She hurriedly grabbed a wooden stick from the ground and scanned her surroundings warily. The moment she spotted a pair of blue eyes to her right, Bai Ning fell into utter despair.
Was the heavens truly determined to see her dead?! If she had known this was coming, she wouldn’t have wasted her energy crawling all this way!
Judging by the wolf’s massive size and its sleek, glossy fur, it was clearly a master hunter. Forget the fact that she currently had broken arms and legs—even if she were in perfect health, she wouldn’t stand a chance against it! Furthermore, wolves were pack animals; if there was one, there was a second, a third…
Bai Ning gripped the stick with white knuckles. Desperate tears escaped the corners of her eyes as she stared death in the face.
Why? Why me? Why send me to the apocalypse, only to throw me into this strange place? Is it just to watch me die over and over again?
As if startled by the sheer hopelessness in Bai Ning’s eyes, Beichuan couldn’t help but take a step back.
What’s wrong with this female? Why does she look so devastated? Was she abandoned by her tribe? Beichuan was bewildered. How could any tribe abandon a female? In his tribe, females were precious treasures; he had never seen one looking so battered and hopeless.
After a moment’s thought, Beichuan took a step forward, shifted into his human form, and asked, “Female, are… are you alright?”
!!!!!!
Watching this scene, Bai Ning’s pupils contracted violently. Her face was a mask of disbelief. She didn’t hear a word he said; her mind was simply screaming!
Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! A beastman! It’s actually a beastman! I’ve transmigrated into a Beast World! Is this for real?!
Bai Ning shook her head vigorously, which tugged at her wounds and made her hiss in pain.
Damn! It’s real! It’s not a dream or a hallucination! I really am in a Beast World! AHHHHH!
Seeing the female’s shocked expression, Beichuan thought he had terrified her. Just as he was about to speak, she keeled over and fell straight backward.
“Female!” Beichuan cried out. He rushed forward, catching her just before the back of her head made “intimate contact” with the hard ground.
“Female, wake up…” Beichuan shook her gently. Seeing her pale face and tightly shut eyes, he began to panic. She couldn’t have been scared to death by me, could she?! No way! I’m not that scary!
He tentatively checked her breathing and let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she was still alive. However, as he looked at her body covered in wounds, his heart tightened again.
“How did she get hurt this badly?” Beichuan frowned. He scanned the area one last time to ensure there were no threats, then sighed. He shifted back into his wolf form, placed Bai Ning on his back, and sprinted off in a specific direction.
Mindful of her injuries, Beichuan tried to keep his movements as smooth as possible while maintaining his speed. Even so, the sheer agony was enough to jar Bai Ning back into consciousness.
Clinging to the wolf’s back, Bai Ning watched the trees blur past in a daze. Before she could process anything, she blacked out once more.
An unknown amount of time passed…
When she finally woke up again, before she even opened her eyes, her consciousness was still fuzzy. She was acutely aware that something felt different. Before she could think further, a surprised voice chirped in her ear.
“Oh! Little female, you’re awake?”
The sudden, unfamiliar language gave Bai Ning a fright. She snapped her eyes open, a flash of wariness in her gaze as she looked toward the source of the sound.
A young girl, appearing to be about fifteen or sixteen, was dressed in animal skins. Her large, round eyes were sparkling with delight as she looked at Bai Ning.
A young girl? Animal skins?! Bai Ning’s memories rushed back—the scene before she fainted, the wolf that could turn into a man! So, not only had she come to a Beast World, but she had been brought back to that wolf’s tribe?
Seeing that Bai Ning remained silent and was looking at her defensively, Hongye gave a little giggle and explained, “Little female, don’t be afraid! My name is Hongye. This is the Wolf Tribe. Beichuan found you in the forest and brought you back. The Witch Doctor checked you over, and I’ve already applied medicine to your wounds. You’ll get better soon. However…”
At this point, Hongye’s gaze instinctively fell upon Bai Ning’s arms and legs, a trace of heartache and pity flickering in her eyes.
She hesitated, deciding to temporarily hide the fact that the girl’s limbs were broken. She would let the Witch Doctor explain it when he arrived. After all, this little female was so beautiful; if she knew she might be left disabled, she would be heartbroken!
Thinking of this, Hongye sighed inwardly and continued: “It’s just that the injuries on your arms and legs are quite serious. You’ll need long-term treatment and rest. But don’t worry! As long as you cooperate with the treatment, you might recover quickly!”
Hongye could only offer these words of comfort for now, fearing the girl wouldn’t be able to accept the reality of being crippled and might do something to hurt herself.
Bai Ning couldn’t understand a word she was saying, but she sensed no malice in the girl’s tone—only a faint sense of… pity?
Pity? Pity for what?
Since the language was a barrier, Bai Ning didn’t speak. She simply watched Hongye with guarded eyes. Regardless of what this girl or the wolf-man wanted, she was on their turf now, battered and broken. She had no choice but to stay put and see what they intended to do with her.
After a moment’s thought, Bai Ning forced a soft, gentle smile at Hongye. She didn’t try to speak; without a shared language, it was pointless anyway.
Seeing Bai Ning smile, Hongye grew even happier and began chatting enthusiastically. “Little female, you just woke up, so you’re still very weak. Once you’re better, I’ll take you around the village. By the way, what’s your name? Why were you all alone in the forest?”
Hongye blinked curiously at her.
Bai Ning didn’t understand the questions, but she knew she had to respond somehow. She decided to pretend her throat was injured. She pointed to her throat and shook her head, gesturing that she couldn’t speak.
Hongye’s eyes widened, and her rims grew red. Beast God above, what has this little female been through? Not only is she covered in wounds, but she can’t even talk! How pitiful!
Despite seeing the shock and sympathy in Hongye’s eyes, Bai Ning did not let down her guard.
Most Beast World novels depicted beastmen as simple, honest, and guileless, but she was no longer the naive college student she once was. She had survived the apocalypse. In that world, “simple” was just a surface-level word; you could never see what was hidden beneath.
Human nature, when pushed to the limit, would always reveal its darkest and most dangerous side.