Musim hujan di musim panas membawa curah hujan yang tiada henti. Belum lama ini, hujan lebat kembali membasuh dunia, membuat hutan menjadi rimbun dan semarak, tanah menjadi lunak dan lembap, serta udara dipenuhi aroma tanah yang segar.
Dulu, masa-masa seperti ini sangat menyiksa bagi para Beastmen karena polusi yang parah. Bahkan di kota-kota yang belum sepenuhnya terdampak, air hujannya bersifat asam dan korosif, yang berpotensi merusak tanaman dan menyebabkan luka pada kulit Beastmen yang memiliki fisik lemah.
Namun kini keadaannya berbeda; orang-orang justru menantikan hari hujan. Hujan terasa sejuk dan bersih, menyapu panas musim panas, mengisi kembali sungai-sungai yang kering dengan air yang melimpah, dan membebaskan ladang dari tugas irigasi, menjadikannya musim yang sempurna untuk bertani.
Begitu cuaca cerah, Beastmen di setiap kota dan suku keluar berpasang-pasangan atau berkelompok dengan peralatan tani di tangan.
Sejak polusi surut, tingkat kelahiran meningkat, dan banyak anak baru lahir dalam beberapa tahun terakhir. Banyak keluarga menyambut harapan baru, membuat hidup menjadi lebih sibuk dan memuaskan.
Di pinggiran kota, tim patroli udara berputar ke arah mereka, terbang melewati Golden Feathered Giant Eagle menuju gerbang kota.
Beastmen di darat berseru dengan penuh semangat, "Yang Mulia telah kembali!"
Beastmen seketika terdiam; anak-anak yang tadinya berlarian kini tiarap di tanah, menundukkan kepala, merengek pelan, semuanya patuh dan berperilaku baik.
Yang lebih penting, baik di kota maupun suku, jumlah anak Beastmen yang berlarian terlihat jauh lebih banyak.
Macan Kumbang yang agung memimpin di barisan depan tim berburu, memandu mereka keluar dari gerbang kota. Sinar matahari jatuh ke atas Macan Kumbang itu, samar-samar menampakkan pola emas gelap yang tersembunyi di balik bulu hitamnya. Mata emasnya tajam dan bangga, dan wujudnya bahkan lebih besar daripada Beastman Harimau terkuat di tim, sangat cocok untuk Xiao Jin.
Dalam perjalanan kembali ke kota, suara burung yang berputar terdengar dari langit.
"Luar biasa! Yang Mulia sudah pergi begitu lama, akhirnya kembali! Pasti Xiao Jin merindukan Yang Mulia... Hei, di mana Mayor Jenderal?"
Saat Shen Tang mendarat, ia langsung didekap dalam pelukan yang hangat, pinggangnya dicengkeram erat saat sebuah ciuman dalam mendarat di bibirnya.
Seperti anjing besar, Xiao Jin menggosokkan kepalanya ke kepala Shen Tang, dengan memelas berkata, "Aku sangat merindukanmu! Jika kau tidak segera kembali, aku pasti sudah pergi mencarimu."
Shen Tang merasakan kerinduan yang mendalam. Setelah berpisah begitu lama, kerinduannya sendiri melonjak seperti ombak... Ia meraih leher Xiao Jin, membalas ciumannya.
Dengan begitu banyak orang yang menonton di gerbang kota, Xiao Jin tidak berlama-lama dengan Shen Tang. Begitu emosinya tenang, ia melepaskannya, namun tidak lupa memberikan satu ciuman tegas lagi di bibirnya!
"Kali ini aku akan tinggal cukup lama, tidak akan pergi sampai musim hujan berakhir."
Lu Xiao mendekat dengan penuh perhatian, "Tangtang pasti lelah, mari kita bawa dia pulang untuk beristirahat dulu."
Shen Tang memohon pada Lu Xiao dengan matanya. Lu Xiao tersenyum tipis, "Kau baru saja kembali bersama tim berburu, istirahatlah malam ini dulu. Biar aku yang mengurusnya."
Xiao Jin mengangguk, "Selama kau pergi, memang ada sesuatu yang besar terjadi!"
***
Tiga hari kemudian.
Setelah hujan reda dan cuaca cerah, jumlah binatang di luar kota meningkat, dan tim berburu bersiap untuk berangkat. Ada pabrik-pabrik di kota yang khusus mengembangbiakkan dan mengolah daging, tetapi binatang liar mengandung lebih banyak energi, terutama binatang dengan kekuatan super tingkat tinggi, yang dapat menghasilkan kristal inti untuk meningkatkan kemampuan Beastman.
