Zerra’s paws clutched the balcony’s railings, and just as she was about to launch herself toward some tree nearby, she was picked up.
"I know you’d come again." Cassias’ smug voice rang in her ears.
He flipped her. The small figure of the fox now was facing his face. His lips pulled up into that smug, devilish smile.
Zerra shuddered. She flailed around, baring her teeth at him, and let out animalistic snarls. Has he seen it? Did he see her transforming into a fox?
"Now, now." Cassias hummed, locking her paws in one hand and holding her close to his chest. She struggled harder, trying to bite him. To her surprise, he didn’t budge even after she sank her teeth into his arms.
Zerra now doubted her life. He wasn’t afraid of turning into a zombie? Or has this version of the male lead realized his own plot armor in this world?
After all, even if the whole world was burning, he and Nyra wouldn’t.
"Let’s go in." He brought her into his room.
Zerra went quiet, stopped struggling, but her heart sank. A moment later, when Cassias loosened his grip, she jumped from his arms.
Sadly, he managed to catch her before she could reach the floor. She could only resign to her fate, letting out a fox sigh.
Her ears suddenly perked up. She blinked in calculation. That was right... didn’t this kidnapper tell her some time ago he had some crystal cores?!
After locking the door and closing the window, Cassias set her down on a chair. Then, a small hill of crystal cores appeared in front of Zerra; her movement of intending to bite him again stopped halfway.
"I have gathered some more for you." He brushed her fur stealthily.
Zerra snorted. Well, he definitely knew when to pick his time; he stretched his evil paw just as she already started digging in her food.
"If you want more, you can come again. Just be careful. There will be some patrol around 1 a.m passing by this building..." Cassias proceeded to expose the patrol schedule to her.
Her mouth twitched in disbelief; she took a deep breath. This man was truly unbelievable. Selling the shelter’s secret for her cuteness...
She must admit that he was good at analyzing things. He can even mention how many people usually came to patrol and their habits.
On certain days, this group of patrols would walk slower and they reached their building thirty minutes late. Another group usually did it faster; they were fifteen minutes earlier.
Zerra was forced to listen to him talking. By the time he finished, half of her food was already gone. She shot him a look; he gave her a feeling as if she had entered school again.
"Continue eating." He smiled. Zerra ignored him. As if she had been granted amnesty, she continued to munch on the crystal cores. The crunching sounds reverberated in the room.
When she had a few left, an appetizing smell wafted through the room and attracted her attention.
She lifted her eyes, finding Cassias was sitting on a chair beside her. She spit out the crystal core and gazed at him with her hopeful eyes. He was eating some kind of noodles with spicy fried chicken on top.
As if noticing her stare, he lowered his bowl and offered her. "Do you want some?"
She gazed at him in hesitation, trying to gauge in his face whether he was serious. Seeing that he still didn’t withdraw his bowl after a minute later and there was even an encouraging look in his eyes, she jumped forward.
The moment she took a bite of the spicy chicken, her eyes widened. What was this unpalatable thing...?
Zerra coughed out the thing in her mouth, gasping loudly.
No, it wasn’t because of the spiciness. She could eat spicy things. However... the thing that just entered her mouth, it truly tasted like dirt. Super awful.
"Oh, you can’t eat such food." Cassias took a tissue and wiped her fur, which was stained with chili oil.
Zerra was a bit deflated. Those delicious foods. Did that mean that when she became a fox in the future, she could only eat crystal cores, but not human food?
Other options, like human or animal flesh, were out of the question. She was a good zombie!
Her mind shifted to yesterday. She could still eat like a human as long as she was in her human form, but in the fox form, she was essentially a zombie.
When Cassias fell asleep, she slipped away.
Right in time, just as Laziel opened the door. She ran out, surprising the man that Cassias woke up.
"That’s Foxy?" He asked Cassias, wide-eyed.
Then he ran out, "Foxy, come back here. I have some crystal cores for you!"
Did Zerra listen? Of course she did not. By the time Laziel was looking around for her figure, she had already disappeared somewhere.
"Man, I am sorry." Laziel exhaled, a guilty look on his face. "Where did you find her?"
"She came to me on her own." Cassias declared lazily. "Just let her be. She will come back if she feels hungry again."
"Are you that sure?" Laziel gave him an uncertain look. Cassias didn’t answer.
He thought about it for a while. "What does she like? Only crystal cores?"
Zerra returned to her room. In half an hour, she was already back in her human form again. Clutching her chest, she heaved a sigh of relief. What a close call!
Had she been there a little longer, they would find out that the fox was her! All thanks to that buffoon Laziel. If Laziel had returned, then Nyra also should have been.
She felt her senses improved after she just had some of her spiritual energy filled. Thinking that they might call her soon because they wanted the supplies in her space, she went out on her own.
The door to the men’s room was slightly ajar. With Zerra’s senses, she noticed there were only two people in the room, the main leads.
She bit her lips in hesitation. Should she go in or would she ruin the moment if she did?
"Oh, does it bother you that much, Cassias? I just didn’t expect that you hadn’t told them." It was Nyra’s voice.
Telling them who? She and Laziel? Zerra knew that eavesdropping was bad, but her gossipy heart couldn’t stop. Had she stumbled into some kind of secret between the main protagonists?
She waited. Her heart palpitated in anticipation when Cassias started speaking.