Ruby took a deep breath, almost regretting having awakened her almost childish curiosity.
"Too many tribes for you to memorize right now. But since you insist…"
Thar'Laen, Murathacin, Kurath, Sabilaki, Ruzurata, Neamalus, Gravite, Elekrall, and… Dauarullus.
"Wow… and are they all like this? With these names? Wait… If the first one is Chankao'Laen, why didn't you mention it now?"
Ruby felt her patience slowly running out and, approaching Ji Ao, she said, "Forget that I said anything about Chankao'Laen, it has been replaced by Thar'Laen."
"But a city doesn't replace another…" the young man said as if he knew nothing about that world.
"They just changed the city's name… that's all."
"But you didn't say it was a tribe?"
Ruby preferred not to think about the wars and betrayals that had destroyed her homeland. Just like Chankao'Laen, another place victimized by the ambition of the powerful.
Thinking about it made her believe that somehow that human had his home destroyed too… because imagining such an unlucky being… she wouldn't kill him… not yet.
Realizing that she might be speaking openly about something forbidden in that place, Ji Ao decided to change the subject.
"Chankao'Laen is like a forbidden tribe… taboo… or something like that, right? And what are the rules of these tribes?"
Ruby smiled mischievously while answering with apparent calm.
"Finally showed you're not as stupid as you seem. That's exactly it, boy, each one has its rules. But the base is the same: respect, boundaries, and survival. This isn't a fairy tale, pup."
"Then can you tell me more about these places?"
"If you reach the third clearing intact, maybe I'll explain more."
Ji Ao fell silent. That world was beautiful… but full of eyes in the shadows.
And they all seemed to know he did not belong there.
Yet, for some reason… Ji Ao smiled.
The adventure had only just begun, and he kept walking behind the young woman, still uncomfortable with the loose and ridiculous pajamas he wore, although he noticed that she also stood out in that environment.
Her clothes were far too modern, almost futuristic, and the mask, both organic and metallic, on her face gleamed in the light filtered through the leaves.
Even in that strange world, she looked like an intruder. In the distance, he saw what he thought was a city — with buildings standing out among the trees. But as they approached, he realized it was a village: wooden and stone houses with pointed roofs and small windows.
"Here was once a prosperous city, part of the charming Kingdom of Auríni, the center of an entire dark past, but of everything that existed here, only this small village remains," Ruby said, her voice sad, completing, "Now, what remains is only a fraction of its former glory: this poor, yet cheerful, Village of Tavarin, which despite setbacks, is growing."
Creatures of all kinds roamed the streets: smaller wolf-women, light-furred bunny girls, humanoid pigs (porkius), and even small birds gliding silently through the gray skies.
Ji Ao froze, his eyes wide.
"This is… like an anime. A game. An isekai?" he murmured to himself.
He thought of pinching himself, but had already done so before and it still hurt. This was not a dream.
"Why was Thar'Laen, one of the nine tribes located around, within the limits of the White Forest, renamed?" he asked abruptly.
The young woman noticed his foolish expression and stopped just enough to turn her face and say coldly, "All you need to know is that this tribe fell for allying with a once powerful Kingdom of Rabbits. Now let's go. We don't have time for you to get lost in nerdy daydreams. Move. If we stay here, they'll see you."
Ji Ao swallowed hard and tried to keep up. Still looking around, he asked hesitantly, "Who are… these people? I mean, these… inhabitants?"
She huffed loudly, as if it were a question too stupid to merit an answer. But after a few steps, she replied dryly, without even looking at him, "Tribes. Clans. Alliances. Every corner of the forest has its rules, as I already told you… and its monsters."
Ji Ao squinted, confused.
"And… is there any special rule I should know? Like a code of conduct?"
She stopped abruptly, making Ji Ao nearly bump into her. She turned slowly, staring at him through the mask, her voice low and sharp, "Again, and only now will I repeat… First: never touch the female of another."
"Second: never touch anyone of a species that is not yours."
"Third…" She lowered her face slightly, and the light from the mask shone sinister, "If you see a white bunny girl, change your path."
