Breaking Through to Advanced and Lightning Strike

Time is like the scraps of monster meat leaking through the gaps in Lin Mo's claws; it looks like a lot, but it vanishes in the blink of an eye.

Over the past three months, Lin Mo has deeply understood what it means to say, "A tiger's life is not easy; it all depends on acting." He, a winged tiger with the soul of a survivalist master, is a "working tiger" by day, navigating various lights, reflectors, and the roaring of directors, and a "feasting tiger" by night, devouring everything in sight to grow stronger.

The filming process has been a history of blood and tears. From initially endorsing a brand of monster jerky, which required him to make an intoxicated expression of "tasting peerless deliciousness"—heaven knows he nearly gave himself a facial spasm trying to pull that off—to later filming a high-end "battle pet vitality collar," where he had to wear that fake-diamond-encrusted, choking contraption, running and spreading his wings in front of a green screen to create a contradictory atmosphere of freedom and luxury. The most ridiculous instance was a body wash commercial that required him and Wang Keke to "frolic" in a luxury bathtub full of bubbles. Although he firmly held his final line of defense—not getting into the water, only using his claws to stir the bubbles while wearing an expression of "this tiger is disgusted but professional"—that video was still turned into a dynamic meme, captioned "Tiger Refuses Bath," and went viral online.

"Mimi, look here! Yes, spread your wings a bit more! The eyes, the eyes need to be domineering yet carry a hint of approval for the product!" The photographer's voice has become the nightmare BGM of Lin Mo's life.

(Internal OS): "Approve your head! Can this thing possibly taste better than gnawing on a raw monster leg? Is this tiger's dominance meant to be used to endorse this plaster-like collar?" Lin Mo grumbled inwardly while skillfully adjusting the angle of his wings, his golden tiger eyes struggling to focus under the harsh lights, attempting to convey the false message that "once you wear this collar, you can possess the same aura as this king."

Despite the process being full of social death and humiliation, the name "Mimi," along with his majestic yet contrastingly cute image, has indeed become a hit across the country. His "selling-out money"—oh no, his share of the profits—has snowballed, making Wang Keke so happy that she hugs and kisses him every day, saying, "Mimi! You are my lucky tiger! From now on, your monster meat is guaranteed!"

This is perhaps the only consolation Lin Mo has received in his working career. Economic foundation determines the superstructure; only with money can one achieve "freedom of ordering" and grow stronger faster.

Daily "eating and drinking" is the non-negotiable priority. After splurging his "hard-earned money" on a wild ordering spree, Lin Mo finally felt the long-dormant [Combat Devour] talent send a thrilling tremor through his body on a night of thunder and lightning (not really, it was just the kitchen delivering the freshest batch), after devouring the Nth Lightning Marten!

A tingling sensation of electricity instantly surged through his entire body. Unlike the sedimentation of [Tough Skin] or the restlessness of [Power Burst], this power focused more on speed and explosiveness. His muscle fibers seemed to be combed and strengthened by an invisible force, and his neural reaction speed also received a subtle boost at that moment.

[Ding! Devoured a large quantity of "Lightning Marten," successfully analyzed and inherited its core talent—Lightning Strike!]

Success! Lin Mo was almost moved to tears. Although the Lightning Marten didn't taste top-tier, it was exorbitantly expensive, and for the sake of this ethereal probability, he had practically made it his staple food for the past three months, to the point where he almost thought he was going to turn into a giant cat that discharges electricity.

[Lightning Strike]: Once activated, it can instantly stimulate all cells and muscles in the body, bursting forth with speed and power far exceeding the norm. It is as swift as lightning and suitable for short-range raids and bursts. Side effect: It will place a heavy load on the muscles in a short period; use with caution.

"Short-range raid? Burst?" Lin Mo licked the corner of his mouth, feeling the restless power within him. "Isn't this a god-tier skill tailor-made for me to steal kills... ah no, to deliver righteous finishing blows?"