Xiao Jin tampak seperti guru prasekolah, memimpin anak-anak di sekitarnya, menangkap ikan kecil, udang, burung pipit, kelinci, dan banyak lagi.
Beberapa anak kecil menemani Suami Beast mereka keluar kota, berlarian dengan gembira di belakang pasukan. Xiao Jin jarang sesabar ini dengan anak-anak, tetapi ia punya niat sendiri. Saat ia punya anak nanti, mereka akan disapih dan dikirim untuk berburu bersamanya!
Beastmen jantan, yang protektif terhadap keturunan mereka, mulai berdebat.
"Kau mengeluh tentang kuku yang patah? Lihat anakku; ada bagian bulu yang hilang di lehernya, dikunyah oleh anak harimau milikmu, kan? Kau berhutang penjelasan pada anakku!"
"Anakmu terlalu kasar! Lihat dahi anakku, ada luka berdarah yang besar!"
"Kau menyebut itu luka? Itu akan sembuh bahkan sebelum kita sampai ke dokter! Anakku patah kuku!"
Beberapa Beastmen jantan mulai berdebat dan bahkan ingin menyingsingkan lengan baju untuk membela anak-anak mereka.
Dengan geraman kesal, Xiao Jin meraung, "Roar!"
"Apa gunanya keributan ini? Tenang! Anak-anak ini cukup tangguh dan bahkan tidak bisa menangani luka kecil. Dibesarkan seperti bunga yang rapuh, bagaimana mereka akan menemukan pasangan? Apakah mereka menunggu pasangan untuk melindungi mereka nanti?" Xiao Jin tidak tahan melihatnya. Anak buahnya telah mengikutinya selama bertahun-tahun, prajurit berpengalaman di medan perang, namun mereka memanjakan anak-anak mereka seolah-olah mereka adalah permata yang tak ternilai.
Anak-anak Beastmen secara alami mengagumi yang kuat, menatap Xiao Jin dengan mata penuh bintang! Begitu kuat, begitu mengagumkan, begitu berwibawa!
Xiao Jin secara alami berjiwa bebas dan tidak terkekang, tidak menyukai batasan Klan Macan Tutul. Ia cukup sadar diri, tahu bahwa ia kurang dalam keterampilan manajemen dan meremehkan bergaul dengan para politisi klan yang munafik itu. Ia hanya menghargai kehidupan yang bebas dan mudah, tetap berada di sisi Shen Tang, melakukan apa pun yang ia sukai, yang membuatnya sangat bahagia.
Saat tiba di tempat perburuan di pinggiran kota, para Beastmen menyebar dalam kelompok-kelompok kecil. Untuk perburuan tingkat ini, Xiao Jin hampir tidak perlu turun tangan. Peran utamanya adalah melindungi keselamatan tim, hanya mengambil tindakan ketika keadaan khusus muncul.
Anak-anak Beastmen ini berkisar dari usia tujuh atau delapan tahun hingga dua atau tiga tahun. Meskipun terdengar muda, anak Beastmen tumbuh dengan cepat dan matang lebih awal. Sebagian besar sudah mengembangkan kemampuan untuk berburu mangsa sederhana, baik secara mandiri maupun dalam tim.
Beberapa anak yang sedikit lebih tua dengan gigi dan cakar yang lebih tajam, secara tidak sengaja melukai anak-anak lain saat bermain. Namun, sebagian besar mangsa berakhir di mulut anak-anak Beastmen ini.
Setelah memakan mangsa yang mereka buru sendiri, anak-anak Beastmen itu sangat senang, melolong dengan percaya diri dan antusias.
Melihat anak-anak kecil ini membuat suasana hati Xiao Jin membaik, ia berpikir tentang suatu hari nanti Tangtang memberinya anak macan tutul atau kucing kecil; itu pasti akan jauh lebih menggemaskan.
Shen Tang merasa hatinya melunak, dengan sedikit rasa bersalah. Karena tidak ada lagi spesies yang tercemar di luar kota, anak-anak bisa keluar dengan aman, dan dengan Beastmen dewasa yang mengawasi mereka, cukup aman bahkan jika mereka bertemu binatang buas yang ganas.
