Fine.
If she couldn’t destroy the system yet, she would survive first.
The immediate priority was hygiene.
She absolutely refused to live with lice.
Determined, Sora entered the forest at dawn the next morning. The Beast Continent was wild and vibrant beyond imagination. Towering ancient trees blocked much of the sunlight while strange birds cried overhead.
Eventually she found a boxwood tree.
Perfect for carving a comb.
As she reached upward for a branch strong enough to carve into a comb, movement stirred above her.
"Hiss..."
A lazy voice sounded above her.
Sora looked up.
Golden reptilian eyes slowly opened.
A slender snake beastman lounged lazily among the branches, black hair cascading over his shoulders like silk.
His name was Xavier.
Cold-tempered. Venomous-tongued.
One of her husbands.
Xavier had been preparing to shed his skin peacefully when Sora interrupted him.
The sight of her swaying figure instantly darkened his expression.
"Kaelira," he snapped coldly. "Get away from my tree."
His voice was smooth and cold like sliding silk.
Sora blinked.
"Your tree?"
"Yes."
"Did you plant it?"
"...No."
"Then move."
Xavier’s expression darkened instantly.
He was currently preparing to shed his scales and disliked being disturbed. Usually Kaelira would deliberately approach him shamelessly, trying to cling to him or flirt.
But today...
She sounded genuinely annoyed.
Without another word, Xavier snapped off a branch and tossed it down before disappearing deeper into the trees.
Sora caught the branch in surprise.
"...Well. That saves time."
After several hours, she finally carved a crude comb.
Then came the real battle.
Standing waist-deep in the river, she painstakingly combed through her hair again and again. Countless dead lice floated downstream like drifting debris.
Sora nearly vomited.
Afterward, she crushed Tea Tree, neem tree and wild herbs into water and scrubbed her scalp repeatedly until the stench faded.
By sunset, her hair finally felt clean.
Not beautiful.
But survivable.
At least now she no longer felt infested.
Still ugly though.
Baby steps.
As she walked back toward the tribe, a graceful voice stopped her.
"Sister?"
A stunning young woman approached surrounded by several female companions.
Her skin was pale and flawless, her waist slender, her smile gentle.
Serena.
The adopted daughter of Kaelira’s mother.
And Kaelira’s greatest tormentor.
Unlike Kaelira, Serena was beloved throughout the tribe.
Kind. Elegant. Beautiful.
At least on the surface.
"I heard you jumped into the river yesterday," Serena said softly. "Are you alright?"
Before Sora could answer, one female beside Serena scoffed.
"She probably wanted attention after her husbands rejected her again."
Laughter followed.
Sora narrowed her eyes.
Interesting.
Serena stepped forward gracefully and pretended to brush Sora’s messy hair aside with concern.
"Sister has suffered enough already."
The surrounding women instantly praised her kindness.
But Sora only smiled.
Then she grabbed Serena’s wrist.
"Sister," she said sweetly, "could you help me remove the remaining lice from my hair?"
Serena froze.
"What?"
"You said you cared about me."
Without warning, Sora shoved Serena’s hand directly onto her scalp.
Serena shrieked and recoiled violently.
The nearby females stumbled backward in horror.
Sora’s expression instantly turned pitiful.
"So Sister was lying after all..."
Serena’s face twisted briefly before she forced another smile.
"O-Of course not. I simply remembered I have something urgent to do."
Then she fled.
Her companions followed immediately.
Watching them disappear, Sora burst into laughter for the first time since arriving in this world.
Interesting.
* * * * * *
Morning mist drifted across the Stonefang Tribe like pale smoke.
The tribe slowly awakened beneath the crimson glow of dawn. Beastmen emerged from caves carved into cliffsides while females gathered baskets and tools for the day’s labor. The scent of damp soil, woodsmoke, and roasted roots lingered in the chilly air.
Inside her cave, Sora opened her eyes reluctantly.
Every muscle in her body screamed in protest.
The previous night, she had fallen asleep determined to transform herself. In her old world, she had survived mutant hordes, starvation, and blood-soaked winters. Compared to that, losing weight and dealing with difficult men should have been easy.
At least, that was what she thought.
Reality proved otherwise.
The moment she sat upright, pain shot through her legs and waist.
"This body is beyond saving..."
Still, Sora forced herself up.
If she wanted to survive in this world, she needed strength.
Beauty alone wouldn’t save her.
Outside the cave, the morning air was cool against her skin. The Blackwater River glimmered nearby beneath streaks of golden sunlight while giant trees swayed gently in the breeze.
This body was disastrously weak.
