Chapter 35 It Has Chosen to Follow You

The Earthsplit Tiger King strode toward the young man, coming to a halt before him, gazing down from above. Xu Han felt the tiger king’s gaze upon him and slowly raised his head to meet its eyes. His own were calm and clear, untouched by fear or panic.

The golden kitten sensed its father’s presence. It turned its head, calling out with soft cries as if pouring out its heart to its parent. The Earthsplit Tiger King looked at its child, its eyes full of tenderness. It let out a low growl, as if answering its offspring. The little one fell silent, closing its mouth, returning to stillness.

The tiger king then turned to Xu Han and spoke in a deep voice, “Human, my child tells me you rescued it. Thank you very much.”

Xu Han smiled, gently ruffling the little tiger’s head. The cub squinted its eyes, clearly relishing his touch.

“No thanks are needed,” he replied, then glanced toward the two black-clad corpses. “Tiger King, these two may have harbored ill intent. They sought to drive a wedge between you and humans, hoping to use you to attack the city.”

The tiger king nodded slightly, its gaze sweeping over the bodies. “I will be wary of their kind from now on. They will not get another chance to use me.”

Xu Han nodded, rising to take his leave. The tiger king called out, “Wait.”

Xu Han turned back, puzzled. The tiger king stamped its paw; a string of golden pendants flew toward Xu Han. He reached out and caught it. It was a small, round orb, filled with golden sand that shifted as the pendant rolled in his hand. He inspected its properties.

[Quicksand Pendant]
[Quality: Gold]
[Strength +50]
[Constitution +50]
[Agility +50]
[Skill 1: Summon Quicksand (Summons a mass of quicksand to attack enemies. The quicksand can be used in any manner. Lasts 1 minute. Cooldown: 5 minutes.)]
[Description: A pendant filled with abundant quicksand, capable of causing great trouble to enemies.]
[Equipment Requirement: Level 15]

Xu Han’s heart leapt with joy. A gold-grade pendant! On the market, such an item would fetch at least a hundred thousand, if not more—and even then, it might not be available. Jewelry-type equipment was exceedingly rare.

The tiger king spoke, “This is the item at my side with the lowest usage requirement. Take it as a token of gratitude for helping me recover my child. Henceforth, you will always be my friend. Should you ever require assistance, you may come to my lair. My kin will not trouble you.”

Xu Han nodded. “Many thanks.” He looked at the tiger king’s child, waved with a smile, and said, “Farewell, little one.”

With that, he turned to go. Yet the little cub called out, its cries tinged with reluctance. It stumbled after Xu Han on unsteady legs.

The tiger king turned to its child, growling low, but the cub shook its head stubbornly and continued toward Xu Han.

Xu Han was taken aback. What’s going on? Is this little one unwilling to part with me?

He looked up at the tiger king, who seemed equally helpless in the face of its child’s insistence. The great beast sighed and explained, “It says you have delicious food, and wants to stay with you.”

Xu Han scratched his head. Meat prepared by his own hand was undoubtedly far tastier than raw flesh. No wonder the little one, lured by good food, would rather follow him than its own father.

The tiger king barked a few orders, but the cub protested, calling out as it edged closer to Xu Han, defiant even as it complained.

The tiger king’s voice gradually softened, as if conceding. It turned to Xu Han with a resigned tone, “It does not wish to return with me. If you are willing, let it follow you.”

Xu Han blinked. “Follow me?”

The tiger king gazed down. “Do you refuse?”

Xu Han looked at the palm-sized creature before him and felt a headache coming on. Feeding it good food had actually brought him unexpected trouble. The little cub rubbed its furry head against his hand, letting out a soft, hopeful whimper. It was more satisfying to pet than any cat!

He nodded. “Very well, let the little one stay with me.”

The tiger king gazed deeply at its child. “I hope you will not let it suffer. Otherwise, I will not forgive you!”

Xu Han nodded solemnly.

The tiger king cast one last, lingering glance at its child before turning and walking off into the depths of Woodland Town. Yet the little cub showed no sign of regret at its father’s departure. It licked Xu Han’s hand with its tongue, its bright eyes full of longing.

Catching the hint, Xu Han brought out another piece of meat and held it to the cub’s mouth. The little one’s eyes sparkled as it devoured the meat with relish.

“Right, best to sign a contract first,” he reminded himself.

Everyone could form a contract with a beast, making it their companion in battle. Only one beast could be contracted at a time, unless one possessed special skills or professions. The method was simple: drip fresh blood on the beast, summoning the contract array. If the beast accepted and entered the array, the contract was sealed.

Xu Han took out the Dragon’s Fury Fang and drew it across his finger. Blood dripped onto the cub’s head, matting a few tufts of fur. Instantly, a mysterious magic circle appeared between them. The cub, busy gnawing its meat, paid no attention. Xu Han grabbed the scruff of its neck and, like picking up a chick, deposited it into the array.

Light flared, the circle shrank, and vanished. Xu Han felt a new link in his mind.

He focused, and an attribute panel appeared:

[Name: Earthsplit Tiger Cub]
[Race: Tiger]
[Level: 1]
[Strength: 40]
[Constitution: 50]
[Agility: 25]
[Spirit: 10]
[Skill 1: Earthsplit Claw LV.1 (Channels earth energy into its claws, greatly enhancing their destructive power and increasing armor penetration by 20%. Cooldown: 2 minutes)]
[Skill 2: Tiger’s Roar LV.1 (Lets out a mighty roar, intimidating weaker beasts nearby, causing them to fall into fear. Strong beasts are unaffected. Cooldown: 5 minutes)]
[Skill 3: Sandstorm LV.1 (Kicks up a sandstorm, dealing minor damage and blinding enemies. Cooldown: 10 minutes)]

Such high stats for level one! Xu Han was thoroughly satisfied. Once the cub’s level rose, its strength would surely become terrifying. If trained well, it might even surpass its father, the Earthsplit Tiger King.