[Author’s Note] Wow, the rankings just shot up out of nowhere! I’m kind of flabbergasted. Thank you for reading it! Please spare just two seconds to tap that recommendation button at the top. I was so overjoyed to have surpassed the maximum number of recommendations yesterday! 😭
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18. High Risk, High Return – 052 – High Risk, High Return #1
【So what happened?】
Lao-Hoo let out a big gasp as if he found my story fascinating.
Feeling that he was keenly focused on the sounds escaping my mouth, I thought, finally, the opportunity has come!
━ But as you said, I’m just a newborn beast and a rather insignificant one at that. It’s obvious that I don’t quite fit in with the precious Mao. So, perhaps I should know my place and step back…
It seemed like the best move for me to leave the location to avoid causing any more trouble.
━ You think I’m cute and adorable!?
Mao, who had been frolicking in Father’s arms, came to an abrupt halt.
Lao-Hoo’s enormous face leaned in closer to me again.
【Oh ho! You talk a lot, don’t you?】
With a big inhale that felt like he was sucking the very soul out of me, he grinned devilishly.
【Did you use your brain a bit? You’re not as dim-witted as I thought. Quite impressive for a savage from the south.】
Hrm! Lao-Hoo rumbled deep in his throat, sounding like he was pondering something before he finally declared with a refreshing, 【Alright.】
━ So, does that mean I can leave now? And what about the reward for saving your daughter…
Just as I was about to say something more, I was cut off.
【Reward!】
That booming voice thundered over mine like a freight train.
All sounds faded away, leaving only Lao-Hoo’s voice echoing around me.
【Alright then. Jin is destined to be the ruler of the forest and all living things. If we strip him of even a fair opportunity based on his birthright, he’ll be treated like a low-life. You… I grant you permission to become Mao’s champion. That’s your reward.】
How about that? That’s a pretty groundbreaking offer, right? Lao-Hoo seemed to think he had put forth an unbeatable suggestion.
It feels like older, high-ranking folks have this kind of attitude, doesn’t it? They seem to think everyone will be ecstatic with their choices just because they made them.
━ What does becoming a champion even mean?
【It means determining my successor. It means becoming the next ruler of the Western Forest, or rather, everything.】
‘Ruler of the Western Forest?’
That was an unexpected twist that perked my ears right up.
Suddenly, images of Lao-Hoo’s garden, filled with an abundance of vegetables and animals frolicking across the vast Western land, flashed through my mind.
‘What an immense amount of experience points. This opportunity is a treasure!’
I could call it the ladder to the social status I had once dreamed about.
【Qualifications aren’t given to just anyone. But you’re making me smile, so that’s something!】
Lao-Hoo burst into contagious laughter, shaking his large body with glee, clearly enjoying the praise I thought could win me some favor.
I looked at his gigantic mouth and sharp teeth while contemplating what I had just heard.
The chance to become the ruler of the Western Forest.
Like a long-cherished dream, I thought about surviving long enough to someday outshine all forest rulers and become the master of the World Tree.
Now that such an opportunity was practically in my grasp, my chest tingled with excitement, and I couldn’t help but grin.
‘The master of this vast and bountiful West!’
I tried to calm my fluttering heart and maintain a level head.
‘It’s such a good opportunity. But maybe it’s too good to be true…’
The one thing I truly learned from my days as a human was that nothing comes for free.
Most things require a price.
And it was no different in this strange beastly world.
In fact, it’s a place where even getting a meal can be a life-or-d*ath struggle.
My firsthand lesson in survival was that to earn rewards or significant outcomes, effort drenched in sweat and bl**d was essential.
With high rewards come significant risks.
‘This is an enticing offer, but I can’t just cheer mindlessly without a care.’
I felt the urgency to understand what this ‘champion’ truly entailed.
‘Vague explanations about being the ruler of the Western Forest raise too many doubts.’
Just as I was deep in thought, my brain almost melting from processing all of this, Lao-Hoo interrupted me.
【I can hear the gears turning in that head of yours. You must be having a tough time grasping all this with your limited knowledge. Since you are a newborn beast from the South, it’s only natural you won’t understand everything.】
It seemed like Lao-Hoo could sense my confusion stemming from the scant information I had, and he spoke again, slowly and heavily.
Sure enough, he seemed to possess wisdom from years of experiences, or perhaps even a hint of mind-reading ability.
【In the West, we hold a grand festival every ten summers. On that day, the finest beasts gather in my garden under the name of Lao-Hoo. It’s truly a magnificent sight.】
Lao-Hoo’s dim blue eyes drifted through the air, as if reminiscing about the glorious days he once witnessed.
【Among them, the champions qualified for the contest will come together, various strong beasts, many I’ve never heard of before, to engage in epic battles. They’ll fight and fight, and the last one standing gains the right to challenge me.】
━ Challenge you for what…?
【In the West, only one creature can invoke the word ‘challenge.’ That would be Jin.】
Lao-Hoo stood up straight, lifting his head high towards the sky.
━ W-Whoa!
That sudden action made Mao, who had been prancing on Lao-Hoo’s back, stumble and nearly dig her claws into his fur.
Lao-Hoo, showing no care for his daughter teetering toward the ground, kept gazing endlessly at the sky.
What could he see with those distant eyes of his?
He looked both like an ancient tree waiting for lightning and a sage with divine insight.
Rain trickled down his long whiskers.
Soon, Lao-Hoo opened his mouth again, this time with a serious resolve.
