Chapter 93 – The Enchanted Forest: You Are My Exclusive Love (10)
The system took its energy and went off to buy machine oil; meanwhile, Bai Tang rolled over in the male lead’s arms, letting out soft little snores. Daniel, completely captivated by his little squirrel, lovingly traced Bai Tang’s delicate features over and over again.
“Mmm~” Bai Tang’s face itched, so he turned his head and rubbed against Daniel’s clothes, his tiny hands clutching Daniel’s arm tightly, unwilling to let go.
Heroine Kelly: Help! Is anyone going to acknowledge me…?
Luckily, part of Bai Tang’s healing light had spread to Kelly, restoring some strength to the right half of her body, enough for her to reach the food left behind by the black-clad men.
Just as she struggled to take a bite of her second coarse cornbread, a pair of black boots came to a halt beside her.
Kelly looked up along the silhouette—and met the handsome face she had longed for day and night.
Without a hint of gentleness, Daniel forced a vial of potion down her throat.
Kelly choked and coughed violently, but by the time she could move again, she saw Daniel sitting in the cleanest part of the dungeon, cradling Bai Tang in his arms. His expression was unbearably gentle, as if he were holding the most precious treasure in the world.
“Um…”
Kelly barely got a word out before Daniel’s icy gaze silenced her.
Terrifying. That look was just like the devil from her prophetic dream.
Had it not been for the fact that she ended up in the dungeon because she tried to save Bai Tang, Daniel wouldn’t have spared her even a glance.
After experiencing that vision-like dream, Daniel had vaguely grasped something—he could feel that some things did not belong to this world. Fortunately, in those strange, unfamiliar images, his little squirrel was always there.
No one knew how much time had passed, but when Bai Tang finally woke up, he instinctively spread his arms wide, waiting for Daniel’s usual good morning kiss.
A smile crept onto Daniel’s lips as he leaned down, capturing that soft pink mouth in a light, lingering kiss. When he finally pulled away, Bai Tang’s lips were dewy and glistening, his cheeks tinged with a slightly deeper blush than usual.
Kelly’s face lit up with surprise as she turned to look at Bai Tang.
She saw him tilting his head back, his eyes curved like crescent moons, and his dimples showing with a sweet smile.
Daniel reached out and patted Bai Tang’s head. “Tang Tang is amazing, even more amazing than me.”
Hearing this, Bai Tang’s smile grew even brighter.
Kelly: I think my heart feels even worse now. Once we get out, I should probably see a doctor about this chest pain…
Daniel hadn’t been completely unconscious when he was brought in. Now, leading Bai Tang and Kelly, he expertly avoided all the patrolling guards along the way, allowing them to escape the dungeon smoothly.
The moment they stepped outside, fresh air rushed into their lungs, erasing the nauseating stench of the dungeon completely.
Freedom is truly wonderful~
Kelly sighed in relief—only to look up and see that Daniel was already carrying Bai Tang off into the distance, almost vanishing from sight. In a panic, she quickly followed.
Unfortunately, just at that moment, a patrol squad arrived on the scene. Kelly froze in place, watching helplessly as Daniel and Bai Tang disappeared from her view.
Hey, weren’t we supposed to stick together? Could you at least turn around and check on me?!
Kelly fell silent.
By the time the patrol had passed, her companions were completely swallowed by the darkness.
Clenching her teeth, Kelly thought, If I can’t rely on others, I’ll rely on myself.
After all, she wasn’t just anyone—she had years of experience as a bounty hunter. Trusting her instincts and caution, she crept slowly toward the edge of the area. As long as she could reach the outer wall, she would be able to get out of here.
Perhaps it was because their initial escape with Daniel had gone too smoothly, or perhaps it was because her experience wasn’t enough to handle a high-security place like the City Lord’s estate—but just as she reached the wall, her face lit up with joy, and she prepared to leap over it…
Only to be caught red-handed by the approaching patrol.
From the darkness, Cook stepped out with a sinister air, narrowing his eyes as he gazed into the far-off sky.
