| GB | Yu Bai | 1
The setting sun burned like fire, and golden phoenix-like rays of light scattered like feathers across the sky above the rocky mountain range. In the western side of the sky, massive clouds were ignited into breathtakingly brilliant shades of red.
The mountain range stretched like a slumbering giant serpent, rugged and silent, winding from the southeast to the northwest.
A squad of orcs passed through, breaking the tranquility of the scene.
As night approached, the leader of the orcs ordered the group to halt and rest, deciding to spend the night in this place.
"Bai, come here—"
A rough, loud voice echoed through the air.
From afar, a clear and bright voice responded, "Coming—"
Soon, a young man named Yu Bai came into view.
The glow of the setting sun fell upon the slope, casting a gentle radiance over the massive, rugged stones.
Slightly out of breath, Yu Bai emerged from below the rocky slope, carrying a bamboo basket in his arms.
His slightly wavy, somewhat long black hair nearly covered his ears, and his dark, glistening eyes, like black grapes, were almost hidden beneath his bangs. His exposed chin was smooth and delicate, and his lips were a faint, pale shade.
With his face slightly lowered, few people ever got a clear look at him. Coupled with his small stature and frame compared to all the orcs, even the females. He resembled an underdeveloped beast cub.
Yu Bai was wrapped in a dull gray linen robe, his exposed wrists thin and pale.
A "orc" like him, completely devoid of strength, was not well-regarded in the wild lands. To make matters worse, he was an "sub-female," one without the ability to bear offspring.
The only reason he was allowed to join this expedition for gathering supplies was thanks to A’Li, who had fought to get him this opportunity.
After all, it was rare to have someone with the ability to tend to injuries among the orc squads when venturing out.
As Yu Bai appeared, the resting male orcs around him subtly paused.
Throughout the journey, he had been the only sub-female accompanying the team, yet his presence was so insignificant, his frame so pitifully small that none of them had ever truly noticed him.
This was the first time the orcs had ever truly observed a sub-female.
As they studied Yu Bai, their gazes lingered. Most of them retained distinct beastly traits—some had antlers like a deer, others bore bull horns or animal ears. Their bodies were strong and brimming with an untamed, primal force.
At this moment, the group of male orcs instinctively glanced at Yu Bai’s exposed wrist, a collective thought flashing through their minds: So pale.
No orc in the tribe had ever been this fair-skinned.
Their scrutinizing gazes then drifted downward, moving from Yu Bai’s wrist to his waist and hips, as if seeing through the rough linen fabric that covered him.
Would his butt be just as pale?
Clicking their tongues, the male orcs examined his frail, skinny frame. Some shook their heads subtly, while others showed outright disdain.
This sub-female is way too thin and weak. He hardly had any flesh on him… it was not appealing at all.
—
Yu Bai remained utterly indifferent to the stares around him. He walked straight toward the orc who had called him—A’Li.
To meet A’Li’s gaze, he had to tilt his face upward slightly.
A’Li instinctively raised his hand to scratch at his messy hair, which fell over his shoulders, and the brown, pointed ears on top of his head twitched.
He gestured in a particular direction. “Bai, this spot is good for you to rest tonight.”
The area near the Luanshi Mountain Range had almost no vegetation, and at night, the temperature dropped while the wind and sand picked up.
Yu Bai, carrying the bamboo basket, walked toward the place A’Li had pointed out. The spot was enclosed by natural stone walls, forming a hidden, narrow space that was just enough for him to rest alone.
He raised his eyes and looked at the orc standing outside. “Thank you, A’Li.”
A’Li chuckled. “Bai, you’re too polite!”
Then, despite his large and imposing form, A’Li suddenly seemed a little bashful. “Bai, um...”
He hesitated, looking awkward, and before he could finish speaking, he saw Yu Bai set the bamboo basket down.
Inside the bamboo basket were the materials Yu Bai had gathered on this trip: herbs and some seeds.
He rummaged through the basket and pulled out something wrapped in leaves, then handed it to A’Li, who stood under the setting sun, his gaze briefly flickering away.
“Here, eat this.”
A’Li’s eyes brightened, and he quickly rubbed his rough hands together before slowly accepting the offering.
“Bai, you’re too kind!”
The food that orcs usually ate was simple and rugged, mostly meat. They typically cooked it over a fire or ate it half-cooked in a rough, hasty manner.
Orcs didn’t particularly enjoy eating vegetables. If they did, they would simply boil them in water, occasionally adding some salty beans and stirring them together.
Yu Bai, however, had made something more refined using the common, powdery beans, grinding them into a fine powder and turning it into a flatbread. This not only extended its shelf life but also made it convenient for long journeys.
A’Li, like most of the orcs, didn’t typically enjoy eating vegetables. To them, it was like chewing on grass.
