Felicia stood in the kitchen, her hair tied back with a scarf, looking every bit the picture of domestic charm as she prepared dessert. In one hand, she whisked egg whites for the cake, her motions quick and precise.
With her other hand, she held out a bowl of melted white chocolate to Jack Kadere. "Jack~ help me stir this," she said, her voice warm and playful.
"No problem." Jack took the blender from her, setting it into the bowl. The gurgling sound of the mixing filled the kitchen, blending seamlessly with the cozy atmosphere between them.
To ensure the mixture was perfectly smooth, Jack gave a silent neural prompt. In response, a swarm of silvery-black nanites seeped from the base of his wrist, slithering across the surface of the blender. The particles flowed like living threads, slipping into the chocolate paste and stirring with microscopic precision, breaking up every lump and pocket of air.
"Amazing~" Felicia gasped softly, startled by the silent, surgical grace of the nanites. "You can even use that... for this? That's incredible."
"There's something even more impressive," Jack said with a grin. He then activated his shockwave ability—just enough to make the blender vibrate rapidly. The surface of the chocolate rippled in delicate waves under the effect.
"How did you do that? Is this also part of that… magical fighting technique of yours?" Felicia asked, her eyes wide in curiosity as she felt the gentle vibrations travel from the bowl to her hands.
"Martial arts? Let's just say it's… a unique application," Jack replied. Seeing her so adorable and intrigued, he scooped up a spoonful of the chocolate and held it to her lips. "Here—try it. This is chocolate I made just for you."
"Mmm… delicious~" Felicia's eyes lit up as the sweetness hit her tongue.
The two shared a quiet laugh. For a moment, making dessert together felt like one of the simplest yet happiest things in the world.
Just then, a system notification flashed before Jack's eyes:
[Walter Hardy has been prevented from being kidnapped. Felicia Hardy's "Connection" mission has been completed.] [The "Black Cat" template has been loaded.] [Thief skills acquired.] [BBCX is now open.]
[BBCX – Beyond Broadcast Channel X: Whether it's interstellar gossip or major cosmic events—get the latest live updates instantly!]
Wait, what?
Jack blinked in confusion. I've just been here making dessert with Felicia… When did the mission get completed?
Could it be that if Gwen or the others helped fulfill Felicia's Relationship Task, the completion would still count for him? If so—perfect.
Lost in thought, Jack failed to notice that the chocolate was beginning to whip too aggressively.
"Jack, stop—it's about to spill," Felicia warned, placing her hand over his to set the shaking bowl down on the kitchen island.
However, she wasn't yet the nimble, enhanced Black Cat she would become. With only the fitness of a trained athlete, she was careful but still not immune to accidents. Her foot slipped slightly, throwing her off balance.
She caught herself quickly, bracing against the island before she could fall—but the sudden jolt caused a good amount of the melted chocolate to splash onto the floor, forming a sticky puddle.
Jack immediately steadied her with both hands. "You okay? Sorry, I got distracted—that's on me."
"I'm fine, it's just…" Felicia looked down at the wasted chocolate with a small sigh. "What a pity… so much gone."
Given her father's recent arrest, she knew the family's finances would soon be tight. She'd already begun teaching herself to be frugal, and seeing anything go to waste left a pang in her heart.
"I'm fine, it's just…" Felicia's gaze drifted to the wasted chocolate with visible regret. "Oh no… that's so much gone to waste. What a pity."
She'd been more conscious about expenses lately—ever since her father's arrest, she knew money was tighter than before.
"It's fine," Jack said easily. Unlike Felicia, he wasn't worried about the cost of a little chocolate. "If you like desserts made with white chocolate, I'll bring you more next time."
Felicia shook her head, lips curling into a playful smile. "Forget it. If you keep feeding me chocolate desserts every day, I'll gain so much weight."
"I'd still like it," Jack replied with a smirk, lightly patting her stomach. "Even if my little greedy cat gets chubby, she'll still be beautiful."
"Liar~" Felicia teased in a singsong voice. "You can't be beautiful if you get fat."
"Guess I can't fool you," Jack laughed.
While the two of them bantered, Jack began stirring what remained of the chocolate in the bowl. The part that had splashed onto the floor? He ignored it completely.
When you're making a dessert for someone you care about, it's not really about the end result—it's about the mood you create together. And right now, Felicia was completely lost in that warm, playful atmosphere, her earlier worries forgotten.
She didn't even remember that her father's situation was still unresolved.
Jack, however, hadn't forgotten about the rewards from his system. Curious, he accessed them.
After fusing with the Black Cat template, his physical abilities had multiplied several times over. (And yes—template fusion here multiplied attributes rather than just stacking them. "I'm too lazy to do the math," Jack thought, "let's just say it's ridiculously good.")
The fusion hadn't granted him flashy superpowers, but the new thief skills it provided were nothing to scoff at. These were physical techniques—skills that became even more potent thanks to his boosted physique.
Right now, his hands were so fast that he could strip someone of every piece of gear they carried without them realizing it in mere seconds.
On top of that, the template seemed to come with a photographic memory, likely inherited from Walter Hardy's talents.
As for the so-called "BBCX" function… well, that was pure fluff. It acted like a built-in TV station, delivering random updates and tidbits from around the world.
Still, Jack found it oddly entertaining. Reading and listening to news—no matter how trivial—was one of his quiet pleasures.
So, with nothing to lose, he switched on the BBCX.
The system immediately began feeding him a string of short news bulletins…