Akashic_Tales Originals
Hades, Inc.: The Billionaire God of Death's Chaotic System
Chapter 4: The Billion-Dollar Cat Lady
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Haiden Black had faced many challenges in his immortal existence. He'd judged the souls of history's greatest monsters, negotiated peace treaties between warring pantheons, and once had to explain to Zeus why hitting on mortal women was no longer considered "divine right."
None of that had prepared him for his current predicament: being followed by every cat in Seoul.
"This is getting ridiculous," he muttered, glancing out the window of his office at Elysium Towers.
On the ledge outside, seventy floors up, sat three cats, staring at him with unblinking eyes. One was grooming itself, another was sleeping, and the third appeared to be plotting his demise with remarkable focus for a creature whose usual concerns involved napping and knocking things off shelves.
[System Notice: Feline Persuasion passive skill activated]
[Effect: All cats within a 5-kilometer radius are drawn to your presence]
[Note: They don't necessarily like you; they're just compelled to watch you]
"I donated a billion won to that shelter," Haiden complained to the empty room. "Shouldn't they be grateful?"
[Cats don't experience gratitude. This is well-documented.]
Haiden sighed and turned back to his desk, where reports awaited his attention. After last night's revelation to his inner circle, he'd expected more... drama. Instead, Luna had simply nodded as if his divine identity explained a lot, Aria had asked if this meant she could get out of her contract with her record label (it didn't), and Jinx had immediately started researching ways to "optimize" his divine powers through technology.
The intercom on his desk buzzed. "Sir, the board members have arrived for the quarterly meeting."
Haiden checked his watch, a timepiece that tracked not just hours and minutes, but the lifespan of stars and the pulse of cosmic forces. Also, it told him when his favorite coffee shop was having a sale.
"I'll be right there," he replied, straightening his tie.
As he stood, he noticed a small orange tabby sitting on his bookshelf. He was absolutely certain it hadn't been there a moment ago.
"How did you even get in here?" he demanded.
The cat yawned, displaying needle-sharp teeth.
[System Reminder: Board meeting in 3 minutes]
[New Quest: Successfully chair the quarterly meeting without revealing supernatural elements]
[Reward: Enhanced Mortal Disguise (24-hour duration)]
[Penalty: Spontaneous feline manifestation during your next public appearance]
"As if I don't have enough cat problems," Haiden muttered, heading for the door. As he reached for the handle, he heard a soft thump behind him. The tabby had jumped onto his desk and was now sitting directly on top of the quarterly reports.
"Stay," he commanded, infusing the word with a hint of his divine authority.
The cat blinked slowly, then deliberately pushed his coffee mug off the desk.
Ten minutes later, Haiden strode into the boardroom with all the confidence of a god pretending to be a mortal pretending to be important. The long obsidian table was surrounded by twelve people in expensive suits, all rising respectfully as he entered.
"Good morning," he greeted, taking his place at the head of the table. "Let's keep this brief. I have a... pressing engagement later."
What he actually had was an appointment with Detective Moon to examine another mysteriously combusted corpse, but the board didn't need to know that.
Luna, seated to his right, slid a folder toward him. "The quarterly financials, as requested."
Haiden opened the folder and pretended to study the contents. In reality, he was checking for any signs of supernatural interference. After three thousand years of managing Hell's bureaucracy, mortal finances were child's play.
"I see our profits are up seventeen percent," he noted. "Impressive."
"Yes," agreed Board Member Park, a silver-haired man who had been with the company since its founding (which, unbeknownst to him, had involved actual founding rituals and a sacrifice of Haiden's favorite tie). "Though there are some... unusual expenditures that require explanation."
Haiden raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
"Two billion won in charitable donations yesterday alone," Park continued. "One to a cat shelter and another to a foundation that doesn't appear to exist yet."
"Ah, yes. The Elysium Foundation for Supernatural Youth," Haiden said smoothly. "A new initiative I'm particularly passionate about."
"And the cat shelter?" asked another board member.
"Strategic investment in viral marketing potential," Luna interjected before Haiden could respond. "Studies show that companies associated with animal welfare experience a thirty-eight percent increase in positive brand perception."
Haiden shot her a grateful look. This was why he kept vampires in executive positions, they could lie with perfect conviction and centuries of practice.
"Precisely," he agreed. "Now, moving on to—"
He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed something under the table. A cat. Not just any cat, but the same orange tabby from his office. It was weaving between the legs of board members, completely unnoticed by anyone except him.
[System Alert: Feline Infiltration Detected]
[Suggestion: Remain calm. Cats can smell fear and divine panic.]
"Sir?" Luna prompted. "You were saying?"
Haiden cleared his throat. "Moving on to our tech division's latest developments."
