Chapter 344: Belief in past lives.

At Beast valley, the residents were also watching the tournament. It was lunch time, but instead of eating, the residents were betting on who would win. Shouts rang across the courtyard as energy stones, rare herbs, and even half-chewed energy buns were slapped onto wooden tables as wagers.

Zyra watched them from the balcony of the Beast pavilion, taking a quick break from her endless task of sorting the beasts. Her original plan had been brilliant and pragmatic: take on only the useful beasts by asking them what they brought to the table or pick the ones capable of evolving into emperor level beasts.

That plan had failed miserably.

So far, every single beast she had interviewed had somehow ended up bonding with her. Just twenty minutes ago, an overgrown, useless overweight rabbit whose only skill was finding carrots had shed two tear drops, and Zyra had bonded with it on the spot. It was almost as if everyone had told the new beasts that she was a sucker for tears.

At the thought of this, she sighed. She wondered if Beauty was rubbing off on her. Why else was she so considerate of the feelings of these mutated beasts?

Hunter walked onto the balcony, holding a tall plastic cup filled with fresh pineapple juice. He handed it to her with a amused smile. "What’s running through that head of yours? Malia has successfully grown pineapples in three weeks; thanks to the energy stones you dumped on her. She says the soil is too fertile, and the plant nutrients are too nourishing. She wants more seeds."

Zyra took a sip, sweetness coating her tongue, and pointed down at a group of heavy-set men doing a ridiculous victory dance in front of a giant projection screen showing the halftime show.

"The Craw clan is going to win," she declared, her voice dripping with absolute certainty. "I told Scotty to bet on them. I told him to spread the news as far as he can to his friends in the capital. And their friends, and their friends.... basically, tell the whole world." Maybe someone would finally figure out that the tournament was rigged and use this this to expose Trinity the fraudster.

Hunter frowned, taking a step closer to the railing. "The Craw clan? Their top fighter broke an arm during his match. Even if it’s healed by a Soul maiden, there will be some pain for a week. Every opponent he faces will be aiming for that arm. So, unless they change to a new fighter, they are not winning. Why do you sound so sure?"

Zyra turned her head slightly, her gaze cool. "Because I’ve lived this life before."

Hunter pulled his head back and burst out laughing, the sound deep and rich. "Right. And I have a portal to another world."

Zyra just stared at him. No smirk, no playful eyebrow twitch_ just deadpan, unwavering eyes.

Hunter’s laughter slowly died down. He folded his lips together, clearing his throat awkwardly as he realized she wasn’t joking. He leaned against the stone balustrade and asked, "Okay, okay. Say you actually lived a whole past life. What happened back then? Were you happy? What happened to your parents? Did you ever meet me?"

Zyra let out a short, sarcastic laugh that had zero joy in it. "Oh, I wish it was a fun life. But it was pretty much miserable, and my clan and family burned me to death at the end of it all. It may sound like fiction, but it is a fact. It is why I ran for the wild lands immediately after the resonance ceremony." She raised her glass. "Believe it or not, it’s the truth."

Hunter closed his eyes. The lighthearted atmosphere vanished in an instant, the pain of her casual words sinking straight into his bones. A heavy tightness gripped his chest. "I couldn’t have let that happen," he muttered fiercely. He scratched the back of his neck, his mind racing as he tried to reconcile her words with his own reality. "And grandpa wouldn’t have let that happen either. He loves your mother like his own daughter; he loves you like his own blood related granddaughter. He would not have looked the other way while you were hurt."

Zyra smacked her lips, her eyes suddenly brimming with a deep, ancient sorrow. "From the pieces I have put together, your grandfather was probably bedridden back then. Sealed off, hidden away, and kept entirely out of the public eye." She winced, the memory bitter on her tongue. "Maybe we should warn him to be more careful about what he consumes when miraculously comes back to life."

Hunter’s brows furrowed into a sharp line. "You suspect_ poisoning?"

Zyra nodded slowly. "After everything I’ve heard about your family’s internal power struggles, would you really be surprised? Maybe the intention was not to kill him but keep him docile."

Hunter shut his eyes briefly, exhaling a long, tense breath. "If that’s true, we need to tell him immediately."

"Agreed," Zyra said softly.

A heavy silence settled between them, filled with the ambient roaring of the crowd down in the valley. Hunter stared at the floorboards, a dark, hollow feeling gnawing at his gut.

"What about me?" he asked quietly, his voice cracking slightly. "Where was I when those people were hurting you?"

Zyra looked out at the sky. "We never crossed paths as adults."

That single sentence hit Hunter harder than a strike from a low-level beast. Sadness overwhelmed him completely. Without another word, he reached out, pulled her flush against his chest, and wrapped his arms tight around her.

"I’m here now," he whispered into her hair, holding her like she might turn into smoke and vanish. "I’m right here. Think of it as a bad dream and nothing more."

Zyra blinked back her rising emotions, inhaled his crisp, manly scent, and hugged him back with all her strength. It was a beautiful, tragic, moment between two soulmates reunited across time.

It was nice, until Zyra’s stomach let out a thunderous, demonic roar that echoed across the entire balcony, sounding remarkably like a starving tiger.

Hunter froze. He slowly pulled back, gripping her shoulders, and stared straight into her eyes with pure shock. "You just ate thirty minutes ago!"

Zyra felt her cheeks instantly burst into flames. She had not just eaten; she he had consumed an entire roasted duck. A large bowl of rice, and other side dishes included.

She let out a high-pitched, embarrassed laugh, slapping a hand over her stomach. "It’s_ it’s my fast metabolism!"

Hunter stared at her stomach, then at her face, nodding with extreme caution. He stepped back and pointed a finger toward the kitchen area. "Right. Fast metabolism," he said, trying and failing to keep a straight face. "Let’s go get you food before you decide I look delicious. I am becoming scared of your appetite."

Zyra fluttered her eyelashes, her sorrow completely replaced by mischief as she leaned in close.

"But you are delicious."

Hunter choked on his own breath, his ears turning bright red, while Zyra burst into laughter and darted toward the dining hall. She couldn’t help thinking how wonderful it would be if their life would always be this happy and easy.