Good Baby C29

Chapter 29

The little tiger, who used to be vain, loved his beautiful fur the most. Whenever he had nothing to do, he would stay by the water, staring at his own proud and spirited reflection, never getting tired of it.

But now, things were different. He wished he could shave off all his bothersome fur. He wondered if he would feel even a little cooler if he became a bald little tiger.

The constantly changing weather on the grasslands made the system uneasy. Data analysis indicated that a severe drought was coming, and water sources might dry up. By then, who knew how many animals would die?

During winter, when there was no food, the system could remind the cub to store more with Maya. But if it was a drought, storing water was simply impossible.

“If the weather continues to be this hot, water sources will become a big problem.”

The little tiger was already irritable from the heat. Upon hearing the system’s words, he covered his ears with his paws in frustration and responded with a small humph:

“My fur is getting scorched…”

An An was annoyed. He wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it or dive into the water and never come out.

“A prolonged drought will set the grasslands on fire.”

The system patiently warned the cub. Many animals that originally lived in the forest had moved to the grasslands because of wildfires.

But under the scorching sun, the grasslands were no different. The fire could spread even more uncontrollably.

“Fire? What’s that?”

The little tiger had exaggerated his words earlier out of instinct, but he had never actually seen a wildfire before. He had no idea how devastating it could be—how their home could be swallowed by flames, leaving them homeless and struggling to survive.

“Flames will ignite your fur, burning your skin and flesh. It’s very painful.”

The little tiger nodded half-understandingly, humming softly as he continued rolling around.

Fortunately, as long as he flipped over quickly enough on this big rock, he could still enjoy brief moments of coolness. Realizing this, the little tiger fell in love with this spot.

In such hot weather, animals had little appetite. Today, Maya had brought back an antelope that had been bitten to death.

The little tiger, with his ears drooping and tail hanging low, sniffed it and quickly pulled his head back. The strange smell made it impossible for him to open his mouth.

“Let’s eat this for today, An An. If you don’t like it, eat just a little. Tomorrow, I’ll catch something you like.”

The little tiger could hear the exhaustion in Maya’s voice. He leaned in to sniff again, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to eat it. Even the internal organs smelled strange. His fluffy little face was full of distress.

He already had no appetite in the summer, let alone for his least favorite meat. Just as he was about to force himself to take a couple of bites, Gairo grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

“I’ll take An An to try our luck. Maybe we can catch something.”

The scorching heat affected all animals, including Maya. Hunting had become much more difficult, and she had no extra energy to search for tastier prey.

She was too tired to move. After eating, she left half for Gairo and lay down in the cave to rest.

The night was much more pleasant than the daytime, with a cool breeze carrying some relief. Gairo carried the little tiger as they walked across the grasslands. The little tiger stared at the stars in a daze, silently counting them in his head.

In winter, he longed for warmth; in summer, he missed winter’s coolness. It was as if his heart was split into two, each half holding its own desires.

Tonight, Gairo was unlucky. Even after walking a long distance, he couldn’t find suitable prey. The little tiger in his mouth started growling from hunger.

Hearing the little tiger’s whimpering, Gairo noticed they were passing by a river, so the two tigers began fishing together.

After catching five fish, the little tiger lay on the grassy riverbank, eating slowly. Gairo bit off a large leaf from a tree and placed it on the little tiger’s head, giving him a “green hat.”

Gairo wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt like the water level here was much lower than the last time they had visited.

On the way back, the little tiger had already fallen asleep. His faint snores mixed with the sounds of insects chirping in the summer night, accompanying them all the way back to the cave.

Gairo placed the little tiger in his small nest, then carried the half-eaten prey Maya had left him outside to eat. After finishing his meal, he looked up at the sky. An unsettling feeling weighed on his heart.

The first sign of trouble came from the nearby river—the water level kept dropping, and fewer animals lingered around it.

The river used to be deep for An An. Every time he fished, he had to struggle to catch anything.

But now, with the water nearly gone, even birds could swoop down and easily snatch fish as snacks.

This summer was harder than any Maya could remember. She and Gairo discussed their options and decided that once the river dried up completely, they would leave.

