First Win!

As anticipated by Tang Aibai, the lodging place that night was tranquil, resembling a small dog curled up, peacefully asleep in the afternoon's sunniest spot.

The hell-cats only emerged around nine o'clock, and by seven or eight, the Nangong team swiftly eradicated them all on their first appearance.

Due to their limited knowledge about the hell-cats and their ineffective attacks against them, Tang Aibai and the other two didn't engage directly in the battle, merely providing peripheral support. Yet, even with this limited involvement, Claude's efficiency soared by more than half. Tang Aibai's extensive combat experience and theoretical knowledge were invaluable to the fledgling Claude.

As the first rays of sunshine graced the horizon, and the last of the hell-cats dissolved into the morning darkness, Claude stood atop the building, surveying the early hours of the lodging city alongside the Nangong team, a sense of heroic achievement swelling within him.

Tang Aibai patted his shoulder. "Be prepared. Starting today, attend combat awareness and fundamental literacy training in the training room at 4 pm."

Claude: "..."

The surge of fervor disappeared instantly. He's a high school student attending classes during the day, working an extra job at night, and now, it seems he has to continue studying! From being known as the Dog Hero, he'll probably become the Study Hero!

Despite his disappointment, he set the alarm for 3:55 pm upon returning to the restroom. He begrudgingly "woke up on time" due to the fourth alarm's persistent ringing.

"I thought fighting incognito while doing laundry was already a struggle," Claude quipped, "but now, I'm expected to attend class on top of that."

"At least your class in your original body is English," the dog toy consoled.

"You can focus most of your mental energy on the training room," Claude chuckled.

He rummaged through the closet, donned a black T-shirt, tousled his hair carelessly, meticulously combed his long tail, tapped the display screen by the door, uttered "training room," and turned the knob.

Tang Aibai awaited him in the training room, idly toying with his phone and sucking on a lollipop. Seeing Claude at the door, he flashed a benign smile, oddly unsettling Claude.

...

Ten days later.

A figure darted across the night sky of the lodging city with astonishing speed. Swiftly leaping off a tall building, they landed precisely in front of the stairwell louvers of another building, deftly opening a window and slipping inside.

"Reconnaissance complète. No anomalies detected in the East Fourth District," Claude reported quietly while standing in the stairwell's shadows, pressing the communicator. Tang Aibai's composed voice responded through the earpiece, "Proceed to the Ninth District and lure them to a sparsely populated suburb, minimizing the risk to civilians. Their focus is likely on you. Word of the Nangong team's reinforcement had spread across the city. Someone aims to test the new member's abilities."

Even though he was alone, Claude nodded to himself. "Understood." With that affirmation, he sprang up and left the shadows. Strolling out onto the street, he moved with purpose, wearing his 28 Constellations uniform, distinctive cat ears and tail, and displaying an agile prowess while leaping between tall buildings. It made him an easy target for those curious about outsiders. Passing through several streets, Claude noticed a tail closely shadowing him. Maintaining his composure, he hastened his steps, purposefully choosing interconnected routes, making it challenging for his pursuers to gauge his direction and keeping their attention diverted while hurrying along behind him.

After approximately ten minutes of running, Penghua's voice confirmed through the headset. Claude flicked his tail, glanced backward, halted at the top of the signal tower on the city outskirts, executed a graceful backflip, and descended, his palm aimed toward the tracker's hiding place. A burst from the super-powered thermal weapon illuminated the area in two vivid bursts, akin to bright fireworks.

"Superpower cult, a mere trifle," he boasted, "weaker than the few hellcats I dispatched yesterday."

Not far off, Tang Aibai couldn't contain his laughter, waving the camera at Claude, "Impressive! Great shots, all of them."

Claude was taken aback. "Why did you record it?"

"Obviously, for commemoration! Our debut in taking down criminals," Tang Aibai chuckled. "Trust my video skills. I'll craft a fight highlight reel for you, and I guarantee it'll earn you admiration for your dashing heroics!"

Attempting to maintain composure, Claude couldn't help but proudly arch his tail.

Perched on a branch, Penghua finished the last cookie, mumbling, "Enough talk. A few stragglers are still tailing us. After dealing with them, let's head back."

Agreeing, Claude surged forward, claws glinting with an icy sheen, swiftly catching several remaining sect members concealed in the grass. He effortlessly carried them down the slope, gripping their collars.

The disciples, tasked with assessing the Nangong team's new recruits, barely had a chance to react. A blur, a plunge from the skies, their screams muffled as they grappled with branches before harsh landings.

"Got them," Penghua applauded. "With this many, it's another entire sect showing up. We've landed a big catch this time."

Tang Aibai chuckled.

"These sects must have a high attrition rate," he quipped, gazing up at Claude's agile maneuvers on the cliff, occasionally dispatching a few individuals. "When you first joined, how many were in pursuit?"

"I wasn't fully awakened back then!" Penghua retorted indignantly. "Plus, intel about me had already spread within the superpower cult, they didn't need to test me!"

Tang Aibai elongated his tone teasingly, "Ah, so it was just four people on your tail, wasn't it?"

Enraged, Penghua couldn't strike the captain but vented his anger at the criminals Claude had left behind.

The breathless fanatics entangled in branches:

"..."

Isn't this a bit too tight for a live confession? It's hard to be sincere when tied up like this!