Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Chen Ji: "..."

It was Chen Ji's first time realizing that spicy crispy pork hotpot could attract tigers.

...After all, if egg yolk pies could conquer wild wolves, then this didn't seem so strange after all.

Chen Ji silently turned around—keeping his head twisted back for too long was a pain in the neck. He wasn't sure if his little superstitious trick actually worked, but despite such a noticeable movement for a feline, the tiger didn't even spare him a glance.

System Cat shrieked, "Chen Ji! It's going to eat your lunch!"

They had only brought two boxes of self-heating hotpot for this mountain trip! For a moment, System Cat didn't know whether to be relieved it had finished its own portion or to deeply mourn that Chen Ji had only taken two bites.

Chen Ji tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "That's still better than me becoming its lunch."

System Cat paused. "What I mean is, I've already taken the photo for you, but don't post it online. I'm afraid you'll get cyberbullied for feeding a National Grade-1 protected animal self-heating hotpot."

"...If I make it back alive, I'll definitely post it." Chen Ji stared at the white tiger. What else could he do?

This was a tiger—one swipe of its paw could flatten an iron gate. What could he possibly do against this snow-furred, gem-eyed, doll-like tiger?

All he could do was let it be, while inwardly crying and begging, "Dear ancestor, please don't kill me, just leave quickly!"

The white tiger padded lightly and gracefully toward the full box of steaming self-heating hotpot. It elegantly lowered its head to sniff but didn't lick it, instead taking a step back.

Chen Ji had been slightly worried the tiger might burn itself, but seeing it show no intention of licking, he actually felt a wave of relief.

System Cat also let out a long sigh. "Your lunch is safe... Holy shit!"

The white tiger circled the self-heating hotpot and began walking toward Chen Ji.

Chen Ji couldn't be sure if the tiger's target was him. His breathing quickened uncontrollably, but his body slowly leaned forward as he gripped the handle of the sickle on the ground.

Crouching down made the tiger in his field of vision appear even more terrifying, sending an accidental shiver down his spine as their eyes met. As the tiger drew closer, Chen Ji tightened his grip on the sickle, forced himself to take a few deep breaths, and waited for his moment.

Closer.

Chen Ji's arm trembled slightly.

Even closer.

The tiger's breath almost ghosted across Chen Ji's face, yet carried no particular odor. Chen Ji's body inexplicably stiffened, unable to move.

Suddenly, Chen Ji felt a thick coat of fur brush against his shoulder. His eyes widened as he turned to look, only to see the tiger pass by him just as before, its graceful, fluid body almost pressed against his arm. Chen Ji could even feel the taut muscles hidden beneath the fur.

Layer upon layer of snow-white fur smoothed down against Chen Ji's arm with the tiger's steps, then fluffed back up to its original volume after it passed.

He was like a wall, a pillar—a large feline rubbing against him as it slowly moved away. The tiger's thick, ring-patterned tail even hooked around his wrist for a moment, leaving a faint tickle. So accustomed to playing with System Cat, Chen Ji instinctively reached out to grab the tail.

Unfortunately, the large feline was too agile. With a light flick of its tail, it evaded Chen Ji's hand, then went to the stream to drink a few mouthfuls of water before disappearing into the forest.

Chen Ji and System Cat simultaneously let out a long sigh of relief. Chen Ji slumped to the ground, panting, too exhausted to speak. After a moment, he silently walked over to the self-heating hotpot and began eating.

System Cat, having held back for a long time, finally blurted out, "That little superstitious trick of yours actually worked pretty well... I really thought you were going to die just now."

Chen Ji's mind was open to System Cat, but it rarely bothered to delve into it, and Chen Ji wasn't fond of the feeling of being completely exposed. Today, however, Chen Ji's mental activity was too intense, forcing System Cat to read a fragment of his thoughts.

Chen Ji nodded, sweat trickling down with his movement and stinging his eyes with its slight saltiness. He rubbed his eyes, grabbed a nearby bottle of mineral water, and drank it all in one go before moving to the self-heating hotpot and eating it slowly.

Somehow, the scare had made the food taste even better.

System Cat muttered quietly, "Maybe we should head down the mountain today... Your hometown's too dangerous..."

Chen Ji was in a daze, only grasping the surface meaning of System Cat's words—why would there be a tiger on the mountain?

He had lived here for seven years and had never heard of tigers on the mountain.

It was so beautiful—he'd never seen a tiger so magnificent.

No, why was there a tiger on the mountain? Did it only arrive in the last couple of years?

"Chen Ji! Chen Ji!"

Chen Ji jolted suddenly, his thoughts snapping back to the present as if he had been yanked from the sky back into his own body. A thin wisp of black smoke rose from his sweat-drenched hair...