Although they were reluctant to give up such a good territory, survival was more important.

Half a month later, not a single drop of water remained in the river. An An was sulking about not being able to eat fish when he saw Maya gathering their belongings. Gairo came over, grabbed him by the scruff, and explained:

“We have to leave this place and move somewhere closer to water.”

This was the territory Gairo had claimed ever since he became capable, and he was the most reluctant to leave. But he also knew that if they wanted to survive, they had no choice.

“Awuu?”

The little tiger was so caught off guard that he forgot to throw a tantrum. His mind was filled with a serious dilemma—his mother was about to split up with his best friend. Who would he go with?

He didn’t want to separate from either of them. He wanted to eat the prey his mother caught, but he also wanted the snacks Gairo brought him. He still liked the idea of one little tiger eating from two “houses.”

The little tiger ran in circles around their old home, as if trying to evoke their memories. But in the end, he was mercilessly carried away by the scruff of his neck. No matter how much he kicked his paws in the air, he couldn’t change the reality.

After walking a few steps, An An noticed that both Gairo and Maya were heading in the same direction. Instantly, he relaxed.

Spotting some pretty little flowers by the roadside, he even waved his paw, signaling Gairo to pick them for him to play with.

As they moved, Gairo realized that it hadn’t rained on the grasslands for a long time. Some parts of the ground had already begun to crack from dryness.

Many beastmen were moving just like them, trying to get closer to a water source. Some even went against their instincts, no longer greedily claiming vast territories as before.

Maya silently prayed, hoping for a heavy rain to fill up the vanished riverbeds soon.

But after waiting another half a month, the last remaining river on the grasslands also began to show signs of drying up. Two irritable beastmen, realizing this, even fought each other to vent their frustration.

Hearing their anguished roars, the little tiger quietly burrowed into Gairo’s embrace, trying to hide his trembling body.

Gairo lowered his head and gently licked the little tiger’s head. No matter what happened, he would never abandon this little tiger. Even if the water disappeared completely, that wouldn’t change.

Maya and An An were the family he had chosen, even without blood ties. No matter life or death, they would never be separated.

Before, living in Gairo’s territory, the little tiger had always been with either Maya or Gairo whenever he went out. He had never faced the true malice of other beastmen directly.

But now it was different. After staying here for only a short while, the little tiger could already sense several groups of beastmen wanting to eat him. Some were even whispering behind his back, saying that the flesh he had managed to grow must taste delicious.

After confirming that there was no water source, the animals began to leave. Gairo took Maya further into the distance, hoping that the place they had never been to before might have water to keep them alive.

All the seasonal changes were exactly the same as in the original storyline.

Even with Gairo’s help, Maya still struggled a lot. Let alone in the original storyline, where she somehow managed to raise the cub she picked up all by herself.

In the most desperate moments, she even cut her own skin to feed the little tiger her blood to prevent him from dying. Just thinking about it made An’an’s heart ache.

The little tiger, who had never cared about these things before, now started hoping for rain. He didn’t want the events of the original storyline to repeat.

Moreover, An’an knew very well that if it happened again… not just Maya, but his good friend would also do the same. They would all choose to sacrifice themselves to keep their families alive.

“System, can you make it rain?”

The system, which had been resting, was startled upon hearing this. Its first reaction was gratitude for the cub’s trust. Then, upon realizing what was being asked, it wondered if this cub had started to see it as an omnipotent existence.

In ancient times, making it rain required the power of faith, and a lot of preparations were needed in the early stages. In modern times, artificial rainfall required a lot of equipment. Neither was something it could do.

If the host had enough points, they could exchange for items, but right now, this little tiger didn’t even have enough points to unlock the shop.

“Host, I cannot provide any assistance for your mission progress.”

“Oh, I still prefer hearing you call me ‘cub’.”

The little tiger didn’t insist. Although having a friend who could grant every wish would make him a little spoiled, being together every day still taught him a lot.

Maya kept telling An’an that when you couldn’t change the environment, you had to change yourself as much as possible—become stronger and fearless in the face of difficulties.

Many animals lay on the dried-up riverbed, unwilling to leave, letting out sorrowful cries. Some, like Maya, chose to search for new water sources.

