Chapter 173: Xiaobao: I'm Scared

At this moment, Xiao Bao pointed fearfully at a monstrous Lion-Tiger Beast sprinting from afar.

"There... there..." He stammered, his usual fearless demeanor as the son of a wealthy tycoon completely gone. The sheer dominance of the Lion-Tiger Beast terrified him, rendering him speechless. He was so scared he might have wet himself if he hadn't remembered he wasn't wearing a diaper.

The bodyguards stood frozen, paralyzed by fear. Their captain wanted to protect the young master, but the aura of the Lion-Tiger Beast was overwhelming, pinning them in place.

"Y-Young Master..." he managed to yell, urging Xiao Bao to run.

The massive beast lunged, its shadow seeming to eclipse the sky.

Lin Fan turned, a smile on his face, and opened his arms as if to embrace the Lion-Tiger Beast. Of course, given their size difference, it was more like the beast embracing him.

They tumbled on the ground. Sharp claws raked against Lin Fan's body, producing a metallic clang. But there were no cries of pain, only Lin Fan's laughter.

"Hahaha, so ticklish! It tickles so much! Its fur is so soft, its body so squishy! Stop licking me, it really tickles!" Lin Fan giggled, shrinking his neck away.

The Lion-Tiger Beast's tongue, scarlet, steaming, and barbed, lapped at Lin Fan's face. Even a seasoned special forces agent would be flayed, if not killed, by such a lick.

But the scene wasn't gruesome. It was strangely joyful, like a playful dog in a park, nuzzling its owner for praise.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. It really tickles. I don't know where you came from, but you're really interesting." Lin Fan sat up, placing the beast's paw on his shoulder, and smiled at his friends. "See? It's really fun. I've never seen an animal like this before. Old Zhang, what do you think it is?"

Old Zhang, his brows furrowed in thought, stared at the Lion-Tiger Beast. "If I had to guess, it looks a bit like a cat."

The enraged Lion-Tiger Beast, about to tear Lin Fan apart, paused abruptly at Old Zhang's words. Its large, round eyes stared blankly at him.

A cat? Your entire family are cats! This beast is a Lion-Tiger Beast, not some weakling that relies on cuteness to grovel before humans!

Feeling deeply insulted, it opened its jaws and bit down on Lin Fan's head, sharp teeth gnashing, drool running down Lin Fan's cheeks.

"Ugh! That's disgusting, stop it!" Lin Fan wiped his face and tried to push the beast away. But the agile Lion-Tiger Beast leaped back, landing a distance away. It paced, its heavy paws thudding on the ground, warily watching Lin Fan.

Xiao Bao and the bodyguards stared, dumbfounded. They were utterly terrified.

"Lin Fan, you're so amazing!" Xiao Bao exclaimed.

Lin Fan chuckled. "Am I? I don't feel amazing. Xiao Bao, don't you think that cat is amazing?"

Xiao Bao followed Lin Fan's pointed finger to the massive beast. That wasn't a cat, that was a Lion-Tiger Beast, a terrifying one at that.

"That's a Lion-Tiger Beast, not a cat," Xiao Bao corrected.

"Oh, so it's not a cat," Old Zhang said. "That explains why it's so big. Our Xiao Bao is so smart."

Normally, Xiao Bao would have puffed up his chest in pride, but now he remained silent and still, like a frightened child.

The Lion-Tiger Beast knew this human was powerful. The Steel Bear's death was still fresh in its mind. It glanced at the Rooster, another beast, and roared.

"You traitor! You lured us here to be captured!"

The Rooster lifted its head and clucked. "I'm not a traitor! I'm a hero among beasts!"

Ignoring the Rooster, the Lion-Tiger Beast gathered its strength, its heavy paw cracking the ground as it charged again. Just before reaching Lin Fan, it slammed its paw into his chest. A full-force blow from a peak level nine beast – even a level nine Buddhist master wouldn't dare take that lightly.

