(Uru)── The knight who had bravely rushed in was badly wounded and collapsed on the ground.

I watched as the flames from the tiger's mouth intensely burned, swallowing hard.

If I were to be killed by these flames, then the knight in front of me was not just a bunch of game data; on the contrary, if I were to be resurrected like in an online game after death, I would probably only be in a game gone wrong, while the knight in front of me was a very real artificial intelligence...

After weighing the situation, I suppressed my fear and charged forward, positioning myself between the raging fire tiger and the knight. Of course, I didn't believe that my small frame, which the system evaluated as unable to even defeat a goblin, could withstand the powerful giant fireball in front of me. At the same time, I wasn't sure if the tiger, whose eyes were now filled with war, would stop attacking...

But in everything, there must always be a try. I couldn't just watch the knight die because she was protecting me.

"Let's hope this is just a game."

I embraced a hopeful mindset and acted as a hero.

"Buck! Stop!" I opened my arms wide and shouted loudly at the fierce fire tiger in front of me.

Ever since the knight and the fire tiger began fighting, three health bars appeared in my field of vision, representing the three of us. After the knight's continuous attacks just now, only one-fifth of Buck's health was left. However, compared to the knight who was already in a dying state, the fire tiger was now invincible.

"Ah... Ah... Ahhh--"

Somehow, it was the heavily injured knight who reacted to my actions first, not Buck the fire tiger. She propped herself up with her battleaxe and stood up bravely, while below her health bar, there were rows of debuffs caused by her critical state. If this were truly a game based on data, I think she would probably fall again soon...

Thud!

Half a second later, she indeed collapsed once more.

Hmm, it's a bit ridiculous and sentimental.

But now is clearly not the time to think about these things.

I turned my head towards Buck the fire tiger and saw that it spat out the flames from its mouth into the air. It seemed to have decided to spare me and the knight. However, for this possibility that had not been fully confirmed, I felt a sense of astonishment.

"It shouldn't spare us."

Looking at the fire tiger, which had broken teeth and was bleeding from the battle, I couldn't find a reason why it should be forgiven. If I had immediately stopped the fight from happening, maybe the situation wouldn't have escalated to this point?

Gurgle--

The fire tiger growled softly, dragging its injured body and slowly turned away. At this moment, I truly realized its abandonment and forgiveness. I couldn't help feeling a sense of injustice for it, as a victor, it should have the right to receive rewards, but now it was covered in wounds and couldn't get anything in return, which... was not the natural order.

"Buck! Wait!"

I called out again, and Buck the fire tiger stopped its departure.

Whether it was because I subconsciously still believed that I was in a virtual game, for a moment, I seemed to forget that Buck in front of me was a fierce feline, and I boldly walked over, then silently opened my inventory and took out a red potion bottle from the space ring bound to my right ring finger──Newbie's Special Healing Potion.

[Newbie's Special Healing Potion: Immediately restores 80% of the target's lost health and removes all negative statuses.]

When the fire tiger saw the potion bottle in my hand, its two tiger pupils seemed to show a wary expression. Seeing this, I instantly panicked and hurriedly explained, "Um, this is a potion for replenishing stamina. Please let me heal you, okay?"The Flame Tiger seemed to understand human language. After hearing my explanation, it showed me its injured back and gave me a look that seemed to be asking me to treat it. But...

"How do you use this novice blood vial?" I asked, staring at the Flame Tiger with a forced smile, holding the blood vial in my hand and not making any move.

After a while, perhaps becoming impatient or annoyed by the pain, Buck, who had been calm and still, suddenly stood up on all fours and opened its mouth wide towards me, giving out a loud roar!

I was startled by it, thinking it was attacking me. In a moment of self-defense, I stupidly threw the vial in my hand into the tiger's mouth, mistaking it for a throwable weapon.

Ping Pang!

The quick glass vial was crushed by the Flame Tiger in one bite, and a number appeared above its head.

"HP-1?"

Looking up at the bright red number, a very bad premonition arose in my heart.

System: Warning! You have attacked the Flame Tiger, Buck, and entered a battle state!

"I'm in trouble." Hearing the kindly reminder from the system, I almost turned and ran, but suddenly my legs no longer responded and I fell to the ground in a weak, cowardly pose, while the attacked Flame Tiger licked its mouth full of bloody red, stepping heavily towards me, slowly lowering its huge head towards me...

"I'm really going to be eaten this time!" Terrified, I closed my eyes tightly, and then I heard the mocking electronic sound of the system again.

System: You have gained the gratitude of the Flame Tiger, Buck, and your friendliness level with it has increased by 10, forming a "Friend" relationship.

System: You have obtained the title of "Friend of the Feline Tribe" and your friendliness level with feline animals has increased by 10.

Well, actually, even without the system's prompt, I could fully understand at this moment that I had not been eaten by the other party. If getting licked by a cute cat person is considered lucky, then getting licked by a fierce tiger person can be said to be good fortune from the ancestors. Nevertheless, no matter what, as I watched the Flame Tiger's life points recover to about 90% and the wounds on its body heal almost completely, I couldn't help but feel happy for it...

"But, why do I feel like I've forgotten something?" Resisting the attack of the big tongue, I tilted my head, and gradually, I finally remembered what I had forgotten.

"Oh! Lady Knight!" Startled, I quickly pushed away the huge tiger head that was close enough to touch, and hurriedly ran to the side of the lady knight. As it turned out, while I was having a friendly conversation with the tiger, the lady knight here had already been on the verge of death. After seeing me finally coming to her side, she couldn't bear the severe injuries on her body anymore. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep coma.

"Oh, beauty, don't die! You still need to lead me out of the forest!" My heart screamed loudly, and I quickly took out another novice healing potion from my bag at the fastest speed. After the experiment on the Flame Tiger, I roughly concluded that this potion should be taken orally. So I bent down, opened the soft little mouth of the lady knight with one hand, and poured the bright red potion into her abdomen in one breath.

Luckily, my inference was correct.

After drinking the potion, the wounds on the lady knight's body quickly healed at a visible speed. Watching the burned and ulcerated wounds grow fresh flesh buds, I didn't feel disgusted, but rather developed a strong interest.

"If this isn't a virtual game, it would be incredible." I sincerely marveled at the magic in my heart. However, as the potion took effect, the healing skin on the lady knight's body gradually reddened my cheeks. As the contours of those hills became clearer and clearer, no matter how curious I was, my sense of morality forced me to turn around. Even if I accidentally played a female role, I couldn't take advantage of it.

Or should I say, precisely because I am a man in a woman's body, I must not take advantage of others!

……

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