The little tiger was no longer as mischievous as before. He cut down on his playful running to avoid exhausting himself and feeling thirsty.

Luckily, they often came across jungles where certain plant fruits held a lot of moisture, allowing them to travel farther.

The scenery before them became entirely unfamiliar. They had even lost the way back.

But that didn’t matter. Once they had decided to leave, they had never planned on returning.

Gairo and Maya took turns leading the way, relying entirely on intuition. The little tiger tried his best not to become a burden.

At least when it came to hunting, there was no need to worry. Prey had become much easier to catch. Even when his throat felt parched, the little tiger no longer whined as he used to. He was also doing his best to protect his family.

However, he was still too young. The best contribution he could make was not causing trouble.

An’an’s once glossy fur had dulled over the journey. Maya had lost a significant amount of weight, to the point of looking frightening.

Gairo was in better condition. He was younger than Maya and, with the natural advantages of beastmen, had more endurance against the harsh environment.

Along the way, An’an saw many abandoned companions—beastmen, cubs, females, in that order. During the hardest times, he even witnessed them eating their own kind.

That gruesome scene haunted the little tiger for a long time, keeping him awake at night. Only by staying close to Gairo and Maya could he feel at ease.

Those beastmen wouldn’t hesitate to eat even their closest companions. A lone little tiger like him, with no ties to them, would be even easier prey.

Their journey was unbearably long. They didn’t know how far they had traveled, but after a month of hardship, one morning, just as the little tiger was about to shake out his fur, he sensed moisture in the air.

Instinctively, he glanced in the direction it came from, then excitedly ran back, biting the big tiger’s fur and using his paws to push his mother awake, eager to go check it out.

“What is it, An’an?”

Maya was always very patient with the little tiger. Even when woken up while resting, she never got angry. Seeing his excited expression now, she gently used her paw to tidy up his messy fur.

“Awuu, awuu awuu!”

The little tiger didn’t know how to communicate what he felt, so he just jumped around excitedly.

“Maybe An’an means for us to follow him and take a look?”

Gairo accurately guessed his meaning, making An’an eagerly nod—yes, that’s exactly what he meant!

They didn’t even pack their things. The little tiger immediately dashed toward that place. The journey wasn’t short, and the wind ruffled his fur, but despite running at full speed, he didn’t feel tired at all.

As they got closer, Gairo and Maya also began to sense the moisture in the air.

Once Gairo confirmed the direction, the little tiger, who thought he was running fast, was suddenly picked up and carried as they sprinted toward their destination.

The river they found was even wider than the largest one on their old grassland. The sound of rushing water was the most beautiful sound Gairo had ever heard.

His eyes glistened with tears, and Maya’s lips trembled with emotion. But the little tiger, just a few steps from the water, wriggled free, sprinted ahead, and leaped straight into the river.

The cub who once hated bathing was now thoroughly enjoying the feeling of water soaking his fur.

Delighted, he submerged himself, noticing his mother and Gairo drinking water. He quickly paddled away to avoid letting them drink his bathwater.

“There’s plenty of water here. We should be able to hold out until autumn.”

Maya’s voice was filled with joy. When autumn arrived and the weather cooled, a single rainfall would be enough to restore the grasslands.

By then, her An’an would have grown another year, no longer a cub at risk of dying at any moment.

After the long and grueling journey, both Gairo and Maya had blisters and calluses on their paws. They were too exhausted to consider moving again.

They were both drained. If they could stay here, it would be the best outcome.

The little tiger eagerly tried to clean himself. Murky water spread outward as he squinted his eyes in satisfaction, enjoying his bath.

Just then, he noticed a fish arrogantly flicking its tail right in front of him.

Perhaps because no predators had come here before, the fish were living carefree lives, freely swishing their tails.

To An’an, it was like a plump piece of meat asking if he wanted to take a bite.

As a little tiger with very little self-control, of course, he didn’t hesitate. He lunged and bit down hard—only to get smacked twice by the fish’s tail!

Gairo and Maya hadn’t even decided whether to settle here when they suddenly saw the little tiger bursting out of the water.

