[Reader’s Note] If you enjoyed, please tap that recommend button at the top of your mobile screen! It’ll take two seconds but could brighten a writer’s day! @wink@ 111th Chapter
37. The Magical Beast and the Forbidden Fruit – Chapter 2
—
“Hey, Leaf. What’re you doing cooped up in there?”
I approached Leaf, who was curled up inside the wooden prison, and asked casually. Leaf raised their head and locked eyes with me.
“H-Human…! Suddenly these guys just… huuuick, grabbed me… huuuuck, and locked me in here! Waahh!”
Black tears, like beads, streamed down their huge, expressive eyes. Leaf’s brown fur was matted in some spots, and there were small wounds here and there—clearly, it had been a rough capture attempt.
Judging from Leaf’s condition, it seemed like when Leaf unexpectedly transformed into a raccoon, there was some level of chaos.
“Hmph. Didn’t I already tell them to treat you with respect?”
Batus rubbed his forehead like he was trying to soothe a terrible hangover. “Krk… Ugh.” He sighed heavily and muttered, “Tch, let them go.”
“But… if they escape and run wild again…”
“If it gets difficult, give them a gem,” Batus responded, shaking his head. “Didn’t I already tell Vitali that?”
Indeed, Vitali with her golden short hair was standing nearby, now frowning. “But no one said anything about turning into a raccoon! Shouldn’t there be an explanation first on what exactly happened?”
“Indeed.”
“What is going on?”
The hunters turned their attention to the leader, Batus, who raised his hands in surrender.
“This young one received a curse in The Ancient Nest. The Ancient Nest, which doesn’t accept humans very well, likely had a powerful mythic being lay a curse on them—transforming into a raccoon.”
“A curse…?”
Vitali gasped, clearly unnerved. From the crowd of hunters, a series of surprised shouts emerged.
One elderly hunter shouted from the corner, “A curse where one turns into a beast? Like the werewolves of Basckerbille? Does it spread through scratches or bites?”
The mention of contagion caused several hunters to panic quietly, uttering nervous “humphs” and “heh-heh-hehs,” all clearly unsettled—especially because many of them had claw marks somewhere on their necks or arms.
Batus shook his head to calm them. “This curse is highly advanced—it doesn’t spread. No one gets it unless directly cursed.”
Vitali quietly chimed in. “If cursed… and if still kept as a prized companion… what exactly is this girl?”
“For now, ignorance will suffice. Besides, they’re no harm to us. Just let them out.”
“Hmm…”
The long-haired female hunter guarding the wooden prison, Nidali, clicked her tongue, clearly not thrilled with the idea. She fumbled through her belt of keys and unlocked the lock securing the prison.
With a squeak, the wooden prison opened, and Leaf, now freed, began shivering anxiously as they looked around.
“Why are you letting me out?”
“It’s alright, you can come out now.”
Leaf trembled like a poor, abandoned puppy, shying away from the others. Wild and untamed creatures were hard to trust again once they’d been hurt; this wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
—
Soon after, Leaf had reverted to human form. While Leaf had mentioned the unpredictability of their “disguise” transformations, leading to sporadic shifts, they had never been so erratic.
“Could being outside of the forest be destabilizing them?”
It was all I could do to speculate. The hunters watched Leaf in awe.
“Tsk, truly bizarre. A person cursed to transform into a beast…”
“Maybe we should take them to the church? They might be able to exorcise the curse.”
“Then what about White Fur? Is he cursed too? He sure acts human. Look at him, sitting in a chair, calmly drinking water from a wooden cup. How is that a ‘beast’?”
“Nah, Leaf here behaves more like a beast!”
“Maybe their souls got switched…”
“Ooh, that sounds plausible!”
The hunters had a good laugh over their own theorizing.
Leaf, overwhelmed by the constant attention, clung tightly to me for solace.
“Hey, you’re hot. Back off.”
I shoved Leaf away with my front paw, but they stuck to me like a cicada on a tree trunk, not letting go.
Watching silently, Vitali let out a small sigh.
“Now they won’t leave Alpha’s side…”
Vitali cautiously extended her hand toward Leaf, but Leaf hissed defensively, displaying sharp teeth.
“KRAWWWK!”
“Alright, alright! I won’t touch!”
Vitali shrugged with a look of defeat, and Nidali nearby stifled a chuckle.
“You look like an elegant noblewoman cuddling a porcelain doll. If anything, Alpha just looks annoying.”
“Heh, reminds me of when I had a kitten as a kid. Once you pinned it down, it would try to push me away with its soft little paws. Those paws… surprisingly pleasant to the touch.”
“Eww, Nidali! You sound like a creep.”
“Ah, no, I just love animals! Anyway, it’s my shift off. What’re you doing with them? Let me put them up for the night?”
Vitali hummed thoughtfully before refusing. “No, I’ll take care of them in my room. My roommate is away, so there’s an extra bed.”
“Ah, yes. I recall. Your roommate was part of Max the Director’s hunting group. That bunch used to chat so loudly around here—it’s funny how things change.”
“It’s about getting used to it.”
“Yeah, tough life.” Nidali gave a thumbs-up. “Want to bunk with me?”
“I’m fine. I’ve got these two.”
