Epoch 6: The Second Quest.
It is the first week of the month of Harvest Season, when Tang Tang arrived in Gaia Continent.
Now is his fourth day staying in the Winged Tiger Tribe. In these past 3 days, he has learned a lot. The first information sent to him is the very basic knowledge of this world.
That is why he annoyed Ude to tell him more, since he was curious about what Hou told him that day.
First, if the Beast God is the one who sent him to this world, this is what Ude told him.
[No, the one who sent you here made a deal with the Beast God.]
'What kind of deal?'
[That's all I can say for now.]
And even though he keeps on annoying Ude, he was ignored. So he stopped putting too much thought into it. In the first place, it doesn't matter who sent him into this world; he is just curious.
This is a new life, a new world, and new experiences are waiting for him; all he needs to do is live to the fullest.
The second is the marriage thing that made Hou frustrated that day.
On the Gaia continent, in the last 10 days of the harvest season, they are having a ritual called Eulogia. It is a way to thank the Beast God for their prey and also to ask for a safe winter season.
During this ceremony, it is also the time for an adult beast to marry his partner, whether it is a female, a sub-beast, or even a beast, and ask for the beast's God's blessings.
And here is what Ude told him.
[Sub-beasts can have multiple partners.]
'Ohh! Really?'
[Yes.. It is a way to preserve the next generation. Females have low fertility, and the survivability of their offspring cannot be guaranteed, unlike sub-beasts.]
'I can get pregnant? I mean, I'm a man, and a man on Earth can't get pregnant.'
[Your body is already modified to adapt to this world.]
'Aren't they in the ABO world? Once the Alpha marks the Omega, will they be partners for a lifetime?'
[Tang Tang, this is not an ABO world. This is a beast world and polyamorous relationships are common in the animal kingdom.]
'Oh!' He knew it. He is dumb, just hardworking.
[But it should have the consent of the other husband.]
Now it is clear to him why Hou acted that way.
After 3 days of staying in the tribe, he can somehow say that he has already adapted to the basics.
Tang Tang is still staying in Xue's tent.
He is now wearing monster fur as clothes. It was given to him by Lei and the other females he got acquainted with; it is quite uncomfortable, but he still continues to use it. The only thing he keeps on using is his underwear.
He wants to preserve his clothes as a memory from Earth.
He also started going out with other sub-beasts and females to pick some edible fruits and vegetables in the forest.
And Hou, who had always been glued to him since that day, volunteered as their escort.
Every morning, the man will always wait outside the tent with fruit to eat. Every night, he will also accompany him to do his things before sending him back to the tent. It is also a way for the man to ask for a kiss.
And it always ends with just a kiss, because Xue will always appear somewhere to stop them.
Today is the fourth day. The day he receives his second quest from Ude.
[Generating 2nd Quest...]
[Quest:
Find 10 edible fruits and 10 edible vegetables for the tribe.
No time limit
Reward: Fruits and Vegetables Encyclopedia
Failure: None]
'Encyclopedia of this world, Ude?'
[Yes, it is the accumulated information of every fruit and vegetable in this world. Its counterpart on Earth is also indicated.]
'Hey! That's a very nice reward.'
The reward for the second quest is really useful. He only needs to find 10, and identifying fruits and vegetables in the future will not be a problem anymore.
Even though he is eating fruit every morning, he still can't get used to eating too much meat in every meal.
The fruits and vegetables the females and sub-beasts pick are limited; there is only one kind of vegetable. They call it a red root because the inside and outside of it are red. Tang Tang thought that it was a beetroot, but when he tasted it, it tasted like sweet potato.
Fruits are quite rare. For three days, they didn't even find at least one fruit. And even if they find one, it is reserved for the cubs and sub-beasts.
That's why he is curious where Hou is getting the fruit he is eating every morning. He will ask the man later.
He was changing his clothes when he noticed something.
'I want to ask you something.'
[What is it, Tang Tang? I will answer it, as long as I can.]
'Why are my pubes not growing anymore?'
[ಠಿ_ಠ]
'I'm serious! I used to shave every other day on Earth, just to make sure it was clean and ready.'
[.... because your body is modified?]
'That's it? Sub-beasts don't have pubes? That's too convenient, ba!!'
[(=ω=)]
After changing clothes, Tang Tang goes out with high spirits. But there is no Hou on sight, who always greets him warmly.
Instead, an ice statue is in front of him. "Good Morning."
Tang Tang smiled. "Good morning, Xue!" Then he looked around.
"Hou and the others have already left."
