"Wake up!"
Yarrow's palm cracked against Ji Xiaofei's bare, upturned ass with a sharp smack, the rippling flesh jiggling under his touch. She stirred, groaning sleepily, her body still tangled in the sheets.
"Ugh, Yarrow, morning already?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes with a lazy pout. As her vision cleared, she saw Yarrow standing over her, a familiar hunger burning in his gaze. But what made her jolt upright were the two women standing behind him.
One was a brown-haired vixen in a schoolgirl uniform, a crutch supporting her stance. The other was a striking beauty wrapped in an ominous robe, her silver-white hair cascading down her back, dragon horns curling from her skull like a sinful crown. Her expression was icy, but beneath that cold exterior, something smoldered.
Ji Xiaofei's mouth parted. "Yarrow... creeping off to collect new playthings behind our backs?" Her voice was teasing, but her eyes gleamed with something darker.
"You're still half-asleep, talking nonsense," Yarrow grunted, reaching down to yank Tao Hu from under the covers. She stretched, her naked body pressing against his, her nipples grazing his chest as she blinked at the newcomers.
"Who are they?" she asked, licking her lips as she eyed the mysterious pair.
"Introductions can wait," Yarrow said, his tone low, dominant. He turned to the others. "This is Ji Xiaofei, this is Tao Hu. Two little strays I picked up along the road. They travel with me, and they serve me."
The schoolgirl—Serena—nodded slightly, her eyes darting toward the bed, a flicker of something crossing her face. The dragon-horned girl—Zen—leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her full lips pressing together as she assessed the scene before her.
Serena already knew these two. She had seen Yarrow with them when she was searching for the Lost World Spell. And now, meeting them up close, she could see why they held his attention.
"This is Serena," Yarrow continued, his voice edged with amusement as he watched Ji Xiaofei and Tao Hu stretch, their skin flushed from the warmth of the bed.
He recounted the events of the previous night, the betrayal, the stolen treasure. Ji Xiaofei pouted, pushing out her lower lip. "So, that means the valuable piece of iron is gone?"
"Gone," Yarrow confirmed.
She frowned. "Then the softer, bigger bed you promised? The grand house by the sea where you'd make me scream your name every night?"
Yarrow exhaled, his jaw tightening. "All of it. Gone."
Tears welled in his eyes. Silent, bitter tears of loss.
"Alright, alright! I already said I'd compensate you!" Serena snapped, rolling her eyes.
"Yarrow is broken," Tao Hu teased, dragging her fingers down his chest, her touch light but suggestive.
"Shut up!" he barked, shoving her playfully before turning to pack their things. "We're leaving today!"
Serena lingered beside him. "By the way, I still need you to buy me an alchemy platform."
"Huh? Why should I buy it?" Yarrow turned to her, his patience thinning.
Serena smirked, stepping closer, her body nearly brushing his. "Because I lost everything. And if you want compensation, I need equipment to work. My potions sell for at least five gold Lang each. If you provide the materials and tools, you'll get 80% of the profit. Fair trade, right?"
Yarrow narrowed his eyes, considering it. "Fine. But you pay back the principal first before we discuss profit sharing."
Serena's lips curled. "Tch, you're so stingy."
He continued packing but paused, glancing at her. "I thought you wanted to see your parents."
Serena hesitated. "Yeah… but you'd never let me go so easily, would you?"
"Go if you want. But you'd better come back." His tone was firm, but there was something else—something possessive.
Serena stared at him, taken aback. "You're really letting me go?"
He smirked. "I'm your creditor, not your owner. And besides, you're too proud to run away from debt, aren't you?"
For a moment, she said nothing. Then she exhaled. "Forget it. I'll go back later."
"Why?"
Serena folded her arms. "I need to find a way to get rid of these damn beast ears before I see them. Otherwise, my parents might faint."
Yarrow chuckled, stepping forward until she could feel his breath against her skin. "I think they're cute."
Serena swallowed hard, her cheeks flushing. "Tch… shut up. That's just your opinion."
Yet in the pop-up window before him, the numbers flashed:
[Serena] [Affection: 999] [Current state: Worried and conflicted]
Yarrow blinked. Then he grinned.
"Serena," he murmured.
"What now?" She turned to him, eyes narrowed.
He reached out, tracing a finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You're really, really cute."
Serena stiffened. Then, as if she had swallowed something too big, she choked, face burning. "Ugh! I get it! Shut up already! That's disgusting!"
Yarrow laughed, but his eyes flickered to the affection number again.
"What the hell? This system is bugging out again."
Somewhere in the White Water Forest.
"Woo..."
Alisa gasped, her chest rising and falling erratically as she collapsed at the base of a massive tree, her body trembling, slick with sweat. Every inch of her was drained—magic burned out, limbs too heavy to move.
Her breath hitched as she recalled the moment—those scorching eyes, that monstrous presence.
"Fuck... that was actually a Dragonkin..." she spat, her voice hoarse. "If not for the Substitute Spell, I'd be a goddamn smear on the ground."
That last-ditch spell had saved her—swapping her out with a lifeless shell just before death could claim her. But now? She was utterly spent, her magic reserves bled dry, her body too weak to even twitch a finger.
Her tongue lolled out involuntarily as she panted, her head rolling to the side. The moment she realized what she was doing, she snarled in disgust, jerking her tongue back.
"No... no! Damn it!" Her voice cracked with rage, seething. "How the fuck did he suddenly learn my curse magic?!"
Her fingers dug into the dirt, but the truth was unbearable—she had been played. Her own magic, her own damnation.
"That bastard... he turned me into a fucking dog!"
Pure, unfiltered hatred roiled inside her, black and seething. Her jaw clenched, her breath ragged with fury.
"Revenge... I'll have revenge. I'll make him scream until his throat shreds. I'll make him beg—I'll make him wish for death before I'm done. I'll rip him apart, inch by fucking inch!"
Her voice echoed, raw and animalistic, but reality was cruel—her body refused to obey, a useless heap of fur and exhaustion.
She had to wait. Recover. And when she did… oh, when she did, he would regret ever drawing breath.
But just as she settled into the cold earth, the bushes beside her rustled. The sound of something approaching—slow, deliberate. Her heart lurched.
A hulking, emaciated black bear emerged from the undergrowth. Its ribs protruded against its patchy fur, its eyes hollow with starvation. The way it moved, the way its nose twitched—its focus locked onto her.
Alisa's breath caught in her throat.
No. No, no, no—
She tried to scramble back, but her limbs were useless.
Her magic? Gone.
Her body? Trapped in this pathetic, furry prison.
"Stay back! You filthy beast, stay the fuck away from me!"
She barked, a sound so foreign and degrading it made her insides twist. But the bear didn't care. It let out a guttural growl, its lips peeling back to reveal jagged, yellowed fangs, saliva thick and dripping from its maw.
Panic surged in her chest.
It was hungry.
And she was meat.
"No… no, you fucking shitstain, don't you dare—"
The bear moved closer, sniffing her trembling, prone body. Its breath was hot, foul—a mixture of rot and desperation. It rumbled in satisfaction, its belly growling like a beast ready to claim its meal.
Alisa thrashed, or at least tried to. "Back off! BACK OFF!"
But her words were meaningless.
The beast opened its maw wide.
And bit down.
"NOOOOO—!"
A shrill, agonized scream tore through the forest—then, silence.
.... Hello readers, your support would mean much, patreon Seasay. Check it out.