The Battle Cats?

Loki eyes widened upon seeing the creature stepping out of the capsule. It was obvious from the shape of the capsule what was inside but he gave it the benefit of the doubt. The creature's two paws stepped on the grassy soil, its white fur swaying with the wind.

It was a round cat.

[ Congratulations, You have unlocked "Cat" ]

No, to be exact, it was a circular cat with two little tiny legs that waddled in order to walk. Loki's hand fell on his mouth as his eyes glistened with a spark of emotion. 

"You're so adorable!" Loki delightfully shouts. It must have been because he personally like cats, but the cat in front of him was not of the ordinary 4-legged cat and was a bipedal round cat. His hand reached out to the cat which didn't resist his actions, grabbing upon its soft white-colored fur. The sensation was like of the clouds embracing his very being as he pulled it in for a hug.

"Meow." Its small mouth slightly opened due to his hold.

The cat's dark eyes were relaxed and so was its body. It seemed to have already marked Loki as its master as it lay there motionlessly upon the relentless embrace of Loki. After a few minutes, he eventually placed down the cat who seemed to be in a state of shell shock. It has not even been an hour and it has already been played with like a ragdoll.

"Even though all of this is a bit weird, I'm starting to like this place. Beit a dream or not." Of course, he didn't like the thought of killing dogs. His mind just quickly compared all of this to a video game.

Although, he did also treat it like his life depends on it.

As if hearing his casual words, another screen popped-up from the light and hovering in front of him.

[ Now that you have successfully summoned a Battle Cat, you will now proceed to the final stage of the tutorial. ]

[ Please Eliminate 10 Doges 0/10 ]

[ Reward upon completion : 2 Normal Tickets ]

Ten streaks of light burst forth from the sky, landing across the endless plains. Loki's eyes were filled with bewilderment. He already had a problem dealing with one doge yet it was giving him 10? It was as if it was asking Loki to drop down and die a painful death.

He had a cat but that was all there is to it.

The cat didn't seem to hold any significant value besides being cute and adorable whuch was a bummer. The system called it a battle cat but Loki doubted that was the case due to its appearance.

"Tsk, we're gonna end up as dog food at this rate." clicking his tongue, Loki thought deeply in how to escape the situation but none came up to mind.

Escape was nigh-impossible due to the unsuitable environment being in the middle of an open area where the doges would be able to catch up to him within seconds without being able to hide nor maneuver around.

Fighting was also not worth considering. A human fighting 10 large dogs? That was just stupid in his eyes. Not only was he is at a disadvantage in numbers but not to mention, the doges where the size of fully grown german sheperds.

But then, something new caught his eye. In the corner of his vision, numbers began to appear, glowing softly.

[ Gold: 0/100 ]

[ Gold: 1/100 ]

[ Gold: 2/100 ]

Each passing second saw the number increase steadily. Loki had no idea what it meant, but his instincts told him it was crucial for his survival. The implication was clear: whatever these numbers represented, they were accumulating for a reason.

The light streaks from the sky dissipated, revealing the feral doges emerging from their impact points. Their eyes locked onto Loki with predatory intent, drool dripping from their mouths, ready to tear into his flesh.

The cat beside Loki bared her small fangs, snarling fiercely at the enemies. She took a protective stance in front of him, her tiny body tensed and ready to defend her new master. Loki couldn't help but feel a pang of admiration and affection for the brave little creature.

But there was no time for sentimentality. They needed to act fast.

Quickly grabbing the cat, Loki sprinted in the opposite direction of the doges, his heart pounding in his chest. 'I need to figure out the purpose of this gold, and I can't afford to be dead before I do.' With this thought propelling him forward, he pushed himself to run faster.

The doges, driven by their primal instincts, gave chase like a pack of wolves hunting their prey. They moved in a coordinated formation, each dog a meter apart, their large, razor-sharp claws digging into the ground and leaving deep gouges in their wake. The sound of their pursuit was a terrifying symphony of growls and thudding paws.

Loki's mind raced, trying to piece together a plan. The open plains offered no hiding places, no obstacles to maneuver around. Escape seemed impossible, and fighting felt equally foolish. He was outnumbered and outmatched.

As he ran, the gold counter continued to rise.

[ Gold: 10/100 ]

[ Gold: 11/100 ]

What did it mean? How could he use it to his advantage? The answers eluded him, but he knew he had to survive long enough to find out. With every ounce of his remaining strength, he pushed forward, determined to outlast the doges' relentless pursuit.

