Daniel has informed Reece in advance that Hugh's grandparents, which was the one who despises him the most, are guarding his prison room.

Someone without any authority, rank, or title like Azure will probably be having a difficult time meeting the lion mutant boy, Hugh.

"Oh, do not worry. I have prepared a sum of goods. It will be enough."

Goods.

Hugh Ibrahim's grandparents are very greedy individuals. Therefore, as long as Azure can offer goods, with or without authority, rank, or title, he will be granted permission to meet Hugh.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. However, you have one chance to sneak in tonight. Though we could sneak in tomorrow, it is better if you and Hugh meet first so we could directly proceed to our plan."

So they could not waste time for introduction tomorrow.

"What? Just me?"

Reece thought if it is alright to meet Hugh without Azure, who he seems to be closed enough.

What if Hugh was hostile to him and decided to eat him?

"Yes."

Azure nodded but the bluebird must have notice Reece was a bit hesitant to approach a lion, that is why he added.

"Do not worry, he is quite fond of cute things and you are very adorable."

"O-oh."

Reece's face was blank.

'Me? Adorable? What the hell.'

Although he was well aware of Hugh's soft side to something cute as mentioned by Daniel, Reece was not happy being called adorable.

"As I said, you have a chance to meet tonight as there will be a feast. His grandparents will surely attend and only left two of their sons, Hugh's uncles, to watch over him."

Reece showed a small smile in acknowledgment and Azure returned that smile full of confidence and satisfaction.

"I see you are well prepared."

However, he could not fully assume happiness as Reece has just learned a new fact.

It was reported by Daniel that Hugh's mother was sold to the dominant lion when they came to survey the forest as a potential home as it is one of the safest of the attacks from the outside but is also dangerous as it is full of vulnerable to animals and some monsters.

The bird tribe, particularly the Long Fangs tribe who accepted the lions to stay at their home for a few days to earn their favor and spare them gifted them, females birds, to enjoy.

Though they did not continue their plans of migrating as the forest was already full for the feline tribes to reside.

Anyhow, the one that leads the lions at that time was Hugh's father, the only dominant lion from the group. At that time, Hugh's mother was the most talented and considered beautiful in the bird's tribe so she was sold to the dominant lion.

Thankfully, the lion has sympathy for the female bird who showed him strong will, which is why Hugh's mother manage to live but unfortunately died in childbirth.

Still, it is actually common that a mother who bears a mutant child dies in childbirth or before that could even give birth as they could not carry two different blood running in their unborn babies.

The two different blood is clashing with each other and it is damaging their body before it fully merges and stabilized the baby.

This is why mutants are supposed to be 'miracle childrens' as the mother suffers the most just in carrying them and always dies of childbirth but are instead not welcomed by the world.

They have the cruelest fate.

Now Reece was starting to feel more sympathy towards the mutants.

Why are they being mistreated anyway?

[Do you want to know? I could search for answers for you.]

Shaking his head, Reece responded.

'No. I am just curious. No need for answers.'

There is no need to dig deeper information if Reece has to leave anyway as soon as he is successful in his job.

[Understood.]

"By the way, don't you have any allies?"

"I don't. No one will ally with a mutant like I am anyway."

True.

As mutants are hated creatures that are treated as 'cursed child.' Even if Azure deceives or forces his allies, they will still turn their back on him the moment they realize his identity.

"You blue bitch! Why are you slowing down!?"

"Let us talk later."

Azure apologizingly smiled at Reece and he nodded in acknowledgment.

Reece still wants to talk to Azure but the three birds who notice that Azure was falling farther and farther behind have gone back to their traces and scolded and hit Azure multiple times as the latter did not dare do nor speak anything.

"Now let's go! Hurry!"

The brown bird shouted and slapped Azure's back hard. The bluebird did not say anything and instead move quicker as he was told.

But Reece did not miss it, that dangerous glint in Azure's eyes as he holds back from abolishing the three idiotic birds.

Reece, who was getting scared, slowly slid back into the bag as quietly as possible. He is no fool hence he would rather stay quiet at times like this.

Time flies fast and is already nighttime.

"Hey. How many hours does this world have?"

Reece notices that the time difference between Earth and his current dimension is too different. Actually, it is confusing.

[Report. This world does not have a firm number of hours as there are instances when the morning is long and night is short. In addition, a day that exceeds 40 hours is quite frequent here.]

"Oh? They do not have a steady time? Thus explain why."

