Chapter 218: Little Tiger’s Roar in the Beast World – 7

The Priest found several other docile animals suitable for domestication, aside from rabbits. She also discovered a substitute for the food Xie Hui had previously mentioned.

The males, as usual, were not fond of these; they preferred raw meat and couldn’t quite understand the appeal of wild fruits. They were equally puzzled by why the females in their tribe had started to enjoy eating grass.

Perhaps due to beastly habits, Xie Hui didn’t care much for the delicious foods from his memories either, but he still insisted on feeding some to Little Tiger.

Under Xie Hui’s persistent feeding, the once fluffy and adorable Little Tiger had grown so plump that even its paws were round, and its body seemed to jiggle slightly as it walked.

After a flower in their tribe bloomed, the Priest began preparing for an event.

In the warm spring, when the flower in the tribe bloomed, eligible males and females would meet at a gathering. By the time they had offspring, the flowers would just be wilting.

The scarcity of beastmen was not only due to harsh natural conditions but also because most beastmen were extremely loyal to each other. After losing a mate, they would not seek another.

Under such circumstances, the Client was puzzled by his son’s willingness to share a female with others.

To most beastmen, the Tribe Leader was just an ordinary male beastman who had lost his mate. No matter how powerful he was, no female would be interested in him.

As for Sheng, he was still a Little Tiger who needed his father to tear open his food for him.

For this year’s gathering, the Priest prepared torches, which burned brightly in the center.

Before the event began, at sunset, the Priest led them in bowing towards the setting sun. They firmly believed in the Beast God and considered the sun to be the Beast God’s eye.

The Beast God watched over and protected them.

Xie Hui couldn’t be sure if the Beast God truly existed, but having integrated perfectly into the Client’s identity and character in this world, he devoutly completed the bowing ritual. Afterward, the Priest stood on a high platform, singing ancient songs.

There were only so many beastmen in the tribe, and most had already taken a liking to each other beforehand.

Here, if they were interested in each other, they would become mates under the witness of the Beast God.

For those who weren’t mutually interested, today was the day to bravely express their feelings to their crush.

One particularly lively and outgoing beastman, who had just come of age, scooped up Little Tiger, who was gnawing on a bone.

Sheng, still holding onto his big bone with his paws, instinctively struggled a bit. Realizing he couldn’t escape, he whimpered for help from his father.

The beastman carried Sheng to the female he fancied, his face already flushed.

“Would you be willing to be my mate? We could have adorable little beastmen like Sheng.”

The female looked at the Little Tiger, whose singed fur hadn’t fully regrown, meeting Sheng’s lively eyes.

Although Sheng wasn’t particularly cute overall, the female was very satisfied with the beastman and placed her hand on his arm.

The tool-like Little Tiger was tossed aside, landing on the soft grass without getting hurt. Still, feeling wronged, he whimpered twice. Seeing no one paid him any mind, he crawled over to his father and lay down beside him.

When he grows up, he vowed to defeat that beastman who bullied him! Definitely!!!

Almost all the beastmen in the tribe found their desired mates. Under the bright moon and twinkling stars, Xie Hui carried his Little Tiger back to the cave.

“Will Sheng have a female he likes in the future?”

Xie Hui, dressed in animal skins, held Little Tiger, who lay comfortably on his father’s arm, his chubby little paws dangling naturally, completely ignoring his father’s musings.

Xie Hui wasn’t too fond of the female protagonist.

In a world where loyalty was almost instinctual, such fickle behavior broke taboos.

While the female protagonist’s perspective might be understandable, from Sheng’s father’s viewpoint, it was hard to like her.

The Client was a very competent Tribe Leader. After such events, he only wished for Sheng’s happiness, harboring no resentment towards the female protagonist, only a heart full of concern for his child.

After pondering all the way back to the cave, the sleeping Little Tiger insisted on climbing onto Xie Hui’s shoulder.

Though Sheng was still considered a young animal, he was quite heavy. Xie Hui pulled him down.

While he slept, Xie Hui quietly shaved off Sheng’s singed fur with tools he had traded for at the seaside. During this molting period¹, in a little while, he would be a very cute Little Tiger again.

