Surviving The Beast World With My 'Sassy' System-Chapter 34: Improved Ability

"If you hadn’t helped, you would’ve gone on your way and never met Tark. You wouldn’t have been attacked or nearly killed. So we are all immensely grateful to you, M-miss Lavayla, and we will do everything we can to repay your favor."

Her smile softened at the tremble in his voice. "You’ve already repaid it. You saved my life. You protected me. Asking anything more would be selfish of me."

"B-but," Ressha began, but Lavayla gently cut in.

"I should be thanking you instead—"

"Miss L-avayla!" Garrick blurted, cheeks reddening. "You are really kind. I have never seen anyone as kind as you are—"

A snort sliced through his compliment. Kal.

Garrick snapped toward him, indignant, but Lavayla jumped in before he could explode. "Thank you for the compliment. But I’m not really that kind. Helping you during the fight... I’m just thankful I did."

"We are thankful too..." Garrick muttered, softer this time.

Ressha clapped her hands lightly. "Alright. That’s enough. Miss Lavayla hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday. I’m sure she is starving."

Seeing that Ressha was about to slice a part of the meat still roasting on the fire for her, Lavayla quickly waved her hand, her expression tight with polite panic. "No, no, I’m not that hungry. Honestly, I’m not hungry. I am not."

Ressha paused mid-reach, brows furrowing with confusion at the blatant contradiction. "How can you not be hungry? You haven’t eaten for a day."

Garrick, ever the enthusiastic echo, immediately chimed in, "Yes, you didn’t eat the whole day, yesterday."

Lavayla forced a smile, gently patting the baby as if he were her excuse and shield at once. The truth was simple: there was no universe in which she was going to gnaw on that charred, leathery, slab of "meat." "I actually ate yesterday morning before going out to look for a source of water, and right now I’m just a bit weak. I only need some rest. I’m sorry, but I don’t have an appetite for roasted meat. You must understand—our physiques aren’t the same. I can’t eat that now."

"Oh," Ressha murmured, nodding. Instead of arguing, she pivoted and went straight for one of the large hide bundles to her right. She crouched, loosened the bindings, and rummaged through the contents. After a moment, she emerged with several small, plump, round tubers nestled in her arms.

Lavayla blinked, leaned forward, blinked again, and then her eyes widened in disbelief. They were potatoes.

Ressha gathered them carefully, walking over with a hopeful brightness in her gaze. "What about these? They are roots that taste very sweet when cooked over the fire. I can do it for you."

Lavayla leaned in further, her tired expression shifting into genuine delight, the kind that warmed her face without effort. Seeing the reaction, Ressha paused, curiosity blooming. "Do you know them?"

Lavayla nodded, smile deepening. "Yes. They are called potatoes."

"Potatoes?" Ressha echoed, tilting her head slightly as if tasting the word itself.

Lavayla stared at the tubers, tempted beyond all resistance. "Can I have one?"

Ressha didn’t hesitate for even a heartbeat; she immediately pressed one into Lavayla’s hand.

Touching it, Lavayla’s plant affinity activated, the familiar warmth blooming through her palm like a pulse of recognition.

[Name: Normal Potatoes]

[Type: Edible Root Tuber — Common Grade]

[General Description: A nutrient-dense root widely found in fertile forest belts and river-fed soil regions. Highly versatile and rich in Beastworld-compatible starch.]

[Uses: Highly suitable for energy replenishment, stamina recovery, and minor vitality support. Excellent as a base ingredient for broths and mash. When cooked thoroughly, it restores partial fatigue and steadies unstable energy.]

[Health Benefits: Promotes stable digestion, warms the body against nighttime chills, mildly increases body hydration levels, and sustains prolonged physical activity. Beneficial to humans and lower Beastmen.]

[Ideal for weakened hosts, infants, recovering warriors, and anyone suffering from energy depletion.]

Lavayla was caught off guard, pleasantly surprised at the wealth of information when she’d only gotten a few lines before. It seemed her ability had somehow improved.

[Planting Instructions: Potatoes thrive in loose, moist, nutrient-rich soil. Bury tubers or cut segments with at least one budding eye two hand-lengths beneath the surface. Keep soil warm but not soaked. Sprouts emerge in four days, and full maturity is reached in nineteen to thirty-one days depending on the soil’s elemental composition. Best yield when planted in earth exposed to soft morning sun and shielded from midday heat.]

[Harvest Indicators: Leaves yellow and wilt from the base upward, soil slightly swells from the growing bulk of the tubers.]

