"Liuli?" Ever since she was found hidden in a concealed compartment of the carriage by the mastiffmen, Ling had kept her eyes tightly shut and her teeth clenched. She was terrified that showing any emotion might distract Wu Qingsong. But under these circumstances, she finally couldn't help but cry out.

"Meow~ What a nuisance. Let's catch up after I've dealt with them," responded the towering catwoman, before lunging at the mastiffmen.

"Wu?" Ling glanced at Wu Qingsong, her eyes wide with astonishment. She was convinced this had to be related to him in some way.

But he simply shook his head. "I have no clue what's going on either."

"I've got this," announced Halo as he excitedly grabbed his greatsword.

He was a rarity among his kind, taller than even the bearmen and minotaurs. The appearance of this almost equally tall catwoman sent shivers of excitement through him, a sensation he hadn’t felt since the day he killed his drunken father.

"Bring it on!" With a ferocious roar, he swung his greatsword at the catwoman.

Defying her large size, the catwoman sidestepped his attack with astounding agility. She pounced onto another mastiffman next to her, her claws shooting out like daggers. In a swift motion, she slashed across his throat, causing blood to gush out like a fountain.

The mastiffmen erupted into a frenzy. Another hulking mastiffman, also armed with a greatsword, charged at her. But the catwoman suddenly crouched low, tackling him at the waist and using the momentum to slam both of them into the mastiffman behind, shattering his bones and sending him hurtling through the air with a scream. They both smashed into a tree, creating a shower of dust, splinters, and broken branches.

The mastiffman’s angry roars quickly turned to agonized screams. Moments later, the figure of the catwoman reappeared, lunging at yet another mastiffman.

"Kill the rest!" Kleine roared.

The mastiffmen lifted their crossbows, aiming at Wu Qingsong and Ling. Acting quickly, Wu Qingsong threw himself in front of Ling to shield her. The catwoman, in a surge of fury, toppled one mastiffman holding a crossbow and wrestled another to the ground in a tumbling motion.

Clouds of dust billowed into the air, obscuring the vision. What people could make out was her agile body, marked with alternating shades of orange, black, and white, darting and leaping through the fray. Her long, white-tipped tail flicked back and forth in the air as if orchestrating her swift movements. Before anyone could mount an effective attack or defense, she had already moved and launched another assault from her new position.

Amidst the chaos, a mastiffman managed to hit her with a bolt. However, before he could let out a cheer, the furious catwoman pounced on him, tearing into him with a brutal barrage of claw swipes, swiftly ending his life in mere moments.

Kleine's shout turned into a howl of despair. Only now did he realize that the creature before him was less a beastfolk and more akin to a gigantic, sentient cat. A species rumored to be one of the most vicious. Her enlarged form exhibited combat abilities on par with those of a war wolf, but she possessed even greater agility and a wider range of attacks.

To stand a chance against such a formidable opponent, his only options would have been a well-coordinated formation, spears, heavy armor, and a barrage of crossbow fire. But that opportunity had slipped through his fingers as most of his mastiffmen lay defeated.

His grip tightened around the hilt of his rapier, his eyes locked onto the catwoman's agile form that effortlessly navigated the battlefield. Inside, he was a cauldron of frustration and seething rage.

Why? Why?

She was supposed to be nothing but a lowly slave. A subservient maid crawling in servitude.

A timid, useless catgirl.

Why? Why was such incredible power not bestowed upon him, but instead squandered on such unworthy trash?

Why?

Why?!

In a surge of desperation, Kleine lunged toward Wu Qingsong and Ling. Sensing his intent, the catwoman let out a sharp meow and leaped back, positioning herself as a barrier between him and his intended targets.

"Liuli!" Kleine thundered. "I was the one who rescued you from the slave traders. I provided for you, fed you, gave you a life. I am your master. Is this the thanks I get?"

Caught off guard, the catwoman took an involuntary step back. Seizing the opportunity, Kleine lunged forward, rapier aimed squarely at her. With nimble grace, she sidestepped his thrust and hissed back defiantly.

"Face me, you wretch! Fight me!" Halo's voice filled the air. Encased in heavy armor, he had no chance of matching the catwoman's agility. After several futile lunges, his movements grew noticeably sluggish.

"Take down the half-breed! Force her to fight you," Kleine shouted in command.

