Villainess is being pampered by her beast husbands

Chapter 487: Chapter-487

Vayu just sighed deeply, grabbing his head with both hands in a gesture of complete exasperation. "Ugh, fine. Fine! I’ll tell you what I know. But I don’t know much about this—I’m not some ancient repository of all knowledge. After meeting you the first time, I did some research, gathered some information. That’s it. Don’t expect me to have all the answers."

Vayu moved to a shelf and pulled down several more books and scrolls, some looking even older than the first one he’d shown them.

"When you didn’t transform," he began, settling back down with the materials, "when you showed no beast scent, when you carried that strange weapon—" He gestured to Kaya’s gun. "—I knew you were something different. So I started digging through old records, asking questions of the older snakes in other territories, trading information with scholars from other tribes."

He spread out a scroll on the floor between them. It showed a timeline marked with various symbols and annotations.

"The pattern of human arrivals is irregular but consistent," Vayu explained. "Every eighteen to twenty-five years, a human woman appears somewhere in our world. Always female, always young—between fifteen and thirty years old, it seems. Always confused, disoriented, with no memory of how they arrived."

"What happens to them?" Kaya asked.

Vayu’s expression became troubled. "It varies. Some are claimed quickly by powerful tribes who recognize what they are and want to use them for... the breeding program I mentioned. Some hide, try to survive on their own—most of those die within weeks or months. This world is too harsh for someone with no beast abilities."

"And the ones who are claimed?" Veer asked, his voice tight.

"Some are treated well," Vayu said carefully. "Some find mates they genuinely care for, have children, integrate into beast society. But others..." He paused. "Others are fought over, traded like property, used until they’re no longer useful or until they die in childbirth or from disease."

Kaya’s expression remained carefully neutral, but her hands had clenched into fists.

"The hybrids," Vayu continued, "are rare but valued. They inherit traits from both parents—sometimes they can partially transform, sometimes they have enhanced abilities without the full beast form. They’re considered... exotic. Useful. Especially to tribes that want to expand their influence in areas where obvious beast forms would be problematic."

"So I’m here to be bred like livestock," Kaya said flatly. "To produce designer babies for whoever can capture and claim me first."

"That’s certainly what some tribes believe," Vayu agreed. "But—" He hesitated. "—there’s more to it than that. The pattern suggests intention, not random chance. Someone or something is pulling humans here deliberately, at regular intervals, for a specific purpose."

"The Beast God?" Cutie asked quietly.

Vayu shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe the Beast God set something in motion long ago that now runs on its own. The records are unclear." He looked at Kaya. "What’s clear is that you’re here, you’re being hunted by multiple factions, and you need to decide what you’re going to do about it."

"What are my options?" Kaya asked.

"You could find a powerful mate, someone strong enough to protect you from other claimants," Vayu said. "You could try to hide, though that rarely works long-term. You could try to find a way back to your world, though no one has ever succeeded in that." He paused. "Or you could do what you’re already doing—refuse to be claimed, fight back, and forge your own path."

"That last one," Kaya said immediately.

Vayu smiled slightly. "I thought you’d say that." He pulled out another, smaller book. "Then you should know about the others who tried the same thing."

"Others?"

"Other human women who refused to accept their fate. Who fought back, tried to change the system." Vayu opened the book, showing pages with names and brief histories. "Most failed. But a few—a very few—succeeded in establishing their own power, their own territories. They became leaders in their own right, not just prizes to be won."

Kaya leaned forward, studying the names and stories. "How did they do it?"

"Different methods," Vayu said. "One became a legendary healer, making herself too valuable to risk in conflict. One learned beast languages and became a translator and diplomat, essential to peace negotiations. One—" He pointed to a particular entry. "—this one learned to fight, trained with weapons and tactics, and eventually led her own mixed tribe of outcasts and rebels."

"That one," Kaya said, pointing to the fighter’s entry. "Tell me more about her."

Vayu’s smile widened. "I thought you might be interested in her." He pulled out yet another scroll. "Her name was Aria. She arrived about two hundred years ago, was claimed by a bear tribe, escaped, and spent the next decade building her own power base. She couldn’t transform, but she was brilliant with strategy and weapons. She gathered followers—mostly outcasts, exiles, and those dissatisfied with traditional tribal politics."

"What happened to her?"

"She disappeared about fifty years into her time here," Vayu said. "Some say she died. Some say she found a way home. Some say she’s still out there somewhere, hidden, living quietly." He looked at Kaya. "But the point is, she proved it could be done. A human could survive here, could thrive, without being claimed or controlled."

Kaya absorbed this information, her mind already working through possibilities and strategies.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked Vayu suddenly. "You said yourself, getting involved with me could bring trouble to your tribe. So why tell me all this?"

Vayu was quiet for a long moment, his yellow eyes thoughtful.

"Because," he said finally, "I’m tired of the system. Tired of watching humans be treated like breeding stock. Tired of the politics and the power games." He gestured to the books around them. "I became a scholar because I wanted to understand, not just participate. And understanding this—understanding what happens to humans here—has made me... uncomfortable with the status quo."

He looked at her directly. "You’re different. You fight back. You refuse to accept the role they want to force on you. And maybe—just maybe—if you succeed, if you forge your own path, it might change things for the next human who gets pulled here."

Kaya studied him, trying to determine if he was being sincere or if this was some elaborate manipulation.

Finally, she nodded. "Alright. Then help me understand one more thing—who specifically is hunting me right now? You mentioned the eagles, the snakes. Who else?"

Vayu pulled out a map, spreading it on the floor. "Based on what I’ve heard through various channels..." He began marking locations. "The eagle clan obviously, after what you did to their leader. The snake territories to the south—specifically the Snake Lord’s faction, which wants you for their breeding program. There are rumors of wolf packs being hired as mercenaries. And—" He hesitated. "—there’s talk of the bear clans taking an interest, though they haven’t made any moves yet."

"So basically everyone," Veer said grimly.

"Not everyone," Vayu corrected. "The Nikala tribe is neutral, as you’ve seen. The vulture clans haven’t taken a position—" He glanced at Veer. "—though that might change depending on what you decide. And there are smaller tribes, like mine, who don’t have the resources or interest to get involved."