Chapter 1: Starting Off with an Official Position!
[Is she dead?]
Who, who is speaking?
Xu Ying suddenly opened her eyes. No one was in front of her, only five adorable little foxes staring at her with wide eyes.
Their ears were large, twitching like fluffy fans.
Aren’t these the fennec foxes unique to deserts?
Xu Ying looked around and realized she was really lying in the vast desert!
The sun overhead was scorching, making her feel like a fish on a chopping board.
Her head buzzed. Who had just spoken? Could it have been a hallucination brought on by overwork?
At three in the morning, Xu Ying, a seasoned veterinarian, had been working overtime at the pet hospital until the sky darkened. Suddenly, her body convulsed, and she collapsed.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in the desert.
Could it be that she had died suddenly from overwork and traveled through time?
Just as she was puzzled, a sharp pain shot through her head, and a memory flooded into her mind.
She really had traveled through worlds.
Xu Ying had transmigrated into a parallel universe, inhabiting the body of another veterinary medicine graduate sharing her name.
The original owner had failed to secure her desired civil service position but desperately needed a job with food and accommodation provided.
Thus, she reluctantly accepted a placement in a remote area, landing in a perilous desert and becoming the youngest rescuer at all the animal rescue stations.
In this parallel world, the desert region of China is home to a rich variety of small animals, many rare and coveted.
As the desert environment deteriorates, animal populations decline, and the fragile ecosystem requires protection from animal rescuers.
Three days ago, three rescue stations went on a joint patrol mission but lost their way, wandering into an uninhabited desert zone. They then encountered a fierce pack of Gobi bears, and one of their two motorcycles broke down.
Two colleagues, relying on their seniority, had often bullied and marginalized Xu Ying, the newcomer.
This time, faced with the Gobi bears, those two did something worse.
They took the only working motorcycle, along with the water and food, and left her alone in the dangerous desert.
The original owner succumbed to hypothermia in the desert and died. Now Xu Ying had taken over her body.
After digesting the original owner’s memories, Xu Ying was furious: those two colleagues were both foolish and cruel!
They only bullied a young girl!
She vowed to return to the rescue station and bring those two culprits to justice!
Xu Ying tried to get up and fix the motorcycle, but this body had been without food or water for nearly two days and lacked the strength even to crawl.
How miserable! She had just transmigrated and was about to die of thirst!
Just as Xu Ying was despairing, the voice she heard earlier sounded again in her ears:
“[She looks like she’s about to die. Should we save her?]”
Xu Ying looked left and right. Apart from the five small fennec foxes that had awakened her, there was no other living creature, let alone a human.
Could it be—
That those fennec foxes were speaking? And she could understand them?
The five little fennec foxes that had woken her hadn’t left but were circling her, making soft “squeaking” sounds.
To Xu Ying’s astonishment, she could understand what they were saying!
“Squeak squeak squeak—”
“[But we still have to find Mom, right? She’s been missing for two days, maybe taken by poachers. What if this woman is a poacher too?]”
“[Right! Mom said poachers are cunning and cruel, they strip our skins to make clothes.]”
These five little fennec foxes sounded so cute and were very small, looking like pups less than two months old, probably still nursing.
Xu Ying had wondered why such young pups were without their mother, but now, understanding their conversation, she realized their mother was missing!
Her throat was dry and burning, but enduring the pain, she said to the pups, “Can you save me? Cough cough—”
Every word she spoke felt like her throat was being cut by blades: “I can help you find your mother.”
The little fennec foxes’ black grape-like eyes widened in surprise, sparkling with life.
“[You can actually understand us!]”
The smallest pup’s gaze was innocent and clear: “[You said you can take us to find Mom, is that true?]”
Beside it, another fox crossed its paws and said haughtily, “[Hmph, I don’t believe it. What if she’s a liar and takes us away?]”
This proud little fox was surprisingly cautious.
It seemed to be the leader of the five pups, and after it spoke, the others looked conflicted.
“I’m an animal rescuer sent by the state.”
Xu Ying’s eyes were sincere: “There’s an ID card in the left pocket of my clothes.”
The pups quickly pulled the ID card from her pocket.
“Squeak~”
“[What does this say? We don’t understand human writing.]”
“[I don’t understand words either, but I recognize the five-star red flag on the ID! Mom said we can always trust the five-star red flag~]”
“[The photo on it looks exactly like the lady.]”
“[Then she must not be a bad person. Let’s save her quickly! Her voice and breathing are so weak.]”
Listening to the pups’ sweet little voices, Xu Ying felt utterly charmed. If she had the strength, she would definitely cuddle these fluffy little balls of fur.
“[I know there’s a spindle tree nearby that holds lots of water in its trunk!]”
One pup grabbed an empty mineral water bottle beside Xu Ying’s backpack.
“[Okay, I’ll go with Fourth Pup to get water.]”
The proud little fox nodded and then assigned tasks to the other three pups, showing the demeanor of the eldest brother.
“[Second Pup, Third Pup, and Little Pup, go find some fruit.]”
After the fennec foxes left, Xu Ying was still wondering why she could understand them when suddenly a clear voice sounded in her mind.
【Ding~ Welcome, host, to the Animal Rescue System binding~】
【The system will join hands with you to protect small animals and help build the desert! You may call me SenSen~】
【SenSen will occasionally assign small animal rescue tasks to you. Completing tasks will earn rewards!】
A system!
As a lover of novels, Xu Ying was shocked but soon accepted the system’s existence. She felt encouraged—this system was tailor-made for her situation!
“So the reason I can understand the fennec foxes is because I’m bound to the system?”
【Yes! This is a beginner’s bonus from the system~ Binding grants mastery of one animal language—SenSen automatically chose fox language for you.】
【Ding~ Please check your first task!】
【In five hours, a sandstorm will reach your location. Please lead the fennec fox pups to escape the sandstorm!】
A sandstorm!
Xu Ying dared not imagine what it would be like if she and the pups were caught in the storm.
She didn’t know if five hours was enough to escape. She could only hope the pups would return soon and that she would regain some strength quickly.
After the system issued the task, there was no further activity.
Half an hour passed. Just as Xu Ying’s head grew dizzy and she was about to lose consciousness, cool, sweet water moistened her cracked lips.
“Squeak~”
“[Sister, don’t fall asleep!]”
Xu Ying opened her eyes to see a pup holding a bottle cap, feeding her water, while two other pups supported the mineral water bottle, pouring water.
The remaining two pups were breaking up the collected desert jujubes into small pieces to feed her.
One pup was dirty and scruffy.
After drinking the water little by little and eating quite a few jujubes, Xu Ying regained some strength.
At twenty-two, she was being fed by a litter of pups less than two months old. Looking at the fluffy little creatures, her heart softened.
Her throat no longer hurt as badly. She asked the dirty little pup, “[Pup, why are you so dirty?]”
The pup immediately shrank behind the proud fox upon hearing this.