NOVEL NEXT 5. The Rolling Tiger
The system hadn’t anticipated that its host could level up just by sleeping. Faced with Jiang Mo’s confident retort, it was momentarily speechless. After much persuasion, the little white tiger simply rolled over, deciding to sleep for two more days on the spot.
Frustrated, the system’s light orb circled Jiang Mo twice before whispering in her ear, “Host, aren’t you hungry?”
A cub’s nature revolves around sleeping and eating.
The little white tiger was three days old and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, hadn’t eaten anything yet. Her digestive system was brand new. If she hadn’t leveled up three days ago, barely adjusting her body to peak condition, combined with the advantages of her divine beast race, these three days would have been enough to starve her to death. However, even though she hadn’t starved, it didn’t mean the newborn white tiger who had slept for three days wasn’t hungry.
Sure enough, the moment the system finished speaking, a rumbling sound emerged from Jiang Mo’s stomach. She pressed a paw against her belly, her round tiger eyes glaring at the system, somewhat embarrassed and angry.
The system was oblivious to this, looking at the hunger value on the data panel and gently coaxing, “Host, you’re hungry, right? When you’re hungry, you should eat. Cubs shouldn’t deprive themselves, or they won’t grow big.”
In the next instant, there was a whoosh of air as the smug light orb was swatted away again.
The system persistently flew back, bouncing up and down in front of Jiang Mo: “Host, host, let’s go find something to eat.”
Jiang Mo retracted her paw and rolled over, turning her back to the system: “Not going. With my pathetic combat power, I can’t even catch a rabbit. What do you want me to eat? Dirt?”
Hearing this, the hovering light orb wobbled, suddenly realizing that the Combat Power of 5 on the data panel might have truly discouraged the host. But it was clumsy with words and didn’t know how to console her. Moreover, it had bluntly stated earlier that the host might be kicked to death by a spirit rabbit… What a sin, what a sin. It was all because of its excessive honesty, saying whatever came to mind.
After a brief moment of self-reflection, the system regained its vigor, circling around to face Jiang Mo again: “It’s alright, host. Although you can’t catch a spirit rabbit, there are spirit fruits growing nearby. The system can scan for them for free.”
Bah, making a tiger eat fruit? Is that something a decent being would do?!
The little white tiger showed no interest, placing her paw down and rolling over again. She had already experienced leveling up; it was an all-around improvement in her physical condition, even resetting her hunger. She’d rather sleep for two more days waiting to level up than struggle to find fruit to gnaw on. At least after leveling up, her combat power would increase somewhat. Maybe then she could catch a spirit rabbit?
The system seemed to guess her thoughts again and suddenly murmured, “Fragrant fruit is still easier to swallow than bloody raw meat. Don’t you think so, host?”
Jiang Mo involuntarily shuddered. She had only remembered that tigers eat meat, how could she have forgotten about raw meat?
After a long silence, Jiang Mo suddenly asked, “System, what’s your full name?”
It had been three days, and the host had finally thought to ask about this. The system was so excited it nearly burst into tears. It immediately answered in a spirited voice: “Greetings, host. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am the Life Peak System, number 223. My main function is to assist the host in achieving success and smoothly reaching life’s pinnacle!” It then added in a mumble: “Any kind of life pinnacle.”
At this moment, Jiang Mo didn’t grasp the deeper meaning behind the system’s additional comment. She pondered for a moment and said, “In short, system, your purpose for existing is to assist me?”
This statement was somewhat one-sided and self-centered, but the system didn’t deny it: “Yes, host, so the system will absolutely never harm you.”
Jiang Mo nodded, her face serious: “So what can you assist me with?” Without waiting for the system to answer, she asked about her current situation: “For example, if I level up and catch a spirit rabbit, but don’t want to eat raw meat, can you help me roast it into a fragrant roasted rabbit?”
The system seemed to have never encountered such a question before. After all, which of its predecessors’ hosts didn’t treat them like treasures? The system’s database glitched for a moment before it stuttered a reply: “I, I suppose so.”
