Chapter 88: Chapter 88

[Effect 2: Sharing. In times of danger, you can temporarily borrow Shi Yin’s bloodline ability for spatial movement.]

[Other effects activate once the other party formally signs the contract.]

[Note: The one and only treasure of the space-time werewolf, a rare species in the universe. Bound unilaterally, non-transferable. The other party may dissolve it at any time.]

This ring was actually a mate contract for space-time werewolves! Shi Yin had already used it on her? And it was a one-sided binding—she could break it whenever she wanted?

Mu Ying couldn’t help but recall the time she’d asked Shi Yin about space-time werewolves.

“In the inherited memories, it says space-time werewolves are loyal and devoted. Their mate is their anchor in the endless flow of time. Once a werewolf signs a mate contract, if they ever betray it, they’ll be lost in the river of time until death. But the contract never restricts the mate.”

The young boy, still not quite in control of his tail and ears, spoke softly, sneaking a glance at the girl beside him.

“What? That contract is way too unfair to space-time werewolves! Yin, you have to be careful when choosing a mate in the future. Better to stay single forever than be betrayed! If anything happens, you come find me—I’ll help you get back at them!”

The girl spoke sternly, her face serious.

“Mm~” The boy blushed quietly.

“Why are you blushing?” The girl, suddenly worried he’d lose his head over love, launched into a litany of stories about people being cheated and betrayed, swapping the genders in each tale.

“Got it. Anyway, Ying, you’d never betray me, right?” For some reason, the boy’s voice trembled.

“Of course not,” the girl said, patting her chest. Her character was beyond reproach.

Mu Ying snapped back to the present, realizing Shi Yin had probably set his sights on her long ago. Her cheeks flushed faintly.

Thinking it over, she realized she wasn’t really losing out. Shi Yin was exactly her type, and with such a contract that only benefited her, wasn’t she the one getting the better deal?

Still, Mu Ying was sure her feelings for Shi Yin were more like friendship or even family right now. She didn’t mind if things developed into romance someday, but she wasn’t at that point yet.

Besides, with everything going on, she really wasn’t in the mood for love.

Mu Ying quickly regained her composure. “How long do space-time werewolves live?”

The figurine Shi Yin scratched his head, then silently drew circle after circle on his little chalkboard.

“Good, we’re both a long way from adulthood. Let’s focus on growing up first, okay? Don’t let your main body get distracted by this while accepting the inheritance.”

Mu Ying was worried he’d let love cloud his judgment and give away a mate contract so easily—even to her, it was a bit rash.

The figurine Shi Yin drooped his head. Was that a rejection?

Seeing his dejected look, Mu Ying said helplessly, “No dating before adulthood. That goes for you too!”

Elves come of age at over a hundred, and space-time werewolves are about the same. No puppy love allowed.

Shi Yin’s ears twitched. Did that mean he still had a chance?

He nodded vigorously, grinning from ear to ear.

Somewhere under the starry sky, a young boy quietly clenched his fist."

"After her conversation with Shi Yin, Mu Ying finally descended the mountain.

The house at the foot of the mountain had long since disappeared, but fortunately, the cave remained.

The wolf pack was also resting there.

Mu Ying pitched her tent inside the cave and fell asleep. With the wolves sleeping outside, she had no need to worry about safety.

The first thing she did upon waking the next day was to ask Da Hui about his injuries.

Before the apocalypse, there weren’t any beasts near Wolf King Slope that could threaten the wolf pack. It could only mean that some kind of monster had appeared in the area after the apocalypse.

After questioning the wolves, Mu Ying frowned deeply. Plants?

To the north of Wolf King Slope, there was a large area where the trees had died off, and all the animals had perished from disease.

The wolves’ water source was a stream that flowed through that forest, but lately, the water had looked off. An old wolf had drunk from it and died soon after. What’s more, the area of dead trees was still expanding, with more and more plants dying.

That was why Da Hui had gone into the forest to investigate. As soon as he entered, the dead trees and vines inside came to life and attacked him ferociously. Luckily, he hadn’t gone too deep and was much stronger than before the apocalypse, so he barely managed to escape.

If Mu Ying hadn’t happened to return, he wouldn’t have survived.

Dead trees that could move, and the blight seemed to be spreading. Mu Ying had no choice but to temporarily set aside her research into the wild transformation of wolf form.

She mounted her broom and flew straight to the northern edge of Wolf King Slope.

At a glance, she saw a glaring patch of withered yellow amidst the lush forest, like an ugly scar.

The withered forest seemed even denser than the surrounding healthy woods. Some of the dead plants were twisted into unnatural shapes, and there were more vines and shrubs than usual.

Mu Ying focused her senses, using her connection to nature to observe the withered forest. She saw not a trace of the green that signified life, but instead, the area was filled with unsettling black miasma.

This black energy was constantly infecting the natural power of the healthy trees nearby.

The trees close to the withered area were in poor condition—their leaves yellowing, and the wild grass and shrubs looked almost as bad as those within the dead zone.

Mu Ying felt as if she could hear the forest’s wails and nature’s cries.

Casting spells was difficult while riding her broom, so she landed a little closer to the withered forest and used Detect Life to investigate the dead trees.

“Dead wild holly.”

“Dead snakehead grass.”

“Cypress, near death.”

The spell’s feedback showed nothing unusual—just a bunch of dead plants.

But Mu Ying knew that wasn’t the case. Da Hui had said some of these dead plants could move and were aggressive.

She thought for a moment, then drew her bow and fired several arrows at the dead trees, but nothing happened. It was as if they really were just dead wood.

But Da Hui’s injuries were real, and what she had sensed with her nature magic also proved that something was wrong with these trees.

“No matter what, wood is always afraid of fire, right?”

These trees had lost all their natural energy anyway, so she didn’t feel bad about burning them.

Mu Ying decided to use the second-circle spell she’d recently learned: Scorching Flame Sphere.

A massive fireball, five feet in diameter, appeared in the withered forest and began to roll slowly under her control.

The previously silent forest revealed its true nature under the blaze.