As I observed the shimmering panel in front of me, I couldn't help but shudder in panic.
And why wouldn't I?
Here I was—a newborn, barely able to move my own stubby arms without looking like I was practicing martial arts for ants—staring at a glowing quest window that radiated nothing but dread.
The aura rolling off it wasn't just ominous. It was wrong.
Heavy. Suffocating. Like something meant for a hardened warrior… not for a baby still stuck in a panda suit.
I gulped—or tried to. My tiny throat squeaked instead.
Sighing, I forced my gaze back onto the panel, bracing myself for whatever nightmare was waiting.
And then I froze.
Because there it was, written in sharp, glowing letters that seemed to mock me with every flicker:
Ding~
[New Sub-Quest Unlocked!]
(Because apparently being a two-day-old panda-baby isn't stressful enough.)
Quest Name: Hide and Seek… But Mostly Hide 🐼
Objective:
• Survive the next 6 hours without getting turned into panda stew.
• Warning: A group of extremely unfriendly "nighttime visitors" (a.k.a. assassins) are already on their way.
NOTE: They definitely don't want hugs.
Reward:
• 1x Continued Existence ✨
• Nyxara's eternal admiration~ (Fufu~ lucky Host ♥)
• Maybe… just maybe… a cookie.
• 10,000 system points.
Failure Condition:
Death. (And let's be honest, dying as a baby in a panda suit isn't exactly the heroic legend you're aiming for.)
[Special Note: Fufufu~ Host, don't panic too much. Think of it as your very first game of tag! The assassins are 'it'… and you just have to make sure you're not caught. Simple, right? ♥]
I stared at the panel, my baby panda eyes wide as saucers.
"Hide and Seek… but mostly hide?!" I squeaked internally. "Are you kidding me?! I've been alive for two days! TWO! And now assassins are after me? What kind of scuffed baby tutorial is this?!"
Nyxara giggled in my head, her voice dripping with delight.
[Fufufu~ Oh Host, don't pout. This is just a sub-quest for survival! Very important for growing pandas. Think of it like… tummy time, but with knives ♥]
"…Tummy time? With knives?! That's not even remotely the same thing!" I groaned. "How the hell am I supposed to survive assassins when I can't even hold my own head up properly?"
[Hehehe~ Well, you do have your greatest weapon.]
I blinked. "My what?"
[Your Charm stat, silly! SSS-level adorableness! Just cry at them and maybe their cold, merciless hearts will melt. Imagine it: 'Oh no, we can't stab this baby, he's too cute!' Problem solved ♥]
"…That's not a strategy, that's a gamble! What if they're baby-hating assassins?!"
[Fufu~ Then Host will become the most adorable panda kebab ever.]
I buried my face in the blanket, screaming silently into its fluff. "I want to unsubscribe from this quest! Delete! Cancel! Refund my reincarnation!"
But the glowing words hung there, merciless and unmovable.
[Quest Accepted.]
My panda ears drooped in despair. "…This is the worst New Game+ ever."
"So what do you want me to do now?" I grumbled. "Do you want me to fight them in this panda suit, like some kind of children's cartoon? What's next—do I become Kung Fu Panda? Except, newsflash, I am the child!"
Nyxara went strangely quiet. Too quiet.
I froze. "…Wait. Why are you quiet? What are you thinking now?"
On my status panel, I could almost see the little buffering symbol spinning mockingly.
My tiny panda body tensed. A bead of sweat slid down my forehead. "You are not imagining what I'm thinking, right?"
[Fufu~ ohhh~ it appears Host is getting used to this body already. Sharp instincts, hm? And yes, I was thinking—]
"NO. Stop. I don't want to hear it."
[But Host~]
"Stop!" I cried, biting harder on the bamboo toy in my mouth to avoid screaming into the void.
Her giggle echoed in my head like a dagger dipped in honey.
[Fufu~ Too bad, Host. Because I was definitely imagining you—]
"NYXARA! SHUT UP!"
I gnawed furiously on the bamboo, cheeks puffed, trying to drown her voice out with the sound of my own frustrated chomping.