Hilda ran through the silent forest. As the surrounding foliage became thicker, it became more difficult for moonlight to penetrate the dense foliage. Yet her silver eyes could see everything as clear as day.
However, Hilda couldn't understand why the forest was so deserted. Even nocturnal birds and small mammals, let alone large animals, were nowhere to be found. And the insects and other critters had become deafeningly silent.
[It's only natural.]
Scarlett spoke in her mind. They formed a mental link between them after Hilda ingested the tail core.
[You must be near the sacred beast.]
"What?" Hilda's feet finally came to a halt. "Didn't you say the sacred beast in the other direction?" As she inquired, her voice was loud.
[I had also stated that you would have no way of escaping as long as the sacred beast wanted to pursue you.]
"However, how does it manage to cover such an enormous distance in such a short period?" Despite her impatient question, Hilda continued to run without waiting for an answer.
*Growl*
The thunderous roar rocked the already silent forest. Hilda's impatient foot came to a halt once more. "Is it here?" In her mind, she enquired, but there was no response.
Hilda wasn't sure whether Scarlett was silent because she wanted to or something had cut off their mental link. But she didn't get the chance to enquire.
*Growl*
Hilda's body stiffened. It was as if something was standing just behind her, watching her every move. She wasn't unfamiliar with the sensation.
It brought back memories of her first days in this world. She hadn't even gotten used to this body, let alone be able to react to her father, the emperor's aura. With time, she became strong, and the pressure decreased dramatically.
But the meeting with the beast reminded her of that day. She knew the gap between herself and the beast was the same as a 5-year-old child and a red-aura knight.
As she slowly returned her gaze, she tried to calm her racing heart. The first thing she saw was a pair of legs that were almost as thick as her waist.
Black stripes marked the white fur on the pair of legs. The claws, which were nearly 5-6 inches long, extended from the furry paw.
Hilda couldn't help but look up, even though she realized it was a white-furred tiger. A fishy stench greeted her, along with slimy spits.
*Growl*
The beast roared right into her face. Hilda's beastly intent manifested itself as a result. The silver fur started to cover her body while she jumped back to create some distance. Her hand, like her legs, grew longer. Her silver hair flared up in the windless night.
*Awoooo*
Hilda's howl echoed in the night's silence. The long whisker shook as a pair of large blue eyes turned towards her, but no growl followed.
"Don't be alarmed; I'm not here to fight."
"If only that were the case!"
"You want to fight me?" The tiger's maw never opened or closed, but Hilda could hear everything it said.
"You're a tenacious spirit, aren't you?" it asked, receiving Hilda's glare. As long as you listen to one of my requests, I can grant one of your wishes."
"I refuse," she said.
"Don't dismiss me so quickly. First, listen to my request."
"A request?" Hilda let out a snort. "What is your request? Would you like to rape me? "
"You're making a mistake."
Hilda wasn't sure, but she sensed a small smile from the white tiger in front of her. "Don't you want me to bear a child for you?"
"Only half of that is correct. I'd like for you to have a child, but..."
Hilda interrupted him before he could finish his sentence and retorted, "I am not willing. As long as you force me, it would be considered rape in human society."
"Do you think of me as a mindless beast?"
"Are you sure you're not?" Hilda's instinctive reaction only added to the eerie silence.
"That's why they say it's difficult to reason with a human." The white tiger appeared to sigh. "I want you to bear a child, but not mine," he continued. " And if you don't want to, I won't force you."
"I'm not going to do it," Hilda stated unequivocally.
"Listen to me first."
"It's unnecessary." Hilda repeatedly insisted. "If it's a request, I'm going to say no. For now, I have no desire to become a mother. And you said you wouldn't put any pressure on me, so..."
As the white tiger appeared in front of her in a blink, the last of her words remained unsaid. It swung towards Hilda with its right paw raised.
Hilda wasn't sure if fear paralyzed her or the white tiger moved too quickly for her to react. However, the expected pain did not materialize.
The white tiger gently tapped Hilda's head. A warm current of energy rushed into her body as soon as it happened. Hilda's body began to change again before she could realize what was going on.
Her hips widened, and her front leg grew larger. Hilda fell to her knees, unable to keep her weight as her body grew too large for her cloth.
Hilda's hip, just above her ass-crack, was tingling with a ticklish sensation. She exclaimed as two tails protruded from her coccyx.
It soon covered her entire body in thick silver fur, not just her tail. Her beautiful pair of lips turned into a wolf's snout, elongating her mouth.
"Ah! Twin tail!" The white tiger muttered something. "Could you have swallowed the tail core of a nine-tailed fox?"
Those weren't words Hilda was expecting. However, before she could feel more curious about it, her body began to change once more.
All of her furs vanished in the blink of an eye. The change restored her limbs to their previous state. Hilda could tell her human body had grown taller, but the most important thing was that she was naked in front of the white beast.
"How do you feel?"
Hilda gave the beast a blank stare in response to this question. She wasn't used to being self-conscious about her nakedness, but she couldn't help but hide her seductive body with her hand now.
"Don't sweat the small stuff. Do you feel any change inside your body?"
