“Yoh-hoo…”

In a clear, cool pool of water, Xie Cheng was comfortably soaking underwater. The refreshing water made him unable to contain his exclamation. The weather here was scorching hot, and after just narrowly escaping death at the volcanic crater, being submerged in the cool water felt so good that it was almost indescribable—he was practically flying with joy!

“Whoosh! Ah, finally back to life…”

Splashing the cool water on his face, he instantly felt fully revived—perfect!

Xie Cheng ran his hands back through his short, messy black hair and loudly praised, which caught the attention of Geno, who was sitting at a distance.

Relying on his sharp eyesight, Geno observed Xie Cheng’s bare body clearly, including his clean, handsome face. His features were sharp and youthful, with a certain heroic aura between his brows. He didn’t look at all like the silly person from earlier. He must have misjudged him, surely it was because he hadn’t seen a female for so long.

Xie Cheng had smooth, pale skin, which was probably due to the clothing wrapped around his body—hmm, what was it called? Clothes, right? And pants that wrapped around the lower body, which he’d never seen before.

Most ordinary beastmen in hot weather were often topless, and females typically wore only a light animal skin vest. Only those from noble beastmen tribes had light clothes made from rubber trees—he had seen this when he accompanied his father to the Eastern Dragon Valley as a child. It was very beautiful, and the beastmen there were all quite handsome, especially the females.

But the rubber tree clothes weren’t what Xie Cheng was wearing. His attire seemed light and airy but tightly wrapped his body, without affecting his movement. Geno was curious.

He didn’t like females—he could even say he feared or disliked them—but Xie Cheng’s strange appearance attracted his attention, and he couldn’t help but watch.

Xie Cheng’s words and attire were completely different from the females in his memory. He couldn’t recall any species with such clothing. The material, unlike animal skin, felt new and strange to him. Could it be that so much had changed outside while he was gone for so long?

Watching Xie Cheng’s pale body move in the water, Geno’s expression gradually became more subtle. He actually knew that females who had partners usually carried a male’s scent, but Xie Cheng didn’t have that. His scent was even more pure than most females.

So, either Xie Cheng was truly without a partner, or his partner had abandoned him without ever touching him. This poor little female even foolishly claimed that he wasn’t a female—he must have suffered a great shock.

If Geno took Xie Cheng in, at least he’d have company in this dull place. Of course, he didn’t expect Xie Cheng to become his partner… Hmm, right, Xie Cheng had said they could be friends.

As Geno was lost in thought, he heard Xie Cheng’s voice: “Geno.”

Feeling completely relaxed from the bath, Xie Cheng turned around and saw Geno looking his way. He smiled brightly and waved at him, not understanding why Geno had to sit over a hundred meters away. Even if he wanted to talk to someone, he couldn’t.

Anyway, he would be staying here for a while, so it wouldn’t hurt to get to know Geno better. Even though Geno was looking at him like he was an idiot, he felt the same way about Geno in his heart, so it all balanced out.

The most important thing was that Geno was strong—he was from the Wyvern tribe! With such a muscular body, how could he not get close? After calming down in the cold water, Xie Cheng made up his mind to do everything he could to “cling” to Geno’s thigh.