novelraw Chapter 444: The Vicious Her
Chapter 444: The Vicious Her
"..."
Because of the Translation Relic's effects, perhaps the meaning Fisher conveyed had a slight error. In short, the tent fell into an eerily strange silence.
Asuka Karasawa, who was sitting next to Fisher, opened her mouth first. Her brain seemed to have crashed, and she couldn't react for a moment.
Even the white-veiled maid serving Lord Tao stood blankly in place. It wasn't until Fisher spoke again from behind the table to remind her that she finally reacted.
"I want a White Tiger Species demi-human. I wonder if Lord Tao can satisfy this request of mine?"
"I see..."
She thought for a moment, then immediately replied.
"The place where the White Tiger Species lives is very far from the Royal Capital. If you want one, I must first report it to Lord Tao. After waiting for Lord Tao's agreement and for her to personally take action, only then can a White Tiger Species demi-human be brought back."
"Sorry for the trouble."
"Then, please wait here for a moment."The maid wearing a white cloth nodded and silently backed out of this newly erected tent. Her figure quickly vanished into the peach blossom forest, never to be seen again.
Gou Wen, who was beside them, glanced at Fisher and asked.
"Why do you suddenly want a White Tiger Species?"
This was exactly what Asuka Karasawa also wanted to ask. If accepting Lord Tao's reward before was done out of necessity, now that the reward had been delivered, why make the extra effort to ask Lord Tao for a new demi-human species? And it was such an... ambiguous demi-human species.
Fisher certainly couldn't reveal his intention of researching demi-humans to complete the reward sequence. Just as he was silent for a moment, preparing to make up a passable excuse, Helaire, who was sitting on the side, yawning and lying on the table, smiled and said.
"Who knows? Perhaps he is a pervert who truly loves demi-humans, and even these demi-humans before him are not enough to satisfy him. Or perhaps the White Tiger Species has some unique property that will help with the upcoming journey? Oh my, it's also possible the white tiger he wants is..."
Fisher glared at her expressionlessly. She immediately chewed a bite of a plump peach and raised her hands in surrender. However, although she had fallen silent, the smile on her face never ceased. Her blue-gold eyes kept rolling in her curved sockets, who knew what kind of wicked ideas she was thinking up again.
"Since that's the case, then it's up to you, Brother Fisher. I'll go back and rest first. Tomorrow morning I still have to help Lord Tao... By the way, Brother Fisher..."
Gou Wen was just asking casually. Anyway, this had nothing to do with him, who had a lovely wife at home. Seeing that there was nothing else to do here, he also stood up, stretched lazily, and prepared to go back and rest. But just as he was about to leave and had almost reached the entrance of the tent, he seemed to have remembered something. Looking back at Fisher with some concern, he spoke with the earnest tone of someone with experience.
"Bear firmly in mind, you absolutely must maintain your integrity!"
Fisher opened his mouth, seemingly feeling the inexplicable, earnest hope coming from the other party.
But he was also confused, only thinking that Gou Wen was advising him from the perspective of a doctor to know how to practice moderation. But it seemed that whether it was Eliog or the Demi-Human Completion Handbook, they both advised him to release it. Could it be that from a real doctor's point of view, restraint was the correct way?
Seeing this, Mikhail also immediately stood up and followed Gou Wen, casually saying "I'm tired too" before leaving the tent.
Helaire, who had also eaten and drunk her fill, stretched and stood up. Sweeping a glance around the hazy peach blossom forest outside, she muttered to herself.
"I really want to go for a walk. I'm so full, so full~"
She staggered out of the tent, leaving Fisher with only a similarly hazy view of her back and a faint fragrance mixed with the subtle scent of peach blossoms.
Eh, eh, eh?!
Seeing her companions leaving the tent one by one to go back and rest, Asuka Karasawa tilted her head and looked at Teacher Fisher beside her. She didn't know if she should stay...
Did she suspect Teacher Fisher would really do strange things with these demi-human girls? Impossible, Teacher Fisher wouldn't be that kind of person. He asked for the reward purely out of necessity.
Then since there was no reason to be suspicious, did she have any other reason to stay here?
To ask for guidance and study magic under Lord Tao's gaze? To simply admire Teacher Fisher's appearance or to be alone with him?
"Me, me, me, me! I'm going back to rest too! Good night, Teacher Fisher, rest early!!"
In fact, it didn't matter whether Asuka Karasawa stayed or not. He only wanted to research the demi-human species. But he didn't expect her to stagger to her feet with a blushing face to say goodbye. Before Fisher could even try to make her stay, she ran out of the tent to rest as well.
"..."
