Good Baby C23

Chapter 23

When the light faded, he opened his eyes to find himself in an entirely unfamiliar world.

He looked around and realized he was in a cave. Vines crawled over the rocks, and the vibrant green leaves caught his attention for a long while.

A sound outside snapped him back to reality. He tried to stand as he had in his memories but stumbled awkwardly. His four little legs tangled, and he collapsed to the ground.

The fall hurt, and the child instinctively let out a pitiful wail, his teary, babyish voice quickly catching the attention of a half-beast person entering the cave.

Maya, a half-beast, lived on a continent where her kind was seen as cursed by the Beast God and ostracized everywhere.

While out looking for water, she found this near-dead tiger cub in a dry riverbed and brought him back to the cave. The cub had been asleep for days, its weak breathing making her doubt whether it was still alive.

Xie Shian took a long time to adapt to his new body. He finally managed to stand shakily on all four legs. Unused to the form, he swayed his head, making his soft fur and tiny ears twitch adorably.

Just as he prepared to hop down for a look around, he noticed someone watching him. He tried to walk over, but after only two steps, his legs gave out, and he faceplanted into the ground.

“Ow…”

Maya quickly scooped him up and steadied his small body, but even with her help, he couldn’t stand.

“Did you break your leg?”

The tiny tiger, understanding her words, flipped over and stretched out all four paws to show they were fine, as if refuting her claim.

Maya had lived on this harsh continent for many years, and her heart had long grown cold. But now, seeing the furry tiger cub showing off his paws, she felt her heart soften slightly.

She gently examined his limbs, confirming that none of the joints were damaged, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Life was already hard enough; an injured cub would have even slimmer chances of survival.

In this world, vulnerable cubs and frail half-beasts were often the first to be eliminated by nature.

Maya suddenly felt an uncharacteristic impulse—she wanted to raise this tiger cub as her own.

Fortunately, it was springtime, and there was still a long way to go before the harsh winter arrived. By then, the cub’s fur would have thickened to protect it from the cold.

Xie Shian, recalling the system’s earlier words, assumed Maya was his new mother. Happily, he ran over and nuzzled her with his fluffy head, his tail wagging in excitement.

Though he resembled a tiger cub, his actions were more like a puppy trying to please its master.

“Stay here and don’t wander off. I’ll go find some food for you.”

“Rawr~”

After Maya left, the system transmitted this world’s storyline to Xie Shian. Maya was indeed his mother here, but there was no father figure.

In the original timeline, Maya found a tiger cub in the spring and reluctantly kept it by her side, planning to let it fend for itself once it could survive independently.

However, this continent’s weather was unpredictable. The first year after picking up the tiger cub, a severe drought struck, making water scarce and plants wither. Many animals died of thirst in the forest.

Food became increasingly scarce. Even powerful beastmen grew emaciated, let alone Maya, whose strength was average.

Maya barely survived herself, and with a weak cub in tow, their chances were slim.

In such dire circumstances, a defenseless cub would normally be eaten to extend its caretaker’s survival, but Maya couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Not only did she spare him, but she also refused to abandon him, struggling to survive with the cub.

When the tiger cub grew so weak it lost consciousness, Maya used a sharp stone to cut her arm, feeding her blood to keep it alive until the season of renewal arrived.

But the grown tiger didn’t appreciate Maya’s sacrifices. Upon discovering he had become a half-beast rather than a mighty beastman, he resented Maya. He believed her blood had cursed him, robbing him of the glorious life he deserved.

Angry and spiteful, the original tiger left Maya, only to die as prey to a patrolling lion, becoming their midnight snack.

After reading the storyline, Xie Shian’s furry face scrunched up, and his paws clenched into tiny fists. He let out a soft grunt, shifting his posture.

If he wasn’t so weak from hunger, he would have wanted to punch himself. He had never seen a more despicable being.

“Mission: Protect Maya and survive.”

“Rawr!”

Maya didn’t leave for long and soon returned with two small fruits. In this area, many animals had sensitive noses. If they caught the scent of a vulnerable cub, death would surely follow.

The small, round, green fruits had a hint of red on them. Maya placed them in front of the tiger cub, who pawed at them twice before pulling them under his belly and covering them with his paws, pretending nothing had happened.

“These aren’t toys; they’re food. You need to eat to gain strength.”

“Whimper…”

Maya’s voice carried a sharp tone. Even a weak cub needed to learn survival skills quickly.

Chastised, the tiger cub drooped its ears and obediently pulled out the fruit, nibbling cautiously.

However, its tiny teeth couldn’t handle the hard, unripe fruit. After two bites, it barely managed to scrape the skin, grimacing at the sour taste.

Having just been scolded, the cub dared not act spoiled. It clutched the fruit with its paws and ate diligently. Soon, it had finished both fruits, leaving only the pits behind.

Seeing his greedy little mannerisms, Maya felt no annoyance. Instead, she was relieved.

It’s good as long as it can eat. The more greedy it is, the better it is.

The little tiger’s original color should have been white, but perhaps it had not been cleaned for too long. White isn’t durable against dirt, so it looked somewhat pitiful, covered in a layer of gray.

