Trapped in the Beastworld Breeder System (BL)-Chapter 14: A bald young cub...

Chapter 14: A bald young cub...
"That’s basically all my CE! Aren’t you being a thief?!" Aries exclaimed out loud, startling the lady who had been waiting for him to sign.
"Are you good?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly at him as she wondered if he hadn’t momentarily gone insane because, why curse loudly at him?
As he noticed what he just did, he turned his gaze to her and sighed. Once again, he had talked aloud something meant for the system, only to make himself look like a lunatic to people who couldn’t see who he was conversing with.
He scratched his head with his hand before responding, honestly, "I’m sorry. I was meant to say that inwardly, not to you."
Then, quickly, he focused back on the system before the woman could even let out a word.
’Isn’t that basically hard to do? Like... I’ll need to complete tasks, reach the threshold of my CE, and then use it straight away?’
[Well, you can also grow the level of the system, and that way your CE threshold will increase.]
[Currently, you are at Rank 1.]
’So... you can even rank up?’
[Yes. And ranking up gives you access to other things.]
[If you were Rank 3, you would’ve been able to get the Beast Veil from the system instead of going through this fake deal with this unknown woman.]
’I’ll sign it now then. And after I rank up the system, we’ll talk about dissolving it. I suddenly can’t lose all my senses, can I? And even if I do... I know I’ll find a way out somehow.’
After planning out to solve the situation with the system, Aries was more settled and he turned to the woman. "I’ll sign it."
He then added, eager, "How? With my hand? A pen perhaps, if there’s any..."
She smiled lightly. "Stretch out your palm."
"Oh... why?" Aries asked as he stretched it out, though he already had a bad feeling about that..
Then, the woman took his hand, his big thumb, and suddenly Aries felt it: a sharp prick, followed by a sting that shot straight into his brain.
"Fuck!" he hissed, wincing.
But the woman didn’t seem fazed at all. She simply dragged his thumb and pressed it onto the part where his name was imprinted on the paper.
Then she repeated the same action with her own thumb, sealing the deal. The paper shimmered faintly and vanished instantly.
Aries stuck his thumb into his mouth on instinct, licking away the small droplet of blood. As he did that, he saw as the lady brought out the vial he had earlier seen and held it out towards him.
He dropped his thumb and stared at her with seeking eyes, waiting for an explanation.
Without him saying anything, the woman understood the silence and she said, "It’s the Beast Veil Potion. Use it and this deal will be fully sealed. We don’t want anyone entering here and taking you awake as a spy."
"Oh..." Aries muttered, taking the vial carefully as though it might explode. "I only need to drink it, right?"
"Yes."
’This is safe and not poison, right?’
[Analysing content of the vial...
...Analysis complete.
— No harmful components detected.
— Potent transformative essence confirmed.]
As the system finished analyzing it, Aries opened the vial.
To his surprise, despite how strange the liquid looked from the outside—thick and shimmering,it actually smelled good.
Sweet, warm, and oddly fruity. Ever since he arrived in the Beastworld, specifically the Tiger Kingdom, he had not smelled anything pleasant. The scent alone felt like a tiny blessing.
With his eyes shut tightly, Aries downed the content in a single gulp. The liquid slid down his throat like warm honey. Then he waited, still standing, eyes closed.
A minute passed. Nothing.
Aries opened one eye and stared at the woman. "I mean... is this how it’s meant to be?"
"What?"
"Nothing happened. Is it fake?"
"Something did happen. Don’t you feel it?" the woman asked, confusion slipping into her expression.
"What?" Aries raised his hands to touch his ears, and he froze as he felt something soft, furry, and definitely not human.
His eyes widened. He turned sharply, looking behind him, and saw it: a tail dangling right at his butt.
"Wow... is there a mirror here?"
He glanced around the room quickly and spotted one leaning against the wall. Aries dashed toward it, almost tripping in his haste.
Standing before the mirror, he was completely awed. Even his eyes had changed color. Aries now looked like a young tiger cub, with little to no hair on his bald head—strangely enough, it fit the new form perfectly.
