Yosan and Sen hurried into the underground chamber.

"...They escaped?"

The voice was calm—almost casual—but it carried an overwhelming, suffocating pressure.

"This servant has failed you." Yosan lowered his head, barely daring to breathe.

"Enough," the voice said, tinged with impatience. "Go and prepare the sacrificial array."

Yosan hesitated, then spoke carefully, "But the black serpent has not been recaptured. He is an important offering."

"Then find others to replace him." A pause. "Half the city should suffice."

Yosan and Yao Sen both stiffened, their hearts trembling.

"...Yes, master."

Half a city. That would be no small task.

The chamber fell silent once more. They withdrew immediately.

In the darkness, a pair of crimson eyes curved into a sinister smile—then vanished.

Not long after, the Barbarian City was sealed again.

Soon, anguished screams began to echo through the streets.

***

The next day, Odian transported Nina and the others to the Sky Star Forest.

"This is the outer edge of the forest," Setan said, pointing ahead. "Up front is a poisonous woodland. The air is filled with toxic mist—even above it. We’ll need antidotes before entering."

"Can we go around it?" Nina asked.

"No," Setan replied. "The entire outer perimeter is covered by this toxic forest. There’s no way around."

"What if we fly over it?" she tried.

"That won’t work either. This place is... strange. You can’t fly too high. It feels like a crushing weight pressing down on you—the higher you go, the stronger it gets."

"I’ve heard the same," Taru added. "Only low-altitude flight is possible here."

Nina nodded slightly.

They soon arrived at the forest’s edge.

A thick, murky fog hung in the air, shrouding the woods in a cold, eerie gloom.

Nina had Little Bun analyze the composition of the toxic mist, then purchased the appropriate antidotes for everyone.

She also handed out extra shields.

"Take one antidote first," she instructed. "You should be protected from the mist afterward. Keep the shields ready—you might need them. The extras are for backup."

The males followed her instructions immediately.

Setan frowned slightly. "This forest becomes more dangerous at night. Poisonous creatures—like toxic birds—start appearing. It’s safer during the day. Do you want to wait until morning?"

"This forest is vast," he added. "We won’t make it across before nightfall today."

Nina glanced at the sky. There were still about four hours before dark.

Waiting felt like a waste.

"Nina, we don’t have much time," Kith urged. "We should go now."

"I agree," Sal added. "We can handle smaller threats."

There was no telling how much time the journey ahead would take.

They couldn’t afford delays.

Nina thought for a brief moment, then made her decision.

"We go now."

Idir hesitated, then stepped forward.

"Little female... I’ll carry you. I’m immune to poison, and my barrier can block toxins. It’ll be safer if you stay with me."

Odian nodded. "Nina, you and the cubs will be safer with him."

Even with antidotes, it was better to take every precaution—especially with someone naturally resistant to poison.

Nina looked down at the cubs in her arms.

"...Alright."

At least this way, they would be safer.

Truthfully, she shouldn’t have brought them into such a dangerous place—but leaving them behind hadn’t felt safe either.

Idir stepped closer, trying to steady the sudden acceleration of his heartbeat.

He gently wrapped an arm around Nina’s waist.

His fingers trembled slightly, and a faint blush colored his pale, handsome face.

"Hold on tight, little one."

Nina nodded.

Idir tightened his hold slightly, and she pressed close against him, her body fitting naturally into his arms. His scent—cool, clean, and faintly sharp—filled her senses.

The unexpected softness against him made his heartbeat stutter wildly again.

He drew in a slow breath, forcing himself to steady it, then lifted into the air with her.

Odian and Aviel flanked them on either side, guarding closely. Ahead, Setan and Ridan scouted the path, while Viann and the others secured the rear.

Below, Sal and the rest moved in their beast forms, keeping pace beneath them.

They entered the toxic forest.

As far as the eye could see, it was nothing but dense vegetation. Not a single animal appeared along the way.

The only sound was the steady rhythm of wings cutting through the air.

The silence was... unsettling.

As night fell, darkness swallowed the forest whole.

Dim moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting twisted shadows that resembled ghostly faces.

Worried the cubs might be frightened, Nina took out small glowing lamps and placed them in their arms.

Noticing some of the males beginning to tire, she called for a halt.

There was no way to light a fire here, so she purchased ready-to-eat dried meat and passed it around.

The males accepted the food eagerly and began eating.

Nearby, the bonded males carefully prepared milk for the cubs.

Idir lifted his hand slightly... then hesitated and withdrew it.

Should he... prepare milk for Momo too?

But... what right did he have?

He wasn’t even her bonded mate.

And in the end... he would leave.

Off to the side, Setan quietly observed, committing everything to memory.

This was something he needed to learn well.

He might need it someday.

Yanai’s attention, however, never strayed from Nina. He only spared Shushu a brief glance.

Mino was taking excellent care of him—there was nothing for him to worry about.

Taru, on the other hand, was enthusiastically asking Mino questions, clearly eager to learn so he could help care for Shushu in the future.

They had just begun to relax when suddenly—

"Caw—Caw—!"

Shrill, piercing cries echoed through the forest, accompanied by a rustling surge through the leaves.

In the next instant, countless gray-brown birds with long, needle-like beaks came hurtling toward them.

Idir reacted immediately, pulling Nina into his arms, shielding her.

"These birds are poisonous—be careful!" Setan warned.

The males immediately swallowed the rest of their food and sprang to their feet, ready for battle.

Odian and the others closed ranks around Nina, while Kith raised a protective barrier around her.

The poisonous birds swarmed in, attacking relentlessly.

Their beaks were terrifying—sharp enough to pierce through Kith’s barrier.

Each time it cracked, Kith instantly reinforced it.

But it wasn’t just the birds.

Soon, countless tiny black specks appeared—silent, dense, and fast.

"Those are venomous bees," Setan called out. "Avoid being stung. They don’t make sound—stay alert!"

Flames erupted around him as he incinerated the approaching birds and bees.

The others fought with grim focus, carefully fending off the relentless swarm.

But there were too many.

Kith’s barrier couldn’t keep up with the damage. Several bees broke through and reached Nina.

She immediately shielded the cubs.

Idir moved swiftly, eliminating every bee that came near her.

After a long, grueling struggle, the swarm finally thinned... then vanished.

Silence returned. Everyone exhaled in relief.

It was over.

"—Tch."

Nina suddenly flinched.

A sharp sting shot through her wrist.

She glanced down—there, on her skin, a small red welt had appeared.

"Little female, you’ve been stung?" Idir’s expression changed instantly.

Without hesitation, he grabbed her wrist and brought it to his lips, drawing the venom out.

At once, every bonded male turned to look at him.

Their gazes turned razor-sharp.