Chapter 200: New tails!
Rosen noticed the shadow of disappointment in Lex’s eyes and softened her tone.
"Lex, I know this isn’t easy for you," she said gently. "But Dian succeeded because he fought for it. You have to learn to do the same. You can’t just wait for Nina to come to you."
Lex lowered his gaze, his voice quiet and heavy.
"I know... I’ve been trying. But I made too many mistakes before. I made Nina angry... and now she doesn’t like me at all."
His expression dimmed further.
"I know it’s my fault. I just... don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t know how to make her happy... or how to make up for what I did."
He had always been the one others pursued.
Countless females had been drawn to his looks, his strength, his status. They were the ones who tried to please him.
He had never once needed to learn how to win someone over.
And now, everything he had once been proud of meant nothing.
His beauty held no allure for Nina.
His strength and status meant even less.
For the first time in his life, he felt... utterly useless.
Utterly lost.
"Dian... can you help me?" he asked quietly, his voice almost pleading. "I don’t even expect to be her mate. I’d be satisfied just being her guardian."
If that wasn’t possible... even being her lover, he would accept it.
As long as the one he belonged to... was Nina.
He looked at Dian as though he were his last lifeline.
"Brother... I..." Dian fidgeted, gripping the edge of his clothes. "I don’t know how to help you. I only got my chance because I was lucky."
He felt a pang seeing his brother like this. But the truth was, his own success hadn’t come from strength alone.
Lex’s gaze dimmed further.
Even Dian couldn’t help him.
Then who could?
Rosen sighed softly.
"Dian, if you get the chance... help your brother a little," she said. "It’s better to have family by your side. You’ll be able to look out for each other."
She might think Lex had brought this on himself, but he was still her child. She wanted him to find some happiness.
"I understand," Dian nodded.
He would try. Even if it meant having another rival...
His mother was right. With so many males around Nina, having his brother there might not be a bad thing.
Rosen picked out another generous pile of treasures.
"This is your share," she told Lex. "I’ll keep it safe for you—for the day you might need it."
"Thank you, Mother." Lex nodded in gratitude.
Maybe that day would never come.
But he still wanted to hold onto that faint, fragile hope.
Meanwhile, Dian happily gathered his dowry and headed off toward Nina. When the bonding day came, he would offer everything to her.
Behind him, Lex watched quietly, unable to hide the envy in his eyes.
Rosen and Lani exchanged a glance, then shook their heads and left to find their beloved Mimi.
Some things... Lex would have to figure out on his own.
***
Inside the cave, Nina finally found a quiet moment and called out, "Little Bun, have you finished analyzing that potion the shaman gave me?"
She wasn’t entirely confident she could restore Finch’s severed tails on her own.
So she had asked Little Bun to analyze the potion—hoping to improve the chances.
[Host, I’ve completed the analysis. On its own, the potion gives about a sixty percent chance of success.]
A translucent interface appeared before her.
[If you combine it with this fire-element energy crystal—one that shares the same origin as Finch—it can further increase the success rate. But it would be best if he comes here for a direct scan.]
"Alright, I’ll bring him to you."
Nina found Finch and led him aside.
"Finch, can you shift into your beast form? I want to take a closer look at your tails."
He hesitated.
"Nina... will you... think they look ugly?"
He hadn’t worried much before, but now that he was about to become her mate... a quiet fear took hold.
What if his broken form made him fall behind the others?
Nina shook her head gently.
"Of course not. No matter what you look like, I won’t dislike you."
Her voice softened. "I just want to try healing you. That’s why I need to see."
"...Healing?" He stared at her, stunned. "Nina... you can treat something like this?"
"I’m not completely certain yet," she admitted. "I need to examine it first."
"...Alright."
In a flicker of light, Finch transformed into a small fox.
Soft, delicate, and undeniably adorable.
"Is this okay?" he asked quietly.
He had shrunk himself down considerably. In his original form, his body was far too large—he was afraid Nina would have difficulty examining him.
Nina checked with Little Bun, who confirmed there was no issue.
"Alright, this will do."
She gathered Finch gently into her arms and let Little Bun begin a thorough scan.
It was the first time he had ever been held like this by her.
His fox heart thumped wildly, a mixture of shyness and sweetness flooding his chest.
Unable to resist, he nuzzled lightly against the soft warmth he was pressed against.
So comfortable...
So warm...
He wished, just for a moment, that he could stay in her arms like this forever.
A flicker of jealousy stirred in him—those little cubs got to be held by her every day.
After some time, Little Bun finally finished analyzing.
[Host, if you combine the spirit pearl, the potion, and the fire-element crystal, the success rate can increase to eighty percent.]
"Got it. Thank you, Little Bun."
Nina looked down at Finch.
"Finch, I’m going to try healing your tails now. If you feel anything uncomfortable, tell me immediately."
Better to treat it sooner than later.
He nodded, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. "Alright."
He trusted her completely. If his tails could truly be restored... of course he would be happy.
Nina carefully applied the potion—now infused with the crystal’s energy—onto the site of his severed tails. Then she activated the power of the spirit pearl.
A soft, radiant glow enveloped him.
At first, Finch felt a strange sensation—an odd mix of pain and itching at the site of the injury.
Then, slowly, something began to grow.
New tails!
He stared in disbelief as they formed, one by one, full and complete.
Nina... was truly incredible.
Seeing that the regeneration was complete, Nina said gently, "Finch, try moving them. See if everything feels normal."
He gave his new tails an experimental flick. His eyes lit up instantly.
"They’re perfect. Better than before."
He could even feel more strength in them than he used to.
In the next moment, he shifted back into human form and pulled Nina into his arms, knocking her gently back.
"Nina... thank you."
His hand came up to cup her cheek, his gaze overflowing with tender affection.
"Nina... may I kiss you?"
At that moment, he wanted nothing more.
Nina met his eyes—those captivating, gentle features—and gave a small nod.
His gaze softened, filled with devotion, as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss was reverent.
Careful.
As though he were cherishing the most precious treasure in the world.
Nina... thank you.
Thank you for healing me.
Thank you for accepting someone as flawed as I am.
Only when night had fully fallen did he reluctantly pull away, lifting her into his arms and carrying her back.
When Taru learned that his son’s tails had been restored, he was so overjoyed that he nearly jumped on the spot.
In a single day, the two greatest burdens on his mind had been lifted.
For the first time in a long while, he could truly rest easy.
The peaceful night passed quickly.
***
The next day, Nina and the others arrived at the volcano.
Roro’s nest lay deep within a massive crater—a vast, smoking pit where molten lava occasionally bubbled and surged.
As soon as they arrived, Roro told Nina to wait, then leapt straight into the crater.
Nina stayed nearby, watching.
Not far off, a smaller vent bubbled with a thin stream of lava. Curious, she stepped closer to take a look.
The egg had been unusually excited ever since arriving here.
And just as Nina leaned closer, it suddenly gathered strength... and jumped straight into the lava pit.
"N-No—!"
Startled, Nina immediately summoned her vines to pull it out.
But the moment the egg fell in, the lava instantly solidified.
She quickly retrieved it, her heart pounding with worry.
"Baby, are you alright? This is my fault—I didn’t hold you properly."
The egg shook vigorously.
Mom, I’m fine! I jumped in myself. There was something delicious in there!
Nina’s eyes widened in confusion. She was just about to ask more when a familiar sound rang out once again.
Crack.