Headache was the first thing Yan Yu’an felt upon waking up.
He was soaked through, his black hair dripping water. His dark eyes stared out at the lush forest with a complicated expression, a chill rising from the depths of his heart.
How did he end up here? Yan Yu’an frowned. A light stubble had grown on his chin—it looked like he’d been unconscious for quite a while.
3050. A planet had collided with Planet Z, which was already in the midst of a once-in-a-millennium disaster—bodies littered the ground, and the people were destitute. The planet crashing into Z Planet had been the final straw that broke the camel’s back…
In the second before the collision, Yan Yu’an had been in a Z-Nation laboratory, researching a serum that could unlock five times a person’s potential. Just as he was about to succeed, he felt the earth shake violently. A blinding white light flashed before his eyes—and when he opened them again, he was here.
Yan Yu’an brushed the weeds off himself and stood up. As a complete weakling in combat, he had relied on his sharp mind and been tightly protected by Z-Nation since the apocalypse began. Now, stranded in this unfamiliar place, he truly felt helpless.
Just as he was wondering what to do, something seized the collar of his shirt.
“Holy sh—” he yelped. The wind howling past his ears made his head ring. The faint, lingering scent of blood in the air made him gag—though that smell had been common since the apocalypse… Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a massive, furry head and his heart sank. Well, this is it for me, he thought.
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before the lion tossed him onto the ground.
“So you’re finally going to eat me?” Yan Yu’an murmured, his eyes vacant. If it hadn’t been for the nation’s protection back then, he definitely wouldn’t have survived the first day of the apocalypse. Now, his time had come.
He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the lion to swallow him whole.
The big lion looked impatiently at the ape-man in front of him, curling his lip in disdain. “Hey, why are you different from the other ape-men?”
Yan Yu’an was stunned. He cracked open one eye to observe the lion.
“I’m an ape-man?” Yan Yu’an was dumbfounded. “Wait—how can you talk?” He froze. Seeing that the lion didn’t seem to have any intention of eating him, he couldn’t help asking.
“Talk?” The lion seemed to have heard the funniest joke. Then, right before Yan Yu’an’s eyes, he transformed into human form.
The man before him was about 1.9 meters tall, with dark skin and deep, teasing eyes fixed on Yan Yu’an. His golden curls were tangled and loose, hanging messily behind him. His pert nose leaned in to sniff Yan Yu’an, the mole on its bridge shifting with the motion: “You smell different from those disgusting ape-men.”
Yan Yu’an staggered back in shock, a drop of sweat sliding down his forehead. He stared at the man in fear. He’d seen all sorts of things since the apocalypse, but a lion turning into a human was a first.
“I’m not like those ordinary beastmen.” The man’s deep blue eyes were locked onto Yan Yu’an with rapt attention. Suddenly, he stuck out his tongue and licked the sweat off him—so fast Yan Yu’an didn’t even react. “You’re not an ape-man.” The man tilted his head, his gaze landing on the mole at the corner of Yan Yu’an’s eye. He reached out and touched it, his rough hand rubbing against the skin, making Yan Yu’an frown at the slight sting. Then the man said: “You should be a mutant, right? Why are you afraid of me?”
Yan Yu’an didn’t understand what the man was talking about at all. He shrank back, but was immediately grabbed by the scruff of his neck.
“So pale… are you from the White Fox clan?”
Yan Yu’an didn’t dare move an inch. He stared warily at the man, who then asked: “What, are you mute?”
“Whatever, mute or not.” The man carried Yan Yu’an along as he spoke. “Did you just differentiate? How can you be this weak?” He raised an eyebrow at Yan Yu’an.
Yan Yu’an pressed his lips together and whispered, “No.”
The man acted like he hadn’t heard and kept carrying him along.
Yan Yu’an frowned, a flicker of surprise crossing his pale face. He weighed 130 jin (about 65 kg) as a grown adult male—how could this man carry him so easily?
A lion… Yan Yu’an lowered his gaze, already scheming.
After what felt like forever, the surroundings opened up. Stone houses dotted the area. The men were all dark-skinned—some dragging bloody venison, others hauling stone—while the women tended to herbs or other fruits and food plants in the yards outside their homes.
“This is my tribe,” the man said. A bunch of children swarmed around them, shouting: “Xie Ji! Is this prey you brought back for us to practice hunting on?”
“Call me Chief.” Xie Ji smiled. He was always friendly with the young ones, which was why the little cubs adored him. He set Yan Yu’an down and patted one of the children on the head. “No one’s allowed to eat him without my command.”
The child scrunched up his face, flicking his tail behind him. “Fine, fine. But he’s so pretty! If we do get to eat him later, can I be the one to bite his neck off?”
Yan Yu’an’s face went pale. He scanned his surroundings, weighing his chances of escape, then helplessly dropped his head. He definitely couldn’t get out of this. Might as well just wait for death…
Xie Ji smiled, noncommittal. Then he glanced at the other tribesmen working nearby and said quietly to Yan Yu’an: “Do you know why I’m not eating you?”
