Danton gazed at Evangeline’s pale face, then rose and pulled her into his arms.

"Eva, don’t be afraid," he said. "You’re a female; you should never have been on the front lines. We will stand before you. No one will harm you." Danton didn’t know what was on Evangeline’s mind, but he could sense the complex shift in her emotions.

All he could do was hold her and comfort her softly. He also resolved to reach the Nine-star Extreme Realm as soon as possible.

When Harold Thorne and Loras came in, they saw their female’s brow furrowed in distress, her spirit troubled.

"Eva?" Loras pressed his lips together, his purple eyes filled with heartache.

"I’ll go kill them!" Thorne’s dark green eyes blazed with murderous intent. ’They had already disgusted me to the core by invading Blackwater Swamp. Now they’re slaughtering Beastmen—dismembering and devouring the bodies of The Great Fish Clan right in front of Eva. How despicable!’

Evangeline grabbed his hand. "Don’t go," she said softly.

Thorne’s brow furrowed. He turned back to look at Evangeline, his chest heaving. "But you..."

"I’m fine." Evangeline shook her head. She looked up at the three males but said nothing more.

’She understood her own reluctance. Her mission wasn’t even complete, yet she was already developing reservations.’

That night, Loras stayed in Evangeline’s tent.

Thorne was displeased, but when he remembered that Loras had yet to mate with their female, he was magnanimous for once. He proactively went with Danton to look after the young cubs, ’figuring he should learn in advance to better adapt to the role of "father" in the future.’

Snake Clan cubs were typically ignored by their parents after birth, as the clan believed in survival of the fittest.

Inside the tent.

Warm steam billowed, seeming to melt away the raging blizzard outside the tent.

Evangeline turned to look at Loras. He sat on the bed with his back to her, his body rigid. A faint smile touched her lips.

’No matter my mood, I can’t forget my duty.’

SPLASH.

Hearing the splash of water behind him, Loras’s body tensed even further. His breath caught, his frame as taut as a bowstring. Yet, paradoxically, all his senses became exceptionally sharp, and a gentle, sweet fragrance seemed to swirl around him.

A pair of fair arms wrapped around his neck from behind, their damp warmth seeping into the skin of his back. Loras felt his breath quicken. This was more thrilling than the embrace of any vine.

Evangeline rested her chin on Loras’s shoulder, her lips nearly brushing against the tip of his crimson ear.

She caught the faint, dark fragrance wafting from him as her fingertips lightly traced the crimson Contract Mark on the side of his neck. "I’m a little curious... is the beast form of a Plant Beastman any different from an ordinary one?"

’Though she and Nix had been intimate, they had never done so in their beast forms.’

"Loras," she murmured, "do you think... even the touch of an embrace would feel... special?"

Loras’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

The floral scent in the air grew richer—an uncontrollable, instinctual reaction for a Plant Beastman when aroused.

Faced with such a topic, the normally gentle Loras felt his ears burn. He was clearly inexperienced in these matters.

Back when Nix was still around, Loras would occasionally awaken to find himself enveloped in a gentle softness. At the time, he had detested the sensation more than anything. But now, that same smooth, warm touch had become a searing flame.

Loras’s back sank deep into the soft bedding, his deep purple eyes shimmering with a moist haze.

Evangeline’s knee pressed against his side. Droplets of water from the ends of her hair fell onto his fair skin—cool, yet they burned him like fire.

Loras turned his head away, a low gasp escaping his throat. He felt as if there wasn’t enough air in the tent to breathe.

His purple eyes were half-lidded. His features, as if rendered by a master painter’s fine brush, were dusted with a rouge-like blush.

Evangeline’s fingertips drifted down the line of his neck, watching the faint green veins that pulsed beneath his pale skin. They held a unique allure.

"Eva..." Loras murmured, his voice as faint as a small boat adrift on the sea.

Feeling his skin tremble beneath her touch, Evangeline suddenly leaned in. She gently bit down on his cool skin. "Loras," she whispered, "I want to see you transform."

Loras’s eyes shot open.

Her words were like a forbidden trigger. He gasped sharply and suddenly crushed his lips against hers.

Evangeline felt herself gently lifted by unfurling branches and leaves. The sensation in her palm changed as warm, smooth skin gave way to the supple texture of a plant.

In his transformed state, Loras was not a small, weak Moonlight Flower, but a tall, elegant plant. Deep purple branches coiled and stretched, bearing wide, flowing leaves whose edges shimmered with a delicate luster. The veins were so clear they seemed to cast the tent’s interior in a tranquil, dark shadow.

Evangeline sat on the overlapping branches, her fingertips tracing their winding texture. A hint of surprise and curiosity flickered in her eyes.

But Loras, it seemed, would not leave her wondering.

The deep purple bud at the very top quivered gently and bloomed. Layers of petals unfurled, revealing a brilliant golden center. A rich fragrance instantly filled the entire space.

Evangeline gazed at the Moonlight Flower, now right before her, and gently traced the outline of its petals with her fingertips.

...

The Moonlight Flower’s leaves suddenly drew tight, then slowly unfurled once more. The undersides of the leaves curled slightly as they swayed in silence.

...

Soon, a soft rustling, like whispers, filled the tent.

*

After what happened to The Great Fish Clan, the Beastmen all feared for their lives. But when they heard that Evangeline had personally gone to the Norfell Beastman Alliance Tribe and killed its leader, Tyr, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. This strengthened their resolve to follow the witch to the Triangle Sea.

After a night of rest, the elderly Beastmen’s conditions improved, and they were able to continue on with the column.

The migration was far longer than anyone had imagined, a difficult trek that lasted more than a month.

Along the way, they faced many dangers: biting winds, blizzards, food shortages, and cliffside hollows buried by the snow.

However, under Evangeline’s leadership, they finally reached the Triangle Sea with minimal losses.

As the salty sea breeze swept past their ears, as the roar of the surging waves grew louder, crashing against the rocks, all the Beastmen’s exhaustion vanished in an instant. They erupted in thunderous cheers and ecstatic roars.

Some of the Marine Beastmen were moved to tears, embracing each other and weeping.

They couldn’t survive long without seawater, and the month-long migration had left their skin dry and cracked, weakening them to the extreme.

The Beastmen supported one another as they drew closer. Their dry, cracked scales quivered faintly in the humid air. Sea spray splashed over their chapped feet. The boundless, azure sea before them was a beautiful sight to behold.

This place would become their new home.