Chapter Five: The Lion’s Den
After the three lions roared for a while with no resolution, Wang Luo felt tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill over. With a blink, the tears he had worked so hard to hold back finally formed two crystalline drops, glimmering faintly under the sunlight as they slid silently down his cheeks.
The lioness on the right, upon witnessing this, let out a dissatisfied growl, picked up the little white lion cub, and vanished from Wang Luo’s pitiful line of sight.
Wang Luo had only just begun to relax when he was once again mercilessly hoisted high into the air. With no other recourse, he turned his pleading gaze toward the golden lion on the left, knowing his fate rested squarely within its jaws.
The golden lion on the left eyed Wang Luo with displeasure, then, without hesitation, opened its great maw and lunged to bite him.
Wang Luo summoned the last of his strength to wail loudly, flailing his tiny arms in a desperate bid to fight for his fragile, pitiful life.
On the sprawling grasslands, beneath the blazing sun, wild grasses as tall as a man grew rampant and unrestrained. Amidst them, a majestic golden lion ambled through the sea of green.
“Waaah…”
Yet, what was truly strange was that the mighty golden lion kept emitting the cries of a human infant.
It was only when the lion happened to lift its head that it became clear—the golden lion carried a swaddled baby in its mouth.
The infant’s little arms waved ceaselessly, making it obvious that the cries were not from the lion, but from the child it held.
Annoyed by the unending wails, the golden lion’s eyes flashed with irritation, and it clenched its jaws just slightly.
A pained cry escaped the baby, but the noisy wailing ceased abruptly. The lion’s eyes reflected a curiously human satisfaction as it continued its leisurely stroll.
Carrying the infant, the golden lion left the grasslands and padded toward the nearby forest, soon reaching the base of a small hill, some forty or fifty meters high. The sound of flowing water could be heard from not far off, and at the foot of the hill yawned a cave entrance three or four meters high. Clearly, this was the lion’s den.
Sure enough, the golden lion entered the cave with the baby still in its jaws. Scattered across the cave floor were gemstones, each roughly the size of an egg. Most were red, ochre, or green, with the occasional white, black, or blue gem. Every stone glimmered faintly, casting a mysterious veil over the cavern.
About seven or eight meters in, the tunnel split into two. The lion carrying the baby chose the right-hand path.
Not far along, another golden lion could be seen dozing on a bed of unknown wild grasses, while an adorable white cub nursed contentedly at its belly.
Sensing the approach, the little white lion cub turned, and scampered joyfully over. The golden lion hurried to meet it, carelessly dropping the infant onto the ground before trotting over to the resting lioness, lying down beside her and murmuring in low, indistinct sounds.
“Ah, finally here!” Wang Luo glanced at the playful little lion cub making faces at him and felt a surge of relief. But as his mind relaxed, a familiar wave of dizziness washed over him. Battling the urge to close his eyes, he managed a feeble wave to the cub before succumbing to a heavy sleep under its puzzled gaze.
In a daze, Wang Luo felt himself being carried by a golden lion to the side of another, and in the next moment, to the jealous stare of one, he found himself feeding from the lioness. He suckled greedily, and soon, sleep overtook him once more…
As he slept soundly, Wang Luo vaguely sensed something rubbing insistently against his face—smooth, sticky, and ticklish, making him distinctly uncomfortable.
Unable to shake the unpleasant sensation, he suddenly remembered his precarious circumstances. With a start, he woke.
He was greeted by the sight of a golden lion’s head, its fierce visage softened by eyes brimming with affection, inexplicably warming Wang Luo’s heart.
Turning his head, he saw the little white lion cub still fast asleep, while the other golden lion watched him with evident displeasure.
Yet, when the lioness let out a low, disgruntled growl, the male lion’s annoyance vanished, replaced by a look of fawning delight as he made cooing, placating sounds.
Such human-like behavior made Wang Luo mutter inwardly: Why do these lions act so much like people? Could it be a person in a lion’s skin…?
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a strange sensation; his chubby little hands clutched at the lioness’s golden fur, and he babbled “ah ah” in protest.
But the lioness paid him no mind, continuing to lick his face clean until a peculiar odor reached her nose.
Both lions turned simultaneously to look at Wang Luo, the source of the smell. His small face flushed red, and his tiny hands wrung together in embarrassment.
Most conspicuous of all, the strange material swaddling Wang Luo was now soaked through, the source of the offending scent.
The two golden lions exchanged a puzzled glance, as if communicating, then both seemed to come to a sudden realization.
The male lion raised its paw and then lowered it. Wang Luo watched, baffled, until, in the next instant, shock filled his eyes.
With a triumphant wave of its paw, the mysterious material wrapping Wang Luo dissolved into fragments the size of leaves, which then strung themselves together and floated out of the cave.
Wang Luo stared, dumbfounded. Since his rebirth, he’d witnessed more than one bizarre event like this, but he remained deeply shaken.
What were these inexplicable things? Was it magic? Lost in amazement, Wang Luo failed to notice that he was now completely naked.
Before long, the little white lion cub awoke and gazed at Wang Luo curiously. Only then, under the cub’s scrutiny, did Wang Luo realize he had no clothes on.
But he had no time to worry about that; all he wanted was to grow up quickly—at least enough to crawl like the little lion cub.
It was only then that Wang Luo noticed, thanks to his lack of clothing, that his caterpillar-like little member was exposed, and the white lion cub was staring at it with fascination.
Suddenly, the cub moved, and a bad premonition flashed through Wang Luo’s mind: Could it be…?
His fears were realized as the cub trotted over and, in full view of Wang Luo’s horrified glare, bit down without mercy.
Fortunately, it wasn’t trying to eat it—just mistaking it for a teat. Oddly enough, it didn’t feel half bad. But before long, the male lion pulled the little cub aside, saying something to it. Soon the cub returned, making faces at Wang Luo, occasionally glancing at his little member.
After returning the cub, the male lion eyed the lioness amorously, sidled over, and began to murmur sweet nothings.
The two lions then left the cave together, and soon Wang Luo could hear their peculiar cries echoing from outside.
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Otherworld Azure Dragon 5 — Chapter Five: Lion’s Den, update complete!