The four guardians coaxed Ziqian for a long time, doing their best to offer him the finest service they could. They knew that, given the choice, they would never have picked this realm. But because of the circumstances back then, their master had been forced to strike a deal with the Beast God.
Now that Ziqian's consciousness had been restored, transmigrating to any world he preferred would have been easy. Because of the pact, however, they were left with no choice but to persuade him to stay and honor the end of it.
Ziqian, however, was completely unaware of their dilemma.
He had been reluctant to remain in this world at first. Yet, after some reflection, he found it wasn't entirely unfavorable. It felt like a blank canvas, inviting him to paint his life from the very beginning. So long as he set aside the dangers, its potential for development seemed boundless.
He hadn't planned on responding to the guardians' relentless persuasion—until Ero suddenly blurted out:
"This world is full of attractive men. Now that you're a sub-beast, you can be with anyone you want."
"Really?"
"Yes! Yes!"
The four fluff balls perked up instantly at his question. Energized, they began exaggerating every appealing quality of the beastmen, piling compliments one after another.
Gae: The beastmen here are so breathtaking that the actors in your old world couldn't even compete. Their faces are so flawless, it's as though the goddess Aphrodite sculpted them herself.
Phi: Their muscles are explosive, and being wrapped in their strong arms will make you feel incredible.
Nia: Sexy.
Ero: And they're not just handsome with flawless bodies—their stamina is unmatched. Paired with their size and length, they'll send you straight to cloud nine.
Ziqian almost choked. Children spouting such obscene things was terrifying, but he couldn't deny that their words stirred his curiosity.
"Cough! Kids shouldn't be saying things like that."
Ero giggled. "We're older than you think. We've seen and experienced plenty. You could even call us grandpas."
Ziqian nearly burst out laughing. It might have sounded convincing if Ero's voice weren't that of a sweet five-year-old. "Hahaha. Then, grandpas, what exactly am I supposed to do in this world? Do I have a mission or something?"
Gae: Yes. Your mission is to live your life to the fullest and help this world grow along the way.
He blinked in surprise. "That's it?"
"Yes!" all four guardians replied earnestly in unison.
Ziqian had already intended to live freely according to his wishes. Now that he was truly staying in this world, he also planned to use what little modern knowledge he had to improve their basic living conditions.
He wasn't arrogant enough to think it could be done overnight—development took time. Unbeknownst to him, his intentions already aligned perfectly with the Beast God's plan.
What he hadn't expected was that it would also be declared as his mission.
It all sounded a little too good, leaving Ziqian suspicious.
Countless questions swirled in his mind, leaving him confused and dazed. He wanted to ask the guardians, trusting they would never lie to him, but his instincts told him this wasn't the right time.
As guardians of love and lust, the four were highly sensitive to shifts in emotion. They immediately sensed Ziqian's curiosity but also his reluctance to voice it. That was why they chose to feign ignorance for now. Answering questions was one thing, but revealing information on their own was another. And besides—there were truths Ziqian wasn't allowed to know yet, not until he completed his trial.
Gae floated in front of Ziqian, and a blue screen materialized in the air.
"This is the interface where you can view your tasks. Just think of it, and it will appear or disappear at will."
"The tasks are tied to your daily life and split into two categories: main quests and sub-quests. Main quests affect you and the people around you, while sub-quests will pop up during unexpected events."
Tang Ziqian couldn't help thinking his life was starting to resemble an RPG.
Seated on the soft grass, surrounded by greenery and fresh air, he listened intently as Gae continued.
"Each completed quest gives rewards—some tangible, some intangible."
"Intangible?"
"Yes, it is mostly recipes or knowledge that you can use in this realm. Sometimes you can also get buffs that will help strengthen your body."
He nodded thoughtfully. "And if I fail a quest?"
"There's a consequence," Gae admitted, "but more as a natural outcome than a punishment. The quests are simply our way of helping without directly interfering in this realm."
That made sense, so Ziqian let him continue.
"The heart icon in the upper right is your call button. Press it once to summon us, twice to dismiss us. You can also just call our name."
"Can other people see you?" he asked.
"No. Only you can. We're bound as guardian and ward, so we're connected. You can also speak to us through your mind."
Ziqian frowned. "You mean you can read my thoughts?"
"Yes."
Ziqian suddenly felt uncomfortable knowing that someone would always know what he was thinking, but it was more convenient than being seen talking to himself.
"The icon in the lower right is the shop," Gae went on. "You'll need points to buy things."
"And where do I get points?"
"By completing quests. The better you do, the more you earn. Extra effort brings extra points."
Ziqian tried tapping the shop icon, but nothing happened.
"It's locked until you reach 100 points," Gae explained.
The more Ziqian listened, the more he noticed how much it resembled the "systems" from the novels. But he wisely kept that thought to himself—no need to rile up the fluff balls again.
