Chapter 1: Reborn as a Rare Female

In the primeval forest, three suns blazed in the sky at once. Their light filtered through the lush canopy, scattering countless specks of radiance onto the pale face of Nian Tu. Years of hunger had left her undernourished: slender, fragile, her limbs curled tightly together as she slept—a picture of profound insecurity.

A striped tiger lay nearby, poised as her guardian. Not far off, an enormous wolf pack stood sentinel as well. The alpha wolf, closest to her, fixed its vertical pupils unwaveringly on the girl, betraying, astonishingly, a trace of gentleness. In the shadowed woods, several strong leopards kept watch, alert to every sound, ready to ward off any creature foolish enough to disturb Nian Tu’s sleep.

Suddenly, the thundering roar of engines shattered the forest’s peace. A colossal vessel descended from the sky, sending birds and beasts fleeing in terror. Only the animals near Nian Tu remained, though visibly agitated; they bared their fangs, prepared to drive away these uninvited guests.

The flying ship touched down and, with a hiss, its hatch opened. A troop of fully armored soldiers disembarked in disciplined formation. Their mission: to mine the resources on this imperial military-controlled planet. It was a long-standing assignment—every soldier here had done it several times, and they moved with practiced ease.

But today, something wholly unexpected awaited them.

“What is that? A group of predators?”

“Tigers, wolves, and leopards? Are they mad? How could these animals coexist?”

Predators rarely forged alliances, each species reigning over its own domain. Even if they didn’t fight to the death on sight, they would never live in such harmony.

“Look! They’re circling something—could it be some kind of treasure?”

The soldiers couldn’t see what the beasts were so fiercely guarding. They wondered if it was an undiscovered mineral vein or some rare medicinal herb that lured the predators to stand watch.

As they drew closer, the creatures grew more restless, emitting menacing growls to keep them at bay. At last, the soldiers caught a glimpse of Nian Tu at the heart of the circle.

“My god! That’s a female!”

“A female! Am I dreaming?”

“This is insane. What is a female doing on a primitive planet like this?”

“Drive those beasts away—be careful not to harm her…”

A tense standoff ensued. The soldiers, determined to protect the planet’s ecosystem, refrained from using their firearms. The animals, sensing the soldiers’ lack of hostility and perhaps recognizing their human form, seemed to reach some silent accord, lingering a moment longer before reluctantly dispersing.

Only then did the soldiers realize the predators had been acting as her protectors, not her assailants.

“It’s a miracle…”

“I can’t believe it—are those really low-intelligence wild beasts, not beastfolk?”

“Maybe we should report this and have them reassessed...”

But the immediate concern was to escort the female to safety, postponing their mining operations.

The ship returned to base. News that the squad had rescued a female quickly reached the highest commander on-site, Major General Sion, who personally came to see her and reported the incident up the chain of command.

“Her condition is quite poor,” said the chief medical officer, Dr. Lu Zhan, poring over Nian Tu’s medical report with a deeply furrowed brow. “Judging by her bone age, she’s only twenty, severely malnourished, with numerous old injuries…”

“I suspect this is a case of extreme abuse,” Lu Zhan’s voice was icy.

“The planet where she was found is an uninhabited resource world. The soldiers reported she was surrounded by wild animals at the time.”

“This is not just abuse. This is abandonment—attempted murder of a precious female!”

Major General Sion was incensed.

He gazed at the girl sleeping peacefully in the medical pod. Her face was delicate enough to fit in a palm, her chin tinged with a faint blush. Petite and frail, she resembled a trembling flower bud, so fragile that a touch might shatter her.

So delicate and beautiful—a sight to inspire boundless tenderness. Surely, countless males would gladly give their lives to protect her.

In the empire, the ratio of females to males had ballooned to an alarming 1:79, with no sign of improvement. In such dire circumstances, for someone to abandon a female was an act of unthinkable depravity.

Inside the medical pod, Nian Tu’s lashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her head felt light. The sensation was all too familiar—years of malnutrition had left her with severe hypoglycemia, causing her to faint frequently.

She remembered that before she passed out this time, she’d been summoned home from work by her grandmother, only to discover her family had arranged her marriage to a greasy, middle-aged divorcé, having already accepted a bride price of 400,000 credits.

Of course she’d refused, but it was too late. Locked in the house without food or freedom for a week, she still wouldn’t agree to register the marriage. Her family threatened to send her directly to the man’s home, to seal her fate by force.

On the way, she finally found a chance to escape, but after days of hunger, she didn’t get far before collapsing.

Where was she now? Had she been recaptured? Was this the home of that vile man?

The room before her was cold and pristine, like a hospital ward, filled with unfamiliar equipment. She herself was confined inside some kind of apparatus. Two men stood not far away, deep in conversation. They noticed she was awake.

The man in the white coat opened the medical pod, his eyes full of concern. “You’re finally awake. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Confronted by a stranger—one even more handsome than any TV star—Nian Tu instinctively shrank away.

Noticing her fear, the doctor was visibly remorseful, immediately lowering his head and softening his tone to show he meant no harm. “You needn’t be afraid. This is the 286th Battalion of the White Tiger Corps. I am Dr. Lu Zhan, the chief medical officer. You have been rescued. No one will harm you again.”

Nian Tu: …

Could a mere marital transaction really warrant military intervention?

But soon, she realized something was amiss.

She had never heard of the White Tiger Corps. And this so-called chief medical officer was treating her with an exaggerated respect, almost reverence.

She was just an ordinary citizen, her miserable upbringing making her even less fortunate than most. Why would such distinguished men treat her with such deference?

Her gaze drifted from the doctor to the other man in the room.

So tall!

He must have stood well over six-foot-three, his figure upright and powerfully built, dressed in full military regalia with a cap. His blond hair was immaculate, eyes the color of amber, his features handsome and sharp. He exuded the aura of a regal lion.

This lion-like man also bowed his head before her. “I am Major General Sion Lane, the commanding officer here. May I have the honor of knowing your name?”

At last, Nian Tu came to her senses and realized the gravity of the situation—

It seemed she had crossed into another world.