Actually, I turned into a girl with beast ears.

“You couldn’t open it?”

The silver-haired girl murmured, tilting her head in mild confusion. She took the soda bottle from Ye Lan’s hands and, with a quick twist, opened it effortlessly. A small geyser of soda shot up, and Ye Lan quickly covered the bottle neck with her mouth, letting the fizzy drink bubble right in.

“Ah, this is life!” Ye Lan exclaimed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Nothing beat cola and chips, the ultimate combo for true couch buddies!

“Ling, right? A simple thank you wouldn’t cut it for this great favor, so I’ll protect you myself!” she added with a big smile.

Ling looked at Ye Lan with a mix of curiosity and amusement. She stood up, comparing their heights by moving her hand from her own head to Ye Lan’s. Realizing she was actually taller, a slight smirk crept onto her face, while Ye Lan barely hid her irritation.

Had she really shrunk this much after transforming into a beastkin girl? Damn it! In her original body, she’d been six feet tall and had a six-pack!

Clearing her throat forcefully to mask her embarrassment, Ye Lan continued “Even if I look small, I’m actually super strong! I took down two guys in the blink of an eye, I’m incredibly powerful, you’ll see!”

As Ye Lan spoke, she raised her thumb, pointing at herself with a smug attitude. But Ling’s expression only grew more skeptical; after all, if Ye Lan couldn’t even open a soda bottle, how strong could she really be?

Just as Ye Lan was about to justify herself further, a shadow loomed outside the window.

“Well, well, what luck! Two lolis! One with silver hair and the other with animal ears… It’d be such a waste to just eliminate them!” sneered a man dressed entirely in black, pressing himself against the window with a wicked smile, licking his lips.

Seeing him, Ye Lan quickly moved in front of Ling, her eyes narrowed as she sized up the intruder. She knew judging by appearances wasn’t ideal, but it was clear his intentions weren’t friendly.

The man wore a ski mask and dark sunglasses, his entire outfit shrouded in black. His nails were long and unkempt, adding an unsettling touch to his appearance.

Gulp

Ye Lan tensed as the man opened the window and casually stepped into the room. He glanced around, completely unfazed by her presence, then grabbed a nearby bag of chips and started munching as if she were no threat at all.

“These chips are delicious. When this event’s over, I’m definitely stocking up at the supermarket. Who knows if I’ll be able to get them again,” he said, licking his lips in satisfaction.

Ye Lan frowned as her opponent’s level indicator appeared above his head.

[???]

"What?!" she gasped. It was the first time she’d seen a level concealed like this, just how powerful was he?

“This is really bad…” she muttered, extending an arm protectively in front of Ling. “This guy isn’t someone we can handle. I’ll hold him off as long as I can. You need to run.”

Ye Lan glanced back at the man in sunglasses, weighing her options. Her [Blood Armor] skill was still on cooldown, leaving only [Charm] at her disposal. But how could that help here? She’d have to rely on her beastkin strength to make up for the difference in levels.

With a deep breath, she clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with determination. In a swift lunge, she became a streak of purple shadow, her body flickering in and out of sight as she darted toward him. In the blink of an eye, she appeared behind the man, ready to strike with everything she had.

“Got him!” she thought, feeling her fist close in on his head. But just before impact, his figure vanished, leaving her punch to slice through empty air with a shockwave that echoed through the room’s stillness.

“What the…?!” Ye Lan gasped, her eyes wide. The man had appeared behind her, extending a single finger and hurling her across the room with brutal force.

“Aaaaahhh!” Ye Lan screamed as she was thrown backward, crashing through a wall. What kind of power was that? If it hadn’t been for her defense, which was already higher than a typical level 10, she’d have been instantly eliminated.

Though she survived, her health bar had dropped to a mere tenth, and her breathing was labored as pain surged through her limbs.

Seeing that she was still alive, the man in sunglasses looked at her in surprise, then glanced at his own arm, incredulous. “A level 20 attack didn’t finish off a level 2 runt? How is that possible? Wait… those ears on your head… I see! You’re beastkin, sixth in the ranking order. Amazing, it’s not just a disguise. Today’s my lucky day” he said, flashing a malicious smile as his nails extended into long claws.

He advanced toward Ye Lan with a relaxed stride, ignoring Ling, who cowered in the corner, trembling. Ling’s eyes stayed fixed on Ye Lan, watching her struggle to stand.

"R-Run…!” Ye Lan whispered, her jaw clenched as the man inched closer. The power difference between them was like a chasm. If only [Blood Armor] were active, maybe she could hold her ground a little longer…

But there was no choice left. Even knowing she wouldn’t die, a wave of helplessness and frustration surged through her. Her fists clenched as the man’s grin widened, his claws poised in the air. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you” he sneered. “Not yet. My orders are to take you to the boss. But I’ll make sure you’re left with just one health point~” He raised his claw to strike.

Just then, from where Ling had been huddling in terror, a soft but firm voice called out “No!” The sound of her voice was almost a whisper, but in an instant, a burst of silver light erupted from her, filling the room with a fierce, blinding energy.

“What…?” The man barely had time to react before the force exploded, ripping through half the building. Shards of steel and concrete sprayed outward, covering the three of them in a whirlwind of debris. The shockwave’s reach extended for ten kilometers, capturing the attention of fighters nearby, who turned to see the chaos.

Mu Xuetong, catching her breath after a battle of her own, looked toward the explosion with a growing sense of dread. “Ye Lan… please be okay…”

Ten minutes later, from beneath the mountain of rubble, a single hand pushed through the debris...