The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness

77、Octopus

“I remember what I forgot to tell that girl last night.”

“What?”

“All day yesterday, there was a dominant-level magical beast following us from a distance. I originally wanted her to stay hidden.”

“……”

Mu En was speechless: “You forgot that? Return the compliment I just gave you.”

“Did you even compliment me, you brat!”

The pink bear shot Mu En a fierce glare and said, “And a dominant-level magical beast is nothing. I could take it down with a single blow.”

“That’s a small matter for you, but…”

“No, it’s nothing…”

Mu En’s clothing was tugged at again, and Lia visibly sighed in relief, whispering:

“If it’s just a dominant-level magical beast, Ariel will be fine. At least she can run.”

“……True.”

After all, it was Ariel; it wouldn’t be that easy for her to get into trouble.

Mu En thought for a moment and said:

“Just to be safe, we should go check on her. I’m worried that if it’s not the magical beast she encounters, it could be something else…”

“Brat…”

But before Mu En could finish, he was met with the pink bear’s eye roll.

“Do you really look down on me that much?”

“……Do I?”

“Hmph.”

The pink bear snorted coldly and said, “No need to go looking for her. If there really is danger, wouldn’t you just be sending yourself to your doom by going?

I’ve left something on each of you; just take a look and you’ll know.”

“Eh? You did? How come I didn’t know?”

“If you could sense it, I would have wasted two lifetimes on you.”

Saying this, the pink bear sat cross-legged and closed its eyes.

The surroundings fell silent, only the sound of the gentle breeze rustling through the trees could be heard.

And also.

Swish.

Swish.

Like water flowing.

But the liquid flowing here, judging by the sound, is extremely viscous.

It’s not like water.

More like…

Blood.

“I found it.”

The pink bear suddenly said.

“How is it?”

“Sure enough, that girl has encountered that dominant beast, oh no, wait, from the looks of it, that beast is probably looking for her.”

“Is there danger?”

“Let me see… oh? That beast is no ordinary creature; it’s actually a special variant. But that little girl isn’t weak either; she’s holding her own.

No, wait, she’s starting to suppress that beast. Yes, that’s it—sliding tackle, sneak attack, kicking its rear, beautifully done…”

“This guy…”

Watching the pink bear, who had already entered an immersive viewing state, Mu En couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

But…

“Am I being overly cautious after all?”

Mu En looked at Li Ya and smiled:

“It seems we don’t need to worry. Let’s just wait patiently for a bit.”

“Mm.”

Li Ya nodded gently.

Mu En then turned his head to scan the surroundings, suddenly pointing in a direction and saying:

“Let’s go to a higher place to wait. The view is better there, and we can respond to Ariel right away.”

Li Ya turned her little head to glance at the tall tree standing atop the hill that Mu En was pointing to. After a moment’s pause, she nodded lightly.

“Mm.”

…

At the top branches of the great tree, Mu En and Li Ya sat side by side.

Although Mu En had deliberately moved two fist-lengths away to avoid making the girl uncomfortable, it was still closer than when they had stargazed the night before.

Fortunately, the girl didn’t show any signs of distaste.

Mu En let out a sigh of relief and looked up.

Having been surrounded by dense jungle, it was inevitably a bit stifling, but sitting atop this great tree and gazing out at the vastness, Mu En suddenly felt a sense of clarity wash over him.

“Eh? What’s that?”

Mu En looked in a certain direction, suddenly voicing a question.

Just beside him, at a distance, towering trees stood abruptly, forming a breathtaking scene akin to a high wall, stretching all the way to the edge of his vision.

“What huge trees, and this is… an entire forest?”

In the jungle where Mu En found himself, the trees were merely at a level he recognized as normal, just a bit denser. So when he sat atop this exceptionally towering tree, his view became incredibly vast, allowing him to see far and wide.

Yet every tree over there seemed to be even taller than the one he was perched upon. From this vantage point, it looked like an endless grassland, suddenly sprouting a vast forest without warning.

The boundary between the two was so clear, as if a deity had personally drawn it with a ruler and pen.

“I—I recognize that place.”

Liya looked over as well, suddenly letting out a small gasp, “That’s the Forest of Despair.”

“…What’s with that ominous-sounding name?”