Chen Ji detected a burnt scent.

Exactly like the smell he had encountered when his computer fried.

"8839," Chen Ji said softly.

System Cat, though aware it was safe inside Chen Ji's mind where he couldn't reach it, still trembled involuntarily. "Well... I called your name several times..."

Chen Ji retorted, "And that's your reason for electrocuting me?"

"..." System Cat fell silent for a moment before cheekily setting off a heart-shaped firework in Chen Ji's mind. "That just means we have chemistry!"

"Hmph." Chen Ji didn't bother arguing further. He quickly finished his meal, refilled his water, and asked System Cat to keep watch while he took a nap on the ground. Having just electrocuted him, System Cat didn't dare make a sound and kept watch obediently.

About half an hour later, System Cat woke Chen Ji. Despite usually being a late sleeper, Chen Ji woke up surprisingly fast. As he packed up, he said, "Let's head back today. Are you sure we can gather all the mission items on the way down?"

"I don't know~" System Cat said. "Let's keep our eyes peeled on the way back. Maybe we'll find them?"

Chen Ji immediately understood. He stuffed the trash into his bamboo basket, hoisted it onto his back, and set off—even if they couldn't gather everything, it didn't matter. They could always come back up the mountain tomorrow.

He had thought the weasel was an isolated case, and since he had never heard of large predators in this area, he figured an ordinary sickle would be enough to deal with common snakes and insects. That's why he hadn't brought his stun baton. But tomorrow, he wouldn't mind the weight—he'd definitely bring his beloved high-voltage baton.

Before leaving the clearing, Chen Ji peeled the sausages he had brought and placed them in a makeshift foil pan—he didn't know if the tiger had left, but even if it couldn't eat the self-heating hotpot, it might still enjoy the sausages.

He left them there as an offering.

The afternoon sun was much fiercer than in the morning, and the sudden chill upon re-entering the deep forest felt even more pronounced. Chen Ji held a trekking pole in one hand to probe the grass ahead and carried the sickle in the other. Clearly, he had become more cautious.

Chen Ji once again felt as if something was watching him.

He paused, casually took a seasoning packet from his pocket, and rubbed the white, crystalline powder onto the blade. System Cat watched his actions, confused. "Why are you rubbing salt on the blade?"

"Putting an enchantment on the blade," Chen Ji joked.

No sooner had he spoken than Chen Ji swung the sickle. With a sharp thud, a centipede on a nearby tree trunk was sliced in half. Chen Ji looked at the red-legged centipede, its body still writhing, and asked System Cat with an innocent expression, "Want a snack?"

System Cat: "...Yuck!"

Chen Ji chuckled lightly. Though he wasn't as energetic as when he had started, knowing the way home made his steps lighter. System Cat drawled, "Chen Ji~ Aren't you going to buy a stamina potion? Get one! If we run into another situation like earlier, you'll be able to run faster!"

Chen Ji thought to himself that even a hundred stamina potions wouldn't help in a situation like that, but he said aloud, "Sure, go ahead and exchange for one."

System Cat perked up, and the next moment, Chen Ji heard a notification: "Congratulations, host 'Chen Ji,' for obtaining Stamina Recovery Potion X1. It has been placed in your system inventory. Please retrieve it within 24 hours, or else..."

Before the prompt tone could finish, Chen Ji raised his hand to signal System Cat to cut it off. He quickly stepped into the nearby woods, looking up repeatedly. After confirming the appearance of the leaves and branches with his phone, he picked up a broken twig from the ground and snapped it in two.

The inside was indeed a dark red.

He had originally intended to cut a fresh branch from the tree but thought that since the tree had grown so large and must have been there for many years, the broken branch he picked up from the ground would suffice for the task. Why bother cutting a fresh one?

When System Cat saw the dark red break, it immediately thought of the bizarre things mentioned in Chen Ji's grandfather's notes. It cried out in terror, "Holy shit, why is it red?! This place is so creepy, Chen Ji, I'm so scared!"

System Cat responded guiltily, "...Oh."

Just as the man and the cat were bantering playfully, a dark shadow suddenly shot out from the grass behind him, lunging straight at Chen Ji's back. Sensing something inexplicably, Chen Ji turned around to see a King Cobra as thick as an arm striking at him like lightning. By the time he reacted, it was too late to dodge completely. He could only throw himself to the right, hoping to avoid the bite.

At that moment, Chen Ji's vision went dark as something furry brushed against his cheek. A deafening roar mixed with light, swift footsteps filled the air. Blinking, Chen Ji saw the white tiger he had encountered earlier clamp down on the King Cobra.

By the time Chen Ji looked, the tiger snapped its teeth shut, blood splattering everywhere. The snake's head fell from its lips, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.