At this moment, he fixed his gaze on her slightly reddened eyes and tightly pursed lips, with a flicker deep within his eyes.
Finally, he merely curled his lips, said nothing, and turned to leave.
A delicate female, seemingly weak on the outside, yet twice in a row she cut her finger to release blood.
The second wound was particularly deep, with blood flowing nonstop.
But she never said a word, nor did she lash out at them or complain even once.
What exactly is she plotting?
Is she genuinely willing to make a contract, or is there something else she's after?
Or… is she merely enduring, waiting for a particular moment?
Isaac Vaughn gently placed the newly made salt mound into the small clay jar normally used to store salt.
His tail flicked, scales receding, subtly transforming.
Into long and powerful legs, barefoot on the cold stone ground.
He didn't look back, walking straight out of the cave, his silhouette stretched long under the moonlight.
The cave soon returned to silence.
Only the occasional crackle of the campfire, sparks flying.
Seraphina Caldwell huddled on the Beast Skin, her back to the cave entrance.
As her eyes began to heat slightly, the necklace around her neck suddenly grew hot.
The temperature came without warning, scorching her with a tremble.
The heat seeped through her skin, burrowing into her bones.
Seraphina was startled, instinctively reaching to touch the necklace.
Her fingertips just grazed the tip of the metal, finding it stained with the blood she had just smeared on it.
The smear of blood hadn't fully dried.
Suddenly, the necklace lightly trembled.
Her consciousness seemed to be yanked by something.
All at once, her vision turned blank white, seeing nothing but endless emptiness and silence.
Where is this?
She paused, trying to move her thoughts, realizing her "body" was floating in a hazy space.
All around was flowing mist.
No ground underfoot, no sky overhead.
She probed the area with her thoughts, measuring the space.
Realizing it wasn't large, square-shaped, roughly five square meters.
A faint fragrance permeated the air.
"Space?"
Seraphina suddenly reacted, her eyes widening.
She remembered how, before passing, her father had stuffed this necklace into her hand, vaguely saying, "It will protect you."
The necklace her father left her, was it hiding an independent storage space?
Could it be that her blood had just activated this thing?
Having this would make things so much easier!
At least she'd never have to worry about being searched or her hidden items being discovered again.
Medicinal herbs for healing, clean clothes, even tools for counterattack could be discreetly stored here.
She circled within the space, using her consciousness to explore every corner.
Though the mist was thick, it didn't block her perception.
As she returned to her senses, her consciousness fell back into reality.
She still lay among the musty hay, with the straw below painfully pressing into her back.
The necklace around her neck had cooled, returning to its original icy touch, quietly resting against her skin.
Hurriedly, she grabbed the necklace, inspecting it under the faint light seeping through stone cracks.
The metal's tip glimmered a bit silver, while the bloodstain had dried.
But she knew it wasn't a dream.
She took a deep breath, focused her mind, attempting to store a neatly folded Beast Skin into the space.
Just at the thought, the Beast Skin disappeared from sight, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
It worked!
In another attempt, she mentally summoned that familiar thought.
The Beast Skin once again appeared steadily atop the haystack.
It really works!
Seraphina's heart raced, nearly breaking into laughter.
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, fearing she'd alert the Beast Husband outside.
This secret must never be known to those villains.
Should she fail to find her father before being forced to dissolve the contract.
She'd have no means of survival in this world where the strong prey on the weak.
But now, with this portable space.
Even if trapped in dire straits, she might still find a way out.
She first glanced around, ensuring no one was in the cave.
Then skillfully selected a few thick, well-preserved Beast Skins from the corner.
These Beast Skins had been newly hunted just days ago.
Valuable for warmth or trade.
She also retrieved a heap of berries recently picked, their skin shimmering lightly with a hint of green, not yet fully ripe.
But with proper storage, they'd last at least for days.
Lastly, she carefully took Isaac Vaughn's newly made salt mound from the stone trough.
Afraid to take it all, she chose only about a third of each, deliberately leaving noticeable marks.
So that at a glance, one would think "the items are still here."
Even if they realized a few pieces were missing later, they'd suspect misremembering the placement.
People are suspicious, but suspicion requires clues.
She must not leave any flaw.
Once done with all this, she straightened up, gently patted the dust off her hands, exhaling a murky breath.
After a long day, Seraphina was already too tired to keep her eyes open.
She forced herself with the last ounce of strength to lay the remaining Beast Skins in a dry corner, stacking them into a thin mat.
Then she curled up into a ball, securely wrapping herself.
Soon, her breathing steadied, leading to deep sleep.
In her dream, she traversed vast snowy plains, crossed treacherous mountains.
Finally, she found herself at a worn-out wooden house, meeting the father she yearned for day and night.
He had grown thinner, gray at the temples, but smiled brightly, opening his arms to embrace her tightly.
That moment, tears flowed like rain.
Soon after, the contract mark on her wrist shimmered with a golden glow, silently dispersing.
She finally freed herself from those imposed constraints.
Furthermore, in this world beyond, she stumbled upon several extraordinary handsome male companions one after another.
The dream was intoxicatingly beautiful.
As she enjoyed the dream, the wind outside the cave suddenly grew quiet.
Even the crackle of the fire seemed choked.
A tall figure silently stepped into the cave.
He halted beside Seraphina, towering over her, coldly gazing down at the female huddled in the Beast Skin.
But in the next instant, suddenly raised a hand, grabbing her slender, fair neck abruptly.
Without warning, ruthlessly and decisively.
Seraphina was dreaming of her father smiling, handing her a skewer of fragrant roasted meat, golden grease dripping onto the campfire, making an enticing "sizzle."
But suddenly, her neck tightened, throat instantly constricted, air unable to enter her lungs.
She struggled desperately, legs flailing beneath the Beast Skin, both hands instinctively grasping the large hand strangling her throat.
"Mmm…"
A weak whimper squeezed painfully from her throat.
Her consciousness teetered between clarity and dimness.
The cave's firelight flickered, casting Isaac Vaughn's shadow upon the jagged rock wall behind.
He bowed his head, thick lashes lowered, concealing the expression beneath his eyes.
Seraphina's face turned from red to purple, temples throbbing, lips trembling uncontrollably.
Tears welled at the corner of her eyes, tracing a winding wet trail down her face.
Just as her consciousness threatened to fully dissolve, her heartbeat faint enough to nearly cease.
Suddenly, from the direction of the cave entrance came a swift gust of wind!
A large hand unexpectedly reached out from the side, accurately clutching Isaac Vaughn's wrist.
He was forced to release her, and Seraphina collapsed weakly, heavily hitting the ground.