I am Villain Cultivator
Chapter 62: Don’t Touch the Tail!

Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Don’t Touch the Tail!

"Kaal..."

The voice was barely a whisper, trembling.

Before he could react, Jane threw herself into his arms, wrapping him in a hug so tight it nearly knocked the air out of his lungs. Her grip was desperate, trembling as though she feared that if she let go for even a second, he would vanish like a cruel dream.

Kaal froze, stunned.

Jane, who always carried herself with calm dignity... was shaking. Her breath hitched against his chest, and her arms refused to loosen.

He blinked. "Jane?"

She didn’t answer. Her face remained buried against him.

Kaal slowly lifted his hand, gently resting it atop her crimson hair. It was softer than he remembered. Lighter, almost weightless. His fingers moved gently through the strands, comforting, grounding.

He looked up, toward Mia, and nearly did a double-take.

Her appearance had changed.

Her golden eyes now gleamed with feline slits, and her Pink-hair shimmered with streaks of gold. Sleek furred ears twitched atop her head, and a soft tail flicked behind her in rhythm with her breathing.

She looked almost exactly like the cat beastkin he once read about that lives in the Heaven Mountain Continent archives, graceful, wild, and deeply attuned to nature. A child of a Spirit beast and a human.

His gaze shifted back to Jane, who clung to him with the same strength as before.

She, too, had changed. Though not as visibly. Her figure had become leaner, her features more delicate, her ears slightly elongated, almost Elven in shape. But the biggest change was in her eyes.

Once vibrant violet, they were now shadowed and dull.Black.Empty.

"Jane... why have you become so thin?" he asked softly. "And you have black eyes... did you not sleep?"

Mia stepped forward, her tail swishing behind her, arms crossed as she pouted.

"Young Master," she said with a huff, "for seven whole months, she didn’t eat properly, barely slept, and just sat in front of that gate. She wouldn’t move."

Kaal’s eyes widened.

"Seven... months?" he echoed. "I was in the trial that long? But to me... it only felt like three."

He looked down at Jane again, only to find her breathing had slowed, and her grip had relaxed.

She had fallen asleep. Finally. Right there in his arms.

Kaal sighed, his voice gentle. "She must have collapsed from exhaustion..."

Without another word, he slipped his arms beneath her knees and lifted her into a princess carry. Her head rested lightly against his shoulder, her hair cascading down like a curtain of red silk.

He turned to Mia.

"Well, it looks like the two of you have a lot to explain to me," he said with a soft smile.

Mia nodded, brushing a strand of her new silver hair behind her ear.

With Jane resting against him and Mia walking beside him, Kaal stepped away from the courtyard, leaving the glowing Strength Gate behind as the three of them headed toward the shelter.

(on The Wooden shelter)

Kaal gently laid Jane on her bed, her breathing soft and steady. He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and tucked it in with care, his eyes lingering for a moment on her sleeping face.

Then, quietly, he stepped back and closed the door behind him.

When he turned, Mia was already waiting in the corridor, her pink hair shimmering faintly under the torchlight, feline ears twitching as if sensing his thoughts.

He exhaled softly. "Mia... now tell me. What happened during those seven months?"

For a moment, Mia looked like she wanted to say more, so much more, but she held it back. Instead, she straightened and nodded, her voice clear yet filled with emotion.

"Young Master, I chose the Truth Gate," she began, her tone shifting with gravity. "Inside... I was trapped in an illusion. It made me relive everything I’ve ever feared. Again and again."

Kaal didn’t interrupt.

"I saw the festival. Our village. My parents are alive. My father is smiling. My mother is cooking. I believed it was real... until the bandits came. Just like before."

Her voice trembled. She looked down, gripping the edge of her sleeve.

"I kept thinking... if only I were stronger, maybe I could’ve saved them. Maybe if we weren’t at the festival, they wouldn’t have died. I carried that guilt for so long."

Kaal’s gaze softened. Still, he remained silent.

"But in the illusion... after so many cycles, I finally accepted something." She looked up, eyes shimmering with tears, but not weakness. "That I can’t change the past. That my parents are gone. And maybe... just maybe, they’re watching me from the heavens, proud of what I’ve become."

Her voice broke slightly, but she composed herself.

"When I passed the trial," she continued, "an emotionless voice told me my reward was a Bloodstone. The moment I touched it, something deep inside me awakened..."

She paused, closing her eyes for a moment. Then, with a light gesture, she summoned her soul beast.

A soft white glow burst into existence beside her.

From the light, a small white wolf pup emerged. Its fur gleamed like snow, lined with streaks of gold across its spine like ancient runes. Its crimson eyes blinked as it looked up at Mia with adoration.