Accompanying the acquisition of the new talent and the continuous "pay-to-win" devouring, Lin Mo's strength naturally broke through to the Advanced Beast Soldier level. His physique became even more robust and majestic; his shoulder height almost caught up to an adult Siberian tiger. His fur was sleek and shiny, and his muscle lines were fluid and full of power, making him look like a small fortress when he crouched there. The most significant change was the pair of wings on his back; they were no longer the "decorations" that could only be used for gliding to save energy. The wingspan had expanded, the feathers (or rather, the wing membranes covered in feather-like scales) had become tougher, and the bones were strong and powerful.

He had secretly tested it, and now he could perform short-distance low-altitude flight! Although the duration was short, the flight altitude was limited, and the posture... in Wang Keke's words, "like a drunk, oversized golden retriever flapping its wings for dear life," but for a creature with a tiger's body, this was undoubtedly a milestone achievement!

This meant his mobility had received a qualitative leap. If he couldn't win, he could fly away (though he couldn't fly high or far yet); when pursuing, he could ignore certain terrain, and in the future... perhaps he could even achieve aerial strikes? Just thinking about it made the tiger excited.

Of course, this "shameful flying" was currently in the confidential stage, limited to practicing in front of Wang Keke inside the Wang Family's specially made, giant training room that shielded them from outside prying eyes.

Every time he flapped his wings with all his might, his four claws leaving the ground as he moved crookedly through the air, Wang Keke would laugh until she doubled over below, mercilessly recording this scene of his "tiger persona collapsing."

"Mimi! Come on! Use your left wing! Yes! Keep your balance! Oh no, you're going to hit the wall!"

(Internal OS): "Shut up, woman! Once this king masters aerial hunting, you'll be the first one I grab to take for a ride in the sky!" Lin Mo gritted his teeth while adjusting his posture, vowing to master cool flying techniques as soon as possible to wash away this shame.

Wang Keke hadn't been idle these past three months either. Perhaps stimulated by Lin Mo's rapid growth, she practiced the Spirit-Rhino Resonance Chapter even more diligently. The results were significant; she could now precisely control four Flying Daggers simultaneously, tracing tricky trajectories in the air to hit high-speed moving targets.

The growth of her mental power also made the mental link between her and Lin Mo clearer and more stable. Now, she could even vaguely perceive some of Lin Mo's stronger intentions, such as "hungry," "don't want to film," or "want to try a new ability."

"Mimi, I feel like you've gotten much faster lately," Wang Keke stroked Lin Mo's increasingly thick fur, her eyes shining. "And your wings have hardened; you even dare to fly secretly now."

Lin Mo rolled his eyes and rubbed his head against her palm, transmitting the thought: You know it, so hurry up and get more good food to honor this king.

Lin Mo raised his head, a sharp light flashing in his golden tiger eyes.

He stood up and stretched his strong limbs, his wings flapping subconsciously, stirring up a breeze. In three months, he had quietly grown from a "web celebrity Mimi" forced to work into an Advanced Beast Soldier tiger possessing lightning speed, initial flight capabilities, and a bulging wallet.

The life of a working tiger might continue for a while longer, but he knew very well that all the endurance and "sacrifice" were to accumulate strength. When his wings were hard enough and his claws sharp enough, that would be the time for the tiger to roar in the mountains and soar into the sky.

As for now... he glanced at the new script the agent had just sent to the tablet computer beside him—an endorsement for an energy drink called "Tiger's Might," requiring him to take a sip in front of the camera and then roar excitedly at the sky.

(Internal OS): "...Forget it, for the sake of money, I'll endure it again. One sip shouldn't poison a tiger; I just hope this stuff doesn't taste like an Iron-Wire Snake."

He resignedly lay back down, flicked his tail, and began to brew that exaggerated expression of "one sip and you can sweep across an army." Life is not easy, a tiger selling his talents—it's all for evolution!