As the Flying Sedan descended, the hulking shape in front of the little cottage became increasingly clear.
“Ah, is that it?” Ming Ruan exclaimed in surprise, patting the gray wolf’s head.
Xie Gewen’s ears flattened from the pat, but he remained fixated seriously on that figure.
It was the white tiger that had fought the gray wolf that day.
And right now, the white tiger raised its massive head, looking towards the Flying Sedan.
The gray wolf locked eyes intently with its golden gaze.
Just which beastman is this?
Could it be the one he suspected?
At that moment, Ming Ruan let out a startled gasp. “What a coincidence!”
Ming Ruan had been about to find someone to ask what was going on. The moment he opened his Light Brain, he spotted an unread message from his Boss.
Boss: “Apologies, the tiger I asked you to look after might be delivered momentarily. Hope this isn’t too abrupt.”
Boss: 【Image】
It was a perfectly formal, neatly composed head-and-shoulders ID photo of a fluffy animal. Proper, serious, meticulous.
Ming Ruan compared the photo his Boss sent with the creature crouching before his door.
The fur color, the eye color, the stripe patterns—identical.
Except the one sitting at his doorstep wore an enormous Bite Guard.
What an unbelievable coincidence.
Remembering the last time this tiger had carried him in its mouth, racing him halfway across the forest, Ming Ruan’s heart started pounding again.
But it wasn’t fear—it was excitement!
Since this was entrusted by the Boss, safety-wise, there was surely no need to worry!
He had a big cat now, hahahaha!
Nervously taking a deep breath, Ming Ruan opened the Flying Sedan’s door.
Before he could step out, a silver streak and a red streak shot out beside him like arrows.
Running, Xie Gewen remained vigilant for the white tiger’s movements. He’d heard Ming Ruan take a nervous, deep breath. Clearly, the unpleasant experience from last time had left a shadow. He had to test for Ming Ruan first: was the beastman before them rational?
As for Shi Huai, Shi Huai simply sensed something was amiss. This wolf had only just arrived! How could yet another tiger show up? He wanted to see what this was all about—why were they all flocking to Ming Ruan’s side!
However, before the wolf and the fox could get close to the white tiger, the crouching tiger abruptly stood up.
Its thick tail swept behind it. Its golden eyes fixed on the two creatures before it. The whites of its eyes suddenly began to redden more and more. Its whole aura abruptly surged! Because of the Bite Guard, it couldn’t open its mouth. The white tiger could only emit a continuous, deeply menacing, threatening growl from its throat.
The beastman was not in a Lucid Period! It was instinctively rejecting any approach!
Danger!
Taut as a bowstring, Xie Gewen stared down the white tiger, locked in a standoff.
Suddenly, a brisk breeze whisked past him.
“Hi! Kitty!” Radiant, sunny, and self-assured, Ming Ruan walked right past the gray wolf towards the white tiger, his expression glowing like a senior student hitting on a junior in the school halls.
Xie Gewen’s pupils constricted sharply!
He watched as Ming Ruan drew closer and closer to the white tiger. Those colossal claws were mere inches from Ming Ruan. It would only need to stretch out a paw and swipe lightly—
Xie Gewen didn’t care about anything else. He threw himself towards Ming Ruan at top speed.
At the same moment, Ming Ruan shyly walked up to the white tiger, squatted down in front of it, and waved. “Hello there!”
The white tiger was truly enormous. Once Ming Ruan squatted, he had to tilt his head all the way back just to look at it.
The white tiger glanced down at Ming Ruan out of the corner of its eye, a flicker in its gaze. Its paw slowly lifted.
At the critical, hair-trigger moment, Ming Ruan was tackled to the ground by a flash of silver light!
The white tiger paused. It looked at the gray wolf that had pinned Ming Ruan to the ground. Its golden eyes flickered with confusion, disapproval, and then scrutiny: “…?”
Shi Huai, who’d been stunned on the sidelines: “?” Council Speaker, you…?
