Derek stretched lazily and elegantly to enjoy his barbecue. Meanwhile, Shao Qian held the wolf cub with great fondness. Although the cub seemed a bit thin and uncomfortable to touch, its fluffy fur made it look cute and charming.
Shao Qian was on the verge of being melted by the wolf cub. He lifted the cub, kissing its forehead affectionately. “So adorable. How about living with me from now on?”
The wolf cub, unable to speak yet, expressed its affection by standing on its hind legs and attempting to lick Shao Qian’s cheek, wagging its tail happily.
Feeling reassured by the cub’s vitality, Shao Qian wanted to explore the energy inside the cub using his soul power. However, to his surprise, his soul power suddenly became uncontrollable.
Now, Shao Qian was utterly stunned. Holding one of the cub’s front paws in his hand, he looked at the innocent expression on its face and felt a sense of internal collapse.
He hadn’t expected his lifelong companion to turn into a wolf, let alone a wolf cub that might not have been weaned yet.
Moreover, he had just praised the cub for being cute moments ago…
Shao Qian was dumbfounded. Looking at the wolf cub, his eyes even became somewhat moist. You’re a wolf now, and I don’t mind, as this is a world of orcs. But why are you a wolf ‘cub’? Shao Qian felt like crying without tears.
The wolf cub blinked its bright, innocent eyes, staring at Shao Qian. It seemed like the half-orc in his family was not very happy. What was going on? Shouldn’t he give a little lick at a time like this?
Well, he should. According to the inherited memories, when encountering someone you like, you should express your joy by giving them a little kiss and lick. However, what exactly was a person you liked? Could you eat them?
The wolf cub didn’t understand, but that didn’t stop it from wanting to lick the little half-orc. It stretched its neck and struggled with its other three limbs to reach Shao Qian. Its tongue licked through the air, but frustratingly, it just couldn’t reach.
The wolf cub kept its tongue hanging out, looking stunned. It turned out that it couldn’t lick its beloved little half-orc, making its wolf life seem hopeless.
The wolf cub, who was excited just a moment ago, became listless. When Shao Qian put it down, it didn’t pounce on him again. Instead, it just sat there beside Shao Qian, and its two tails swung lazily in one direction.
However, Shao Qian didn’t dwell on it for too long. Even if the wolf cub was still small, it was still his companion, right? What did it matter if it was small? After all, it would grow up eventually.
The wolf cub also seemed to sense Shao Qian’s change in mood. It crouched on the ground, looking up at him with a puzzled howl.
Smiling at the wolf cub, Shao Qian’s black beast ears moved slightly, and his tail, unintentionally swaying, happened to touch the wolf cub’s short tail.
The wolf cub turned to look at the tail that touched it. Seeing the black tail gently swinging, it became interested and pounced over, grabbing Shao Qian’s tail and playfully putting it into its mouth.
“…” You little rascal. Shao Qian thought that perhaps, while the cub was still small, he could educate it a bit.
Of course, this idea persisted until Shao Qian and the wolf cub both grew up. Yet, it never changed, and as the wolf cub aged, it became even more audacious.
The happy times always passed quickly. When Shao Qian was twenty years old and the wolf cub was fifteen, Derek asked them to deliver a letter to a friend in a distant place.
As for the wolf cub’s age, it was a question that troubled Shao Qian. He initially thought his companion was a recently weaned wolf cub, but he was wrong. When he found the cub, it was already three years old.
Regarding the age issue, Derek was also surprised. He thought the wolf cub was a bit older at that time. Derek had been waiting for the wolf cub to transform into a human form, thinking one year was the limit. Unexpectedly, the cub was already three years old when he found out.
“Honey, the old man asked us to find this person, but he didn’t give us a map.” Although the wolf cub was only fifteen years old, it was a head taller than Shao Qian.
“I’ve told you many times, don’t give strange names to people.” Shao Qian felt a bit of a headache. He always thought the wolf cub’s so-called ancestral memories were a bit tricky. After all, the memories others inherited were mostly about maximizing their potential or the experiences of their predecessors.
But what about the wolf cub’s ancestral memories? From a year ago, he kept hearing strange and sweet nicknames, from Sweetheart, Little Cutie, Little Baby to now Honey.
I just want to ask, what kind of scoundrel ancestors do you have? How could they incorporate such cheesy nicknames into their inherited memories?
“Not strange at all.” The wolf cub, like Shao Qian, maintained its half-orc form, and its tail wagged happily. “One ancestor said that only the dearest wolf can be called Honey.”
