The Primordial Record - Chapter 18: Hush... Dear

Attention: This is not a furry story!____________________________________An unfortunate guy found himself stranded inside a forest with a questionable system that turned his gender upside down. He will have to scavenge and survive in this hostile place, meeting many enemies and few friends. He will have to navigate a Cultivation Society that either hates (Kills) or wants to 'contract' Beasts.Will he find his place in this world or will he become someone's pet? Will his system help him Evolve into Divine Beasts? Or will he change into a Human to explore this world?____________________________________I'm new to this kind of thing, so any advice or criticism would be welcome. (Especially grammar, I can get most words right, but I can't hear where to put ',' or how to separate sentences nicely.) I have searched the web for any image that could properly portray our protagonist while keeping it free. I have found a very nice picture that was close to what I was going for, but it IS AI-generated and I have no idea how copyright works. I do not own that image, I have simply searched for a free picture describing her features and found this... if you are the owner of this picture, please write me a message and I will take it down as soon as possible. (The Image is temporary and I will commission an artist later for a more accurate depiction~)

Xiang Xiaoyuan transmigrated to a book with a male lead, becoming the male lead’s stepmother.

However, being seventeen and in the middle of his adolescent phase, the male lead virtually ignored his stepmother, and while his father was thirty-nine and a gorgeous man carrying maturity and elegance, he was enigmatic, with no one capable of knowing what he’s thinking.

Xiang Xiaoyuan: The first rule of transmigration, value your life and stay away from the male lead! Being self-conscious, Xiang Xiaoyuan decided to focus on making money, and her business was booming… but before her hopes to get rich were fulfilled, she somehow dealt with her husband and stepson?

The male lead said gingerly, “I won’t think of you as my real mother, but don’t worry—I’ll be a good son and you won’t live out your final years tragically.

Xiang Xiaoyuan: “…Thanks.”

Some other day, her husband stood at the doorway, stopping her and growling, “I heard about something you mentioned outside, that men only care more when they’re older? So? Are you complaining that I’m old now?”

Xiang Xiaoyuan said, “…Wait, listen to me!”

Lu Wanggui was a cold person, which led to her ex-wife divorcing him, and he was not particularly close to his son. Later, to give his son a ‘home’ and to avoid his parent’s ramblings, he married another wife—a docile, dutiful wife.

But unbeknownst to him, that docile, dutiful wife had changed, and she even had the guts to scold him now. Pursing his lips in displeasure, Lu Wanggui was about to remind her of their prenuptial agreement when his son suddenly popped up to defend her!

Lu Wanggui: “???”

What’s going on? Weren’t things cold between these two?

The son: “Ahem. Father, Stepmother… isn’t that bad.”

“Lin Yunfeng! Stop right there!”Lin Yunfeng gazed back at the speeding figure behind him. Heart racing, he picked up speed and ran through the abandoned corridor.“You better stop Yunfeng!!” Ren Muchen growled loudly. The little brat was much faster than he had expected. “This is how you wish to face me after you fucking slept with me? Fine! Run then! Let’s see how long you can last,”Panting Lin Yunfeng looked back in panic. “I’m so sorry, it was a mistake. think of it as Stepping on shit. Please forgive me!” he placed a hand on his lower stomach and ran even faster.“Watch out!”Yunfeng gazed ahead in surprise. a half-rotten corpse stood in his way. He came to a screeching halt but the slippery floor made it hard for him to come to a complete stop.He fell unceremoniously face down on the ground. “Fuck,”The zombie jumped onto him with its mouth wide open. Its bloody saliva dripped onto his face.Yunfeng held his breath. He had read about this before but this was the first time he had actually seen an undead. It petrified him. ‘Is this how I die?’“Growl,” the beast aimed at his neck precisely,Just as he thought his life was coming to an end, a long axe cut through the decayed neck of the Zombie.The heavy zombie fell right on top of him, oozing blood and puss.A hand grabbed him by his collar and lifted him up. “You are not dying, not today, not anytime soon...” Ren Muchen said with a nasty grin/Yunfeng gulped.Muchen peered into his trembling black eyes coldly. “You know why?” because we are having a baby.”Yunfeng’s hand reflectively went into his tummy. “h-how do you know?”“You knew?! Yet you ran!” Muchen laughed coldly and shook him like a rattle. “Take responsibility you bastard, we created a life that day!“y-yes, I’ll take responsibility!”

Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.“What’s happening…?” he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.A cold shiver ran down his spine.As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.“What the…?” His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. “What kind of bizarre dream is this?”Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn’t belong to him.“Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?” A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.His breath caught.A translucent, hovering screen?“What…?”Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.---[System Activated…][Host Confirmed.][Simulating Previous Data…]Ethan awakens in a mysterious world, shackled by a curse that clouds his judgment and drives him toward choices he never wished to make. Burdened by guilt and responsibility, he must navigate the fallout of his actions while unraveling the truth behind the curse—and his place in this enigmatic new reality.