His frantic reaction made Gairo’s first instinct to assume there was some unknown danger lurking in the river.

It seemed as if something had threatened it greatly, making Gairo’s first reaction one of wariness—was there some danger in the water he wasn’t aware of?

He instinctively assumed an attack stance, but before he could act, he saw that the little tiger was merely carrying a fish in its mouth.

Once ashore, the little tiger threw down the fish, which was clearly plump and fresh, right in front of them. From the way it puffed out its chest proudly, it seemed to be quite pleased with itself.

With a reliable water source secured, many of the hardships they had faced before now seemed insignificant.

Gairo sat there, watching as the little tiger happily chomped down on the fish. He thought back to their journey—so many times, he had been pushed to the brink, frustrated to the point of wanting to give up. When provoked by some animals, he had even felt the urge to fight to the death.

Each time, it was An’an who would gently pat his head with a tiny paw, soothing his temper and reminding him not to be so quick to anger.

Now that they had made it through all those struggles, looking back felt almost like a dream.

Since they had just arrived in this unfamiliar place and had yet to fully explore it, they didn’t venture too far for their evening hunt. They barely managed to eat their fill before settling down to rest.

An’an lay nestled in his mother’s embrace, not particularly sleepy. Gazing at the stars above, he thought of the birds back on the grasslands. He considered them good friends and wondered how they were doing.

They could fly, so their situation was probably much better than his.

He also missed the cave where they had once stockpiled food. He wasn’t sure if they would ever find such a good place again.

In this new land, An’an found himself particularly homesick. His little head was filled with all sorts of scattered thoughts, and it wasn’t until late at night that he finally curled up in his mother’s warm embrace and drifted off to sleep.

Maya, however, remained awake. Though exhausted, she could sense An’an’s unease through the rhythm of his breathing, so she simply stayed by his side, keeping him company.

Once she was sure he had truly fallen asleep, she gently pulled him closer with her paw.

On the other side, Gairo, who had been lying with half-lidded eyes, finally closed them completely.

The next day, Gairo went out to hunt while Maya familiarized herself with the surroundings, bringing along a certain mischievous little tiger.

The joy of surviving such a hardship put Maya in a good mood. As she explored the area, she noticed many beautiful flowers in bloom. Transforming into her half-beast form, she used her nimble hands to weave a flower crown.

After a bit of simple tidying, she placed the flower crown atop the little white tiger’s head.

An’an rarely saw Maya in her half-beast form, likely because she didn’t like this identity herself and preferred to remain in her full beast form most of the time.

She wore a skirt made of animal hide, her figure well-proportioned, and an ancient, mysterious marking adorned her arm—a punishment said to have been bestowed upon half-beasts by the Beast God.

Her facial features weren’t particularly delicate, but together, they exuded a wild kind of sensuality, completely different from her usual gentle demeanor.

Aside from the water source, there were also plenty of animals here that had long lacked natural predators. A certain species of deer had even become somewhat overpopulated. Before Maya could finish exploring the area, Gairo had already returned, dragging along two lifeless deer.

Back on the grasslands, An’an had always been eager to taste giraffe meat, but Gairo had never been willing to help him catch one.

Although the deer Gairo brought back this time had much shorter necks, to An’an, the difference wasn’t too significant. Overjoyed, he leaped forward with all four paws off the ground.

He used his claws to bat at the flower crown that had barely settled on his head, motioning for Gairo not to be so formal and to hurry up and wear it.

At this moment, Gairo shifted back into his human form, took the flower crown, placed it on his head, and eagerly pounced forward to tear a piece of meat to eat. From the corner of his eye, the little tiger caught sight of this scene.

The biggest visual difference between half-beasts and beastmen was that when half-beasts transformed, they retained some animalistic traits, whereas beastmen did not.

In his human form, Gairo was at least 1.9 meters tall, with deep-set features and a rugged, wild aura. The delicate flower crown on his head looked completely out of place—but he didn’t care in the slightest.

Ordinarily, two deer would have been more than enough for the three of them. However, perhaps due to the hardships they had just endured or simply because An’an was growing and needed more food, by the time they finished eating, only a pile of bones remained. Even then, An’an still stared at Gairo with hopeful eyes.