"Apart from being naked, what other change do you want to make..." Hilda couldn't finish her thought.
"So you understand, right?" With pride, the white tiger inquired.
"YOU!" Hilda cursed, glaring at him with a ragged voice. "Beast."
The white beast was initially perplexed, but when it spotted Hilda standing with her thigh tightly closed, it comprehended what had happened.
The white beast turned around and created some distance between them after taking one last look at Hilda's long legs, which were glistening with her lewd fluid.
"That is not what I am talking about." The white tiger attempted to explain himself.
Hilda's mind, on the other hand, was not in a position to think clearly. With her heavy breathing, Hilda's breasts shook uncontrollably. She couldn't stop the leaking from her lower lips, no matter how hard she tried.
Her unexpected orgasm, which was triggered by a touch from the white beast, surprised her the most. Hilda didn't feel like she could control a single cell in her body.
Her penis never left its penile sheath, even if her pink nipples were as hard as a rock. Her female libido seemed to have taken over her body.
Hilda felt embarrassed as she considered how hard she was trying to keep her fingers, which were covering her bushy pussy, from entering and pleasuring herself in her overflowing love hole.
"That is something..." As soon as Hilda glared at the beast, it quickly completed its words. "I'm sorry, but I'm unable to assist with that."
But before Hilda could respond, the white tiger added, "I only used a small portion of my power on you. Humans refer to it as 'the sacred blessings.'"
"Sacred blessings?"
"Yes." The white tiger nodded, adding, "Even if your wolf tribe had descended from Angrboda, her blood had diluted a lot after so many generations. What I did was to channel my aura to awaken your potential."
Hilda couldn't help but notice something was different in her body when she examined it again. "Is that why I was able to transform into a wolf?" she inquired.
"Yes, that is one of the immediate effects. However, I merely stimulated a little," the white tiger explained to Hilda.
"That doesn't mean it has awakened just yet. To fully awaken it, you must rely on yourself. Please accept it as my apology for the inconvenience I've caused you."
Hilda was too preoccupied with inspecting her body than to listen. She noticed that her body felt a lot lighter when she checked it.
Her bones felt much more solid, her muscles felt much more flexible, and the knight's aura flowed much more rapidly through her aura channel.
"Yellow!?" Hilda mumbled. "I have become an advance knight?" The shock and the excitement overwhelmed her embarrassment.
"It isn't all. I have another present for you," the white tiger said, and Hilda turned to face it. "You know what the purpose of a futanari's birth is, don't you?"
The question changed her excitement into a frown, but the white tiger continued, "The ability I have given you will help you hide your aura from others, as long as they are weaker than me."
"Weaker than you?"
"Yes. Other than one other sacred beast and the immortal beasts, all other living being is weaker than me."
Hilda realized what Scarlett had said was true after meeting with the white tiger. Given Hilda's strength, she had no chance of escaping a sacred beast.
'But it can't be so benevolent.' Hilda studied the beast to figure out why it was bestowing such a gift.
"However," As soon as their eyes met, the white tiger began to attack. "I'm going to give you a year."
"For what?"
"It is up to you to make a choice. If you're interested in having a child for one of my descendants."
"What if I decide against it?"
"After the time is up, you will lose the ability to hide your aura."
Hilda didn't need the white tiger to tell her what would happen if she lost her power.
What she needed right now was time, time to grow stronger. After all, she would need far more than a year to become strong enough to handle someone as formidable as the white tiger.
From Hilda's expression, the beast seemed to be able to read her entire thought process. Despite this, it patiently waited while Hilda pondered for a long time.
"Give me three years," Hilda said soon after.
"Three years?"
"I need to go to war. For three years, I'd be stationed there. Having a child during this time would be impossible for me. As a result, it would only be possible after it was over."
Hilda had a smile on her face when the white tiger looked at her. However, she quickly averted her gaze, fearful that those big blue eyes had unlocked all the secrets of her heart. "Two years," she heard it say at that point.
"Two years," the white tiger repeated. "I can only give you that much time."
She didn't show a frown on her face, even though she was frowning in her heart. For some reason, Hilda felt that the white tiger was hiding something.
But the problem was, she didn't know what it was. Hilda had only one thought in her head right now: 'I have to get stronger.'
The white tiger swung a front paw, and a wolf pelt appeared above Hilda as she was deep in thought. Despite the fact that she was nearly 1.9 meters tall after the unexpected growth spurt, it completely covered her body.
Before she could remove the wolf pelt, the white tiger in front of Hilda had already vanished. She looked around quickly but couldn't find anyone.
"It's gone!" Hilda couldn't believe the nightmare had ended. It wasn't until the critters and insects began singing again that she realized it was over.
[Can you tell me what happened?]
A sudden cry in her head startled her, but she soon realized it was Scarlett.
[Are you all right? Is the mating over?!]
Hilda couldn't help but curse out loud, "shut up," as she sensed the excitement in her voice.
And Scarlett really listened to her. Hilda gathered a few ripped pieces of cloth from the ground and wrapped them around her breasts before covering her lower half with another.
"Inform Scar I am returning to the capital," she said as she wrapped the wolf pelt tighter.