Chapter 388
“Yeah. The traitors had only just received these crystals from Serpent City. When we arrived, they were in the middle of finding beastmen to test them on.
Thankfully, we rooted them out just in time, or else plenty of innocent beastmen in Blazing Flame City would have lost their lives.” A flicker of rage flared in Rin’s eyes.
“Grandpa, why did Serpent City suddenly send them these things?” Setan asked.
“Serpent City wanted to strike a deal with them, seemingly involving some kind of medicine. We were discovered before we could overhear any more critical details. The traitors were all silenced by the Serpent City beastmen, and the ones sent to deliver the crystals chose to commit suicide rather than be captured. However, two of them still managed to escape p>
Rin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “They probably won’t send any more beastmen over anytime soon. We’re still scouring the city to see if there are any other hidden spies or lingering agents from Serpent City p>
Nina glanced at the crystals in Rin’s hand. “Grandpa, may I take a look at those p>
Rin handed them over. “Take them back with you to look at, Nina. Once you’re done, either destroy them or store them away safely. Don’t let them circulate out there; they are nothing but trouble p>
He pocketed two of the crystals for himself and gave the rest to her. “I’ll just keep a couple for the investigation p>
Accepting the crystals, Nina internally called out to her system, Little Bun, analyze these crystals and the unique power attached to them.
[You got it, Host! The analysis will take some time. I’ll let you know the results later!] Little Bun piped up.
Alright.
With a silent nod, Nina rolled a crystal between her fingers and asked Rin, “Grandpa, are these kinds of crystals common in the Beast World p>
“They shouldn’t be. Energy conversion is an incredibly rare and specific power, so the crystals capable of storing it must be few and far between. At least, this is the first time I’ve ever seen them. If these things were common and fell into the wrong hands, the consequences would be catastrophic p>
Rin frowned. “However, they do have a flaw—their storage capacity is limited. If they absorb too much energy, they shatter. My guess is that Serpent City wants to use these to continuously entice and control beastmen who are looking for a shortcut to power p>
“Makes sense. It’s much easier to maintain long-term control that way,” Nina agreed.
“We need to dig deeper into what exactly that medicine is,” Setan chimed in, speculating. “I have a feeling it poses an even greater threat to our cities p>
“I agree,” Rin said. “But now that Serpent City knows they’ve been exposed, it’s going to be very difficult to uncover anything new anytime soon p>
“We actually happen to be heading toward Serpent City next, so we can investigate it on their home turf,” Nina said.
Rin was taken by surprise. “Nina, you’re all going to Serpent City p>
Since Setan was always incredibly fiercely protective and cautious regarding anything involving Nina, he hadn’t shared their travel plans with his grandfather yet.
“Yes, we’ll be leaving for Serpent City in a bit,” Nina confirmed.
Rin nodded gravely. “Then you must be extra careful, Nina. The abilities of those beastmen are bizarre and treacherous. If they discover who you are, they might target you. You have to stay on high alert p>
A beastman as powerful as Nina would undoubtedly make those wicked creatures covet her energy. They would definitely mark her as a prime target.
“Don’t worry, I will,” Nina replied.
This strange power truly required caution. She wondered if Little Bun could develop a corresponding protective shield; if so, their safety would be much better guaranteed.
After that, Rin shared a few more related details. Once he had emptied his notes, he prepared to take his leave.
“Nina, that’s about all we know for now. Grandpa still has matters to attend to, so I won’t disrupt you two any further p>
Rin stood up, subtly shooting a stern look at Setan. You brat, you better seize this opportunity.
Setan shot a glare right back. Hurry up and leave.
Rin raised an eyebrow, wiped the expression from his face, and said to Nina, “Nina, Grandpa is taking off now p>
Before his voice could even fade, he had already hurried out the door, thoughtfully closing it tightly behind him.
He glanced back at the shut door, silently praying that his brat of a grandson would show some backbone and become Nina’s male as soon as possible. Even if he couldn’t become a proper beast husband right away, he should at least secure a spot as a guardian beast—or, failing that, even a secret lover would do!
With that encouraging thought, he quickly walked away.
Silence descended upon the room once more.
