Soon, the little snake crawled out of its egg and coiled in Lingsha's palm, remaining perfectly still. It flicked its forked tongue, quietly observing her—or perhaps silently familiarizing itself with her scent.
After all, snakes lack hearing and have extremely poor vision. They perceive their surroundings primarily through vibrations in the ground detected by their bellies and the sensory organs in their tongues. Fortunately for Lingsha, she constantly emanated a delicate, fragrant aroma, making her stand out vividly in the snake's perception.
To be honest, when most people think of snakes, their first reaction is probably fear. Long, slender, slippery creatures that might be venomous—it's not about bravery; this fear is ingrained in human DNA.
Yet, the snake before Lingsha struck her as surprisingly endearing. Pure white, without a trace of any other color, its jade-like scales shimmered softly under the laboratory lights, reflecting tiny glimmers. Its eyes, however, were ruby red, like miniature gemstones.
Was this the laboratory's legacy for future generations? What possible use could this thing have?
Lingsha reached out her other hand and poked the snake's small head with her index finger. The creature didn't flinch, appearing remarkably docile.
Hmm, cool and smooth to the touch. Not bad, considering it's a cold-blooded animal.
Lingsha glanced at her two companions. Their situation could be roughly described as having looted a rare drop from an instance. While she quite liked the snake, she had to consider her teammates. How to divide the spoils would require discussion.
Before she could speak, Ikezawa swiftly retreated a step, waving his hands frantically. "I've been terrified of these things since childhood! You take it, Lingsha."
Li, on the other hand, stared at the snake with curiosity. "What is this thing? It's so long and slender... and it hatched from an egg?"
Ikezawa was scared, and if Li got her hands on it, the snake might not survive the night. Lingsha sighed. "Fine, then this Lady will keep the snake."
With that, they had secured the most crucial item in the laboratory, and a corner of this world's true nature had been revealed.
However, the trio didn't leave immediately. Lingsha led Ikezawa and Li to the residential area, which was stocked with a vast array of daily necessities, including clean clothes, cooking utensils, tents, and much more.
These supplies would undoubtedly improve their quality of life in the wilderness.
Lingsha, who hadn't taken anything yet, immediately headed for the private bathroom in one of the rooms. After sleeping on the ground and walking barefoot, her entire body ached terribly.
Ikezawa felt the same way. In fact, anyone who could resist taking a shower in this situation would have to be some kind of saint. He went to the bathroom in another room. Only Li remained, glancing first at Lingsha, then at Ikezawa. She wagged her tail and, surprisingly, started following Ikezawa's direction.
Fortunately, Lingsha noticed in time. Snapping out of her daze, she grabbed Li's wrist and pulled her back.
Li didn't resist, merely asking in confusion, "What's going on?"
"A bath," Lingsha replied succinctly.
In the savage tribe, water was undoubtedly a scarce resource. So, needless to say, Li and her entire clan had no bathing customs. Strangely, however, when Lingsha examined the beast-eared girl up close, she noticed that apart from a bit of mud on her feet, she was remarkably clean.
What's this? Are beautiful girls immune to dirt?
Since they were already here, Lingsha decided to give Li a bath anyway. She picked up the showerhead, adjusted the water temperature, and aimed it at the bewildered girl.
The next moment, to Lingsha's utter shock, Li transformed into a human spinning top. She shook her body rapidly from side to side, flinging water in all directions. When Lingsha finally turned off the shower, Li was still completely dry, while Lingsha herself was drenched to the bone.
Lingsha: "..."
From that moment on, she had a sinking feeling that bathing this child would be a troublesome ordeal.
Over the next twenty minutes, the bathroom echoed with Lingsha's exasperated commands:
"Take off all your clothes... I said all of them! Even those..."
"Stop squirming and sit still..."
Lingsha found a set of casual women's clothes in the bedroom that fit Li reasonably well. Gazing at the newly transformed Beast-Eared Girl before her, Lingsha nodded, a strange sense of accomplishment washing over her. It seemed her recent efforts hadn't been entirely in vain.
Li, however, looked deeply uncomfortable. She tugged at her clothes, fidgeting with them, her gait awkward and unsteady. Each step was exaggeratedly high and wobbly, and a tearful expression crossed her face. "C-can I take these 'shoes' off?" she pleaded. "They're so uncomfortable..."
For some reason, the scene reminded Lingsha of a pet dog struggling to walk after being forced into tiny shoes.
Helpless, Lingsha removed Li's shoes. Given her awkward movements, even walking was a struggle. If danger arose later, it could prove disastrous.
After dressing Li, Lingsha returned to the bathroom. Her first act was to sit on a small stool, hold the showerhead, and carefully wash her feet.