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18. High Risk, High Return
054 – High Risk, High Return #3
━ The reward for this festival is none other than the eternal snow pine that has grown in the garden. Lord Lao-Hoo plans to put out something he’s cherished for hundreds of years.
Upon hearing Salome’s answer, I realized that something was going horribly wrong.
━ When you say eternal snow pine, does that mean it’s the thing that appears invisible…?
━ That’s right! It’s such an outrageous reward. They say that the eternal snow pine is filled with the blessings of Mother World Tree. Just by eating it, one can awaken talents! It lives up to its name as a flower that blooms only once in a millennium!
━ Th-that’s amazing.
I felt the bl**d in my whole body chill.
The transparent flower I had carelessly eaten was swelling from a little snowball into a giant snowball of trouble.
‘Oh boy, I really messed up.’
While I was nervously shifting my eyes left and right, the Harpy Salome continued to flap her wings and flew off somewhere, speaking in a hefty and serious tone.
━ But this reward doesn’t just end with obtaining a precious flower. Obtaining the eternal snow pine means inheriting everything from Lord Lao-Hoo.
━ What do you mean by that?
━ The eternal snow pine contains the memories of Lord Lao-Hoo and his wife, Lady Stella. To obtain it here in the west means becoming part of Lord Lao-Hoo’s family.
Salome paused for a moment, as if to catch her breath, before continuing.
━ In other words, it means becoming Mao’s partner. This festival is all about finding a wedding partner for Mao’s coming of age.
━ Ah.
I thought I was starting to understand what being Lord Lao-Hoo’s heir really meant.
Becoming a great warrior and being the last victor of this festival would mean getting a direct chance to challenge Lao-Hoo or, if that didn’t work out, becoming Lao-Hoo’s son-in-law and inheriting his legacy.
‘But I’ve already eaten that eternal snow pine—what happens now?’
Various chaotic thoughts tangled and twisted in my head.
Then suddenly, one question hit me.
━ But Mao is a gigantic cat, right? So what happens if the champion warrior is clearly a different species… like a raccoon or a lizard?
I recalled how species worked back on Earth.
There are no baby animals born from two different species.
That’s just the law of nature.
Salome seemed to ponder for a while before confirming what I had asked.
━ Are you asking if cross-species mating is possible?
━ Exactly.
━ It’s definitely impossible for cross-species mating. While relationships are possible, fertilization won’t happen. I’ve heard that from Mother World Tree, talents exist that allow reproduction regardless of species, but that’s just stories and legends.
━ So cross-species breeding is only something in legends?
━ Precisely! It’s that talent known as “cross-species breeding,” like you mentioned.
As Salome explained this, I recalled the achievement titled ‘Possible’ that I had unlocked and the skill titled ‘Cross-Species Breeding’.
I hadn’t thought much of it before, but it seemed to indeed be a remarkable ability.
‘If I remember correctly, Eve mentioned that magical beasts like Behemoths breed through cross-species methods…’
I couldn’t pinpoint the reason why, but I could guess it was because magical beasts were generally scarce, needing to target females of other species.
‘Wait, are there female magical beasts too?’
I imagined a female Behemoth that looked a lot like me.
It would probably be super cute.
But ultimately, since it would still look like a beast, I doubted I’d ever feel drawn to it.
‘I mean, there should be a certain level of human-like features, right?’
I lifted my head to glance at the Harpy Salome.
Between the legs I was holding were her muscular thighs and the delicate crevices in between.
━ Don’t look up. I’ll drop you.
Salome said, tightening her grip on my shoulder with remarkable strength.
I quickly turned my gaze elsewhere.
If I fell to the ground from this height, I would drop several meters down; even with my strong body, I might end up like a flattened fish jerky!
━ A Cheshire Tiger, mind you.
Gradually regaining her composure, Salome corrected me again with seriousness.
I nodded and opened my mouth.
━ Right, Cheshire Tiger. Anyway, Mao is a Cheshire Tiger, right? Then what if the champion warrior is clearly another species? Like a raccoon or a lizard.
I brought to mind the world I lived in, Earth.
It’s a known fact that mixed-species couples don’t have offspring.
That’s just the way of nature.
After contemplating my question for a while, Salome replied with a thoughtful tone.
━ So you’re asking if interspecies mating is possible?
━ Yes!
━ It’s certainly impossible. The relationship itself can happen, but they can’t reproduce. I’ve heard from Mother World Tree that talents exist capable of reproduction regardless of species, but that all sounds like legends or gossip.
━ So they can only breed in legends?
━ Exactly! Just as you said, that’s what they call the talent called “interbreeding.”
