Chapter 181: The Unexpected Proposal And The Competition Announcement!

Popi’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and surprise.

Her eyes traveled to where Neve was standing, several feet away from her. She glared at him, signaling him silently not to leave her alone with Varek. The look in her eyes was screaming for help like there was no way she could handle Varek. Liar. She’s probably the only person in both worlds that could handle him.

But Varek did not stop his advance.

Neve was actually happy that this was happening. That way, everyone would be distracted. They would forget about the fact that Neve had been crowned as Zyreth’s killer. The attention would shift from him to this sudden romantic drama unfolding before everyone’s eyes. It felt like they were watching a movie in ultra HD.

And so far, it was working perfectly.

Because every single beastman in the gathering was shocked to see the evil and daring Varek proposing. He was known as a dangerous warrior. A sadistic fighter. A masochist who enjoyed pain and pleasure. No one expected him to have romantic feelings.

Varek turned and walked closer to Popi.

Popi stepped back, her eyes secretly glaring at him to stay back. She looked like she would punch a hole through his chest if he came any closer. Not that she could do that anyway.

And at the same time, the flush on her neck up to her ears and cheeks completely betrayed her true feelings. She was embarrassed. She was flustered. She was affected by his words.

"I do not have any knowledge how it is done outside our tribe," Varek said, his voice surprisingly gentle and sincere. "But I’ll practically beg you to be my partner. I’ll do whatever you ask. I’ll be whatever you need me to be."

The other snake beastmen started making noise again, banging their tails on the ground repeatedly. It was causing dust everywhere, but Neve could understand it was their own form of clapping. Their way of expressing approval and excitement.

He coughed softly, waving his hand in the air to get rid of the dust so he wouldn’t inhale them too much.

"Neve!" Popi shrieked silently, her eyes pleading.

Neve snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her.

"You have to help me!" Popi begged, her voice desperate.

"No," Neve shrugged, turning away. He was perfectly content to let this situation play out. It was too entertaining. And more importantly, it was taking attention away from him.

"Please say yes," Varek said, taking her hand gently.

She shrieked again, pulling her hand from his grip immediately.

"Allow me to think about it, will you?" she said, her voice shaky. "You see, I have someone else that I like. Someone I care about deeply."

The happy mood on Varek’s face suddenly vanished like a light being turned off.

"Did you just say someone you like and... deeply care about? Someone like that exists and it’s not... Me?" He asked and his head snapped to the side, and his eyes locked directly on Neve.

He glared at the pregnant red panda like it was his fault. Like Neve had somehow stolen Popi’s heart. Like Neve was the competition.

"Don’t glare at Neve that way!" Popi smacked his arm hard, and Varek immediately looked back at her with a softened gaze.

The transformation was instant. One moment he was furious and jealous. The next moment, his entire expression melted into tenderness when he looked at Popi. Neve knew that if Varek were in his original world, he would be a very popular actor with the way he switched his emotions so fast.

"If I kill him, would you finally accept me?" Varek asked casually, pointing his thumb behind him toward where Neve was standing.

He was asking if he could murder Neve to win Popi’s affection.

Popi frowned as her face squeezed in annoyance and disappointment. She looked at Varek with obvious disapproval.

That look made Varek immediately furrow his brows, realizing he had said something wrong.

"The moment you lay a finger on Neve, I’ll kill myself," Popi ordered, her voice firm and absolute. "So if you want me to accept you as my partner, if you want any chance with me at all, you need to treat Neve just the same way you’d treat me. You understand me?"

It was a clear condition. A test of his sincerity.

Neve shut his eyes as a soft groan slipped from his lips.

He wished Popi had not said that. He knew there was no way Varek was going to ever treat him the same way he treats Popi. That was not how feelings worked. That was not how attraction worked. Varek’s obsession with Popi was intense and singular. It could not be transferred or split.

But still, Neve could not help but wish that Popi had made it clear about who the person she actually liked was. It was definitely not him, but Neve rubbed his hairless chin, thinking about who it could be.

Gideon. It had to be Gideon.

Even if those two acted weird around each other, clearly hiding their feelings. Even if they pretended to be indifferent. Neve was pretty sure there was something between them. A spark. An attraction that they were both too stubborn to acknowledge.

"Same way I treat you?" Varek said, his expression becoming more serious. "Him?"

He threw one final glare at Neve, who looked away almost immediately like he was expecting it. Like he knew this jealousy was coming.

"Fine, I’ll do it," Varek said and turned away from Popi.

But his words were not a resignation. They were a promise.

"I haven’t given up," he continued, his voice carrying determination. "I’ll follow you to the end of the world. I’ll follow you through every tribe and across every territory. I’ll never stop chasing you."

"You’re an outcast," Popi reminded him. "You cannot leave your territory. That’s the law of the outcast lands."

"Then, I’ll break that rule," Varek said without hesitation. "Laws mean nothing compared to you. I’ll break every rule if it means I can be where you are."

It was a dramatic declaration. A romantic gesture that would have made most people swoon.

Neve clasped his hand over his chest at how the genre had suddenly turned to dark romance.

’None of my mates was ever like this,’ Neve thought, his mind spiraling. ’Well, maybe because I have no choice but to accept them whether I liked it or not. After all, I’m just following the System’s mission or orders. I’m just completing missions. If this was a game in the hands of those voices in that room, these beastmen are programmed to fall in love with me. They are maybe like NPCs and me... I’m just the player character going through their storylines. Ugh! This is so depressing.’

Neve tried not to think much about it as he pressed his eyes shut, trying to block out the dark thoughts.

But the thoughts kept coming. Were his mates really in love with him? Or were they just programmed to be? Would they love him if the system did not force them to? Would they care about him if he was not destined to bear their cubs?

He did not want to know the answer.

"Tomorrow," Varek announced loudly to the entire gathering, addressing all the snake beastmen, "the fight for Zyreth’s seat will begin. It’ll be a two-day competition. A tournament where everyone can compete for the leadership."

He paused, making sure everyone was listening.

"The winner will be crowned the king. But not just by strength. I will be judging based on what my brother did not have and what he never gave us. I will be looking for a leader who can bring culture and respect back to our people. Who can lead with wisdom instead of tyranny."

Everyone did their cheering again, banging their tails and making noise.

Neve’s mind immediately started calculating.

’Tomorrow the competition starts. It will last for two days. That means it will be finished by the day after tomorrow. If I can complete my treatment of Maren’s mother by then, we can head back home. We can finally leave this place and return to the leopard tribe.’

He thought about the journey back. It would probably be stressful as usual. The snow was still thick in the mountains. Traveling with a pregnant red panda like him and the exhausted others would be slow.

But then a new thought occurred to him.

’What if Skarr is able to use Zyreth’s teleportation ability even with Zyreth’s body? Would he be able to help us? Would he use Zyreth’s magic to teleport us all home at once?’

It was a possibility. A real possibility that could cut their journey time from weeks to second.

But Neve did not know if Skarr would be able to handle it. Since it wasn’t Zyreth’s soul or anything in that body, maybe the ability he had before he died was gone. But if it was there, Skarr will now be convinced to work with them..

Neve sighed, his mind already tired from thinking about all the complications ahead.

For now, he just needed to focus on one thing at a time. First, treat Maren’s mother. Second, watch the competition for the king’s seat. Third, figure out how to get home.

Everything else could wait.