Chapter 3: The Cutest in the World

Ji Wuxiu: “……”

A cold wind blew past, ruffling the baby panda’s fur, making him look even more pitiful.

The system remained silent for a long time before offering some comfort: 【That was an accident. Host, don’t be discouraged.】

The black-and-white creature trembled slightly, his lifeless face full of indignation. “Why did this happen…”

The system continued to console him with absolute certainty: 【That Lightning Panther just has an abnormal sense of aesthetics. Other creatures won’t react this way, don’t worry, Host.】

Encouraged by the system’s confidence, Ji Wuxiu slowly stood up and patted off the paw prints the leopard had left on his white fur.

At this moment, the ten-second “eye-burning” debuff had yet to wear off. The black panther was still rolling on the ground, wailing in agony. Its claws were splayed wide as it struggled, revealing soft pink paw pads—completely ruining its usual fierce and cool image.

A perfectly cold and menacing panther… just went insane like that.

The fluffy-faced panda stared blankly at the panther’s one-man show, feeling oddly satisfied.

It actually had the audacity to call me ugly? Has it even looked at itself?!

This panther was simply too much! Not only did it reject his cuteness, but it even insulted the natural adorableness of his body!

And this was his very first attempt at selling cuteness. Sure, his technique might’ve been a bit rough, and his execution a little clumsy, but that was understandable for a beginner!

Yet, this panther thought he was ugly…

Ugly…

Ugly enough to burn its eyes.

Unforgivable!

Ji Wuxiu’s eyes instantly blazed with fury. He gave his soft, fluffy fur a shake, his stout body trembling like a sumo wrestler stomping the ground. Then, with all the strength of a charging bear, he sprinted toward the panther and raised his paw—

BAM!

—Take that, you ugly bastard!

Ji Wuxiu’s paws came down like a relentless storm, whacking the black panther over and over until it looked even more miserable.

“ROARRR—” The panther howled in fury, ears flattening like airplane wings as it bared its fangs at Ji Wuxiu, crouching low with its rear raised, letting out a warning growl. Its vertical pupils burned with rage.

Oh? Still not convinced?

Ji Wuxiu straightened up, his round belly even more eye-catching as he lifted his chubby panda paw and wiggled it, proudly displaying its strength.

Look at my mighty fists!

The black panther hesitated for a moment, unwilling to back down. It also raised a paw and mimicked Ji Wuxiu’s gesture, wiggling its own paw—revealing its soft, pink paw pads.

A moment of silence.

Ji Wuxiu let out a silent snicker—because his panda paws were way bigger than that panther’s!

The more he thought about it, the more he trembled with laughter, his chubby body shaking as he even slapped his thigh with a paw, utterly delighted. His round eyes, hidden beneath his dark eye patches, looked even more… unremarkable.

The black panther let out a furious roar and, with a swift motion, extended its sharp claws, shaking them defiantly. Its vertical pupils were filled with stubbornness.

Even though they didn’t speak the same language, Ji Wuxiu understood exactly what the panther meant. His furry face seemed to reveal a simple-minded grin before—shing!—he extended his own claws.

More importantly… even his claws were longer and much thicker than the panther’s.

The black panther quickly retracted its paw, growling in frustration, its long tail lashing back and forth in irritation.

Ji Wuxiu couldn’t resist and smacked the panther with a paw.

What are you roaring at me for, huh?

The panther jumped in anger but didn’t dare approach. Instead, it paced hesitantly, seemingly trying to figure out how to launch a sneak attack.

Ji Wuxiu’s previously lifeless eyes widened in an instant. This panther wants to ambush me?!

The clueless black panther: ???

Before it could react, Ji Wuxiu suddenly raised his paw again and smacked it right across the face. A loud whap! echoed through the valley, shaking the trees and sending birds flapping into the sky, chirping in panic.

The black panther whimpered lowly, as if begging for mercy.

After a few more smacks, Ji Wuxiu finally stopped, panting, and took a few steps back before plopping onto the ground. He was so exhausted that he didn’t want to move a muscle. His round back curled up into a fluffy ball, and his dopey, innocent face remained as lifeless as ever—like someone who was perpetually unhappy.

So tired…

Seizing the chance, the black panther finally escaped from its miserable state of being pummeled into the dirt. Terrified, it scrambled to its feet, its vertical pupils filled with sheer horror. Its first instinct? Turn tail and run. Limping, it disappeared into the depths of the forest without looking back.

From start to finish, the mighty black panther never once glanced back.

As if it was afraid of getting its eyes burned again.

Ji Wuxiu felt—even angrier.

That panther’s sense of aesthetics is completely broken!

After a long while, the black-and-white creature slowly climbed to his feet, wobbling as he shuffled along with his pigeon-toed steps. He plopped down onto the soft grass again, completely indifferent to how much he was crushing the poor plants beneath him.

With a very human-like sigh, the panda curled up, his body forming a fluffy little ball. From the side, he looked like a round, black-and-white lump.

His chubby face, drooping under the weight of his dark eye patches, was filled with endless melancholy.

“…System, I don’t think I’m suitable for being cute.”

The system, which had been silent for a long time, seemed to sense that its host was in a bad mood. It cautiously said, 【Host, this was really just an accident. Your appearance was meticulously calculated by the system. With this form, the chances of successfully acting cute are absolutely one hundred percent.】

Ji Wuxiu wiggled his little feet, sprawled out under the tree, and smacked his lips. His face was full of melancholy. “Forget it, that’s not important. What’s important is… what should I eat later?”

