The Stone Fang Tribe had already awakened by the time she arrived. Smoke rose from cooking fires while beastmen carried fresh prey through the village.
The central square buzzed with activity.
By the time Sora reached the tribal square, her stomach was growling violently.
The morning meal was being distributed near the central bonfire. Several females stood nearby chatting while beastmen returned from early hunts carrying fresh prey across their shoulders.
Stonefang Tribe functioned under strange customs.
Males hunted.
Females gathered and prepared food.
But because females were considered precious due to low birth rates, they usually received food separately without waiting in line.
Unfortunately, no one had bothered explaining that to the newly transmigrated Sora.
Hungry and exhausted, she simply joined the queue behind several beastmen.
A slender leopard beastman near the front turned around suddenly.
The moment he saw her, his handsome face twisted into confusion.
"What is a female doing here?"
Sora frowned immediately.
"What’s wrong with standing in line?"
The leopard beastman looked horrified.
Before she could say more, he raised his voice toward the food station.
"Someone’s female is queueing with the males!"
Instantly, dozens of eyes turned toward her.
Sora: "...."
Wonderful.
A middle-aged female serving food looked up impatiently.
"Females collect food separately—"
Her words stopped abruptly the moment she recognized Sora.
Displeasure flooded her face instantly.
"Kaelira," she snapped sharply. "Why are you only arriving now?"
Memories surfaced immediately.
This woman was Lyra.
Kaelira’s biological mother.
Or rather—
The original owner’s biological mother.
Unlike most mothers, Lyra had never shown affection toward her real daughter. Instead, she doted endlessly on her adopted daughter Selene, praising her beauty and gentleness whenever possible.
Sora honestly found it ridiculous.
"You’re late again," Lyra continued coldly. "Other females already started working."
Sora glanced around calmly.
Several females nearby were still leisurely eating breakfast while chatting happily.
None were being scolded.
Interesting.
Her gaze shifted back lazily.
"Selene isn’t here either."
The square instantly quieted.
Lyra’s face darkened.
"How dare you compare yourself to your sister?"
Sora almost laughed.
There it was again.
Your sister.
Your sister.
Everything revolved around Selene.
Before Lyra could continue lecturing her, soft footsteps approached from behind.
"Kaelira?"
A sweet voice drifted through the square.
Selene appeared wearing pale fox fur lined with delicate feathers. Her long black hair flowed beautifully behind her while several females surrounded her admiringly.
In her hands rested a bamboo tube.
"I heard your scalp was uncomfortable yesterday," Selene said gently. "So I stayed up preparing medicine for the lice in your hair."."
Instantly, approving murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Selene is so kind..."
"She still worries about Kaelira after being treated badly..."
"She truly has a gentle heart."
Sora nearly applauded again.
This woman deserved an award for acting.
Selene stepped closer and handed over the bamboo tube modestly.
Sora uncapped it slowly.
A sweet floral scent drifted out immediately.
Not medicinal.
Honey.
Interesting.
"Sister," Sora said suddenly, "what herbs did you use?"
Selene blinked.
"Neem tree and... mountain root."
Several older females nearby suddenly frowned.
Those herbs didn’t smell remotely sweet.
Sora tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Really? Strange... because I only smell nectar."
Serena’s smile stiffened.
"I added a little for fragrance."
"Oh?"
"Really?"
"Yes."
Sora smiled faintly.
Then she turned toward an elderly female nearby.
"Aunt Mira, could you smell this for me? I’m worried my nose isn’t working properly."
The older woman accepted the tube curiously.
After sniffing it, her brows furrowed deeply.
"This isn’t lice medicine."
Whispers immediately spread through the square.
Selene’s face stiffened.
"I—I added flower nectar so it wouldn’t smell bitter—"
"But there’s barely any herb scent at all," another female interrupted suspiciously.
Several people began exchanging uncertain looks.
After all, everyone knew Selene often portrayed herself as endlessly caring and virtuous.
But now...
Her medicine looked suspiciously fake.
Sora lowered her gaze modestly.
"Sister probably worked very hard preparing it," she said softly. "Even if it doesn’t help, I still appreciate the thought."
The moment she said that, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
Because now Selene looked petty for trying to defend herself.
Meanwhile Sora appeared unexpectedly reasonable.
Selene’s smile nearly cracked.
Sora hid her amusement carefully.
White lotus types always collapsed fastest when forced into honesty.
Lyra hurriedly interrupted the awkward silence.
"Enough," she snapped. "Selene was only trying to help."
Then she shoved several wild fruits toward Sora impatiently.
"Take your breakfast and leave."
Sora looked down at the tiny portion silently.
Just a few sour berries.
That was breakfast?
No wonder this body stayed unhealthy.
Still, she accepted the food without complaint.
As she turned away from the square, she caught several curious gazes following her.