Loki glanced over his shoulder, his eyes locking onto the bloodthirsty doges. He estimated them to be at least 200 meters away, a distance they could cover in less than a minute. This meant he had only a bit more than half of the current gold he could gather before they were within arm's length.

He kept running, the endless plains stretching out before him. There were no trees or plants in sight, only the repetitive grass that varied in height.

Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. He had been running for a while now, each second feeling like an hour in these dire circumstances.

Suddenly, another screen appeared in front of him, hovering as he sprinted.

[ Gold can be used to summon additional Cats. Each cat costs 50 Gold. ]

Loki's eyes widened in realization. If he could gather enough gold, he could summon more cats to help him fight the doges. But he needed time—time he didn't have.

His legs burned, and his breath came in ragged gasps. The doges were relentless, their claws tearing up the ground behind him. He needed a strategy, and he needed it now.

"Hang on, little buddy," he whispered to the cat. "We're gonna make it through this."

Loki's muscles screamed in protest, but he pushed on, desperation fueling his movements. The cat in his arms seemed to sense the urgency and clung to him, its eyes filled with determination.

As the doges closed in, Loki's mind raced to come up with a solution. The gold counter continued to rise, each tick bringing him closer to his goal.

[ Gold: 30/100 ]

[ Gold: 31/100 ]

He needed to hold out a little longer. Gritting his teeth, Loki searched for any advantage he could find. The open plains offered little help, but he refused to give up.

The doges were now closer than before, their growls growing louder, signaling his imminent doom.

Exhaustion from sprinting in the inescapable heat took its toll, and Loki mistakenly tripped on his ankles, falling forward to the ground.

Thud.

Loki landed flat on the ground, his head hitting the soil with a heavy thud.

"Urgh!"

The cat in his arms safely landed beside him, its eyes filled with worry about his condition.

The doges on the other hand, were delighted.

"Damn..." he groaned. Anxiety, nervousness, and fear—all kinds of emotions were coursing through him.

Loki frantically pushed himself up, turning his body to look behind him. What he saw made his palms sweat. One of the doges ahead of the pack lunged at him, its mouth wide open.

'Is this the end?' he thought.

He turned away and closed his eyes, bracing for the pain that would envelop his body any second.

One.

Two.

Crunch!

A sickening crunch of bones entered his ears, causing him to instinctively wince. The sound was so visceral and unsettling that it sent shivers down his spine.

But there was no pain.

It could have been a swift death, and the doge had snapped his neck instantly, he thought. Is it possible to think after death? He doubted it.

He felt something warm and thick drip onto his face and legs. The metallic scent of blood filled his nostrils, mingling with the earthy smell of the plains.

'What happened?' he thought, confusion and fear swirling in his mind.

Hesitantly, Loki opened one eye slowly, expecting the doge to have already bitten him and adrenaline to have taken over his pain sensors.

Once his eyes were fully open, what he saw left him in a daze of shock.

There lay the body of the doge that had planned to eat him alive, but it was now headless. Blood constantly dripped from the its neck that was missing its head, forming a puddle underneath.

A wet, crunching noise reached his ears, snapping him out of his stupor. Loki turned his head to the right, his eyes widening in disbelief.

The adorable round cat he had been with just moments ago was now munching on the doge's head. Its eyes making contact with Loki's with a determined and proud gaze as if waiting for its master's praise.

Its jaws seemed to have enlarged to accommodate the body part in its mouth as it repeatedly chew, crunching on more bones in the process.

Loki's mind struggled to process the scene before him. The cat, which he had thought was merely cute and harmless, had just saved his life in a gruesome way. But before he could fully grasp what had happened, a screen popped up, capturing his immediate attention.

[ Doge slain! +10 Gold ]

[ Gold: 50/100 ]

[ Summoning one more normal cat is available, would you like to summon? ]

The message's sudden appearance snapped him out of his stupor. The significance of the situation hit him like a freight train. He had a chance to turn the tide. Without a second thought, Loki focused on the message, momentarily ignoring the bizarre sight of the cat devouring the doge.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of relief and determination.

After his words, another white round cat materialized, seemingly appearing from the ground underneath. Its soft white fur and features were identical to the other cat.

Loki couldn't help but smile in response.

"Oh, you're so fucked now," he muttered, a newfound confidence surging through him.