Most of Swamp City was under Cook’s control. At this hour of the night, even the inns in town likely wouldn’t dare take them in.
So, Daniel took Bai Tang back to the ruins of the Giles family estate.
Ever since his parents passed away, the estate had been left abandoned. After all, it was the place where Cook had sent assassins to kill his family—no one else dared to go near it.
Ironically, it had now become Daniel’s current place of refuge.
In the center of the backyard stood a massive furnace, with a sword partially embedded in it.
It was unclear how Daniel managed to transport the sword he had been forging in a cave within the Misty Forest all the way to Swamp City, but somehow, he had.
“Three more days. In three days, it will be complete.”
Daniel stared at the sword hilt within the raging flames, his eyes reflecting a flickering mix of light and shadow.
Bai Tang covered Daniel’s clenched fists with both hands, offering silent comfort.
The blazing heat caused both of them to break into a sweat. After a long moment, Daniel reversed his grip, holding Bai Tang’s hand and bringing it to his lips for a kiss.
“I’m fine. I may have lost my family, but I still have you.”
Bai Tang nodded. “You still have me. I’ll be your family.”
Daniel smiled. “Alright, then Tang Tang will be my little wife—”
The sudden shift in topic was too fast. Whether it was from the heat of the fire or sheer embarrassment, Bai Tang’s face turned red. Then, after a brief hesitation, he nodded firmly.
Daniel gently ruffled his soft hair. His Tang Tang—how could he be this adorable?
Just as Bai Tang suddenly realized that Kelly hadn’t caught up with them, his expression changed in alarm.
“Kelly is missing!”
Daniel remained completely unfazed, responding in an unruffled tone, “Mm. She never made it out of the City Lord’s estate.”
“Then let’s hurry and save her!”
Bai Tang grabbed Daniel’s hand, ready to rush outside, but Daniel pulled him back instead, leading him into the neatly arranged bedroom.
“No rush. Cook is expecting me to come looking for her anyway. Kelly will be fine.”
Saying this, Daniel pressed Bai Tang down onto the bed, making him sit.
“Get some sleep first. Once the sword is finished, I’ll go bring Kelly back.”
Daniel was the protagonist of this world, blessed by the Will of Heaven. After consulting the system and confirming that Kelly was not in mortal danger, Bai Tang finally relaxed and allowed himself to be pulled into bed by Daniel.
Since the storylines of every world he had traveled to always collapsed anyway, Bai Tang didn’t dwell on it. As long as he followed the protagonist, things wouldn’t go too far off track.
It wasn’t that Daniel was heartless—he had deliberately left Kelly behind at the City Lord’s estate.
No one else knew the full extent of what he had seen in his dream, not just the massacre that wiped out his family, but also fragments of unfamiliar memories and even glimpses of the future.
In that vision, Bai Tang and Kelly were both captured by Cook, and yet, Daniel had chosen to save Kelly. Bai Tang had been slain by Cook’s sword, left to bleed out, his eyes filled with unwillingness and despair.
How could that be?
How could he ever make such a choice?
His Tang Tang would never be left to die in a pool of blood.
Daniel’s fingers traced Bai Tang’s delicate features.
His little squirrel…
If Bai Tang wasn’t here anymore, what reason would he have to stay in this world?
He had intentionally left Kelly behind at the City Lord’s estate. If he rescued both of them, Cook would never let it go. His sword wasn’t fully forged yet, and if a fight broke out too soon, he might not be able to protect Bai Tang.
But as long as Kelly remained, Cook would assume that Daniel would return for her, shifting his focus away from Bai Tang.
No one was more important than Bai Tang.
As for Kelly… he could only silently apologize to her in his heart.
When everything was over, he would personally make amends.
Three days later.
Bai Tang pestered and begged until Daniel reluctantly agreed to take him along. To ease Daniel’s worries, Bai Tang proactively transformed into a small squirrel and curled up inside his pocket, repeatedly promising not to run off.
Daniel sighed helplessly. He could never bring himself to scold Bai Tang.
As for Bai Tang’s promise to “be good”, Daniel didn’t believe it for a second.
