‘It’s really over this time!’
The thought of dying in a tiger’s jaws before she could even experience the classic transmigration tropes—getting revenge, slapping faces, flirting with handsome men, and reaching the pinnacle of life—left a bitter taste in Susu’s mouth.
But circumstances were dire.
After all, not everyone who rode the transmigration wave got to be a princess, a royal consort, an empress, or a strong female lead.
Some, like her, were just unlucky cannon fodder doomed to fail.
‘Worst-case scenario, I die, reincarnate, and start all over again!
Maybe if I just endure dying this one time, I’ll return to the world I knew?!’
With that bit of self-consolation, Susu felt a little better.
However, her legs didn’t slow down.
She continued to weave through the vine-tangled jungle, making a last, desperate struggle.
She knew the chances were slim, but she wasn’t willing to commit the cowardly act of giving up and simply offering herself to be killed.
‘No matter what, how will I know I can’t escape if I don’t even try?!’
Susu could feel the rush of wind as the Fierce Tiger lunged from behind.
She could smell the lingering stench of blood from its last hunt, a scent that clung to its sharp claws.
‘This time,’ she thought, ‘I’m really dead.’
She squeezed her eyes shut, but the expected pain of having her neck snapped didn’t come.
She did feel pressure on her neck and a dizzying sensation of being lifted into the air, but…
she was still alive!
The wind rushed past, cutting at her like a blade.
Susu cautiously opened her eyes a crack.
What she saw next, however, made her eyes fly wide in disbelief.
This was…
Clearly, she was still fleeing.
But compared to her own meaningless scrambling on four short legs, this method was far more effective—and, of course, far more dangerous.
Because she was currently dangling from the jaws of a jet-black Black Panther, which held her by the scruff of her neck.
‘Just like when my own kind carried me to safety before, this Brother Leopard…
seems to be…’
‘Helping me escape?!’
With this realization, Susu suppressed her shock and terror, not daring to move.
She was afraid any struggling might slow down the Brother Leopard carrying her and turn them both into a meal for the Fierce Tiger.
The sky gradually darkened.
In a primeval forest so dense it blotted out the sun, a thin mist began to rise, making everything seem illusory and unreal.
Susu soon discovered that this Brother Leopard knew the jungle far better than she did.
He was incredibly fast, able to run like the wind even through the dense web of woven vines.
However, the Fierce Tiger behind them didn’t back down in the face of this difficulty.
It remained in hot pursuit, refusing to give up the chase.
But the Black Panther clearly had no intention of confronting the Fierce Tiger just yet.
He continued to run at top speed with Susu in his mouth until they reached a rare clearing in the jungle.
There, the Black Panther came to an abrupt halt.
With a flick of his head, he tossed the unprepared Susu into a nearby bush, then turned to face the pursuing Fierce Tiger and let out a low, warning roar.
Unlike Susu’s earlier bluffs, which sounded more like a kitten mewling for attention than a real threat, this roar was full-throated and powerful.
It was laced with thick killing intent and a clear warning—
Dare take another step, and you will be shown no mercy!
But the Fierce Tiger was clearly not one to give up easily.
It paced back and forth a few times, then turned and roared back at the Black Panther.
Without even waiting for a response, it seized the initiative and launched itself in a flying leap toward the panther!