As a novel author, Elizabeth was intimately familiar with every trope and mechanic under the sun - reincarnation, transmigration into foreign worlds, and all-powerful game systems doling out cheat abilities.
The sudden manifestation of a mechanical interface inside her head didn't paralyze her with shock; instead, it sparked instant, cool calculation and a surge of inner excitement.
A semi-transparent, azure screen flared to life before her eyes:
[The Support System is entirely at the Host's disposal.]
Elizabeth kept her expression completely blank, maintaining a perfect poker face. She merely glanced out of the corner of her eye at the horned girl walking beside her, ensuring the other hadn't noticed a thing.
What exactly are your functions, and what do you offer? she asked tersely in her mind, establishing a direct link with the system's core.
[The Support System currently offers exclusively the Resource Draw function.]
[A Draw grants the direct opportunity to obtain an item, skill, or knowledge from one of three base rarity tiers, designated by color: Green, Purple, and Red.]
The cold, emotionless chime echoed within her skull before immediately continuing:
[Additionally, a Special Draw refreshes once per month, guaranteeing at least a Purple-tier reward, and a unique Annual Draw is available once every twelve months, guaranteeing a Red-tier reward.]
Does the system only feature rewards across these three tiers?
Is there nothing beyond the Red tier? Elizabeth inquired.
[Higher tiers and unique reward colors will unlock automatically in the future as the Host grows in power and progresses.]
So there are higher, even more potent tiers down the line.
That bodes well for the future… she thought with a flicker of satisfaction before issuing a direct mental command:
System, use my initial free draw immediately.
[Initial free draw successfully activated!]
The notification rang in her mind as an enormous, tricolored wheel of fortune materialized in her inner vision. It spun into a blinding, featureless blur before abruptly braking a few seconds later, settling with a soft, decisive click directly on a radiant, deep purple sector.
Seeing the result, Elizabeth's blue eyes flashed with excitement, and the system's prompt promptly followed:
[Purple-tier reward drawn.]
[Would the Host like to open the Purple Box now?]
That's fantastic, but don't open it yet, Elizabeth instructed internally, the corner of her mouth twitching into a barely perceptible smirk.
She had no way of knowing whether claiming the prize right now would trigger an obvious visual anomaly - a burst of light or an outward flare of energy. In unfamiliar, potentially hostile territory, caution was paramount. It was far safer to open the reward once she had secured private, secluded quarters.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me, or are you just blankly staring into space?!" Valeria snapped, her blood-red eyes narrowing dangerously.
Seeing Elizabeth completely spaced out and unresponsive for the past few moments, she reprimanded her with sharp irritation:
"If you have no intention of learning about camp matters, stop wasting my time! I have far more important things to do!"
Valeria still had her grueling daily martial training to complete. The past few days spent fruitlessly searching for a Successor and guarding the perimeter had severely disrupted her routine, fueling a deep anxiety.
If this dragged on, officially ascending to become a full-fledged Totem Warrior would become an agonizingly uphill battle.
"I'm sorry, truly. I'm still a bit lightheaded after everything and simply lost my train of thought for a second," Elizabeth offered smoothly, resting a delicate hand against her forehead.
"In that case, I'll take you straight to rest."
Valeria took a closer look at Elizabeth's pale face and weary features, remembering that the girl had been unconscious for two full days. Her frosty demeanor softened noticeably.
"Alright, I'd appreciate the rest," Elizabeth replied, a wry half-smile playing on her lips as she made an amused mental note of the girl's reaction:
Oh?
So our fierce little horned girl just puts up a prickly, cold front, but she's actually quite warm and soft-hearted underneath.
"Let's move. No point standing around here," Valeria said briskly, pivoting on her heel toward the heart of the settlement. She resumed her guide-like cadence along the way:
"The Sharu's pavilion and my mother's tent - the Chief's quarters - sit dead center in the camp's layout to keep an eye on everything."
She led Elizabeth past the grand hide pavilion to the rear of the structure, where two smaller, adjacent leather shelters stood, one noticeably more compact than the other.
"You'll stay in the tent on the left for tonight. The one on the right belongs to my mother," Valeria explained, gesturing toward the two entrances before them.
"And the one on the left… whose tent is it, exactly?" Elizabeth asked out of pure curiosity.
"Mine…" Valeria's voice dropped, losing its earlier razor-sharp edge.
"You're giving me your own tent to sleep in? Where are you going to sleep tonight, then?"
Elizabeth asked in genuine surprise. Her living conditions had taken a massive leap forward; compared to being left to rot on the foul outskirts of the camp, she had now been placed right in the safest core under the direct care of the chieftain's family.
"It's only for tonight! I'm assigned to the all-night perimeter watch anyway," Valeria blurted out through gritted teeth, desperately trying to mask her embarrassment.
In truth, she hated the idea of handing her private quarters over to a complete stranger. But her strict mother had explicitly commanded her to look after the new Successor and arrange proper lodging. With dusk rapidly approaching, there was no time to pitch a new leather shelter, leaving her own bed as the only viable solution.
"Alright. I truly appreciate it," Elizabeth gave a solemn nod. She understood perfectly well that allowing an outsider into her private quarters was an extraordinary gesture of goodwill and trust from her hosts.
"Hmph! And don't you dare rummage through my personal belongings while I'm gone!" Valeria huffed, tilting her chin up proudly even as a lovely, bright pink blush crept unbidden across her pale cheeks.
"I promise I won't poke my nose where it doesn't belong," Elizabeth replied with an amused glint in her eyes, barely suppressing a quiet chuckle at the adorable display.
"If anything happens, just tell the guards to fetch me immediately," Valeria threw out as a parting remark. Without waiting for a response, she spun on her heel and hurried away toward the south with brisk, agitated steps.
"Ha, she actually got flustered…" Elizabeth shook her head in amusement before peeling back the coarse leather flap and stepping inside.
The interior was modest, measuring perhaps six or seven square meters, scented with a distinct, musky blend of dried herbs and treated pelts.
Everything in here is surprisingly neat and meticulously organized…
…well, by local standards, at least! she thought with a faint smile, scanning the spartan space.
Naturally, there was no wooden bedstead or furniture. The sole sleeping arrangement was a thick mound of dry, fragrant straw piled in the corner, topped with a well-worn yet clean predator pelt.
There were no wardrobes or storage chests either; all of the girl's modest possessions - spare hides, whetstones, and crude clay vessels - were neatly arranged directly along the packed earthen floor, which bore the faint, visible prints of bare feet.
"I almost forgot I've landed in a stone-age tribal society of magic and primitives…" Elizabeth scratched her head vigorously, letting out a long, heavy sigh.
"No electricity, no internet, no computer, no phone… completely stripped of modern civilization."
She collapsed onto the bed of fragrant straw, settling comfortably over the animal pelt and closing her eyes for a brief moment to let her racing heart settle.
It was time to claim her prize.
System, open the Purple Box I drew earlier…