Chapter 190: The Divine Doctor And The Announcement!

Neve woke up the next morning feeling remarkably refreshed, an unexpected wave of happiness settling over him before he even opened his eyes.

For some reason, he was just happy. His cheeks were burning hot, blushing so deeply that he had to press his palms against his face just to make sure he didn’t have a fever.

He wasn’t sure if this sudden flutter in his heart was because he had officially bonded with five of his mates already. Out of the ten that the system had given it, it was remaining just four: Sable, Kael, Sorin, and the elusive last one he hadn’t even met yet. He didn’t know who the last one is. If he was going to meet him soon or never. He couldn’t even tell.

It was so easy to meet these ones that he almost thought the mission was going to be completed on time, but here he was, still struggling.

Or maybe he was happy simply because of the thrilling reality that he was heading back to the leopard territory today. He genuinely missed the biting snow, the familiar faces of his tribe, and the cozy comfort of home. He missed every damn thing. Even the noise.

He adjusted the shirt he was wearing as he suddenly remembered Maren from yesterday. His eyes dropped to the bond mark on his ankle. The light blue mark was still visible and perfect.

His cheeks reddened even more.

Curious, he summoned his system interface to check his notifications, blinking in surprise when he saw his Bond Point total.

It was 10 yesterday after Cael had kissed him. And today, it was 80.

"Did Maren kiss my forehead or something while I was ask? Or was it because of the marking?" he asked himself out loud, confused by the sudden increase.

Since the system offered no immediate answers, he gave a light shrug and dismissed the screen. Stepping out into the cool morning air, he made his way straight to the hut where Maren’s mother was recovering.

When he pushed aside the woven entrance mat, he was greeted by an astonishing sight. The woman was sitting up under her own strength, looking vibrant and alert. A small crowd of shark beastmen had gathered around her bed, tending to her needs, their faces filled with utter disbelief. The fact that she was sitting up and breathing easily after being on the brink of death had them whispering in hushed tones about the "Divine Doctor."

Neve felt a swell of quiet pride, stepping slowly into the room as every single head snapped in his direction.

"Ha. The divine doctor has arrived!" they began chanting loudly, their voices echoing through the hut.

Neve instinctively crossed his arms over his chest, biting back a nervous laugh. If he weren’t visibly pregnant, he was certain these boisterous beastmen would have hoisted him up onto their shoulders and tossed him into the air... their typical, chaotic way of celebrating a miracle. He had never been so grateful for his pregnancy belly.

Once he managed to calm the crowd down and gently usher them out of the cramped space, Neve leaned in to perform a quick final checkup.

The dark circles under her eyes had faded completely, her skin tone was returning to its natural healthy color, and her pulse was steady. The acupuncture had worked wonders, drawing out the worst of the toxic buildup. He quickly listed off a few specific medicinal herbs that needed to be ground into a paste and consumed over the next few days to purge whatever lingering traces of poison remained.

"Tell me what herbs they are. I’ll find them," Maren said, stepping into the hut.

Neve froze, his gaze locking directly onto Maren’s.

Maren stiffened instantly as well, catching Neve’s eyes.

They could both hear their heart thumping so hard in their chest like a trapped bird. They both thought about what had happened yesterday. The kiss on the forehead. The kiss on the cheek. The bond mark on Neve’s ankle that matched his own.

Simultaneously, both of them snapped their heads away in opposite directions, bright crimson blushes creeping up their necks to their ears.

Maren’s mother sat on her bed, blinking between the two young men in complete confusion, wondering why on earth they were suddenly acting like flustered teenagers. But as her eyes drifted downward, she caught sight of the glowing light-blue mark wrapped neatly around her son’s ankle.

Her eyes widened in realization.

She shifted her gaze to Neve’s ankle, spotting the exact same light-blue band glowing softly in the dim light. A gentle, knowing smile touched her lips. She felt a profound, aching relief in her chest... not just because she was alive after years or being unconscious, but because her son seemed entirely different now.

He was no longer the cold, merciless beastman who conducted horrific biological experiments until the ocean ran red with blood. He would kidnap beastmen torture them, absorb their life force and rip them to pieces.

This Maren was gentle. This Maren was kind. This Maren cared about someone other than himself.

The whole place felt lively. Everyone was happy and celebrating the recovery of the king’s mother.

"I’ll show the herbs to you," Neve said suddenly, breaking the thick, awkward silence before it became suffocating. "Right before I leave. But first, can you order your warriors to gather everyone together? Both the snake beastmen and your tribe. I have an important announcement to make."

"Consider it done," Maren agreed without a single second of hesitation, turning on his heel to step back out of the hut.

The moment he vanished past the doorway, Maren’s mother turned her soft gaze onto Neve.

"So you’re now mates with my son," she said, her voice filled with understanding.

Neve’s eyes widened and snapped to her.

"W-what?" he stammered, caught off guard. He blinked repeatedly, rubbing his sweaty nervous palms together. He just couldn’t understand why she said that. He had watched too many dramas where mother in-laws slammed money or cheques against the main character’s face and tell them to leave their son alone.

’Is this what’s going to happen? Is she going to tell me to stay away from Maren?’ He curled his toes hard.

"Don’t be nervous. I am not trying to come between you two," she reassured him, her voice dropping into a tender murmur as she looked out toward the entrance where Maren was barking calm orders to his guards. "I do not know how many mates you have, but I want to ask you a favor... please take care of my son. His father passed away when he was very young, leaving me to raise him all alone. I spent years terrified that someone would steal his birthright before he grew strong enough to defend it. But despite everything, he grew up into a fine king."

Neve felt a pang of guilt in his chest. She did not know that her son was actually someone else now. She did not know that the real Maren was gone, replaced by Skarr’s consciousness.

"I’m sure Maren will make you proud," Neve said, smiling as best he could.

He secretly doubted that. After all, Maren was about to leave and start a journey of no return until he found a way to leave this world and return to Earth. But Neve could not tell her that. He could not crush her hope and joy.

Footsteps echoed outside, and Maren stepped back into the room. "I’ve sent my men to gather everyone," he said. "Let’s move. They’re waiting."

Neve nodded and turned to Maren’s mother.

"I might leave after this announcement. Do not worry though, I’ll always come to visit. You all are invited to the spring festival. We might even hold it here. So get prepared," Neve said and waved, following Maren out of the hut.

Maren’s mother was almost speechless out of excitement. To meet other beastmen after more than ten years of isolation in the outcast territory. She could not wait for spring to arrive already.

.

.

Maren walked alongside Neve as they approached the bustling center of the territory, where a massive crowd had already assembled.

All the snake beastmen were there. The outcast beastmen from other tribes were there. Varek was there. Skarr was there. Popi was there with Sable standing nearby, still looking conflicted about the bonding.

"Are you sure it’s okay to invite the other beastmen here for the spring festival?" Maren asked quietly, his concern evident.

"Of course," Neve said confidently. "Even Vaelthorn will be there. I’m sure no one would dare to say no to him... And also, me."

He grinned, looking evil and confident all at once.

Maren smirked at how evil Neve looked suddenly. He just followed behind the red panda, ready to support whatever announcement he was about to make.

"In that case, I will definitely be attending the festival," Maren murmured softly. "As long as you’re there."

Neve merely shrugged, peeking back over his shoulder with a soft smile.