Wagging his tail, An’an moved closer and rubbed up against Gairo, too embarrassed to say what he wanted outright but hoping that Gairo would understand.

Since there wasn’t much else to do, why not go catch another deer for him as a snack?

“Come on, I’ll take you.”

Maya grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and carried him outside. Since it was just the three of them here, she didn’t have to worry about anyone judging her half-beast form.

An’an felt no pain from being carried by the scruff, and instead, he deliberately let his paws droop and his tail hang down.

Without the burden of survival pressing down on her, Maya was a fun-loving mother who didn’t hesitate to indulge her child’s small wishes.

She caught a slightly weaker deer for An’an and another that was clearly plump and well-fed.

Even the weaker deer was far beyond An’an’s ability to drag. After struggling for half a day and working up a sweat, the deer still lay motionless on the ground.

The little tiger decided to take a break, flopping down with his tongue out and panting heavily. He used his paw to nudge the deer’s closed eyes as if asking whether it could just get up and walk on its own.

Maya had only been teasing him. Effortlessly, she carried both deer back, lecturing An’an on the importance of strength along the way.

The little tiger, happily bobbing his head beside his mother, had heard this lecture countless times before. It went in one ear and out the other, leaving no impression whatsoever.

Occasionally, when he noticed Maya had stopped talking, he would let out a couple of soft “awoo” sounds, as if urging her to continue—he was still listening and wanted to hear more.

Maya could more or less guess what was going through An’an’s mind. He likely believed that with both her and Gairo around, he didn’t need to worry about such things for now. It was a habit born from Gairo spoiling him too much, and she had nothing to say about it.

She wanted to tell An’an that things couldn’t always be this way, that no one in this world could stay by his side forever.

At best, she and Gairo would gradually grow old, losing their ability to hunt. But when she saw An’an’s carefree, happy expression, she pushed those thoughts aside.

Since he had said it was just a snack, he steadfastly refused to eat a single bite of meat. Instead, the innards of both deer ended up in his belly. Once he was full, he sprawled out like a pancake to bask in the sun.

Previously, the system had worried about whether the cub would grow up properly. Now, seeing their environment, all concerns vanished.

It could roughly analyze the data of this place. Based on its calculations, at least for the next three years, this place would be quite comfortable—not too cold in winter, not too hot in summer, and populated with an abundance of highly reproductive deer.

The little tiger first lay on one side to sunbathe, then flipped over to bask on the other, contentedly narrowing his eyes as he communicated with the system.

“System brother, I think I’m really lucky~”

“Mm, you are.”

Until it was certain whether the cub still held any feelings for his biological parents, the system had no intention of telling him the truth.

The only reason his soul had been bound to it was because all the fortune in his destiny had been completely drained. If he hadn’t encountered the system, he would have become a vengeful spirit and eventually faded into nothingness.

The system was part of the Time-Space Administration and strictly opposed the illegitimate use of fate and fortune.

Had his father not done what he did, Xie Shi’an would have either led a rebellion and become the founding emperor or served as a trusted minister, making history alongside rulers like Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han.

After binding, the task system was activated, and it obtained all of the cub’s information. His fate was indeed extremely valuable.

In every lifetime, he was able to achieve remarkable accomplishments, and in the process of attaining them, he accumulated even more merit, allowing this fate to continue on.

Just like Xie Shian in the previous world—his research led to discoveries that could extend human lifespans to two hundred years. If it weren’t for the fact that he lost the will to stay after his mother passed away, his achievements would have gone far beyond that.

Future generations, building on his research, had the potential to unlock the secrets of immortality.

The immense value created by such a precious fate brought in more merit, forming a positive cycle where he could continuously exist as a benefactor to humanity.

However, the method of extracting fortune from him was extremely cruel—it drained the cub’s future fate. Every few hundred years, the luck being extracted belonged to his next life, leaving him completely and utterly exploited.

While others who completed tasks would receive a certain amount of points as rewards, only this cub—who worked tirelessly in one world—ended up with just three points.

After Xie Shian was bound to the system, that world restarted from the moment An An was first suppressed. The task rewards were converted into energy, bringing back the luck that had originally been used to protect the family, returning it to him instead.

