Beauty and the Beasts

Winston wrinkled his nose and didn’t reply. Suddenly, something struck him, making him sprint maniacally towards Flame City.

“Tiger king?” Alva hurriedly caught up. As he ran, he transformed into his beast form and flapped his wings to take flight.

Gah gah—

Winston was still crawling on a sand dune when the peacock overtook him with a simple lurch forward. He looked up and transformed into a human once more.

“We don’t have time. Let’s go to Flame City directly. That should be where Carl is heading. We can only intercept him at the city entrance,” said Winston.

Alva nodded vigorously. He was about to take flight when his claws tightened, and the entire bird was pulled down.

Gah—

An agonizing cry rang out in the desert, mixed among the frantic flapping of wings.

Winston flipped around and rode on the peacock’s back. In his deep voice, he said, “Sorry, but you’re faster. I’ll give you the directions.”

Alva was speechless. Although he did once mention he could carry the weight of two males, that was just an analogy! He had never really carried males on his back before!

Forget it, the important matter at hand was to find Molly.

This was definitely his most humiliating experience. He decided he must make Molly pay him back in the future.

…

Darkness occupied one’s entire vision.

An intense earthy smell filled the air. Clearly, something had just been dug out, and the smell had yet to dissipate.

Biting her fingernails, Bai Qingqing felt remorseful. Why hadn’t she come with a wooden rod encased with luminous balls? It was so dark in there. It felt like she had gone blind.

Having not heard any movement outside for a good while, Bai Qingqing felt her way to the entrance of the hole and asked softly, “Curtis? Are you done?”

Still nothing.

“Curtis?” There was anxiety in her tone. She widened her eyes, yet she couldn’t see a single thing.

The regret of not bringing a source of light with her intensified.

“Curtis, are you alright? Where are you?” In order not to crush her stomach, Bai Qingqing turned her body and crawled out of the small hole, one hand on the wall, and the other flailing about in the air.

“Don’t scare me.”

Bai Qingqing walked all the way to the end, then felt her way along the wall and walked back inside. Having walked to and fro, she didn’t manage to feel Curtis’s body anywhere.

“Hey! Are you there?” Bai Qingqing rubbed her eyes. Damn it, she couldn’t see a thing.

“You didn’t abandon me and leave by yourself, did you? Ah!” Bai Qingqing shouted. She murmured to herself, “Curtis didn’t forget about me and go back by himself, did he?”

There was an indistinct “Ssss” sound mixed with her voice.

Stifling a laugh, Curtis quietly shifted aside just as she was about to step on his tail.

Bai Qingqing held her breath as she concentrated. After hearing for a while, she pouted.

Indeed, he had forgotten about her. There wasn’t any sound in the hole.

If Curtis was here, she would at least be able to see his glowing eyes. As such, she deduced that the snake wasn’t in the hole.

But Bai Qingqing neglected the fact that there wasn’t any light in there. Snake beastmen’s eyes wouldn’t emit a glow on their own, but instead, they only reflected light. Curtis could also “see” her using his sensitive tongue.

Bai Qingqing was no longer able to distinguish which side was the entrance and which side was the hole she stayed in. After feeling around for a good while, she murmured, “To think he actually used a rock to block the entrance. How am I going to get out?”

Even if she got out, it would be dangerous for her to go back alone. She might as well wait in there.

Bai Qingqing gave up and turned around glumly, blinking. “It’s so dark in here…”

Having watched way too many horror movies, it was truly tragic for her to be placed in such a situation.

Previously, she couldn’t feel anyone. Yet now, she felt like there was someone on her left, on her right, in front, and—damn it—even in the back.

How lively.