Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 36: Pint-sized predator

"EEEEEEEEEEK!"

Xin Yi’s scream ripped through the silent swamp. She scrambled backward, her heels digging into the mossy bedding until her back slammed against the wooden wall of the hut.

"GET OFF! GET OFF! SYSTEM, IT’S A SNAKE! A REAL SNAKE! NOT THE HOT HUMAN KIND, THE EAT-YOU-IN-YOUR-SLEEP KIND!"

[DING! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻]

[HOST! PANIC IS NOT A STRATEGY! ALSO, YOU’RE WAKING UP THE NEIGHBORS!]

The massive, diamond-patterned coil that had been draped across her waist suddenly jerked. A small, high-pitched squeal echoed her own.

"Owww! My tail! You stepped on my tail, you Pink Skin!"

Wait. Did that snake just call me Pink Skin?

Before Xin Yi could process the insult, the heavy, muscular weight tumbled off the sleeping platform with a loud THUD. In the dim moonlight, she watched in a daze as the scales seemed to shimmer and fold in on themselves. Within seconds, the five-meter-long predator was gone, replaced by a small, pouty-faced boy who looked no older than six or seven.

He was rubbing his rear end, his messy black hair sticking up in every direction. He wore a simple loincloth of dark fur and had two of the most piercing, obsidian-black eyes Xin Yi had ever seen.

"Who are you?!" Xin Yi gasped, clutching her furs to her chest as if they were a bulletproof vest.

"I’m Xiao Long!" the boy barked, puffing out his chest. "And you’re loud! Why are you screaming? I was just trying to find a warm spot. You’re like a big, fleshy heater."

"A heater?!" Xin Yi’s eye twitched. "I am a human being! A Goddess! A.....oh, forget it. You’re a child! Why were you in my bed as a giant python?!"

The boy tilted his head, looking at her as if she were the one who lacked common sense. "I was cold. Snakes get cold. Uncle Qing said you were soft. He didn’t say you were a screamer."

"Uncle Qing said—" Xin Yi started, but she was interrupted by the sound of rapid footsteps.

The door to the hut was practically kicked off its hinges. Qing Lin burst in, his green hair disheveled and a bone-knife gripped in his hand. He looked ready to massacre an invading army, his chest heaving.

"Xin Yi! Are you—" He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze landing on the black-haired boy sitting on the floor.

The murderous rage in Qing Lin’s eyes vanished, replaced by a look of exhaustion. He lowered the knife and let out a long, slow hiss of air.

"Xiao Long," Qing Lin groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Tell me you didn’t just crawl into her bed to hibernate."

"She’s warm, Uncle Qing!" the boy chirped, jumping up and clinging to Qing Lin’s leg. "Is she food? Can we keep her? I want to take her back to the Black Water tribe!"

Xin Yi scrambled off the platform, keeping a safe distance from both the King and the pint-sized python. "Uncle Qing? Black Water tribe? System, explain before I lose my mind!"

[DING! (•◡•) ]

[NEW CHARACTER UNLOCKED!]

[Name: Xiao Long (小龙 - Little Dragon)]

[Species: Black Python Beastman]

[Identity: Prince of the Black Water Tribe / Son of the Great Serpent King Mo Yan]

[Fun Fact: He has a ’Penchant for Wandering’ trait. He’s basically a localized GPS error.]

"He is the son of my closest ally," Qing Lin explained, reaching down to pick up the boy, who immediately began trying to bite Qing Lin’s ear in a playful, albeit terrifying, display of affection. "His father, Mo Yan, rules the deep marshes. Xiao Long has a habit of.....wandering away from his guards when he gets bored. He came to me shortly after you left me alone."

"He snuck out?!" Xin Yi shouted. "He’s a child! There are panthers and tigers and... well, and you out there!"

"I am a great hunter!" Xiao Long protested, wiggling in Qing Lin’s arms. He turned his black eyes toward Xin Yi and sniffed the air loudly. "She smells like that Liquid Gold stuff everyone was eating. And that thing called soap. Uncle, I like her. Let me take her home!"

Qing Lin sighed, looking at Xin Yi with a helpless expression. "I have to return him. If Mo Yan finds out he’s been missing for more than a day, he’ll send his entire army into my swamp to ’look’ for him, which usually involves them eating all our fish."

"I want her to comeeeeeeee!" Xiao Long started to wail, his voice hitting a frequency that made Xin Yi’s teeth ache. He reached out his tiny arms toward her, his lip trembling in a way that was undeniably adorable. "Please, Pink Goddess! Come to the Black Water! I’ll show you the big frogs! I’ll let you sleep on my tail!"

[DING! (っ˘ڡ˘ς)]

[System Note: WARNING! Host’s ’Maternal Instincts’ are reaching critical levels! You’re melting, aren’t you? You’re going to a place filled with even more snakes. How silly! How fun! Muahahaha!]

Oh, shut up, you sadist! Xin Yi looked at the boy’s big, watery eyes. Fair enough, she was a sucker for kids, even if they could turn into twenty-foot constrictors.

"Fine! Fine, stop crying!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "I’ll come. But only to make sure you get home safely! And no more coiling around me in the middle of the night! That is a firm boundary!"

"YAY!" Xiao Long cheered. Before Xin Yi could react, he lunged out of Qing Lin’s arms and latched onto her neck, his sharp little teeth nipping at her shoulder.

"OW! Hey! No biting!"

"Xiao Long! Down!" Qing Lin barked, his voice stern. He stepped forward and plucked the boy off her, but his eyes lingered on the spot where the boy had nipped her. He leaned in, his voice dropping to that dangerous, silky purr. "Only I am allowed to leave marks on this female, little whelp. Remember that."

"Eh? Your woman?" Xiao Long blinked, looking between the two of them. He let out a loud, mischievous cackle. "Uncle Qing is a slow snake! My father says if you like a female, you just wrap her up and don’t let go!"

"Your father is a barbarian," Qing Lin muttered, though a faint smirk played on his lips. He looked at Xin Yi, his gaze softening. "We leave at dawn. The Black Water is a day’s journey. It will be......an experience for you."

"I bet," Xin Yi grumbled, rubbing her sore shoulder. "More snakes. Just what my life was missing. Is there a tribe of humans anywhere in this world, or am I just destined to be the only person without a tail?"

[DING! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ]

[System Note: Why have humans when you can have a VIP pass to the coldest, slimiest, most dramatic harem in history? Buckle up, Host! The Black Water tribe doesn’t have soap yet, but they do have a lot of secrets!]

Xiao Long grabbed her hand, his small fingers surprisingly strong. "Let’s go, Pink Skin! Let’s goooooo!"

As he pulled her toward the door, Qing Lin followed close behind, his hand resting once again on the small of her back. The trio walked out into the misty morning air, leaving the Azure Scale village behind.

[Current Quest Updated: Return the Prince!]

[Hidden Objective: Don’t get eaten by the Prince’s Father!]

[Good luck, Host! You’re gonna need it! (◕‿↼)]