Right now, since the cub was still young and easy to deceive, the system decided not to mention the task rewards. This cub would absolutely pretend not to notice.

250 had never encountered such a troublesome host before—so many things required its direct assistance, and his mental development was not even fully mature.

The reason why all memories were erased completely after every mission was also due to fortune.

There is always gain and loss; it is rare to find anything in this world that is perfect. Even the best fortune comes with some regrets.

250 admitted that its decision in this matter was not entirely correct, but it still strongly agreed with the main system’s suggestion—to turn all task rewards into tools for reclaiming the cub’s lost fortune.

It feared that the cub, out of gratitude for being born into that family, might willingly hand over all of his fortune. But those people didn’t deserve it!

So, it made the decision on the host’s behalf. Just reclaiming a portion of his fortune had already produced such noticeable effects. This disaster was not entirely a bad thing for them.

At the very least, the cub would have at least three years of happiness.

Even if, three years later, they would still have to face the same harsh environment as before, a grown-up An An should be able to handle it.

…

At first, Gairo was extremely cautious. He refused to believe that such a perfect place for living could exist in this world and constantly imagined all sorts of dangers.

Every day, as soon as he woke up, he would patrol the area first. Only after a week did he finally accept reality—such a beautiful living environment truly existed.

There was an abundant water supply, prey was easy to catch, and there were many delicious fruits. In less than a month, they had raised the little tiger back to his previous state—perhaps even a bit fatter than before.

The deer here tasted great, and maybe because they had lived in this place for so long without natural enemies, they were incredibly slow-witted. Even when the little tiger lay on their heads, nibbling at them, they didn’t realize they were in danger.

After eating the same food for six months, the cub started to feel fed up. He simply couldn’t accept eating only one kind of food for so long—he even felt like he could taste it when he burped.

Gairo, who once ignored certain prey, was now willing to spend extra time and effort to catch them, just so the cub could enjoy a bit more variety in his diet.

Autumn in this place didn’t bring many changes—only the leaves gradually turned yellow and fell to the ground. More and more unknown fruits almost piled up in An An’s little den.

Before any of them realized it, winter suddenly arrived, bringing the first snowfall.

The little tiger stood there, stretching out his paw to let the snowflakes land on his ears and palms. Memories of the previous winter still lingered in his mind.

The monotonous food, the near disappearance of Gairo, the long journey, falling into snow pits during every hunt, and his mother’s injuries.

All of those awful memories made An An dread the snow. He sulked in his den for an entire day, barely touching his food.

Maya, after hearing from Gairo that the cub hadn’t eaten, found a ripe fruit in the snow and placed it in front of him. The sweet fragrance made the little tiger unconsciously open his eyes to take a look.

Just a glance, just one glance—there should be no harm in that.

But after one look, he couldn’t look away.

As a seasoned foodie, the little tiger could instantly tell what kind of fruit would taste good. And this one—just looking at it made his mouth water, threatening to mess up his fur.

In the cold weather, he treasured his fur, keeping it meticulously groomed every day. It was as if the tiger who once declared he would shave himself bald was a completely different person.

“Don’t worry, this place is much better than where we lived before.”

Maya noticed the little tiger’s unease and gently stroked his head. Gairo also shifted into his human form and brought out a beautiful leaf he had struggled to find, hoping to cheer the cub up.

The little tiger had always believed that every winter would be just like the last, and his gaze filled with confusion.

“Every season is different, and each year is different too. No one can accurately predict the future.”

Recently, Maya had discovered a type of tough tree bark that could be dyed using flower petals or leaf sap. She experimented a little.

The little tiger, an unknown mutated breed, had some patches of longer fur. While he was eating, she braided the long fur on his head and tied it with a string.

Once finished, she examined it carefully—it was delicate and adorable, perfectly suited to the cub.

Compared to the harshness of the previous winter, this one was almost gentle. Even the water hadn’t frozen over, and steam still rose from the surface.

The little tiger loved to sneak his paws into the water when Maya and Gairo weren’t around, secretly soaking them.

Even in winter, the number of deer didn’t decrease. The now-grown An An could occasionally even catch one himself.

