To all those who gifted comments and coupons, my deepest thanks! Gueying! Chapter 120.
Chapter 40: The Fourth Evolution of the Magical Beast
Batus stood quietly, eyes closed, and spoke softly.
“Everything in this world is your enemy, Alpha. Most creatures won’t like you. The current king? He’s the type who enjoys crushing new sprouts. To him, you’re a potential rebel who might one day strangle him.”
—Who’s this king, and who am I supposed to rebel against?
“That’s obviously someone you already know.”
Batus lightly tapped the walls of the alley and leaped onto a rooftop. Then he extended a hand towards me.
“Come on.”
—I can get up here myself, you know.
I climbed up the roof without grabbing Batus’s hand. Once up, Batus pointed at something beside us.
“Your enemy is quite visible from here. No matter where you go in this world, you can’t hide that size. We might hide, but we’re still under her watchful eye.”
Following his finger, under the pale moonlight, I could see the majestic Mother World Tree glowing in all its glory.
Batus blinked his half-lidded eyes.
“The World Tree, mother of all things. Her first name was ‘the magical beast Leviathan.’ Now she’s this massive, but originally, she was just a small creature.”
“Creature?”
It was hard for me to believe Batus’s explanation.
A tree so colossal you can see it from beyond the universe was once a mere creature? It was difficult to comprehend.
—You’re telling me the World Tree was once a creature?
“Of course. This was way back in the ancient times when the gods were still around. The World Tree, ruler even then, was just a scaled creature released into the divine garden by the gods.”
And with that, Batus stopped talking. Gazing at the World Tree with pursed lips and wide eyes, he muttered, “Eve…”
I scratched my head with my claws and asked:
—So, what does this magical beast Leviathan have to do with me? Why does the World Tree want to k*ll me?
“Remember when I told you about the Ancient Nest? About how I compared it to dandelion seeds? The towering flower represents the mother World Tree, and the scattered seeds are the smaller Ancients Nests—or dungeons.”
—Yeah, I remember that. It was just yesterday.
I nodded, reminiscing about the time I defeated the giant scorpion.
As the World Tree’s sphere expands, its influence is also spreading outward—into what you called dungeons, right?
Batus placed a large palm on my head.
“Alpha, you’re one of those scattered seeds. You’re the seed of rebellion. The World Tree, who’s always been jealous of new life, doesn’t want another king to rise.”
As the midnight deepened, the blazing bonfire began to lose its heat.
Back in the square, my eyes caught the sight of Leaf. Unlike the others, Leaf was curled up by the side, cradling Yingyi in her arms. She gazed hazily at a furred instrument called Zibo Hameln.
—What are you doing all alone there?
I wagged my tail and walked over to Leaf. From a distance, I could see a few country kids peering curiously at Leaf.
She might look like an outcast, but the black eyes glittering with interest in the firelight showed me that they were more intrigued than anything else.
Leaf noticed my approach and meowed a cheerful “Gyarrung!”
—Hey, White. You said this is some sort of noise-maker, right? It’s supposed to create lovely tunes?
—Hm?
—Do you know how it works?
—Ugh…
Leaf seemed deeply engrossed in understanding this new tool.
I had to admit, once she got fixated on something, nothing could tear her away from that thought. It was her thing, and I wasn’t surprised.
—Hand it over.
I extended a paw and took the stringed instrument from her. I fiddled with the bow, pulling the strings a couple of times.
GIIING!
A discordant, musical-attempt failed sound rang through the air.
After a couple of tries, I handed it back to Leaf.
—That’s the general idea.
—But I know that much already.
Leaf looked disappointed and licked her lips.
‘Wait, does she want an actual, proper lesson?’
Judging from her demeanor, Leaf expected something more professional—a music sheet or a tutorial, perhaps. But the only musical instruments I had experience with were the recorder I played as a kid and the piano lessons I took in school. Thus, my knowledge wasn’t much help here.
—Don’t mess with it too much. It’s a tool for controlling rat swarms. If you break it, you’ll have to deal with the consequences.
—Hhmm…
Leaf looked worried now, clutching Yingyi tighter as she muttered to herself. Yingyi let out a soft “Gueying.”
—What’s the problem?
I asked, noticing the anxiety etched across Leaf’s face. After months of shared meals and adventures, understanding her moods had become second nature to me.
Leaf sighed heavily, her spirit visibly deflated as she asked:
—Where are these humans taking us? What do they plan to do with me?
‘Ah, it’s that concern.’
I could empathize somewhat with what troubled Leaf. Having lived as a raccoon her entire life, communication with humans was obviously not her forte. Thus, it wasn’t surprising that she assumed these strangers were trying to abduct her for nefarious purposes.
Leaf, a raccoon who spent her life in the forest, was now thrust into human society. In a strange twist of irony, I realized the similarities between us.
Here I was—a beast trapped in a human’s consciousness while Leaf was a human trapped in a beast’s body. While the journey was vastly different, the outcome oddly mirrored each other’s.
‘Could this raccoon’s appearance in my life be part of some grand, pre-ordained destiny?’
I, too, had wished countless times for someone to provide me with a satisfying answer to these bewildering questions. Knowing Leaf was grappling with the same existential dread, a pang of pity stirred within me.