After some time, when Sheng’s fur had fully regrown, the lively cub was determined to follow his father on hunts.

The adventurous spirit was innate in cubs. They weren’t afraid of the dangers in the forest; instead, they were particularly drawn to the unknown and the potential excitement it might bring.

Each time Xie Hui refused, he would ask the beastmen remaining in the tribe to keep an eye on him.

No wonder Little Tiger would later become the strongest beastman in the entire tribe. Even now, while still young, his physical prowess was already quite impressive.

The cub, who was exceptionally skilled at catching rabbits, had completely lost interest in it. Occasionally, he could catch a rabbit with just a casual swipe of his paw, which he found rather dull.

Basking in the sun on the grass, Little Tiger buried his head in his arms out of boredom.

He didn’t want to catch rabbits anymore; he wanted to hunt wild boars with his father, the kind that were even bigger than he was!

Xie Hui would leave early and return late when hunting. No matter how restless Sheng felt inside, he always appeared well-behaved, at most just a bit more mischievous than usual.

However, when the supplies they had traded for were nearly exhausted, and none of the other beastmen had memorized the routes, Xie Hui was needed to lead the way again.

Upon hearing this news, Sheng’s previous disappointment vanished.

Lying there, he tried to put on a reluctant face, but Xie Hui could see through his little tricks from the way his shoulders shook.

“If you dare sneak out while I’m not in the tribe, you’ll be eating grass for a month.”

Even now, most people in the tribe didn’t consider grass proper food. Some male beastmen felt sorry for their mates who had to eat grass, so they hunted even harder.

Young cubs, whether male or female, all had similar tastes, preferring meat.

Sheng wasn’t afraid of his father using his claws on him, nor was he afraid of being punished by having to catch rabbits. What he feared most was being made to eat grass.

The last time he sneaked out with Little Leopard behind his father’s back and almost got bitten by a venomous snake, he was punished by having to eat grass for two days. Afterward, Sheng felt so weak he could barely walk, as if his paws were treading on water, unable to find solid ground.

Feeling genuinely threatened, Little Tiger let out a few disgruntled cries, wanting to argue with his father. But when Xie Hui turned to look at him, he silently retracted his head.

“Aw~”

“Next year, I promise I’ll take you hunting. You’re still too young now.”

After scaring him with a stern attitude, Xie Hui softened his tone to coax him.

Little Tiger ran up to Xie Hui, wrapped his paws around his leg, and nuzzled him gently.

Sheng was easier to coax last year, being so young and still having fresh, new fur.

The older the cubs got, the more mischievous they became. Xie Hui reminded him repeatedly, until Sheng was so annoyed he covered his ears with his paws, finally smiling helplessly and stopping his lecture.

After the Tribe Leader left, a beastman who had heard the Tribe Leader say Sheng was very naughty followed him everywhere, no matter what Sheng was doing.

At first, Sheng was delighted, thinking he had someone to play with.

But within three days, Little Tiger grew irritable, especially every time he tried to sneak off to relieve himself, only to turn around and see the large beastman, which made his fur stand on end in fright.

After finishing his business and cleaning himself up, he assumed an attack stance and pounced at the beastman.

When Sheng fought cubs his own size, he always pinned them down easily.

But against an adult beastman, he ended up exhausted, his fur damp, lying there with no strength left, while the beastman could still easily pick him up.

Completely drained, Little Tiger was carried away, longing for his father like never before.

Wailing, he thought about how this annoying beastman left him no freedom while his father was away, stripping him of all his tiger rights!

There was no privacy in his portable space. Whether sleeping or relieving himself, he would turn his head and see that annoying face!

Initially thinking he could do whatever he pleased, Little Tiger spent the next seven days at the tribe’s entrance, eagerly and desperately hoping for his father’s early return.

This beastman was not likable at all. When Little Tiger asked him to put pretty flowers on him, he touched his ears without permission.

And he even dared to touch the tiger’s bottom²!

Though it was a bit charred, it still infuriated Little Tiger.

Day and night, he waited, and finally, Xie Hui returned with a few beastmen. This trip hadn’t been smooth; they hadn’t found much food along the way, taking much longer than before to return to the tribe.

However, the items they brought back were quite good.

Translator’s Notes