Darkness.
Then, breathe.
A cold wind brushed against his skin, and Rex's eyes snapped open.
He wasn't dead.
Not anymore.
He blinked. The sky above him was deep green, leaves swaying in the canopy high above.
Moss pressed into his bare back. The scent of earth and wildness filled his lungs.
He looked down. Small hands. Tiny legs. What...? No… no—this can't be real. Why am I in a baby's body?
Had he died? Reborn? Was this a nightmare? Panic clawed at his chest.
His limbs wouldn't move right. His voice didn't come out like it should. He wanted to scream.
A raw cry rose in his throat, but before it could escape—
BOOM.
The ground trembled.
Trees swayed as something massive approached. Each step sent vibrations through the forest floor. Branches cracked.
Then, through the shadows, a beast appeared.
Thick white fur. Scars crossing its body like war paint. Muscles like boulders. Towering, its black eyes gleaming with beastly fury.
A panda—but not like any Rex had ever seen. This one could crush tanks.
It sniffed the air.
And looked straight at him.
This is how I die? Rex thought.
But the panda didn't attack. It stepped closer and crouched, lowering its massive face until their eyes met.
A low rumble left its throat. Not a growl.
A hum.
Then—
Ding…!
[I Can Tame Everything!]… System Activated!
[All entities with a will can be tamed. Beasts. Humans. Gods. Worlds.]
[Rex Tameroth]
[Age: 9 months]
[Rank: Mortal]
[Tamed living: 0/3]
[Tamed consciousness: 0/5]
[Taming points: 0]
[Subordinate Ranking: ]
[Absolute Skills: ]
[Skills: ]
A system?
Rex Tameroth, is that my name?
Have I—have I really transmigrated?
His mind raced with thoughts.
When…
His focus snapped back when the panda picked him up in its arms, its large body comforting him with warmth.
The beast began to walk steadily.
Rex's heart raced. What's it doing? Is it going to eat me? The grim thought crept in
"Wah…wahhh!" he wailed. Putting on his best helpless-baby-face act, C'mon, let baby logic work!
With big, shiny puppy eyes, he hoped the beast would— please…take pity on a cute baby!
Then, a daring thought popped into his head. Desperate, he screamed inside his mind: System! You can Tame everything, right? Tame this panda!
["Taming request denied. Host's current aura resembles that of an injured rabbit."]
["Suggestion: Grow a spine."]
The fuck…Why always me!
Noticing his fear, the panda glanced down with a small, amused smile. "You will not be harmed, little one," The panda said.
Rex blinked. It spoke? Was this thing... intelligent?
Rex didn't know it yet, but this beast had a name—Korr.
Rex exhaled slowly, reluctantly accepting that he couldn't do anything—for now.
He had faced situations or people whom he couldn't do anything against, so he would simply have to take the panda's word for it and leave everything to fate.
Yet, unease inevitably lingered.
The beast carried him through the dense forest, the scent of moss, bark, and distant water filling the air. Eventually, they arrived at what could only be described as a den—
A natural clearing nestled within the wilderness.
"You'll stay here for a few years," the panda said, placing Rex gently on a bed of soft leaves.
Korr wasn't sure if Rex understood his words—but it had a feeling he did…as whenever it spoke, Rex's shiny, focused eyes remained locked onto Korr.
Rex's gaze swept through the clearing. A roof of wooden trunks provided cover, soft bushes and leaves served as beds, and stones and trees formed a natural barrier around the area.
He was infact—in the true wilderness.
Rex narrowed his eyes as he spotted three baby pandas resting on a bed of leaves.
Noticing Rex's gaze, the panda introduced, "They will be your siblings from today onwards,"
Siblings?
Three cubs: Kai—bold, Yue—curious, and Shun—timid. He didn't know their names yet—but they'd become his family now.
Family... That word hadn't meant anything in his past life. At best, it was a memory. At worst—a wound.
And yet, here they were. Three tiny beasts. Loud, clumsy, alive. For the first time in a long time… he wasn't alone.
"Rest well, little one. You're safe here," Korr said and started walking away.
For the first time, Rex let himself believe those words, as he stared at the sky.
In this world, I'm nothing again!
Weak. Small. Helpless.
But not for long.
He had a system. A new life.
His past life taught him a single truth:
The strong ruled. The weak were crushed and forgotten.
He would not be forgotten.
Not this time.
He let his golden eyes close, hiding the burning hunger inside.
This time, I will rise.
Even if I had to tame the entire world to do it.
— Six Years Later —
He was no longer a baby—Rex was seven years old!
Rex stood opposite to Korr. Beside him, three panda cubs lined up—two males and one female.
All four of them stood facing Korr, the towering panda.
Usually, they would be playing around, pulling pranks—tugging on Korr's fur, stacking rocks on his back while he napped, or rolling around in the dirt just to pounce on each other.
However, today was different.
"Today," Korr growled, "your training begins."
Rex's fists clenched in excitement. "Yess!"
Imitating him, the cubs also followed, releasing small, softened "rwwars."
"Good! Now, repeat my movements. This will be your training from now on." Korr's voice was firm as he lifted his massive right paw, formed a claw, and swept downward in a fierce motion.
The cubs immediately mirrored the motion—well, sort of.
Rex hesitantly asked, "Umm… should I do that too?"
Korr paused for a moment before replying, "No, you will punch. Use your fists."
Before Korr could demonstrate, Rex lifted his right hand and threw a punch into the air. Then, he looked at Korr with a smug smile, waiting for his approval.
[System Notification:]
[Congratulations, Host. You've successfully intimidated the breeze."]
"…"
"Hmm... Looks like you've got the basics down. Good." Korr nodded approvingly.
"Alright, that's your first exercise. The next will be climbing that tree," the panda said while pointing at a tall tree.
"Should I climb that too?" Rex asked.
"Yes. Agility matters. Watch," Korr said sternly and easily climbed the tall, thin tree in the corner of their clearing. The cubs followed him quickly, their claws finding grip effortlessly on the rough surface.
Rex, however, struggled.
"Ahh," he whined, letting out a soft whimper as he fell back with a thud. After two more attempts, he finally managed to scale the tree, using the chipped bark and claw marks as footholds. His hands ached, trembling from the strain.
After everyone climbed the tree, Korr gestured for them to come down; he was standing on the ground to ensure no one was injured.
"And finally, the last part is stamina training."
"Let's go! Start running behind me," he ordered before taking off. Rex quickly followed, with the cubs close behind, running in circles through the clearing.
After a few laps, Rex and the cubs slowed, each step heavier than the last.
"Huff…huff... I can't run anymore." Sweat dripped down his brows.
"Come on, this is the last lap!" Korr cheered.
As they finished their last lap, Rex and the cubs collapsed on the ground, panting with exhaustion as Korr loomed above them.
"From this day forth, this will be your daily routine.
Miss a day, and you go without food," he rumbled in an authoritative tone.
Motivated, Kai, Yue, and Shun—the panda cubs—joined Rex in cheering excitedly.
"Rawwr! Yes, sir! Rawwr! Rawwr!"
As days passed, training became second nature.
Their bond deepened, their bodies toughened, and what once seemed impossible became routine.
And soon, three more years had flown by.
Ten-year-old Rex stood in the clearing, his golden eyes shining with determination.
Korr voiced firmly, "Today, you will hunt alone. Prove yourself—and when you do, you may leave this forest to roam the unknown world."
Rex nodded resolutely, as he thought I was powerless once. But Not again... I've waited for this day!
—His taming had begun.