animal ears

? Cole never woke up.

Back home, Norman gently put Cole on the animal skin, looked at the pale Cole, knelt on the edge of the bed, and grabbed Cole's hand distressedly, and found that Cole's hand was very cold. The eyes couldn't help seeing the obvious bulging veins on Cole's wrist.

This is……?

Taking a breath, Norman gently opened Cole's sleeve, and what shocked him even more was that not only his wrist, Cole's entire arm was covered with bruises and veins, not only that, but even his body It's all... Norman was stunned on the spot, dumbfounded, staring at the terrifying veins all over Cole's body.

At this moment, Cole's forehead was covered with sweat, his lips were still trembling, his body was convulsing, and his mouth was moaning lowly, the pain was so painful that even his fingers turned white.

"Cole!" Norman was anxious, trying to wake up Cole.

However, Cole still didn't wake up, and his body began to tremble violently.

Seeing this, Norman rushed out to find Podoka, and when Podoka entered the room and saw the veins on Cole's arm, his expression changed drastically.

"How is Cole?!" Norman asked anxiously.

Rubbing his chin, Podoka considered for a long time, looked at Cole, who was still awake, and thought for a while, before faltering and saying to Norman: "Norman... Cole..." His tone was very hesitant, hesitant to speak. end.

"What's the matter with him? Is it serious?" Norman twisted his face anxiously, "And what's going on with him...?"

Podoka shook his head.

"Tell me!" Norman was too anxious to think, and he pulled Podoka's arms hard.

After a long time, Podoka sighed, sat down with his back to Norman, and finally opened his mouth hesitantly: "Keer...he just fell into a coma because of the severe pain caused by eating the red fruit and forcibly degenerating into a female. I'm afraid it's the rejection reaction caused by the inability to control the animal blood..."

Surprised, Norman's entire head went blank: "You said...forcibly degenerated into a female?

"

Nodding, Podoka turned back, looked at Cole with some pity and the veins on his hands, and said, "It seems that this is not the first time for him..." Then he walked over, sat on the head of the bed, lifted his Cole's arm, sighed heavily, "This is a mark that has been seen for many years. In order to suppress the animal blood in his body... he should have turned into an orc long ago."

"Become an orc?!" With a look of astonishment, Norman stepped back, his scalp was numb, and he looked up at Podoka.

Although he was skeptical when he heard "Red Fruit", Norman still couldn't believe it when he actually heard the news.

And here, Podoka looked at Norman helplessly and said, "Although I've heard it before, this is the first time I've seen it, but I'm sure I'm not mistaken. Cole is already an orc." Looking at Cole, the voice was particularly solemn, and it was definitely not a joke.

Hearing this, Norman's whole body stiffened.

He couldn't believe Podoka's words, he couldn't believe that Cole...became an orc.

"Why..." He asked in a daze.

Podoka sighed, looked back at Norman, and asked, "You don't know the reason?"

This time, Norman really stopped.

reason?

Norman secretly clutched his palms, gritted his teeth, yes, he...how could he not know the reason?

Walking slowly to Cole, looking down at the miserable Cole, Norman involuntarily lowered his eyes, half-knelt down, and then tightly held Cole's cold palm with both hands.

"Norman..." After a while, Podoka stepped forward, climbed onto his shoulder, and said with a sigh, "He can't hold on for long."

"What do you mean?" Norman turned around.

Looking at Norman quietly, Podoka said helplessly: "He will soon be completely animalized, and then he will lose his mind, and even...don't know you."

"I lost my mind..." Stunned, Norman muttered something in his mouth. He was silent for a moment, then looked back at Podoka, and asked in a deep voice, "What will he become?"

"I don't know," Podoka replied, "After years of suppressing animalization, you don't need to think about it, you know how painful it is. His body has been suffering from severe pain due to the rejection of muscles and bones, and taking red fruit, His brain has been severely damaged, and if he turns into a beast again, his whole body may collapse..."

"Then how can we stop him from turning into a beast?"

"I can't stop it." Podoka shook his head, "This is the instinct of an orc, and for Cole... once again becoming an animal means that he will completely lose himself."

"...!"

Listening to all this, Norman clenched his fingers tightly, and the hands in his palms were still unbearably cold. He couldn't believe that Cole had been enduring this pain, let alone... he hadn't even noticed it.

It's ridiculous to ask yourself why.

Norman lowered his eyes, remembering what he said before returning to the village.

──We will have our own child in the future, and we cannot let him stay with you in such a dangerous place.

──...Children?

I finally understood why Cole trembled after hearing his words that day. It turned out that it was not because of joy, but because of fear.

How stupid is he to say that to Cole!

Regret overwhelmed Norman in an instant. He hugged Cole, who hadn't woken up, tightly, and felt the breathless breathing under him, as well as the inaudible heartbeat, and his heart hurt so badly that he couldn't breathe.

It turns out that the deliberate alienation is not because of having someone else, but because Cole is afraid of hurting himself.

It has been like this from the past, no matter how much hardship he endured or how seriously injured he was, Cole never told himself, because he was afraid that he would be worried, so he always endured it silently.

Pressing the center of his eyebrows against his fingers, touching the coolness of the fingertips.

"Is there any way to save him?" Norman asked after a long time.

Podoka's gaze sank, hesitating.

"Please tell me if you have anything!" Catching the hesitation between Podoka's brows, Norman stood up and begged loudly.

However, Podoka shook his head and said, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, even if I tell you...you may not be able to find it."

"Please tell me, Podoka!" Asking again, Norman grabbed Podoka, then glanced at his partner with distress, and once again faced Podoka sincerely, put down his self-esteem and knelt down, and said loudly devoutly: "I want to save him I will save him no matter what, please tell me!"

