SGSHE64

Once again detached from the world and reverting to a soul form, Jing Heguang felt slightly heavier, burdened, perhaps, by the memories of four lifetimes.

Little Yellow Peach, usually quiet, came back online and tried its best to stir up the host’s emotions.

[Congratulations to the host for achieving a perfect score on the ‘Transformation Value’ in the previous world! You have been awarded 5,000 points!]

[You have successfully completed three worlds in the #NineChallenges# event, just six more to go, and you’ll unlock a grand prize package!]

However, perhaps because that world had been filled with both warmth and a touch of silliness, lighthearted joy, neither Jing Heguang nor Xi Xinghe had felt overly devastated when facing death.

Consequently, now that his memories had returned, Jing Heguang didn’t feel the crushing anguish he had experienced after the first two worlds.

Reflecting on this, Jing Heguang asked, “Little Yellow Peach, you still haven’t answered me, is there a special perk to help Xingxing regain his memories?”

[There is.]

“Then how do I get it?”

[Once the host completes the mission for the next world, Little Yellow Peach will explain the details.]

Jing Heguang: …Little Yellow Peach has changed too.

It had gotten savvy, learning to dangle a carrot to keep him hooked.

Recalling how he had once mistakenly thought Little Yellow Peach was a bad system, Jing Heguang decided to play along this time. He would test the system’s limits later.

“Let’s start the lucky draw, then.” Jing Heguang prepared himself to pull five ‘Thanks for Participating’ results before heading to the next world.

Rather than sitting here alone with his sorrow, it was better to dive into the next world and reunite with Xingxing sooner.

[Starting the lucky draw.]

[Congratulations to the host: ‘Thanks for Participating’ x4!]

[Congratulations to the host: You have received a pink rose accessory!]

Jing Heguang took the rose that appeared out of thin air, his hand trembled slightly as he slowly pinned it to his chest. Pink roses were the most abundant flowers in the small garden on the villa’s second floor.

As the two of them left, the flowers in the garden were in full bloom, exuding the delicate fragrance of roses.

Jing Heguang knew that the floral language is first love.

“Thank you, Little Yellow Peach. I really like this gift.”

After summarizing his experiences across three worlds, Jing Heguang realized that Little Yellow Peach could actually rig the lucky draws behind the scenes.

For instance, the invisible ‘Painter Talent’ and the highly practical ‘Cure for One Physical Ailment’ from the previous world had been exactly what he needed at the time.

— This rose was a gesture of goodwill from Little Yellow Peach.

[You’re welcome~! The draw is complete. Host, are you sure you want to proceed with memory erasure and head to the new world now?]

“Confirmed.”

[Beginning to erase Host’s memories.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the novice bonus: The Iron-Waisted Sprite, A Perfect Pivot Point Loved by All.]

Jing Heguang nodded with satisfaction, the weight gain curse was gone, and now he also has a fantastic waist.

[The draw is complete. Go forth and enjoy life, Host! If you have any questions, feel free to call upon your thoughtful Little Yellow Peach in your mind~]

***

After a dizzying, spinning sensation, Jing Heguang found himself in a forest.

He was sprinting at full speed. A terrifying roar erupted behind him, shaking the surrounding trees so violently that leaves rained down in a rustling shower.

Jing Heguang glanced back and felt like the system had completely screwed him over.

Behind him loomed a massive monster with a gaping maw. It was towering in height, its body covered in sharp, fleshy spikes that glinted with a dark, oily sheen.

Foul-smelling saliva dripped from its blood-red jaws, and its frenzied eyes fixed on Jing Heguang as if he were nothing more than prey. In the brief moment Jing Heguang turned his head, the massive, rampaging monster closed the distance toward him.

Trembling all over and cursing the system under his breath, Jing Heguang took off running.

However, the very next instant, he spotted a large, wounded cat, a tiger, approaching from ahead.

Unlike the frenzied gaze of the spiky monster, this tiger’s eyes were calm. Its fur was a pale, ink-wash black, with patches of deep blue fur on its face that gave it a strikingly handsome appearance.

But…with a monster behind him and a tiger in front, Jing Heguang was in a panic!

How was he supposed to escape this?!

Just as he was about to call out to the System, the large tiger opened its jaws and gently picked him up in its mouth.

Carried along at a breakneck pace, Jing Heguang finally let out a breath of relief and touched his neck.

Phew, it was still there.

With his wealth of experience (and extensive reading), Jing Heguang analyzed the situation: surely this wasn’t some sort of beastman world, is it? An ordinary tiger wouldn’t possess such intelligence and the way it was carrying him didn’t hurt at all.

While Jing Heguang was lost in a daze, AXing, the Maltese tiger, felt that his situation was dire. He was struggling to run while carrying the young beastman in his jaws.

It was his scheduled day off from tribe duties, and AGuang, the young beastman in his care, had wanted to go out and pick some corn cobs, craving something fresh.

AGuang’s fathers had lost their lives saving the tribe, and AXing was the one who had raised him. Even though AGuang was a bit lazy, timid, and gluttonous, AXing usually indulged the youngster.

