After they ate their fill, Lin Yao made sure Luma finished the remaining pain relief herb. Then she lifted the cub into her arms and started moving again, hoping, desperately, to find signs of civilization.
She found it faster than expected.
Too fast.
As they moved past a cluster of tall rose bushes, Lin Yao froze.
She heard voices. Low, rough, unmistakably male.
Luma's ears twitched frantically in her arms. "Yao-jie?"
"Shh, Luma. Everything's fine."
Peeking through the bushes, Lin Yao saw a tiger beastman with smooth bronze skin, wearing pants made from animal hide. His striped tail swayed lazily behind him, ears upright, faded scars lining his arms.
More beastmen passed behind him. They were all clothed, relaxed.
Her stomach dropped.
Tiger tribe.
Panic surged through her as she quickly ducked back, crouching low with Luma clutched tightly to her chest.
She stared down at herself.
Still completely, painfully naked.
She groaned under her breath. "How am I supposed to get clothes like this? System, can't you help me?"
Silence.
Of course.
Luma blinked up at her, clearly confused.
Lin Yao forced a smile. "Looks like we found other beastmen," she said dryly. "The same kind that wanted to eat you."
Luma stiffened. Panic flooded her eyes.
Immediately, the system responded.
[Warning: Host must not frighten Dependent.]
Lin Yao frowned. "Oh, so now you can talk?"
[Host is currently endangering Dependent by approaching a tiger tribe with a weak body.
Failure to protect Dependent will result in punishment.]
Lin Yao hissed. "Then give me clothes."
[I am not responsible for Host's personal comfort.]
[This is punishment for refusing to hunt and increase strength as a carnivore.]
Lin Yao let out a long, exhausted sigh. "So I'm on my own."
She looked down at Luma, who was watching her whisper to empty air, then gave her a gentle smile. "Let's go back."
Luma nodded.
Still crouched, Lin Yao began backing away.
But then, a tiger beastman suddenly pushed through the bushes.
Their eyes met.
Wide surprise flickered across his face then amusement.
"Well, well," he drawled. "Look what we have here."
"Oh no."
Lin Yao jumped to her feet instantly, turning her body and covering Luma's eyes.
[Warning! Host must protect Dependent.]
Lin Yao spun to run. But another tiger beastman stepped into her path, blocking her escape with a wide, knowing grin.
"Hi, there," he said.
Lin Yao wrapped her arms tighter around Luma, who was trembling violently against her chest.
"Stay… stay away from me," she said, hating the way her voice broke.
She didn't know what to do.
Running while carrying an injured child, when she was already weak, was nothing more than a death wish.
[Warning! Host must protect Dependent.]
The system's voice echoed relentlessly in her head.
Then tell me how! Lin Yao screamed silently, panic clawing up her throat.
No reply.
Of course.
The system was silent again.
"Aww, look at her."
Laughter broke out behind her.
The tiger beastmen were amused.
"Stop it, Jin Yi," one of them drawled, his gaze dragging shamelessly over her exposed body. "You're scaring her."
Jin Yi tilted his head, his gaze flicking from Lin Yao's twitching tail to the rabbit cub shaking in her arms.
His lips curved into a lazy smile.
"Funny," he drawled. "Big Brother Li said he fought a lioness yesterday."
Lin Yao's blood ran cold.
"She injured him pretty badly," Jin Yi continued, his yellow eyes gleaming. "Stopped him from getting his lunch."
Luma stiffened in her arms.
Jin Yi stepped closer and suddenly grabbed Lin Yao's arm before she could retreat.
"…That was you, wasn't it?" he asked softly, his grip tightening.
Lin Yao couldn't answer. She couldn't breathe.
Her arms tightened around Luma as every instinct screamed at her to run.
Jin Yi's smile widened.
"It was," he said, certain. "And now I'm going to kill you and take that cub as my lunch."
His gaze swept over Lin Yao again, slower this time.
"On second thought…" he mused. "I think I'll keep you. Females are rare, after all. You'll make a lot of babies for me."
Lin Yao's face went deathly pale.
She wrenched her arm free. "Let go of me!"
Then, she ran.
But Jin Yi was faster. So were the other tiger beastmen nearby.
"Please... help!" Lin Yao gasped. "System... please!"
Her arm was suddenly yanked back, her body pulled violently toward Jin Yi.
"Where do you think you're going?" he snarled.
Luma screamed.
Jin Yi's glare burned into Lin Yao. "You—"
Lin Yao didn't think. Her teeth sank into his arm, the taste of blood flooding her mouth.
Jin Yi snarled. His backhand struck her hard enough to steal her breath, white-hot pain tearing through her jaw as she hit the ground hard.
Her vision burst into white, the world tilting violently and then he was on her.
His hand closed around her throat. Tight.
Too tight.
Her breath cut off instantly as he lifted her just enough that her feet barely touched the ground. Panic spread through her chest as she clawed at his wrist, drawing blood but he wasn't letting her go.
"I've changed my mind," he snarled. "I'm going to rip you apart."
Black spots crowded her vision.
[Warning! Host must protect Dependent.]
Luma. She wasn't holding Luma!
"YAO-JIE!" Luma's voice cracked mid-cry, sharp with terror and desperation.
Lin Yao's heart lurched painfully. Her grip tightened around nothing as her strength bled away. She could see Luma on the ground, reaching for her, violet eyes wide and wet...
I'm sorry…..
A thunderous growl ripped through the clearing.
Every beast froze.
A massive white leopard exploded from the trees, moving like death.
He hit Jin Yi mid-motion, the impact brutal enough to shake the ground. Bone cracked. Jin Yi's grip snapped open as he was slammed into the earth.
Lin Yao fell hard, rolling onto her side and curling around Luma without thinking, shielding the cub with her own body as snarls, roars, and the wet sound of flesh colliding echoed around them.