For the first time—
People were looking at her differently.
Not kindly.
Not warmly.
But no longer entirely like a joke.
And for now...
That was enough.
As Sora bit into one fruit reluctantly, her eyes swept across the square.
None of her other husbands were present.
Only Lukan occasionally appeared near the tribe center.
The others clearly avoided her intentionally.
Especially Xavier.
Remembering the snake beastman’s cold golden eyes made Sora snort softly.
Those men truly hated her.
* * * * * *
By the time Sora left the tribal square, her stomach was still painfully empty.
The handful of sour berries Lyra had thrown at her earlier barely counted as food. They only made her hungrier.
Sora pressed a hand against her abdomen and sighed.
"This body really eats too much..."
Back in the apocalypse, food had been scarce, and every meal could mean the difference between survival and death. Starving herself now simply because this body was overweight felt ridiculous.
Still, she wasn’t foolish enough to starve herself.
Besides, she understood one important truth better than anyone else:
Losing weight by hunger alone was useless.
In her previous life, she had seen countless survivors attempt extreme fasting in hopes of becoming thinner or conserving supplies. Most ended up weak, dizzy, and unable to fight. Losing weight required balance, not self-destruction.
Exercise.
Proper food.
Consistency.
That was the only sustainable method.
Besides, after forcing this overweight body through morning training, she desperately needed protein.
As she walked along the edge of the forest, a memory surfaced suddenly.
Yesterday, while searching for herbs, she had discovered a hidden pond deep within the reeds. At the time, she’d noticed several wild ducks nesting nearby.
Eggs.
Fresh eggs.
Sora’s eyes brightened immediately.
"Finally, something edible."
The deeper she traveled into the woods, the quieter the world became. Sunlight filtered through ancient branches overhead while vines curled around towering trunks thick enough to hide several beastmen behind them. Strange insects chirped among the grass, and somewhere far away, an unidentified beast roared through the mountains.
Eventually, the reeds came into view.
The pond was small and hidden almost completely by thick green reeds taller than a grown man. From outside, it looked like nothing more than tangled marshland.
Perfect for hiding duck nests.
As Sora approached quietly, several wild ducks happened to paddle away toward the river to forage.
"What luck."
She immediately pushed through the reeds.
Sure enough, tucked between dry stalks rested a nest lined with soft feathers.
Inside sat six pale green duck eggs.
Sora almost cried with happiness.
In the Beastlands, eggs were considered valuable food. Most people ate fruits, roots, or raw meat. Few had the patience to search marshes for bird nests.
But to Sora?
These were treasures.
Carefully lifting her hide skirt, she wrapped the eggs securely inside the fabric before stepping out of the reeds.
Unfortunately—
She had unknowingly stolen someone else’s breakfast.
Not far away, hidden among the reeds, a pair of golden eyes narrowed dangerously.
Xavier lazily rested upon a thick branch in his serpent form, dark scales glimmering beneath the sunlight.
Yesterday, he had spotted the ducks laying eggs and intentionally left them untouched so he could enjoy them this morning.
He disliked tribal breakfasts.
The fruits were sour.
The roots were bland.
And the beastmen roasted meat until it tasted like burnt bark.
So naturally, he planned to collect the eggs himself.
But just as he prepared to retrieve them—
A large dark hand suddenly reached into the nest.
Xavier nearly attacked immediately.
At first glance, he thought some strange bear beast had invaded the pond.
Then he realized the "bear" had no fur.
Only flesh.
Soft, wobbling flesh.
His expression darkened instantly.
Who in the tribe possessed such... impressive proportions?
Before he could identify the intruder, the figure bent down and lifted her hide skirt.
Xavier’s eyes widened.
For one horrifying second, he genuinely believed she intended to relieve herself beside the nest.
The snake beastman immediately turned his head away in disgust.
Who else in the entire tribe could look like that besides Sora?
The serpent beastman’s lips twitched dangerously.
Did she know he was nearby?
Was she deliberately trying to tempt him again?
The original Kaelira had often used shameless methods to seduce her husbands. Once, she had even pretended to fall directly into Xavier’s arms after "accidentally" tripping near the river.
Ever since then, Xavier had avoided her whenever possible.
But moments later, he realized she was wrapping the eggs inside her skirt instead.
Unfortunately, by then, he had already seen far more than he wanted.
Dark thighs.
Heavy curves.
Shameless movements.
Xavier’s face twisted.
Who else could it be besides Sora?
The female had pursued him relentlessly before. She constantly attempted to "accidentally" brush against him, stare at him, or invent opportunities to be near him.
Did she know he was hiding here?
Was this another deliberate seduction attempt?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
And then—
She stole all six eggs.
Xavier’s forehead twitched violently.
"She’s already fat enough," he muttered coldly. "Why is she still eating?"
At this rate, she would eventually resemble a wild boar.