The Game Heroine's Cannon Fodder Leopard Cub - Chapter 21

The strange voice, its origin unknown, echoed in Yi’an’s mind…

“Withdraw now. There’s still time to redeem yourself.”

Who was speaking?

Yi’an strained to open her eyes, searching for the source of the voice, only to realize she seemed to be standing in mid-air.

Looking around, she saw two tall women standing beside her. One was draped in white animal hides, her muscular arms clearly defined, her white hair pulled back in a high bun, her gaze resolute and fearless.

She held the hand of the other woman, who wore a robe woven from leaves and flowers. Her fair, delicate features were framed by golden hair, her eyes scanning the horizon with a hint of solemnity.

Following the golden-haired woman’s gaze, Yi’an looked ahead. There stood a massive man with long, jet-black hair, thick, connected eyebrows, a prominent, hooked nose, and eyes that gleamed with sinister malice.

He glared fiercely at the woman beside Yi’an, a sneer twisting his lips. “Tsk, tsk. As expected of the Goddess of Life—so magnanimous.”

Then, his voice dripping with contempt, he added, “But I lack such lofty ideals. Guarding foolish humans day after day? Ha! This world should be ruled by us, the strong.”

Yi’an’s heart jolted, and the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily. We, the strong, shall rule? What kind of typical Long Aotian nonsense is this? So cringeworthy…

The Goddess of Life’s expression remained unchanged. She sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. “Baal, you’re wrong. Life shouldn’t be defined solely by the strength of one’s power…”

She paused. “Never mind. I’ve said this countless times, and you still refuse to understand.”

Before her words could fully fade, the black-haired woman beside her raised her twin-bladed longsword horizontally before her chest. Her voice was cold as she declared, “Words are useless, Baal. Since you worship the strong, I’ll teach you a proper lesson with my blade today.”

A flash of resentment flickered in Baal’s eyes. He sneered, “How noble! After all these years, Your Highness the Beast God remains as courageous as ever.”

With a flick of his wrist, he hefted the massive greatsword lying at his feet and pointed it at the black-haired woman. “Then let your life be the ‘lesson’ you teach me.”

The air instantly froze, and a tense, combative atmosphere rapidly filled the space.

Yet the Goddess of Life showed no sign of panic. With practiced ease, she bent down, scooped up the thoroughly engrossed Yi’an, and said affectionately, “Come, little one, let’s move back a bit and give your mommy some room to stretch her wings.”

Yi’an was instantly bewildered. Mommy? She looked down at her paw—a furry little paw, unchanged.

She glanced up at the Goddess of Life, about to ask a question, but the woman before her began to recede into the distance. Yi’an frantically reached out with her paw, but grasped at nothing…

Meow! (Wait!)

Yi’an’s heart pounded violently as the vision vanished, and she snapped her eyes open.

Before her lay a rough, gray-black rocky ceiling. Beneath her, the ground was cold and hard, and every sensation felt unnervingly real.

So… it was just a dream?

She sat up and looked around, realizing she was in a massive, enclosed cavern.

The ceiling was solid rock, with no sign of any entrance or exit.

Yi’an stood up, shook her head, and took a few casual steps. Strangely, despite having fallen from a great height, she felt no pain whatsoever.

If not for the solid, unyielding ground beneath her paws, she might have suspected she’d landed in a pile of cotton.

So, where exactly have I fallen?

Her mind swirled with questions as she surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings. Apart from a seemingly endless tunnel, there appeared to be no other exits.

The cave stretched into an impenetrable darkness, filling Yi’an with apprehension. But she couldn’t stay here forever; she had no idea what had happened to Nora.

The thought of Nora instantly overwhelmed all her other doubts. She took a tentative step forward, venturing deeper into the cave.

The silence was unnerving. Even with her padded paws cushioning each step, the echoes of her footsteps reverberated clearly through the cavern, impossible to completely suppress.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the space ahead seemed to widen, and a faint light, from an unknown source, began to illuminate the darkness.

Suddenly, Yi’an noticed peculiar patterns etched into the rock walls.

Closer inspection revealed ancient murals, seemingly originating from this very spot and extending deeper into the cave.

Perhaps due to their long isolation from sunlight, the murals were remarkably well-preserved, showing no signs of deterioration.

The murals appeared to depict human figures. Yi’an craned her neck, trying to make out the details.

When she finally recognized the figures, she gasped in astonishment.

The two figures in the murals were none other than the two women she had just seen in her dream!

Could these murals be telling the story of the Beast God and the Goddess of Life?

Yi’an continued her slow, deliberate walk, carefully examining each detail of the murals.

In the beginning, the Beast God and the Goddess of Life stood side by side, a vast starry sky behind them and boundless wheat fields and lakes stretching beneath their feet. Their eyes met, filled with deep affection and unspoken understanding.

In the next panel, the scene shifted. They stood beneath an ancient, towering tree. The Goddess of Life cradled a swaddled infant in her arms, while the Beast God stood behind her, her hands resting gently on the Goddess’s shoulders as she gazed tenderly at the bundle.

Yi’an stared intently at the indistinct face of the infant in the painting, a strange emotion stirring within her.

She immediately moved to the next panel, and the scene before her startled her.

The setting was familiar, closely resembling the dream she had just experienced, with layers upon layers of swirling mist.

The child seemed to have grown a little. She sat between the Beast God and the Goddess of Life, her tail held high.

Wait, a tail? Yi’an leaned closer. The so-called child appeared to be… a feline creature? However, the child’s face and torso were blurred, whether due to fading or deliberate omission, making it impossible to discern her features.

What did this all mean? Yi’an’s mind churned with questions, yet she found no answers.

But when she looked at the next panel, her confusion reached its peak, leaving her utterly stunned.

The scene in the painting was identical to what she had seen in her dream!

The black-clad man in the painting was clearly Baal, the same figure from her dream. He stood facing the Beast God, wielding a massive sword, his tightly clenched jaw betraying the strain of the battle.

Behind the Beast God, the Goddess of Life, her golden hair cascading down her back, cradled a feline creature in her arms. Her gaze, both proud and anxious, was fixed on the direction of the battle.

Just as in her dream, Yi’an couldn’t see the feline creature’s face or torso.

Yi’an couldn’t resist gently pawing at the mural. The icy touch against her claws sent a shiver down her spine, her heart racing as if some ancient power were flowing from the painting.

Suddenly, a faint voice echoed through the chamber.

“Yi…an…”

Who was calling her? Yi’an’s ears perked up sharply, her fur bristling instantly.

“Yi…an… my… child…”

The voice, fragmented and distant, seemed to emanate from the depths of the cavern.

“Are you calling me?” Yi’an couldn’t help but meow tentatively in response.

But the voice didn’t seem to understand her meows, continuing its fragmented calls.

“Child…”

“Come…”

“Find… me…”

Though the strange voice was unfamiliar, Yi’an felt an overwhelming urge to weep.

She gazed into the dark depths from which the voice came, drawn forward by an irresistible force.