“But why would she?” Neoma whispered back as the pack huddled closer together.
Ward looked at the pack then back at Zira. He felt like he should know what was going on, but he did not feel secure about leaving Zira alone at that moment. Understanding his dilemma from the way he behaved, Zira sighed lightly and returned the pack’s side with Ward close by her side.
"It's either to test our strength or a fight for territory or…" He looked at Ward and Zira huddling in with them. "Something personal."
Just as Valter ended his sentence, the rest of the yellow wolves prowled towards Neoma’s pack with their fangs bared. Their leader turned back around and looked down at Neoma’s pack like they were small fry.
Neoma and the others stuck close and bared their fangs as well. They stared at each other down, no one willing to back down.
All of a sudden, Valter dashed forward and broke the impasse. Red followed clo
When there was no response or sound coming from behind her, she turned around to check if he was still there. He was, but he stood there with a faraway look in his eyes.When the focus returned to his eyes, he turned to look down at the valley and the other wolves. “I don’t understand myself either.” He said softly.Zira sat down and waited. She felt like that was not all he had to say.“Since you asked… I think it’s the way you fight. Desperate and stubborn. But not because you overestimate yourself. More like perseverance. It’s... Strangely enchanting. And inspiring.”Zira found the things he described oddly familiar. She had gotten used to hearing the familiar soul say such things to her, but she still could not understand what about that made her worthy of such devotion and love. “So what?”Ward finally looked back at her. Pink petals danced around her and made
The Pureblood stood their ground. However, the pack members were clearly losing their calm. Some had their fangs peek through and were poised for a fight. Others looked anxiously between Kaiser and Neoma’s pack. Only Kaiser looked unbothered.He overbearingly took a step forward with his pack backing him up. “I’m here to claim you as my fated partner.”Neoma’s pupils constricted in anger and her breathing picked up. Both took on their human forms and stepped closer to each other, as if daring the other to back down. They locked gazes for a long while. The atmosphere was tense. All of a sudden, Kaiser moved faster than anyone could react. His arm circled her waist and flushed her body against his. His lips pressed firmly against hers.The scene made Zira raise an eyebrow. /And here I thought that things were going to change./Everyone else watched with their jaws hanging open. Was the tension they fe
Meanwhile, it was a whole other atmosphere within Zira's head. BaoBao laughed like a madman and gushed over how Ward had instantly ran to Zira’s side when she collapsed. [I’m serious. This shtick will NEVER get old!]Zira ignored BaoBao with much effort and focused on her task at hand. She opened her eyes a little and looked at Ward. “I just need to rest.” Her voice was barely audible.Her breathing was weak.Ward tenderly picked her up then brought her down to the den where he knew there were softer beddings made out of fallen petals and leaves.Neoma wanted to follow them but the other Pureblood members advanced towards them in a threatening manner. Having had enough, Neoma rallied the other wolves together and defended the den as a pack.With renewed vigour and having regained their teamwork, they made quick work with the Pureblood members. No one got seriously hurt, though. Neoma's pack was just giving
Kaiser dismissed Valter’s threat. "What are you saying? I'm just impressed that you got Skye's-""RED can decide for herself who she wants to cooperate with."The insinuation that they were more worthy of Red's cooperation ticked Kaiser off. However, he bit his tongue and held back from lashing out."Yes, she can. Now, may I meet your leader?""She would be out here if she wanted to meet you.""Being her fated partner, I believe I have the right to meet her, is that not true?"Valter eyed him keenly then sent a glance to Alma. Alma got the message and went inside the den. She came out soon and solemnly shook her head."Your fated partner doesn't seem to share the same idea." Valter relayed the message.Kaiser's rage boiled over and he barely held back a growl. His lips twitched and threatened to curl up. "Well then, I'll wait here until she's ready to meet me."He sat where he was and made sure not to retreat
The Pureblood pack hung back for the first time. Valter, Ward, and Zira paid them no mind and took however much they wanted. Neoma, Quin, and Red took just enough for themselves. Alma gave up some of her share to leave enough for the Purebloods. The bear was eventually reduced to nothing more than blood and bones.While the wolves dug in with a clear divide between their packs, Ward pushed some of his share to Zira. Having expected that, she shoved it back to him unhappily then looked at the amount she had before her. Understanding that she had taken more than enough for herself, Ward ate without a worry.[Kaiser should think ofsomething more original.]BaoBao’s grumbling brought Kaiser to Zira’s attention. She ate and watched Kaiser clumsily using his paw to nudge more meat to Neoma. The random thought that she was watching a cutscene after winning the final boss battle popped up in her mind.Having gotten Neoma&r
