The Beast's Beloved: Sickly Beauty with Many Children and blessings

Si Shuo took a nap while being carried through the air, but the crowned eagle beastman still hadn't stopped to rest!

She exchanged for a pair of protective goggles from her system's supermarket and adjusted them so they appeared directly on her nose. With them on, she could finally open her eyes comfortably.

The view before her was stunning: lakes, bushes, and a few scattered orc tribes visible from time to time. However, they were flying so high that no one would hear her cries for help—besides, shouting might only entertain the crowned eagle beastman.

Si Shuo decided to test her luck and shouted at the top of her lungs:

"Hey, big brother! Sir! Aren't you tired? Do you want to take a break? I'm hungry! Thirsty! I need to pee!"

She felt the crowned eagle beastman's head shift slightly, and his eyes glinted with something like amusement. She continued pleading:

"Please rest for a bit. What could a little female like me possibly do to you? I'm weak! Are you planning to freeze or starve me to death? That's just cruel...

You've flown so far already. Aren't you confident that I can't escape? I'm starving... seriously, I'm going to faint...

You went through all this trouble to catch me. What's the point if I die from hunger or thirst?"

Finally, the crowned eagle beastman snorted coldly and changed direction, flying toward the mountains ahead. He landed in an abandoned cave on a cliff and dropped her inside.

Si Shuo barely had time to put away her protective goggles before he transformed into his human form. Without letting his guard down, he twisted her arms behind her back and dragged her to a patch of dry grass in the cave, binding her with vine ropes.

She gave him a weak smile. "Sir, aren't you a bit too cautious?"

The man before her had messy gray-brown hair, pale white skin, and a sharp, hooked nose. His expression was cold and mocking as he sneered:

"I'm not some foolish gray wolf beastman. The weaker something looks, the trickier it tends to be.

I saw you take down two orcs with a single move. I won't give you the chance to try that on me!"

Si Shuo feigned innocence, nodding quickly. "I really am weak! Everyone in the tribe knows I won't live long. So why capture me of all people?"

The crowned eagle beastman was blunt:

"We're stray beasts. We attacked your tribe, and whoever has the ability gets to take a female.

I'll go hunt for you later. Don't bother trying to escape—if you fall from here, you'll either die or get caught by other stray orcs wandering below.

I'd rather live with you than let someone else get their hands on you!"

With that, he flapped his wings and soared out of the cave, confident that the bound female halfway up a sheer cliff had no chance of escaping.

Si Shuo waited until he disappeared into the sky, then calmly walked to the cave entrance and sat down, acting obediently. As expected, a few moments later, the crowned eagle beastman circled back to check on her. Seeing her sitting quietly, he flew off to hunt without worry.

The moment he left, Si Shuo smirked. A sharp knife appeared in her hand from her spatial inventory. With a swift motion, she sliced through the vine ropes.

She approached the edge of the cliff and looked down. The dense forest canopy below formed a green sea, hiding the ground from view. Once inside the forest, the crowned eagle beastman would lose his aerial advantage.

From her space, she pulled out a large, thin piece of animal skin—actually, it was a shed snakeskin from Ji Liang. She had punched holes in the corners and now slipped her hands and feet through them. The lightweight, waterproof, and shimmering skin worked perfectly as a makeshift glider.

After checking her compass and gauging the wind direction, Si Shuo took a deep breath—

—and jumped!

The fall was fast, her heart pounding wildly. The wind caught the snakeskin, slowing her descent and allowing her to glide, her body wobbling slightly as she adjusted direction by shifting her weight.

Soon, she crashed through the treetops. The snakeskin snagged on branches, leaving her bouncing about three meters above the ground, swaying awkwardly.

Si Shuo grimaced, feeling a pang of regret. This snakeskin was a treasure—waterproof, cool in summer, and shimmering handsomely under the sun. She had hoped to sew it into clothes someday!

With several swings and a few cracking sounds from the branches, the vines snapped—

—and she plummeted, landing face-first in the grass with a thump.

She groaned, spat out dirt and grass, and quickly stuffed the snakeskin back into her spatial storage. Looking around at the unfamiliar forest, she congratulated herself on her clever escape.

Pulling out her compass again, she oriented herself northward. During her pleas with the crowned eagle beastman, she had spotted a large orc tribe southeast of their location.

Reaching a tribe would mean safety—especially as a female, orcs would instinctively protect her. From there, she could find a way to contact Zhile and let him know she was safe.

She munched on a pre-prepared brown rice ball filled with carrot strips, cucumber, pickles, meat floss, and salad dressing—still fresh and delicious from her storage. She washed it down with some goat milk from a bamboo canteen and finished her meal with a piece of fruit.

After her break, Si Shuo began foraging. She gathered herbs, including a prized find—stink bug grass.

This rare herb had an unbearably foul odor, mimicking stink bugs, and tasted sour and bitter. It repelled both insects and wild beasts within a three-meter radius. Though its environment was extremely selective, it was renowned for its detoxifying and life-prolonging properties.

Si Shuo crushed the stink bug grass and smeared its pungent juice over her body. She nearly gagged from the stench but comforted herself—this was her camouflage. With a smell that could make even a predator hesitate, no beast or orc would come sniffing around.

Despite the unbearable odor, she pressed on. Overhead, the enraged screeches of the crowned eagle beastman echoed through the sky. She smirked and chose to interpret his cries as cheers encouraging her escape.

As she approached a riverbank, the ground suddenly began to tremble.

A rough voice shouted from nearby:

"He ran that way! Hurry! He's only a level 3 orc, but he snatched a level 6 crystal from under our noses!"

Si Shuo's heart jumped. A group of orcs was charging straight toward her!

There was no chance of outrunning them—on four legs, they would easily catch her.

Frantically scanning her surroundings, she spotted a bush. Using her powers, she quickly wove thorny branches into a makeshift basket and placed it over her head, using the greenery as camouflage.

Crouching under the basket, she held her breath and peered out through the gaps. She didn't know if these orcs were from a friendly tribe or if they would capture her on sight.

As the pursuers drew closer, one orc gagged and yelled, "Ugh! It reeks of stink bug grass! My head's spinning—let's hurry and get away from here!"

The group veered off, their sensitive noses overwhelmed by the foul stench.

Si Shuo chuckled silently. Her genius plan worked perfectly!

But as she turned her head—

—she froze.

A pair of cold, piercing eyes were staring at her from right beside the bush!

Her smug smile vanished, and her almond eyes widened in shock.

When did this guy get here?!

Who is this person?!