Su Ce's first reaction was to retreat but when his palm touched something wet, he found that behind him was a lake and he's at the edge of it.
The one who licked him before, who was currently not moving, is a lion.
Su Ce looked up and saw clearly. This big fella is more than three meters long and two meters high, its body was covered in golden yellow. The mane in its neck was like the burning sun, very dazzling. It's like when he touches it, he could feel the blazing temperature. It also looks so powerful. The muscle lines are so smooth, every movement seems to have a golden liquid flowing.
If it wasn't for this situation, if it wasn't knowing that his life was under the control of this big fella, Su Ce would probably liked it very much. But now, he could only watch vigilantly. Then think carefully about the way to escape.
The golden lion crooked its big head and looked at Su Ce with the same golden eyes. It didn't seem malicious though... On the contrary, there was some closeness into it.
Su Ce thought of the action the lion had just made to him. He hesitated for a moment, then held out a hand. The lion's eyes clearly showed joy. It calmly stepped over and licked his hand.
“...Big guy,” Su Ce whispered.
The lion approached and lay slowly beside him.
Although he didn't know why, but Su Ce could see that the lion didn't want to hurt him. So, he thinks about the important matter now. Where is he?
No matter how famous that newly built hot spring village is, it's impossible to keep a lion protected by its state inside. Moreover, such a big lion was obviously not of any kind that has ever been found. Otherwise such a bright fur color alone will definitely cause an uproar.
Su Ce propped himself up and slowly stood up. He doesn't feel any discomfort, no injury either. But Yang Han who had been in the hot spring with him, was gone. Looking back, he didn't see the shallow hot spring behind him. Instead he's on a wide huge lake surrounded by trees.
It's almost like...almost like an enlarged version of that little courtyard on the hot spring!
When Su Ce stood up, the lion followed him, step by step. He didn't dare taunt it. Su Ce let it follow him. He also urgently needs to know where he is. If possible, he wants to find his Senior... If this is a real forest, it's too dangerous for his Senior to be alone here!
With the last trace of doubt in his heart, Su Ce touched the bark of the tree closest to him. It really was real. Next to it was a tree stump whose upper part had been broken by something. His touch with the growth rings also felt very real, and the number of turns... from his rough calculation, it was not less than a few hundred turns. If there was such a big age of trees, it's impossible for a hot spring village to make a decoration on the courtyard...
He sighed and could only walk one step at a time.
Su Ce walked on the south side of the forest. He wanted to find the way out of the forest in the simplest way. If he could find anyone, he could just ask again. As for the lion beside him... Su Ce looked at it. Is its face a little flattering?
It's probably evening by now. There were only snow-white clouds in the sky. Most of the trees of this forest are weird in shape. They're also very tall and sturdy. Any trees seemed to be as tall as ten meters and as thick as several people holding together.
Su Ce, with his back straight, walked slowly along the south, followed by a majestic lion. He was clearly looking for the road but he didn't seemed impatient at all, as if he was just walking in an office building.
......for there's no time to be impatient at all.
Su Ce held up his eyeglasses. Surprisingly, it rested firmly on the bridge of his nose as to his vision wouldn't be blurred by myopia. Even so, the cold air still coagulated a layer of water mist on the lens. He had to take it down, lift up one corner of the bath towel and wipe it. He still kept the clothes he used to wear when he was in the water. The only big white bath towel. In order to avoid it falling down and being hooked by the branches, he reached out and grabbed the two corners and firmly tied a knot in front of him.
(TN: Su Ce's wearing the same white towel in the hot spring when he transmigrated. XD)
However, it's also surprising that this towel is actually dry. But he was soaking in the hot spring before. Was it because the landing took too long?
When Su Ce does something, the golden lion would always stop and wait, quietly tilting its head to look at him until he was done. They continued to walk forward, side by side. Then the moon came out after walking so far.
He felt some strange light shining on him so he looked up. He saw a white moon and purple crescent moon in the dark night.
Su Ce stopped.
At first he thought he was only in a certain forest, but now it seems he's no longer on Earth. Is that hot spring owned by aliens? What are their purposes? Or is it actually a mimicry of nature and he's one of the experimental objects?
... He doesn't really liked watching movies but only science fiction movies can explained this kind of situation.
The golden lion crouched down and arched Su Ce's waist and abdomen with its big head. Su Ce lowered his head. His expression looked a little complicated. If it's what he imagined, is this lion genetically modified product?
Did his Senior become another experiment too......
Thinking like this, Su Ce gave up the idea of finding a way out from here. Now that he's been caught, he should do a lot of protective measures. He must first see if his Senior has fallen on this place then try to find a way to know what this place is... It would be better if he could find some people with the same situation as him.
The golden lion stared at Su Ce without blinking. Thinking that it might be the same boat as him, Su Ce bent down and touched the lion's head.
The lion suddenly opened its mouth like a yawn then narrowed its eyes. A snoring sound came from its throat. Su Ce looked at it and thought it was cute.
The next moment, another strange sound could be heard.
The golden lion's eyes moved downwards. Su Ce stopped. It's the sound of his stomach. He was hungry...
In a hurry, the lion stood up and rushed out-
Su Ce didn't understand. He also knew he couldn't manage to care about it - maybe it was tired? Doesn't matter. Su Ce's top priority is to fill his stomach.
Generally speaking, in this forest where there are many kinds of trees, there will be no lack of wild fruits. Su Ce thought about it and looked up, the top of the tree is very high. He walked forward and searched one by one.
Su Ce was lucky enough to find five trees. He saw on the top of a big tree with red-brown bark, on the top of many clusters of leaves, there were red fruits as big as watermelons, which looked heavy.
However, it was too high... thinking that he studied hard since young and never played outside, it's inevitable that he'll not climb trees.
...so, what should he do?
After thinking about it, Su Ce decided to climb up. If he wants to survive here, he should also learn this.
With that in mind, he pressed his glasses a little tighter then reached out against the trunk.
...Should he first hold the trunk then put his legs on it?
Recalling how the people in the movies did it, Su Ce began to try.
Very well. The first stage was successful. He'd made himself wrap around the trunk in a koala pose but it was still only one meter from the ground. Now, he start to move his arms diligently and his legs also coordinate...
Su Ce's practical ability was good. After a few trials, he moved up at a very slow speed. He grasped tightly. He certainly began to feel nervous when he's getting far away from the ground. He forced himself to calm down. He's never been to such a high place except for taking the elevator to the office building! Moreover, even if he's taking the elevator, he doesn't need to force himself to go up by grasping it...
It's just that today's bad luck is obviously not over.
As soon as he arrived about ten meters above the ground, he's almost at the top of the tree. There was suddenly a howling wind from a distance. A huge force hit him head-on. A sound of flapping air could be heard.
Su Ce still had time to see a pair of sharp beaks. He was thrown out and fell involuntarily. Seeing the continuous upward extension of the tree trunk in front of him, Su Ce then understood that his falling a little faster. He knew when he landed, he would die.
He lived earnestly when he's alive, so there's nothing terrible about death.
“Woooo—” A long roar from the lion came. Su Ce landed in a wide spine, covered with soft fur. Although it made him some stuffy pain, it was still much better than his previous imagination.
Su Ce looked at the golden mane in front of him and suddenly understood. The lion came back and saved him on time.
It feels good not to die.