Chapter: 198
“Grrr…”
Jess curled up, starting to moan softly.
“Ugh…”
Her breaths became increasingly ragged, her eyes starting to lose focus.
“Grrrr…”
Her sharp fangs, usually hidden, gleamed even sharper than usual, and her eyes sparkled with an eerie glow.
Crash!
In an instant, Jess leaped up, clawing at the wall of her accommodation. One side of the wall crumbled like a giant beast’s scratch.
*
Auuuuu -..
Lian naturally turned towards the door at the sharp growl coming from outside.
“What is that sound…?”
“Eek?!”
Before he could finish his question, a shrill scream echoed in answer. The cat beastman was plastered against the wall, trembling with a ghostly pale face. Her tail, puffed up like a balloon, clearly wasn’t in a good state.
Pop!
Startled—like a cat discovering a cucumber behind her—she leaped and dashed to Lian’s bed, diving under the covers.
When Lian approached to ask what was going on, there was no response. From the blanket’s frantic rustling, it was clear she was thoroughly scared.
‘Let’s go check it out.’
It seemed faster to catch another beastman outside to get an answer, so Lian stepped out of the accommodation.
Crash!
Boom, boom, boom!
“…!”
As soon as he stepped outside, the campsite was engulfed by the sound of what seemed to be a fierce battle happening somewhere.
“Let’s go too!”
“Whooaa!”
“Be careful not to get caught up in it!”
“You idiots! Come back!”
The campsite was in chaos. Some had completely lost their minds, weapons in hand, charging off somewhere, while others, still somewhat rational, tried to stop them from bolting.
“What on earth is going on…?”
Lian looked around with a blank face, still confused about what was happening. One of the features of a comedic world: whenever the main character needs an explanation, someone always pops up to provide one.
Following that rule, a massive shadow approached Lian.
“Get inside quickly, and hide. The Commander’s partner.”
“Eh?”
As a towering form overshadowed him, a familiar voice spoke. Turning around, he saw one of the commanders he’d encountered at the tent—the largest female beastman.
“If you’re out here, you might get caught by the Commander.”
“Wait, Jess will catch me…?”
“Oh, was that not obvious?”
She spoke as if it were no big deal.
“The Commander is currently in her first heat.”
“Wait, what?”
“The stronger the beastfolk, the more intense their first heat is. No matter how powerful the Commander’s partner might be, trying to confront her would get you killed.”
“Huh?”
Lian was stuck in a loop, repeating “huh?” as if his brain had gone on buffering mode. Meanwhile, she continued, oblivious to his dazed condition.
“The Commander knows this and went hunting. Seeing blood usually helps ease the symptoms.”
She said that while pulling out a huge sword. With her immense size, it looked more like a regular sword than a massive one.
“So hurry and go back to your accommodation to hide. You wouldn’t want the Commander’s efforts to go to waste.”
After saying that, she turned and marched off swiftly, excitement barely contained at the thought of Jess rampaging in the hunting grounds.
Just as Lian was about to take two steps back, she muttered to herself.
“Why did the heat come early? The Commander’s partner shouldn’t have pheromones…”
“…!”
With that intriguing remark left hanging, she launched herself forward.
“Ugh…”
Only a disappointed sigh lingered in the place she had vacated.
*
Afterward, Lian tried to grab other beastfolk to ask about the connection between pheromones and heat, but everyone was in such a dazed state, he ended up getting attacked instead.
“Especially pheromones from the opposite gender and partners greatly impact beastfolk. The frequency and timing of heats can increase, and the body becomes suitable for childbirth. Males gain strength in their stamina and hunting abilities, while females develop their lower bodies and breasts, as well as hunting skills. Hunting abilities depend on who cares for the cubs. Generally, the one bringing home the prey ends up with more power. Uh… you probably don’t need that much information…?”
“Can a beastman who hasn’t gone into heat yet be affected… um, by their partner’s pheromones making them go into heat sooner?”
“Oh, that’s actually pretty common.”
In front of Lian sat several beastfolk, calmly kneeling, with one at the front blushing and explaining humbly.
In both comedic worlds and dark fantasy worlds, fists were always a closer means of conversation.
Lian, clutching a blood-stained branch, covered his flushed face with the back of his hand.
‘So ultimately… it means Jess is going into heat because of me…’
At this point, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was in a dark fantasy world or a dating simulation game. The situation was progressing right to the point of heading to a motel after confessing.
Amidst the chaos, Lian had only two choices.
Take responsibility and help Jess with her heat.
Or quietly retreat back to his accommodation.
‘Of course I…!’
Responsible as ever… Lian quietly returned to his accommodation. There were various reasons for this decision. Not only was he inexperienced for such a bold challenge, but…
‘This body isn’t even mine… and I’m incredibly weak.’
Hearing explosions and sounds like bombs going off outside, he genuinely thought he might end up dead if he got caught up in Jess’s heat.
And so, a day passed, and the next morning…
As if nothing had happened, the campsite was calm, but the dining area was abundant. Thanks to the powerful monster roaming nearby and hunters, there was a mountain of meat piled up.
The beastfolk were devouring nearly five times their body weight in meat, feasting from breakfast to lunch. Lian filled his belly adequately and then quietly made his way to Jess’s accommodation.
Because of the previous day’s wild chaos, her accommodation was silent. The beastfolk, having witnessed the Commander’s strength, were understandably hesitant to approach.
Unlike his accommodation, Jess’s was set up as a tent. Originally it resembled the cabins where Lian stayed, but many buildings had collapsed due to yesterday’s ruckus, forcing her to use a remaining tent as her lodging.
Some beastfolk, just covering themselves with blankets or cramming into the cramped tent to sleep, made it clear that the Commander lived up to her title.
The front of the tent was covered with several layers of thick fabric, only allowing entry by either pulling to the side or lifting it up. Lian created a gap and called inside the dark tent.
“Jess…? Can I talk to you for a moment—”
Before he could finish, two pale white hands shot out from the darkness and grabbed his shoulders, dragging him inside.
“Wahhh!”
In a flash of surprise, Lian was pulled inside the tent. The entrance fluttered shut, shrouding the area in darkness. Lian found himself suffocating under what felt like a pillow, flailing his arms in confusion.
For a moment, he thought perhaps an assassin from the Demon King’s army had infiltrated the campsite, but the intoxicating scent of Jess enveloped him, rendering him dazed.
“Mmm?! Phew…!”
After fumbling his way around, he managed to press his hands against the floor and raise his upper body. The tent was less dark than he expected. It was only as dark as when he pulled a blanket all the way over his head during the day.
Still, Lian perceived it as entirely dark because his view had been obstructed by something soft and fluffy.
“Whew…! S-Sorry, Jess!”
Realizing that what he thought was a pillow was actually Jess’s chest, he panicked, unsure where to direct his eyes.
‘They say bodies change when going through heat, and clearly… Ahh! This isn’t the time for such thoughts!’
With Jess frequently clinging to him, Lian had naturally come to know… that ‘size,’ which made it easy to notice it had grown since then.
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