Since the corn-picking spot wasn’t considered dangerous, he had taken AGuang, who had just come of age, out there alone.

To their misfortune, upon arriving, they attracted two terrifying Spiny Behemoths.

The name Spiny Behemoth implied a massive size. Usually, it took a hunting party of over a dozen beastmen from the Tiger Tribe to even attempt hunting one.

Although AXing was the strongest warrior of the Tiger Tribe’s younger generation, a rare Maltese Tiger variant, he had already exhausted most of his strength killing one of the beasts. One of his hind legs had been bitten and injured in the process.

As he ran now, AXing felt his body weakening, and blood continued to flow from his wound.

Yet, if he put AGuang down, the young Canine-tribe beastman, who had just come of age but couldn’t yet shift into his beast form, wouldn’t survive for long, and AXing himself likely wouldn’t escape either.

Remembering how AGuang’s fathers had led the Tiger Tribe to their current, prosperous settlement, AXing made his choice.

He set the young beastman down and gave his ear a quick lick.

“AGuang, run toward the tribe! Run as far as you can!”

With the monsters still in pursuit, Jing Heguang panicked as the giant tiger set him down. He thought to himself: So, in this beastman world, a top like me certainly isn’t going to turn into some sub-beastman right.

But then, the giant tiger licked his other pair of ears? Jing Heguang keenly felt his ears being licked and finally realized he seemed to have a tail, too!

However, the fact that he had furry ears was immediately pushed to the back of his mind the moment the large tiger spoke in human language.

Thinking of the tiger’s injuries, Jing Heguang guessed that the beast might be unable to run while carrying him.

Seeing the large tiger start walking toward the monster, Jing Heguang’s eyes widened.

He couldn’t bear to watch another person sacrifice their life for him.

Reacting quickly, he shouted at the large tiger, “Hey! Let’s run in opposite directions, whoever escapes is the lucky one!”

Hearing this, the large tiger glanced back at him, then turned around, arched its back at the monster, and assumed a combat stance.

AXing felt a twinge of emotion. The gluttonous, lazy little beastman was actually showing a sense of responsibility at this moment.

However, the little beastman was still too naive, lacking basic beastman common sense. He didn’t realize how powerful the Spiny Behemoth was, nor how obsessed it was with its food.

If they split up, the Spiny Behemoth could devour the little beastman in a few quick bites before coming after him.

It would be better to…buy the little beastman some time.

After all, he was the strongest beastman the Tiger Clan had ever seen!

AXing let out a fierce roar at the Spiny Behemoth.

It was a life-or-death battle. AXing knew his chances of success were slim, but he knew even better that he couldn’t give up!

His mighty head, a mix of blue, black, and white fur, bore a pair of sharp eyes locked onto the Spiny Behemoth.

Jing Heguang, meanwhile, was frantic.

Why was this big brother tiger being so selfless? Why can’t he just run?!

He didn’t even know where the tribe was! He had no idea which direction to run in!

Besides, for some reason, something deep inside Jing Heguang was telling him not to leave. Jing Heguang even started hoping for a bit of a dramatic twist, perhaps another big tiger would show up to save them since the current one couldn’t beat the monster.

However, after the big tiger and the monster had traded blows for several rounds, and Jing Heguang had already scrambled up a tree, there was still no sign of another tiger appearing.

A wave of despair washed over Jing Heguang. He was anxious and looking around frantically, he mentally called out to Little Yellow Peach.

“Little Yellow Peach!! Help! If I die, how the hell am I supposed to complete the mission?!”

No sooner had he shouted this than he felt a searing pain all over his body, as if he were already inside the monster’s maw, being torn and crunched to pieces, only to be spat out because he was too tough and hurt the beast’s teeth.

The pain was so intense that Jing Heguang lost his grip on the tree and tumbled down.

AXing, currently locked in a fierce struggle with the spiny behemoth, caught a glimpse of this from afar and was absolutely furious.

If he had known this little beastman was such an idiot, unable to run away properly and managing to fall even while climbing a tree…

Sigh, forget it. Abandoning the little beastman and fleeing wasn’t something AXing could bring himself to do.

The maltese tiger refocused and resumed his battle with the spiny behemoth.

Jing Heguang had no idea he was being looked down upon.

He let out a whimper of pain, followed immediately by the sound of his bones cracking and shifting as if falling apart.

Jing Heguang felt as though his bones were being dismantled one by one, yet he hadn’t even entered the giant beast’s maw.

Just as the pain made him wish the monster would simply devour him and end it all, Jing Heguang noticed his field of vision slowly…rising.

He seemed to be getting taller. As this thought flashed through his mind, he felt himself rapidly growing in height and size.

He seemed to have sprouted four legs…

His teeth had become razor-sharp…

His legs were surging with immense power…

As the pain subsided, a new feeling welled up inside him: the conviction that he was the most powerful being of all.

Jing Heguang watched the trees shrink below him and looked down.

The spiny mountain monster, which had seemed colossal to him before, now looked like a mere cub! Even the big tiger looked like an even smaller cub.