Maya had learned about tigers and knew that, in most cases, they were carnivores, only occasionally eating plants to aid digestion.

The little tiger, whose teeth hadn’t fully grown yet, was pitifully gnawing on an unripe fruit. Maya, feeling rare guilt, reached out and gently rubbed its head.

An’an instinctively rubbed his head against her, continuing to gnaw on the fruit pit that only had a bit of flavor left.

“I’m going out for a while. Stay here and be good.”

“Ow~”

As a half-beast, Maya rarely hunted. She knew she could survive just by eating grass, and hunting carried risks. If she got injured, it would be troublesome.

But today, she wanted to take a chance. Before leaving, she deliberately covered the cave entrance with a lot of things.

Xie Shian lay on a rock, finishing the fruit pit until there was nothing left, even the taste was gone. He then used it as a toy, gently pawing at it.

After eating something, he gained some strength. Unlike before, when his paws were too soft to even walk, now he felt more energetic.

After playing for a while, he got bored and jumped down, wandering around. He explored the inside and outside of the cave, his ears perking up excitedly as if he was surveying his territory.

Just as he was happily playing, he suddenly felt a tremor. Before he could react, a tiger’s roar sounded.

Before he could process what was happening, a large yellow-furred tiger pounced in, sending a gust of wind that blew the little tiger’s fur askew. An’an, startled, instinctively clamped his tail tight.

“Ow!”

The tiger that entered was very large, its fur gleaming, and its muscles strong on all four legs. It scanned the entire cave, and finally, its attention landed on the small tiger standing there, its tail tucked between its legs.

An’an was trembling from the natural fear of powerful beings ingrained in its bloodline.

Gairo had seen movement from a distance and thought there was prey hidden in the cave, so he rushed over quickly to hunt. However, he didn’t expect that what was hidden inside was a small tiger no bigger than his paw.

At first, An’an was scared, but once he realized that the large tiger didn’t seem to have any intention of harming him, his courage grew.

He lay on the ground and turned himself into a little “cat bug,” slowly crawling toward the big tiger. His short tail wagged behind him, playing the part of a “sneaky dog” to perfection.

Gairo, who was accustomed to gently swaying his tail, was intrigued. To a tiger of this size, a fluffy, moving tail was a huge temptation.

He quietly pawed at the ground with his little paws, unable to resist the itch.

Finally, An’an made up his mind and posed to attack, leaping at Gairo.

Gairo had indeed been distracted, but living in such a dangerous grassland made him naturally alert. When he sensed something leaping toward him, he immediately adopted a defensive posture as a reflex.

He crouched slightly and emitted a low growl of threat.

When the system saw this, it was so nervous that the data computations almost stopped.

It’s over! The cub is doomed!!!

An’an used all his strength to cling to the thick tail, holding on with all four paws to avoid falling off, his fluffy little head rubbing against it.

If it weren’t for the fear of angering the big tiger, he might have even wanted to lick his fur to get closer.

In this grassland, food is scarce, and cannibalism among the same species is common. The harsh natural environment forces them to do whatever it takes to survive.

But Gairo was different. He was a beastman, strong enough to catch plenty of food to fill his stomach. He had no interest in fighting with his own kind.

Moreover, this little tiger was so small that even if he ate it, it wouldn’t fill his teeth.

After realizing that the little tiger was just curious and wanted to hang onto his tail, and that it didn’t intend to attack him, Gairo silently withdrew the paw he had intended to use to swat him.

At first, An’an only played with the big tiger’s tail using his own paws. But after realizing that Gairo had no intention of throwing him away, he grew bolder.

He slowly climbed up the tail, directly crawling onto Gairo’s back.

Gairo hadn’t attacked him earlier because he thought the little tiger was his kind, and it was too weak to pose a threat. He reluctantly forgave its playful behavior.

But now the little tiger actually dared to climb onto his head! Gairo absolutely couldn’t tolerate this. He shook his body lightly, causing An’an, who had been standing on his back, to be thrown off.

The fall didn’t hurt, but it made An’an feel aggrieved. So, he decided to lie down where he fell and dramatically stuck out his tongue.

When Gairo saw this, his body stiffened, and he slowly approached the little tiger, nudging him with his nose. Once he confirmed that An’an was still warm, he let out a relieved sigh.

He should… not have died from the fall, right?

The thought of that possibility made his heart tighten. He gently nudged the little tiger with his nose and even pawed at him, finally shaking his tail in front of him.

An’an opened his eyes slightly. He admitted that the swaying fluffy tail was very attractive, but he still preferred to ride on the tiger’s back. How majestic that would be!

Gairo’s observational skills were very sharp. The little tiger’s perfect disguise had too many flaws in his eyes.

He snorted impatiently and let out a low growl with a warning, hoping the little tiger would stop.

An’an realized he had been discovered, but he still refused to back down. He stuck out his tongue more obviously and even twitched his body.

Gairo circled around the little tiger. He had come out after eating and wanted to take a walk, but he didn’t expect to encounter such a troublesome little tiger.

