Future Beast World: Becoming A Pampered Beauty-Chapter 66 - 39: A Parting Gift?

Sang Luo flipped through the monthly exam report Glen Tuya had given her. In the exams that had just concluded a few days ago, Lan Ruo placed in the top ten of his class.

For an ordinary Wolf Beast, not even a Mutant Beast, this was an impressive accomplishment. It could even be considered outstanding.

Seeing her particular interest in the Wolf Beast, Glen Tuya elaborated on Lan Ruo’s recent situation.

To be honest, he was very pleased with this student. Unlike the noble scions he usually dealt with, Lan Ruo was quiet, diligent, and down-to-earth, so he would offer him a bit of guidance in class. The student’s family situation wasn’t great, but his grades were good enough to win a scholarship, which would be a great help to his family.

Sang Luo recalled Lan Cang mentioning once that he had grown up in the slums and had to provide for a younger brother, starting to work for money at just seven or eight years old.

The class structure on the Western Continent was rigid, with a huge gap between the rich and poor. No matter how outstanding a lower-class Beastman’s abilities were, good jobs were never available to them. They could only take on menial, odd jobs; just being able to make ends meet was considered a blessing.

An ordinary Beastman could work their entire life and still not earn enough to cover a single year’s tuition at Yalan Academy.

Lan Cang had no choice but to take the risk of becoming a Mercenary just to afford his brother’s exorbitant tuition.

Lan Ruo was lucky compared to Lan Cang... She remembered that Lan Cang loved to read, but he had never attended school or received a formal education.

Sang Luo handed Lan Ruo a bag. They had parted in such a hurry last time that she had forgotten to return something so important. "Your brother gave this to me a long time ago. I’m returning it to him now, back to its rightful owner."

Lan Ruo felt its hefty weight and was startled. He opened it for a peek, but his expression changed, and he quickly closed it again.

He looked at Sang Luo, shocked and confused. "These are..."

’He’d never seen so many Beast Crystals in his entire life!’

’They were almost all High Rank Beast Crystals!’

Sang Luo said, "If you have any questions, you should just ask your brother. There’s a lot he hasn’t told you, and it’s not my place as an outsider to say anything..."

’Lan Cang only ever claimed to be a Mercenary, but in reality, he’d done plenty of illegal things on the side, risking his life for Crystal Stones. He certainly hadn’t told Lan Ruo any of it. Sang Luo couldn’t say much either, lest she bring disaster upon Lan Ruo, which was surely the last thing Lan Cang would want.’

"O-Okay! Rest assured, noble female, I will be sure to give these to my brother!" The youth lowered his head to stare at his toes, adding shyly, "And thank you, noble female, for helping me in the elimination match last time. Otherwise, I might not be here now."

Sang Luo laughed. "You ran off so quickly back then, I almost thought you were going to be ungrateful."

"No, no, that’s not it! I just... I just..." He was terribly shy. He’d never spoken to a female so beautiful and noble in his entire life; he had run away on pure instinct.

Sang Luo stopped teasing him, her smile fading slightly. "Also, please pass on a message to your brother for me. Tell him... to be a little kinder to himself."

When Lan Ruo got home, he saw Lan Cang had returned. Beaming, he asked, "Brother, you’re back so early! I’ve never seen you return so quickly."

"The mission was a failure, so I came back," Lan Cang said casually, taking a sip of water.

"Really?" Lan Ruo saw the gentle smile on his face, which didn’t look like that of someone who’d failed a mission. He looked like he had just pulled off a big job.

Lan Ruo remembered it clearly. When Lan Cang had returned two months ago, he had been utterly lifeless. He was alive, yet he was like a soulless, walking corpse.

’But this time, despite failing his mission, it was as if his soul had returned with him!’

Lan Ruo grinned. "Brother, do you remember that lady I told you about, the one who helped me in the competition? She seems to know you and asked me to give you this."

Lan Cang took the bag. After opening it, he was silent for a long time.

"...What’s her name."

"Sang Luo."

"..."

"Brother, you... why are you crying?"

"You’re mistaken." Lan Cang took a deep breath and turned his face away. He closed the bag again and stood to go outside. "I gave this to her. Once I’ve given something, I won’t take it back. You should return it."

"But from the way she acted, I don’t think she’ll take it back."

"That was my dowry for her!"

"..." Lan Ruo froze as if struck by lightning. ’So there really was something going on between them.’

’But by the looks of it, his brother had been turned down.’

"Brother, why don’t you open it and look again? I glanced inside on my way here, and it seemed like there was something else in there. Maybe it’s a gift specifically for you..."