Jing Heguang wanted to shout, “Let me handle this!” but instead, a thunderous roar erupted from his throat.

In the distance, a trace of clarity pierced through the bloodshot, frenzied eyes of the spiny behemoth.

…What was that giant beast? How could it be even bigger than him?!

AXing, the maltese tiger, was also bewildered. Could a young beastman of the canine clan…really grow to such a massive size? He looked like a small mountain!

Yet, AXing was certain: that was indeed the young beastman.

Although he was dozens of times larger than his parents, those familiar, smiling lips, those dark, glistening eyes, and the two round white spots above his brows, if you looked closely, he was actually quite cute.

Jing Heguang, however, happily charged toward the monster, which now looked tiny to him, intending to use his massive new size to bully it back.

But as he ran, he realized the discomfort in his body remained, and his strength seemed to be waning. So, he picked up speed, dashed right up to the monster in a few quick bounds, and albeit clumsily raised his forepaws to deliver two vicious stomps!

With a sharp crack, the spines on the spiny beast’s back snapped, along with its spine itself.

With another crunch, Jing Heguang stomped the spiny beast’s head flat.

A tiny spray of blood spurted from one of the fleshy spines, but it was so minute that Jing Heguang didn’t notice it at all.

Having stomped the monster to death, Jing Heguang smiled at the handsome big tiger, no, the small tiger, as it appeared now.

Then, the last shred of his strength gave out. He lost consciousness and drifted into a deep sleep.

His beast form began to shrink, getting smaller and smaller until he was no bigger than a single paw of the large tiger.

The maltese tiger stared blankly for a few moments before gently picking up the little beastman, now in the weakened state following his first transformation, and headed toward the tribe.

As he walked, the maltese tiger felt his heart pounding rapidly.

He thought…the little beastman’s smile just now had been quite lovely.

But getting back safely was the priority. Clutching the little beastman, now in the form of a tiny cub, in his jaws, the maltese tiger sprinted toward the tribe.

***

In the mountain hollow.

The territory of the Tiger Tribe.

The maltese tiger ran into the tribe with the little cub in his jaws, finally feeling at ease enough to shift back into his human form. Faced with the concern and inquiries of his clansmen, AXing said, “Go notify the patriarch and the shaman. AGuang and I ran into two Spiny Behemoths while we were out harvesting corn!”

“I’ll go tell the patriarch!”

“Two Spiny Behemoths? We clear that area regularly, how could Spiny Behemoths show up there? That’s a place where even the sub-beastmen usually go!”

“We’ll have to organize the clan to do a thorough sweep later!”

“Never mind all that for now. Let’s get AXing to the shaman so he can check his injuries!”

The Tiger Clan warriors were deeply worried. Spiny Behemoths were notoriously bloodthirsty. And there were two of them, even a group of five or six warriors might not all make it back alive!

Amidst their worry, the warriors were also filled with admiration for AXing’s strength. To think he had managed to escape the jaws of two Spiny Behemoths!

However…they had also heard the name of AGuang, the lazy little beastman. One warrior asked in a low voice, “Where is AGuang?”

AXing pulled the little cub out from inside his animal-skin tunic: “Right here.”

Seeing how well AXing had protected the little beastman, the warriors admired him even more!

They didn’t even care that the little beastman had shifted forms, they immediately praised him: “AXing, you’re amazing! You escaped and even brought AGuang with you!”

“Mn! AXing, you truly live up to your reputation as the strongest tiger of the last few decades!”

“I’d only feel at ease if AXing became the next patriarch! I wouldn’t accept any other tiger!”

Lying on the wooden litter as he was carried, AXing spoke fairly on the little beastman’s behalf: “I killed one of the Spiny Behemoths, but for the other one, I owe it all to AGuang. He’s able to shift into his beast form now!”

The other tigers looked at the fluffy, adorable little puppy-like cub nestled in AXing’s arms and burst into laughter. “Hahaha! As if we didn’t know what the canine beastman are capable of.”

“Exactly. Even though we only have this one canine beastmen in our Tiger Clan, we’ve seen others elsewhere.”

“We aren’t just boasting, but canine beastmen really are tiny and weak. I’ve heard many of them don’t even get to eat meat!”

“Right? With those scrawny little limbs of his, AGuang should just handle the odd errands. He might as well go back to gathering fruit with the sub-beastmen later on.”

AXing looked at his clansmen, who clearly didn’t believe a word of it, and didn’t know how to explain.

After all, he was currently cradling a tiny beast cub no bigger than the palm of his own beast-form. Even he suspected he must have eaten too many fruits to have mistaken a canine beastman for something the size of a small hill.

Just as AXing was thinking this, ABai,a white tiger among the clansmen, reached out to poke the tiny canine cub for fun, but AXing blocked it with his hand.

“Don’t poke him!”

Author’s Note: The gong is Shiba Inu. For his beast form, just picture something like Cat-zilla — cute, but capable of stomping a monster flat with a single kick.

A-Xing is a big tiger — Roar~

T/N: ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )