The atmosphere had only been slightly tense just moments ago.
How did it suddenly become so oppressive with just one sentence?
She instinctively clutched her sleeve tightly.
Wyatt Yardley took half a step forward, and his dark red eyes glanced over at her.
"Of course, you can transform into an animal form, but who are you planning to ride?"
The moment those words were spoken, Seraphina Caldwell's mind buzzed loudly.
Her pupils suddenly contracted, her heartbeat accelerated, and it felt like a roar echoed in her ears.
These words suddenly opened a tightly sealed door deep within her memory.
Those harsh words that once belonged to the original host overwhelmed her in an instant.
The original host never hid her disdain, even taking pleasure in humiliating them.
The original host said Wyatt Yardley's snake form was slimy, just looking at it made one nauseous.
She said Evan Orwell's Celestial Crane was very proud, but actually as dumb as a wooden stake.
She also said his call was shrill and grating, keeping people up at night with its noise.
She said Kaelan Hawthorne's red fox form looked sneaky, with its red fur looking like it was dyed in blood, very ominous.
She said Gideon Larkin's lion transformation seemed imposing, but in reality, was awfully clumsy, with a mane messy like a haystack.
And she said Isaac Vaughn was almost useless when out of water, his fish scales would fall off, making him look like a peeled rotten fish.
Seraphina stood in place, her throat felt like it was being throttled, too dry to speak.
She suddenly realized why that one sentence earlier received such a deadly silent response.
The only solution was probably to offer a drop of blood as compensation.
Although each drop of blood would weaken her a bit, there was no better choice at the moment.
She was about to bring it up when Gideon Larkin suddenly stepped forward, blocking her with his large frame.
His broad back completely shielded her.
"Come on up, sit on my back. My mane is long, you can hold onto it."
Sunlight fell on his shoulders, casting a glow on his golden-brown mane.
Seraphina's eyes suddenly brightened, scarcely believing someone was really willing to help her, quickly nodding for fear he might change his mind.
"All right! I'm not getting a free ride. For every two days, I'll give a drop of blood as return, no cheating!"
Gideon was taken aback, not expecting her to be so straightforward.
He had initially thought she would decline, negotiate.
But she just laid out the terms directly.
He had been considering, once she climbed on, to jolt her a few times to vent his own and his companions' frustrations.
But that petty thought was just a fleeting desire for revenge.
Now, hearing her offer of "one drop every two days", that little thought immediately dissipated.
His throat moved, and his eyes flickered slightly.
"Actually... it doesn't have to be so frequent."
He scratched the back of his head, his fingers gently rubbing through his hair.
But Seraphina shook her head without hesitation.
"No, we must keep it clear. Every drop of blood must be accounted for."
Then she added in a slightly softer tone.
"If you let me ride tomorrow, I'll fulfill my promise by tomorrow night."
She understood very well that the beastfolk like them, seeming honest in daily life, fundamentally believed in the law of the jungle.
Without tangible benefits in front of them, no one would genuinely help an outsider.
To survive in this perilous wilderness, the only way was to take it step by step, using actual benefits to earn their trust and allegiance.
Emotions are unreliable; only interests are most real.
The other beast husbands standing by watched the scene silently, their eyes complex, with surprise, hesitation, and mostly unreserved envy.
They exchanged glances.
If they had known carrying her once could yield the benefit of a drop of blood for every two days, they would have spoken up long ago.
Seeing Gideon finally no longer refusing and nodding in agreement.
Seraphina quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Once this starts, future cooperation will come naturally.
She turned and walked into the cave, bending over to pick up that bulging Beast Skin Bag once inside.
The bag's surface was rough, with slanted seams.
And the real purpose of this Beast Skin Bag was actually to conceal the existence of that mysterious space within her.
Seraphina secured the bag, checking to see if the straps were firmly in place.
Then she adjusted her sleeves and stepped out of the cave.
She stood at the entrance, surveying the beast husbands gathered outside.
"Everyone come in and see, bring out all the things from the cave that can be taken. Meat, pelts, and salt, gather them all, don't leave anything behind."
Wyatt, Evan, and Kaelan immediately responded, stepping into the cave.
They busied themselves inside for a while.
Before long, they came out carrying several skin bags.
They glanced at the contents of the bags roughly.
They felt that the amount of skins and dried fruit seemed a bit less than two days ago.
But then dismissed it, not taking it to heart.
After all, Seraphina often acted mysteriously and behaved oddly, throwing things away without reason.
Perhaps she had another episode last night.
It wasn't unprecedented, so although they were puzzled, they didn't delve into it.
Isaac moved to the corner by the barrel, flicking his tail gently.
His tail wrapped around the clay pot filled with salt, smoothly tucking it into one of the skin bags.
With everything packed up, each person stood with or carried a skin bag.
The beast husbands exchanged glances, nodding knowingly.
The next moment, their forms began to warp and change.
Bones creaked, fur grew wildly.
In the blink of an eye, they transformed into their true forms.
Wyatt transformed into a massive silver-white python.
Evan transformed into a pure white Celestial Crane, with wings spanning nearly two meters wide.
Kaelan became a red fox, with dense, shiny red fur all over his body.
Gideon transformed into a mighty lion, significantly larger than an ordinary lion.
Isaac didn't transform, remaining in his merfolk form.
Seraphina looked at this group of beast husbands in their various forms, unable to resist clicking her tongue in her mind.
Even transforming they look so impressive.
Gideon came up to her, bowing slightly to signal for her to climb up.
Seraphina hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward.
The mane looked prickly, coarse, and thick.
She tentatively reached out to touch it, and was surprised to find it quite soft.
Seraphina took a deep breath and slowly climbed onto his back.
Her knees rested between his shoulder blades, leaning forward, gripping his thick neck fur tightly with both hands.
The fur was substantial, filling her hands completely.
The wind brushed past her ears, bringing a coolness, but her heartbeat only quickened.
"Sit tight."
Gideon spoke in a low tone.
Without looking back, he could feel her soft fingers tightly clutching his fur.
She just nodded, and Gideon set off, running toward Azurewood.
His speed was astounding.
Wind howled past her ears, the surroundings quickly receding.
Wyatt led the way ahead, his silhouette darting through the woods like a shadow.
The Celestial Crane hovered in the sky, wings extended, circling high above.
At any sign of danger, it would emit a clear, loud cry as warning.
The red fox navigated flexibly through the woods, occasionally leaping up tree trunks or diving into the undergrowth.
It would sometimes pick up ripe fruit in its mouth and toss them into the small pouch hanging by its side.