A huge horde of zombies rushed toward Rin's gate, only to be stopped by the iron bars before they could reach him. The zombies struggled to reach him, but because of their limited mental capabilities, they couldn't cross the gate.
Rin watched this for some time before continuing his walk.
He did not have much information about the apocalypse beyond what he knew from the main story. He was also not arrogant enough to think he knew enough just because he had read the MC's journey.
In fact, he would go as far as to say that he was at a slight disadvantage because he knew the events of the future. He was unconsciously underestimating the severity of the situation.
Luckily for him, he had another source of information. His system was chatty, but if you knew how to read between the lines, you could get a lot of information.
[User has incredible luck. You have a huge garden and not a single zombie on this side? Your guardian angel must have destroyed any spawning points on your property.]
Rin had a feeling that these zombies had not spawned out of thin air out of thin air, but the system made it much more obvious. Maybe it would reveal more information in the future with its big mouth.
That was the only reason Rin did not try to find a way to make it stop talking. The more the system talked, the more chances it had of slipping up.
After observing the zombies for a little bit more, Rin decided to head back inside. But just as he moved to go inside, he suddenly felt something clinging to his back. Sharp claws dug into his clothes and he felt them digging into his back as well.
"What is this…a cat?"
Rin tried to reach behind his back and grab the creature clinging to him, but the cat was too small for him to grip properly.
"How annoying. Is this a new development? A zombie cat?"
As far as Rin knew, there had been no mention of any animals in the original story except when they appeared for an event. Even common animals like cats, dogs and birds never made an appearance.
So naturally, it was not something Rin paid attention to until he was forced to confront the thing clinging to his back.
"Animal abuse is not my thing, but I will ram you into the tree if you do not let go now."
Rin warned and the cat immediately jumped down from his back and tried to rub itself against Rin's legs. It was being far too affectionate for an animal facing potential death.
"How did you sneak in here past all those zombies? You look too clean to be a stray. Still, I cannot allow you to stay here and cause potential damage to my stuff."
Rin took the cat to the fence but the car became more and more agitated as it saw Rin do this. But despite the panic and the flailing, it neither tried to bite him nor did it scratch him again.
It was a very well-behaved cat with green fur and grey eyes.
The more Rin looked at the cat, the more he realized that the cat in his hands was not normal.
"Meow"
The cat looked confused but grateful to see Rin stop and tried to plead its case once more.
"You…are not a normal cat, right?"
Rin asked as he held the cat at eye level. The cat nodded its head and the human-like motion made Rin sigh.
"I doubt you would be able to answer me even if I ask what happened, but I can make an educated guess based on your condition. Did it involve the system?"
Rin questioned and the cat nodded once to show that he was right. This was a unique condition Rin had not seen before, but it did feel intriguing enough to make him pity the poor animal.
He currently had no use for the cat, but he could think of a few scenarios where the cat might come in handy.
"Cat, I am going to make you an offer. Think carefully before deciding whether to accept."
Rin told the cat and it nodded with a serious expression.
"I am not too fond of animals, but I don't hate them either. However, we are in the apocalypse and each life I take under my wing is another mouth I have to feed. So if you want me to keep you alive, you will have to pull your own weight. Do you understand?"
The cat nodded to show that it understood Rin's words and was willing to follow it. Rin took it inside and decided to give it a bath first. The cat resisted but a well-timed threat made it settle down.
Once the cat was all cleaned up, Rin picked it up to check one last thing.
The cat had balls and it tried to hide the private parts but it was of no use.
"So you are a male? That's better. At least there is less chance of you bringing back another mouth to feed. You better not prove me wrong and bring a pregnant cat back with you."
Rin threatened the tiny creature and watched it beg mercifully. Finally, Rin decided to let the cat go. It followed Rin back to the living room where he saw Reina and the butler.
"Young Master, did you pick up a delicacy along the way? I have to admit that I am not that well-versed in the ways of processed food, but I can try my best to make you a lavish meal."
Collin promised and quickly stepped toward the cat to grab it. The offended creature jumped behind Rin in order to hide itself from the incoming danger.
Rin quickly stepped in front of the cat and decided his butler needed an introduction to their newest member.
"This cat is a special case and understands human speech. It's also likely the only animal left on this planet, which makes it unique and worth keeping around."
Rin explained the reason behind his decision and the other nodded in understanding.
"Hmm, since this is a special case, it could be connected to the apocalypse and why did it happen? In that case, I guess it makes sense to keep the cat close. I will also help you keep an eye on it."
Reina agreed and a conclusion was reached.
The only person who looked worried at this moment was the cat. The poor thing was shivering and trying to steady itself, but it was no use.