Carlos wanted to go back to Ian and get some answers. Ian's skill had a continuous effect, and perhaps Carlos would need Ian to remove the restriction before he could transform into his beast form.
With his inability to transform into a beast, his abilities are halved, and in the unknown territories of the Northern Hemisphere, he fears he may not be able to protect Guo Xiaoxiao.
But Carlos wasn't stupid. If he ran to Ian now, he'd only be sent back to that dark cave. He'd had enough of the vines and didn't want to be tied up again.
"Let's get out of here first, and then we'll figure out what to do next."
Guo Xiaoxiao nodded in agreement. The other side had more people and more power; if they couldn't win, they could just leave.
Okay, let's go then.
Carlos led Guo Xiaoxiao down a secluded path. The path was winding and narrow, and they frequently encountered patrolling orcs.
When Guo Xiaoxiao was looking for Carlos, her scent was masked by the system. The system intentionally led her through the woods, so she wasn't discovered.
Carlos was with Guo Xiaoxiao, and the two of them made a bit more noise. Since it was White Stone Tribe territory, Carlos's scent was unfamiliar, and the patrolling orcs, if they were even slightly alert and got close, could easily detect his presence.
To avoid being discovered, Carlos chose to confront the orcs head-on. While he couldn't transform into a snake-like beast, making him less mobile, he was still a five-star inherited orc, and his speed surpassed even that of two-star and three-star orcs by a considerable margin.
Quietly circling behind them and knocking them unconscious was no problem. Carlos used this method to knock out two orcs, then circled around the tribe's side paths before arriving outside.
Once outside, Guo Xiaoxiao's tension eased; the unfamiliar tribe had made her restless.
The thought of Tull introducing that fierce Ian to her puts her in a difficult position.
At night, the forests of the Northern Hemisphere are filled with howls, the calls of wild animals, and the sounds of insects—far more lively than in the Southern Hemisphere.
"Let's go a bit further, find a cave, rest for the night, and then continue."
Guo Xiaoxiao dislikes the outdoor environment in the Northern Hemisphere, finding it terrifying, as if some kind of monster might suddenly appear.
This is a place where trees can walk, caves can bloom, and vines that can grab you!
She clung to him, Carlos holding onto his arm, hesitant to let go.
"I'll listen to you, let's find a cave. It's so dark, we don't want to run into any weird or strange things."
Noticing Guo Xiaoxiao's fear, Carlos held her in his arms and lifted her up with one hand, letting her sit on his arm.
This way, Guo Xiaoxiao won't fall, and she can maintain close contact with Carlos, although the posture is a bit ambiguous, like holding a child.
Guo Xiaoxiao wasn't used to being carried on his back or in a princess carry, but this way she could wrap her arms around his neck and lean on his shoulder.
“Carlos…”
Carlos laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'm here."
Guo Xiaoxiao gave a soft "hmm," hugged him, and enjoyed his care with a sense of peace.
They kept walking forward, weaving through the canopy of trees.
As the moonlight deepened and the stars twinkled in the sky, Guo Xiaoxiao was lost in thought when she suddenly felt the ground beneath her feet tremble. Looking down, she saw a huge crater appear in the grass, and it was slowly expanding.
"What's wrong?"
Carlos also noticed the anomaly on the ground, saying
Something is moving!
The words had barely left his lips when a rustling sound came from the cracks in the earth, and countless strange plants sprouted from them.
Carlos made a quick decision and immediately turned back. Without the snake's tail, moving was somewhat difficult, and he only slowed down when he was quite far from where he had been.
Guo Xiaoxiao asked, "What is that?"
Carlos used the Forgotten Continent's caves as his base and frequently wandered outside, becoming quite knowledgeable. All the knowledge he had acquired in the Southern Hemisphere before arriving in the Northern Hemisphere was overturned.
The vines he had never seen before, the bizarre experience, and the things he had just encountered—none of them were familiar to him.
Just to be on the safe side, without even getting a good look at what the plant looked like, he grabbed Guo Xiaoxiao and ran over.
"I don't know, we need to be careful."
He needed to find a hiding place as soon as possible. Carlos walked seemingly leisurely, trying not to let Guo Xiaoxiao notice his anxiety.
They were very careful in their search for a suitable hiding place, and it had to be an absolutely safe and secluded spot.
"Carlos, there's a hole ahead!"
Guo Xiaoxiao pointed to an old tree ahead, its roots protruding from the soil, covered in green moss, and a circular, sunken opening on its very rough trunk.
The cave was pitch black inside, and nothing could be seen clearly.
Carlos put Guo Xiaoxiao down by the tree and said to her
"Wait for me a moment, I'll go in and take a look."
The cave was damp. Carlos went inside and felt around with his hands, but didn't find anything. It was a large tree hollow, big enough for two people. It was a bit damp, but enough to stay overnight.
Moreover, there are some tree branches and leaves in front of the tree hole, which block the entrance.
Guo Xiaoxiao was somewhat worried and shouted.
"how's it going?"
Carlos said, "It's spacious enough to live in."
After confirming that it was safe, he took off his robe, spread it on the ground, and then carried Guo Xiaoxiao inside.
Guo Xiaoxiao sat on her robe, while Carlos busied himself throwing out the excess leaves from the tree hole.
They walked for a long time, and Carlos's tail never showed. Even when he was carrying her, he was moving on his legs.
He doesn't usually do this; he uses his tail to move around, which is much faster than walking on his legs.
Could he be injured? Guo Xiaoxiao said.
"We haven't seen your snake tail show along the way. Are you suffering from internal injuries? Tell me where it hurts, and I'll cast another healing spell on you."
Carlos stopped what he was doing, turned to look at Guo Xiaoxiao, and said that he hadn't originally intended to tell her.
"You found out, that's right. But I'm not injured. My abilities were suppressed. The leopard beast that attacked us was a beastman with inherited skills. It used a special ability on me, probably to counter beastman transformation."
There's such a skill?! When a legendary beastman uses a special skill, a totem will appear on his chest.
Carlos would sometimes manifest himself; that's right, the leopard beast wasn't wearing any clothes. Guo Xiaoxiao was too embarrassed to look at him at the time, but he had a strange totem on his chest.
"After he cast the spell, I can't transform into a beast anymore? That's a big problem," Guo Xiaoxiao said.
"Once Arthur and the others arrive, we'll rest for a while before heading back. We'll make him remove the abilities from you; it's really going too far. He attacked us and even suppressed your abilities. We need to teach him a lesson."
"What I hate most are people who cause trouble for no reason. They clearly agreed to leave, but instead they barged into your territory and left. They beat and arrested you, causing you all this trouble. They're just jealous that you couldn't win, and they can't stand it."
Carlos smiled. Aside from not being able to transform into a beast, it wasn't a big deal. But seeing Guo Xiaoxiao worried about him, he couldn't bear to refuse her kindness. His heart warmed; having a partner was wonderful, someone to worry about you.
He once lived on the Forgotten Continent, a land filled with slaughter and violence; though it hadn't been long, it felt like a distant memory.
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