There was an unshakable fear deep in his heart, a feeling that he couldn’t afford to lose Bai Tang again.
Again?
Daniel didn’t know why he thought that.
With the legendary sword in hand, the savior set off. The fierce desert winds howled, kicking up a storm of golden dust, making his clothing billow dramatically, adding a sharp, murderous edge to his presence.
The people of Swamp City watched him pass with numb, emotionless expressions, as he headed toward the City Lord’s estate.
…
“Daniel Giles.”
Cook’s voice rasped like a broken bellows, harsh and grating to the ear.
He clapped his hands, and his subordinates dragged Kelly forward, her body bound in heavy ropes, mouth stuffed with a filthy rag, muffling her cries into “Mmm! Mmm!”
“Seven years of unfinished vengeance—tonight, we settle it once and for all.”
Daniel pressed down on the tiny squirrel head peeking out of his pocket.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak—!” I want to watch!
“Tang Tang, do you want some pine nuts?”
The system, aligned with Daniel’s thoughts, also didn’t want Bai Tang to witness the bloodshed.
“Alright then.”
After thinking for a moment, Bai Tang curled up deeper inside the pocket.
Cook had grown increasingly arrogant over the years. He refused to believe that some greenhorn brat could ever defeat him. Dismissing his subordinates with a wave, he personally stepped forward to kill this reckless fool himself.
Cook had absorbed the Ghost Tribe’s power, while Daniel, though young, had undergone years of training. Moreover, he wielded the Elven Key, making the battle evenly matched.
To outsiders, all they could see was a whirlwind of golden sand rising and falling, while two blurry figures flashed between the city walls, the ground, and the distant hillside at incredible speed.
But for Bai Tang, trapped inside Daniel’s pocket, it was a nightmare.
He couldn’t even eat his pine nut properly. With every movement, the world spun violently around him. Learning from his previous experiences, the little squirrel clung to his pine nut for dear life.
The nut stayed inside the pocket.
The squirrel… did not.
Luckily, Daniel had anticipated this and had tied a red string around Bai Tang’s ankle, securing him to the pouch.
So now, Bai Tang hung upside down, dangling outside.
“Qiu’er, I feel sick…” Bai Tang whimpered, his tiny stomach churning. The sand-laden wind ruffled his soft fur.
As the Child of Destiny, Daniel ultimately emerged victorious. Cook was impaled through the chest by his sword. Whether by chance or fate, the blade pierced the exact spot where Bai Tang had been stabbed in the original storyline—not even a fraction off.
Daniel’s first reaction was to scoop up the squirrel dangling from his waist, anxiously examining him from head to tail. Only after triple-checking that Bai Tang was unharmed did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Squeak, squeak, blegh—”
The tiny squirrel, now cradled in his palm, suddenly spat out a mouthful of half-digested food.
Daniel panicked. “Tang Tang, where do you feel unwell?!” He gently pressed Bai Tang’s soft belly, attempting to diagnose the issue.
No! Stop poking! I’m gonna throw up again—!
But the more Daniel examined him, the more Bai Tang vomited, until his tiny stomach was completely empty.
Utterly drained, the little squirrel went limp, flopping onto Daniel’s palm like a flat pancake.
His soul had left his body.
His stomach was empty.
He had no will to live.
Daniel, deeply worried about Bai Tang’s health, forgot entirely about the “damsel in distress“, turned on his heel, and sprinted home with the squirrel.
Meanwhile, Kelly, still gagged and bound, watched Daniel disappear into the distance.
“I mean… I think I could still use some saving here.”
…
Fortunately, Bai Tang was fine.
Back at home, he had already recovered, regaining his vitality. He transformed back into human form, puffed up his cheeks, and smacked Daniel with two tiny fists.
“Give me back my pine nuts, chestnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts—”
He angrily listed off dozens of snacks in a single breath.
Seeing Bai Tang so full of energy again, Daniel finally let out a long sigh of relief.
“Whatever you want, you can eat them all.”
“Now that’s more like it.”
