Chapter 157: The Underwater Revelation And The Jealous King!
Maren pulled his head away from Neve.
And just like that, he pulled him under the water. Neve found that he could suddenly breathe. His lungs did not burn. His throat did not close. The water did not choke him. He could breathe as easily underwater as he could on land.
The kiss had done something to him. Changed him somehow. Given him the ability to survive in Maren’s domain.
Maren swam swiftly through the water, pulling Neve along with him. They descended deeper and deeper into the shark territory until they reached Maren’s personal underwater cave.
The cave was beautiful.
It was filled with pearls that hung from the ceiling and embedded in the walls. They glowed with a soft luminescent light that brightened the entire space. The pearls cast dancing shadows across the stone surfaces. It was like being inside a jewel box. Like being in a palace made for royalty.
Maren placed Neve gently over the stone bed he slept on. The surface was smooth and cool. There were furs and fabrics draped over it for comfort.
Maren folded his arms across his chest and stared down at the red panda lying on his bed.
"Ugh! Why did I save him again?" Maren muttered to himself, frustration evident in his voice. "Why was he foolish enough to come to the shark territory when no other beastmen could come here? What was he thinking? What was he doing swimming in my waters?"
He stretched his hand above his head and a loud crack echoed through the underwater cave as his joints popped.
He turned to stare at the empty space in front of him, clearly contemplating his own actions.
Neve, who had been drowsy and confused, suddenly became fully awake.
The loud ding in his head was what snapped him to consciousness. The system notification was loud and impossible to ignore.
He opened his eyes and saw the system screen floating in front of him.
[Mission Status: Completed!]
[Reward: Level Up]
[New Level: 5]
[Market Unlocked: More details loading...]
Neve could not believe it. He had completed the substitute mission. The kiss had counted. Despite all the odds, despite Maren’s coldness, the kiss had happened and the mission was complete.
He had leveled up. Finally. He was now Level 5. And most importantly, the Market was now unlocked. He could finally access the ramen. He could finally access whatever else was available in that mysterious system shop. But what did more details loading mean?
He was so excited that he was trembling with the emotion. His entire body was shaking with joy and relief.
Neve turned his small red panda head, wanting to look behind him to see what Maren was doing. He did not know exactly what Maren had done that allowed him to breathe underwater. Apart from the kiss, he could not explain it. He touched his nose with his small paw and then his lips.
"Maybe I should thank—" Neve wanted to speak, to express his gratitude.
But he was suddenly distracted when Maren groaned loudly.
"How the fuck am I to do this shit on my own? I’m going to curse this system!"
Neve froze completely. His eyes popped wide open. His small panda heart started racing.
Maren just mentioned the system.
The system. That mysterious force that had been controlling Neve’s entire existence since he arrived in this world. That entity that gave missions and rewards and kept track of favorability and leveling.
Was Maren a reincarnator like him? Was he brought to this world just like Neve? Was he being used as an entertainer by those mysterious voices in the watch room? Did he have his own system? What were his own missions? What was he trying to accomplish?
Neve wished he could ask. He wished he could demand answers and explanations. But he doubted that Maren would trust him enough to reveal his identity. Maren barely tolerated Neve’s existence. There was no way he would share such intimate secrets.
Neve kept still, pretending to still be asleep. He kept his eyes closed and his breathing shallow.
Maren suddenly lifted his head.
"Hmm, what is that chaos?" Maren muttered, clearly sensing something above them. "Are they looking for the red panda? Are Zyreth and his people searching for him?"
He turned to look at Neve lying on his bed. Without hesitation, Neve shut his eyes immediately and went back to pretending to be asleep. He did not want Maren to know that he had heard about the system. He did not want Maren to realize that he was awake.
Maren grabbed him and swam upward. They ascended through the water toward the surface.
When they emerged, Neve saw Zyreth and some other snake beastmen waiting above them in the water.
"Why are you here?" Maren asked coldly, clearly annoyed at the intrusion into his territory.
"Where is Neve?" Zyreth asked, his voice carrying an edge of concern and possession.
Without any explanation, without any warning, Maren immediately threw Neve toward Zyreth. The red panda’s small body flew through the air.
Zyreth caught him easily, his large snake hands cradling the small panda carefully. Neve almost cursed out loud but he managed to stop himself. He was still pretending to be asleep.
"What did you do to him?" Zyreth demanded, his voice becoming darker and more suspicious.
Maren’s expression remained cold and unreadable.
"Tell him never to return to the shark territory," Maren said flatly. "It’s not a place for someone as feeble as him. The waters are dangerous. The sharks are dangerous. He could have died down there. Make sure he understands that."
With that, Maren turned and swam away, disappearing back into the depths of his underwater domain.
Zyreth frowned deeply and held Neve tighter against his chest. His hand trailed along Neve’s panda cheek tenderly.
"I’m surprised that evil Maren saved him," Zyreth muttered to himself, his voice filled with suspicion and something that sounded like jealousy. "There’s no way he has a thing for Neve, right? There’s no way the cold shark chief developed feelings for my prisoner. If he did, if I found out he had romantic feelings for Neve, I would kill him. I would kill him the second I found proof. I would not tolerate any competition for Neve’s affection."
Zyreth carried Neve back toward the outcast territory, holding him protectively against his body.
Meanwhile, inside Neve’s mind, his thoughts were spiraling with confusion and fear and excitement.
’Fuck. What have I gotten myself into?’
Neve’s mind was racing with questions and realizations.