Saat mereka kembali ke kota, Xiao Jin berkata, "Dalam perjalanan berburu ini, aku menangkap beberapa barang bagus! Bahkan Eight Stars Red Spot Bull Beast, dagingnya sangat empuk! Saat kita kembali, aku pribadi akan memasak pesta besar untukmu, untuk menutrisi tubuhmu!"
Shen Tang merasa tegang, meskipun masakan macan tutul ini tidak lagi menghancurkan dapur, rasanya masih jauh dari kata enak!
Namun, melihatnya begitu bersemangat untuk memamerkan keterampilan kulinernya, Shen Tang hanya bisa tersenyum pasrah.
The rainy season in summer brings continuous downpours. Not long ago, another heavy rain washed the world anew, making the forest lush and vibrant, the earth was soft and damp, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of soil.
In the past, this time of year was incredibly painful for Beastmen because of severe pollution. Even in cities not yet fully affected, the rainwater was acidic and corrosive, potentially ruining crops and causing skin ulceration in Beastmen with weaker constitutions.
Xiao Jin resembled a preschool teacher, leading the cubs around, catching small fish, shrimp, sparrows, rabbits, and more.
Then...
"Chirp chirp~"
As soon as the weather clears up, Beastmen in each city and tribe come out in pairs and trios with farming tools in hand.
Beastmen on the ground excitedly said, "Your Majesty has returned!"
Beastmen instantly fell silent; cubs sprawled on the ground, heads down, softly whining, all obedient and well-behaved.
More importantly, both cities and tribes have noticeably more Beastmen cubs running around.
On the way back to the city, the sound of circling birds came from the sky.
A few Beast Fathers started arguing and even wanted to roll up their sleeves to defend their cubs.
These beast cubs ranged from seven or eight years old to as young as two or three. Though they sounded young, beast cubs grow quickly and mature early. Most have already developed the ability to hunt simple prey, either independently or in teams, catching small game.
"It’s great! Your Majesty has been gone so long, finally back! Surely Xiao Jin misses Your Majesty... Hey, where’s the Major General?"
Like a large canine, he rubbed against her head, pitifully saying, "I’ve missed you so much! If you didn’t come back soon, I would’ve gone to find you."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin felt heartache, bending down to scoop her into his arms, carrying her back to the palace, "During this hunting trip, I caught quite some good stuff! Even an Eight Stars Red Spot Bull Beast, the meat’s very tender! When we get back, I’ll personally cook a great feast for you, to nourish your body!"
He simply cherishes a free and easy life, staying by Shen Tang’s side, doing whatever he pleases, which makes him very happy.
"Your kid is too heavy-handed! Look at my son’s forehead, there’s such a big bleeding cut!"
The aerial patrol team spiraled toward them, flying over the Golden Feathered Giant Eagle to the city gate.
Shen Tang’s heart tightened, though this leopard’s cooking was no longer kitchen-destroying, its taste was still less than pleasant!
As Shen Tang landed, she was embraced by a fiery hug, her waist tightly gripped as a deep kiss was bestowed.
Some beast cubs followed their Beast Husbands, while many wanted to follow Xiao Jin.
Xiao Jin was rarely this patient with the cubs, but he had his own intentions.
Arriving at the hunting grounds on the outskirts of the city, the beastmen spread out in small groups.
Shen Tang implored Lu Xiao with her eyes.
Therefore, at regular intervals, hunting teams are organized in the city to hunt.
"You’re complaining about a broken nail? Look at my kid; there’s a whole patch of missing fur on his neck, chewed off by your tiger cub, right? You owe my kid an explanation!"
When he has a kid, they’ll be weaned and sent out to hunt with him!
Shen Tang felt the deep longing. After being apart for so long, her own yearning surged like waves... She reached up to hook Xiao Jin’s neck, responding to his kiss.
Since pollution receded, the birth rate has increased, and many new cubs have been born in recent years. Many families are welcoming new hopes, making life busier and more fulfilling.
For hunting of this level, Xiao Jin hardly needed to intervene. His main role was to protect the team’s safety, taking action only when special circumstances arose.
Some little cubs accompanied the Beast Husband out of the city, romping around happily behind the squad.
The majestic Black Panther leads at the forefront of the hunting squad, guiding them out of the city gates.
Male beasts, protective of their offspring, started to argue.
Competition among males is fierce. From a young age, they cultivate awareness and hunting skills, observe their beast fathers’ fighting techniques; otherwise, they’ll end up alone and unloved by females when grown.
The hunting team returned with a full load.
There were a few slightly older cubs with sharper teeth and claws, who unintentionally hurt the other cubs while playing.