Just yesterday, when Reece first woke up to the current world, the time was quite short in the morning but the night was long. And today, the morning was very, very long and it feels like the morning of today has already surpassed 24 hours.

In other words, the flow of time is always and always be different each day.

[Indeed. They originally did not have sun but only two moons. The animals wish for light, thus a monster was born.]

"What's with the monster again?"

They were just talking about the sun and moon.

[Their sun is a monster in a shape of a sphere. It was even hotter than a real sun. And as it was a monster with the ability to think, it goes wherever it wishes, thus making their hour count unstable as it also tends to go further away from the world.]

"Odd..."

It was very, truly odd.

"Well, that will only make my rest unstable."

Reece doesn't really care that much about how their sun was an actual monster and not a real sun. His rest time is still significantly important.

[Do not worry. You are already dead and are currently a spirit that does not really need a rest but since you insisted, I plainly grant you some.]

"Whatever. I know that."

Reece sigh and brush his fluffy pink hair.

"I forgot to ask. Do I have some time limit or something? Surely, you ain't making me do this job for like, a thousand of years, right?"

[Negative. However, you have nothing to worry about as I have control over time.]

'He has control over time, is what he say.'

Reece was frozen in his seat as he silently screamed in astonishment.

'You are actually that overpowered!?'

Controlling time itself means Daniel and Reece could go back to the past or go to the future. Furthermore, he could stop the time, slow it down, or simply make it faster which means they could have already arrived much earlier if Daniel helps him.

'This is unfair?'

Granted, this voice will only say his excuses.

[No. Compared to the Lord, I am merely an insect. You do not have to be stress over this as I am only temporarily holding the control of time. And you did not ask so I believe it is not very much of a big deal.]

Just like this.

"But can't I use your time manipulation ability something?"

Aren't they one?

[No, you cannot. We may be in one body but we are completely two different entities. My abilities are not something you could use by yourself and without my permission.]

"... You could use and manipulate me and my abilities however you want but I cannot do the same to you?"

[That is correct.]

"Isn't this really unfair? I'm like, your doll or something like a host."

[...]

"Haaa... You really are annoying."

Reece massages his make-believe aching head and irritatedly replied.

"Which means you could manipulate time and I could just simply dilly-dally in doing my work?"

[Precisely on point.]

"Fine. I'll take my time then."

Reece could now slack off and rest as much as he wants. Time is in his hands now.

[Yes. However, I will not let you do as you please.]

"Why is that?"

[You are someone who loves to takes advantage of an opportunity.]

Already expecting Daniel's reply, Reece shrugged.

Indeed, he admits he loves to always take advantage to the point one would consider it as abuse. Reece will not deny it.

But.

"Daniel, you are also a bastard. Of course, you won't allow me to do however I please."

[I have nothing to say.]

"Then don't talk."

Daniel obliged to keep his mouth—if he even has one—shut howbeit only for 30 seconds.

[Announcing. You will arrive in Long Fangs Birds Tribe in 5 hours. I am now concealing your entire life force.]

"Sure."

Reece answered with a dull voice.

It only took a second to entirely conceal Reece's life force. Daniel did his job well, as always. Reece smirk and thought as expected of the bastard.

Azure, who seems to feel the disappearance of the tiny life force of Reece, immediately panicked. He hastily opened the bag and look inside to see Reece's condition.

The fairy was still there but is now glaring at him.

Azure was well aware of what is the source of that glare, which is why he quickly apologies as he gently closed the bag.

Reece felt dizzy as the bag shook violently when Azure hurriedly opened the bag, which is why Reece was glaring at the bluebird.

'Haa... What a life. A dead life, I mean.'

Finally, the five hours passed in a flash. Reece, who has continued peeking while remaining in the bag, can see the entrance of the Long Fangs Birds Tribe.

'How lively. Must be tiring.'

Although it was nighttime, the tribe was very bright due to the torches that surround the tribe and appear to be full of life. It appears that they are on a festival with how there are music, dancing, drinking and all.

Just as Azure has said.

Noticing the arrival of Azure's group, the birds all gather with their eager faces as if they were all waiting for the Stone Bear.

They were in their humanoid form, which is why their expression was well defined.

They look terrifying even if they have beautiful faces and perfectly shaped bodies. Their abnormally tall height also added to Reece's concerns.

'Ah. They are eager to taste the delicious meat of a pregnant bear.'