Critical Return System: I Am Pampering Beautiful Maidens

The Next Day

Li An woke up early, left his dormitory, and went down to the first floor, which was empty. Walking to the end, he found a gate without guards and a machine to scan his card.

As he passed it through, a mysterious energy pulled him forward. The gate opened, and he stepped through, arriving outside, where several trees surrounded him. It was a forest. Turning back, he saw only an endless building piercing through the clouds.

"How tall is the academy? It's enormous!"

If he weren't afraid, Li An would use his eyes to look all the way to the top, but the risk of straining them again wasn't worth it.

Shifting his gaze forward, he walked a hundred meters along the dirt road and climbed a tree, looking out a map to analyze.

[South] – Going forward leads to the Black Darkness Mountain Range.

[North] – The Shang'an County, ruled by Count Shang Yi.

[East] – The Flood Dragon River.

[West] – The Ten Thousand Races Shroud.

After studying the map, Li An understood the area's geography better and decided to return. It wasn't time to head to the Black Darkness Mountain Range just yet.

On his way back, he felt someone touch him from behind. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and used his spiritual awareness. Recognizing the presence, he sighed in relief.

"Who is it?" He pretended not to know the person behind him to avoid suspicion.

"It's me." The calm voice revealed their identity.

"Miss Ning Xue! Good morning. The sky is beautiful today."

Li An was delighted to notice that, indeed, the sun was beginning to rise, providing a breathtaking view.

"I agree." Ning Xue smiled. "Congratulations on advancing your cultivation."

"You noticed?" Li An was surprised, not expecting anyone to detect his progress without him revealing it.

"Yes. Nothing in this world can be hidden from me." Ning Xue spoke arrogantly, leaving Li An stunned.

"Does this girl have some kind of ocular technique?"

He didn't rule out the possibility. Even if Ning Xue hadn't opened a gate, she might have been born with innate abilities.

"I need to be more careful."

Li An mentally added this concern to his list of priorities. The next moment, he pulled out a teddy bear, embroidered with brown wool.

"Miss, thank you for helping me. This is my token of gratitude."

Li An smiled sweetly, turning around and handing over the bear like a child offering candy to a friend.

???

Ning Xue was momentarily stunned by this adorable gesture but accepted the gift. She couldn't refuse, especially coming from her "little kitten."

[The Host is becoming more diligent, even spending the night embroidering a teddy bear.]

[Return 20x]

[Demonic Bear Puppet]

[Note: A puppet comparable to a martial warrior.]

Seeing the reward, a smile appeared on Li An's face. He was already thinking about the next animal he would embroider.

[Host! Remember what I told you before! The same trick won't work twice.]

"..."

"Damn it! This thing never lets anything slide!"

Li An gritted his teeth but chose to remain silent.

"Let's go."

Ning Xue whistled, and the next moment, she picked Li An up. Then, with a single leap, she shot into the air. The impact left a crater on the ground as she soared at an absurd speed.

"Ning Xue!" Li An screamed, feeling the wind nearly tear his face off. At the same time, the sky seemed to be getting closer. "I don't like this!"

His head spun. Ning Xue just smiled and used her vital energy to wrap around Li An like a warm blanket.

"This is so cozy..."

Now resembling a child, Li An gazed at the sky up close, which stretched into a deep blue. The next moment, he wished to see even farther.

That was a mistake.

His eyes activated automatically, piercing through everything—the atmosphere, the mesosphere—until he reached the starry sky. A vast field of stars unfolded before his vision, continuing to expand. But suddenly, he saw something terrifying.

Li An trembled and instinctively withdrew his sight in fear. The next moment, he sealed these memories deep within his origin, only to be unlocked upon reaching a certain level.

What did he see?

That remained a mystery.

Even he didn't know.

...

At that moment, above them, a massive dragon with red scales and golden eyes appeared. Descending like an aircraft, it glided beneath Ning Xue, who gently touched its head.

"Good boy."

It was her pet, a Fourth-Level Beast.

As she shifted her gaze to Li An, she noticed something was off. Touching his head, she whispered:

"What's wrong? Are you that shocked to be flying through the sky?"

Hearing her voice, Li An snapped out of it, only to be struck by a splitting headache.

"What happened? Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?"

That unsettling feeling gnawed at him. But upon hearing Ning Xue, he opened his eyes.

Seeing where he was—on top of a dragon—he immediately locked eyes with the beast.

The dragon met his gaze, lifting its eyes slightly.

Did they both feel like they belonged to the same species?

Li An, possessing half the lineage of a true dragon, instinctively felt superior. To him, this dragon was merely an insect in the food chain.

Sensing its inferiority, the dragon lowered its head.

"..."

"Why do I feel like I'm bullying it?"

Li An felt weird.

Ning Xue, on the other hand, simply observed with a smile.

"Where is the Spiritual Sea?" Li An asked to break the tension. Besides, he needed to assess the dangers in the area. Even with a map, he still had to search, and he didn't have a magic magnifying glass.

"It's at the end of the Flood Dragon River. The two border each other." Ning Xue replied.

Li An nodded and began searching the map. He scrolled east, following the blue line until he found the Spiritual Sea, connected by seven rivers.

Clicking on it, he read its details:

[Danger Level]

[4.0 under normal conditions]

[6.0 = A powerful existence approaching]

[Secret Realm]

[Level = 0.9]

[Contains a formation preventing high-level beings from entering]

???

Li An shuddered upon seeing the 6.0 danger level, but suddenly, his vision flickered.

The reason?

That same danger level was marked at his current location!

"Is my work as a 'kitten' really paying off?"

He wondered, breaking into a cold sweat.

The next moment, he made a mental note: Never provoke this supercreature!