"The last icon, the treasure trove, is your inventory. All rewards and shop items are stored there."
"Can I keep things from this world in it?" Ziqian asked quickly. He thought that with this world not having any means of transportation, it would be beneficial to have a portable space where he could store things.
"Not yet," Gae admitted, then hastily added, "But there is an item in the shop that lets you do that. Once you've earned enough points, you can buy it."
Ziqian nodded as Gae continued explaining the functions of the interface.
Gae carefully explained every feature of the interface that might be useful to Ziqian in the future. Whenever Ziqian didn't understand something, he would ask, and one of the guardians patiently filled in the gaps.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed as they talked. Eventually, weariness settled into his body, and he lay back down. The four fluff balls nestled close against him, their soft fur warm and soothing, lulling him toward sleep.
"Go to sleep," Gae murmured. "Your body is still weak. You'll need more rest. Tomorrow will be a new day."
The sky had already deepened into dusk. Without another thought, Ziqian shifted to a comfortable position and let his eyes drift shut.
_________________.
"Are you guys sure this is the right way?"
Ero: We don't know, but we made sure to choose the safest path.
Ziqian sighed for what felt like the hundredth time.
It was already the third time he'd asked the same question. His feet ached, his calves burned, and the thick branch he was using as a walking stick felt heavier with every step.
But let's rewind three hours earlier—
He woke to the raucous caws of giant birds circling high above the trees. Strangely, instead of annoyance, he felt refreshed. Breathing in the crisp, unpolluted air first thing in the morning gave him a clarity he hadn't experienced in years. It might have been the longest, most comfortable sleep of his life.
After picking some berries and fruits from nearby bushes for breakfast, he was halfway through munching a sweet, heart-shaped berry when Ero's voice rang out.
"Ziqian, our first quest is here!"
Ziqian blinked. "What is it?" he asked, anticipation creeping into his tone.
Then a blue screen popped out in front of him.
[Main Quest #1: Find a tribe to take shelter before the night comes.
Time limit: 15:17:09
Reward: Brick Recipe
Failure: Death]
"...Death?"
Gae's voice was calm, almost apologetic. "For a sub-beast, being alone in the forest at night is very dangerous. It could easily cost your life."
Phi floated to his side, rubbing his cheek affectionately. "Don't worry. We'll help you complete it."
Ero added quickly, "We can't help physically, but we can guide you to avoid danger."
"Then let's go!" Ziqian leapt to his feet, only to falter a second later. "Uh… wait. Do you know where the tribes actually are?"
Gae: There are five large tribes, 102 medium tribes, and 238 small tribes recorded on the Gaia Archipelago. But… the tribes migrate constantly. We don't know their current locations. Sorry, Ziqian.
The fluff balls drooped in unison.
Ziqian forced a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. With 345 tribes in total, it's impossible not to find at least one, right?"
Inside, though, he couldn't help brooding. Death for the first quest failure and a brick recipe as a reward—isn't it too harsh? Is the recipe useful? Aren't bricks only made out of clay? Why do you need a recipe?
Still, with the clock already ticking down, he couldn't afford to underestimate either the penalty or the reward.
Opening his interface, Ziqian activated the radar function, which scanned a 300-meter radius around him. Before leaving, he gathered more fruit—especially the heart-shaped berries. Sweet and cute, they'd quickly become his favorite.
And that was three hours ago.
Gaia was nothing like Earth. Here, a day stretched to thirty-six hours. Each season lasted four months, for a total of sixteen months in a year. With an average lifespan of five hundred years, people lived far longer than Earthlings.
Everything here—plants, animals, landscapes—was bigger and wilder.
Ziqian's thoughts, however, drifted to Ero's claim from yesterday. If even the men here are larger and stronger… then what about down there?
"Hehehe…" Just the thought made him drool. On Earth, only a handful of men had ever satisfied him. Most were… average. But here? His expectations soared.
"You look happy, Ziqian," Phi commented when he saw him chuckling to himself.
"Don't mind me," Ziqian said quickly, rubbing the corner of his mouth. "I'm just… looking forward to this world."
Ero giggled knowingly.
Trying to redirect the topic, Ziqian asked, "You mentioned earlier that there were five large tribes. Which ones are they?"
Gae: The Winged Tiger Tribe, Winged Bear Tribe, Winged Python Tribe, Kuntur Tribe, and the Merman Tribe.
"All beasts have wings?"
Gae: Some don't, like the Merfolk and Whales, since they live in the sea.
Ero: And just because they're called Winged Tribes doesn't mean every single member has wings. But most do.
"Oh… I see."
Ziqian mulled it over. If he found a tribe, he'd need to blend in seamlessly. Pretending to be a sub-beast separated from his group seemed like the safest bet.
He gripped his walking stick tighter, glancing at the endless trees ahead.
Hopefully, he'd stumble upon a tribe soon.