Zira stopped in her tracks then turned back halfway. She was impressed to find the other wolves keeping a respectful distance behind Neoma. Her gaze dropped to the wolf before her."I have unfinished business. You live your life and I'll live mine.""But-" Neoma tried to protest some more."You did well." Zira ruffled the top of Neoma's head then took off with Ward in tow.Neoma stood there in a daze. Zira did not smile but she might as well have. Her tone was the warmest and proudest Neoma had ever heard. Tears fell as she shouted as loud as she could, "I'll miss you! I'll go visit, okay?!"Although she did not get a response, Neoma felt sure that they heard her.Zira did not hold back and ran at her top speed. Ward easily matched her speed and stamina. They cleared the same terrains faster than when they had travelled as a group. They had fewer stops. With the help of her nose and BaoBao's sight, she avoided areas o
Zira blinked her eyes open. Wide eyes with fully dilated pupils stared back at her. Her heart jumped and she pushed herself up off the ground. She jerked from the pain that shot through her body, but it did not stop her from moving away. A large hand on her back stopped her from going further. She turned her head and saw Ward in his human form. She looked down at herself and saw that she was in her wolf form. Finally, she looked around and found the Darkfire pack scattered around her lying and sitting in different positions, but all were looking at her. She noted the cyan stream and so knew that they had moved from where the fight had taken place.[You’ve been out for days! Is your recovery slower now or what?] BaoBao exclaimed worriedly, but he continued on to fill her in as usual. [The pack members recognised Ward as friendly, so they led him here. They told him that you liked hanging out here when you were still with them.
As hard as Zira tried to keep her thoughts on observing the fight, it was a lot easier for her mind to drift now that it had experienced it once. /What’s going on…?!/No matter how slow she breathed, her blood continued to rush. It was a new sensation so Zira could not understand what she was feeling at the moment. Before she could make sense of anything, everyone’s behaviour further befuddled her. They froze in place at the same time. She only knew that time was not frozen because the magma under the ground continued to bubble.When she looked back at her pack, the Darkfire members had already scattered while Ward made his way to her. The look in his eyes was so dark and intense that Zira could not help but gulp.Again, she became painfully aware of how her heart rate increased the closer he got to her. She stood up and backed off, but ended up tripping over herself. She quickly t
RenRan began napping. A lot. Souls did not need sleep, but they could choose to do so. FanHai was one of those who seemed to never catch a wink of sleep. While RenRan slept, he stayed by her side, always keeping himself busy with something. This carried on for a good time before she began to catch him with his guard lowered after waking up. ‘A while more.’ RenRan did not believe that a man like him could keep himself entertained this long and resist a cat nap with her. At this point, BaoBao cried out in frustration. There were a few times she could have slipped away because he had already fallen asleep with her! He even dared to cuddle with her. That spot was only reserved for two people! Him and the familiar soul! “Is it really too much to assist by waking her up?” He challenged the elder one. “Is it so hard for her to stay awake in a world that doesn’t need sleep?” He challenged BaoBao back. “...That’s easy for you to say.” Then, BaoBao puffed his cheeks and returned to gl
RenRan’s eyes opened wide. No matter how hard she pushed against him or how much she pounded his chest, shoulders, or head, he persisted on. She tried to bite him, but he avoided using his tongue and skillfully moved his mouth in tandem with her attempts. With his hand cupping the back of her head, she could not break the kiss either. She was at his complete mercy. ‘I should have dropped the act earlier. This isn’t worth it!’ Fear slowly gripped her heart as she wondered how far he would take it. Then, he stopped, just as suddenly as he started. “Enough?” He grinned and meaningfully applied greater pressure on her lower back. His move made RenRan conscious of the rock hard member against her abdomen. Immediately recognising what it was, she fiercely pushed against his chest and demanded, “Okay, let me go! I’ll properly spend some time with you first!” He smiled with satisfaction. “Like I thought.” Then, he let her go. “You wouldn’t have to waste so much time and energy if you jus
RenRan’s heart jumped but she poised herself promptly, ready to grapple with whoever had manhandled her. “Why’d you run away from me? Didn't we have deal?” The somewhat familiar deep voice cleared up the situation. “I’m not running from you.” RenRan explained as she attempted to pull her arm out of his strong grip. “You know you can’t lie with this within us.” He pointed at his chest and kept on his tight smile. “You got to try harder than that to convince me.” RenRan frowned. “And I was precisely following that to find you, as agreed.” His smile gradually disappeared as his gaze dropped to study her entire body. “…You’re weaker than the last time I saw you.” RenRan had nothing to say in response. Instead, she attempted to twist her arm free again. “Even so, I’ve never heard of a compass malfunctioning because of this before.” Annoyed with his accusations, RenRan tuned in
