After Mo Chen had kept his eyes shut for a long time, the expected pain never came. Suspicious, he cracked one eye open—just to see.
...a pair of deep violet eyes with narrow black slits, much like those of a cat. Yet, unlike the terrifying fish monster's eyes filled with murderous intent, these were different.
Those violet eyes were—
"...Beautiful." Mo Chen didn't even feel his lips move until he heard his own voice.
[Shit, what's happening to me?]
He finally snapped back to his senses. The moment he uttered that word, everything had happened in just a few fleeting seconds. Now fully alert, Mo Chen opened both eyes wide to take in the figure in front of him.
Well, this time, it wasn't exactly a creature he was facing—but the face of a man. Yes, at last, Mo Chen was seeing a fellow human being after all that torment which had lasted for years (or so it felt—it was only a few hours, really). Still, even though he was thrilled to see someone of his kind, he didn't go rushing forward to hug the man.
Let's forget the cat-like violet eyes for a moment. There could be many rare conditions or unique appearances out there, right? Mo Chen wasn't the kind of shallow person who judged others based on race, skin tone, or eye color. He could accept anyone.
But... there was one thing he couldn't accept right now—the dark violet, almost black, tail that extended from beneath layers of muscles—muscles whose number only God knew. Mo Chen was in no state to count them right now.
The man was very close. So close, in fact, that Mo Chen could feel his cold, minty breath—refreshing, at least. Not like that stinking fish thing, or whatever it was.
Speaking of the fish, Mo Chen could spot its corpse from a distance—torn apart, slashed, riddled with wounds he couldn't even begin to understand how the man inflicted in such a short time. Of course, the mysterious man standing before him was the only possible culprit. Who else could it be? Honestly, Mo Chen was barely holding himself back from trembling.
"You… You… What... What are you trying to do?" Mo Chen couldn't help but ask, especially since the man kept leaning closer and sniffing around his neck.
Mo Chen couldn't deny the man's striking beauty. His body was perfectly sculpted, his skin a pale shade—though not paler than Mo Chen's. He had long, dark violet hair matching the color of his tail. His face was stunning, with well-defined lips, a straight nose, and deep, elongated eyes.
If Mo Chen could just ignore that terrifying tail... he might've actually fallen for this man.
But the thing Mo Chen feared—and hated—most in life was snakes. One had bitten him as a child, and the trauma had stuck ever since. He couldn't stand reptiles of any kind, especially snakes.
The man didn't answer him. He just kept sniffing—first his neck, then moving down to his chest, then up again. Mo Chen swore the tip of the man's nose brushed his ear.
For someone like Mo Chen, who feared snakes, this was pure psychological torture. Cold sweat began to drip down his back.
When the man still didn't respond, Mo Chen's overactive imagination—fueled by years of reading fantasy novels—went wild. His first thought? Maybe I don't speak the language of this world. That would be logical. If you asked Mo Chen, that would actually make perfect sense. There's no way they could just—
"Such a lovely scent. Such a lovely... female," the man murmured in a husky, melodic, low voice.
[What the hell?! Where's the strange language? The miscommunication trope? What is this nonsense?! Wait—wait a second! Did this handsome bastard just say female?! What the actual hell—bro, my little Laozi is clearly outlined under these pants! Who the hell are you calling female?!]
Mo Chen was cursing the man violently in his head. And why didn't he say it out loud?
Simple—he still wanted to live. Who would be dumb enough to piss off this damn snake-man and get themselves killed? Not him, thanks. Anyone with a death wish could go hang out with Dazai or something. Mo Chen would do anything to survive—even in this new, strange, lonely world.
Mo Chen was trying to figure out how to escape from this mysterious man. Even if the other had saved him, the snake-like man's behavior… Yes, that's what Mo Chen decided to call him—he didn't have the time or energy to play name games right now. He was genuinely afraid the man would swallow him whole. The stranger had been sniffing him for quite some time, and even after they spoke, he returned to pressing his face into Mo Chen's neck, inhaling deeply and hungrily. If that wasn't the behavior of someone starving and ready to take a bite, then what was?
Unfortunately for Mo Chen, he hadn't crawled more than a single centimeter before the man grabbed him again.
The stranger reached out, grasping Mo Chen firmly by the shoulders—and Mo Chen gasped sharply in pain.
The man blinked in surprise, his violet eyes trembling faintly. He immediately withdrew his hands and then looked down at the spot he had just touched. Sure, the shirt was red, but it didn't hide the vivid scarlet blood seeping from a wound on Mo Chen's arm.
Apparently, the man's long, black Talons had accidentally cut him, leaving a deep gash on his upper arm.
He stared at Mo Chen's injury with a complicated expression, as if wondering how such a light touch could harm this... female.
"Light touch? your sister's ass".
Mo Chen nearly swore aloud at the clear disbelief in the snake man's eyes. His whole body ached—from hunger, thirst, and hours spent under the scorching sun. He'd just been chased by a monster. Every muscle in his body screamed in pain, and now, after being dragged around like this, not just the wound but even his head was throbbing.
With his face pale and sweat dripping down his temples, Mo Chen gritted his teeth. But he couldn't take it anymore.
His body gave out—collapsing backward.
Fortunately, the man reacted quickly, catching Mo Chen in his arms. He placed him gently atop his own body, cradling Mo Chen's head against his broad, firm chest in one swift motion.
Just as the man was about to ask what was wrong, Mo Chen whispered weakly,
"Your...Talons… are they poisoned?"
He barely managed to say the words before his eyes fluttered shut, and darkness swallowed his consciousness.
…Mo Chen had fainted.
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Erato-san has something to say:
ML: Frantically searches on Uncle Google
[What do I do if I accidentally almost killed my wife on our first meeting?]
Uncle Google:
1. Dig a grave before your wife wakes up.
2. Lie down in it.
3. Pretend you're dead.
Pretend you're dead.
Or ...You'll end up really dead. (٥↼_↼)
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