The Entire Demon World is Fighting for My Favor: A Shura Field 58

Chapter 58

“What are you three up to?” Lin Ran asked, approaching the cubs after ending the livestream. Sootball, feigning innocence, blinked its large, round eyes.

“Cheep.”

Lin Ran, hearing the meaningless chirp, was suspicious. “Something’s up, Sootball.”

“Cheep cheep!” Sootball, indignant, flew into his arms, nuzzling him.

[Triggered special event! Your cubs have requested a field trip. Approve?][Yes][No]

Lin Ran: Huh? A field trip? What kind of field trip? He decided to ask the more responsible An Xun.

“Snowball, anything you want to say?”

“Mew…” An Xun, however, just looked at him and remained silent, stepping on its fluffy tail.

Little Feather was still thinking about Sootball’s words. Sootball had said A-Ran was poor and worked hard to support them, and now there was another cub to take care of. They had to help him, by retrieving his treasure! And as for why the Memory Spring Water belonged to A-Ran, Sootball’s logic was simple: everything in “Demon World” belonged to A-Ran, and the water was part of “Demon World.” Therefore, it was A-Ran’s!

“Ee—!” Little Feather, surprisingly agreeing with this logic, was now indignant. Who had stolen A-Ran’s water?!

Snowball, though finding this logic somewhat “bully-ish,” agreed that if A-Ran wanted it, they should get it for him.

“Fine, keep your secrets. Just don’t get hurt, okay?” Lin Ran said, giving up, petting Sootball and reminding all three to be careful. They nodded, then dashed out the door.

“So coordinated?” He was amused. When had Little Feather become friends with the others? Cubs were unpredictable.

With the house empty, he cleaned up, then went for a walk by the riverbed, noticing the new plants growing and the water accumulating. The sapling was thriving. It was no longer a barren wasteland.

“The water is so clean,” he said, imagining the river restored to its former beauty. He noticed the transplanted fruit trees were bearing fruit, including the Golden Spirit Fruit and even the peach tree.

He picked a peach, washed it, and took a bite, his eyes widening. It was delicious.

[Beep—Consumed A-Rank Demon World Peach. Activated random buff: Doubled memory for 10 hours.] It even had a special effect! This would be perfect before exams!

As he admired the peach, he heard a familiar sound, and a golden lion approached, its tail swishing.

“Yuanbao? You’re here too?” he asked, smiling, petting its mane, noticing the little plushie still hanging from its neck.

“Roar—” Shao Mian had been frantically clicking the donate button during the livestream, only to be told the message limit was reached. Outrageous! If he couldn’t send messages, he would come in person. Those demons on the forum were so childish.

“What are you so smug about?” Lin Ran asked, ruffling his mane, sensing his smugness.

Shao Mian grumbled, letting him pet him. He was surprised by the transformation of the once-barren riverbed. Perhaps this year’s miasma tide would be less severe. It seemed to be delayed this year.

The annual miasma tide, a dark, suffocating fog that engulfed “Demon World,” causing widespread death and decay, was a challenging time for all demons. “Demon World” issued quests to combat the miasma, but with its increasing intensity, many weaker demons simply logged out, fearing corruption.

Shao Mian realized his leg hadn’t bothered him since the human had bandaged it, and his shedding had also decreased. He always took on the S-Rank miasma defense quest, leading the front lines with Ser. This was why “Demon World” had granted him admin privileges. He sometimes wondered what would happen to this sanctuary if he also abandoned it during the miasma tide.

“Yuanbao, aren’t you cold in the rain? Come under the umbrella,” Lin Ran said, pulling him closer, trying to share his small umbrella. It could either cover him completely, leaving Yuanbao exposed, or cover half of Yuanbao, leaving him exposed. He should have brought another umbrella or a raincoat.

“Roar…” Shao Mian, after looking at him for a moment, sat down.

Lin Ran: ? He finally understood.

“You want me to… sit on you, Yuanbao?” he asked. He had ridden him as a cub, but not in his human form.

Shao Mian, however, wrapped his tail around his waist, pulling him closer. So, Yuanbao had changed. Despite their growing familiarity, he knew the lion’s pride was genuine. Its usual laziness stemmed from its confidence, not weakness. Offering a human a ride was unusual. Had his hidden affection levels reached a certain threshold? “Demon World” never showed any notifications for Yuanbao.

“Fine, I’ll try,” he said, cautiously sitting on the lion’s back, holding onto his mane.

Shao Mian stood up and ran, the scenery blurring, Lin Ran’s hair flying in the wind. As they crossed a stream, a flock of water birds took flight.

“So beautiful! Demon World looks even more amazing from up here, Yuanbao,” Lin Ran said, noticing the riverbed’s recovery.

Shao Mian stopped on a high cliff.

[Discovered hidden location: Cloudtop Heights!][Increased energy recovery, mood limit, and intuition. Chance of permanent luck bonus!] Even the system acknowledged this rare location, its benefits substantial.

