Help! I transmigrated to a Beast World-Chapter 65: Flame Fever?!

Xin Yi woke up to the sound of voices.....And the smell of fresh wood.

Her eyes opened slowly. The ceiling above her wasn’t cave rock. It was....wooden beams? With a thatched roof?

She was in one of the houses.

One of HER houses.

"She’s awake!" Xiao Long’s voice was shrill with relief.

Suddenly there were faces hovering over her. Qing Lin. Xiao Long. Some female snake beastmen she didn’t recognize.

"Pink Skin!" Xiao Long’s eyes were red like he’d been crying. "You have been asleep for a WHOLE DAY!"

"A day?!" Her voice came out raspy, and her throat felt like sandpaper.

"Don’t try to talk." Qing Lin’s hand pressed gently against her shoulder. "You collapsed. Your fever spiked to dangerous levels."

The Snake King looked TERRIBLE. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his usually immaculate hair was a mess.

"Did you......did you sleep at all, Qing Lin?" she croaked.

"No."

"Qing Lin—"

"I wasn’t leaving your side." His jaw set into his usual stubborn glint."Not for anything."

Her chest felt tight. "Where’s Feng Huang?"

"I scared him off," Qing Lin said flatly. "He kept trying to hover and I threatened to poison him if he didn’t give you space."

"You THREATENED him?!"

"Multiple times."

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[Qing Lin’s Protective Instinct: MAXIMUM]

[He hasn’t moved from your bedside in 24 hours!]

[That’s dedication! ☆]

Xin Yi tried to sit up, but her body protested IMMEDIATELY.

"Ow ow ow OW!"

"Don’t move!" Qing Lin pushed her back down gently. "Xin Yi, you’re covered in—"

She looked down at her arms.

BLISTERS.

Red, angry blisters covering her skin. Some small like pinpricks. Others the size of coins.

"AHHH!" She tried to touch one and Qing Lin caught her hand.

"Don’t! They’ll burst and get infected!"

"What IS this?!" She looked at her other arm. More blisters. Her legs too. Probably her whole body. "What is wrong with me?!"

The female snake beastwoman, an older one with silver-streaked hair, stepped forward. "It’s Flame Fever."

"Flame.....what?"

"Flame Fever. It happens when someone pushes their body too hard. Works too much. Stresses too much. The body......burns from the inside." She looked sympathetic. "You built an entire settlement in nine days, child. Your body couldn’t handle it."

"But I felt FINE!"

"That is how it works. You feel fine until you don’t." The woman touched Xin Yi’s forehead. It was still burning. "The good news? It’s not contagious."

"And the bad news?"

"If left untreated, the fever gets worse. The blisters spread. Eventually..." She trailed off meaningfully.

Xin Yi’s stomach dropped. "Eventually what?"

"You die," Qing Lin said bluntly.

"WHAT?!"

[DING! (⊙_⊙)]

[Host has: FLAME FEVER]

[Cause: Overwork, stress, exhaustion]

[Symptoms: High fever, blisters, body inflammation]

[Fatality Rate if Untreated: 87%]

[You REALLY overdid it this time! ☆]

"System! Give me the remedy! NOW!"

[DING! (¬‿¬)]

[Nope!] 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOPE?!"

[You have to find the remedy yourself! ☆]

"WHY?!"

[Because! Maximum chaos! Character development!]

[Also: The remedy grows in WOLF TERRITORY!]

[The wolves are VERY sophisticated! Very organized! Very... interesting!]

[Good luck! ☆]

"DIE!"

Qing Lin grabbed her hand. "Xin Yi, who are you talking to?"

Right. She was yelling at thin air again.

"The......the voice in my head. It says I need to go to wolf territory for the cure."

The room went SILENT.

"Wolf territory?" Qing Lin’s eyes went wide. "The Northern Frost Wolves?"

"I......guess?"

"They don’t allow outsiders," the old woman said quietly. "Their Alpha is.....strict. Territorial. They have killed trespassers before."

"Great," Xin Yi muttered. "Just great."

Qing Lin’s expression had gone thoughtful. "There IS a flower that helps with Flame Fever. Moonpetal Lotus. It only grows in cold climates."

"And let me guess....wolf territory is cold?"

"Very cold. Mountains. Snow. Ice." His jaw tightened. "I’ll go get it for you."

"What? No!"

"Xin Yi—"

"I don’t want you to leave me!" The words spilled out in a rush, sounding more like a plea than a statement.

His expression softened immediately. "You need rest. You have been working too hard. I will be back in three days—"

"I want to go WITH you."

"Absolutely not, Xin Yi. You have a fever. Blisters. You can barely sit up—"

"I DON’T CARE!" She tried to sit up again and immediately regretted it. "Ow. Damn it."

"See? You’re in no condition—"

"Qing Lin." She grabbed his hand. "Please. I don’t.....I don’t want to be left here alone with Feng Huang and all the tigers and snakes and—" She lowered her voice. "I will lose my mind just lying here. Please."

He stared at her, searching her face. Then he sighed. "You’re so stubborn."

"Is that a yes?"

"...Yes, Xin Yi." He ran a hand through his messy hair. "But we are doing this MY way. Which means first—" He stood up, scooping her into his arms before she could protest. "—you need to bathe."

Her face felt like it was currently being held over an open flame. "I can bathe myself!"

"You can barely move without wincing. I’m helping."

"Qing Lin—"

"Do not argue with me. You’re covered in sweat and dirt from the fever. It’ll help cool you down." He was already walking toward the door. "Xiao Long, tell Kuan Tie to prepare supplies for a journey. We leave at dawn."

"Yes, Uncle Qing!" The little boy scurried off.

~

The moment they stepped outside, there was a COMMOTION.

"THE GODDESS!"

"SHE’S AWAKE!"

"But look at her skin! The blisters!"

"Is she alright?!"

Warriors, both snake and tiger, were gathering, and staring. Looking concerned.

Feng Huang pushed through the crowd, his golden eyes wide. "Xin Yi! You’re—what happened to your skin?!"

"Flame Fever," Qing Lin said shortly, not stopping. "She will be fine."

"FLAME FEVER?!" The tiger looked horrified. "That’s—that’s serious! We need to—"

"We’re handling it."

"But—"

"We. Are. HANDLING IT." Qing Lin’s pupils were contracted to slits. "Now move."

Feng Huang stepped aside reluctantly. But he followed at a distance. So did Xiao Long. And Kuan Tie. And about fifteen other concerned warriors.

"Why are they all following us?!" Xin Yi hissed.

"Because you’re their goddess," Qing Lin said simply. "They’re worried."

"I’m NOT a goddess!"

"Tell them that.