Thump! The impact resonated like thunder, the force distorting the air. The Lion-Tiger Beast's expression changed. Not because Lin Fan was unharmed, but because…

Swish!

The Lion-Tiger Beast recoiled, its paw scraping the ground, trembling slightly. It hurt. It hurt a lot. It was supposed to be "hurt the enemy one thousand, harm yourself eight hundred," but this was more like "no harm to the enemy, one thousand harm to self."

Roar! Roar! Roars of encouragement came from the beast army. The terrifying Lion-Tiger Beast was their king. That foolish human was doomed, as was the traitorous Rooster.

The roars reached Yanhai City, making the special forces agents tense. The power was immense. It felt like being alone in a nighttime downpour, surrounded by lightning and thunder.

"Have the beasts gone on a rampage?" One-Eyed Man asked, staring into the distance. He could sense the rage in the roars. If the situation weren't so complex, he would have gone to investigate himself. But alone, he could only observe from afar. Getting too close would be disastrous. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the cigarette burning down to his fingers.

Ouch! He flicked his fingers, cursing himself for getting distracted.

"Are you guys coming or not?" He was getting impatient with the beasts. They were still lurking outside the city, and he, along with the other agents, was getting anxious. Lin Daoming, a Maoshan master, had gone from serious contemplation to playing a game on his phone to pass the time.

On another rooftop, Liu Ying was talking to his girlfriend. "Honey, don't worry, the beasts haven't arrived yet. I'm fine for now. I'll definitely stay alive. But honestly, if I die, will you miss me?"

"Huh? Become a widow for me? I'm so touched!" He teared up, moved by her words. Feeling a pang of guilt, he told her where he kept his secret stash of money, so she could live comfortably if he died.

At Qingshan Mental Hospital, Director Hao stood at the gate, gazing into the distance. He had hidden all the patients. His message to the beasts was clear: Don't damage my hospital, or else.

…

Sun Xiao addressed his livestream viewers: "Everyone, the situation seems unusual. The Lion-Tiger Beast isn't displaying its destructive power. I suspect that, despite being a beast, it still retains the predatory instincts of a wild animal. Wild animals often toy with weaker prey before killing them, to satisfy their twisted desires."

The comments exploded. "Sun, I'm speechless." "So, you're saying they're done for?" "Duh, the Steel Bear was strong, but this is a Lion-Tiger Beast, way more powerful."

Graduates of the Four Academies watched the livestream with serious expressions. News of a peak level nine energy fluctuation in Yanhai City had already reached them. Any stronger, and it would be a city-level beast. The thought of such a powerful beast sent chills down their spines. Even four equally powerful masters would need perfect coordination and be prepared to pay a price to defeat such a creature. Humans were simply more fragile than beasts.

Meanwhile, Lin Fan noticed the Lion-Tiger Beast lowering its body, its rear end raised, tail wagging. He wondered what it was doing.

"It wants to play fetch," Old Zhang declared. "I've seen it on TV. Dogs love fetching balls."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

Trusting Old Zhang, Lin Fan asked a bodyguard to bring a soccer ball. He aimed it at the Lion-Tiger Beast and tossed it high. The ball arced through the air and landed on the beast's face.

"Go fetch!" Lin Fan commanded, ready to walk his new "dog."

The Lion-Tiger Beast seemed confused, staring at the rolling ball, feeling insulted. That human… was mocking it.

Lin Fan turned to Old Zhang. "It doesn't seem interested."

"That's strange," Old Zhang said. "That's how they do it on TV."

"Lin Fan, I'm scared," Xiao Bao whimpered.

Lin Fan hadn't realized Xiao Bao was afraid. He pointed at the Lion-Tiger Beast. "Are you scared of it?"

Xiao Bao nodded.

"Okay, if you're scared, I'll chase it away. We won't play with it anymore." Lin Fan didn't want Xiao Bao to be afraid. He thought the boy would like the beast, but since he didn't, it was best to send it away.