Chapter 19: A Stranger at the Door

[Is she dead?]

Who? Who is speaking?

Xu Ying snapped her eyes open. There was no one in front of her, only five tiny, adorable fennec foxes staring back at her with wide, curious eyes. Their ears were enormous, twitching like fluffy fans.

Aren't these fennec foxes, the kind only found in deserts?

Xu Ying looked around and realized she was truly lying in the middle of a vast desert. The sun overhead beat down so intensely that she felt like a fish on a cutting board. Her head buzzed—who had just spoken? Was she having hallucinations from working too much overtime?

At three in the morning, Xu Ying, a veteran veterinarian, had been working herself to the bone at a pet hospital when she suddenly collapsed in a fit of convulsions. When she opened her eyes again, she was in the desert. Could it be that she had died from overwork and transmigrated?

Just as she was filled with doubt, a sharp pain pierced her head, and a flood of memories surged into her mind. She really had transmigrated!

Xu Ying had arrived in a parallel world, inhabiting the body of a recent animal science graduate who shared her name. The original owner had failed to land her dream government job but desperately needed a position that provided food and lodging to survive. Left with no choice, she accepted a placement in a remote, dangerous desert region, becoming the youngest rescue worker at the local animal rescue station.

In this parallel world, the desert of Huaguo was home to a rich variety of small animals, many of which were coveted for being rare species. With the worsening desert environment, animal populations were dwindling, and the fragile ecosystem relied on rescue workers for protection.

Three days ago, three rescue stations had joined forces for a patrol mission, only to lose their way in the uninhabited desert. They had encountered a fierce pack of Gobi bears, and one of their two transport motorcycles had broken down. The two colleagues, relying on their "seniority," had often bullied and sidelined the newcomer, Xu Ying. This time, faced with the bear pack, they acted even more cruelly: they took the functional motorcycle, seized all the water and food, and abandoned her alone in the dangerous wilderness.

The original owner had died of hypothermia in the desert, and now, Xu Ying had taken her place.

After absorbing the memories, Xu Ying was furious. Those two colleagues were truly both stupid and wicked! To bully a young woman like that! She was determined to return to the rescue station and see those two murderers brought to justice.

Xu Ying tried to push herself up to fix the motorcycle, but her body had been without food or water for nearly two days; she didn't even have the strength to crawl. How tragic! Just after arriving, she was about to die of thirst!

Just as despair set in, the voice she had heard earlier rang out again:

[She looks like she’s about to die. Should we save her?]

***

Xu Ying looked left and right. Aside from the five fennec foxes that had woken her, there were no other living creatures, let alone humans.

Could it be—

Were these fennec foxes the ones talking? And she could understand what they were saying!

The five little fennec foxes did not leave. They circled her, emitting soft squeaks. To her astonishment, Xu Ying realized she could perfectly comprehend their chattering.

"Squeak, squeak—"

[But don't we still have to find Mom? She’s been missing for two days. Maybe she was caught by poachers. What if this woman is a poacher too?]

[Right! Mom said poachers are cunning and cruel; they skin us to make clothes.]

The sounds of the five fennec foxes were milky and high-pitched. They were tiny, appearing to be less than two months old—likely still unweaned. Xu Ying had been wondering why they weren't with their mother, and after hearing their discussion, she understood: their mother was gone!

Her throat was parched and smoky. Fighting through the pain, she whispered to the cubs, "Can you... save me? *Cough, cough*—"

Every word felt like a razor blade against her throat. "I can help you... find your mother."

The cubs widened their dark, grape-like eyes in surprise, looking incredibly soulful.

[You can actually understand us!]

The smallest cub looked at her with innocent, clear eyes: [You said you could help us find Mom. Is that true?]

The one beside it crossed its little paws over its chest, its tone haughty: [Hmph, I don't believe it. What if she's a liar trying to trick us?]

This prideful little fox was surprisingly vigilant. It appeared to be the leader of the pack, and after it spoke, the other cubs' expressions became hesitant.

"I am an animal rescue worker sent by the state," Xu Ying said with a sincere look. "My ID card is in the left pocket of my jacket."

The cubs quickly tugged the ID card out of her pocket.

"Squeak?"

[What does this say? We don't know human writing.]

[I can't read either, but I recognize the five-starred red flag on the card! Mom said we can always trust the five-starred red flag~]

[The picture on here looks exactly like the big sister.]

[Then she must not be a bad person. Let's save her quickly! Her voice and breathing are so weak.]

Hearing the cubs' little squeaky voices, Xu Ying felt her heart melt. If she hadn't been so weak, she would have reached out to ruffle these fluffy little bundles of joy.

[I know of a bottle tree nearby! It keeps a lot of water inside its belly!]

One cub picked up the empty water bottle near Xu Ying's backpack.

[Good. I'll go get the water with Four-Paws.]

The prideful leader nodded, then assigned tasks to the remaining three, looking every bit like a big brother.

[Two-Paws, Three-Paws, Little-Paws, you go find some fruit.]

After the fennec foxes left, Xu Ying wondered why she could understand them. Suddenly, an ethereal voice echoed in her mind.

【Ding! Welcome, Host, to the Animal Rescue System.】

【The system will work with the Host to protect small animals and build up the desert together! You can call me Sensen~】

【Sensen will issue animal rescue missions from time to time. Completing these missions will earn you rewards!】

A system!

As a fan of novels, Xu Ying accepted the system's existence after her initial shock. She felt a surge of excitement—this system was practically tailor-made for her current predicament!

"So, I can understand the fennec foxes because I've bound to the system?"

【Yes! This is the Newbie Gift Package. Upon binding, you receive 'Mastery of Animal Language.' Sensen has automatically selected 'Fox Language' for you.】

【Ding! Please check your first mission!】

【A sandstorm will arrive at your location in five hours. Please lead the fennec fox cubs to safety!】

A sandstorm!

Xu Ying didn't dare to imagine what would happen to her and the cubs if they were swept up by a sandstorm. She didn't know if five hours would be enough time to escape, but she could only hope the cubs would return quickly so she could recover her strength.

The system went silent after issuing the mission.

Half an hour later, just as Xu Ying’s head was spinning and she was on the verge of losing consciousness, the sweet, refreshing taste of water moistened her cracked lips.

"Squeak~"

[Big sister, don't sleep!]

Xu Ying opened her eyes. One cub was holding a bottle cap to feed her, while two others were steadying the bottle to pour the water. The remaining two were breaking up desert dates into small pieces to make it easier for her to eat. One of the cubs was covered in dirt, its fur messy and tangled.

After finishing the bottle of water and eating several dates, Xu Ying regained a bit of strength. At twenty-two years old, she was being fed by a litter of cubs not even two months old. Looking at the fluffy little creatures, her heart softened.

With her throat feeling less painful, she asked the dirt-covered cub, [Little one, how did you get so dirty?]

At these words, the cub immediately shrank behind the prideful leader.