I Died Saving a Stray Cat and Woke Up with Nine Lives

As usual, I was on my way back to the orphanage after school. For some strange reason, cats had always followed me wherever I went. I wasn't particularly fond of them, but I didn't hate them either. Whenever they came near me, I would let them rub against my legs, purr beside me, and sometimes touch their soft fur. Of course, I would feed them whenever I could. And honestly… I found them cute. Who could resist their cuteness? _ _ _ One afternoon, Sister Lily called me to help feed the children who had recently arrived at the orphanage. They were children who had been left behind by parents who could no longer—or perhaps no longer wanted to—raise them. How cruel. How sad. And yet… I understood them better than most. Because I was just like them. I had been abandoned too. By my own parents. Not because they couldn't afford to raise me. Not because they had no choice. They simply didn't want me. I was a mistake they never planned to make. And when I was seven, they left me at this orphanage. At first, I cried. I begged the sisters to let me go home. I didn't understand why my parents had left me. I kept believing they would come back for me. But eventually, I learned the truth. They never wanted me in the first place. Still, I was grateful. The sisters here had taken care of me since I was seven. They treated me like their own child and gave me something I thought I had lost forever. A home. Especially Sister Emma. She was the one who took care of me when I first arrived. She was patient enough to teach me how to eat properly, talk to people, and slowly accept that this place was now my home. "Everyone looks so happy!" Sister Lily said with a bright smile as she watched the children enjoying their food. "Yeah. And it's thanks to Blake for helping the cook," Sister Emma added as she stood beside me, smiling warmly. I scratched the back of my head. "Hehe… It was no big deal, Sister. It's the least I can do for the orphanage. I live here too, after all." "Oh, our Blake is so kind! Look how much you've grown!" Sister Lily stood on her tiptoes, trying to reach my height. I couldn't help but laugh. I was already 6'5", so my height had become a favorite thing for the sisters to tease me about. After the children finished eating, it was time for them to study. For me, it was time to return to my room and rest before my work at seven in the evening. I had started working when I turned nineteen. I didn't want to become a burden to the sisters, so I took whatever jobs I could find. Now, I worked as a waiter at a nearby restaurant. It wasn't an easy life. But I was proud of myself. And I knew the sisters were proud of me too. _ _ _ After only three hours of sleep, I suddenly woke up to a strange noise outside. BAM! I slowly opened my eyes. "What the…?" Still half-asleep, I got out of bed and checked outside. Nothing. I stared into the dark hallway for a few seconds. "Ugh… how annoying." Whatever it was, it had ruined my sleep. I rubbed my eyes before preparing for work. After changing my clothes, fixing my hair, and grabbing my bag, I looked at myself in the mirror. "Good enough." I was about to leave when— BAM! Another loud noise came from outside. I froze. "Again?" I cautiously stepped outside and looked around. Nothing. The hallway was silent. Too silent. A strange feeling crawled down my spine. For some reason, I suddenly felt anxious. "I'd better leave now." I grabbed my bag and walked down the hallway. A few sisters passed by, and I greeted them with a smile before continuing toward the gate. Then— BAM! I heard the noise again. I quickly turned around. This time, I saw several cats fighting near the side of the orphanage. I stared at them for a moment. "...Seriously?" I sighed in relief. "Just cats fighting." I shook my head and continued on my way. I didn't know it yet… But that strange noise wasn't the only warning I would receive that night. _ _ _ My night shift was exhausting. I spent hours carrying heavy boxes, serving customers, and helping wherever I was needed. But despite how tiring it was, I enjoyed my job. Eventually, my shift ended. "Finally! Thank God!" I stepped outside and stretched my tired arms. It was already past midnight. "Gosh… I'm so tired." All I wanted was to go back to the orphanage, sleep, and forget about everything until morning. I started walking home through the quiet streets. The city was unusually peaceful. Almost too peaceful. Then I heard something. Meow. I stopped. I looked around. Nothing. I continued walking. Meow. This time, it came from a nearby dumpster. I sighed. "Seriously?" I walked toward it and looked inside. At first, I couldn't see anything. Then I noticed two faint golden eyes staring back at me. A black cat. It was covered in dirt, trembling, and appeared to have a small injury. "Hey…" The cat didn't run. Instead, it simply stared at me. I crouched beside the dumpster. "What are you doing in there?" The cat let out a weak— "Meow." I couldn't leave it there. So I carefully reached inside and pulled it out. The cat was surprisingly light. I examined its injury. "You're hurt…" The cat simply looked at me. For some reason, those golden eyes felt strangely familiar. "Don't worry. I'll help you." I gently held the cat against my chest. I didn't know it yet… But that small decision would change my life forever. Suddenly— BOOOOOOM! The entire street shook. I nearly dropped the cat. "What the—?!" People began screaming. Cars stopped in the middle of the road. I looked toward the sky. Something was tearing through it. A massive c***k of distorted light spread across the darkness like glass breaking. Then— [WORLD SYSTEM INITIALIZING...] A translucent window appeared directly in front of me. I froze. "What… is this?" But I wasn't the only one. Translucent windows appeared in front of everyone. People stared at them in confusion. Some screamed. Others tried touching the strange screens. Then another message appeared. [WARNING.] [DUNGEON BREACH DETECTED.] My heart began pounding. "Dungeon…?" Before I could understand what was happening, something enormous emerged from the c***k. A monster. It landed on the street with a deafening roar. ROAAAAAR! People scattered in every direction. Panic consumed the entire street. I instinctively held the black cat tightly against me. "Run!" I turned around and started running. But then— The monster's eyes locked onto us. My blood ran cold. It was coming straight toward me. "No…" I ran faster. But it was too late. The monster raised its massive arm. The black cat suddenly looked back. Our eyes met. And without thinking— I pushed the cat away. "RUN!" The attack came down. I felt a sharp impact. Then everything went silent. My body collapsed onto the ground. Warm blood spilled beneath me. The black cat stood frozen several feet away. My vision slowly faded. The last thing I saw… was the black cat staring at me with its golden eyes. Then— Darkness. [Unknown blood contract detected.] [Searching for a suitable Master...] [Master candidate found.] [Would you like to establish a contract?] [YES / NO] The black cat slowly raised its head. End of Episode 1.