Facing the resolute Norman, he sighed, and Podoka turned around and said, "On the other side of the forest, there is a blue fruit that can neutralize the side effects of the red fruit, but I have to tell you first, the blue fruit It can't be completely detoxified, that is to say, Cole's life will still be in danger, and even if he is detoxified, Cole can only live as an orc. In addition, it will take at least a day to go back and forth to the other side of the forest. You may not be able to come back before the next beast transformation... so, are you still willing to go?"

"I am willing!" Norman's voice was very firm, then he looked at the unconscious Cole distressedly, gritted his teeth and nodded, "I will definitely come back with the blue fruit!"

Let's go.

"Wait a minute." Ley suddenly appeared at the door and stopped Norman.

Dazed for a moment, Norman had a slight displeasure on his face.

Looking at the situation in the house, Ley was not afraid, but went straight forward and said to Norman, "I know the blue fruit, I will go with you."

"..."

"There is no time to hesitate. The sooner we can find the blue fruit, the sooner we can save him..." Slightly glanced at Cole, who was still not awake, a faint gloomyness flashed across the golden pupils, but it disappeared quickly. , He turned to look at Podoka, then took out a bag of anesthetics, and said, "Cole, please give it to you for the time being, if he wakes up from the pain, give him a smell...Father."

After receiving the package of anesthetics, Podoka looked directly at his son, and the disappointed eyes that looked at Cole were full of bitter love.

Podoka was very surprised, but still nodded.

Then Ley looked back, looked at Norman, and said, "How about it? Let's go."

After weighing it, Norman didn't object, but his inner grudge made him reluctant to speak to Ley.

When the two walked into the dark forest, Podoka silently looked at the shadows that almost melted into the forest, and the starless night sky.

That is a dark color.

Then, when he turned his head, someone patted Podoka on the shoulder, and Podoka was taken aback.

"It's you……?"

When he woke up the next day, Cole found himself at home.

Why are you at home?

Cole froze, looked left and right, and found that Norman and Palanch were not there, then clutched his chest, and slowly recalled the previous events.

He still remembered that, because he couldn't bear the pain caused by the animalization, he missed the night to find Ley, but he passed out from the pain, and then...

Covering his head with his hands, Cole couldn't remember anything.

Then he put down his hands, stared blankly at the sunlight outside the house, sat up a little, and suddenly felt a stabbing pain, as if the bones all over his body were being dismantled, Cole couldn't help hugging his body violently, gritting his teeth in pain , and then found that he was naked from the upper body.

The blue veins covering the skin are particularly clear and terrifying.

Dazed for a moment, Cole looked around quickly, but he didn't find Norman's figure, so he endured the pain and got out of bed, then grabbed a piece of clothing and put it on, and staggered to the door. Unexpectedly, when the door was opened, , was directly stepped forward and slapped hard.

The heavy slap directly slapped Cole's ears.

Unable to stand firmly, he leaned against the door, looking at the person in front of him with some confusion.

Lydia.

There are some older clansmen behind Lydia, and they all stare at him with angry eyes.

"It was you who killed Jean and Jesse." With a determined, unquestionable angry voice, Lydia stared fiercely at Cole, who was confused by the question because her eyes were red.

It took him a while to come back to his senses.

Himself...killed Jean and Jesse?

Why do you say that?

Wait a minute, Jesse... is dead?

Cole's eyes widened in disbelief.

Seeing that Cole was full of surprise and didn't answer a word, Lydia became even more angry. He rushed up and grabbed Cole's neck. Cole was very weak at this time, and his body was in pain, so he didn't have any strength to resist. , was forced to the ground by Lydia, and Lydia strangled Cole frantically, and even scratched Cole's cheek with her nails.

Grabbing Lydia's hand in pain, Cole couldn't resist, his throat was tightly strangled, and he couldn't make a sound. Gradually, the air in his nasal cavity became thinner, and his consciousness began to blur.

At this time, someone suddenly pulled Lydia away.

It's Tyson.

Tyson, who also had a heavy face, glanced at Cole, who kept covering his throat and coughing and panting. He hesitated, then turned to Lydia, shook his head and said, "Lydia, although someone saw Cole at night Leaving the village, but before the matter is clear, don't jump to conclusions."

"Didn't figure it out?!" Lydia yelled, then looked at Cole coldly, took out a bloody bone knife, threw it at his feet, and shouted, "This is from your land. Found it, how do you explain it?!"

Cole was even more puzzled, while others showed disgust and hatred in their eyes.

what happened?

He didn't understand, what happened after he passed out last night? !

At this time Tyson spoke, he helped Cole who was sitting on the ground, looked into his eyes, frowned and said, "The patrol team found Jesse's body by the river last night, and then..." His eyes were light It flashed lightly, "Then I found this bone knife in your land."

Shocked, Cole shook his head and said, "I don't know..."

"Where were you last night?" Tyson asked.

"I..." The words choked for a moment, Cole didn't continue, and quietly clenched his fists.

His silence made everyone more suspicious.

"Everyone wrongly blamed Cole." A voice broke the silence.

Everyone turned their eyes to the back, and it was Heather standing in the corner with a slight smile on her face.

Looking around, Heather finally focused on Cole, smiled, and said in a low voice, "Cole was with Ley last night, how could he kill someone?"

Cole was startled, and stared blankly at Heather with a calm face.

Heather... how do you know?

Not only Cole, but others were also very surprised, especially the angry Lydia, who quickly turned around and asked, "How do you know?"

"I heard from Jean." Heather continued, looking at Lydia faintly, "the night before Jean was killed, he told me that Cole would meet with Ley every night, oh, yes Yes, Jesse was there at the time, arguing for Cole."

Cole saw those calm blue eyes with an indescribable smile that sent chills down his back. ?