When they arrived, the scene before them not only brought a sense of relief, but also made Flora Bloom almost laugh out loud.

Cynthia Grant was forced into a short top and skirt woven from leaves, just barely covering the essentials. She was sitting on a thick, smoothly-whittled wooden branch.

Not only that, but her hair was also tied up with soft green twigs and adorned with bright flowers. Her face had been painted with a striped pattern of black, white, and red using some unknown liquid.

At that moment, Nolan Jennings, Five, Saul Sterling, Holden Warren, Theo Dunn, and Irvin Holden were sitting on a tree with sprawling branches, alongside a group of massive, black-furred chimpanzees. They were all watching Cynthia Grant as if they were observing a ceremony.

Right then, five bizarre-looking female chimpanzees were holding soft twigs from some unknown plant. The twigs were coated in a fragrant liquid. They performed a strange dance, flicking the liquid from the twigs onto Cynthia Grant while letting out a series of high-pitched, peculiar screeches.

Flora Bloom and Lex Cross watched this scene from behind a tree, both finding it unbelievable.

Suddenly, as the five female chimpanzees swung their twigs, a drop or two of the liquid accidentally landed on Lex Cross’s forehead and cheek.

Lex Cross touched his forehead and sniffed. The moment the fragrance hit his nose, he felt a rush of heat. It was as if his body had received some primal call, urging him to break free and answer nature’s most sincere, primitive rhythm.

Lex Cross squeezed Flora Bloom’s hand, his grip tightening until she winced in pain and turned to look at him. What met her was his kiss, coming without any warning.

His cool, soft lips landed on her forehead, the tip of her nose, her cheek, and finally her own lips. Snapping out of her surprise, Flora Bloom pushed his face away and studied his expression carefully.

"Lex, what’s wrong?"

His heavy breathing on Flora Bloom’s face made her sense his inner turmoil.

"I... HUFF."

Lex Cross lowered his head, resting it in the crook of Flora Bloom’s neck and wrapping his arms tightly around her back. Startled by his body’s potent reaction, Flora Bloom tried to push him away, but he only held her tighter.

"Don’t move!"

"What—what are you doing!"

"The water on those female chimpanzees’ twigs... there’s something wrong with it!"

"What? Then you...? Is it serious?" Flora Bloom caught the faint scent on Lex’s forehead and realized he had been affected.

"Try your spiritual water! See if it works!"

Flora Bloom quickly cupped her hands and fed some spiritual water into Lex’s mouth. She didn’t dare move in his embrace and simply asked, "How is it? Is it working?"

Lex tightened his hold on Flora Bloom, not daring to move an inch. "Can’t you tell? And you’re still asking?"

Flora Bloom’s face flushed. "Then what do we do?"

"I can bear it!"

Just as the two of them were at a loss for what to do behind the tree, the voices of The Crown Prince and the Tanuki suddenly called out from a short distance away, "Boss! Flora! Look out above!"

But it was too late.

At that moment, two black-furred chimpanzees, each two or three times their size, appeared holding soft twigs and waved them vigorously at Flora Bloom and Lex Cross.

As the fragrant liquid seeped into Flora Bloom’s skin, an undeniable wave of dizziness and a strange fluttering sensation took hold of her.

After the chimpanzees finished waving their twigs, a figure emerged from a hollow in the largest, most ancient tree nearby. It was a long-furred, black chimpanzee with three eyes—Three-Eyes.

It wore a headband woven from white animal feathers. The black fur on its face was sparse, revealing a countenance covered in a dense web of wrinkles, like that of an elderly human.

In one hand, it held a wooden scepter topped with a massive black stone that pulsed with immense Fire Element Energy.

This was all Flora Bloom could observe and sense for the moment. It was immediately followed by an unbearable restlessness in her body and a feeling like ants were crawling all over her skin.

Followed by two other black-furred chimpanzees, Three-Eyes approached Flora and Lex. Then, it spoke in a human tongue.