But the flatbread Yu Bai made from the powdery beans was so unique that A’Li had never tasted anything like it in the Wildlands before.
A’Li, with a shy expression, carefully tucked the flatbread away. “Bai, if you need help with anything, just let me know.”
Yu Bai declined, shaking his head.
He placed his small travel bundle on the ground and took out a small, unevenly made ceramic bowl, a pair of flint stones, and, besides these, a small stone knife that was barely serviceable, a beast hide mat, and some mosquito-repelling herbs.
A’Li saw him preparing to start a fire and said, “I’ll go gather some firewood for you.”
Yu Bai set down his things. “I’ll come with you.”
Together, they walked through the rocky wilderness, looking for anything that could burn.
The area around them was barren, and they walked for quite a while before they managed to collect a few pieces of wood. Luckily, they also found some dried animal feces.
The feces had been sun-dried and were now dry enough to be used as kindling.
Yu Bai nodded. “This will be enough.”
As they returned, the orcs who were resting and eating nearby gave A'Li a few extra glances, as if they didn't understand why he was being so kind to Yu Bai.
Most male orcs wouldn't go out of their way to be kind to a sub-female. Compared to sub-females, who were powerless and almost incapable of reproduction, male orcs would rather focus their attention on the females.
Females were rare, and it wasn’t uncommon for the male orcs to fight each other over them.
—
As the evening grew darker, the surrounding stones cast shadows that resembled wild beasts.
Back at their temporary resting place, Yu Bai started the fire and poured some water from his bag into the ceramic bowl to heat it.
He took out another piece of flatbread wrapped in leaves and slowly took a few bites.
Seeing this, A'Li, who was squatting on a nearby stone, also opened his own flatbread and began to eat.
A'Li quickly devoured his, and when he turned his head, he saw Yu Bai sitting on the stone, holding the ceramic bowl, gently blowing at the rising steam. His movements as he drank were slow and careful.
Yu Bai was so thin, small—just sitting there drinking water, he almost looked pitiable.
At this moment, Yu Bai brushed aside his slightly long, wavy hair. His face was small, with delicate, beautiful brows, eyes, and lips, but his overall appearance was quiet, almost lifeless, as though lacking energy.
The setting sun cast a hazy glow around them, and A’Li, with the light behind him, couldn’t quite make out the details. Yet, his gaze still lingered, somewhat dazed and captivated.
Soon, the warm water brought some color back to Yu Bai’s pale lips, making them slightly redden. He finished half of the flatbread with the water, then took out two pieces of dried medicinal root and put them in his mouth.
A’Li stared blankly, wanting to say something, but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he suddenly met Yu Bai’s gaze as he turned his head.
Yu Bai, looking a bit confused, asked, “What’s wrong?”
A’Li, caught off guard, quickly shook his head. “Nothing, nothing.”
Yu Bai, thinking A’Li still wanted some flatbread, tore off a piece from the half he hadn’t bitten into and offered it to him.
A’Li, his dark face turning uncomfortably hot, quickly waved his hand. “Bai, you don’t need to share with me. I’ll go over with the others in a bit and have some roasted meat.”
He couldn’t help but add, “Bai, you're too thin because you eat too little.”
Yu Bai curved the corners of his lips in a faint smile.
The sun was nearly gone, and after almost half a month of travel, his body and mind were both exhausted. He decided to sleep early.
He opened his bundle and first took out a small woven mat made of hemp rope, laying it on a relatively flat stone. Next, he pulled out a thin beast hide blanket and gestured to A’Li, signaling that he was getting ready to sleep.
The items Yu Bai had brought with him were everything he owned. A’Li saw him pull up the small blanket just enough to cover his stomach, and without a word, he quickly turned and walked away.
A’Li returned to the campfire, picking up a piece of roasted meat to eat, deliberately ignoring the mocking comments from the other male orcs about Yu Bai.
The orcs in the team quickly finished their roasted meat. In order to avoid attracting the attention of the wild beasts around the mountains, they extinguished the fire.
The night grew colder, but the strong male orcs didn’t need to cover themselves. A’Li thought about Yu Bai, quietly lying on the grass mat. No matter how he looked at it, Yu Bai seemed so different.
The flatbread Yu Bai made, the way he ate, even the small beast hide blanket he used—everything about him was distinct.
Though it was old and well-worn, the blanket was cleaner than any the orcs used. It had no odor, only a faint scent of sunlight, like it had been dried in the sun.
A’Li thought to himself that this new sub-female he had met was truly unique.
—
Above, the starry sky stretched endlessly, and the night was dark and heavy. In his half-awake, half-asleep state, Yu Bai was unaware of how he appeared in the eyes of the orcs.
In his drowsy haze, it felt as if fragments of his past memories were drifting through his mind.
Yu Bai wasn’t a native orc of the Wildlands; he had only arrived here a little over half a year ago.