…
On the heroine’s side, things weren’t too bad. The black-clad warriors had been infused with the Ghost Tribe’s dark energy by Cook. But now that their bodies had perished, the dark energy dissipated naturally.
The people who had been closely watching the battle finally realized—they were free. They were liberated.
As people rushed to spread the news, someone eventually untied Kelly’s ropes. She joined the crowd heading back into the city, helping to rescue the children Cook had kidnapped.
…
When Kelly saw Daniel again, she realized that everything she had thought about him had been completely overturned.
He wasn’t the person she had imagined—not kind, not fair. In fact, she wouldn’t even call him heartless—no, it wasn’t a lack of emotion. It was that every single bit of his emotion was given to one person.
She looked at Bai Tang, who was messily ruffling Daniel’s golden hair with both hands. Daniel, on the other hand, just watched him with indulgence, his expression full of affection.
In the end, Daniel gave Kelly the sword infused with the Elven Key.
Kelly looked at him in shock and confusion, but Daniel’s voice was calm as he said,
“I’m sorry for using you before. The Ghost Tribe hasn’t been fully eradicated yet. You are the most suitable person to wield this sword.”
“But with your strength, you could easily drive out the Ghost Tribe yourself,” Kelly protested, confused. Even though she no longer harbored feelings for Daniel, she knew his power far surpassed her own.
Daniel’s gaze softened as he looked at Bai Tang in the distance, crouched down in front of a vendor, staring intently at a pot of roasted chestnuts. His voice turned gentle, filled with warmth.
“That’s too far away. Tang Tang is my most important person.”
Then, his expression turned serious again. “I simply don’t want to.”
Kelly glanced at Bai Tang, who was eagerly reaching out to grab a chestnut, only to jerk his hand back from the scorching heat.
Finally, she accepted the sword—the very sword she had originally wanted to claim for herself.
Fate had a funny way of working things out.
Even though she hadn’t obtained the Elven Key, this sword had still ended up in her hands.
Daniel’s decision to entrust the sword to Kelly wasn’t made lightly.
Even though she had failed the Elven Tribe’s test, her experience in the Lord’s Manor had changed her. She had endured torture, yet she never once betrayed Bai Tang’s secret.
She had grown.
She had become resolute.
…
Years later, the name Kelly Posey was known throughout the continent.
It was she who had slain countless Ghost Tribe warriors.
It was she who had saved thousands of people.
It was she who had saved this land.
As the greatest female swordmaster of her time, Kelly gazed toward the southwestern sky and murmured:
“This honor belongs to everyone. It belongs to the Elven Tribe.”
…
Deep in the Misty Forest…
“No more, I’m too tired~”
“Tang Tang, at least take a bath before you sleep…”
“No, no!”
As soon as the little squirrel heard the word bath, its fur immediately bristled. In the water, he was completely at Daniel’s mercy—just like last time!
“Tang Tang, I was wrong. Please open the door, okay…?”
The autumn wind howled. Daniel, bare-chested, kept knocking on the wooden door of the tree hollow.
He had installed this door just for Bai Tang at his request.
And now? He was locked out.
So unfair. Why did he even install a door?
“Tang Tang, it’s really cold out here…”
“Creak—”
The door opened slightly. Daniel’s eyes lit up with hope.
Then—a pile of clothes and blankets was thrown at him.
“Bang!” The door slammed shut again.
Daniel sighed and looked up at the sky helplessly.
He had really upset his little squirrel this time.
Looked like he’d be sleeping outside tonight.
Sigh…
Author’s Note:
It seems like people aren’t too fond of Western fantasy worlds. The comments and views have dropped quite a bit… So, this world arc will end today~
I’m a barebones writer (posting as I go), and I haven’t even started writing tomorrow’s draft yet.
For the next world, should it be:
- Sentinel & Guide
- Entertainment Industry
If anyone votes before 10 PM tonight, I’ll start with that one first!
Please, I beg you, take a look at my work! 😭
Every day, seeing so few comments makes me feel just like Bai Tang—
Abandoned by the main character (you, my dear readers).
So sad…
Tonight’s a break! Wishing everyone a Happy National Day! 🎉