The little tiger was growing steadily. The ideal living conditions made it clear that he had never suffered much—his fur was still as pristine as it had been years ago.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed. The little tiger, once small enough to hang onto Gairo’s leg like an ornament, was now only slightly shorter than him. Yet he still acted spoiled like when he was young.

Whenever something happened, he would roll around in front of his mother, throwing tantrums. Maya, unable to resist, still pampered him just as she had when he was a cub.

The system could sense that this place wouldn’t last much longer. There was no way that all the wonderful things in the world could belong solely to them. So, about three months in advance, it issued a warning.

“Cub, this place is going to disappear soon.”

“Awroo?”

The medium-sized tiger, sunbathing, froze when he heard those words, his outstretched paw stopping midair. He had thought he could stay here until he grew as big as Gairo.

This place was too good—he couldn’t bear to leave.

“At most, three months, and this place will be gone.”

An An didn’t want to hear that. He covered his ears with his paws as if blocking out the words would make them untrue.

“Cub, it’s time for you to grow up a little.”

The system helplessly reminded him. When they first arrived in this place, it had been relieved that he could grow up safely. But after living in such a peaceful place for so long, it started to feel that this wasn’t entirely a good thing.

Gairo had no intention of teaching An An how to hunt. Even now, he still treated him like a several-hundred-pound little tiger, pampering him just as he had when he was small.

“Awuu…”

An An nodded his head to show he understood, but deep down, he still didn’t want to believe it. He just followed Gairo on hunts for longer periods, learning a little, just for show.

Maya had always remembered the exact date she picked up the little tiger. By her calculations, it was about time for An An to come of age.

She was a half-beast herself and knew that, in many ways, half-beasts were at a disadvantage compared to beastmen. So as the anniversary of the day she found An An approached, her anxiety grew. She was afraid that this little one would end up just like she once had.

An An had no idea why his mother was so tense. He was even a little puzzled. He picked a flower that he thought was the most beautiful and placed it in front of Maya, hoping it would make her a little happier.

Maya stroked the little tiger’s head, thanked him, and prepared him an even more lavish dinner.

In the original storyline, the original host had been a half-beast, so An An assumed that he might be one too.

Having always been treated like a little ornament and kept close, he had never really thought about the vast difference between half-beasts and beastmen.

He had a very relaxed attitude about it. If he could become a strong beastman like Gairo, that would be ideal—then he could protect his mother and Gairo.

But even if he ended up as a half-beast like his mother, that wouldn’t be bad either. An An was actually looking forward to seeing what his transformed form would be like. If he could keep his favorite fluffy ears, just imagining it made him happy.

Seeing that An An was still goofing around as he neared adulthood, Maya wanted to sit him down and explain the differences between beastmen and half-beasts. But Gairo stopped her. He didn’t think it was necessary to burden An An with pressure too soon—especially about something that couldn’t be changed, no matter how much he knew.

One day, the little tiger had a dream. He dreamed that he was napping in an orchard.

All the fruits in the orchard were ripe. He tried his hardest to jump up and taste one, but no matter how long he struggled, he still couldn’t reach them.

Frustrated, An An sat up in his half-asleep state, his eyes barely open. Through the narrow slit of his vision, he vaguely saw—this wasn’t a dream! There really were a lot of fruits! And beautiful flowers, too!

Early that morning, Gairo and Maya had already started preparing. They patiently waited for An An to wake up. When they saw him finally open his eyes, they both said in unison:

“Congratulations on becoming an adult.”

“Awuu?”

The little tiger was completely confused. Adult? He absentmindedly batted a fruit with his paw and popped it into his mouth to chew.

Seeing his utterly baffled and adorable expression, Gairo couldn’t resist and gave his fluffy head a good, hard rub.

“Coming of age means today is the day you’ll find out whether you’ll become a beastman or a half-beast. What do you want to be?”

Gairo didn’t want to pressure An An, but for whatever reason, he still hoped An An would become a beastman.

Only strength could guarantee survival on the plains. No creature was an exception.

As soon as he finished speaking, a clear young voice rang out from the other side.

“I want to become a tiger…”