He was born in a small village on the southern edge of China, a country far from here. From the moment he was born, his health was frail, and at the age of ten, he was diagnosed with bone cancer.
When he was eleven, his father passed away. His mother and grandfather struggled to raise him. During this time, they had to visit the hospital several times. The already strained family was now living on the edge of poverty.
To ease the financial burden, Yu Bai spent most of his time at home, trying to nurture his health.
His mother worked odd jobs in the county town, and his grandfather was the village’s barefoot doctor. The money they earned was almost entirely spent on him.
At the age of eighteen, the cancer in his body continued to spread and metastasize. The doctor kindly urged him to seriously consider his situation.
Looking at his aging grandfather and his mother, whose hair had already begun to turn white at the temples, Yu Bai knew his illness had burdened his family too much.
In his final moments, he quietly slipped away under the cover of night, dragging his frail body into the deep, bottomless waters of a lake.
Yu Bai thus ended his short life.
But when he regained consciousness and opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a riverbank, naked and exposed.
It was early spring, and the river was covered with green, glistening floating plants. Wild beasts passed by him to drink from the river, paying him no attention.
A few orcs came to draw water, but seeing that he was on the brink of death, they ignored him.
Yu Bai slowly realized that he could actually understand the orcs' words expressing their disdain for him.
In the end, it was an old grey sheep orc who saved him.
The old orc carried him back to a stone house and fed him extremely bitter medicinal herbs every day.
Yu Bai, barely clinging to life, looked at the strange old orc with a heart full of despair and exhaustion, telling him not to waste his efforts, that he was going to die sooner or later.
But the old orc still persisted in feeding him the herbs, and even gave him mashed, cooked mushrooms to eat.
Yu Bai didn’t know how much time passed, but in his hazy state, he began to feel that his weak body was slowly regaining some strength.
In the simple, dilapidated stone house, it was just the old orc and him. Even though Yu Bai had no hope of survival, the old orc continued to regularly comb through his messy hair.
When the weather was clear, the old orc would slowly carry him to a nearby hillside to bask in the sunlight.
Two months ago, a heavy rain fell at night.
At dawn, the old orc still slowly carried the frail Yu Bai up the mountain to bask in the sun.
—
As the night deepened, Yu Bai seemed to dream again of the hillside, where the grass was dotted with water droplets. He saw the first rays of morning light breaking through the dark clouds, and the mountains and fields were bathed in the light of a new day.
That was the last time he had spent with the old grey sheep orc.
The old orc was very old, an unpopular sub-female, but she had been trying to live, and she had never given up on Yu Bai.
When the rain’s light had completely spread across the mountains and fields, the old orc gazed at him with a serene expression before slowly closing her eyes, shutting off the last bit of light in her gaze.
Yu Bai, who had been plagued by illness for many years, had long since come to terms with life and death. But when the old orc peacefully passed away in front of him, he still couldn’t bear the sorrow.
He buried the old orc on the mountain, choosing a spot where the grass was lush and the sunlight could reach.
As he looked at the vibrant green hillside, he remembered the old orc’s gaze before she died, and gradually, he came to a decision. He would keep living.
No matter how long his body could hold out, he would live the rest of his days to the fullest, without regret.
Once he made up his mind, Yu Bai spent about two months trying to restore his body as best he could.
Eventually, he was able to get out of bed and walk around, looking a little more like a normal orc. It was then that he asked A’Li to take him out.
The harsh winter of the Wildlands was especially long and difficult to endure, so Yu Bai wanted to gather enough supplies before it arrived, to ensure he could survive through the winter.
As his experiences in the modern world and the Wildlands continued to blur together, Yu Bai finally snapped fully awake from his dream.
The night was still, but the sky was a heavy, oppressive red.
He raised his hand to wipe the dampness from the corner of his eyes, and at the same time, peered through the cracks in the rocks, gazing at the night sky. The red clouds shimmered ominously, flickering with a strange light, as if a hundred beasts were approaching.
Suddenly, the low, dense red clouds moved rapidly, swirling with a flash of light. The horizon twisted as dark columns of wind began to form. In an instant, the storm howled, and sand and stones were tossed wildly.
Yu Bai’s eardrums throbbed, the pain causing him to let out a soft whimper.
The howling of wild beasts seemed to be heard in the whistling wind.
Nearby, the orcs shouted urgently:
“Not good, the storm and beast tide are coming!”
“Everyone, hurry, find shelter!”
TN: Yay a new novel~
After so long I decided to pick up another novel ＼(≧▽≦)／. This novel is a little more stereotypical so if you are annoyed with the terms ‘female’ or ‘sub-female’ or a weak mc, this novel may not be for you. There was another novel I wanted to tl but unfortunately it is not completed and it is way too long, so I decided why not tl this novel?
I hope you enjoy reading, and the tl updates will be random for now~
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