Ming Ruan lay on the ground, encircled within the gray wolf’s protective stance. Carefully, he whispered, “…What, what’s the matter, baby?”
The gray wolf shot a sharp, knife-like glare at the white tiger, its expression filled with unwavering, protective resolve.
And the white tiger, under this intense scrutiny, flipped its paw over. Within its pad, a round Space Button was revealed.
A flash of light shone from the Space Button. An assortment of items appeared on the ground, categorized. Food, Nutrient Solution, some exquisite and cute little knick-knacks, and… a bouquet of flowers.
Xie Gewen: “………”
The white tiger paid the gray wolf before it no further mind. It walked over to the bouquet, and through the Bite Guard, nudged the bouquet towards Ming Ruan with its nose.
Its mind was chaotic.
Why was it here? What had happened before?
It couldn’t quite recall. But it knew…
The white tiger’s gaze fixed unwaveringly on Ming Ruan.
It had come looking for this person. This person, who would let it relax, who would make it—
The live stream room, which had been deathly silent and on edge for a long while, finally saw someone speak up.
【Th-That’s… ‘Starburst’, isn’t it…】
【Which beastman is this? Seems like they came specifically to find Ming Ruan.】
‘Starburst’ was a flower officially cultivated based on the Star System’s emblem pattern after the unification of the Alpha Galaxy, to commemorate the past before venturing into the Universe and to celebrate the arrival of the Cosmic Era.
Precious and not easily obtained. Only the central region of the entire star system had a cultivation base.
Anyone wanting to acquire one had to submit an application on their Light Brain. Not only did they need to clearly state the giver and the recipient, but even the purpose, the relationship between both parties, and provide corroborating event details.
Thus, ‘Starburst’ was used only to convey a certain solemn and profound emotion.
After someone broke the ice, the live stream room gradually returned to activity.
【Scared me to death! This is that tiger from last time, right?】
【Seeing this tiger up close for the second time, does anyone dare discuss those golden eyes? No one’s talking, huh?】
【I know what you want to say. Does anyone seriously think this could be the Adjudicator just based on eye color alone? Don’t make people laugh.】
【The fact that the previous comment wasn’t censored means it probably really isn’t him…】
【Of course it’s not. My grandfather met with the Adjudicator at the Research Institute just yesterday.】
【Not interesting. Let’s drop it.】
Ordinary citizens could make absurd, bold guesses lightly, and just as lightly dismiss them all.
But another group, also watching Ming Ruan’s live stream, could not.
Inside a resplendent, retro-style building, a white-gloved butler reverently picked up an empty teacup from the floor.
The tea hadn’t been drunk, but rather, the moment the nobleman saw the white tiger appear, his trembling hands had shaken the last drops onto the floor.
And now, a Noble Lord, usually leisurely indulging in a life of luxury, was pacing rapidly around his room with no regard for decorum. A large Light Brain screen stood before him. On that screen, there were many others like him, equally restless and uneasy.
“Investigate!” Their voices trembled. They couldn’t even manage full sentences; it was unclear whether from excitement, elation, or terror.
“Even if the Adjudicator has beastified, it might not be so easy for us to investigate.” Someone, having slightly composed themselves, remarked.
“Then go test that newly appointed Executor!” The Noble Lord abruptly stopped his pacing, spun around, and spoke with exaggerated expression. “The Royal Family wanes, the Adjudicator holds all power alone, and now even the Council dares to ride roughshod over us commoners along with those common rabble!”
“The Era of Beastification is our only chance to turn the tables, gentlemen! The technology for Reverse Therianthropy must be in our hands! And I trust the Sanatorium Zone will ultimately fall into our hands as well!”
“If that esteemed Adjudicator has truly, unfortunately beastified, this is the opportunity the Universe grants us!”
“Without that hidebound Adjudicator obstructing us, we would have so many ‘resources’ to carry out those experiments, wouldn’t we?” In the dim room, the Noble Lord’s words were sinister and cryptic, a hint of a smile glinting within. “Find someone to go test that newly appointed Executor. I hear the Adjudicator cares about him greatly.”
