evil, the toll on his health was undeniable.

He decided to skip the personal status tab, moving on to something more interesting—the follower status tab.

Li Huan perked up and eagerly began reviewing Tom's stats.

[Legendary Follower — Tom]

[Attributes: ???]

[Skills: Immortal, Wish Fulfillment, Absolute Luck, Cognitive Obstruction]

[Description: From the legendary cartoon "Tom and Jerry," Tom is one of the main characters and one of the most beloved comedic figures on Earth. With countless skills and identities acquired over many years of animation, Tom is undoubtedly the most versatile cat.]

[Note: Lazy by nature, Tom prefers to laze around, drink milk, and sleep. He is cowardly, especially when it comes to supernatural beings, and occasionally lies to get what he wants. However, Tom is loyal, trustworthy, kind-hearted, clever, and lovable, making him an ideal follower.]

[PS: Tom's abilities depend on his subjective will and desires.]

[PPS: If paired with the legendary follower Jerry, there is a high chance they will destroy a house daily. Pay attention to your followers carefully—unless you're rich or skilled in construction, you might end up living under the open sky.]

[PPPS: However, if Tom and Jerry decide to cooperate, they could become one of the most unbeatable forces in the world.]

Li Huan's grin spread wide.

This was truly a blessing from above. In an unfamiliar world, the moment Li Huan received Tom, all his anxieties seemed to evaporate.

As the description suggested, nothing could be safer or more reliable than having Tom as a follower. Li Huan seemed ready to embrace his new life in this world.

"Hey, System, now that I think about it, I haven't asked you this before: What kind of world have you sent me to?"

[Huh? I mean, the name of the city is pretty straightforward—how have you not figured out where you are yet?]

"How would I know from just a city name? Is there something special about the name 'Nagazora City'?"

[Heh, interesting. I thought you'd recognize it given how famous this world is.]

"?"

A question mark popped up in Li Huan's mind.

"Are you messing with me?"

Meanwhile, Tom, who was bored, noticed the question mark above Li Huan's head. The cat's curiosity got the better of him.

Miraculously, despite the table between them, Tom's paws stretched unnaturally to reach Li Huan's head.

Tom grabbed the curved part of the question mark and straightened it out.

!

The question mark turned into an exclamation point, and Li Huan suddenly felt a burst of clarity.

Who cares what kind of city or world this is? He'd figure it out eventually. Whatever came his way, he would deal with it when the time came.

Just as this realization hit him, Li Huan noticed Tom's bizarrely extended paws on top of his head. He looked up and saw an exclamation point floating above him.

Tom, noticing Li Huan's gaze, seemed to realize he might have done something wrong. With an embarrassed grin, he quickly bent the exclamation point back into a question mark and retracted his paws.

?

As the exclamation point turned back into a question mark, Li Huan's mind filled with confusion again, the clarity from moments ago vanishing without a trace.

"Tom, go ahead and straighten it again," Li Huan instructed.

Tom nodded, reached out, and repeated the process, turning the question mark back into an exclamation point.

Witnessing the whole process, Li Huan gained an even greater appreciation for Tom's remarkable abilities.

"Tom, you're amazing," Li Huan praised. Tom didn't quite understand why he was being praised, but since it was praise, he proudly puffed out his chest.

Seeing Tom's proud demeanor, Li Huan couldn't help but think to himself:

What a good cat.