Hana looked at her system window again.

> [CIVILIZATION PROGRESS: 1%]

​The number 1% seemed to make sense now. She wasn’t starting from zero. She was starting on top of something that had been lost. If there were books buried in the dirt, what else was hiding under the trees?

​She looked at the Boar laborer who had been tracing the lines. He was still watching her, his eyes wide and curious.

​"You," she said to the laborer. "When you touched these shapes, you said it felt like a dream?"

​"Yes," the Boar whispered. "Like... like I was supposed to know what they mean. But the words are locked."

​Hana closed the book with a loud thud.

​"We’re going to find the rest of those metal boxes," Hana declared. "If your tribe found one by accident, there are more. And I want everything inside them."

​Caspian huffed, a small flame licking his lips. "More trash? Hana, I can bring you beautiful shiny rocks. I can bring you the heart of a mountain—"

​"I don’t want your beautiful shiny rocks," Hana snapped, looking at the dark forest. "I want to know who was here before you beasts took over. And all of you are going to help me find it."

"What?!" Caspian exclaimed, shocked.

"Don’t be lazy if you want to be of help to Hana," Raiden stated, interpreting Caspian’s shock as his unwillingness to do something other than mating and eating.

"Shut up, you stupid fox. That’s not it at all." He growled.

Hana clutched the heavy book to her chest. Her back felt stiff, a dull ache spreading from her spine to her hips. Between the hours of sewing and the fight with the Alpha, her body was reaching its limit. But she felt a strange excitement flowing through her. She couldn’t wait.

​"Caspian, get the Alpha," Hana ordered. "He’s going to lead us to the hole where they found this."

​Caspian didn’t move for a while, narrowing his eyes as if he had seen his coming. Instead, he stepped into her space, his massive body blocking the light from the fire. The air around him was thick and sweltering. This seemed to be his serious mode. He looked down at her, his golden eyes glowing like molten coins in the dark.

​"It is deep in the night, Hana," Caspian rumbled. He reached out, his large, clawed hand wrapping firmly around her waist. He pulled her flush against him, his obsidian scales feeling like sun-warmed stone through the thin silver fabric of her new dress. "The forest is full of things that bite. You are tired. You should stay in the nest."

Hana felt the heat of him soaking into her skin. He was possessive, his grip unyielding. He leaned down, his nose brushing against her temple as he took a deep, lingering breath of her scent.

Hana looked away from him and looked up at the moon, then back at the dark, messy forest. Well, aside from the Adrenaline pumping in her veins, her body was done.

Her back felt like it was being poked with needles, and the cool night air was making her damp skin shiver.

He was right to refuse her request this time.

"Then, we’ll go search for it once it’s morning," Hana said, closing the book with a heavy thud. "I’m way too tired to be tripping over roots in the dark anyway. I’ll only get annoyed to death by my own weakness."

Caspian looked relieved, though he tried to act tough. "A wise choice, Hana. The den is ready for you. Let’s go in."

As they walked back into the cave, Hana stopped. The change was actually impressive. The ’Scrub-Squad’ had worked like they were running out of time, which they were, since Haa could already see herself holding a whip and working them to the bone.

The rotting hides were gone, the piles of old bones were cleared out, and the cave didn’t smell like a swamp anymore.

Instead, the air was filled with the soap she’d made: sharp pine and spicy peppercorns. The stone floors were still wet from the scrubbing, but they were finally clean.

"They actually did it properly," Hana muttered, feeling a tiny bit of satisfaction.

Just then, a small blue window pinged in her vision.

> ​[BONUS REWARD: SANITATION SUCCESS]

> Reason: The ’Scrub-Squad’ exceeded expectations.

> Reward: +100 Karmic Points

> [CURRENT BALANCE: -1,204,380]

​Only a hundred? Hana thought, rolling her eyes. Cheap system. Still, it was better than nothing. She stretched her arms over her head, her joints popping. "I guess I’ll soak in the lake to get rid of my exhaustion."

"I’ll take you there, Hana." Raiden rushed to her side, but Caspian was already sweeping her off her feet. "Stay back, fox. I’m the one who watches over her while she bathes." He had a smudged grin that Raiden wished he could punch.

Hana shook her head. She was too exhausted to deal with this.

"Is there a lake close by?" She asked, changing the topic.

"Yes, Hana," Caspian answered excitedly. "There’s a lake I like to go to if I want to cool my steaming body. I’ll take you here right away."

Hm, that actually gave Hana an idea. If she needed to soak in a lake that felt like a hot tub, she had just the beastman to do it. But for now, she would just take a cold bath.

"Then, let’s go," she said, and just before Raiden could complain, Caspian dashed out of there.

The lake was just a short walk from the cave, and so Caspian got there in a flash. Its water surface was reflecting the silver moon like a mirror.

Caspian didn’t put Hana down until they reached the water’s edge. He stood there, tall and imposing, his golden eyes never leaving her as she walked into the cool water. The silver dress clung to her body, and as she dipped beneath the surface.

"Hana, won’t you take it off?" Caspian suddenly asked.

​"I’m running a test to make sure my dress works well as water-resistant," she explained, narrowing her eyes at her boobs. The water beaded up and rolled off the silver fabric like it was made of glass. It worked perfectly. It didn’t get heavy or soak through.

​"It works," she muttered. She looked up at Caspian, who was standing at the edge of the water, looking like he was about to boil over. "But you’re right. I need to wash properly."

​"Finally," Caspian rumbled, stepping closer. "The water is cold. I can keep you warm while you wash."

​"I’m washing, not looking for a space heater," Hana shot back. "Turn around, Caspian."

​Caspian let out a frustrated huff, his tail splashing the water, but he did as he was told. He turned his back to her, facing the dark treeline.

Hana quickly pulled the silver dress over her head and set it on a dry rock. She walked deeper into the lake, the cold water making her skin prickle.

​She revealed the soap she had carried along and began to scrub the dirt and sweat from her skin. The scent of pine filled the air as she washed.