Lin Ran, looking down at the vast landscape, the once-dry riverbed now visible in the distance, took a deep breath. Was this Yuanbao’s secret spot? The highest point in his territory.

Shao Mian, however, pulled him back, worried he would fall. Would he die in “Demon World” if he was injured in the real world?

Lin Ran, pulled back, hugged the lion, burying his face in its mane.

Shao Mian froze. The human had… nuzzled his mane! Was he this casual with all fluffy creatures? What would he do when he met the other adult demons?

“You’re so generous, Yuanbao, showing me this beautiful view. Can I put a bench here?” Lin Ran asked, petting his mane. This place was so calming; he wanted to sit here and admire the view whenever he felt stressed.

A bench? Shao Mian couldn’t believe his audacity. He had only brought him here because he was in a good mood!

“Roar…” But he nodded in agreement.

“Thank you, Your Majesty! I’ll ask Sootball and the others to help me carry it… Wait, is that Sootball’s aura!?” Lin Ran said, then noticed a familiar purple aura erupting like a mushroom cloud in the distance.

Shao Mian also recognized Sootball’s aura. It was coming from the Kulma Mountains, home of the Boar Clan, known for their isolation and their ferocity when provoked. What had Sootball done?

“Cheep cheep—!!” Sootball hadn’t expected the boar to be so angry about a small jar of spring water.

He and Little Feather were dodging attacks, barely keeping ahead.

“Ee…” Even Little Feather, usually so smug, was flapping its wings frantically, clutching the jar, tossing it to Sootball whenever the boar, Klein, got too close. This only enraged him further.

Snowball, however, wasn’t surprised. “Mew.” Stealing something so valuable had consequences. He was, however, surprised by their initial success, thanks to an unexpected accomplice.

“Oink—!” A little piglet was happily running with them, thinking it was a game. Ein recognized Sootball and the others, their eye patches a clear sign of A-Ran’s handiwork. He had even participated in the “Demon World” contest, but hadn’t made it past the first round. His father, Brian, however, had a typical Boar Clan attitude: no need to compete with those try-hards. Being a happy boar was enough. And the Kulma Mountains had plenty of treasures.

So, Ein, raised with this philosophy, saw everything as a game. And the Kulma Mountains, though comfortable, were a bit lonely. He was curious about the newcomers and their purpose.

Sootball, seeing this, seized the opportunity. “Cheep cheep cheep!” Help us get some water, and we’ll take you to see A-Ran! He needs your help!

“Oink!” Ein readily agreed, leading them to his father’s hidden stash of Memory Spring Water, accumulated over centuries, unused and taking up space. A small jar wouldn’t be missed, especially since they promised to take him to see A-Ran.

So, when Brian returned, he found his water stolen and his son gone! He was furious. What kind of bandits were these?! He would report them! They must have coerced Ein into opening the vault!

“Secretary Ser, you must understand the gravity of this situation! We Boars are peaceful creatures! But those bandits attacked us! And they kidnapped my only son, Ein! I’m heartbroken!” Brian exclaimed, clinging to Ser, demanding justice. Those cubs, and that human, had to be punished! Who knew if the human was the mastermind?!

“Clan Leader Brian, I understand, but please calm down. Don’t shout…” Ser said, uncomfortable with the close contact. He hoped Brian wouldn’t cling to Shao Mian like this. Shao Mian hated noise. But this was unusual. The Boar Clan, usually so inconspicuous, had been targeted?

Shao Mian, however, having overheard everything, coughed, covering his mouth. Should he… protect them? He had a feeling Lin Ran needed the Memory Spring Water for something. And the boar cub was probably with him now.

Lin Ran, meanwhile, was staring at four dirty fluffballs.

“Where have you been? And who is this?” he asked, having seen them running back from Cloudtop Heights and chasing after them. Yuanbao had wanted to follow, but something had come up. Lin Ran had told him to go. Yuanbao was usually elusive; it was rare for him to stay so long.

He had been worried, but they were all safe, and there was even a new cub!

“Cheep.” Sootball nudged the little boar, urging it to greet A-Ran.

Ein, shy, didn’t look up until Sootball nudged his chin.

“A little boar?” Lin Ran said, his initial anger forgotten. The cub was undeniably cute, with its short legs, striped fur, and round body. He petted it, and it oinked happily.

“Where are its parents? Where did you find it?” he asked, sensing something was amiss. That explosion of magic earlier…

“Cheep…” Sootball, avoiding the question, started drawing circles on the ground with its tail.

Little Feather and Snowball brought him the jar of water, their faces dirty. Little Feather, usually so clean, must have been through a lot.

“Did you steal this and get chased?” Lin Ran asked, suspecting the truth.

The three cubs froze. Only Ein, oblivious, oinked happily in Lin Ran’s arms.