Chapter Four: The Lion-faced Guardian

Whew. Wu You let out a sigh of relief. The lion hadn’t died, and he’d finally managed to capture it. Now, he only needed to catch one more animal, any other kind would do. The most pressing matter was to find a safe place to rest. If he tried to take down another predator now, he’d probably end up dead himself.

The forest was not far away. In the aftermath of the raging fire that had just swept through, no animal dared approach the border between the grasslands and the woods. Wu You made it into the trees unscathed. He found a suitable tree and, relying on his still nimble body, finally dragged his exhausted self up into the branches.

He took out some chocolate, broke off a piece, and put it in his mouth. Wu You had never found chocolate so delicious—it wasn’t just the sweetness, but the joy of survival after disaster.

After resting for more than ten minutes, his strength had largely returned. He made a silent vow that next time he ventured into the Mountain of Beasts, he’d be far better prepared. If he could bring chocolate and a lighter, even an extra kitchen knife would be a huge improvement over now.

He opened the system interface in his mind. In the lower right corner, a prominent Materials Warehouse option appeared. Clicking it, he saw several rows of empty cage icons. Only the first cage held a lion—though it looked haggard and aged, at least it wasn’t charred.

Time to move on. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could get out—he hadn’t brought enough food or survival gear.

Just as he was about to descend the tree, he noticed a little squirrel by his arm, nibbling at chocolate crumbs he’d dropped. The squirrel seemed completely unwary. Could he try to catch it? The thought flashed through Wu You’s mind. He slowly moved his hand closer to a piece of chocolate crumb.

The squirrel quickly spotted the crumb and, as it grabbed it, inevitably brushed against his hand.

Select capture.

In the next instant, the squirrel vanished in a flash of light, just as the lion had.

Capture successful. Material obtained: female striped chipmunk.

It worked! As long as the target wasn’t alert or aware of him—or could be tricked or subdued—capture was possible at the moment of contact. This opened up far more possibilities.

The system interface now displayed a Bio-Alchemy option, asking whether to proceed. Wu You decisively chose no; it seemed a waste to use a lion and a squirrel for alchemy.

Without lingering, he climbed down and headed deeper into the forest. This was a subtropical jungle, and the dense vegetation slowed him badly. He had no machete, just a branch he’d picked up. His once-white short-sleeved shirt was now a riot of stains from all he’d endured.

Because of the fire, he walked nearly half an hour without seeing a single large animal. As he trudged on, Wu You suddenly stopped, listening intently.

The sound of water—a river or stream!

Everyone knows that in the wild, water sources are gathering spots for animals, both predators and prey. Of course, water sources are also danger zones, especially for herbivores and smaller predators—and for Wu You, even more so.

But he couldn’t just turn back. What was the point of all this walking if not to reach the water?

Steadying himself, he advanced cautiously for another five minutes until a stream came into view.

Thankfully, the water was shallow—no crocodiles, he thought with relief.

His parched throat urged him to drink, but he couldn’t recklessly rush out of the forest’s cover. The streambank was bare except for moss, and stepping out would leave him exposed to anything watching from the dense woods on either side.

After watching for a while and seeing nothing, Wu You could hold back no longer. He carefully stepped out to the edge of the stream.

After scanning both banks repeatedly, he knelt and scooped up a handful of water to drink. Cool and sweet, it tasted better than any bottled water.

Unable to resist, he lowered his head to drink straight from the stream, then washed his hands and face, revelling in the relief before finally looking up.

Perfect! If not for the dangers, this would be the best campsite imaginable.

But the moment he lifted his head, his body froze.

Slowly, he turned his stiff neck. Less than three meters away, a massive creature was silently watching him.

Three meters—in the animal kingdom, this was a deadly distance. Human reflexes and speed were a joke here.

A silverback gorilla was regarding him with curiosity. An adult male, its muscular physique would put any human to shame. Its powerful arms promised explosive strength, and the two long fangs in its mouth were not to be underestimated. These were the animals that could rip tigers or leopards apart with their bare hands, and it was no exaggeration.

What to do? Wu You was frozen with fear, powerless to act. Any sudden move could spell his death.

Suddenly, a bold idea flashed through his mind.

To avoid misunderstanding, Wu You chose not to stand up immediately. Instead, he slowly sat back, propping himself up with his left hand and trying to appear relaxed.

As a fellow primate, the silverback could surely understand this gesture—it showed Wu You had no intention to attack.

Sure enough, Wu You, watching closely, saw the gorilla relax its muscles and sit down as well, though its gaze remained fixed on him. After all, it had never seen such a strange creature before, and compared to lions, tigers, deer, or cattle, this one looked more like an ape.

Wu You carefully reached into his pocket with his right hand and pulled out the half-eaten chocolate.