Nina looked at Setan. “The medicine is all applied, so I’ll head out now too. You haven’t rested in a long time, so get some sleep p>
As Nina stood up to leave, Setan reached out and grabbed the hem of her clothes.
“Is there still a spot I missed?” she asked.
Setan bit his lip, his voice barely a whisper. “N-No p>
Sigh, he just couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“Then is there something else p>
Nina studied Setan. Wasn’t he being incredibly honest just a moment ago? Why is he suddenly getting all bashful again?
After a brief hesitation, Setan asked, “Nina, when do you plan on leaving?” He let out a silent sigh. Forget it, better not say it.
“Now that we have this information, probably in a day or two,” Nina replied. “I’ll study that crystal with Odian and the others tonight before making a final decision p>
Setan looked at her, a wave of nervousness washing over him. “Then… then can I come with you?” If she refused, he was fully prepared to throw his pride away and shamelessly follow her like he used to.
“You want to go investigate the matter with Serpent City?” she asked.
Setan shook his head. “No. I just want to follow you. Regardless of Serpent City, I want to go wherever you go p>
Nina raised an eyebrow. “You’re actually willing to come with me this time p>
Setan looked up, his eyes pleading. “Mhm. I want to go with you. I want to follow you forever. Nina, take me with you, okay p>
A deep flush crept up his face. “I can do the laundry, cook, and… and even warm the bed. Our Blazing Flame Lion clan is incredibly warm in the winter. We’re especially good at warming beds p>
Nina stared at him. “Then why didn’t you tell me any of this before? Why did you insist on staying behind to face everything on your own p>
“Because I didn’t want you to take any risks. That guardian array is immensely powerful. I know how strong you are, but I was still terrified that you’d get hurt.” Setan’s grip on the hem of his clothes tightened further.
“And I knew those elders wouldn’t hand over the sacred relic easily. That was the fastest way I could think of that would cause you the least amount of loss p>
“But did you stop to think about the consequences for yourself when you let me go?” Nina countered. He had minimized the loss for her, but what about him?
“I knew,” Setan said, a soft, tender smile playing on his lips. “But I did it willingly p>
He knew the elders wouldn’t let him off scot-free, and he knew they would use the most brutal methods to force the relic’s whereabouts out of him. But for Nina, he was willing to do anything—even lay down his life.
Nina felt a deep pang of emotion. “You really could have told me. Maybe I would have found another way p>
“I know that with your abilities, you definitely could have taken the relic, but there would have been casualties. I just wanted to bear whatever burdens I could for you within my own power.” Setan sighed softly.
“You saw how greedy those elders are. I didn’t want you to suffer a disadvantage, nor did I want Blazing Flame City to become your enemy p>
Nina reached up and cupped his face. “You really are a big dummy p>
She knew that because Setan had secured the Blazing Flame Stone for her first, she had been able to take the initiative and force the relic to acknowledge her as its master, leaving the elders with zero leverage. Otherwise, getting her hands on the stone wouldn’t have been nearly this easy.
The corners of Nina’s lips curved upward. “Alright. I’ll take you with me p>
Setan’s eyes lit up instantly. “Nina, do you… you agree p>
“Mhm.” Nina’s eyes danced with amusement and affection.
Emboldened, Setan reached out and grabbed her hand. “Nina, would you… would you be willing to give me a chance too?” His eyes were completely filled with hope and raw devotion.
Looking at this big, goofy lion whose entire world revolved around her, Nina nodded. “Alright p>
Estatic and overwhelmed with joy, Setan pulled her into a fierce, tight embrace. “Nina, I—I’m not dreaming, am I?” She actually agreed? Had he finally waited long enough for this day?
Nina gave his handsome face a playful, firm pinch, laughing out loud. “Nope, definitely not a dream p>
Setan held her even tighter, completely burying himself in this exact moment of pure bliss. If this truly was a dream, he prayed he would never wake up.
It took a long time before he finally let her go, happily leading her out of the room by the hand.
When the other beast husbands saw Setan’s goofy, lovesick grin, a wave of jealousy washed over them. It looked like the dead lion had succeeded.
Nina briefed her husbands on the latest clues, and after a brief discussion, they decided to set off the day after tomorrow.
As night fell, Lex walked over to Nina’s side. Taking her hand, he murmured softly, “Nina, could you come to my room for a moment p>