“The name of the forest comes from a certain entity,” Liya explained. “A very terrifying entity.”

“A certain entity?”

“Exactly.”

Liya stared at the eerie forest, her small face unusually serious: “One of the rumored ‘Sources of Destruction,’ a calamity-level monster—the Dragon of Despair, Hamrein. It is said… to dwell within this forest, which is why this forest is one of the few forbidden zones in the Empire. Even the crowned ones dare not enter casually.”

“Holy crap.”

Mu En was shocked: “Then being this close isn’t good at all? That b*stard Pink Bear said to relax; isn’t that just leading us to dance on the edge of death?”

“No, I think that Pink Bear uncle must have done it on purpose.”

Liya shook her little head: “Although the Dragon of Despair has a fearsome reputation, according to the Empire’s records, it only destroyed a city two hundred years ago. Since then, no one has observed it leaving this forest.

And precisely because of its presence, the stronger the magical beasts, the less they dare to approach this forest and its surroundings.”

“I see.”

Mu En let out a sigh of relief, then looked again along that clear boundary line.

“So, if we keep walking along the edge of this forest, we should soon reach the Empire’s border, right?”

“Yeah, that should be the case.”

“Is that so…”

Mu En smiled and praised her:

“Truly impressive, Liya; you know so much.”

“It’s nothing…”

Liya’s cheeks flushed slightly as she turned her head away: “These are just common knowledge from books.”

“Is that so? But I think it’s amazing.”

“…” Liya fell silent.

Mu En turned back, continuing to gaze at the forest, marveling inwardly: “It’s so beautiful.”

The towering giant trees stand majestically, forming a massive and dark wall, while the clouds drifting in the sky hang unusually low, unable to pass through that barrier. The orderly sea of clouds crashes into the dense treetops, splitting into countless scattered tufts, resembling flowers, or perhaps an inverted waterfall.

This scene is even more enchanting than the starlight of last night, making Mu En feel the profound mysteries of this fantastical world. Gazing at the cloud sea that adorns the forest, Mu En’s heart finally begins to relax, bit by bit.

Everything he had anticipated did not come to pass.

The pink bear was more reliable than he had imagined, thinking through every aspect with remarkable thoroughness.

And those people were not as audacious as he had envisioned.

Now, with just a two-hour journey, he could smoothly leave the Empire.

Even if those guys were willing to put in the effort later, it would be impossible for them to reach beyond the borders.

“Was that feeling of being watched just an illusion?”

“I really was overthinking it.”

Mu En let out a long breath, then smiled, completely dispelling the deep-seated unease.

“What’s wrong?” Liya tilted her head and suddenly asked.

“No, I just think this view is even more beautiful than last night. It really makes me realize I need to get out more,” Mu En replied with a smile.

“Belrand can’t see such beautiful scenery.”

“Is that so… I think it’s beautiful too. Those clouds look like octopuses.”

“Octopuses?”

Mu En looked up at the oddly shaped cloud that Liya was pointing to, his expression strange as he asked, “Do you like octopuses, Liya?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Liya nodded gently, her five fingers playfully grasping at the air, a look of delight on her cute face as she said, “Octopuses are soft and silly, with long tentacles. They feel so cute.”

…I can’t shake the feeling that this girl’s preferences are a bit unusual.

Mu En silently criticized in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged as he said, “But I don’t think it looks much like an octopus.”

“Eh, why not?”

“Because octopuses have eight tentacles, right? But this cloud, shaped like a tentacle, only has five.”

“That’s true.”

“And…”

Mu En inexplicably frowned, “The protruding shape of this cloud… I think it looks more like a… hand?”

“Now that you mention it, I suddenly feel that way too.”

“…”

“Mu En.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you feel… that cloud getting bigger?”

“……”

“……”

In the gentle breeze, a dead silence descended, and the two could only hear each other’s increasingly rapid breaths.

In Mu En’s narrowed pupils, that cloud was reflected.

A hand-like cloud.

No, that’s not right.

Not right at all.

This was beyond mere resemblance.

Because within the suddenly swirling contours of the cloud, Mu En could actually see… the gradually clear outline of a palm!

As if a real giant hand were descending from the sky, piercing through the clouds, suddenly enveloping them!

In an instant, a death warning blared!