Taming the Beast World with a Frying Pan-Chapter 100: The Snake in the Grass

The river was a sanctuary. The cool, crisp water washed away the sweat, the swamp muck, and the lingering indignity of being nearly eaten by fish people.

Syris floated on his back, his long black hair fanning out around him like a dark halo in the current. He dipped his head back, letting the water rush over his face, scrubbing the dried mud and the stench of decay from his pale neck. He closed his eyes, savoring the weightlessness that eased the ache in his muscles from hours of rowing.

His pale skin gleamed in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. He looked serene. He looked majestic. He looked like a painting of a water god taking a break from divine duties.

A few feet away, Viper was submerged to his nose, his slit pupils dilated in bliss as the water cooled his overheated scales. He uncoiled his long, powerful tail in the deep end, stretching it out fully and enjoying the freedom of movement that the clumsy land denied him. For a snake, the water was not just a bath; it was a return to grace.

For a long time, there was only the sound of rushing water and the distant rustle of Ren and Kael foraging in the woods. They simply existed in the cool current, letting the silence stretch.

Then, Syris spoke. His voice was quiet, blending with the babble of the brook.

"Viper," Syris murmured, staring up at the patch of blue sky visible through the leaves. "Do you think it was wrong of me?"

Viper didn’t ask what. He knew. He surfaced slightly, water cascading off his broad shoulders.

"To lie to the female?" Viper asked flatly.

Syris sighed, a ripple of bubbles escaping his lips. "To lie about not knowing the way."

A heavy silence settled over the pool.

The truth was a murky thing, much like the swamp they had just left. The female believed they were incompetent navigators who relied on luck. She believed that without the map, they were truly helpless.

She was wrong.

"I do not know where the Fox resides," Viper said, his tone devoid of judgment. "But I was born in the mud. I know the currents. I know the safe passages. I could have steered us out of that swamp in half a minute."

Syris smirked, though it was a dark expression.

It had been a masterful plan. Syris had given the order the moment they stepped onto the dock. ’Take the long way. Go in circles. Keep us in the safe zones, but make it take hours.’

He had chosen the oldest, rottiest boat in the armada—a vessel that had been condemned for firewood three seasons ago—hoping it would spring a leak, or crack, or simply dissolve, forcing them to turn back.

"It was supposed to be a delay tactic," Syris mused, splashing water lightly with his hand. "We were just supposed to drift. To waste time."

He narrowed his amethyst eyes.

"The more time we wasted on the water, the closer the Tiger would get to the edge. I wanted him to turn. I wanted the madness to take him before we ever reached land."

Viper nodded in understanding. "If he becomes a Shadow Beast, you kill him. The female weeps. You comfort her. She is yours."

"She is a treasure," Syris whispered, his possessiveness flaring like a sudden fever. "She is too good for a stupid beast. She belongs in my Palace, on my silks, eating my food. I am the Snake King. I do not share."

He had played the part of the supportive husband perfectly. He had rowed. He had fought. He had smiled.

But every stroke of the oar that led them deeper into the swamp had been a calculated move to run out the clock on Kael’s life.

"The fish beastmen were... unfortunate," Viper noted, picking a piece of algae from his arm. "They were not part of the plan."

Syris scowled. "No. They were not. We were in the shallows. They should not have been there. Their attack forced us to flee. It forced us to take the actual exit to escape the blockade." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The irony tasted bitter in his mouth. In trying to save Ren from the fish, he had inadvertently sped up their journey. They had arrived at the forest hours ahead of his sabotaged schedule.

"Fate seems to favor the Tiger," Syris grumbled. "Even the swamp monsters conspired to push us toward the cure."

He paused, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. He remembered Ren’s desperate hope, her joy when she saw the amber in Kael’s eyes. Lying to her... deceiving her trust... it sat heavily in his chest.

But then he pictured her smiling at him, solely at him, without the Tiger standing in the way.

Syris hardened his heart. The guilt was a small price to pay for the prize he desired.

"We are here now," Syris said, sitting up in the water and shaking the doubt from his mind. "The sabotage failed. We must continue to play our part. But if the Fox demands a price we cannot pay... or if the cure is too dangerous... I will not weep if the Tiger falls."

He looked toward the bank, listening for their return.

"Come," Syris commanded, shaking the water from his hair. "We must catch fish. If we return empty-handed, she will yell at us again."

The two snakes dove under the surface, their powerful bodies cutting through the water as they began the hunt, completely unaware that they were not alone.

High up on the muddy bank, hidden deep within the dense thicket of ferns and brambles, a pair of eyes watched them.

The figure was perfectly camouflaged, blending into the shadows of the forest. They had seen everything. They had heard everything.

The eavesdropper leaned against a tree trunk, three tails flicking silently behind them.

A slow, sly smile spread across the mystery beastman’s face. It was a smile of amusement and opportunity.

Without making a sound, the figure turned and vanished into the forestry, leaving no trace but the rustle of a single leaf.