Eight Years in the Beast World Chapter 12

Soon, over a dozen lions appeared before us.

They immediately snatched all the mushrooms from the ground, then turned their attention to me.

The lion leader spoke:

"Damien, I hear your tribe has water and food, all thanks to this female. Name your price and let me have her."

Hearing this, Ryan and Wesley standing nearby widened their eyes instantly.

Having food and water during such a dry season—they naturally knew what that meant. But they hadn't expected the lion king to say it was all my doing.

Ryan suddenly realized my importance. Combined with the crop cultivation I'd promoted in the wolf tribe, he suddenly understood what he'd thrown away.

He never imagined he'd been so bewitched by Lena that he'd driven away this treasure.

Watching two tribal leaders fighting over me, he was filled with regret.

Because all of this should have been his.

The food should have been his, the water source too.

Ryan clenched his fists, regret spreading through his heart.

Damien immediately positioned himself in front of me:

"She's my female. Don't even think about it."

Both sides eyed each other menacingly, a battle on the verge of breaking out. Ryan inconspicuously assessed the situation, looking for an opportunity. Once he found it, he'd immediately abduct me.

Suddenly, Adrian spoke up.

"Father, you can't do this."

Damien and I had long anticipated this and weren't surprised, but the lion king opposite us stared suspiciously at Adrian.

Just then, Ryan launched a sneak attack while everyone's guard was down.

However, Damien had been prepared. He pulled me into his arms while his snake tail coiled around Ryan's neck, instantly crushing it.

Everything happened so fast that Ryan didn't even have time to react before dying, his eyes wide open.

In the end, no fight broke out, because Adrian and his lion king father recognized each other.

We made an agreement: as long as the next lion king was Adrian, I would share water sources, food, and even cultivation techniques with the lion tribe.

After we'd finalized everything, Wesley still stood frozen in place.

He'd watched his father die with his own eyes, yet I felt nothing unusual in my heart.

I remembered clearly how they'd treated me—putting poison in my food, trying to kill me.

Even arranging for other wolves to rape me—all my dear son's schemes.

Not killing him myself was already merciful. I turned away without sentiment, leaving him to fend for himself.

Seeing my departing back, Wesley suddenly fell to his knees and screamed in anguish:

"Mother! Mother, it was all my fault! I... I was deceived by that bitch Lena! I'm still your son—you have to forgive me! If you don't give me food during the dry season, I'll die!"

My expression remained indifferent. So young, yet already calling others bitches—what good could come from such a person?

He was rotten to the core.

Everything was his own doing. From the moment he tried to poison me, he ceased being my son.

Adrian followed the lion king back to their tribe. I believed he'd carve out his own territory.

Seeing I still paid no attention, Wesley's eyes turned vicious. He suddenly lunged at me.

He bared his sharp fangs, trying to bite through my throat.

But Damien had been prepared. With one sweep of his tail, Wesley was sent flying, coughing up blood.

I grabbed Damien's hand:

"Spare his life. Dirtying your hands over someone like this isn't worth it. Let's go."

Damien held me tightly. Behind us, Wesley, whose sneak attack had failed, continued screaming frantically.

I knew he'd never have another chance to rise again.

I no longer felt anything for him—neither caring nor hating. He was just a stranger to me, a tumor I'd expelled from my body.

Damien lovingly lifted me in his arms:

"Let's go home."

I smiled and nodded. Yes, let's go home.

Three years later.

The dry season had passed, and various tribes gradually recovered their vitality.

The snake tribe, under Damien's leadership and with my assistance, became the most prosperous tribe in the region. We not only had stable water sources and food supplies but had also established trade relationships with neighboring tribes.

Adrian grew into an outstanding young warrior in the lion tribe. He frequently visited us, each time bringing new knowledge and stories from outside. Under his influence, the lion tribe also began learning cultivation techniques, gradually moving away from their purely hunting lifestyle.

As for our child—a beautiful little girl we named Seraphina—she inherited the best traits from both Damien and me. Though still young, she showed remarkable intelligence and curiosity about everything around her.

One evening, as the sun set over the tribe, Damien and I sat at the entrance of our cave, watching Seraphina play with other young ones.

"Do you ever regret it?" Damien suddenly asked, his tail gently coiling around my waist.

I looked at him, puzzled. "Regret what?"

"Leaving the wolf tribe. Everything you built there."

I shook my head with a smile. "I don't regret a single moment. That wasn't home—this is. With you, with Adrian, with Seraphina. This is where I belong."

Damien pulled me closer, his cool body temperature no longer bothering me—instead, it felt comforting.

"I heard the wolf tribe barely survived the dry season," he said quietly. "Without your system and guidance, their crops failed. Many died."

I felt a twinge of something—not quite sadness, not quite satisfaction. Just... closure.

"And Lena?" I asked, though I wasn't sure why I cared.

"Disappeared. Probably didn't survive. As for Wesley..." Damien paused. "Last report said he was seen begging at the borders of various territories. No tribe would take him in."

I nodded slowly. It was harsh, but it was the consequence of his choices.

"The past is past," I said firmly. "Our future is here, with our family, with our tribe. That's all that matters."

Seraphina's laughter rang out across the tribe grounds, pure and joyful. Adrian's voice called out—he'd arrived for another visit, bringing gifts from the lion tribe.

Damien kissed my forehead gently. "You're right. The past is past."

As darkness fell, the tribe lit their fires. The warm glow filled me with contentment. I'd found my true home, my real family. And this time, nothing would tear it apart.

This was where I belonged. This was home.

— THE END —