Eric happily peeled a tangerine.
Although things here weren’t very convenient and had to be done by hand, when it came to food, they were blessed by nature; whether it was vegetables or fruits, they were all big and delicious.
"Mmm, this would be good for making gummies or hard candy. Let’s pick some more when we go back."
Max nodded and opened his mouth to eat the tangerine segment Eric offered.
Eric looked at him, ate for a while, and then laughed to himself, almost choking on tangerine juice.
"What’s wrong?" Max patted his back worriedly.
"Nothing, cough cough, just thought of something funny." Eric laughed so hard he bent over: "When I first met you, I didn’t realize you had such a cold-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside personality. The contrast is too big, hahaha."
He always used strange words from his hometown. Max glanced at him reprovingly but couldn’t help tightening his grip. The way he looked when he laughed... was also very beautiful.
His breathing became heavy. Just as he leaned close to Eric’s face, he saw Eric suddenly remember something and jerk his head up.
"Good heavens, you startled me. Max, why are you so close? Right, is that Scorpion-tailed Lion near our tribe still there?" Eric said.
He suddenly remembered. Before, when the territory was small, the distance to the Scorpion-tailed Lion from the original story wasn’t considered close, and neither side bothered the other. Until one day, the original owner led the Scorpion-tailed Lion to the tribe, causing a disaster.
Now the Hadu tribe’s territory was expanding extremely fast, almost bordering the Scorpion-tailed Lion’s territory. It wouldn’t do not to eliminate it soon.
Moreover, this Scorpion-tailed Lion had always haunted Eric; he was afraid it would cause trouble like in the story. Although the tribe’s combat power was high now, trouble that could be avoided should be avoided.
Max didn’t know why he suddenly mentioned the Scorpion-tailed Lion: "That level seven magic beast... I planned to lead the warriors there in a few days, letting them train while we’re at it."
Treating the Scorpion-tailed Lion like a textbook, huh? Eric was speechless:
"How about we destroy it today? There’s no time like the present. Since we’ll definitely have to expand the territory later anyway, let them practice on other magic beasts later, okay?"
His voice unwittingly became wheedling, sweet, and soft, his eyes glistening with moisture. Since he was like this, how could Max have any reason not to agree? He hurriedly nodded and bent down.
The two of them, heads covered in leaves and grass, walked through the mountains and forests with similar sweetness in their eyes.
Before, Eric liked to sit on Max’s head when he transformed into a Snow Wolf form. The view was high and good, and it made him look very cool.
But now he liked lying on the other’s back like this, occasionally rubbing and nuzzling cheesily.
Single for many years, this was the first time Eric experienced this feeling.
Max walked with vigorous steps, but in his heart, he hoped the road would be a bit longer so the two could stay together a while more.
Eric was too busy. Max himself had to be in charge of assigning warriors for patrol and hunting, and he also had to improve the warriors’ strength. The time they had alone like this was pitifully scarce.
Although he didn’t know why his mate insisted on eliminating the Scorpion-tailed Lion first, his mate was a magical existence himself, so it wasn’t strange for him to have secrets. He only needed to know that Eric was definitely doing it for the tribe.
Resting peacefully in its territory, the Scorpion-tailed Lion was suddenly beaten black and blue for no apparent reason. The fireball in its throat didn’t even have time to form before it was flattened by Max, whose strength had soared a level. It died with its eyes wide open.
Confirming that the Scorpion-tailed Lion was truly dead, Max called Eric over.
Seeing the magic beast that had haunted him for so long, Eric looked respectfully along its massive body. The heavy stone in his heart was finally put down.
He happily poked its scorpion-like tail.
Creatures here looked really strange. From the front, this level seven magic beast was a majestic large lion, but it had a cold scorpion tail. The poison sting at the tip was a deep black, showing just how dangerous it was.
"Great. I wonder if this big monster is edible. If not, it would be a waste."
Eric squatted there muttering.
"Of course it’s edible, but the tail must be removed. The Scorpion-tailed Lion’s most formidable asset is the toxin on its tail, so in battle, one must try to end it before it uses its tail."
Max chopped off the Scorpion-tailed Lion’s tail, then deftly skinned it and divided the body into several pieces.
This territory now had no owner, but the Scorpion-tailed Lion had just died, and its lingering prestige remained. It was extremely quiet; no magic beast dared to enter.
Quiet and peaceful, very suitable for a picnic. Eric used materials on the spot, planning to make skewered barbecue with fruit juice and wild mushrooms, which would have a unique flavor.
When Max and the warriors went out, they sometimes ate outside too, so they carried some salt with them, which came in handy.
The color-changing meat skewers dripped fat. Eric sprinkled a layer of fruit juice and a layer of salt on the skewers, starting this delicious dinner.
Halfway through the meal, he hesitated for a moment but still spoke his mind: "Max, the contract between Arthur and me can’t be dissolved. Are you really not angry?"
He carefully turned his head to look at Max beside him.
Seeing this, Max gently rubbed his head to comfort him: "If I said I wasn’t angry, you wouldn’t believe me, right?"
Eric lowered his head sadly, thinking, As expected. After all, if it were him, he wouldn’t be able to accept it either.
Max hugged him tightly and continued:
"But I feel even more fortunate. After forming the beast core, my lifespan increased several times along with my strength, but the lifespan of other beastmen is only a few hundred years, including yours."
He looked deeply into Eric’s eyes:
"But now Arthur has shared his lifespan with you. The lifespan of the Dragon clan is very long. I don’t need to worry about you leaving before me. If my strength stops here in the future and I can only live for a few thousand years, then after I die, whether it’s Arthur or Evan, they can take good care of you. To me, this is a blessing from heaven."
Eric’s eyes filled with tears. He threw himself into Max’s arms, hugging him tightly.
"I don’t want that. We have to grow old together. If you’re gone, I don’t want to live alone either. This wasn’t my home to begin with. If you’re gone, I don’t need Arthur, and I don’t need Evan. I only need you."
The meat skewers on the fire showed signs of burning, but neither of them had time to care. They held each other tightly, as if time had stopped at this moment.