In this world, every human turns eighteen and gets to choose a Beastkin. In my last life, my parents always favored my older sister. They brought her a Merman whose tears could turn into pearls. I, on the other hand, chose an utterly ordinary white cat Beastkin. Then, the high-temperature apocalypse hit. The entire world was plunged into chaos, resources became scarce, and everyone fended for themselves. The Merman’s pearls, no matter how many there were, couldn’t buy a single cup of ice water. But my white cat Beastkin had nine lives. He braved the scorching heat, venturing out to find supplies for me. My sister, Blair, hated me with a vengeance. She killed both me and my white cat Beastkin, devouring our flesh and drinking our blood. When I was reborn, Blair immediately snatched the white cat, leaving the Merman for me. But she didn’t know this: A cat might have nine lives, but with each death, its hatred for humanity grows stronger. “I want the white cat Beastkin!” The moment my eyes fluttered open, I heard my sister Blair’s voice. Hearing her choose something completely different from my last life, I knew she had been reborn too. Last time, at the Beastkin Selection Center, Blair had her eyes fixed on the exceptionally handsome Merman. Merfolk were beautiful; they could differentiate their gender according to their owner’s wishes, their tears turned into pearls, and their scales were worth a fortune. My parents knew how many people wanted Merfolk, so they pulled some strings at the selection center, just to ensure Blair could successfully bring a Merman home. As for me? My parents didn’t even spare me a glance. In the end, I chose a white cat Beastkin nobody else wanted. Right after we’d chosen our Beastkins, the high-temperature apocalypse struck. Global temperatures soared, reaching up to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius). Our entire family was trapped indoors, and Blair’s prized pearls became utterly worthless. They couldn’t even buy a single glass of ice water. Moreover, Merfolk needed to live in water. Under the extreme heat, rivers dried up, tap water stopped flowing, and the Merman became nothing but a burden. Just as Blair was on the brink of dying from thirst, she discovered I was enjoying ice water and popsicles. That’s because my white cat Beastkin had nine lives. He could endure the scorching heat outside to scavenge supplies for me. She lured me and the white cat Beastkin back home, drained our blood, guzzling it down, then carved off our flesh to eat. “Why would you pick that cat? It’s useless,” my parents said, confused. Blair, however, clung to my parents’ arms, pouting playfully. “I want that white cat! Look how pathetic he is; nobody else is choosing him.” Hearing this, my parents’ faces softened with a complacent smile. “My darling is so kind-hearted.” Then, their tone shifted. “But the Merman is what we specifically chose for you, honey. Are you sure you don’t want it?” The money they’d spent pulling strings was already out. If Blair didn’t take the Merman, that money would be completely wasted, like throwing it into the ocean without even a splash. “Then give the Merman to Alice,” my dad, Richard, declared. “She hasn’t chosen yet anyway.” I quickly waved my hands. “How can I? The Merman is an S-tier Beastkin! I couldn’t possibly accept it.” Beastkins also had tiers. Rare species like Merfolk and White Tigers were S-tier, while common ones like cats and dogs were B-tier. Blair, like me, was reborn. Right now, she was probably gnashing her teeth in hatred, determined to get her revenge this time. So, today, I *had* to take that Merman. “How can you be so stupid? The best Merman, and you don’t want it? What do you want then? What if someone else snatches it away? What will you do then?!” My dad quickly chimed in. Given that, I stopped pretending to refuse and chose the Merman. Blair and I took our respective Beastkin ID cards to the registration office. A flicker of madness crossed her eyes. “Sister, this Merman is all yours. It needs a massive amount of water every day, or it will die.” I smiled and nodded. “Of course, Blair. I’ll take good care of it.” After registration, we returned home with our Beastkins. The Merman hadn’t differentiated its gender yet. It lay in a glass tank, bored, blowing bubbles. Its long, dark hair was like smooth, lustrous satin. When it saw me approach, it quickly flipped over. “Are you my owner?” I shook my head. Neither in my past life nor this one did I like the term “owner.” Even though they were Beastkins, they spoke and communicated just like us humans. Their lifespans were also much longer. In some ways, they were even more advanced than us. “Don’t call me owner. Just call me Alice. From now on, we’re friends, companions.” To survive the apocalypse, I needed a companion.