Fisher was slightly taken aback and didn't stop Asuka Karasawa from leaving. Thus, he was the only remaining viable force of the Sanctuary team left in the entire tent.
At the same time, Fisher also looked back at the gorgeously dressed female demi-humans still kneeling on the ground in the tent, unconsciously swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
Although it was nominally just for research, it was undoubtedly a test for Fisher at this moment.
"Human, the White Tiger Species you requested has been delivered to you by Lord Tao."
Just as Fisher was struggling against the smell in the tent, not knowing if it was rouge or the natural body fragrance of the women, the tent's curtain was suddenly lifted, revealing the maid outside and the figure of the person behind her.
Fisher looked up, only to see a delicate woman with abundant body hair and a huge white tiger head looking at him prettily. She also seemed surprised as to why a human would specifically ask for her, a White Tiger Species who lived thousands of miles away.
Looking at the heavily bestial demi-human, Fisher's anxious heart finally stabilized a lot. Even his resistance to the fragrant aura inside the tent had significantly increased.
"Thank you, sorry for the trouble..."
He took a deep breath and looked at the white tiger demi-human who had walked into the tent. Illusory text surged out like a tide before his eyes.
"I need a little favor and hope you can cooperate. What's your name?"
At the same time, he instantly bound the adult female White Tiger Species named "Bai Xiaotian" who had just been brought in.
In reality, Fisher indeed didn't do anything inappropriate. To speed up his understanding of the information about these demi-human women, he simply had them form a circle in front of him, like holding a small meeting. This way, when Fisher asked a question, everyone could hear it, and they could take turns speaking.
The races of the demi-humans Lord Tao had sent earlier were quite varied. There was the [Cloud Antelope Species], a vegetarian demi-human species living in the mountains near the Tsubaki Fiefdom in the southern part of the continent, who gathered food by rock climbing.
There was also the [Thick Claw Species] living in the eastern part of the continent near the Li State. These female demi-humans had many sticky, octopus-like prosthetic limbs on their backs and lived among the water systems scattered across the eastern part of the Tree Continent. Because there were too many water systems and fog there, it was also known as the [Land of Water Dreams].
Fisher bound them all together and checked their racial tags. He found that due to geographical factors, the sequence tags of these demi-human species were basically completely unrelated. Even if they had them, they were like the Tree Continent species, which had hundreds or thousands of demi-human species tags. It would be very difficult for Fisher to gather them all. Probably only the initial contributor of the Demi-Human Completion Handbook had the time and energy to record all the demi-human species in these tags.
His true focus was on the tiger girl of the White Tiger Species with a somewhat strange name.
After a brief inquiry, when asked about the unique trait of the White Tiger Species, she reported something that exceeded Fisher's expectations, much like how the Phoenix Species possessed the miraculous ability to see the future despite having no future of their own.
When the White Tiger Species concentrated their attention, they could easily sense any rustling in the wind and grass within a range of several miles. This ability varied according to the individual. According to Bai Xiaotian's recollection, before she became a slave, there was a very powerful white tiger in her clan who held a military position in the Li State — Li was an Elf at the bottom of the Fifteenth Tier. Compared to his other siblings, he was relatively weak, so the land allocated to him and the talented slaves he owned were also few.
It was said that this white tiger could sense rustling in the wind and grass dozens of miles away. He could sense the terrain, creatures, and even the birds in the sky. Relying on this ability, he was heavily favored in the Li State. However, the main distribution of the White Tiger Species was actually in a country named [Zha State].
Although these White Tiger Species themselves did not realize the subtle connection between themselves and the Destiny Rule, and on the surface, the special traits of the White Tiger Species seemed perfectly unrelated to destiny.
But through the reminder of the Demi-Human Completion Handbook, Fisher quickly realized what the key to the White Tiger Species' ability was.
Space.
And it seemed that they did not receive the gift regarding time, the other component of the Destiny Rule. In other words, was it possible that the Phoenixes had not received the gift concerning space either?
The special trait displayed by the Phoenixes after their ability was activated in the future was being able to see specific developments for a period of time in the future, as if presenting the outcome of that future period to the Phoenixes.
That is to say, only the Elves simultaneously possessed the two inevitable elements constituting "Destiny" and could perfectly combine them.
A magician's intuition told Fisher that the two elements of destiny could be separated, just like how the White Tiger Species and the Phoenix Species were bestowed with different gifts. Time and space in magic also corresponded to different Circle Heads.
Then, how did the Elves combine and utilize them? The method behind this likely held clues to the true face of the [Destiny] Circle Head!
Fisher soon summarized some other properties.