As a panda cub only a few months old, Ji Wuxiu’s dark, round eyes scanned his surroundings, searching for a panda’s most beloved food—bamboo.

The system timely provided information: 【Ding! A panda’s main diet consists of bamboo, but they also consume small amounts of meat, as well as wildflowers, vines, weeds, honey, and other foods.】

That means, host, don’t just stare at the bamboo!

Ji Wuxiu pondered over the system’s words and felt like there was a hidden message in them. “System… don’t tell me there’s no bamboo here?”

The system hesitated. 【Well… if you act cute more, there will be bamboo.】

Ji Wuxiu’s heart skipped a beat, and his paws trembled. “What do you mean by that?”

For some reason, as a human, he had never been particularly attached to bamboo. But ever since he became a panda, the moment he heard that he couldn’t eat bamboo, he immediately felt an uncontrollable surge of anger!

The system’s voice wavered. 【It’s… exactly what it sounds like.】

Ji Wuxiu’s eyes reddened with urgency. With a loud smack, he slapped his paw against the tree trunk, leaving behind a shallow scratch. “Explain. What the hell is going on?”

The system stammered, 【It’s just… Host, you’re not on Earth anymore. There aren’t even pandas here, so where would bamboo come from?】

Ji Wuxiu swayed slightly before plopping down onto the ground, his face, with its dark eye patches, looking utterly lifeless. “…I’m not on Earth?”

His voice carried a trace of confusion.

Even when he had died, gained a system, and been reborn as a panda, he had never felt as lost as he did now.

It was like being a floating duckweed without roots—suddenly, he had lost the courage to support himself.

The system panicked and hurriedly comforted him. 【Host! Now is not the time for you to fall into despair!】

Ji Wuxiu remained silent, his head lowered. A few strands of fur stuck out from his round little head, swaying in the breeze.

At this moment, the system, for the first time, seemed to display a trace of human emotion. 【Host! Say something! You’re not seriously losing the will to live, are you?!】

The black-and-white panda still hung his head, motionless, sprawled out in a lazy, undignified pose.

【I was wrong, Host!】

But there was still no response.

A few moments later, the sound of gentle snoring floated into the air.

Ji Wuxiu’s round body subtly rose and fell with each breath. Keeping his plump figure balanced was impossible—before long, he slid down onto the grass and fell into a deep sleep.

Most importantly…

He was lying in a big “大” shape.

Like a thick, fluffy blanket.

The kind that made people want to lie down on it.

System: 【……】

Ji Wuxiu was exhausted. From dying to being reborn, then experiencing his transformation into a panda—so many things had piled up, repeatedly stretching his nerves to their limit. Now that he had finally relaxed, he fell asleep instantly.

The system was considerate and remained silent.

—

The wind rustled the leaves, making a soft sound, but it still wasn’t enough to wake the sprawled-out, sleeping panda.

Ji Wuxiu had no idea how long he slept. He even had a dream—one where he, in his panda form, conquered the world. Everyone was obsessed with him, screaming and swooning at even the smallest cute gesture he made.

Countless cameras and lenses were aimed at him, capturing every moment of his cuteness.

No one dared to miss a single second.

Ji Wuxiu smacked his lips and let out a delighted chuckle in his sleep.

【Host…】

【Host… wake up!】

Ji Wuxiu drowsily stirred, irritated by the voice disrupting his dream. He groggily opened his eyes, just about to complain, when the system suddenly shouted in his mind: 【Stop sleeping! Look behind you—there’s a sika deer! This is your chance to act cute!】

Ji Wuxiu immediately perked up, too focused on the moment to argue with the system. He rolled over and got up in one swift motion—so agile that he barely resembled the sluggish, wobbling panda from before.

He looked left and right, wide-eyed, scanning his surroundings while asking the system in his mind, “Where?”

【Behind you… just turn around.】

The system’s voice was calm, devoid of emotion, but Ji Wuxiu still felt his face heat up. Fortunately, his thick fur covered it up. He forced himself to act composed and nodded. “Got it.”

The sika deer stared at him with its big, watery eyes, watching this strange creature curiously.

It had never seen anything like this before.

So fat… so ugly…

The black-and-white creature slowly turned around, revealing a deliberately dumbfounded yet undeniably gloomy face. The obvious dark eye patches made the sika deer jump in fright, its legs instinctively kicking back.

—So ugly!

The sika deer wasn’t very intelligent, but its instincts told it that this creature was weak. So weak that even it could bully him. This realization made the deer relax a little, its muscles loosening as it continued to observe the strange creature with growing curiosity.

Ji Wuxiu felt a little self-conscious. Staring at the obviously adorable and soft-looking sika deer, he hesitated and whispered to the system, “I think if this deer sees my face every day, it’ll develop an immunity to my cuteness.”

The system responded coldly: 【Host, your appearance was voted number one as the world’s cutest creature by the people of Earth. Do you understand?】

In other words—a mere sika deer was no match for the overwhelming, innate cuteness of a panda.

Ji Wuxiu blushed again, steeled himself, and said, “Alright… I’ll give it a try.”

Realizing that the first “cuteness sale” was about to succeed, the system’s voice carried a hint of excitement: 【Host, keep it up!】