"Sylvrin," Mia said with a gentle smile.

The pup barked joyfully, ran to her, and began licking her hand, tail wagging fiercely. But then it turned and spotted Kaal.

Its eyes narrowed.

It let out a high-pitched howl more adorable than threatening, its tiny fangs bared like a miniature guardian.

Mia chuckled. "Sylvrin, that’s my Young Master. Don’t howl at him."

The pup paused... then gave Kaal a grumpy look before trotting back to Mia and curling at her feet.

Kaal was stunned. He stared at the creature, then at Mia.

A flurry of thoughts surged in his mind.

’ The Bloodstone... A legendary treasure. Said to awaken hidden bloodlines without backlash. The last known appearance was four thousand years ago... I had no idea the Founder possessed one, much less that it would be given as a trial reward.’

But that wasn’t all.

’ Mia’s bloodline... It’s not native to this continent. A beastmen race from another continent. Known for their deep connection with soul beasts...

He looked again at the small white wolf, now dozing beside Mia, and realized the truth.

That must be her Soul Beast.

After a moment, he asked, "Mia... did you see Ashen or Divya?"

Mia nodded. "They left to challenge the Third Trial about four months ago," she said. "Jane and I decided to stay behind and wait for you."

Kaal nodded slowly.

"One last question," he said, his voice low. "In your trial... did you meet the Founder’s holo...I mean, phantom?"

Mia shook her head. "No, Young Master. I never saw him."

Kaal fell silent, his gaze distant for a moment.

He looked toward Jane’s room, then back at Mia, and quietly thought:

’ Then why did I face him...? ’ If he remembers correctly founder phantom said that this recording only plays when his descendant with talent equal to his appears. ’ he was lost in thought for a moment.

Mia glanced up at Kaal, her golden feline eyes reflecting a mix of hesitation and curiosity."Young Master... should I tell you about Sis? Her trial, and... how she awakened her bloodline?"

But before she could say more, Kaal gently raised a hand, stopping her mid-sentence.

He turned toward the shelter, where Jane lay sleeping peacefully, and his expression softened, filled with warmth.

"No," he said quietly. "I want to hear it from Jane herself. When she’s ready."

Mia blinked, surprised by the tenderness in his voice. She looked at him for a long moment, then slowly nodded. Still, something in her expression lingered like words unsaid. Her pink tail twitched once, then again, swaying left and right behind her.

Kaal noticed. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Mia," he said, tilting his head, "do you have a question?"

She froze.

Her ears twitched once before flattening slightly against her head. Her eyes darted to the floor. Her tail slowed, curling downward as she gathered her courage.

Then, almost in a whisper, she asked, "Y-Young Master... did you and Big Sis... a-are you two... a c-couple now?"

She didn’t dare look up.

Kaal blinked.

Then, without hesitation, he answered, "Yes. Jane and I became a couple. Not long ago... during the time our clan was attacked."

His voice was calm and sincere. There was no embarrassment, no avoidance. Just honesty.

’ If I love someone, I won’t hide it. I’ll stand by it with confidence. ’

For a second, Mia said nothing. Then, her ears perked up and her eyes sparkled with joy.

"I knew it!" she squealed. "I knew something weird was going on between you two! Sis was acting so strange lately, spacing out, smiling at nothing, humming like she was in love!"

Her tail whipped side to side erratically, betraying her excitement.

She looked truly happy, not just surprised, but deeply, sincerely joyful for her sister.She knew Jane had feelings for Kaal. But the chains of her status, the fear of stepping beyond her place as a maid, had always held her back.

Now, that weight had lifted.

"I’m so happy for her," Mia said, nearly bouncing on her toes. "She’s loved you for so long..."

Kaal couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.

But then, with a serious expression, he tilted his head slightly and asked:

"Mia... can I touch your tail?"

Everything stopped.

Mia froze mid-tail wag, her expression locked somewhere between shock, confusion, and pure horror. Her ears stood straight up. Even Sylvrin, her wolf pup, blinked and tilted his head.

"E-Eh?!"

Kaal looked entirely serious. "I’m curious. It seems expressive. I want to see how it feels."

Mia took one step back, tail immediately curling protectively behind her like a shield. Her cheeks flushed crimson.

"N-No way!" she squeaked, waving her hands frantically. "T-That’s like super personal! Even for beastkin!"

Kaal blinked, then raised an eyebrow. "...Is it?"

Kaal looked sad as if someone as stolen his Dream, but how can kaal blame himself for wanting to touch that fluffy tail.

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