In a swift motion, Halo hoisted his greatsword and aimed a devastating blow at Wu Qingsong and Ling. At that instant, the catwoman pounced on him from the side. Halo didn't hesitate. He dropped his greatsword, caught her in a bear hug, and violently slammed her to the ground.

"Meowww~" For the first time, the catwoman let out a pained cry. She raised her claws to scratch at Halo, but his half-plate armor deflected most of her swipes. In a burst of frustration, she aimed a vicious slash at his face, nearly tearing it to shreds. Halo roared, biting down hard on her arm without loosening his grip on her.

"Hold her!" Kleine exclaimed, euphoric. He charged toward the entangled duo, rapier poised for a lethal strike to the catwoman's skull.

But just as he was about to make contact, Wu Qingsong finally caught up. Capitalizing on the moment Kleine's focus was entirely on the catwoman, he lunged forward, gripped Kleine's leg, and yanked it with all his strength.

Kleine's rapier veered off course, stabbing through the catwoman's shoulder instead of her head and effectively pinning her to Halo. Both of them screamed in agony.

"Don't let her go!" Kleine shouted, kicking Wu Qingsong away and lunging for a military saber that had fallen nearby. But Wu Qingsong threw himself at Kleine with desperate speed, once again gripping his leg in a death hold and biting down fiercely.

Kleine roared in fury, repeatedly stomping Wu Qingsong's face with his other foot. The iron-soled boots pummeled relentlessly into Wu Qingsong's face and nose. A surge of agonizing pain brought tears and mucus flowing freely. Yet, Wu Qingsong held on, his teeth clamped on Kleine's leg, his hands clenched tightly as if his life depended on it, refusing to release his grip.

Undeterred, Kleine began to drag Wu Qingsong toward the fallen saber. Just as his fingers were inches away from its hilt, a foot kicked the weapon, sending it skittering out of reach.

Looking up in astonishment, he was met by the pointed tip of a crossbow bolt and Harold's grim face.

"Peasant," Kleine spat out in despair.

The bolt tore through his right eye. His body stiffened for a moment, then collapsed onto the ground.

Still biting Kleine's leg, Wu Qingsong remained oblivious to what had transpired. Harold wasted no time. He yanked the poisoned bolt from Kleine’s eye socket and limped toward Halo, plunging it deep into his neck.

Within seconds, the massive mastiffman's life was gone. His hands gradually relaxed, releasing the catwoman's arm. She let out a roar and tightened her claws around his neck before tearing through it viciously. His head hit the ground with a resounding thud.

Weakened from significant blood loss, she too collapsed, her body falling heavily onto Halo's lifeless form.

"Liuli! Liuli!" Ling rushed over, her face wet with tears, and clutched the frail body of the catwoman in her arms. Weakly, the catwoman lifted her gaze to meet Ling's, her tail briefly rising before limply falling back down as she lost consciousness.

"Flip her over," Wu Qingsong yelled urgently.

Harold attempted to extract the embedded rapier but failed. Wu Qingsong had no choice but to help him, both straining together. Finally, the catwoman was separated from the mastiffman, a torrent of blood pouring out. Although it was impossible to tell whose blood it was.

Tears finally spilled from Ling's eyes. Although it was hard to fathom, she knew that the enormous and ferocious catwoman, towering at two and a half meters, was undoubtedly her beloved companion, Liuli. Just magnified in size.

"Don't you dare..." she managed through her sobs.

"Meow~ so tired~ so sleepy~" the catwoman murmured, her eyes struggling to stay open.

"You're not allowed to die! You made it through earlier, you can't die now," Wu Qingsong shouted.

Spreading his palms open, he placed them on her chest. Her bosom was more voluptuous than that of even the sultriest of celebrities, but this was no time for propriety.

A familiar, strange sensation reemerged between them. An indescribable force, pulsating in rhythm with her heartbeat, flowed through his hands into his body, jolting his heart. Shortly after, their heartbeats began to synchronize.

Almost miraculously, the wounds on the catwoman began to heal at a visibly rapid pace. Nearly at the same time, her body began to shrink quickly. Within a matter of seconds, she reverted to her original, frail form.

"Liuli! Liuli!" Ling exclaimed, her voice tinged with both surprise and relief.

"Meow?" Liuli's tail instinctively flicked as she gently nuzzled Ling's hand before promptly drifting into a deep slumber.