He felt that not eating this little tiger was already an act of mercy. He had no obligation to play these silly little games with him.

Shaking his fur, he intended to leave. However, after taking two steps, he felt his tail become heavier. Turning his head, he saw the little tiger hanging from it.

When the little tiger noticed Gairo looking at him, he turned his head away, as if sulking.

With the little tiger hanging from his tail, Gairo dared not run too fast. As he approached the cave entrance, he realized that the bushes ahead were probably there to hide the little one.

As he was about to step outside, he gently swung his tail, causing An’an to be flung off and land on the ground. Gairo then reached out to adjust the bushes, covering the cave entrance thoroughly.

An’an was still too small and had limited jumping ability. Despite trying several times, he couldn’t leap up. He could only helplessly watch as Gairo walked farther and farther away through the gap in the bushes.

When the big tiger left, the system, feeling anxious, reminded An’an with a jumpy data computation:

“Host, the grassland is a world where the strong prey on the weak. It’s different from the place you lived before. That beastman, like the one you just encountered, could easily take your life.”

At that moment, the system understood why Maya had been so harsh with An’an earlier.

Unnecessary kindness and softheartedness would only result in one’s own death.

After failing to catch up with the big tiger and being scolded by the system in his mind, the little tiger returned to the place he had been lying at the beginning and curled up, as if he had lost his dream, becoming a little ball.

Soon, Maya came back. She hadn’t gone too far to hunt because she was more familiar with the nearby area. She couldn’t handle unknown dangers further away.

Besides, she didn’t want to leave the little tiger, who could barely gnaw on fruits, alone in the cave for too long.

Maya couldn’t hunt large prey, so she relied on her excellent hunting skills to catch a rabbit.

The rabbit had died when she bit its neck, and its blood stained its white fur.

She placed the dead rabbit in front of the little tiger, gently nudging it to signal that it should start eating.

The little tiger, whose stomach had been growling from hunger, was overjoyed at the sight. He sniffed the rabbit, and the smell of blood made him involuntarily swallow.

Seeing the little tiger’s hunger, Maya’s eyes showed a glimmer of satisfaction.

But then, instead of obediently starting to eat, the little tiger walked around the rabbit a few times and then lay down again at the same spot.

Maya vaguely sensed something but had no intention of helping. She forced herself to watch coldly.

The system, seeing An’an in this state, was also anxious. His previous life’s memories had been completely wiped clean, leaving nothing behind. The transition from being human to a beast was difficult to adapt to in such a short time.

It was anxious for An’an and felt sorry for him since he couldn’t eat, but it didn’t think Maya was wrong.

Maya couldn’t protect An’an all the time. He had to grow quickly. In this dangerous grassland, when difficulties arose, no one would show mercy just because he was a cub.

An’an realized that pretending to be pitiful hadn’t worked and that Maya wasn’t going to soften. Hungry, with his stomach growling, he slowly crawled back.

He rubbed his underdeveloped teeth and, thinking himself very fierce, gave a small “ow” as he bit down. He held on tight but couldn’t tear it apart. His little mouth was full of fur, and he felt terribly aggrieved.

Maya’s reason for forcing the little tiger to eat on his own was not only because he needed to grow up quickly but also because she wanted to assess how big he had become.

When she found him on the dried riverbed, his size didn’t stand out. Before that, she had never seen such a small tiger.

Now, she could tell from his biting strength that he hadn’t even been weaned.

The little tiger pressed his paws on the rabbit’s body and used all his strength, trying to tear it apart like he was nursing. Yet, he couldn’t even leave a scratch. After struggling for a while, he lay there, staring at the rabbit helplessly.

The little tiger hadn’t eaten any meat after a long struggle, which was a bit frustrating. His ears drooped.

Maya transformed back into her beast form and tore the rabbit into small pieces for him. Her beast form was a slightly lean leopard, and after preparing the meat, she shifted back to human form.

Half-beastmen were not as strong as full beastmen, and their human form still carried some animal traits.

Some rumors had circulated that the beast-like traits were a result of a curse from the beast gods, and the fact that their physical abilities weren’t on par with full beastmen seemed to support this rumor.

Maya didn’t let her half-beastman status make her fall into despair. Instead, she began using her more nimble hands to her advantage.

Though her physical strength was inferior to others, she could still survive and even dared to take in a small tiger.

Maya looked down at the little tiger. He was so small that he didn’t even realize how dangerous their environment was. He had no idea how much effort it would take for him to grow up safely.

Right now, the only thing the little tiger seemed to care about was the meat in front of him. He greedily stuffed it into his mouth and chewed with great effort, not caring at all that his fur was getting dirty.

Perhaps because his teeth were still too soft, he ate very slowly. Maya didn’t urge him, patiently waiting by his side, thinking about their next steps.

Though they hadn’t spent much time together, she genuinely liked the little tiger and wanted to raise him.

Before Maya could figure out a plan, the little tiger, still greedily eating the meat, suddenly trembled twice, and as Maya watched intently, his body began to convulse, sending a shockwave of fear through her heart.