‘I’ve held back these potentially confusing questions to avoid complicating things, but now seems like a good time for answers.’
I felt it would be prudent to share a snippet of the information I gathered from Adam and Shuleiman.
—Leaf, listen up. I’ll only say this once, and no unnecessary questions afterward.
Leaf turned her head sharply, her curiosity evident as she gazed at me intently. Deciding where to begin, I formulated my explanation.
—First off, you’re not a raccoon. You’re a human.
—What?! What nonsense is this?
Leaf, or rather, the fourteen-year-old girl trapped in a raccoon’s form, furrowed her brow in confusion.
I gently pressed my tail onto her shoulder, stifling her sudden burst of excitement.
—Stay still. Just hear me out. You think you’re cursed to turn from a raccoon into a human, but it’s the exact opposite. You’re fundamentally human, cursed to transform into a raccoon.
My eloquent delivery, a recent acquisition courtesy of the Persuasion skill, seemed flawless. Smooth as butter, the words flowed freely, enabling me to continue uninterrupted.
—And you’re not just any ordinary human either. You’re the daughter of a Grand Duke, if I’m not mistaken. Though I can’t confirm its authenticity, the fuss the humans make suggests this is true.
—What’s a Grand Duke?
Scratching my cheeks with my forepaws, I tried to simplify the explanation. Although my knowledge of titles in this world was sparse, in my original world, a Grand Duke was tantamount to royalty.
—Think of it as someone akin to the lord of the forest who governs a vast human city. Essentially, Leaf, in dungeon terminology, you’re the child of a Forest Lord.
—The child of a Forest Lord… of humans…?
Leaf stared at her palms, trembling in disbelief.
Despite her emotional state being unclear, I assumed she must’ve been thrilled to discover her lineage was far more significant than she imagined.
Leaf didn’t utter another word. She merely alternated her gaze between the weakly crackling bonfire, the drunken revelers, and her own palms.
—Now it all makes sense! Why I couldn’t befriend any other animals. I was special all along! Human bl**d destined for dominion flows through my veins! Hah, hah!
With an evil sneer, Leaf leapt to her feet, inadvertently flinging Yingyi onto the ground.
—GUEYING?!
I picked up the bewildered Yingyi before shooting Leaf a scolding glare.
—Look, if you let little Yingyi get dirty, her body might taste sandy. I warned you not to drop her.
—Silence, lowly creature… From now on, use proper honorifics with me!
—What’s gotten into this brat?
The vein in my forehead ticked audibly. Just because I’ve been lenient lately, she thought it was license to act entitled? This behavior was eerily reminiscent of my younger sister’s antics during her teen years.
As I compared Leaf to my sixteen-year-old sister from middle school, I raised a furry fist.
—Middle school syndrome demands an old-school remedy.
With a massive bump on her head, Leaf eventually fell into a snoring slumber.
She unconsciously drew my tail out of her embrace. Standing on the wooden floor, I glanced at the two sleeping figures—the quiet Vitali and the softly snoring Leaf.
The floor groaned under my feet as I prepared to slip out of the room for my fourth evolution.
“Where are you going, Alfa?”
Caught in the act, I swished my tail in response, signaling it was nothing and she should sleep on.
But Vitali misinterpreted my intent and rose from the bed, approaching with mischief in her eyes.
“You’ve been avoiding me all day.”
Vitali hooked her arms under my armpits and lifted me high, her smirk growing wider.
—No, stop! I have to evolve…
“Shouldn’t I sleep with you tonight?”
She carried me to the bed and lay down beside me. Through the window, I watched the dual moons beginning their descent, growing increasingly restless.
‘If I delay much longer, it might be too late for the evolution tonight.’
Contemplating completing the evolution right here while everyone slept crossed my mind. However, a primal instinct within me urged a secluded, quiet setting to undergo this transformation.
Vitali tickled my belly and ribs playfully with both hands.
“Look at this tiny body. Hero of the village! Everyone’s calling you cute. But earlier, when other women were feeding you fruit, it looked like you were enjoying it far too much. Is that because you’re male?”
Vitali pressed her face against my underside, laughing devilishly.
“Soft and squishy.”
—Hey, stop it. I’m not in the mood tonight. There’s something important…
Vitali laughed again, tightening her grip.
“Your legs are squishy too. Just as Nidali described!”
‘Pervert!’
Desperately flailing, I finally managed to wriggle free from her grasp.
Vitali clicked her tongue and rummaged through her bag, pulling out a glass bottle filled with violet liquid.
“Look what I’ve got. Sweetpea honey oil extracted from flowers exclusive to this village. Want a taste? It cost me an arm and a leg. Now my paychecks are practically gone.”
She shook the bottle enticingly in front of me, the indigo liquid captivating my attention.
‘Violet honey oil? What exactly does that taste like?’
Curiosity stirred within me.
Vitali removed the cap and dipped a finger into the substance, licking it sensually from her lips.
“Yum. But it’s too sweet for me to finish alone…”
‘Delay the evolution by a day?’
Recalling Batus’s warning about the World Tree, potentially seeking my demise, snapped me back to reality.
‘Better to handle the more pressing matters first. The fun can wait.’
Summoning willpower that overpowered both lust and hunger, I turned my back. Though I heard Vitali calling my name plaintively, I left her behind, striding out of the inn.