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Roasted spirit rabbit was just a fantasy; with Jiang Mo’s current strength, she couldn’t catch one. Finally, under the system’s persistent harassment, the little white tiger shook out her fur and stood up. After all, sleeping on an empty stomach wasn’t very comfortable. Since the system insisted, she might as well go see these so-called spirit fruits.
And so, under the system’s guidance, the little white tiger took her first step in searching for food in her tiger life.
This was an unfamiliar forest, with ancient trees so tall they almost blocked out the sky. The yellow light orb floated through the air, passing through protruding branches as if they didn’t exist, unhindered in the slightest.
The system led the way leisurely, in stark contrast to the little white tiger following behind, stumbling along the way. She was indeed a very small white tiger cub, not large to begin with, and appeared even smaller against the backdrop of the massive trees around her. The tiny white tiger was already clumsy at walking, and the uneven ground with occasional protruding roots made it even more challenging.
Finally, the little white tiger, forced to hop along, grew tired and lay down on a protruding tree root, unwilling to go further: “System, how much farther are these spirit fruits you mentioned? If we keep going, I’m going to die of exhaustion.”
The system, having finally lured its host out, immediately floated back. Seeing the little white tiger so tired that her tongue was almost hanging out, it felt a pang of sympathy and quickly assured her: “Not far now, not far. It’s just ahead, less than a hundred meters in a straight line.”
The little white tiger was panting heavily, but hearing the specific distance of a hundred meters, she mustered her strength once more.
Jiang Mo had never known that walking through a forest could be so difficult, nor that four legs could sometimes be more tiring than two—probably due to her currently short legs. Nevertheless, after much struggle, she finally covered that hundred-meter distance. She tilted her head back, then further back, until she lost her balance and fell over, still unable to see the spirit fruits the system had mentioned.
Well, well. The system had led her to the edge of a cliff, then excitedly pointed to the mid-air cliff face, saying, “Look, host! The spirit fruits are up there, all red and smelling delicious.”
“…” The useless little tiger, expressionless, swatted the system away with one paw.
The system wobbled back, full of grievance: “Host, why did you hit me again?”
Jiang Mo ground her tender claws, very much wanting to stomp on it again: “So these are your spirit fruits? Do you think I can climb up this high cliff to pick fruit?!”
The system silently calculated for a moment, naturally reaching a negative conclusion. The light orb flickered pitifully: “Well, you could have just said so. I’ll go up and pick them for you. Was it necessary to get physical?”
Hearing this, Jiang Mo’s eyes lit up, a glint of triumph flashing in her golden tiger eyes.
The system immediately caught this and solemnly stated: “Just this once. It’s only because the current situation is special. I won’t help like this in the future.” It then lowered its voice, muttering, “It’s so energy-consuming.”
Jiang Mo waved her paw dismissively, placating it: “Alright, alright, just this once. When I level up, I’ll do it myself.”
The system was actually quite easy to appease. Satisfied with her response, it wobbled a bit before floating up into the air.
It went quickly and returned just as fast, carrying a bunch of red fruits within its light orb—not much larger than cherries, grape-like clusters of about a dozen. Even from a distance, Jiang Mo could smell their fresh fragrance.
The hungry little white tiger swallowed, her prejudice against vegetarian food vanishing. But just as she took a step forward, the system’s mechanical voice urgently rang out: “Host, run! There’s an eagle coming from above!”
An eagle’s cry sounded at that moment, and the black speck in the sky gradually grew larger.
In the next instant, the red spirit fruits fell in front of Jiang Mo. The little white tiger, without time to think, grabbed the hard-earned fruits in her mouth and ran. She looked just like a melon thief being chased.
The eagle flew fast, and the little white tiger ran clumsily. In a moment of carelessness, her paw caught on a tree root.
Unable to stop her momentum, she face-planted and rolled forward several times. When she finally stopped, the entire tiger was dazed from the fall. Only one fruit remained in her mouth from the whole bunch. As she shook her head to clear it, she noticed a hem of cyan-colored clothing entering her field of vision.