Chapter 230: Baby Monsters

Vex already knew Ren wasn’t from this world. She wasn’t the first human to ever stumble into the Beast World. There had been others, a very long time ago, back when Vex had lived in the sacred temple of the Moon Goddess. It was ancient, heavily guarded knowledge that only a few of the oldest, longest-living beastmen and mythical beasts possessed.

It certainly wasn’t common knowledge for tree lizards.

Besides, Ren had already babbled all about her “special ability” to him. But unlike those fragile, helpless humans from back then, Ren had her strange, invisible storage magic, her fiery temper, and she was breathtakingly beautiful. In fact, her fiery red hair and bright green eyes reminded him so much of his first love.

She looked just like her, so he was drawn to her immediately.

“Very well,” Vex sighed, waving a dismissive hand. “Tell me one of these so-called secrets, reptile. If it is actually interesting, I will consider your request.”

Yurk’s swiveling eyes darted back and forth as he thought carefully. He mentally sifted through all the bizarre, nonsensical things he had overheard the female say.

Finally, Yurk puffed out his chest. “She has a strange thing hidden inside her left arm that makes her unable to get pregnant.”

Vex’s perfect brows shot up.

For a fraction of a second, genuine, unfiltered surprise flashed across his handsome face. He quickly masked it with a dry look of mild amusement, but his brilliant mind was racing.

’There was actually a physical thing placed inside her body keeping her from getting pregnant? How incredibly interesting.’ He had absolutely no idea such a thing existed.

’I will definitely have to inspect her left arm later,’ Vex made a mental note, his curiosity thoroughly piqued.

Seeing the brief flash of interest in the shaman’s eyes, Yurk boosted his chest even further, practically vibrating with pride.

“That is just a small piece of what I know about that female,” Yurk boasted, thoroughly pleased that he could intrigue the legendary Fox Shaman. He had been sweating nervously, terrified that Vex might have already known about it.

“I accept your terms,” Vex declared smoothly, uncrossing his arms. “I will get the Golden Eagle Prince for you. But it will take time.”

Yurk smiled in delight, his tongue flicking out happily. “I can hardly be patient, Shaman. The King expects his son’s return before the Long-Light Moon.”

Vex smirked. “That is more than enough time.”

Yurk was very pleased hearing this. He rubbed his scaly hands together. “There is one more thing. There are others after the prince for… bad reasons. Hunters and rogues intending to kill him and harvest his feathers. I will try to keep them away from this forest, but you must still be careful.”

Vex had already turned his back and begun walking away, waving his hand over his shoulder with complete, utter dismissiveness.

“Keep your distance from the female from now on,” Vex ordered, his voice carrying a sudden, lethal edge that chilled the morning air. “Do not follow her to the swamp. If you do, the Snake King will definitely kill you. You aren’t half as stealthy as you think you are, lizard.”

Yurk gulped, taking a nervous step back. “How… how will you get to me when it is time?” he called out after the retreating Fox.

Vex stopped. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder at the lizard one last time, his orange eyes glowing in the dim forest light.

“I will find you when it is time for you to know where I am,” Vex promised cryptically.

Without another word, Vex’s body blurred. In a flash of brilliant, fiery light, he shifted into his magnificent, giant three-tailed fox form and dashed away into the thick underbrush, moving so fast he was nothing but an orange streak against the green foliage.

He navigated the dense forest with practiced ease until he arrived at a hidden, rocky hole in the ground, completely concealed by overgrown thorn bushes. Vex slipped inside, descending deep into the earth.

The tunnel opened up into a massive, limestone-lined cavern. Here, the air was entirely different from the cool forest above. It was thick, moist, and incredibly warm, heated by the bubbling natural hot springs that pooled in the rocky basins.

Vex shifted back into his beastman form, landing gracefully on the stone floor. He was completely naked, his previous loincloth having been discarded during the shift.

Laying on a slab of smooth stone by the edge of the largest pool, breathing heavily and sweating profusely, was Vara.

The White Tiger female looked horrific. Her skin was a sickly, translucent pale, stretched tight over her protruding cheekbones. She opened her eyes when she heard Vex step into the cavern, having only the physical strength left to move her eyelids.

One of her eyes was her natural, dull yellow. The other eye had turned entirely blood-red, the pupil blown wide—the undeniable, terrifying mark of feral corruption.

Vex cheerfully strolled over to a pile of neatly stacked fabrics near the cave wall and pulled on a fresh, clean loincloth.

“Good morning!” Vex greeted her brightly, his tone completely at odds with the grim, deathly atmosphere of the cavern. “How are you feeling today?”

Vara’s dried, cracked lips parted. She stared at the ceiling, her chest rattling with every shallow breath. She struggled immensely just to force the words past her vocal cords.

“Kill… the cub,” Vara croaked, her voice barely a whisper.

Vex laughed. It was a melodic, cheerful sound that echoed eerily off the limestone walls.

“Now, why would I do that?” Vex asked, walking over to her side. “Your cub is the future of the Beast World. You have to give birth to it.”

Vara coughed, a wet, sickening sound. A splatter of dark blood dribbled down her chin. Hot tears stung her mismatched eyes, leaking down her hollow cheeks.

“It is… a monster,” she wept weakly.

Vex stooped down by her side. He reached out and gently caressed her swelling, grotesque belly. The skin there was stretched painfully tight, completely littered with dark, pulsing black veins that throbbed with a sinister rhythm.

Vex smirked, his eyes trailing over the corrupted veins. “We are all monsters, my dear.”

He lifted his gaze to meet her weak, tear-filled eyes. His playful demeanor vanished, his face suddenly turning dead serious, stripping away the charming shaman facade to reveal the cold, calculating predator beneath.

“The cub will live,” Vex stated with absolute, terrifying finality. “Even if you die as a result.”

He stood up, walking over to a small wooden chest resting on a rocky outcropping, and began gathering bundles of dried, pungent herbs to make her a pain-dulling tonic.

“Do not worry,” Vex told her casually over his shoulder, sorting through the roots. “I already have a mother in mind for the future of the Beast World.”

He tossed a handful of herbs into a stone mortar.

“You are merely the vessel.”

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