"Humans, I sense a rare and precious affection between you. To help your love blossom, I have prepared this special gift for you."

Meanwhile, the five female chimpanzees continued their strange tribal dance, waving the soft twigs. At a word from Three-Eyes, two more females from the crowd of onlookers jumped down from their branch, disappeared into a tree hollow, and emerged with two platters, which they presented to Flora Bloom and Lex Cross.

"OOH OOH OOH OOH OOH!"

"OOH OOH OOH! HEE HEE HAA!"

"This is our tribe’s highest honor for outsiders," Three-Eyes translated. "Please, escort our honored guests inside."

Flora Bloom patted Lex, whispering, "Think of something. I... I’ve been hit with it, too."

Lex was still breathing heavily. Hearing Flora’s voice, he whispered back, "This water also suppresses superpowers. This Three-Eyes is likely far more terrifying than the one from the wetland park. Without an antidote, my strength is drastically reduced."

A wave of dizziness washed over Flora Bloom. She wasn’t sure if it was from Lex’s words or the effects of the mind-altering water.

"What is this water? Give us the antidote, now!" Flora Bloom demanded, looking at Three-Eyes and struggling to suppress the strange commotion in her body.

"Oh, no. This is our tribe’s most sacred Water of Life. With it, our people can propagate and our lineage can continue forever. This water is our most precious treasure, not a poison. It is our gift to you!"

Flora Bloom was both furious and incredibly dizzy. She pointed at Cynthia Grant. "Then what about them? Did they all get your ’Water of Life’ too?"

"Oh, no. Only that kind-hearted girl. She saw our hunger and gave us precious food. To repay her kindness, we had her don our tribe’s most sacred ceremonial attire, drink the Water of Life, and await her one true love."

Flora Bloom’s eyes widened. "What? She gave you food, and you repay her by fucking drugging her? Is there something wrong with you?"

"Human, I do not understand your words. However, I believe you are thanking me as well. This one beside you is your beloved, is he not? I have prepared a room for you. You may enjoy the blissful journey of the Water of Life to your hearts’ content."

Two black-furred chimpanzees suddenly moved to stand behind them, glaring menacingly. It was clear they would use force if Flora and Lex didn’t comply.

Flora Bloom glanced at Cynthia Grant, then at the row of chimpanzees and Five’s group on the branch. ’Are these apes trying to pick a mate for Cynthia?’ she thought. ’Is that whole row up there a lineup of candidates?’

Lex leaned close to Flora’s ear and whispered, "Except for the Serpent Woman, everyone’s here."

"Yes, but Annelise Locke is nowhere to be found."

"OOH OOH OOH!"

"OOH OOH OOH! HEE HEE HAA!"

The black-furred chimpanzees behind them seemed to be urging them on excitedly.

"Let’s play along for now," Lex murmured. "We’ll look for Annelise Locke when we get a chance."

Led by Three-Eyes and with two black-furred chimpanzees "protecting" them from behind, Flora Bloom and Lex Cross entered a hollow in a massive, ancient tree.

The light inside the tree hollow was dim. As soon as they entered, the chimpanzees outside covered the entrance with something, plunging them into near darkness.

A fragrance, similar to the scent of the Water of Life, hung in the air. As it filled their lungs, they both felt another strange stirring within their bodies.

"Damn it!" Flora exclaimed. "Are these chimpanzees insane? Who knows where this water comes from, and they’re calling it the ’Water of Life’ to serve guests? This entire tribe must be nuts!"

At the back of the hollow lay a thick pile of dry grass, presumably a "bridal bed" for the two of them. Beside the bed was a basin carved from a huge stone, and it was filled with water.

Flora Bloom leaned in for a sniff. The potent fragrance rushed into her lungs. Already drowsy, her vision blurred, and her mind started to grow hazy.

"Lex, I... HUFF!"