“What kind of sick joke is this? I don’t want to die here, Kirin.”
Vivianne’s hand slammed the <NO> button in an instant.
“I am glad you have changed your mind, piii!”
How the fucking hell this damned sheep was giggling like that despite my hardship?
She quickly grabbed and pinched Kirin’s cheeks until it squeaked.
“Then do your damn job!”
“Piii?! What job?!”
“You said you’re my personal heavenly guide, didn’t you?” She narrowed her golden eyes.
“Then guide me! Give me a hint, a tutorial, a map—hell, draw me a damn treasure map if you have to!”
Kirin’s ears drooped.
“But I don’t even know where your husband is, piii…”
“Then find out!”
“I can’t!”
Vivianne squeezed her cheeks harder.
“Then start learning. Unless you want to become roasted lamb chops tonight.”
“PIIIII?! I am a divine beast, not lamb chops!”
Kirin hurriedly popped up a holographic system window between us.
“Piii! I have a hint!”
“Finally.” Vivianne stopped pinching Kirin’s cheeks and let her flutter away.
[Side Quest Unlocked!]
[Heal the Wolf]
[Objective: Heal the Injured Wolf.]
[Reward: ???]
“….Not Heal the World?”
Kirin tilted her head.
“Piii??”
“Never mind.”
Vivianne tapped the quest details for more information.
A holographic map appeared before her, displaying a red dot at the far end of the forest.
“There better be a good reward for this.”
She followed the marker deeper into the forest.
Eventually, Vivianne found the injured wolf beneath a massive tree.
It was nearly three times the size of an ordinary wolf with navy-blue fur and a white underbelly.
One of its hind legs was caught in a rusty bear trap.
“This wolf is huge. I have a bad feeling about this. Don’t tell me he was the pack leader of those wolves that hunted me this afternoon?”
Vivianne cautiously approached the giant wolf.
Its hind leg was caught tightly between the rusty jaws of the bear trap.
“Hold still. This is going to hurt.”
She gripped the trap with both hands and tried to pry it open.
The rusted metal barely moved.
“Come on… open!”
She strained harder, finally forcing the jaws apart just enough to pull the wolf’s injured leg free.
The wolf gave a low growl.
“Hey! Don’t bite the person saving you!”
I hope this huge mutt has been vaccinated.
The last thing I needed was to catch rabies from a random stray dog.
Vivianne quickly pressed her hands against the wounded leg.
[Healing Lv. 1]
A faint warmth flowed from her palms into the wolf’s injured leg.
The bleeding slowly stopped, and the torn flesh began to close.
The wolf tilted its head in confusion then examined Vivianne with curiosity.
[Ding!]
[Side Quest: Heal the Wolf — Completed!]
[Reward: 20,000 Gold, System Shop, and Inventory now are accessible!]
[Beauty: +1%]
[Affection: +5%]
After all of that hard work, Vivianne’s status barely budged.
Wait…
wasn’t her Beauty at -10% before?
So that mean it was -5% now.
And what was that +5% Affection?
More importantly, the System Shop and Inventory were finally accessible.
“Er… whose affection is it supposed to be?”
Vivianne stared at the screen, utterly baffled.
Then, almost instinctively, her eyes drifted toward the gigantic wolf beside her.
She froze.
“Oh.”
Was the author seriously expecting me to become a furry lover now?
“I was hunted down by an entire pack of wolves this afternoon, saved a gigantic wolf from a bear trap, and then healed it,” Vivianne grumbled, staring at the reward details.
“And after all that, I only get a one-percent increase in Beauty and five percent of… whatever this is?”
Her gaze settled on the wolf.
Its green eyes remained fixed on her.
Vivianne narrowed her eyes.
“What a joke.”
System shop?
Inventory?
These might come in handy.
She glanced at the newly unlocked System Shop and Inventory.
Vivianne took a quick glance at the beast.
He seemed quite docile for now.
Perhaps she should examine the shop and see if there was anything useful.
A quick peek couldn’t hurt, right?
She navigated the System Shop since her Inventory was empty.
A new screen opened up.
The interface was really user friendly.
Like the ones they used in online shops in her previous life.
Each item was categorized under Consumables, Crafting Ingredients/Materials, Key Items, and Skills.
There were several interesting things under consumables.
[Consumables: Soap (1,000 Gold)]
[Consumables: Shampoo (2,000 Gold)]
[Consumables: Potions (250 Gold)]
[Consumables: One-Time Escape Smokebomb (3,000 Gold)]
These toiletries will save my sanity!
Too bad they were the last ones in stock.
I can skip on Potions since I have basic healing skills.
But a few won’t hurt.
A smokebomb might come in handy when avoiding getting killed in this strange new world.
Her eyes practically sparkled as she browsed through the other sections.
[Crafting Material: Comb (3,000 Gold)]
Oh, I am going to need this to tame my wild unruly red hair.
She scrolled past the Key Items, but there was nothing there.
Then Vivianne hit the jackpot under the Skills section.
[Advanced Skill: Universal Language (Permanent) (2,000 Gold)]
[Basic Skill: Fire Lv. 1 (5,500 Gold)]
[Passive Skill: Pheromones Lv.1 (Permanent) (3,000 Gold)]
What a catch!
“Wait a minute. I’ll be broke if I buy all of these, but they’re just too good to pass up!”
Her balance dropped to a clean 500 Gold, and suddenly Vivianne felt broke again.
It was just system money, but somehow, being broke felt exactly the same as it had in the real world.
Different world, same poverty.
Her thoughts were cut short by a low, uneasy growl behind her.
Vivianne stiffened.
The huge wolf was back on all fours, its body tense and its lips curled into a silent snarl.
[Ding!]
[Side Quest Unlocked!]
[Tame the Wolf]
[Objective: Calm the wolf and make it docile before his heat gets out of control!]
[Rewards: Beauty Stats, Evolution Points, 50,000 Gold]
[Time Limit: 00:20:00]
[Failure Penalty: Death]
Vivianne’s jaw dropped
“Heat?”
Her gaze slowly shifted toward the enormous wolf.
The wolf lowered its head, green eyes burning with raw aggression.
Sharp canines emerged as its lips curled back, accompanied by a deep, vicious growl.
Every muscle in the giant wolf’s massive body tensed, its hackles standing on end as though it were ready to tear Vivianne apart.
Vivianne’s face paled.
“What the fuck!! You expect me to mate with this rabid dog—having sex—with it just to calm its heat!?”
The wolf suddenly charged at her.
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!