“Alrighty. See you tomorrow, then.”
Nidali yawned and stretched as she left the hunter’s lodge.
—
Vitali now turned to both Leaf and me with a brightened smile. “Alright, let’s call it a night.”
Leading us upstairs, Vitali took us to the second floor, where the hunters of Sinai were provided personal rooms. Apparently, this was reserved for women, while the third floor was for men.
‘So, only women?’ I glanced at the giggling group of female hunters passing by—this floor was clearly for the ladies. Only a few male hunters dared to climb higher, proving the gender-segregated floors.
Vitali unlocked her room at the furthest end of the hallway. Inside was a modest room with two beds, two desks, and a small window. Peering outside, the darkness painted the world, signaling it was around 8 PM.
“Take the free bed.”
Vitali ushered Leaf to the empty bed. Leaf, still fully clothed, plopped down, marveling aloud.
“Mmm, so soft! It’s like they just threw hides and cloth over the straw to make it. Is this how humans sleep?”
“Like it?” Vitali smiled kindly, like a kindergarten teacher. “Vanessa, my old roommate, specially made it using bluebird feathers.”
Her smile faltered slightly when mentioning her former roommate, but she quickly brushed it off. She stripped down her leather armor and shirt, revealing plain white undergarments. Over this, she slipped a simple, loose fitting gown—her comfy night attire.
“You should change too.”
She guided a reluctant Leaf out of their dress and into a light blue pajama-like outfit. Leaf beamed, seemingly delighted with the comfort.
“This feels so free. I think I could wear this forever.”
“Hmm, sounds good?”
Leaving them to prepare for bed, I slinked to a corner rug made of animal hide and curled up. The fur was soft—though a bit warm, it was cozy with the added cooling touch of Yingyi (my ice-cold plushie) tucked under my paws.
“Too peaceful.”
After a relentless night and day of running, fighting, and dodging, the calm luxury of a soft rug surrounded by artifacts of civilization lulled me into a gentle fatigue.
“Not joining us in a bed? Smart move.”
Vitali had suddenly come closer, watching me with a soft smile. She reached out to gently stroke my fur.
“Beasts from The Ancient Nest are supposed to be fierce, but you’re something else. I wouldn’t mind keeping you as a pet.”
Her fingers softly combed through my fur, and I relaxed even further.
—
Before I knew it, I’d dozed off.
I woke up to a strange sensation. With a dim lantern as the room’s only light, someone was looming over me.
“Whoa, got me spooked! Thought you were some ghost.”
Turns out it was just Vitali. Rising slowly, I glanced out the window to see the moon high in the sky—still hours before dawn.
“You’re awake too.”
Vitali’s warm voice carried across the room. She ran her nails gently along my head and jaw.
“Sorry if I disturbed you, that wasn’t my intention.”
Apologizing to a mute beast—what a kind girl.
“Want to help me with something since you’re up? Bear with me for a moment.”
She lifted me effortlessly, surprising me. Despite being relatively small, I weighed a solid 80–110 lbs (40–50 kg)! Yet she carried me with apparent ease, showing her impressive muscle tone.
“No worries, it’s not too hard. Just stay put.”
With that, Vitali positioned me atop her bed and tucked me in snugly. Curious about her purpose, I watched her intently.
‘What could a beast possibly help with? Maybe chase mice in the room?’
Instead, Vitali rummaged through a drawer and produced a glass bottle containing golden liquid.
‘Ah, maybe uncork the bottle?’
But to my surprise, Vitali managed to open the heavy cap with ease. Then, she carefully scooped out some of the bottle’s contents with her slender index finger.
As the golden liquid dripped from her fingertip, its honey-like viscosity and the sweet scent confirmed it was indeed honey—likely high-quality, judging by its gleam.
Vitali’s finger, now dripping with honey, moved closer to my mouth.
“It’s honey collected from a rare hive in The Ancient Nest. So rare, this whole jar costs half my monthly salary.”
“Expensive honey, huh.”
I sniffed the sugary aroma, leaning closer.
“Why are you offering this to me?”
“Try it. Beasts with fur as white as yours? Pointed claws and sharp teeth? Sounds like you’re a honey badger, huh? And badgers love honey, right?”
“Of course, I love honey.”
I licked the honey off her finger—it was divine, sweet and thick, practically calling to something deep in my DNA. Maybe it was the Grid Ratel lineage inside me urging me to devour it.
“Mm, good, isn’t it? With such a price, how could it not be?”
“Delicious.”
To express my appreciation, I wagged my tail. Watching people in pet cafes buy fancy treats for dogs and cats came to mind. Clearly, Vitali had the same impulse.
‘Giving expensive honey to a speechless creature. You’re indeed a kind soul.’
Not all hunters were bloodthirsty after all.
‘So, what exactly does she need help with?’
Perhaps she just wanted me to eat all her honey. That thought made me wag my tail even harder.
As I wagged, Vitali smiled softly and sat next to me. She dipped her finger back into the bottle.
Swish.
More honey oozed down her finger.
“Here, lick some more.”
Then suddenly, Vitali did something unexpected. She tilted her finger and began drizzling honey—not just on her hand, but on her bland sleeping gown…