With an irritated growl, Xiao Jin roared, "Roar!"
The density of beast herds in the hills and forests around the city has gradually returned to normal. Those beasts that were about to become extinct are now common. The reproductive rate of beast herds is fast, and they often gather in large numbers after the rainy season, sometimes even attacking Beastmen venturing outside.
There are factories in the city specializing in breeding and processing meat, but wild beasts contain more energy, especially powerful superpower beasts of higher ranks, which can produce crystal cores that enhance Beastman abilities.
Compared to the time right after the war, cities nowadays are more prosperous, accepting many displaced Beastmen, with even many from other regions migrating over.
Not giving him a chance to refuse, Lu Xiao shifted the topic, "Have any significant events happened in the city while we were gone?"
"You call that a cut? It’ll heal before we even reach a doctor! My cub broke a nail!"
Three days later.
After the rain clears and the weather brightens, the beasts outside the city increase, and the hunting squads are ready to set off.
He did not stay on Eris Star; instead, he followed Shen Tang back to the Beast World Continent.
Lu Xiao approached, concerned, "Tangtang must be tired, let’s take her back to rest first."
Lu Xiao smirked lightly, "You just returned with the hunting team, rest for the night first. Let me handle it."
With so many people watching at the city gate, Xiao Jin didn’t linger with Shen Tang for long. Once his emotions settled, he let her go, but not without planting another firm kiss on her lips!
"I’ll stay for a while this time, won’t leave until the rainy season ends."
The males and cubs prefer this chewier and more nutritious beast meat. Many wild beast meats aren’t available in city breeding farms; some are tender and favored by many females too. Thus, many young Beastmen, to appeal to the females they admire, specifically hunt these rare tender meats.
With the disappearance of the Polluted Land, mutant beasts have basically vanished, occasionally one or two might pop up, but encounters are rare.
Is it that all Beast Fathers do this? Unbelievable!
Awoo awoo~
Most of the prey ended up in the mouths of these beast cubs.
The lead black panther had long disappeared.
"Awoo~ Awoo~"
Sunlight cascades on the Black Panther, faintly revealing the dark golden patterns hidden under the black fur. His golden eyes are fierce and proud, and his form is even larger than the mightiest Tiger Beast in the team, as fitting for Xiao Jin.
"Awoo~"
But now things are different; people everywhere eagerly await rainy days. The rain is cool and clean, sweeping away the summer heat, replenishing the dry rivers with abundant water, and sparing fields from the task of irrigation, making it the perfect season for farming.
Along the way, Xiao Jin gained more than a dozen little followers.
Several cubs even showed talent, collaborating to hunt down a subadult wild boar.
Eating prey they personally hunted, the beast cubs were thrilled, howling with confidence and enthusiasm.
Watching these little cubs put Xiao Jin in a good mood, he thought about Tangtang someday giving him a little leopard cub or kitten; it would certainly be even more adorable.
Shen Tang felt softened inside, with a touch of guilt.
Since there are no more polluted species outside the city, cubs can venture out safely, and with adult Beastmen watching them, it’s quite safe even if they encounter fierce wild beasts.
"What’s all the noise about? Quiet down! These cubs are quite resilient and can’t even handle small injuries. Raised like fragile flowers, how will they find a female? Are they waiting for a female to protect them later?" Xiao Jin couldn’t bear to watch. His men had followed him for so many years, seasoned warriors on the battlefield, yet they pampered their kids as if they were priceless gems.
The Beastmen all agreed repeatedly, cherishing their rare children like treasures.
Though the matter of Eris Star ended years ago, she still hadn’t spent much time with her Beast Husbands, often apart more than together.
So powerful, so awesome, so imposing!
Beast cubs naturally admire the strong, looking at Xiao Jin with eyes full of stars!
Some cubs yelped and began to fight.
With the beast cubs under Xiao Jin’s watch, the Beast Husbands felt at ease, focusing more on the hunt.
Seeing him eager to showcase his culinary skills.
Xiao Jin is naturally free-spirited and unrestrained, disliking the constraints of the Hunting Leopard Clan. He is quite self-aware too, knowing he lacks management skills and disdain for mingling with those hypocritical clan politicians.
Your Majesty and the Lu Family Head have returned.
Xiao Jin nodded, "During your absence, indeed, something big happened!"
Komentar Chapter (0)
Login buat ikut berkomentar.
Belum ada komentar di chapter ini. Jadi yang pertama!