RenRan headed for a condensed group of swirling sparkles that was just a little larger than her. ‘So, my mission is to achieve my dream no matter the cost. What’s my dream? To find YingTao? No, I’ll definitely find him. It’s just a matter of time. Then, I’ll find out that YingTao doesn’t want me anymore. And I’ll want him back...’ RenRan thought of everything that had happened in RenRan’s life. ‘I can only hope that her dream’s that simple...’ She began to think of all her misdemeanors, then ways to right her wrongs. [I should stop you right there. If it wasn’t clear enough before, as long as you’re in the story scenes, you’re supposed to do and say all the things the original character did.] ‘What? You didn’t say that earlier.’ [I mentioned earlier that it's risky to provoke this world’s consciousness into doing anything. So, we can only observe this world. What do you think this mea
Luna was right. She had inhabited Luo RenRan’s body. RenRan’s family belonged to the working class, but her gripe was not their standard of living, it was her parents’ favourtism for her brothers. She was the only girl, and she was the oldest. Anything her brothers did, she was responsible for. Any wrong they committed, they were let off with a more lenient punishment, while she was supposed to forgive and forget. Their expectations for her and the restrictions they imposed on her could not be compared to the standards they held her brothers against. The only solace she had was that her siblings never directly crossed her line, even when she was old enough to start working. If only it stayed that way forever. “RenRan... Forgive your brother, okay? You know he only took it because he needed it and only you can help him. If you have someone you need to blame, blame your father.” A gentle motherly voice coaxed her. “If your father helped, none of us would be
“Wh- What am I doing here?” BaoBao looked around in shock. He recognised this place. The last time he was here, it was to defend Luna. “Why am I back here?”The elder one sighed. “Why did you do it?”“D- Do what?”Gasps were heard around him.“It lies.”“It truly deceives.”“Surely, that’s bad.”“This can’t go on.”“It’s always this one system.”“Clearly there’s something wrong with it.”All the administration looked at the elder one, waiting for the go ahead. The elder one looked at BaoBao so intensely as if BaoBao was a specimen under his microscope. BaoBao gulped. He felt exposed. What was with this elder one? Whatever the case, Luna had already been sent to the next world. He could not dilly dall
“Don’t ignore me! I know you’re awake!” Someone pushed Luna’s shoulder hard. Her eyes flew open, and a purple and black galaxy unfolded before her. Her bottom left whatever she had been sitting on, but she did not fall. There was a resistance that made her body glide instead. Luna blinked a few times, stunned. "I dare you to say it again.” The same voice challenged her. Luna turned towards the source. There it was again. The sensation when she moved was familiar. However, she had no time to make sense of it. The deep voice belonged to a burly woman, instead of a man like Luna had assumed, not that it made anything better. Her guest looked as friendly as a starving lioness. Luna straightened her neat celestial-like robes while she quickly collected her thoughts. It shimmered and shone brighter than the glow emanating from her body. The fabric was so silky to touch that it was like water. Although it was transluc
“LUNA!” BaoBao jumped onto her. Luna grunted from the impact. It reminded her of how much he had grown from the first time she met him. ‘How is he so weightless but so heavy at the same time?’ “Hi BaoBao,” she laughed lightly, “Is this your new way of sending me to the next world?” “Huh?! No, no! It’s far too soon to be sending you to the next world, isn’t it?!” Luna laughed even more. “I was just teasing.” BaoBao blinked innocently. “Oh.” Luna looked at him endearingly. “You’re still so much like a kid.” She rubbed the top of his head lovingly. “Don’t systems live for eternity, if nothing goes wrong?” “Mmhm, what about it?” “It still felt that long to you?” “YES!” BaoBao confirmed without a second thought. Luna laughed. “Let’s spend some time together before heading to the next world.” BaoBao’s heart warmed and h
Nozomi closed her eyes and thought hard about his request. It did not feel right or good to take his years, but she had no right to dictate how he should live his life.‘Since he’s really fine with it...’Nozomi pushed her hands forward to cup his cheeks. “Okay...”Hikaru’s eyes brightened up. He promptly retrieved his book and readied himself. Nozomi watched Hikaru activate his magic with interest. The way his book’s ribbon splits and transforms into a robe and staff never got old. “Thank you, for going along with my wishes.” His heartfelt gratitude was reflected in his eyes as well. Nozomi smiled in understanding and squeezed his hands that were once again holding onto hers. Hikaru closed his eyes and focused on her presence, then said the incantation that he had memorised by then.Green glowing vine marks appeared