“Hehe.” Shao Qian gave the wolf cub a sideways glance. The dearest wolf. Dare to find other wolves, and beware of your fifth leg.
“I think he’s wrong.” The wolf cub turned its head and looked at Shao Qian seriously. “For me, Diudiu is the cutest and most beautiful.”
Diudiu’s height only reached his neck, and his small frame made him thin and fit perfectly in his arms. So, Diudiu was the precious gift bestowed upon him by the Beast God.
Shao Qian felt that every time his companion restarted the game, the only thing retained was sweet words.
“But, in the future, don’t call me that in front of others.” Shao Qian found it unbearable to be called “Honey” or similar names in public.
“Of course.” According to the inherited memories, using terms of endearment for one’s partner could strengthen the bond between them and create a sense of intimacy. However, such endearments were meant for private use only and not to be used by others.
If Shao Qian knew about this, he would have rolled his eyes and sarcastically chuckled. Not allowed for others to call? With such cheesy nicknames, who would want to call in the first place?
The two of them bantered and laughed, dispelling some of the solemnity of parting. Shao Qian bought some easily storable jerky in the town where he usually did his shopping. After obtaining a map from the system, he set out on the journey with the wolf cub.
Without any other means of transportation, the two walked and stopped along the way for over a month before reaching the city Derek mentioned. Following the guidance of the system, they found the place based on the address in Derek’s letter.
The place looked dirty and chaotic, with garbage and sewage everywhere. Shao Qian followed the house numbers on the letter one by one, finally finding the partially hidden house number on the last building.
“Anyone there?” Shao Qian knocked on the door and asked loudly.
As he spoke, many people opened their doors. Shao Qian found it strange that most of them seemed to be half-orcs.
“Need something?” Just as Shao Qian was puzzled, the door in front of him was opened, revealing a messy-haired half-orc who looked at them impatiently. “If you have business, speak; if not, get lost.”
“Derek asked us to deliver a letter to you.” When the half-orc heard Derek’s name, his face immediately turned cold. He took a step back and was about to close the door.
The wolf cub pushed against the half-orc’s attempt to close the door, staring at him with cold eyes.
“What, do you want trouble?” The half-orc sneered. “Don’t think half-orcs are easy to bully.”
Shao Qian, with a helpless expression, spoke, “I don’t know what issues you have with Derek, but we were indeed entrusted to deliver a message.”
“The message is for me, give it here, and you can leave,” the half-orc’s expression turned impatient again. He reached out towards Shao Qian, attempting to snatch the letter away.
Shao Qian stopped the wolf cub from approaching, skillfully dodged the half-orc’s move, and the half-orc paused for a moment. Then, a cold smile appeared on his face as he executed a leg sweep toward Shao Qian.
The kick didn’t hit Shao Qian, but he grabbed the half-orc’s ankle, preventing him from breaking free.
“Ryo, do you need our help?” The other half-orcs, who had been watching, came out. They blocked the passage completely, casting eyes of cold resentment at Shao Qian and the wolf cub.
“No need. Thank you.” Ryo, while speaking to these half-orcs, softened his tone considerably. “I have guests; I won’t entertain you for the time being.”
“If anything happens, call us.” The half-orcs watched Shao Qian and the wolf cub vigilantly. After returning to their homes, they didn’t close the doors, apparently intending to listen to the outside commotion and rush out if needed.
Shao Qian released Ryo’s foot when the other half-orcs approached. He nodded to Ryo. “Sorry.”
“You’re quite skilled.” Ryo stepped aside. “Come in.”
“Thank you.” Shao Qian entered the room with the wolf cub. Once inside, he realized the room was very small. After placing a single bed, there was barely enough space for two people to pass.
“The letter is for you.” Shao Qian handed the letter to Ryo. “Our mission was to deliver this letter, and now that we’ve met, we’ll take our leave.”
“Whether I’m doing well or not, does he care?” Ryo’s face showed a hint of sarcasm. “A selfish and self-centered man.”
Shao Qian remained silent. He didn’t understand the situation between this half-orc and Derek. Hearing the half-orc’s words now, he didn’t know how to refute them. Moreover, he didn’t know how to begin to address the half-orc’s words.
“The old man’s beast soul is on him.” The wolf cub, being a orc and having the mysterious inherited memories, had some ways to sense an orc’s beast soul.
When he first obtained the inheritance, he was curious and wanted to test Derek. After finding out that Derek didn’t have a beast soul, he innocently asked him why he didn’t have one…
And then? Well, that day he was beaten up by Derek and told that even without a beast soul, he could still beat him to a pulp.