【The last champion standing in battle earns the opportunity and right to sink their claws and fangs into your neck, Jin. That’s a tradition of the Western Forest that’s lasted for thousands of years before you were even born.】
Listening to Lao-Hoo’s explanation, my mind generated scenes straight from a coliseum or like legendary warriors in fierce duels.
The winning champion gets the right to challenge the throne—similar to a title match for a championship belt, if you will.
Now I began to understand why Lao-Hoo had claimed I could be the ruler of the Western Forest.
It was a bit different from what I had imagined, but it wasn’t a lie.
Lao-Hoo, who had been looking up into the sky, slowly descended back down.
【But the youngsters these days seem uninterested in challenging me. That’s why I changed the rules slightly about a century ago. The champion can choose between the right to challenge me or another prize from winning the battle.】
Hmph, these youngsters are getting weaker and weaker. It’s getting harder to find those who can talk and think. Lao-Hoo scoffed, shaking his head in disdain.
He seemed ready to recount tales from ‘my day’ at any moment.
‘The right to fight the ruler of the Western Forest…’
I assessed my combat power against the enormous tiger standing before me.
Given my various battle experiences, I figured I could manage not to lose, but it wouldn’t be easy to see myself winning either.
As I continued to grow, whether I won or lost, I’d need to be prepared to fight to the d*ath.
━ So what is this other reward, anyway?
【Are you thinking about choosing the reward instead of challenging me? That’s a bit disappointing. I was expecting the ferocity of a southern beast.】
Lao-Hoo bared his fangs like a beast starved for the thrill of battle.
━ Let’s hear it, then.
【Hmph, rewards change every year. And the reward for this festival is…】
Just as Lao-Hoo was about to elaborate, he suddenly paused, humming thoughtfully.
I raised an eyebrow in curiosity, wondering what could be holding him back.
Then Lao-Hoo let out a monumental sigh, as if the earth would cave in beneath it.
【Yohan, is the magpie Yohan around?】
At that moment, a rounded bird flitted from a nearby tree and landed daintily at Lao-Hoo’s feet.
It was the sparrow I had seen earlier.
━ Master, Yohan has not yet returned.
【Ah, so you’re the sparrow Pepe. Yohan is still gone, huh? It’s been quite a while since I sent him south to gather intelligence… I wonder if something may have happened…】
━ That Yohan fellow, right? He’s probably too busy enjoying some rendezvous with female peacocks. This isn’t the first time he’s slacked off and played instead of working.
The sparrow chirped nonchalantly, brushing off the concern like it was nothing.
Since they were talking about Yohan, who I had likely devoured, I was quite amused by the sparrow’s casual response.
However, Lao-Hoo seemed to be deep in thought, humming.
【You mentioned you escaped from the south, didn’t you? Have you seen any soft, round magpies wandering around down there?】
I felt a chill run down my spine at Lao-Hoo’s question.
But I had expected this question since stepping into Lao-Hoo’s garden.
━ I haven’t seen any.
When telling lies, it’s best to keep the answer short and simple.
If I dared to ask, ‘What’s a magpie?’ or add various sound effects, I might reveal a gap in my story and make matters worse.
【I see. That makes me a bit worried. That friend has never gone missing for this long… Pepe, send a few more birds south to search for the magpie.】
━ I’ve already sent them.
【Excellent. Well then, for the time being, Pepe, you’ll have to fill in for Yohan. So, explain this summer festival in more detail to this white-furred creature here.】
Pepe the sparrow tilted his head questioningly at Lao-Hoo’s instructions.
━ Master, are you considering making this creature a champion for the festival? He’s an outsider, not from the West!
【Yes, that’s correct. But times are changing. We must adapt accordingly. Though my sight may be cloudy, my nose and ears remain sharp. I can sense unusual winds blowing. I heard that Yan-Mite from the South and Kublai from the East suffered severe injuries.】
━ That’s correct. My friends heard this from the spiders, so it must be true.
The sparrow seemed to place full trust in the information he received from the spiders.
It was likely me and Yan-Mite who had severely injured Kublai, and Yan-Mite had recently been wounded by the hunters that had infiltrated the forest.
‘The information travels surprisingly fast even in the woods. Is this the power of the forest’s ruler? And what’s with the spiders spreading rumors like that?’
They said that when the Queen Snake El-Gasa from the South fell, the spiders and scorpions spread the word, too.
Pepe was chirping and seemingly licking his beak when he took a moment to query further.
━ But how does this relate to our current discussion…?
Lao-Hoo picked up on the sparrow’s question and responded.
【Kublai and Yan-Mite may seem like mere pups and lizards before me, but they are certainly not weaklings. In about a hundred years, they’ll grow strong enough to challenge me indeed! If someone managed to wound them, it means a significant event is brewing.】
━ Well, they may not match your power, Master, but they are still considered rulers of their respective forests. It’s only natural for challengers to come with injuries, isn’t it? Worrying too much won’t change anything…
【Yes, you could think that. But no, this time is different. Something unprecedented is about to happen. Not everything is as it appears. I know. Just recently, I saw a black lion in a dream.】
Lao-Hoo let out rough breaths, his fur bristling in alarm.
【That pitch-black fur, the massive mane, and the venomous claws! Its red eyes loomed over me from atop a high cliff. It was definitely Suka…!】
━ Master, no! That was just a dream! It’s not real!
【No, the only creature capable of injuring the ruler of the forest is Suka. That beast thought dead has returned without a doubt. He’s coming back to reclaim what was rightfully his…!】
With that, bl**d began to drip from the scarred skin beneath Lao-Hoo’s fur.
