"Let this matter slide for now, we better familiarize ourselves around, just in case, you know!"
"You look savage in those clothes brother Ye, grab these lion pants, they were made from lion hide, hehe!" Soo-Jin handed over a pair of lion pants.
'What the heck! Lion pants, wahaha this is the epitome of coolness... Xiao! Lion pants! I'm practically wearing the essence of the jungle on my legs!' He mused over the idea of wearing lion pants, just how dashing, how domineering.
---
The following morning, he was woken up by the howl of beasts just as the sky was clearing up with a golden tinge.
'Aah, what kind of bastard is disturbing my sleep argh...'He could not help himself from cursing as he grudgingly woke up.
"Mornin' brother Ye, it's time to go for a hunt, quick let's go..." With an enthusiastic expression, Soo-Jin had already left as she sang away happily. Hunting was her passion.
Soo-Jin nimbly rushed forward while Ye Chen struggled to avoid the clingy hurdles that seemed to have a grudge against him. Thorny vegetation, sharp rocks, slippery surfaces…
His lion skin pants were already torn at the lower ends but he did not seem to care about that. For now, he only cared about his security.
This lady did not even seem to care if he was around. What if he was eaten by some big predator. Eeh, that was scary.
She seemed to be in her element as she stood from time to time to look for new tracks before proceeding with care as her eyes shown with a shiny glint. But what was strange was that they had not even caught anything for the past two or so hours. Ye Chen could only blame his poor luck for pairing up with such a 'peerless' hunter.
The lonely guy at the back could only find solace in his system.
"Xiao, do you think am safe. I mean, you saw the way those mammoths were barbaric and brutal, right? What if we meet them now, will we be safe?" He had some fears recalling that nasty experience of being tossed up and down endlessly.
"Boss, I told you to practice but you are just slogging off. How shameless. Don't pretend to be afraid now. Man shall reap what he sows, hehehe…"
"Xiao, can't you be positive for once in your speech. Despite, we still have time to practice peerless techniques, let's just enjoy for now, be positive at once, you don't have to tell facts every time…"
"Mm-hmm, look at who is talking now, cheey. If you slog off like this, you will never find your family. And remember what you were told at the Binary Dimension, a system is only given to fulfill some kind of purpose, something like that, but you are too formidable indeed, we haven't even done anything yet. Mm, if it were some other reincarnated guy, he would have at least advanced one or two levels by now…"
"Who cares about that mission anyway, it's not that am some kind of a hero right? And I can't be blamed too, there is no energy here to practice magic nor cultivation, what do you want me to do hahaha..."
Man and system exchanged incentives as they scolded each other back and forth with each having the desire to beat each other but they couldn't.
Since the day he had been strangled by this imp, Xiao did not dare to show it's head brazenly. What if this hateful animal chopped it's cute little head off?
---
Some hours later, Soo-Jin stopped and looked at the tired Ye guy behind her before she smile while cursing him in her heart.
'How weak, can't he walk such a short distance.' Poor guy was being scolded for nothing. Didn't she know how tedious it was to climb this rough terrain. She had said clearly that this would be a hunting lesson but Ye Chen did not even have any gist of what they were doing here. He was just following as he expected her to show him her formidable means but alas! Poor guy!
"Brother Ye, stay here for a while. There is something ahead that I've to take care of for now. Don't worry. Take care!" He had not even responded to her when she was already gone.
He felt like he was being plotted against but he did not know why he had such an absurd thought.
'Strange, why do I feel like am being played here. Aah never mind, let me just wait, isn't it just waiting…'
Xiao laughed its ass off in the virtual space as it so what was to come. Someone was going to have it the hard way.
'Hehehe, how dare you strangle me that day, me the mighty Xiao. Mortal, today you shall cry…'
Whatever was ahead was clearly not a good thing.
…
Soo-Jin's eyes widened as she took in the scene before her. Fear crept up her spine, and for the first time, she felt a pang of regret. She had underestimated what lay ahead.
The familiar aura of a violent beast had drawn her deeper into the woods. She had intended to use Ye Chen as bait, to ambush and kill whatever formidable creature awaited them. But what stood before her was not what she expected—a single mammoth beast. Yet, that wasn't the terrifying part.
It was the bees.
They swarmed like a living storm, covering the entire sky. Their buzzing drowned out all other sounds. They descended upon anything in their path, a relentless force of nature. Even the mutated mammoth, with its massive tusks and thick hide, succumbed to their onslaught.
Soo-Jin's survival instincts kicked in. She no longer hesitated. With a glance back at where she left Ye Chen, she shouted, "Brother Ye, run! There are many bees here—quickly, run!"
Ye Chen, groggy from his nap, barely registered the urgency in her voice. He relied on Xiao, the ever-watchful system, to alert him to danger. But little did he know that his trusty sidekick had other plans.
As the voice neared, Ye Chen's eyes widened. "Bees?" he muttered, sitting up. "That's even scarier than dogs. At least you can outrun dogs, but this…"
He didn't wait for further explanation. Fear propelled him to his feet, and he sprinted away with all his might. The shredded lion pants flapped behind him like a desperate flag.
Soo-Jin led the way, her lithe form weaving through the trees. Behind her, Ye Chen stumbled, branches scratching his face, thorns tearing at his skin. The bees pursued relentlessly, their buzzing fury closing in.
Two figures dashed through the forest, their breaths ragged. The bees showed no mercy. They had encountered humans before—those who dared take their honey. Now, seeing the same "humans," they sought revenge. Each bee carried a bite of fury, and they intended to deliver it.
Ye Chen glanced back, his heart pounding. "I should've stuck to zebra stripes," he gasped between breaths. "At least then, I'd stand out for a reason."
But in this wild chase, survival mattered more than fashion. And so, he ran, bees hot on his heels, while Soo-Jin raced ahead, her once carefree expression replaced by grim determination.