Reborn as a Monster with the Multiplier System

Chapter 8 — A Wager Against the Impossible

"I've always wanted to play like this." Sakura leaned in, closing the distance between them until Ren could smell the intoxicating scent of crushed petals wafting from her fur.

"If you actually manage to catch me," she whispered. Her voice was a low, breathless purr, a sweet, sanity-shattering promise. "I guarantee you won't regret it. I may lack practical experience, but I've perfectly mastered the theory behind every single one of the fox race's special intimate arts."

Those words struck like honey-coated arrows, effortlessly shattering the last remaining walls of Ren's rationality in the blink of an eye.

"Uwohhh!"

A tiny roar, brimming with fiery resolve, shattered the twilight's quiet. An aura of pure, unadulterated motivation practically exploded around Ren's small frame. He dug his claws deep into the dirt, eyes blazing as he stared toward his glorious future. "I'm definitely going to do it!"

Beneath the fading sunlight, which painted the western horizon in streaks of deep orange, Sakura slowly pulled back. A gentle smile touched her lips, hiding an unfathomable mystery behind its elegant curve.

"It's time. I have to go," she said. Her tone had shifted back to normal, entirely casual, as if her lethal little tease moments ago had never happened.

"Huh?" The blazing fire of Ren's motivation instantly fizzled out. He blinked, struggling to process the sudden farewell.

But before his little snout could even form a single question, a sharp gust of wind swept through the clearing, kicking up a flurry of dry leaves.

The swirling foliage momentarily blinded him. By the time the wind died down and the leaves settled back onto the earth, the mossy rock was empty.

Sakura was gone. She left no lingering scent, no ripple of energy, nothing. It was as if her very existence had just been erased from the world.

Ren scrambled around the rock, aggressively sniffing the air and scanning the surrounding brush. "Big Sister Sakura? Sister?" he called out several times.

The forest offered nothing in return but the rising chorus of evening crickets.

Total silence.

Letting out a long sigh, Ren finally gave up. His current helplessness was a brutal reminder of just how massive the gap between them truly was.

Not wasting another second, he turned and slinked into a dense patch of thorny brambles.

Night was falling fast. He needed to hide, recover his stamina, and strategize. Tomorrow's hunt had to be far more brutal, yet infinitely more efficient.

In a completely different dimension, far beyond the reach of mortal eyes, an endless expanse of pristine white clouds shimmered beneath the starlight.

"He's quite interesting," Sakura mused, her gentle voice still carrying the lingering traces of a laugh.

The air in this realm was impossibly crisp and serene. Not far from where Sakura stood, Qinglan lounged lazily against the giant petal of a mystical cotton flower.

The plush, cloud-like texture emitted a soft, azure luminescence that bathed Qinglan's figure in a heavenly glow.

Qinglan slowly rolled her eyes, glancing at Sakura without shifting from her comfortable repose.

"I knew he was interesting from the start. Still, I didn't expect you to make such a foolish promise to him."

Sakura took a slow step forward, the tip of her tail dancing in the air. "Is there something wrong with my promise?"

"Not at all," Qinglan replied flatly, her slender fingers twirling a glowing strand of cotton.

"Besides, you don't need to worry." Sakura lifted her head, letting the ethereal wind ruffle her fur. "The original wager we made is practically impossible to fulfill. Reaching Tier Nine in a single year?" She let out an amused snort. "Even in the divine realm, with limitless resources at one's disposal, a power spike like that is incredibly rare! Let alone for a creature in the lower realm."

Instead of arguing the point, the corners of Qinglan's lips curled upward into a cryptic, knowing smile.

Catching the reaction, Sakura's tail stopped swaying. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Qinglan's face. "Are you hiding something from me, Qinglan?"

Qinglan closed her eyes, nestling her head deeper into the plush cotton. "Who knows? Feel free to guess whatever you like."

"..."

Silence hung in the air. Sakura knew that whenever Qinglan used *that* tone, interrogating her for a thousand years wouldn't yield a single answer.

Shoving aside her unanswered curiosity, Sakura laid down on the sea of clouds, resting her chin on her front paws.

Qinglan cracked one eye open, glancing at the fox's posture. "Why haven't you shifted back into your human form? Doesn't that body restrict your movements?"

"Not yet," Sakura replied breezily, her ears twitching to catch the subtle rhythm of the wind. "It's been a very long time since I've relaxed in my pure fox form. It's actually quite comfortable."

She cast her gaze downward. Her eyes seemed to pierce straight through the dimensional veil, locking onto the sight of a little white tiger cub curled up behind thorny bushes in the mortal world below.

"For the time being," Sakura murmured, her voice dropping to a soft whisper, "I'll stay just like this. I want to see for myself what kind of surprises that little guy can bring."

Qinglan didn't offer a verbal response. She merely gave a soft nod, her eyes closing once more as she surrendered to the eternal tranquility of the realm.

To be continued...