Chapter 7: Beauty and the Beasts

Li Wei woke up with sunlight streaming through the cracks of Diana's hut. For a brief, blissful moment, he forgot where he was. But the sound of distant roaring and the sight of a half-eaten carcass on the floor quickly jolted him back to reality.

"Oh right," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "I'm in a village of overly attractive predators. Great."

As he sat up, he noticed Diana crouching near the entrance, sharpening a blade that looked like it could cut through steel.

"Good morning, prey," she said without turning around.

Li Wei groaned. "Can we please stop calling me that? My name is Li Wei. L-I W—"

"We know your name," Diana interrupted, smirking. "But it's just so much fun watching you squirm."

Li Wei rolled his eyes. "You're hilarious. Now, where's breakfast?"

Before Diana could reply, Charlotte burst into the hut, looking unusually excited.

"You're up!" she exclaimed, grabbing Li Wei's arm. "Come on, we've got a surprise for you."

Li Wei narrowed his eyes. "A surprise? That doesn't sound ominous at all."

Charlotte grinned, dragging him out of the hut. "You'll love it. Trust me."

As they arrived at the village square, Li Wei noticed a group of beast-women gathered in a circle, whispering excitedly. Diana and Victoria joined them, their expressions unreadable.

"What's going on?" Li Wei asked, glancing around nervously.

Freya stepped forward, her usual playful smirk replaced with something more… mischievous. "We thought it was time to show you something special about us."

Li Wei blinked. "Special? Like what? You're already strong, fast, and terrifyingly attractive. What else is there?"

Without answering, Freya closed her eyes. A soft glow surrounded her, and Li Wei watched in shock as her feline features began to shift. Her fur receded, her claws retracted, and her overall appearance became more… human.

But not entirely.

When the glow faded, Freya stood before him, looking like a stunningly beautiful woman. Her silver hair cascaded down her back, her skin was flawless, and her golden eyes sparkled like gemstones. But what caught Li Wei's attention were the cat ears still perched atop her head and the faint markings on her arms.

"Ta-da!" Freya said, striking a pose.

Li Wei's jaw dropped. "W-what… how… you can transform?!"

"Of course," Victoria said smoothly, stepping forward. She too began to glow, her serpentine tail shifting into long, elegant legs. Though her pupils remained slitted and her scales shimmered faintly under the sunlight, she now looked like a supermodel who had just walked off a runway.

One by one, the other beast-women followed suit, each transformation leaving Li Wei more stunned than the last. Diana's lioness mane turned into voluminous curls, her sharp claws becoming delicate fingers. Charlotte's wolfish features softened, but her piercing blue eyes and wolf ears remained.

"You're… you're all ridiculously gorgeous," Li Wei stammered, struggling to process what he was seeing.

"Why, thank you," Freya said, preening.

"But why didn't you tell me this before?" Li Wei demanded, his voice rising.

Diana shrugged. "You didn't ask."

Li Wei threw his hands in the air. "Unbelievable! I've been running for my life, thinking you were all wild beasts, and now you're telling me you can look like this?"

"Relax, prey," Charlotte said, smirking. "This form is just for convenience. Our true forms are still beastly. Don't get too comfortable."

Li Wei pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is insane. You're all like… like anime characters come to life."

Freya tilted her head. "Anime? What's that?"

"Never mind," Li Wei muttered. "So, what's the catch? Why show me this now?"

Diana crossed her arms, her golden eyes serious. "We thought it was time you understood what you're dealing with. We're not just beasts, Li Wei. We're something… in between. And now that you're in our world, you'll need to learn how to navigate it."

Li Wei sighed. "Great. No pressure or anything."

As the day went on, Li Wei found himself increasingly distracted by the beast-women's new appearances. Though they retained their animalistic traits, their human forms were undeniably captivating.

"Stop staring," Victoria said, catching him gawking.

"I'm not staring," Li Wei lied, turning away quickly.

"Sure you're not," she replied, smirking.

Even Diana, who usually exuded an intimidating aura, seemed more approachable in her human form. When she caught him looking at her, however, she raised an eyebrow.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked, her tone teasing.

Li Wei flushed. "I-I didn't say that!"

"Relax, prey," she said, ruffling his hair. "We're used to being admired."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it from me," he muttered, his cheeks burning.

Freya, ever the troublemaker, took things a step further. As they walked back to Diana's hut, she leaned close to Li Wei, her cat ears twitching playfully.

"Careful, little human," she purred. "With all this beauty around, you might just lose your mind."

Li Wei groaned. "I'm already losing my mind. This world is insane."

Later that evening, as the village settled down for the night, Victoria approached Li Wei while he sat outside Diana's hut, staring at the stars.

"You're handling this better than I expected," she said, sitting beside him.

Li Wei laughed humorlessly. "Better? I feel like I'm one bad day away from a mental breakdown."

Victoria studied him for a moment, her slitted eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "You're stronger than you think. But you need to be careful, Li Wei. Our world is beautiful, yes, but it's also dangerous. Don't let appearances fool you."

Li Wei glanced at her, surprised by her serious tone. "I'll keep that in mind."

As Victoria left, Li Wei leaned back, letting out a long sigh.

"Beautiful and dangerous," he muttered. "Great. Just my luck."

Little did he know, the real danger was yet to come.