Relying on the memories she had pieced together from the day before, Yue Ling slowly made her way deeper into the wolf tribe.
The sky was only just beginning to brighten, washed in a pale gray-blue light. Many unpaired male beastmen were already awake, gathering their weapons and preparing to head out to hunt. With the cold season approaching, food storage was a matter of survival.
As Yue Ling passed several caves, sounds drifted out that instantly made her scalp tingle.
Moans. Gasps. Breathless cries.
The caves had little to no privacy—no doors, no curtains. Inside, a single female beastman was tangled beneath animal hides with several male beastmen at once. The scene was shockingly explicit.
So… this world really had no concept of modesty.
Yue Ling nearly went blind on the spot.
I'm going to get eye infections. This is how you get eye infections.
The sudden appearance of a petite, beautiful female in the wolf tribe caused an immediate uproar.
In less than a minute, Yue Ling found herself completely surrounded—three layers inside, three layers outside—by single male beastmen.
Beastmen were nothing if not direct with their desires.
"Where did you come from, little female?"
"You're so cute. Become my mate."
"Little female, I'm strong. I'm a four-mark beastman. Will you let me be your first beast husband?"
Their enthusiasm was blazing hot and unfiltered. This delicate-looking female had refined features, a small frame, and—most dangerously of all—a scent so sweet and alluring they had never encountered before.
And she had no mate.
That alone was enough to drive them wild.
They could protect her first, guard her, wait patiently until she was ready to bond.
Yue Ling's smile stiffened.
If I told you I'm the infamous crazy female you all used to avoid like the plague… would you faint on the spot?
She was starting to think System 999 had given her a truly terrible suggestion.
Being surrounded by so many tall, muscular wolf beastmen—each radiating barely restrained eagerness—made her throat tighten. She swallowed nervously.
[Host, don't be afraid. These male beastmen won't hurt you.]
[Host—there! Southeast direction!]
System 999's mechanical voice suddenly shot up several octaves, practically vibrating with excitement. Clearly, locating her first seduction target thrilled it beyond measure.
Yue Ling turned toward the southeast—
—and met more than a dozen hopeful, eager faces staring back at her.
[…That many?]
[No, no—behind them. The one at the very back.]
System 999 "shook" its nonexistent head.
[Host, this body of yours can only last three more days. You must quickly secure your first beast husband.]
Yue Ling's pupils shrank violently.
[Three days?! Ninety-five percent affection in three days?! If you want me dead, just say so!]
System 999 felt utterly wronged.
[Host, this really isn't my fault!]
Opportunity wouldn't wait for her panic to settle.
Yue Ling forced herself forward, moving toward the southeast. The dozen single beastmen practically glowed with excitement.
She's coming over.
She's really coming over!
Just as they reached out, eager to embrace her—
A pair of pale, delicate hands shoved them aside without mercy.
The beastmen were simply too tall. Yue Ling struggled mightily to squeeze through the crowd, finally breaking free—and there, not far ahead, was the lone figure clearly waiting for no one.
A tall, powerful silhouette.
Nearly two meters in height, with short silver hair that gleamed faintly in the morning light. His upper body was bare, muscles sculpted and balanced—not excessive, but undeniably powerful. Each step of his long legs carried him farther away, his animal-hide skirt swaying with his stride.
Pure, restrained dominance.
[Host, that's him. Hurry. Go after him.]
Yue Ling broke into a run—or what passed for one.
Her steps were small, her body weak. After only a few paces, she was already gasping for breath, her chest burning. Meanwhile, the silver-haired beastman didn't slow down at all.
Watching him pull farther away, she gathered what breath she had left and called out, her voice clear and bright:
"E-excuse me—! The one in front—please wait!"
Around her, the other beastmen fell into stunned silence.
So… she'd chosen him.
The strongest.
The most dangerous.
The purest-blooded snow wolf of the tribe—Bai Ying.
They all knew how this would end.
Male beastmen worshipped strength, and females were no different. They always chose the strongest, the most impressive, the most beautiful.
But Bai Ying had no intention of bonding.
Once a male beastman formed a bond, his life was no longer his own. If abandoned, he became a rootless wanderer. If his mate died, the bond could kill him as well—or leave him crippled, doomed to roam as a fallen beastman.
Bai Ying sought only power.
Just yesterday, he had rejected Ana, the most beautiful female in the tribe, stating flatly that he had no desire to take a mate.
Hearing a clear, melodious female voice behind him, Bai Ying paused.
His steps slowed. Then stopped.
At the same moment, Lang Zuo came rushing from the opposite direction, roasted meat still warm in his hands. He'd finished cooking and immediately headed for Yue Ling's cave, worried she might be hungry.
Instead, he saw her.
Chasing Bai Ying.
Lang Zuo's narrow wolf eyes flashed with a dark green glow as they briefly locked onto Bai Ying—just for an instant—before he forcibly looked away.
He strode forward and seized Yue Ling's wrist, his voice edged with restrained anger.
"Didn't I tell you not to run around?"