Unedited chapter
16. Beastman and Sub-beastman
Shu Shu was familiar with this estrus business. Male hamsters were very susceptible to estrus. When female hamsters were in estrus, the males were even more enthusiastic. When he had been a hamster, it had been the same for him—he had not stopped having an estrus. However, in order to become a human, he had restrained himself!
Of course, it was also because he had not wanted to mate and have children with those female hamsters that had not developed intelligence . . . . Leaving behind the mother hamster that has not developed intelligence and a bunch of little hamsters and then looking on helplessly as they died one by one; in his opinion, that was just too cruel . . . .
Because of this, even if his owner had come back with a pretty female hamster and shut him in his cage, making the female hamster and him be in contact all the time, he had nevertheless been indifferent. His owner had even thought that he had been a gay hamster.
Shu Shu thought of the past affairs, reminiscing a little. Then he looked at a certain place on his body again.
After he had plunged into this place, his appearance had changed into half-man half-mouse. Because his heart had been full of worry, he had not been in heat since then. But now he was suddenly in heat . . . . Shu Shu consciously wanted to find a place to rub himself.
Even if he wanted to keep his virginity, he could still rub himself and make himself feel good.
Just when Shu Shu was thinking about it, didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt indescribably disconcerted. He raised his head and happened to see the huge snake staring at him unblinkingly. The expression showing in its eyes was simply like it wanted to eat him!
Shu Shu’s whole body stiffened, and a certain place that had been hard promptly became soft. The pleasant and gentle mood that had just risen from the bottom of his heart dissipated in a flash. At this moment, he completely ignored the urge to rub himself and the inclination to find a place to do it. He just wanted to get into the pile of grass and bury every inch of himself inside it.
As a matter of fact, he indeed do it.
Burying himself in the pile of grass in the bedroom, Shu Shu felt extremely humiliated. In the end, he had actually got scared by his disciple again. He simply couldn't tolerate it!
Edgar saw Shu Shu dart into the hole at full tilt. The whole snake seemed like it was getting thoroughly drenched by iced water, completely frozen. Some inappropriate thoughts that had just risen from the pit of his stomach also turned into ashes.
He liked this little sub-beastman who possessed a mouse-type lineage. When he had seen the little sub-beastman lift up his grass skirt and expose his private parts, he had only felt a hot stream rushing into his mind. The snake’s body had also responded, and then he had been unable to think of anything else anymore.
At that instant, he had really, really wanted to push the little sub-beastman down. Fortunately, the little sub-beastman’s panicked looks had made him recover his state of mind.
But even so, an intense feeling of worry still rose in Edgar's heart—if the same thing happened again, would he suddenly be unable to control himself then?
In the Beastman Empire, there were two kinds of people: the beastman and the sub-beastman. The beastmen were in charge of defending their homeland, and the sub-beastmen were in charge of reproducing the future generations.
Whether they were sub-beastmen or beastmen, they were all born from the eggs. After a sub-beastman gave birth to a beast egg, a period of time would pass before the child inside it could break the shell and come out.
If what came out was an animal, then it was a beastman. When a beastman was just born, his appearance was that of a beast. After a period of time, he could switch between human form and animal form at will. Beastmen were tall, strong, and valiant. They might even have some innate abilities. They were expert in fighting or battle tactics. It could be said that the Beastman Empire’s current status in the interstellar space nowadays was possible because the beastmen had fought for it.
If a human baby came out of the egg, and the body only bore some beast aspects, such as beast ears or tail, then it was a sub-beastman.
A sub-beastman’s body could not be compared to that of a beastman. In ancient times, it was said that the sub-beastmen’s premature mortality rate had been very high. Now it was much better with the assistance of scientific and technological procedures. However, their total number was still fewer than that of the beastmen. The sub-beastmen were relatively smaller and weaker than the beastmen, but because the beastmen were born with self-control, they could not help but want to protect the sub-beastmen. Thus, the sub-beastmen, as a matter of fact, would never be bullied.
Of course, the modern sub-beastmen were not like the ancient ones who had had no choice but to rely on the beastmen to live. Nowadays, there were many sub-beastmen who achieved success in all walks of life. Even to the extent that in scientific research field, their talents far exceeded the beastmen’s. After all, many beastmen only grew their muscles but not their brains.
A beastman and a sub-beastman living together and complementing each other was very harmonious. But, an accident could always happen.
To start with, every beastman had been born with two distinct things in his body: a beast core and a beast bead.
The beast bead was used for concluding the engagement between a beastman and a sub-beastman. While the beast core was naturally the source of the beastman's power. The beastmen could switch at will between human and animal because they had a beast core.
Without a beast core, a beastman was no longer a beastman, but only a beast. By that time, a beastman who was not strong-willed enough would not be able to control his beast's instincts for long. A strong-willed beastman might continue to remember that he was a man, not a beast, but he would also be influenced by some animalistic natural instincts, such as the breeding season.
The reason why the fallen beasts with no beast core had always been rejected by the beastmen and the sub-beastmen since ancient times until now was because there had been many fallen beasts who had, at one point, violated the sub-beastmen.
More than fifty years ago, a tragedy had happened in the Beastman Empire. At that time, a powerful beastman had shattered his beast core in order to protect his sub-beastman. His sub-beastman hadn’t had the heart to expel him and had hid him at home. In the beginning, the two men’s life had been very stable. But five years later, the beastman inside the beast body had gradually begun to redevelop the beast's natural instincts. When he had come across the breeding season, he had not been able to restrain himself anymore and had actually violated his own sub-beastman.
The sub-beastman’s body had simply been unable to bear the beast’s assault. The sub-beastman had been dying then and there, almost losing his life. After the beastman had sobered up, he had seen his own sub-beastman being violated by himself and felt extremely miserable. In the end, this beastman had become a fallen beast. After sending his sub-beastman to the hospital, he had chosen to commit suicide.
That said, it could still be considered as good. Some beastmen who had become fallen beasts would hate the beastmen and the sub-beastman, and they would even take the initiative to kill people. Therefore, nowadays all the fallen beasts would be sent to a dedicated planet, letting them live in that place.
The beastmen did not take the initiative to kill these beasts whom once had been the same as them, but they also did not allow these beasts to appear in front of them. The sub-beastmen hated these beasts even more.
Previously, Edgar had always felt that his self-control was amazing, and he had thought that he could surely control his instincts well. But now he was unsure.
The little sub-beastman’s tempting appearance before had really made him almost unable to control himself from rushing the little sub-beastman.
If he had hurt the little sub-beastman . . . . His body now was a snake, and it was also very, very big. Once he entangled the little sub-beastman, it might make the little sub-beastman lose his life!
Previously, Edgar had still been thinking of accompanying the little sub-beastman until the spring of next year, but now he dared not.
Sighing mentally, Edgar slithered out of the cave mouth.
Once Shu Shu had recovered his mood, he crawled out of the bedroom and found that the huge snake had caught a prey for him. The huge snake had even washed the ash-covered tiger skin clean and brought it back home. Now the tiger skin was placed at the cave mouth.
"Big snake, you are really awesome!" Shu Shu looked at Edgar with admiration.
However, Edgar was somewhat discontented. He unhappily nested in the corner and did not dare to look at Shu Shu.
TL's note:
Thank you for all your comments and opinions. I guess I'll keep the title as it is. Or maybe I'll just use both words and add / between them ∩(︶▽︶)∩
A Guide to Keeping/Raising Your Natural Enemy