Hearing that, Lan Cang hurried back. He opened the bag and saw that the Crystal Stones inside were virtually untouched. His chest immediately tightened with a dull ache. ’It makes sense,’ he thought. ’The one by her side now is a King Beast. She doesn’t lack for things like Crystal Stones...’ All at once, a flash of silver caught his attention. Lan Cang pulled a necklace from where it was hidden among the crystals.

The pendant wasn’t exquisitely carved; it was even a little rough and clumsy. But it was by no means a careless piece of work. One could see it had been carved with great care. It was vaguely recognizable as a wolf’s head with a blue Crystal Stone set in the middle, emitting a faint ripple of energy.

Lan Cang’s breathing grew heavy. ’Did... she make this herself?’

He sent a wisp of his Divine Sense to probe it and found it was filled with healing medicines.

"That’s a Space Necklace! I saw one of the teachers in my class wearing a Space Bracelet once. I heard you can store things inside them, making them really convenient to carry. It’s a Treasure that only a Space System Beastman can craft. They’re priceless and can’t be bought on the market! That noble female gave it to you, Brother!"

Lan Cang lowered his head and chuckled. ’A parting gift?’

The feeling in his heart was bittersweet, and he had no idea what to do. He carefully put the necklace away, but he still intended to return the Crystal Stones to her.

’Luoluo is pregnant now. A King Beast’s child requires a tremendous amount of energy. Even if she isn’t short on Beast Crystals right now, she’ll still need plenty. It’s better to have them than not.’

"Take out all the Beast Crystals I gave you last time I was back. I’ll leave you enough for your first year’s tuition. You’ll give all the rest to that lady."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean, ’huh’? Get a move on. Didn’t you find a job in the Imperial City? You should be able to handle your own tuition. I don’t need to look after you anymore... When I was your age, I was already providing for you!"

’Before finding a mate, a Beastman values his family most. But after finding one, a Male Beast will focus solely on providing for that mate.’ Lan Ruo never thought this would be the day he got kicked out! Hurried along by his brother, he quickly rummaged through boxes and cabinets to get his tuition fund... ah, no, to get his brother’s entire dowry.

After they finished eating, Lan Cang said to Lan Ruo,

"I came back this time to tell you that I’m leaving."

"Brother, where are you going?" Lan Ruo wasn’t too surprised. Lan Cang often had missions and wasn’t home. Last time, he had been gone for three or four whole years.

"The North Continent."

Lan Ruo froze, his chopsticks clattering to the floor. "...Why the sudden decision to go there?"

The Extreme Cold North Territory was barren and bitterly cold.

Its brutal environment gave rise to the most vicious and powerful Star Beasts.

Some Beastmen seeking to break through their limits would journey to the North Continent to hone their strength and advance their rank.

But nine out of ten of them died.

The North Continent was better known as the battlefield of death.

...

Lately, Sang Luo’s appetite had been terrifyingly huge.

The Crystal Stones Caesar had left behind were nowhere near enough to eat. She was about to starve, and the baby’s father still hadn’t returned.

’If he didn’t come back soon, his child was going to starve to death!’

Sang Luo lay on the sofa, stroking her ever-rounding belly, sighing again and again.

She could only gnaw on some jerky to tide herself over.

Leon returned, carrying a box in through the door. "Madam, did you buy something? I don’t know what’s in here, but it’s so heavy!"

"Hm? I didn’t buy anything." Sang Luo opened it to find the box was filled entirely with Beast Crystals!

The Level of the Beast Crystals wasn’t particularly high, but they made up for it in sheer quantity.

It was exactly what she desperately needed!

Sang Luo’s mouth was practically watering. Without a second thought, she took out a Purple Crystal and quickly consumed it. The gnawing hunger in her stomach finally eased a little.

At first, Sang Luo assumed Caesar was too busy on the East Continent to return and had arranged for someone to send them. But she later discovered that wasn’t the case.

At the beginning of every month, sometimes delayed by two or three days at most, Sang Luo would receive a box of Beast Crystals just like it. There was no address or name on the package, so she had no idea who was sending them.

As time went on, the quantity of Beast Crystals in each delivery grew, and their Level became higher and higher.

Much later, Sang Luo received the transparent Beast Crystals that could only be obtained by hunting a King Rank Star Beast. For the first time, a note was tucked inside the box.

On it was written:

[Luoluo, I miss you so much]

Instantly, tears streamed down her face.

’That man... she really couldn’t get him out of her heart...’