Still, if she wanted to lose weight and survive in this tribe, she needed to start somewhere.
Grinding her teeth, Sora forced herself toward the riverbank before dawn. Pale mist drifted across the water while cool wind brushed against the reeds.
Sora inhaled deeply and began jogging along the riverside.
Or rather—
Attempted to jog.
After only a short distance, her breathing turned ragged. Her heavy body felt stiff and sluggish, each step dragging painfully against the ground.
Sweat poured down her face almost immediately.
Her chest burned.
Her legs trembled.
In her previous life, she could run dozens of kilometers without slowing down. Even while controlling water abilities, her body had remained agile and powerful.
But now?
This body couldn’t even manage a simple morning run.
Sora gritted her teeth stubbornly.
"One more lap..."
She pushed herself forward.
Birds scattered from nearby reeds as she stumbled past. Sweat dripped into her eyes, blurring her vision. Her breathing sounded embarrassingly loud in the quiet morning forest.
Originally, she planned seven laps around the riverbank.
She barely survived two.
By the end, her entire body felt soaked and unbearably sticky. Panting heavily, she crouched beside the river and splashed cool water onto her burning face.
The icy touch eased her exhaustion slightly.
Then—
Splash.
Sora looked up.
A tall figure stood knee-deep in the river filling wooden buckets with water.
Silver-gray hair reflected softly beneath the morning light.
Lukan.
The wolf beastman remained expressionless as he lifted one bucket effortlessly onto the shore. Muscles shifted beneath his dark hunting leathers while droplets slid down his strong arms.
Even among beastmen, his appearance was exceptional.
No wonder the original owner obsessed over him.
Sora hesitated briefly before walking over.
"You’re fetching water?" she asked carefully. "Need help carrying it?"
Lukan ignored her completely.
He filled the second bucket without even glancing her way.
Awkward silence settled between them.
Sora rubbed the back of her neck.
Right.
He was still angry about yesterday.
After a moment of hesitation, she stepped closer again.
"Lukan... there’s something I need to say."
At last, he paused.
Golden wolf eyes shifted toward her calmly.
Sora took a deep breath.
"Yesterday... I lied to you. I shouldn’t have done that."
Lukan’s expression didn’t change.
"You were pretending to be ill," he said flatly.
"Yes."
"And you tricked me into washing your pelts."
"...Yes."
The wolf beastman continued tying the water buckets calmly.
Surprisingly, Sora didn’t feel embarrassed.
In her old world, pride couldn’t buy survival.
People who refused to admit mistakes usually died fastest.
"I know you probably don’t trust me anymore," she continued quietly. "But I won’t do something like that again."
Lukan remained silent.
The river flowed gently around his boots.
For a moment, only the sound of moving water filled the air.
Finally, Sora sighed softly.
"The truth is... the females in the tribe laugh at me constantly. My husbands hate me. Everyone looks at me with disgust." She forced a self-deprecating smile. "So I kept trying desperate things hoping someone might show me kindness."
That much, at least, was true.
But unlike the original Kaelira, Sora didn’t sound pitiful.
She simply sounded tired.
The original Kaelira had been pathetic.
Lonely people often became cruel in strange ways.
Sora turned to leave after speaking.
But as she passed him, Lukan suddenly spoke.
"I don’t hate you."
She stopped.
The words were simple.
Calm.
Without mockery.
Yet they stunned her completely.
At the same moment, a mechanical chime echoed inside her head.
[Affection target: Lukan.]
[Favorability increased by 1.]
[Current Affection Level: Familiarity.]
Sora blinked.
"That’s it?"
Only one point?
After all that sincerity?
A translucent panel flickered before her eyes.
Romance Strategy System
Target: Lukan
Race: Silver Wolf Beastman
Current Favorability: 1
Status: Neutral
Reward: Minor mental enhancement unlocked.
Sora nearly rolled her eyes.
This system truly was stingy.
Still...
At least she had made progress.
Lukan lifted the water buckets and walked past her toward the tribe.
"Don’t overwork yourself," he said without looking back. "Your body is weak."
Sora stared after him in mild surprise.
Then she laughed softly.
A cold-faced wolf who secretly cared.
How troublesome.
She had apologized sincerely and nearly died running this morning for only a single affection point?
What a scam.
Still...
Something inside her mind suddenly felt clearer.
Her thoughts sharpened slightly, as though a layer of fog had lifted.
Interesting.
So the system rewards were real.
Unfortunately, her stomach growled loudly before she could think further.
Running on an empty stomach had exhausted her completely.
According to the original owner’s memories, tribe members gathered food every morning in the central square.
Sora immediately headed there.