Yan Yu’an shook his head. He saw the man smile and heard him say: “Every mutant has a unique skill. You’re the fourth mutant I know of.” He paused, a glint flashing in his eyes. “I don’t want the other two to know you exist.”
He looked at Yan Yu’an and led him into a tall stone house before continuing: “You must have only differentiated recently, but that’s fine—it’s enough.” He casually tossed a fur garment to Yan Yu’an. “I won’t waste words. I want you to help me deal with the other two.”
Yan Yu’an frowned, instantly understanding the situation.
This world seemed different from the one he’d come from. It was more like the primitive society of Z-Nation, except the “primitive people” here were animals rather than apes—and these animals could shift back into their original forms. The “mutants” the man spoke of seemed to be a group distinct from ordinary beastmen.
Yan Yu’an looked up at Xie Ji. He didn’t know why this lion had mistaken him for a mutant, but right now, pretending to be one was the only way to avoid being eaten. He gave Xie Ji a somewhat shy smile. The red mole at the corner of his eye made him look particularly striking, and even disheveled as he was, his features were hard to miss.
For some reason, Xie Ji’s face flushed slightly. He turned his head away uncomfortably and said: “Don’t smile at me like that. Just because I’m not eating you now doesn’t mean I won’t later.”
Yan Yu’an quickly nodded and said softly: “What do you need me to do?” To survive, he had to please this lion.
“I want to know what your ability is.” Xie Ji was quite satisfied with how obedient this mutant seemed. He nodded approvingly.
Yan Yu’an felt a bit helpless. “I only differentiated recently, so I don’t know yet.” He blinked. “Can you tell me what your ability is?”
Xie Ji was surprised. How could anyone in this forest not know who he was? He gave Yan Yu’an a sweeping glance, cleared his throat, and said with some pride: “I can—” He stopped mid-sentence, as if thinking better of it, then scowled fiercely at Yan Yu’an. “Why are you asking so many questions? Just put on the clothes. Once you’re dressed, our tribe won’t eat you.”
Yan Yu’an looked at the fur garment in his hands, then back at Xie Ji, feeling awkward.
“What are you standing there for? Waiting for me to dress you?” Xie Ji said impatiently.
Yan Yu’an looked at the piece of fur that could barely cover his lower half and said quietly: “Could you step outside…”
Xie Ji: “Go where? This is my house.” He shrugged. “I told you, I’m not going to eat you. Look at those rags you’re wearing—what a state.”
There was no reasoning with this lion. Yan Yu’an pressed his lips together and reluctantly began to undo his clothes. Xie Ji stared at him without blinking: “Are you really from the White Fox clan? Aside from those cunning foxes, I’ve never seen any other race this pale.”
Yan Yu’an’s face grew warm. He draped the fur over himself but had no idea how to fasten it around his waist, fumbling with it for ages.
“You’re definitely not a White Fox—they’re not this dumb.” Xie Ji clicked his tongue in annoyance, walked over, and tied the fur in place for him. “There. That’s better, you silly fox.”
For now, Yan Yu’an didn’t want to go back to where he’d come from. Even if everything here was inconvenient, even if he faced the constant risk of being eaten, it was still a hundred times better than that terrifying place. The thought made him shudder involuntarily.
“What are you afraid of? I told you—as long as you help me deal with the other two, I won’t eat you.” Xie Ji looked at him, puzzled, not understanding what he was still scared of.
Yan Yu’an shook his head. “Then how am I supposed to help you deal with them? What do you need me to do?” His voice was a little low.
Xie Ji smacked his lips and said: “Hmph. You White Foxes have never been able to stomach bloody business. Don’t worry—I won’t make you do anything gruesome. And since you’re still a cub, all you need to do for now is master your ability.” He bared his sharp fangs. “I’ll give you seven days. If you still can’t control your ability by then…” I’ll eat you.
Xie Ji didn’t finish the sentence. Seeing the fear on Yan Yu’an’s face, he grew displeased again: “Why are you so scared of me? All the cubs in our tribe love me.”
Yan Yu’an didn’t understand. He was a 26-year-old human—why was he being called a cub by this lion?
Xie Ji let out a cold snort, his big tail thumping against the ground with a crackling sound.
“Where will I sleep for these seven days?” Yan Yu’an asked quietly.
Xie Ji looked at him in confusion, then relaxed his furrowed brow after a long pause: “You build your own house, of course. What, you want to stay with me?”
Yan Yu’an: “…” Even as smart as he’d been before, he’d never built a house in his life. What was he supposed to do with this mismatch of skills?
“Alright, you stay in the tribe and build your house. I’m taking them out to hunt.” Xie Ji said, walking out of the stone house first. “But I’ll warn you—the other lions here aren’t as easygoing as me. You’d better not go causing trouble on their turf.”
TOC | More chapters later
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