Evangeline glanced at the pale-faced Saskia, then looked at Elias Moretti with some surprise.
'Is he planning to get a new lover?'
Thinking of her current appearance, Evangeline gave Elias Moretti a mental thumbs-up. 'He sure has... unique taste.'
Just then, a loud CRACK echoed from the ground. The earth split as if hewn open by an invisible giant axe, and a deep, grotesque, bottomless chasm spread with frightening speed.
Evangeline frowned. 'An earthquake of this magnitude has to be at least an 8.0.'
Amid the chaos, Elias Moretti seemed exceptionally calm. He slowly turned his head to look at Evangeline, the corner of his mouth suddenly curling into an incredibly strange and sinister smile that was utterly bone-chilling.
He let go of Evangeline's hand, then with a hard shove, viciously pushed her toward the chasm!
Evangeline's lip twitched as her body fell uncontrollably toward the bottomless chasm.
She shot Elias Moretti a look one might give to trash. The mental thumbs-up she'd given him now turned into a middle finger. 'This son of a bitch is the very embodiment of a dark, vicious reptile. Just one test after another.'
Evangeline didn't struggle, allowing herself to fall into the chasm as the sound of whistling wind rushed past her ears.
Standing by the chasm, Elias Moretti watched Evangeline fall, his expression grim. 'Could it be that it's not her?'
Meanwhile, when Saskia saw Elias Moretti unhesitatingly push Evangeline into The Abyss, her eyes flickered. The grief and anger she felt eased considerably, and she inwardly breathed a long sigh of relief.
'I knew it. For someone like Elias Moretti, what use was a female who brought him no benefits? How could I possibly be less important than some ugly, strange female?'
However, Saskia didn't dare rashly approach Elias Moretti again.
'He was moody and unpredictable. Who knew if she would be the next one pushed in?'
The Beast God's fury came in waves. The cracks in the ground grew more severe, and more than half the mountain collapsed.
Saskia knew the situation was critical. With no time to worry about anything else, she gritted her teeth, and her body began to twist violently. She curled up and contorted, and in the blink of an eye, she had transformed into a silkworm as thick as an arm!
The silkworm's body was snow-white. Its tiny mouth opened slightly, spitting out translucent, sparkling silk threads.
The silkworm that was Saskia wriggled slowly while rapidly winding the silk threads around itself, layer by layer.
As more and more silk was wound, in just a few moments, a round, tight cocoon enveloped her, providing a temporary "safe harbor" against the dangers outside.
Evangeline sat on a tree branch, watching Saskia with a stunned expression.
'I had no idea Beastmen could protect themselves like this!'
She glanced at Elias Moretti again. He was still standing at the edge of the chasm, rooted firmly to the spot.
A layer of black water vapor surrounded him, and it was this vapor that held him firmly in place. 'This must be his ability, the mutated Water Poison Beast Crystal.'
'The Grymdale Tribe is truly blessed. As if Thorne and his Thunder Beast Crystal weren't enough, they also have Elias Moretti with his Water Poison Beast Crystal. No wonder The Northlands Beastman Conclave has to tread so carefully around them.'
A Beastman's elemental mutation is no small matter. Barely one in a hundred succeeds; only the exceptionally talented even have a chance.
'Still, this guy is truly vicious. Maybe I should take this chance to finish him off?'
Evangeline stroked her chin, a cold, fierce glint flashing in her mung-bean-sized eyes.
'Elias Moretti isn't the male lead, so his death shouldn't affect the plot, right?'
Elias Moretti's entire body stiffened. He sensed danger, his eyes scanning the area as he tried to pinpoint any unusual movement.
However, the sense of crisis vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Evangeline silently retracted her killing intent. 'I still need Elias Moretti to take me to the Grymdale Tribe openly and legitimately. I can't arouse Thorne's suspicion.'
After an unknown amount of time, the earthquake finally ended.
The Beastman Continent's vast, open spaces were an advantage; the Beastmen used their own abilities to survive, so there were few casualties. However, the tribes' years of accumulation were all for naught. The ground was cracked, caves had collapsed, and the Midridge Tribe would have to relocate.
Evangeline leaped lightly onto a crooked tree that had fallen into the chasm. She thought for a moment, then smeared some dirt on her face before crying out toward the top, "Help—! Save a female—!"
The black water vapor around Elias Moretti dissipated. Hearing the cries from the chasm, he was slightly surprised.
He'd thought The little maiden was dead.
Elias Moretti leaned over to look, his brow furrowed. His muscles tensed, and with a series of KRAK-KRAK sounds from his bones, his legs rapidly transformed, becoming a thick, powerful, scale-covered snake tail in the blink of an eye.
His upper body remained human, while his scarlet snake tail swayed gently, giving off a faint chill.
Then, with lightning speed, Elias Moretti's snake tail shot down along the edge of the chasm.
The next second, his tail precisely wrapped around Evangeline's slender waist. With a swift coil, the scales making a soft RUSTLING sound, he pulled her up from the chasm in an instant.
Evangeline looked at the tail covered in fine scales before her, which shimmered like rubies. However, the sharp edges of the scales cut into her skin, leaving a series of gashes.
By the time she was standing steadily on the edge of the chasm, her body was covered in small wounds.
Evangeline squatted on the ground, clutching her head and gasping for breath, looking every bit the part of a survivor. Inwardly, however, she was furiously giving him the middle finger. 'Sooner or later, I'm going to skin Elias Moretti alive!'
"You're tough to kill." Elias Moretti shot her a sideways glance, sneering.
After speaking, he ignored Evangeline and turned to take charge of the situation.
Saskia also emerged from her cocoon at this moment. However, her face was visibly pale, and her spirit seemed drained. It appeared this survival method took a heavy toll on her.
Evangeline lifted her eyelids slightly, looking at the Beastmen of the Midridge Tribe who were weeping bitterly.
They had survived the disaster, but their home was destroyed.
Just then, Evangeline suddenly heard the leader's shocked and uncertain voice, "Relocate the entire tribe?!"
She looked up into the distance where Elias Moretti's lips were curled into a smirk. "What other choice is there? You're already a subordinate tribe. With the Midridge Tribe completely destroyed, merging into our Grymdale Tribe is your only option now, isn't it?"
He spoke with such self-righteousness that the Midridge Tribe's leader's face darkened with fury.
Evangeline clicked her tongue. 'He's not just after the females anymore; now he wants to take their whole tribe home.'
Saskia dragged her exhausted body over to the leader and glanced up at Elias Moretti's faint, ambiguous smile.
She said, "Leader, The Beast God's wrath might mean this land is no longer fit for us to live on. I suggest we relocate the entire tribe and seek refuge with the Grymdale Tribe. That way, we'll have someone to rely on in the future."
Saskia had long wanted to go to the Grymdale Tribe. This was the perfect opportunity, so of course she would do her utmost to make it happen.
Looking at Saskia, the leader seemed to age ten years in an instant. After a moment, he asked in a hoarse voice, "When did you start colluding with the Grymdale Tribe?"
Saskia froze. She glanced at Elias Moretti, then pursed her lips and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
After speaking, she immediately added, "Leader, you have to be smart to live a long life. Don't be like the leader of the Oasis Tribe and die a worthless death."