Thinking back on Salome’s explanation, I remembered the power of the skill ‘Interbreeding’ I achieved.
I hadn’t taken it seriously before, but now it seemed like a remarkable skill.
‘If I remember correctly, Eve mentioned that magical beasts like Behemoths reproduce through interbreeding…’
I couldn’t understand why, but if I had to guess, perhaps it was because magical beasts were naturally scarce.
So they would end up targeting females of other species.
‘Could there be female magical beasts too?’
I began picturing a female magical beast Behemoth that closely resembled me.
She’d likely look incredibly cute.
But being a beast, it would probably not hold any charm for me.
‘Nevertheless, there must be some human-like traits to make it appealing.’
I looked up at Harpy Salome as she held me.
Through her legs, I could see her strong thighs and the delicate slit between them.
━ Don’t look up! You’ll be dropping!
Salome’s grip on my shoulder tightened as she kept flapping.
If I fell from this height, it would be a hefty drop, and no matter how tough I was, I might just turn into a flat fish snack!
━ I’m not a Cheshire Tiger!
Calming down a bit, Salome corrected me one more time.
Nodding, I opened my mouth again to clarify my point.
━ Sure, Cheshire Tiger. Anyway, Mao is a Cheshire Tiger. So what happens if the festival winner is a completely different species? A raccoon, perhaps? Or a lizard?
Reflecting on my life back on Earth kicked in some realizations.
A mix-species couple wouldn’t have any kids.
That’s just nature’s law.
After pondering my question for a bit, Salome seemed to finally grasp my frustration.
━ So you’re asking whether interspecies mating is even a thing, huh?
━ Precisely!
━ Absolutely impossible, I’m afraid! Relationships may happen, but the actual act of reproduction won’t. I’ve heard that Mother World Tree granted the ability to reproduce regardless of species, but that’s more of a myth than reality.
━ So interspecies mating is just a fairytale sort of thing?
━ Yup! It’s all part of this lovely tale called “interbreeding.”
I recalled my achievement of eternal life and the nifty skill, casting a grin.
Oddly enough, achieving this game-like ability felt great, like something significant laid ahead.
‘If I remember right, Eve mentioned how magical beasts like Behemoths have offspring through interspecies mating…’
Although where this stemmed from eluded me, I figured it was likely due to magical beasts needing to be compatible with other species out of sheer desperation.
‘Could there actually be female magical beasts?’
That line of thought sent my imagination running wild.
I envisioned a cuddly female version of myself, sporting fluffy fur and adorable features.
Yet still, as much as I thought of it, instincts told me that love between beasts wouldn’t play out as I expected.
‘For a relationship to blossom, they ought to possess some relatable human traits, right?’
I cast my gaze upward and examined Harpy Salome once more, attempting to distract myself.
Gazing between her legs, I couldn’t help but notice her sturdy looks and the alluring grace that accompanied them.
━ Don’t look up! Hands off!
Salome’s grip tightened, but she suddenly burst out in laughter.
I felt my heart flutter as if I were a contestant in a wild animal show, caught between wolves and wonders.
━ By the way, it’s dangerous so stay close!
While I pondered my fate, Salome kept adjusting herself.
Now I began to notice her feathers and hair fluffing up, picking up elegance amidst her wild nature.
━ That cave over there.
Preening herself like a prim lady, Salome approached the entrance as if preparing for a royal audience.
I followed her lead, feeling a tingle of apprehension.
Wet fur met dry grass as I shifted, feeling my fur settle in like I was wearing freshly pressed clothes.
‘Why am I getting nervous?’
If she’s anything like Eve, she would possess immense power coupled with mysterious abilities.
The way rain avoided falling near her cave hinted at the vast powers at play.
Before long, we reached the cave’s entrance, where Salome stood before the dark abyss, clearing her throat, preparing herself for whatever awaited inside.
━ Elder, I’ve arrived! It’s Salome, daughter of Herodia! This is a guest of Lord Lao-Hoo…
She paused, glancing at me with a tiny whisper, seemingly unsure if I had a name.
I reflected on my name.
‘Wait, is it Alpha White Dog now?’
Pointing out Alpha was fine but tacking on White Dog made me feel like an adorable fluffball!
━ My name is Alpha.
The second I voiced my name, a strange shiver ran through me.
For reasons beyond my understanding, energy surged through my veins.
━ So you have a name after all. I figured if you could take down a Stalker, you’d at least have a name!
Salome transformed her demeanor and became purely formal.
━ Salome and Alpha have come seeking your wisdom, Elder! Are you here?
Within the cave, a shuffling sound appeared in response to Salome’s polite inquiry.
“Did you say… Alpha…?”