For example, the average tier of the Phoenix Species was significantly higher than that of the White Tiger Species, with a gap of four to five tiers. Could it symbolize that in the proportion of [Destiny], time was more important than space?
Fisher grasped this flash of inspiration and recorded all the key points from this segment of the conversation. Of course, he also didn't neglect the biological and social research progress of these demi-humans.
"So the Land of Water Dreams is such a place. I didn't even know there were palaces beneath the rivers. Can the Elf Lords there dive into the water too? I was sold as a slave when I was very young and have never left the Zha State."
"The Elf Lords are all very powerful, but Uncle Shan doesn't live underwater. The underwater palaces are where the aquatic nobles live. I was originally a private slave to an aquatic noble, but later I was presented to Uncle Shan and became an official slave. After that, Uncle Shan gave me to Lord Tao, and now Lord Tao has given me to..."
"It's similar for me too. I originally had a sister, and I heard she fled to Earl Tsubaki's country. It's a nice place there, there are no slaves..."
"Earl Tsubaki? I've never even heard of that name... Are there really countries here without slaves? But if that's the case, how do the nobles there live?"
It wasn't until he heard the descriptions from these demi-humans that Fisher dazedly caught a glimpse of a corner of the Tree Continent.
Previously, it was difficult for him to imagine what a realm ruled by Mythical Species would look like. Because although the Mythical Species he had encountered so far were somewhat eccentric, this was predicated on them not taking action. When relaxed, they could naturally display their diverse personalities without restraint—Marquis Hiiragi, who loved demi-humans; Gabriel, who had fallen into madness; Michael, who loved playing with toys; Helaire, who loved seeking amusement...
But in the "Book of Stars" of the Northern Border, there were records of how the five Chaos-kins who descended to Reality fought with all their might, darkening the sky and earth. In the subsequent two wars of living beings, how did the magnificent World Tree fall? How did the Tree Continent sink...?
For the Elves, who were all Mythical Species, all other species below the Mythical level were more like useful tools and lowly animals to them. They could bestow care upon them because of affection, and of course, they could also grant them status because of their usefulness. But it was undeniable that in the Tree Continent, all living things revolved around or served them.
At first, these demi-human slaves were still a little restrained. After all, they seemed to have been chosen solely to serve the person designated by Lord Tao. However, under Fisher's patient guidance, this group of slaves also shared a lot of information about their tribes and the countries they lived in with Fisher.
In fact, humans were almost the main force of slaves in the Tree Continent. Just as mentioned before, in this prehistoric era where magic had not yet been born, as the bottom of the tiers, their utility was far inferior to that of other demi-humans. Their lifespans and tiers were low, and their intelligence was not particularly outstanding. Therefore, their main function was generally to make up the numbers for slaves.
History is a circle. Fisher didn't disturb these slave girls during their rare moments of free conversation. He also shared Lord Tao's peaches from the table for them to eat, while taking the opportunity to record their physical data and social details.
Then, next came the time to specifically research the bodies of these demi-human girls.
Fisher still chose his words carefully. Drawing on past experience, he repeatedly emphasized that he was only researching and absolutely would not do anything strange. But unexpectedly, this group of demi-humans was extremely sensible, even asking if they needed to strip off their clothes, which left Fisher completely at a loss.
"These claws on your back... Hmm, there's some mucus. Do they have sensation?"
"Um, this is because I've been out of the water for too long. If I return to the water, it will be much better. As for sensation, they do have it. If pulled forcefully, it hurts a lot, but if they break off, they'll grow back after a while..."
"I see..."
Fisher struggled to focus his gaze on the non-human parts on the other party's back, trying his best not to look at the fair skin above or the round contours of her... peaches below.
He turned his head to look in another direction, at the Cloud Antelope Species who eagerly patted her chest.
"My horns can be detached. Because my original horns weren't this long, my former master sawed off the curved tips. This way, extra horn ornaments can be worn, which also looks nicer aesthetically... Although in our tribe, horns of this length are only found on male antelopes."
Fisher watched her detach the horn ornaments on her head, which almost perfectly fit her original horns, and silently modified some details of her external appearance that he had recorded earlier.
The hooves of the Cloud Antelope Species were also very pretty. According to this Cloud Antelope female, their tribe also had a type of shoes specially designed to help them climb mountains. These shoes usually had bells attached to them, and when climbing in the mountains, they were often accompanied by crisp ringing sounds.
Moving further up, the thighs and calves of the Cloud Antelope Species also looked very sturdy, much like the Sheep-kin subspecies in the Northern Border that Fisher had researched before, although not as exaggerated as their massive figures.