Lumi, the Merman, nodded, seeming to understand and yet not. Its beautiful fishtail reached out of the tank and hooked my hand. “Okay, Alice.” “Give me a name from your human world, please. Also, I haven’t differentiated my gender yet. Do you want me to be male or female?” I gently stroked its tail. Under the light, its scales shimmered with a pale golden glow, like the most exquisite jewels in the world. “You can be Lumi. As for gender, you decide. I won’t interfere.” In my last life, under Blair’s command, Lumi had differentiated into a female Merman. Lumi nodded emphatically at my words. “Alright, I’ll be Lumi.” Lumi retracted its tail and, pulling off a scale, offered it to me. “I see you humans have welcome gifts. This is for you.” I smiled and accepted the scale. Merfolk were rare, and their scales were priceless on the black market. However, I had no intention of selling this one. I took Lumi home. Merfolk could leave water, but they needed to stay fully hydrated and ideally shouldn’t be out of water for more than four hours. As I reached the front door, I saw my belongings strewn outside. Blair opened the door, holding the awards and certificates I’d earned from school over the years. “Oh, sister, you’re back!” A mocking smile played on her lips as she raised her hand. “Mom said your room is for Snowball now. You and your Merman can move out.” With that, she ripped all my certificates into tiny pieces. I pushed past her, my face emotionless, and walked inside. The room I lived in at home was already the smallest storage room. Now, they were taking away even my last bit of living space. And it was perfect timing, too. I was eighteen now. Even if I called the police, no one would stand up for me. Blair was clearly dead set on making me die. I walked up to my dad, Richard. “You want to kick me out? Fine. But you need to give me money for rent.” Richard looked at me indifferently, as if I were a stranger. “Want money? You’re eighteen now, you should be out making your own way.” I glanced at my mom, Susan, who was sitting on the other end of the sofa. “Is that what you think too?” The two people on the sofa, my biological parents, felt more distant than strangers at that moment. After everything that happened in my last life, I thought I wouldn’t feel pain anymore. But right now, my heart still ached. I pinched myself hard. This wasn’t the time for sentiment. “Sister, you’re an adult now. Why are you still asking Mom and Dad for money? They’ve already worked so hard to raise us. You can’t be an ungrateful wretch!” “We only had you because Blair said she wanted a little sister to play with. Otherwise, why do you think you were born? We gave you life, you should be grateful!” my dad said dismissively. How ridiculous. A human life, spoken of as if it were a toy found on the street. So my existence was merely for Blair’s amusement. “If you don’t give me money, I’ll go cause a scene at your office.” Time was tight, so there was no need to argue. My demand was simple: money. My dad had a stable government job and valued his reputation above all else. If I wrote a complaint letter, he might face far greater consequences. Thinking this, he turned back into the house, pulled out his wallet, and threw all the banknotes onto the floor. “Take the money, and get out!” I knelt down and quickly picked up the cash, not missing a single coin. The front door slammed shut with a “bang!” and I left that place with Lumi. The high-temperature apocalypse was coming soon. I needed to find a place to stay first.
I immediately found a real estate agent. The apartment didn’t need to be big, but it absolutely had to have a bathtub. Because I was in a hurry, the agent promptly took me to view properties. Since I didn’t have much money, the agent eventually showed me a top-floor apartment. The place was fully furnished, and the bathtub was large, but the price was significantly cheaper than others in the same building. I knew there was something fishy, so I kept pressing. Finally, the agent reluctantly revealed the reason: “The previous tenant had some issues with her boyfriend. She killed him and put him in the fridge. But don’t worry, the landlord has replaced the fridge. This one is brand new.” So, it was a haunted house. I understood now. I immediately put on a troubled expression. “My God, someone died here! Why didn’t you say so earlier? Are you trying to rip me off?!” I said, feigning to walk out. The agent quickly stopped me. “We just found out ourselves a while ago. The landlord even kept it from us. If the neighbors hadn’t said something, we’d still be in the dark. Now, this place has had over a dozen showings, and nobody wants it. If you rent it, I’ll go back to the landlord and negotiate the price for you.” A haunted house? What was that compared to my sister, Blair, who in my last life dared to eat human flesh and drink human blood? The most terrifying things aren’t the dead, but the living. The landlord originally wanted a security deposit equal to three months’ rent, but thanks to the agent’s gift of gab, I ended up renting it with just a security deposit equal to one month’s rent. Watching the agent breathe a sigh of relief, he collected the money and immediately left the apartment as if a ghost were chasing him. It was getting late. I filled the bathtub with water and gently placed Lumi inside. I squatted down, looking into its beautiful blue eyes. “Lumi, you might have a tough night tonight.” The little Merman nodded obediently. “What do you want me to do?” I walked to the living room, brought over a small stool, and sat beside the bathtub. