The forest was still trembling from the echoes of Lisa's earlier chaos. Smoke drifted in lazy spirals. The sweet-stench bomb she had ignited lingered faintly in the air like a curse unwilling to leave.
Lisa crouched behind a charred log, whispering sharply,
"Rylan, I need you to distract the tiger. Buy me time."
Rylan stared at her like she was asking him to negotiate with a volcano.
"Lisa… you do realize that beast is a high-grade Earth monster, right? Even injured, it's still dangerous."
The system chimed in with a smug tone:
"Host, listen to the pretty boy. He is smarter than you."
Lisa: "I will uninstall you."
The system floated backwards quickly.
Rylan sighed, rubbing his temple. He was already heavily injured from the fight with the Ape King. His ribs ached, his arms trembled, and just breathing felt like work. But still—
He looked at Lisa.
That tiny girl with chaotic hair, bombs hidden god-knows-where, and a smile that guaranteed property damage.
He couldn't let anything touch her.
He nodded reluctantly.
"I'll distract it. But Lisa—stay alert. Even weakened, the tiger is strong. And if you push it too much—it may self-destruct."
Lisa blinked. "Self-destruct? Like boom?"
"Like big boom," Rylan said grimly. "Big enough to destroy the Orchid Flower we need."
Lisa grabbed his arms. "Then don't worry. I will make sure the tiger doesn't explode. It's ME who will explode him."
The system: "Host, that is literally the same—"
Lisa: "Shut up."
The plan began.
Rylan took a deep breath and stepped forward. The sacred tiger, half-burned and furious, roared at the sight of him. Its fur was charred, its stripes glowing faintly. Rage burned in its eyes.
Rylan muttered,
"You were scary when healthy. Now you're just… homicidal and crispy."
The tiger roared again, offended.
But Rylan raised his hand. Spirit energy surged, golden and violent.
A glowing totem formed behind him—an ancient stone pillar carved with spirals and beast markings. The ground under the tiger trembled.
"Activate—Quicksand Trap Totem!"
The earth beneath the tiger liquefied into swirling sand. The beast roared in surprise as its massive paws sank instantly.
Lisa gasped, impressed. "That's so cool! Rylan, you're so handsome when you're ruining the ecosystem!"
Rylan coughed. "This… is not a compliment."
But the tiger was clever—too clever.
Instead of panicking, it pivoted, using its powerful hind legs to launch itself out of the trap. It leaped across the ground, landing near the lake.
It glared at them with cold intelligence.
It knew it couldn't defeat Rylan in a direct fight.
And judging from how Lisa had blown 356 wolves into cosmic dust earlier, the tiger had also realized:
That tiny girl was a walking nuclear hazard.
The tiger made a desperate choice.
It inhaled sharply.
Its jaws opened.
A freezing, shimmering beam of frost energy blasted toward Lisa.
Lisa screamed, flipping backwards.
"AGH! YOU WANT AN ICE AGE, YOU OVERSIZED SNOWBALL?!"
The beam grazed her hair. Half of it froze instantly, turning into shiny icicles.
Lisa screeched.
"MY HAIR!!! I JUST GOT ELECTROCUTED FIVE MINUTES AGO! HOW MUCH TRAUMA CAN ONE BEAUTY ENDURE?!"
The system chimed in, unhelpfully:
"Host, your beauty was never high to begin with—"
Lisa kicked the system hologram.
It passed through, but she felt better.
Rylan quickly acted.
He slammed his palms together.
"Rock Storm!"
The ground erupted. Hundreds of stones—small, sharp, and spinning—burst upward and swirled around him like a living shield.
With a powerful gesture, Rylan sent them raining down toward the tiger.
The sacred beast roared as dozens of stone shards slashed into its fur. Even injured, even weakened, the monster's power still shook the air.
But the barrage bought Lisa time.
And that was all she needed.
She reached into her system inventory.
Rylan expected a bomb. A weapon. A blade.
The system expected chaos.
But Lisa pulled out—
A fire extinguisher.
Rylan paused.
"…Lisa?"
The system stared.
"…Host?"
Lisa grinned like someone who had just discovered new ways to commit war crimes.
The system narrowed its eyes.
"Host… why do you need a fire extinguisher?"
Lisa whispered with a slow, wicked grin:
"Reverse science."
The system's hologram flickered nervously.
She rushed forward, dodged another frost beam, cursed the tiger six different ways, and raised the extinguisher like a divine artifact.
"TAKE THIS, YOU STRIPED MENACE!"
She sprayed.
A massive cloud of white foam blasted from the nozzle, coating the tiger head-to-tail in seconds. The sacred beast blinked, confused and extremely insulted.
Right then, its frost ability activated again—but instead of firing at Lisa, the icy aura clashed with the foam covering its body.
FWOOM—CRACK!
In an instant, the entire layer of foam turned into a sparkling, glossy frost crystal shell.
The tiger froze mid-roar, looking like a giant white snow sculpture.
Lisa clapped her hands like she was at an art exhibit.
"Wow! So pretty! It's like a giant frosted donut!"
Rylan stared.
"…Lisa, focus—"
The system floated beside her.
"Host, I admit, this is aesthetically pleasing, but please remember THE MISSION."
Lisa grinned wider.
"Oh don't worry. We're just getting to the good part."
Rylan inhaled sharply.
"Lisa… what are you planning now?"
Lisa pointed at the frozen tiger.
"Rylan, cage it."
Rylan's expression turned serious. He slammed his palms into the ground again.
"Rock Shield: Full Encirclement!"
The earth rumbled.
Massive slabs of stone shot upward, forming a thick circular barrier around the frozen tiger—like an instant prison.
The tiger roared from inside, shaking the ground, slamming its massive body against the stone. Cracks began to form.
Rylan gritted his teeth.
"I can't hold this long! Lisa—finish whatever you're doing!"
Lisa's grin turned demonic.
She snapped her fingers.
"System—phase two."
The system blinked.
"Host… are you sure? Phase two is… questionable."
Lisa: "Do it."
System sighed dramatically.
"As you wish, oh mighty bringer of ecological destruction."
A small portal opened above the stone cage.
Then—
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
A rain of cartoonishly decorated metal cans dropped into the cage like falling gifts from a chaotic Santa Claus.
Both Rylan and the tiger froze.
Lisa whispered dramatically,
"The bombs of doom…"
BOOOOOOM!
The cans exploded.
But instead of smoke—
Instead of stench—
Instead of perfume—
A tsunami of sticky golden syrup gushed out, splashing everywhere and drenching the sacred tiger from head to tail.
The beast froze.
Rylan froze.
Even the system gawked.
Rylan slowly asked,
"Lisa… what… is this?"
Lisa turned to him with the most evil little smile she had worn all day.
"A sweet death."
And her laughter echoed through the forest as the tiger stood inside the cage…
Completely drenched…
Shining with syrup…
Unaware of the true horror that was about to come next.