The appearance of the White Tiger Species was much simpler than the other two. She was furry and had two meaty paws with pink pads that looked very pleasant to rub. She also shared with Fisher what they looked like when they activated their abilities.
It turned out that when they concentrated their attention, the black stripes on their bodies would change color, emitting a faint fluorescent hue.
However, Fisher and the other demi-human slaves waited for Bai Xiaotian for a long time, only to see her tiger-like head reveal a bitter expression. She found that she couldn't sense anything at all here. It was fine when she didn't try to sense, but once she did, she felt as if she had been locked in an airtight, suffocating cage.
This was no surprise. Lord Tao was an existence at the Nineteenth-Tier. It would be strange if the space of the barrier around her could be sensed.
The night in the Peach Blossom Spring gradually deepened, but the atmosphere inside the tent remained fiery. The Q&A and the mood deepened together, flawlessly satisfying Fisher's research progress.
An unknown amount of time passed before a somewhat flushed Fisher staggered out of the fiery tent, bending his waist with difficulty.
Although acting close and chatting could quickly achieve the goal of coaxing information out of his research targets, they seemed to have gotten a little too close.
Aside from the White Tiger slave who had been brought over halfway through at Fisher's request, the rest of the beauties were the cream of the crop among slaves. They were exceptionally skilled at seducing and winning people's favor. Otherwise, they wouldn't have survived until now, being constantly traded between Elves until finally reaching Lord Tao.
As the conversation progressed, it was unclear whether these beautiful slaves were truly moved, but regardless, they just wanted to devour Fisher completely. At first, they merely became handsy, but later, as Fisher asked questions, they pressed their bodies against him, almost making it impossible for the upright gentleman Fisher to endure...
He turned his head to glance into the tent at the demi-humans who were sleeping haphazardly from exhaustion, and let out a faint sigh of relief.
These slaves were all pitiful people. To simply have tonight was already fortunate; he should just let them rest well.
Bending his waist, Fisher let the cool wind of this illusory Peach Blossom Spring blow against him, but the burning heat in his lower abdomen wasn't relieved in the slightest.
Seeing that several attempts to regulate his breathing couldn't ease the situation, the completely helpless, heavily panting Fisher suddenly remembered the method Gou Wen had taught him.
So, he hurriedly arrived beneath a peach tree far from the tent. His hands perfectly replicated the exact same pose Gou Wen had taught him. He slowly calmed his mind and regulated his breathing, repeating the movements meant to distance oneself from desire.
"Stabilize the essence and calm the heart, abstain from lust and rashness..."
But after completing a full set of movements, Fisher was horrified to find that the burning heat in his lower abdomen not only hadn't eased at all, but had actually gotten worse. This caused fine beads of sweat to gradually dot his brow, as if he were undergoing some unspeakable test and torment.
Frowning, Fisher leaned against the peach tree before him. The fresh night breeze seemed to have been tainted by the women sleeping in that tent a hundred meters away. It became thick and fragrant, causing Fisher's grip on the peach tree to tighten more and more.
It had no effect? How could that be?
Could it be that Gou Wen was trying to harm him?!
Indeed, Fisher acutely perceived that after perfectly replicating Gou Wen's set of movements, the flames of procreation actually burned even more terrifyingly. It was like splashing a jug of strong liquor onto an open fire; the flames became incredibly daunting.
But thinking about it carefully, Gou Wen had absolutely no reason to plot against him over such a trivial matter... Moreover, if you thought closely about it, this kind of thing was extremely despicable and left one speechless. Given Gou Wen's personality, he would absolutely never do such a thing. Only that psycho Helaire would...
The moment this thought popped up, Fisher's expression stagnated slightly. The hypothesis instantly flooded his mind, and he couldn't shake it.
Lost in thought, he looked around. After sweeping a glance without any discoveries, just as he shook his head and was about to give up on this conjecture, a large and round peach suddenly dropped from the peach tree right before his eyes...
Fisher was slightly stunned. Leaning against the peach tree in front of him, he slowly looked up...
Only to see that at the top of the very peach tree he was leaning against, beneath the illusory, dim moonlight, the angel Helaire, dressed in a white robe with a graceful figure, blinked at him innocently.
In the night, her fair legs, smooth as flawless jade, swung playfully. It wasn't until Fisher noticed her that she awkwardly lifted her jade-like feet, just in time to block Fisher's slightly dazed upward gaze.
Only then did her charming voice slowly drift down, sounding as if she were teasing him, yet also acting surprised.
She said.
"Oh my, what a big tent."
"..."
Fisher's hand, gripping the peach tree, suddenly exerted extreme force. It directly embedded deep beneath the tree's bark, letting out a sharp, resounding crack.
"Crack!!"