Ji Ao swallowed hard, his throat dry. This no longer seemed fun.
"But… who protects them?" he asked, almost without thinking.
The young woman came so close that he felt the heat of her body and the coldness of the mask. Her reply was low, measured, and frighteningly firm, "All the white bunny girls in this forest… are under my protection."
He felt a shiver run down his spine and took a step back, choking on his own saliva.
"W-What do you mean… yours?"
She merely turned her face and resumed walking, as if she had said something obvious.
"And stay away from jackals if you find any," she said in a darker tone, "but I doubt it. I've already kept them away… or dead."
Ji Ao felt more lost every second, but did not dare to ask more. The sound of cracking branches echoed behind them again, and both turned at the same time.
Something was following them.
And judging by her tense shoulders… it was not small.
The Uncomfortable Truth
As they walked in silence again, the sound of the forest seemed heavier. Ji Ao looked around, still intrigued by everything — the creatures, the rules, and especially… her.
He cleared his throat, trying to hide the discomfort and insecurity that were beginning to crawl up his spine.
"Okay… but… who exactly are these inhabitants?" he repeated, now hoping for a more detailed answer.
The young woman did not stop. She simply replied in the same tone as before, as if tired:
"Tribes. Clans. Alliances. Every corner of the forest has its rules… and its monsters."
Ji Ao frowned.
"You… already said that before."
"Yes," she answered without hesitation, pausing for a second to look at him.
"Then why did you give me the same answers?"
She turned her face slowly, staring at him through that mask that gleamed like cold, emotionless metal.
"Because you asked… the same questions," she replied with cutting coldness, as if it were far too obvious to explain.
Ji Ao went silent for a moment. The answer was so blunt that he felt like an idiot. But there was still something bothering him. He swallowed hard, hesitant.
"And… about the white bunny girls… is it true what you said? You really protect them?"
She stopped again. The silence that followed was heavy. The wind moved the leaves above them slowly, and the smell of wet wood and earth filled the air.
The young woman turned slowly, her steps deliberate and firm, and approached Ji Ao until she was close enough for him to see the reflection of her mask in his own eyes.
Her voice was deep, low, and filled with threat:
"You don't seem very lucky, Ji Ao… So get close to a white bunny girl. And find out, at your own risk."
Ji Ao swallowed again. And this time… he decided not to answer.
The sound of branches snapping behind them repeated, louder. But for the first time… he thought the greatest danger was not behind him.
It was right there. Walking beside him.
More Dangers in the White Forest
The sound of branches snapping behind them repeated, louder.
"Ah, Ji Ao, don't worry about that. Must be those idiots from the Tourinos," said the young woman, without looking back, her tone irritatingly casual, as if the entire forest collapsing were just an inconvenient detail.
"Tourinos?" Ji Ao frowned, still looking around, suspicious.
"Yes. Bulls as men. Literally. Horns, brute strength, moss for brains. They live around here… cutting trees, knocking everything down to make cheap furniture." She shook her head, with disdain. "Sometimes they get excited and run like a herd. Then they go back to 'vegetative mode.'"
Ji Ao nodded, understanding none of it, but before he could react, she was already pulling him by the sleeve — impatiently.
"Come. Let's go into the tavern."
"Tavern? What's a tavern? You said you were going to take me somewhere to get a snack!"
She let out a short, mocking laugh, without even turning her face.
"More or less… just less… idiot."
They arrived in front of a darkened wooden building, with moss climbing the sides and a worn sign that read: "Wolf's Fangs." Two enormous fangs adorned the entrance, real fangs — as big as Ji Ao's arm.
He swallowed hard.
"Is that… really from a wolf?"
The young woman completely ignored the question and simply pushed the door open with force.
The interior of the tavern was warm, cramped, and crowded. The air smelled of smoke, wet leather, and a hint of something Ji Ao preferred not to identify. Creatures occupied the tables: a mix of forms and parts, as if someone had assembled a zoo and forgotten the instruction manual.