The next day, when Wang Keke excitedly brought Lin Mo to the entrance of East District 3's Battle Pet Commercial Street, with Aunt Zhang and another female bodyguard—both Battle General-rank—following behind like shadows, Lin Mo finally understood what kind of "fanfare" came with being an "S-Rank Core Seed," and what it meant to be an unwilling "center of attention."
What he'd imagined when he'd thought of "going out for a walk" was quietly looking around and searching for potential "ingredients," attracting, at most, a few surprised and awestruck glances.
Reality, however, hit him hard.
His imposing, powerful figure, his striking white fur, and the pair of wings on his back—which had grown to a noticeable size and couldn't be concealed even when folded—combined with the name tag around his neck, glittering in the sunlight and engraved with "Mimi" as if to make sure nobody missed his name...
The whole package was a walking beacon for cameras!
"Look! It's that tiger! The Winged Tiger!"
"Oh my god! It's Mimi! I saw it in the video from the internal briefing! It's even more handsome in person!"
"Is that the Wang Family's genius Spirit Reader? They really came out!"
The instant they appeared, the bustling commercial street seemed to fall silent, only to erupt into an even louder commotion. Countless gazes swept toward them like searchlights, filled with curiosity, excitement, adoration, and even...frenzy?
Before Lin Mo had a chance to adjust to all the "enthusiastic" attention, the first brave souls rushed over.
"Miss Wang! Could... could I take a picture with Mimi?" A young man in a martial artist's uniform, still boyish in appearance, asked, his face flushed with excitement as he held up the latest model of Communication Watch.
Wang Keke clearly enjoyed the attention and recognition. She smiled and nodded. "Sure, but be careful, okay? Don't scare Mimi."
Scare him? What the hell! Do I look like I scare easily? I'm dying of annoyance! Lin Mo grumbled inwardly, but he still had to maintain a "friendly" image. After all, he represented the Wang Family and the image of an "S-Rank Seed."
So he was forced to play along.
The first person, the second, then the tenth... People kept lining up to take pictures. Lin Mo became an emotionless backdrop, following Wang Keke's instructions to sit or stand, and occasionally even pose for the camera (though he was extremely unwilling).
What was even more unbearable was that people made all sorts of increasingly outrageous requests beyond just taking pictures.
"Mimi's fur looks so soft. Can I pet him? Just once!" A bold young woman pleaded, her eyes sparkling.
Wang Keke waved her hand generously. "Go ahead! Mimi's very gentle!"
Gentle, my ass! I'm a ferocious tiger! Lin Mo roared inwardly, but could only watch as the young woman cautiously stroked the fur on his foreleg, then gasped with satisfaction. "Wow! It really is!"
That seemed to open Pandora's box.
"I want to pet him too!"
"Let me have a turn!"
"Just one pat on the tail!"
Hands reached out from every direction. Some were big, rough hands, others were slender fingers, and then there were...those clueless little brats who didn't know their limits!
Lin Mo's whole body stiffened. He felt like a monkey on display at the zoo (a top-tier VIP monkey, at that). Fighting the urge to swat them all away, he could only send Wang Keke an emphatic protest and a sense of discomfort through their mental link.
"Okay, okay, don't crowd around. Take turns, and be careful!" Wang Keke was completely absorbed in sharing the joy of her "beloved pet." She kept the crowd in order while soothing Lin Mo. "Mimi, be good. They like you!"
Like him? Lin Mo wanted to cry. He could feel people "petting" his back, belly, and even his cheeks. The worst offenders were some parents who actually carried their clueless toddlers right up to him!
"Look, baby, a big kitty! Go on, pet him. Don't be scared!"
Then Lin Mo felt a chubby little hand, smelling of milk and a little spit, flailing about as it patted and pawed at him. That was bad enough, but one little boy in a pair of split-crotch pants, barely steady on his feet, was "encouraged" by his parents and stumbled. His little hand landed squarely on an extremely sensitive and vulnerable spot between Lin Mo's hind legs!
!!!!
Lin Mo's tiger body went rigid, and every hair on him nearly stood on end!
An indescribable feeling, a mix of humiliation, anger, and utter discomfort, surged through him like an electric current!
"ROAR—!! (What the hell! Let go!!)"
He let out a low growl, barely restraining his fury, and instinctively tried to jerk his hind leg away.
The boy was startled and burst into tears. His parent hurriedly picked him up and apologized again and again. "I'm so sorry, so sorry. He's still little and doesn't know any better..."
Wang Keke was startled too. She quickly hugged Lin Mo around the neck and soothed him. "Mimi, don't be scared. The little boy didn't mean to!"
Lin Mo's mind was in chaos. He doesn't know any better?! Does that mean he can just grab a tiger by the balls?! What the hell is wrong with these human children and their complete lack of boundaries? My hard-earned reputation!
He felt that his dignity as a future Starry Sky Behemoth had been thoroughly ground into the dirt by these "enthusiastic" humans today, on this commercial street—especially by that little brat!
Yet his "miserable" experience did nothing to stop him from becoming the center of attention. Seeing that he'd only growled when "attacked" and hadn't actually hurt anyone, the crowd thought he was even more "intelligent" and "sweet-tempered."
Even more Communication Watches and cameras went up.
"Quick, take a picture! Mimi's so cute!"
"Was that a protective reaction? Hahaha, that's hilarious!"
"Look at that utterly lifeless expression!"
Camera flashes went off as videos were uploaded to the internet in real time.
And so, completely unbeknownst to Lin Mo, pictures of him from every angle and with every expression (mostly lifeless resignation and suppressed anger) quickly shot to the top of the Northeast Base City's trending topics.
[#S-RankBattlePetSpottedOutShopping#] [#TheWingedTigerMimiIsSoFriendlyInPerson#] [#ATiger'sMostEmbarrassingMoment#] [#IWantToPetMimiToo#]...
Under all sorts of tags were pictures of him being forced to pose, having his fur ruffled, and even a snapshot of the little boy's "wandering hand" (mosaicked, of course)... His "full name"—Mimi—spread across the internet like a virus.
He, Lin Mo, the future overlord who only wanted to devour and evolve, to walk the path of survival and become a god, had become a household name early on after arriving in this world, in a way he absolutely hadn't wanted: as an...internet celebrity.
Wang Keke had a wonderful time. She thought that everyone's acceptance and affection for Mimi was a tremendous honor. She even offered to help some especially shy-looking girls take pictures with him.
Lin Mo lay on the ground, utterly lifeless, as a little girl carefully braided the fur on the side of his neck. His heart was shrouded in darkness.
Damn this charm... He stared at the crowd filling the commercial street all the way to the exit, which seemed impossibly far away, and closed his eyes in despair.
I'm never coming back to this hellhole!
He swore that once he got back, he'd work twice as hard at devouring so he could gain the ability to tear through space and teleport as soon as possible! Then he'd see who could force him to play along!
What he didn't know was that this seemingly farcical "internet celebrity" incident would bring some unexpected "opportunities"...and trouble.
Before you continue