Surviving The Beast World With My 'Sassy' System-Chapter 31: Transparent Beastmen

When Lavayla lay back down, she found that sleep refused to claim her. Her body was exhausted, but her mind remained too alert, too tightly wound after everything she’d been through. So she simply closed her eyes, breathing slow and steady, letting the rhythm of the baby’s soft snores guide her. It took almost an hour before her body finally surrendered, her thoughts dissolving into the warm, heavy fog of true sleep.

When she woke again, it was to the baby’s babbling voice right beside her—and the soft gold of morning seeping in through the narrow crevice above. Sunlight spilled into the stone hollow, washing everything in a gentle glow. It danced across the moss-covered walls in rippling patterns, mimicking the sway of leaves in the forest canopy. The air was cool and damp, carrying the earthy scent of lichen and pine needles. Outside, birds trilled their early melodies as insects buzzed lazily and tree branches creaked in the shifting breeze.

The system greeted, ’Good morning, host~! Welcome to a new day~!’

Lavayla blinked slowly, not answering Nessa just yet, letting her eyes adjust to the soft, dappled light. The baby gurgled again, stretching his chubby fingers toward a bright band of sun, mesmerized by the dust motes drifting lazily within it. For a moment, Lavayla just lay there, absorbing the sensation of waking somewhere unfamiliar yet strangely serene.

Then she heard it—deep voices outside, rough and gravelly, carrying easily through the trees.

Beastmen.

Her brain jolted awake.

She sat up immediately, her sudden movement startling the baby; he froze, blinking owlishly before slowly bringing his tiny fist to his mouth and sucking on it. The sight cracked a laugh out of her before she could stop herself.

"You little—"

Footsteps approached, cutting off her teasing, and Lavayla looked toward the entrance just as a tall, broad-shouldered woman appeared. The stranger was powerfully built, with short thick black hair and sun-browned skin that bore the marks of strength and constant labor. Yet her posture carried a kind of hesitant awkwardness, and her eyes—though undeniably curious—held a flicker of nerves, almost as if she were the one facing a mythical being.

"Y-you are awake?" the woman asked, her voice pitched slightly higher than her imposing frame suggested.

Lavayla blinked, nodding gently. She parted her lips to speak, but the woman hurried on, words tumbling out in a rush.

"My... name is Ressha. Tharn and Garrick brought you to us yesterday. You were injured, very seriously, and we had to treat you in our own way, hoping it would work. With the extent of your wounds, I honestly didn’t think you would wake so soon. I hope you’re not angry that we treated you without—"

"Ressha," Lavayla interrupted softly, her tone warm, "I can call you that, right?"

Ressha’s eyes widened slightly. "Y-yes... um... of course!"

"I want to thank you—and your companions—for saving me. I have absolutely no reason to be angry. Truly, thank you. I can’t express how grateful I am."

Ressha waved her hands quickly, flustered, as Lavayla bowed her head in sincere appreciation. "No, no. No need to thank us." She took a half-step forward as if to help Lavayla stand, then hesitated, unsure if touching her was appropriate.

Lavayla gave a slow reassuring nod and shifted her attention downward. The baby had rolled onto his stomach, patting the ground with fierce concentration, as though holding a deep conversation with the stone floor itself.

Then a sudden awareness washed over her—one she couldn’t ignore.

She needed to pee.

Looking up again, she offered Ressha a sheepish smile. "I need to ease myself. Is there a designated place I can use?"

Ressha paused, brow furrowing. "Ease yourself... designated area...?"

Lavayla nearly facepalmed. Of course—primitive beastworld. Subtle terms wouldn’t translate. If they had, she would need to question the authenticity of this world entirely. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

So she clarified, straightforward and a touch embarrassed, "I want to pee. I’m guessing you don’t have a specific place for that, so... could you take me somewhere private where I can relieve myself?"

Understanding finally clicked. Ressha nodded, though concern immediately followed. "Are you sure you want to go somewhere secluded? There are many dangerous things in this forest, and you... well, you don’t seem able to protect yourself yet. Why don’t I—and one of our warriors—go with you?"

Lavayla shook her head quickly. "No, please don’t. You alone are enough. Really."

Ressha brightened at that, apparently pleased to be trusted. "Do you want to go now?" she asked with a small, genuine smile.

Lavayla glanced at the baby sprawled on the blanket, now smacking his palm rhythmically on the ground as though testing its durability. "Could someone watch him for a bit?"

"Of course," Ressha said without hesitation. "I’ll be back in a moment."

She turned and left with a quick stride, and a moment later she returned with a young beastman in tow. It was Eiran—his hair tousled from an incomplete sleep, posture still a little stiff from standing, but his eyes bright with an unmistakable curiosity. He tried, and failed, to school his expression into something neutral, and every few seconds his gaze slid toward Lavayla as if magnetized.

"Eiran," Ressha said, nudging him lightly with her elbow, "watch over the baby for a moment, alright?"

Eiran nodded quickly, though his attention was already drifting to the beastling on the blanket. The baby was currently sprawled over his stomach, kicking the ground and babbling at the dirt as though it were carrying on a perfectly engaging conversation. Eiran crouched beside him, but his eyes flicked up toward Lavayla again...and again...and again.

Lavayla caught every single glance, which would’ve been awkward if they weren’t all so endearingly transparent. She nodded at him, catching him off guard and making him hurriedly fix his gaze on the baby.

They both stepped out, Dak and Vors had returned from their patrol, and all of them were gathered around the central fire. A thick cut of meat—half of an entire animal by the look of it—was roasting on a makeshift spit held in place by two sturdy branches. The fat sizzled as it dripped into the flames, sending up fragrant wisps of smoke that curled through the air.

The beastmen sat in a loose circle around the fire, all of them stealing occasional glances at the human woman. Lavayla could feel their gazes as clearly as she could feel the heat of the fire, but none of it made her uncomfortable. If anything, she felt strangely...normal.

Lavayla looked around, taking in the stone hollow from the outside and marveling at the wonders of this world before nodding to indicate she was ready. Together, they left the hollow, while the beastmen’s curious stares followed her until the trees obscured her from view.

Ressha led her down a narrow path shaded by dense undergrowth, not too far from the hollow but far enough to give the illusion of privacy. The air was cooler here, soft with morning dew, and the light filtered gently through layers of broad leaves above them. When Lavayla stepped forward to find a comfortable distance, Ressha’s arm suddenly shot out, stopping her with surprising speed.