In the heat, the chocolate had half-melted. Wu You tore the wrapper open wider, revealing the sticky treat inside.

Now, with no pocket or wrapper blocking the smell, the sweet scent of melting chocolate drifted out.

The gorilla’s attention was instantly riveted on the chocolate in Wu You’s hand.

Excellent. Just as planned.

Holding his nerve, Wu You pinched off half the chocolate and gently placed it on a small stone between himself and the gorilla.

After twitching its nose, the silverback eyed him warily, then tentatively reached out to touch the chocolate. Seeing nothing happened, it picked it up.

As the gorilla sniffed the chocolate, Wu You knew he’d at least half succeeded.

He took the remaining chocolate from its wrapper, letting the gorilla see, broke off a piece and slowly put it in his mouth, making a show of savoring it.

As expected, the silverback, seeing Wu You eat the fragrant treat, immediately broke off a piece for itself and popped it into its mouth. In an instant, its taste buds were overwhelmed by the sweetness.

This brown, muddy stuff was delicious—richer and sweeter than any fruit, and the flavor lingered. The gorilla, almost instantly, stuffed the rest of the chocolate into its mouth.

Having finished its own share, the silverback savored the taste and then fixed its gaze on Wu You again. It knew this strange animal still had more of that sweet, soft mud.

Wu You’s heart pounded with excitement. Everything hinged on the next moment.

He opened his right hand, revealing the chocolate, and slowly extended it—this time, he didn’t place it on the ground.

The gorilla’s attention was entirely on the chocolate. Though it remained basically wary, it had formed a fragile foundation of trust in this strange ape-like creature.

It slowly reached out its thick, powerful right hand, the black-furred forearm bulging with muscle—at least five times the girth of Wu You’s arm.

Wu You’s chest and back were drenched in cold sweat. When the gorilla took the chocolate, their hands finally touched.

Select capture!

In the next instant, the silverback gorilla dissolved into points of light and vanished before Wu You’s eyes.

Prompt: Capture successful. Material obtained: male silverback gorilla.

Wu You slumped to the ground, more drained than after escaping the lion, but thrilled beyond words. He’d finally caught it—a strong silverback gorilla.

With a lion and a gorilla as materials, the base for his first bio-alchemy attempt was nothing short of luxurious.

…

Hiding in the jungle, he found a sturdy tree and climbed high, brimming with excitement.

Even after a long while, his heart was still pounding, reminding him of the first time he scored a rare weapon in a game—he couldn’t calm himself.

He opened the system, selected the Bio-Alchemy option. Inside were icons for levels one through nine and a dark alchemy icon, but only the first level was active.

He selected first-level bio-alchemy, which brought up the material warehouse. Three animals appeared: a lion, a silverback gorilla, and a chipmunk.

He chose the lion and the gorilla. Confirm selection?

Wu You confirmed. A fantastical, flowing black background filled the screen.

Please depict the alchemical lifeform. The rationality of its physical structure will affect the success rate.

What did this mean? How to depict—by drawing?

Three question marks floated through his mind as Wu You focused on the screen, trying to picture the form. Mysterious lines began to appear, shimmering with an uncanny texture.

It really worked!

Wu You found this was a 3D depiction. He only needed to imagine the general image in his mind, and the system would fill in the details. The more detailed his imagination, the greater the precision of the lines.

As he progressed, Wu You became increasingly absorbed, finding joy in the act of creation. All his wild ideas came together perfectly on the “alchemy canvas.”

With the final line completed, the 3D creature on the alchemy board lit up.

System evaluation: Physical structure rationality, 89%. Alchemy success rate increased by 8.9%.

Current success rate: 50% + 8.9%.

Two options appeared: 1) Alchemize now, 2) Use an item.

Wu You remembered that when he first got the system, he’d won a lottery draw. He didn’t want to waste these rare materials—58.9% wasn’t safe enough. He’d never had good luck with upgrades in games.

He selected Use Item. In the synthesis aids section, only one card was available: the Lucky Alchemy Card.

Current alchemy success rate: 50% + 8.9% + 30%. Choose to proceed.

The two beasts in the materials list transformed into streams of light, merging into the alchemy canvas, where the image became more and more lifelike. After a few seconds, the creature on the board lifted its head.

A lion’s head, with a majestic dark-gold mane; a humanoid body over two meters tall, standing upright, every muscle swelling with power, hands and feet wide yet dexterous, fingertips armed with retractable claws, the whole figure covered in short, dense, dark-bronze fur, and a pair of amber eyes that could pierce the soul.

Prompt: Alchemy successful. Please name your creation.

Wu You’s eyes sparkled as he chose the name: Lion-faced King Kong Garuru.