While Luma buried her face into Lin Yao's chest, sobbing uncontrollably, Lin Yao stared ahead in shock.
More tiger beastmen had arrived, forming a loose circle around the scene. They looked tense but none of them dared jump into the fight.
Jin Yi lay crumpled on the ground.
He had been thrown off the massive leopard, his body torn apart with deep claw marks raked across his stomach, blood soaking into the dirt. One shoulder hung at an unnatural angle, flesh mangled. His neck was slick with red.
Lin Yao's stomach twisted.
The other tiger beastmen rushed to Jin Yi's side, checking his pulse. Someone cursed under their breath.
"He's out."
Slowly, their glares lifted.
Toward the leopard.
The beast turned.
And walked toward Lin Yao.
Lin Yao's breath hitched.
Its white fur was streaked with blood, muscles rolling beneath its coat as it moved with terrifying ease. Sharp, unreadable Icy blue eyes locked onto her.
Fear crawled down her spine.
Her arms tightened around Luma instinctively.
What the hell was going on?!
"How dare you hurt one of our own?!" one of the tiger beastmen snapped.
The leopard finally turned its head, glaring at the group. Its long tail swayed slowly.
Then, those eyes flicked back to her.
Lin Yao swallowed hard.
"C-come on, sweetie," she whispered, forcing herself to move. "We need to…"
She tried to stand.
Nothing happened.
Her legs didn't respond.
[Punishment Activated: Lower body paralysis. Duration: Six hours.]
Lin Yao's eyes widened in horror.
"What…?!" Her inner voice broke. "Why?! What did I do?!"
[Host placed Dependent in extreme danger.]
[Host engaged in behavior leading to near-fatal outcome.]
[If not for external interference, Dependent would be deceased.]
The system paused.
[Enjoy your punishment.]
Lin Yao clenched her teeth, fingers digging into the dirt as panic rushed through her.
She couldn't feel anything below her waist.
Nothing.
Luma shifted in her arms.
Slowly, the cub lifted her tear-soaked face, violet eyes trembling as they searched Lin Yao's.
"Yao-jie…" her voice wobbled. "Are you… okay?"
Lin Yao's chest burned. She forced a smile..
"I'm fine," she lied.
The leopard released a deep, rumbling snarl.
The sound tore through Lin Yao's chest.
Luma squeaked in terror, clinging tighter, and Lin Yao gasped, her heart slamming violently against her ribs.
Around them, the tiger beastmen erupted with shouts of anger, confusion, and alarm. Some moved to lift Jin Yi's broken body.
Then, a blinding white glow engulfed the leopard, its massive silhouette warping, reshaping as the beast shrank and stretched.
And where the leopard had stood, a man now stood instead.
Lin Yao froze.
He was tall. Broad. Built from hard muscle, his pale skin etched with strength. Long white hair spilled down his back like a cascade of snow, and icy blue eyes looked down at her with a sharp, unreadable intensity.
White ears twitched atop his head.
A long white tail swayed lazily behind him.
His lower body was wrapped in white fur cloth, covering what needed to be covered. Thankfully.
"What is wrong with you?"
His voice was deep, surprisingly calm.
Lin Yao blinked, stunned. "I… I.."
"Are you even listening to us?!" one of the tiger beastmen snarled, rage boiling over.
Another began shifting into his beast form.
The leopard beastman frowned and turned his gaze on them.
The moment his eyes landed on the group, one of the tiger beastmen sucked in a sharp breath.
"Wait," he gasped. "It's.. it's Su Rui."
The name hit like a stone dropped into water.
Everything stopped.
No one moved.
No one attacked.
Lin Yao stared at his back, confusion spiraling. Su Rui?
Was he important?
Su Rui's lips curled faintly.
"You fools," he growled, his eyes sliding to Jin Yi's broken body. "You dare lay hands on what is mine?"
Lin Yao's breath hitched. "Mine?!"
Her mind screamed. "What do you mean by mine?! I don't even know you! System?! Explain!"
No reply.
"She trespassed into our territory!" one of the tiger beastmen argued bitterly.
"And I am here to take her with me," Su Rui said flatly. "Let that fool be a reminder of what happens when any of you touch her again."
The tiger beastmen exchanged uneasy looks but none challenged him.
Su Rui turned back to Lin Yao. "Can you stand?"
Lin Yao swallowed. "No."
He sighed and stepped forward.
Before she could react, his arm swept in and lifted Luma from her grasp.
"No!" Lin Yao cried, panic exploding as Luma screamed and reached for her.
"Yao-jie!"
"Don't hurt her!" Lin Yao gasped desperately, clawing at the ground, terror flooding her veins.
Su Rui glanced at Lin Yao briefly, then looked down at Luma. His expression softened noticeably.
"I'm not hurting you," he said calmly. "I'm carrying you. Hold on tight, alright?"
He carefully lifted the cub, mindful of the splint on her leg, and placed her gently on his shoulder.
Luma squeaked in surprise, her small hands immediately tangling in his white hair as she clung to him. Her ears twitched, violet eyes wide then slowly, her lips curved into a tiny smile.
"Oh," she whispered, peeking down at Lin Yao, who was gaping at the scene in disbelief. "Will you carry Yao-jie too?"
Su Rui hummed in response.
Before Lin Yao could react, he crouched and scooped her up effortlessly.
The sudden loss of ground made her gasp and then the awareness hit her all at once.
She was naked. Being carried. By a grown man.
"No... no, no, put me down!" Lin Yao squirmed in his arms, even though she still couldn't feel her lower body. Her hand pressed instinctively against his warm, solid bare chest before she yanked it away like she'd been burned.
She glared at him. "Let me down."
"No," Su Rui said simply, already walking away, completely unfazed.
Lin Yao's face burned as panic set in. "Why are you helping me? I didn't ask for your help!"
His icy blue eyes flicked to her, calm and assessing.
"You really want to know why?" he asked quietly.
Something about his tone made her stop struggling.
"Yes," she breathed.
"You're an idiot."
Lin Yao blinked. "…What?"
"You are an idiot," he repeated, expression deadpan.
Her lips parted in stunned disbelief.
Meanwhile, Luma perched happily on his shoulder, swaying with each step. She was loving the ride.