His tail and ears were adorable, the black and brown stripes complementing his skin beautifully. His cheeks even looked a little rounder, his features softer. He smiled widely at his reflection, unable to stop staring.
The woman came up behind him, equally stunned.
"You truly do look as though you are seventeen years old... a beautiful cub," she said softly, almost admiringly.
Aries scratched the back of his head shyly, the gesture making his ears twitch.
The deal was sealed.
That night, the woman took the bed, while Aries made do with the table and chair.
Morning came and sunlight spilled into the room, landing directly on the young cub sprawled awkwardly on the chair, stirring him awake.
Aries blinked and sighed. For a moment, he had hoped that sleeping and waking up would return him to Earth—perhaps in his bed, realizing all of this had been a dream. Or maybe in a hospital bed, learning that the explosion did happen on the field.
But none of that happened.
He sighed harder this time. Then he scratched his head again, only worsening his mood.
’Now I’m a bald young cub in the Beastworld.’
[Ding! System Alert!
Host, as it was an unknown substance from an unknown source, the system had to first locate the source before registering it. Now that it has been found, it can be registered.]
[Beast Veil Spell consumed.
MC now has the validity of 12 hours in beast form; afterwards, it will be removed.]
[Hours used: 5/12]
’Isn’t there a way to extend the duration of this spell?’
[Host, since it wasn’t purchased here, nothing can be done to extend it through the system.
Also, note that the spell risks discovery if shaken or stressed.]
’Good... a spell with many risks, and I’ve got my hands on it.’
’Anyway, now that this is resolved, let’s discuss the escape protocol. I like the fact that using it helped me escape the Tiger King, so I should use it again.’
’/Escape Protocol/’
[Ding!
Unavailable Request.
Activation requires 10 CE.
Host balance is insufficient.]
’Aren’t you being too greedy?’
[Host, please be guided.
Escape Protocols manipulate world mechanics in your favor.
If everything were free, the Beastworld’s balance would collapse.]
’I understand... then what tasks can I do to gain CE?’
[Ding!
Self-Request Task Generated.
Cause: Acquisition of Beast Veil.]
[Task Description:
Since Host must blend seamlessly into beast society, the system will run a preliminary Believability Test.]
[Objective:
— Act naturally as a low-ranked tiger beastling.
— Avoid raising suspicion.
— Trigger intrigue or a positive reaction from at least three coworkers.
(The reactions may include: "cute," "soft," "strange but adorable," "tiny tiger," etc.)
Success will unconsciously attract Host’s first client.]
[Reward: 50–100 CE depending on performance.]
As Aries conversed with the system, the lady stirred awake. She saw him standing there, brooding in the morning sunlight as though the weight of the entire kingdom sat on his tiny striped shoulders.
She rose from the bed and walked closer.
Aries noticed her approach and turned toward her.
"You’re awake. When do we leave?" he asked.
"Now," she said. Aries nodded.
Soon, two cloaked figures stepped out of the tavern into the bustling morning streets. The lady guided them through the crowd until they reached the front of a huge building. Several beastladies stood outside, their gazes seductive and assessing, their expressions sharp enough to slice through intentions.
The lady disappeared inside, leaving Aries momentarily stunned by the new environment. The place hummed with energy: music from various instruments filled the air, laughter echoed, conversations overlapped, and the alluring clothing of the beastladies shimmered under the lanterns.
Aries’ attention darted everywhere—his ears and tail twitching involuntarily from sensory overload. The colors, the noise, the perfume-like scents... everything was overwhelming yet fascinating.
But as his eyes wandered, he was suddenly struck by one of the beastladies passing by. Off guard, Aries lost his balance and stumbled backward, arms flailing.
His cloak slipped from his shoulders, gliding to the side like a fallen shadow. Before his back could hit the ground, a strong arm wrapped firmly around his waist, steadying him through the thin fabric of his clothes.
Aries’ eyes snapped toward his savior, and froze.
Deep blue eyes stared back at him.
’Wait... aren’t we in tiger territory? Why blue?’ the thought ran through Aries’ mind, a mix of confusion, curiosity, and a strange prickle of danger settling over him.