Chapter 2: Iron Cages and Fury

Nicole struggled to wake up.

Her head was splitting with pain, her body still numb from the electric shock. She found herself trapped in a crude metal cage, its bottom lined with filthy straw.

Around her came various sounds of wailing, weeping, and metal clanging.

Nicole forced herself to sit up, and the scene before her eyes nearly suffocated her—

In the hastily constructed camp, dozens of iron cages were densely arranged. Each cage held different beastfolk or rare animals. Some were forest dwellers captured alongside her, others looked like they'd been imprisoned for a long time.

Two hunters were inspecting their cargo. They used iron tongs to roughly drag the beastfolk around, examining teeth, muscles, and fur quality.

"This cat clan cub is in good condition, should fetch a nice price."

"Fox clan fur is very popular, especially the tail parts."

"Deer clan meat is delicious, those wealthy folks love this kind of wild game."

"Let them go! They're just children!" A young fox clan member angrily shook his cage, roaring, but was met only with the hunter's electric baton.

"Sister Nicole..."

A weak voice came from nearby. Nicole turned to look—it was Miller, the injured squirrel beastman who hadn't fully recovered yet. His fur had lost its luster, and his small paws were cut bloody by the wire mesh.

"Miller! How are you?" Nicole hurriedly crawled to the edge of her cage, wanting to touch him.

"It hurts so much... why did they capture us..." Miller's voice trailed off.

In cages farther away, deer cubs huddled together trembling. A mother deer kept ramming her head against the cage, trying to protect her children, her forehead already bloody.

"This batch of goods is good quality, quite lively." One guard said to another.

"I heard the village operation has started too, there'll be a big haul tonight."

"Those beastfolk thought they were safe hiding in villages, haha."

Their words showed not a trace of regarding these beings as intelligent, emotional lives. In their eyes, these were merely talking merchandise.

Beside the guards' weapons lay a map marked with multiple beastfolk settlements.

Nicole's heart pounded violently. Anger, fear, despair, heartache... various emotions crashed against her inner being like a tide.

These innocent creatures... these friends she was meant to protect...

Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms. Blood dripped through her fingers, but she felt no pain.

"Sister Nicole..." Miller had never seen Nicole angry before.

The mother deer's cage-ramming grew more urgent, metal making harsh deformation sounds.

The deer cubs' cries were heart-wrenching.

Each wail cut through Nicole's heart like a blade.

"Enough..."

Nicole's voice was soft, but all the surrounding creatures heard it.

"Enough..."

Her voice became hoarse, fierce light blazing in her eyes.

But the hunters didn't care at all.

Indeed, during slaughter, would a butcher stop because the animals' cries were too fierce?

Forest Ripples began to stir around Nicole, the life energy in the air seeming drawn by her emotions.

"I said! Enough!"

Nicole grasped the cage's iron bars, her wounded hands making contact with the metal, but she paid no heed. Anger gave her strength she'd never possessed before.

Crack—

The crude iron bars began to bend in her hands.

Impossible... how could a seemingly fragile cat clan girl have such strength?

But the fact was happening right before their eyes.

Nicole's power seemed to come from the depths of her soul, from her love for life, from her anger at injustice. Her muscles tensed, veins bulging, her normally round and cute face becoming stern with fury.

Crack—crack—

The iron bars bent one by one.

"Damn it! What's that cat clan doing!" The two guards noticed the anomaly and hurriedly turned around.

"Get weapons! Don't let her escape!"

The final iron bar was completely torn apart by her. The cage door crashed to the ground.

 Nicole burst from the cage, directly pouncing on the nearest guard. Her movements were lightning-fast, anger allowing her to explode with speed and strength beyond reason.

The first guard had just raised his gun when Nicole knocked him to the ground. Her beast claws viciously raked across his face, leaving deep bloody marks.

"Argh!" The guard screamed in agony.

The second guard opened fire. The bullet shot toward Nicole, striking her shoulder. Sharp pain came, but Nicole didn't stop.

She charged the second guard again, punching his abdomen, making him double over and vomit. Then she seized the weapon from his hands, heavily striking his head with the gun stock.

Both guards lost their fighting ability, knocked unconscious on the ground.

Nicole looked at the blood on her claws, suddenly realizing what she had done.

She had hurt people.

Even though they were bad people, even though they were harming innocent creatures... she had violated the nun's teachings.

Heavy rain suddenly poured down, as if even the sky was weeping for this violence.

Nicole knelt before the two guards, hands clasped together: "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have hurt you... may Forest Mother forgive my sins..."

She devoutly prayed in repentance for her violent actions.

After finishing her prayer, she endured the pain in her shoulder and began breaking the locks on the other cages.

"Everyone, run! Take the children and leave this place! Return to the forest depths!"

The heavy rain blurred vision while providing cover for the rescued creatures.

When the last cage was opened and the last little rabbit safely escaped, Nicole didn't linger either. She knew other hunters might return at any moment.

She pressed her bleeding shoulder, dragging her weakened body toward the forest depths.

Rainwater washed over her wounds, each step causing piercing pain. But she had to leave this place, had to survive.

Running through the misty downpour, Nicole saw a familiar figure appear in the distance.

Silver-gray wolf ears, a tall slender form...

"Senior brother..." Nicole smiled weakly.