As the presentation began, with holographic projections displaying Elysium Corp's newest innovations, Haiden tried to focus. But the cat situation was escalating. The orange tabby had been joined by a sleek Siamese that was now perched on the windowsill, and a massive Maine Coon that somehow managed to squeeze through the air vent.
None of the board members seemed to notice the growing feline audience.
"Our AI integration has advanced significantly," the tech director was saying. "The algorithm now predicts user needs with ninety-seven percent accuracy."
"And only summons demons twelve percent of the time," Haiden muttered under his breath.
"What was that, sir?" the director asked.
"I said that's impressive progress from last time," Haiden covered smoothly.
The orange tabby had now jumped onto the table and was walking directly toward him, stepping delicately between water glasses and presentation materials. Still, no one reacted.
[System Update: Cats are currently visible only to you]
[It's a Feature, not a bug. Enjoy!]
Haiden resisted the urge to glare at the ceiling. His father's sense of humor had always been questionable at best.
"And finally," the marketing director concluded, "our new campaign will launch next week, positioning Elysium as not just a tech company, but a lifestyle brand."
"Excellent," Haiden said, trying to ignore the fact that the orange tabby was now sitting directly in front of him, staring into his soul with eyes that seemed far too knowing for a mortal creature. "Any questions before we adjourn?"
Board Member Kim raised her hand. "About the new foundation, will this affect our quarterly projections?"
"The foundation will be self-sustaining," Luna answered. "We've already secured additional funding from... interested parties."
What she meant was that Haiden had strong-armed several minor deities and supernatural businesspeople into contributing, but again, the board didn't need those details.
"If that's all," Haiden said, standing, "meeting adjourned."
As the board members filed out, exchanging pleasantries and scheduling follow-up meetings, the cats remained. In fact, more had appeared, a sleek black cat with a missing ear, a pair of identical tabbies, and what appeared to be a hairless Sphynx wearing what Haiden could swear was an amulet of protection.
Luna lingered behind, waiting until they were alone before speaking. "You look distracted."
"Do you see anything unusual in this room?" Haiden asked carefully.
Luna glanced around. "No. Should I?"
"No cats? Anywhere?"
Her eyebrow arched. "Is this about your donation to Meowtopia? I handled the paperwork. The shelter is now the most well-funded animal facility in Asia."
"And the cats? Have they said anything?"
"Said anything?" Luna repeated slowly. "Haiden, are you feeling alright? Even with my enhanced senses, I don't see any cats here, and I'm quite certain they don't speak."
The orange tabby chose that moment to stand up, stretch, and deliberately knock over Haiden's water glass. The water spilled directly onto his lap, but when Luna looked, she saw only Haiden jumping up from an apparently self-tipping glass.
"Clumsy today," she remarked.
"Yes," Haiden agreed through gritted teeth. "Very clumsy glass."
As they left the boardroom, Haiden noticed the cats following at a distance. In the elevator, three more were waiting. In the lobby, a dozen lounged on various surfaces, all watching him with identical expressions of feline judgment.
Outside, his driver held the car door open. "Where to, sir?"
"Seoul Metropolitan Police Headquarters," Haiden replied. "I have a meeting with Detective Moon."
As he slid into the backseat, he noticed with horror that the orange tabby had somehow beaten him to the car and was already curled up on the opposite seat.
"You're not coming," he told it firmly.
The cat yawned and settled more comfortably into the leather.
[Quest Complete: Board meeting successfully chaired!]
[Reward: Enhanced Mortal Disguise unlocked for 24 hours]
[Note: Does not affect feline perception. Cats always know what you are.]
"Wonderful," Haiden muttered as the car pulled away from the curb.
Through the window, he could see cats gathering on the sidewalk, watching his departure. On rooftops, in windows, on street signs, everywhere he looked, feline eyes followed.
The orange tabby in his car began to purr, a sound that somehow contained both contentment and vague menace.
Haiden sighed and pulled out his phone to text Detective Moon that he was on his way. As he typed, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being judged by his feline companion.
"I'm literally the God of Death," he informed the cat. "I've judged the souls of billions. I've decided the eternal fate of history's greatest figures. I will not be intimidated by a furball with whiskers."
The cat slowly extended a paw and placed it on his hand, claws just barely pricking his skin.
Message received.
As the car navigated Seoul's busy streets, Haiden found himself wondering if the cat shelter donation had been worth it. The Feline Persuasion power seemed less like a reward and more like a divine practical joke.
Which, knowing his father, was probably exactly the point.
The orange tabby settled into his lap, purring louder.
"Fine," Haiden conceded, reluctantly scratching behind its ears. "But you're not coming to the crime scene."
The cat's purr somehow managed to sound like laughter.