Chapter 4

Back in the cave, Cheng Youyou picked up a bone knife and swiftly cleaned the fish, skewering it on a branch. She did the same with the freshly washed mushrooms. She set them over the burning campfire to roast slowly. As the moisture evaporated, the fat began to drip onto the flames, sizzling and sparking. The fire crackled louder and brighter, and the aroma of grilled fish filled the entire cave.

Cheng Youyou carefully flipped the fish, afraid of burning it. Finally, she sprinkled a pinch of coarse salt, bringing out its full flavor. The mushrooms, soaked in fish oil, turned incredibly savory—so delicious it felt like she could swallow her tongue. This untouched, natural food—just a hint of simple seasoning—was divine. She devoured fish and mushrooms, mouth glistening with oil, savoring every bite.

Soon, the food was gone, but her stomach still growled. The original host’s appetite had been stretched beyond normal—this amount of food wasn’t even enough to fill the gaps between her teeth.

But Cheng Youyou didn’t plan to eat more. With this overweight body and no stamina, surviving alone here would require strength and endurance.

With the fire crackling and her stomach protesting, Cheng Youyou drifted off to sleep. Morning light filtered into the cave like soft golden threads, falling gently on her body. But it wasn’t the warmth of the sun that woke her—it was footsteps.

In the apocalypse, survival demanded constant vigilance. Without it, she’d have been zombie chow long ago. Without moving, she gripped the bone knife tightly. Her eyes stayed shut, but her ears tracked every movement.

The visitor stopped just outside the cave, not stepping in.

“Cheng Youyou, I’ve never seen a female like you—ugly, lazy, and reeking to high heaven. What male could stand you? Honestly, the only match for you is a dung beetle beastman. They’d adore you. Ugh!” She mimed gagging dramatically.

Cheng Youyou opened her eyes and looked toward the cave entrance. The female, Lu Xi, stood there with a slightly rounded belly. Cheng Youyou’s eyes flickered, and she quietly released her grip on the knife.

Lu Xi was the tribe’s most athletic and fertile female, with eight beast-husbands. She’d already birthed five beast-children, two of them rare females, and was now pregnant with her sixth. Her fertility made her even more popular among the males.

But Lu Xi had no interest in their attention—her heart was set on the original host’s beast-husband, the tribe’s leader, Ji Xuan. So she’d always disliked the original host, constantly picking fights. Ever since the host’s revered shaman father disappeared, Lu Xi had grown even more brazen.

Showing up this early in the morning? She clearly wasn’t here to share breakfast.

Cheng Youyou sat up slowly. As she moved, the air shifted—and she froze.

“Ugh, you stink!” Lu Xi’s gagging grew louder and more exaggerated.

Nearby beastmen heard and cast disgusted glances toward the cave, pinching their noses and fleeing quickly. Was this how beast-world females reacted to pregnancy? Sure, she smelled like rotten eggs left to ferment, but could they really smell her from that far away?

Strangely, she’d scrubbed herself thoroughly with soap pods the night before. Yet somehow, she smelled even worse now than before the bath. Maybe the original host had some kind of strange illness?

Cheng Youyou’s mind raced, but her face remained calm, even showing a hint of irritation from being woken up: “If you’re going to puke, do it somewhere else. Don’t throw up at someone’s doorstep first thing in the morning. No manners at all.”

Lu Xi was so flustered she forgot to gag. Her eyes flicked toward the mushrooms by the fire, and she sneered: “Useless trash. Can’t win a male’s heart, can’t even find proper food. Eating poisonous junk like that—maybe that’s why you smell so bad?”

“If you really can’t find food, why don’t you break your bond with the tribe leader? I’ll bring you meals every day.”

“No thanks.” Cheng Youyou’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.

“Have those mushrooms poisoned your brain?” Lu Xi looked incredulous. Cheng Youyou was starving and still dared to reject such a generous offer?

Cheng Youyou ignored Lu Xi’s shifting expressions. “Big sis, seriously—what are you doing barking at my door this early?”

A burst of laughter erupted from the gossip-loving beastmen nearby.

Flushed with embarrassment, Lu Xi snapped, “You think I wanted to come here? The tribe leader told me to call you to the square.”

With that, she shoved through the crowd and fled.

“Tch~” Cheng Youyou clicked her tongue. Beast-world females were seriously lacking in combat power—she hadn’t even started fighting yet.

Speaking of Ji Xuan, the tribe leader—he was the original host’s fourth beast-husband, a rare albino tiger. In the host’s memories, tiger beastmen were among the strongest on the continent.

Ji Xuan had somehow ended up in this tribe, and thanks to his formidable strength, he was chosen as the leader. Recently, he and Zi Wu had gone to the coastal sea beast tribe to negotiate a trade—supplies for winter salt. Why he was summoning her now was unclear. But she had more pressing matters to attend to, like taking a bath. Was it her imagination, or did her beast-hide skirt feel a little looser?

After a refreshing wash, she made her way to the square, swaying slightly with each step.

The square was already packed with beastmen—males, females, young and old. As Cheng Youyou arrived, every gaze turned toward her.

Under all those stares, she moved calmly. She even made her way to the edge of the square, under the shade of a thick tree, and squatted down in public.

What could she do? The beast-world weather was extreme, and the sun was blazing. With her current physique, she was panting every few steps. If she didn’t rest, she might collapse. Given the original host’s nasty reputation, no one would help her if she fainted—they’d probably let her roast into jerky.

A towering figure stepped past the crowd and headed toward the platform at the center of the square. Even from a distance, just seeing his back made it impossible for anyone to look away.