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you. Your only task tonight is to cry.” Mermen’s tears turned into pearls. Merman pearls were different from ordinary pearls—they were richer in color, much larger, and naturally, far more valuable. The little money my dad gave me was already spent on rent. Before the apocalypse arrived, I had to save enough money, or else I’d still face a dead end. I found a few movies that had made countless netizens cry and started playing them. Lumi and I began watching. The movies brought tears not only to the Merman’s eyes but to mine as well. All night long, we watched over a dozen movies, crying harder and harder. By dawn, my eyes were swollen to mere slits, and the bathtub was filled with Merman pearls of all sizes. “Alice, do you still need tears?” After watching movies all night, Lumi was exhausted but still managed to ask, summoning its last bit of energy. “Not for now. If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep.” I splashed cold water on my face to wake myself up. “Actually, if you need money, you can take my scales. My scales are very valuable.” Saying this, it reached out to pull a scale from its tail. I immediately stopped it. “No. Unless they fall off naturally, I won’t take them.” Pulling a Merman’s scale was like tearing human muscles and stripping bones. I wasn’t that desperate for money yet. “Okay. Just tell me if you need more tears, I can still…” Before it could finish the word “cry,” Lumi rested its head on the edge of the tub and fell asleep. I found a black bag, put all the Merman pearls inside, and headed to the jewelry district. Just as humans had police departments, Beastkins had their own Protection Agency. If I suddenly produced so many Merman pearls, it would certainly cause unnecessary trouble with the Beastkin Protection Agency. Fortunately, Merman pearls were in such high demand on the black market that the supply couldn’t meet demand. They had their ways of making these items bypass investigation. The burly man with the tattooed arm, Big Mike, was inspecting the Merman pearls I brought. To prevent counterfeiting, he meticulously examined each one. “I have a Merman at home. I’ll be selling pearls frequently in the future. Just take them all right away, I won’t compare prices. I’ll only work with you from now on.” Saying this, I pulled out my ID, which showed my Beastkin was indeed a Merman. Big Mike laughed heartily. “Alright, I like straightforward people. I’ll take all these pearls. Come back to me with more.” “However, I see that Merman scale around your neck is even more valuable. Interested in working something out for that?” I had strung the scale Lumi gave me onto a necklace and was wearing it. “Big Mike, scales grow back much slower than Merman pearls. Besides, if I somehow killed my Merman, my loss would be much greater.” Seeing I wasn’t interested, Big Mike weighed the pearls and transferred the money to me.
With the money, I headed straight to the used car market and bought a car. I actually couldn’t drive before, but my parents had enrolled Blair in driving school. Blair complained about the heat, so she made me go learn instead, while she stayed home enjoying the air conditioning. Now, it worked out in my favor. Back in the car, I started thinking about the supplies I needed to prepare. Even though I’d exchanged Merman pearls for a good amount of cash, it was still a bit tight for one person and one Merman. With the high temperatures coming, water was the most important thing. In my last life, the power never went out until I died, so as long as I stayed home and kept the AC running, it shouldn’t be a big problem. But just in case, I still bought a diesel generator for the apartment. I drove straight to the wholesale market, telling the owner I was opening a convenience store and needed to buy a lot of inventory. I compared prices everywhere in the wholesale market and finally found a supplier who gave me the biggest discount. I bought a hundred cases of bottled water in one go, arranging to pick them up over five days. My neighbors knew that someone had died in my apartment, so they usually tried to avoid me. A hundred cases of water was far too much for the apartment, so I moved them to the rooftop terrace. I also replaced the lock on the rooftop door; no one but me could open it. I was busy from dawn until dusk, finally returning home. Hearing me, Lumi happily climbed out of the bathtub. It spoke first. “Alice, why did you buy so much water?” I was a bit surprised. “How did you know I went to buy water?” Lumi, with a hint of pride, tapped its tail. A water mirror suddenly appeared in the air, reflecting my face. I suddenly understood. In my last life, when the apocalypse came, I was also kicked out of the house. But because I had the white cat Beastkin, my survival wasn’t an issue. I’d always wondered how Blair knew I had supplies. It turned out the Merman told her. With this, I could keep tabs on Blair’s movements at any time. “In a while, the temperature will gradually rise. Rivers will dry up, and there’s a high chance the water supply will stop. So, we need to be prepared now.” Hearing that rivers would dry up, Lumi frowned. “Do you still need pearls then? Maybe we should buy more water.” I stroked its head. “I’ll tell you when we need them. I bought some small fish you like. Let’s eat first.” Merfolk lived in the sea and liked fish. They could also eat regular human food. While I could still get live fish, I bought a good amount. Soon, Lumi would have to eat human food just like me. Lumi took the opportunity to rub its head against my palm, like a kitten. “Alice is the best to me.” For the next few days, I was out early and back late, stockpiling supplies. My small apartment was filled with all sorts of provisions. At the same time, I didn’t forget to use Lumi’s water mirror to observe Blair’s side. Having experienced the last life, Blair had also become smarter. She started stockpiling supplies with our parents. But since my parents still had to work, they just gave her money and left the task to her. I watched as she took Mom and Dad’s cards and went to the supermarket with Snowball. She bought whatever she saw, a chaotic assortment of items, then made Snowball carry all the heavy bags back. “Hurry up! You can’t even carry this much? Why do I even keep a useless Beastkin like you?!” Blair stood on the street, barking orders at Snowball. The white cat Beastkin, small and slender, struggled with over a dozen large and small bags, barely keeping up with her pace.
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