What's wrong with me?

Carlos blinked, feigning ignorance, and asked in confusion.

"Don't stare at people like that. You don't even blink. Aren't your eyelids tired? I don't like it."

One night, Guo Xiaoxiao was fast asleep when she remembered she needed to use the restroom. Just as she was about to get up, Carlos got up with her and followed her everywhere, practically watching her go to the toilet.

Even the slightest noise could trigger a series of reactions from him. At first, Guo Xiaoxiao could just bear it, but one day Carlos acted the same way, and the next day he acted the same way again. Things rarely happen more than three times, and this was the fourth day already.

He had no intention of stopping; I kept a close eye on her at all times.

"We're partners, it's only natural for us to be together. Danger can strike at any time, and I'm just trying to protect you."

Carlos's reasons were plausible, but Guo Xiaoxiao wasn't buying it; there was always a pair of eyes watching him.

In their room in the Beast City, Carlos needed to go out and handle some business. He had plenty of time now, and spent all his time either with her or with her.

This was no different from the days she spent being kept in captivity in Beast City. Guo Xiaoxiao lay on the animal skin mat, utterly bored.

"Xiaoxiao, are you hot? Let me fan you."

Carlos sat beside her, fanning Guo Xiaoxiao with a small fan woven from leaves. It was especially comforting as the weather suddenly warmed up.

"You don't need to come with me, go out and have some fun."

Guo Xiaoxiao pushed Carlos's hand away and said

"What, isn't it good for me to be with you? I like being with you."

Carlos continued fanning Guo Xiaoxiao as he spoke.

"Good, very good."

Guo Xiaoxiao was being perfunctory; she had already given up the struggle.

…

"Ian! Several orcs have been spotted outside the tribe."

Orcs are nothing special; they're not even as dangerous as moving trees. But since they trespassed on his territory last time, we'll teach them a lesson.

Do you know which tribe they belong to?

Before the messenger could speak, another orc came running from a distance.

"Ian, you'd better go check on them; those orcs are not to be trifled with."

Ian: "Have you detected the star level?"

There is a retrograde ring, but it's not the planet Ji.

Ian stopped weaving and seemed lost in thought.

"A reverse star ring? Is there another reverse star ring on the Desolate Continent? I've never heard of it."

"Indeed, we were all shocked when we saw it clearly. It was also a tiger beast, definitely not Ji Xing."

Ian: "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"

"It's definitely a reverse star ring. All of us saw it. We wouldn't lie to you. Go see for yourself if you don't believe me."

Upon hearing Ji Xing's name, Ian casually asked...

"How is the Noah tribe doing now? Have you heard any news from outside?"

"They're holding on desperately, suffering heavy casualties. The main enemy is the moving trees, and other tribes haven't gone up to support them in order to protect themselves."

Ian: "Oh, they held on long enough. I thought they were all dead."

then

"Let's go, let's meet those Reverse Star Ring Beastmen. I want to see what the second Reverse Star Ring Beastman on the Wilderness Continent looks like."

As you can probably guess, Arthur and his group have all come looking for these orcs who were active on the outskirts of the tribe. After going through many hardships, they finally arrived at the territory of the White Stone Tribe under Qianye's guidance.

There were two giant trees, one green and the other yellowish-brown, their branches long, thick, and lush. Bathed in sunlight, they seemed shrouded in a thin mist, appearing hazy and dreamlike.

Strange, bizarre, and awe-inspiring, Arthur was curious about everything new, and the shocks he had experienced in the past few days were greater than all his previous shocks combined.

"The White Stone Tribe is just ahead. Let's hurry and find Guo Xiaoxiao."

Qianye didn't know why Arthur and the others were so sure that Guo Xiaoxiao was in the White Stone Tribe.

But they insisted on coming to this tribe to find Guo Xiaoxiao, so I couldn't bring them along.

Randy: "Are you acquainted with the chieftain of the White Stone tribe? Those orcs who were just driven away should go back and report to him."

Qianye: "I'm not familiar with them at all. I only know that the White Stone Tribe is located here. Every time I come ashore from the sea, it's on the eastern continent. Once, I passed by their tribe late at night."

then

"The tribe occasionally comes to the seaside to trade salt with us fishermen. Judging from our relationship, they probably won't make things difficult for us."

Cang Jue: "Won't they make things difficult? They attacked before we could even speak; they're clearly not to be trifled with. Be careful."

Mickson: "Even if Xiaoxiao is really in the White Stone Tribe, we still have to go in."

Arthur: "Don't panic. The orcs have gone back to inform the chieftain. Once the chieftain comes out and explains his purpose, just bear with it as long as it's not too outrageous."

Arthur deliberately revealed the star ring on his arm to give the orcs a heads-up: a reversed star ring appearing on orc territory would surely alert the chieftain or other respected members of the tribe.

As expected, a powerful orc stepped forward, displaying considerable strength.

Qianye and the others immediately became alert. Yan was also quite surprised as she glanced at them; they were all very strong individuals. This was incredible, considering how well these people had teamed up.

The pressure released was immense. While Qianye was slightly weaker—he couldn't unleash his full power on land—the others were not to be underestimated.

Ian sensed the danger. He couldn't possibly defeat five powerful individuals; he was too busy dealing with one to handle the other. Sending the director out to defend would be a pointless suicide mission, with casualties likely no better than being killed by moving trees.

Normally, if someone trespassed on their territory, Ian would beat them up as punishment. This time, he chose to test the waters first.

"Who are you? What are your intentions in appearing on the territory of my White Stone Tribe?"

Cang Jue, who was the best at communicating with people, stepped forward and said...

"We have no ulterior motives; we're here to find someone. We don't understand your tribe's customs, but we mean no harm."

Ian: "Our tribe doesn't know you, does it?"

Cang Jue: "Have you taken in a female and a male recently? A very beautiful female and an ugly snake-beast?"

Could it be Guo Xiaoxiao and Carlos? Judging from the description, it's definitely them. Ian didn't answer the question directly.

"How do you know they're from my tribe? Who told you?"

Cang Jue: "One of our companions is a wolf beast; he's following the scent..."

Ian: "The forest has so many pungent smells of flowers and grass, how could he possibly distinguish them?"

It's true that wolves in the Northern Hemisphere cannot accurately detect scent. If a wolf gets lost in the jungle, it cannot find its way home by smell.

Another notable characteristic of plants in the Northern Hemisphere is that their flavors are stronger than those in the Southern Hemisphere.

Cang Jue: "He has a naturally keen sense of smell; he's a five-star ring beastman, so his sense of smell is exceptionally strong even by ordinary standards."

Ian: "Really? What are your relationships with them?"

Mickelson quickly answered, "It's male, her mate."

The orcs following Ian exchanged glances.