"Oh, where did they go?"
"He led a group on Mount Nebo to hunt. It will take 3 days for them to come back."
"I see. Thank you for informing me." He smiled again.
Tang Tang can't help but smile every time he looks at Xue. This person is really too handsome; there is no doubt why Hou has an inferiority complex towards his twin brother.
He can't help but sing the song 'Gorgeous' by Taylor Swift while looking into those eyes.
"Ocean blue eyes, looking in mine~"
Xue was taken aback when he heard the melodious voice of the sub-beast.
"I feel like I might sink, drown, and die~"
"W-what are you doing?"
Tang Tang can't help laughing when he sees the flustered expression of Xue.
"Hahahaha.. I'm just singing. That song really suits you. Look at you, you're so cute." These twins were really cute; their gap moe were legendary.
Hou is hard-headed and has a strong front, but he can easily cry. Xue is calm and has a cold demeanor, but can easily get flustered.
Xue tried to compose himself. "What is a song?"
'Oh! There's still no song at this age?'
[They have it, but it is called chant; it is only used to praise the Beast God.]
"It is like a chant, but it is sometimes dedicated to someone or expresses feelings."
Xue furrowed.
The chant is dedicated to the Beast God to give praise and show the tribe's love for him. If a song is dedicated to someone, then...
He thought that Tang Tang liked Hou; then why is he dedicating a song to him?
Tang Tang didn't know what Xue was thinking; he just saw him furrow several times, but there were no other changes in his expression, so he changed the subject. "Are you the one who will accompany me today?"
"Yes," Xue replied, and he handed him a small orange fruit.
"This?" It is the fruit that is always given to him by Hou. It is orange, but it tastes like an apple.
"Mother wants me to give this to you."
"Really?" Tang Tang probed.
Xue just nodded.
'Tsk.. Lia really wants me to be his son-in-law.'
[...]
"Thank you." He takes the fruit, rubs it on his clothes, then eats it in a few bites.
While walking side by side to the center of the tribe, Tang Tang suddenly asked. "Can we not go with them?"
Xue looks at the sub-beast expressionlessly. "Why?"
Most of the females and sub-beasts wanted to harvest red roots together because it was much safer. There are some who want to work alone so they can harvest more, but they don't go too far and still follow the group.
The sub-beast beside him didn't need to worry about food; as long as he helped gather red roots, he would not get hungry. Sub-beasts and females that don't have a partner yet are aided by the tribe.
"I just wanted to check something. On my way here last time, I saw a lot of plants; I just wanted to check if they were edible," Tang Tang explained.
If he stays together with the group, he will not find more edible fruits or vegetables because they mostly stay in a few places for a long time.
He wants to move freely.
'Ude, can you help me look for edible plants? I mean, can you just tell me their locations?'
[No. But if you find something, I can check to see if it is poisonous or not.]
'I see. There is no cheating allowed.'
[Isn't this already cheating? ಠ_ಠ]
Xue wanted to say no, but then he remembered what his mother told him.
"Okay." Xue talked to one of the beast escorts of the group, then returned to Tang Tang's side. "Let's go."
Tang Tang smiled and went in the opposite direction. Xue just followed him; he will just let the sub-beast do anything he wants.
___________
"You're scaring everyone with that face," Cai said as he put his arm around Hou's shoulder.
"You always like to be the leader of the hunting group to Mount Nebo. What's the problem now?" Wan asked.
Ren playfully punched Wan in the chest. "Didn't you see the beautiful sub-beast staying in Xue's tent? Hou likes him very much."
"Oh!" Wan said innocently. "I saw him from afar yesterday. He is shining from the crowd. Too beautiful!!"
"Beautiful is not enough to describe him," Ren said as he grinned. "If I am not married to Yen, I will also pursue him."
Hou glared at them. "Do you want me to report that to Yen?"
Ren laughed. "I'm just joking!" He then pulled Wan to go to others, still laughing.
"Don't mind them. Even if they try to pursue Tang Tang, they don't have a chance." Cai tried to coax him.
The others are not the problem, only Xue. Wan is right; before, he always competed to be the leader of the group that would go to Mount Nebo. This is to show his capability.
But now, all he can think of is Tang Tang. He always wants to be with him and see him smile; he wants to hug and kiss him.
He sighed.
He didn't even have time to say goodbye to him before he left. He needs to finish this fast and return as soon as possible.
"Enough rest! Let's keep going!" He shouted. Then transform into his Beast form.
A majestic black liger roared. Hou spread his wings and soared to the sky, followed by 50 beastmen.