Lavayla exhaled softly, absorbing every detail. Ressha was watching her closely, curiosity sparking at her expression.

[Other Potato Variants in the Beastworld:]

[Embergold Potatoes — Rare Grade]

A fire-kissed variant that grows near volcanic ash fields. Deep orange flesh, dense with fire-elemental essence. Sweet when roasted and capable of rapidly restoring body heat. Favored by Fire-aligned Beastmen and warriors recovering from cold-affinity wounds.

[Moonfrost Potatoes — Uncommon Grade]

Pale blue skin with a soft, cool interior. Grows only in shaded, energy-rich forests touched by Moonlight Spirits. Refreshing when steamed and capable of lowering internal heat, particularly useful for fevers or inflammation.

[Thunderlight Potatoes — Rare Grade]

Violet-skinned with streaks of electric gold. Native to high cliffs struck frequently by lightning. Provides potent energy surges when consumed, temporarily boosting speed and reflexes, known to cause tingling sensations in those without lightning affinity.

[Stoneheart Potatoes — Common Grade (Hard Variant)]

Thick-skinned, incredibly tough, often mistaken for rocks. Needs to be boiled for a long time before being edible. Long-lasting in storage, making them the primary travel rations for mountain tribes. Excellent for endurance, poor for delicate stomachs.

[Sunglow Sweetroots — Variant Class: Potato-Adjacent]

Golden-skinned, honey-flavored roots are often grouped with potatoes by foragers. High natural sugar, perfect for roasted snacks, pastries, and child-friendly meals. Mild healing properties, especially for fatigue-related headaches.

Lavayla blinked as the information settled, her hand unconsciously warming around the smooth tuber surface. When she looked up, her smile was already spreading.

"These," she murmured with a soft breath, "are really useful. Do you usually find a lot?"

"Yes, they are always found together in large amounts." Ressha leaned in slightly, intrigued by the tone in her voice. "Are they... special where you come from?"

"They’re very important," Lavayla replied, her fingertips brushing tiny flecks of soil from the skin of the potato. "They can fill you up, are easy to cook, keep your energy steady, help with sickness, and they grow fast if planted right. You can survive on them for a long time if needed."

"If you hadn’t helped, you would’ve gone on your way and never met Tark. You wouldn’t have been attacked or nearly killed. So we are all immensely grateful to you, M-miss Lavayla, and we will do everything we can to repay your favor."

Her smile softened at the tremble in his voice. "You’ve already repaid it. You saved my life. You protected me. Asking anything more would be selfish of me."

"B-but," Ressha began, but Lavayla gently cut in.

"I should be thanking you instead—"

"Miss L-avayla!" Garrick blurted, cheeks reddening. "You are really kind. I have never seen anyone as kind as you are—"

A snort sliced through his compliment. Kal.

Garrick snapped toward him, indignant, but Lavayla jumped in before he could explode. "Thank you for the compliment. But I’m not really that kind. Helping you during the fight... I’m just thankful I did."

"We are thankful too..." Garrick muttered, softer this time.

Ressha clapped her hands lightly. "Alright. That’s enough. Miss Lavayla hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday. I’m sure she is starving."

Seeing that Ressha was about to slice a part of the meat still roasting on the fire for her, Lavayla quickly waved her hand, her expression tight with polite panic. "No, no, I’m not that hungry. Honestly, I’m not hungry. I am not."

Ressha paused mid-reach, brows furrowing with confusion at the blatant contradiction. "How can you not be hungry? You haven’t eaten for a day."

Garrick, ever the enthusiastic echo, immediately chimed in, "Yes, you didn’t eat the whole day, yesterday."

Lavayla forced a smile, gently patting the baby as if he were her excuse and shield at once. The truth was simple: there was no universe in which she was going to gnaw on that charred, leathery, slab of "meat." "I actually ate yesterday morning before going out to look for a source of water, and right now I’m just a bit weak. I only need some rest. I’m sorry, but I don’t have an appetite for roasted meat. You must understand—our physiques aren’t the same. I can’t eat that now."

"Oh," Ressha murmured, nodding. Instead of arguing, she pivoted and went straight for one of the large hide bundles to her right. She crouched, loosened the bindings, and rummaged through the contents. After a moment, she emerged with several small, plump, round tubers nestled in her arms.

Lavayla blinked, leaned forward, blinked again, and then her eyes widened in disbelief. They were potatoes.

Ressha gathered them carefully, walking over with a hopeful brightness in her gaze. "What about these? They are roots that taste very sweet when cooked over the fire. I can do it for you."

Lavayla leaned in further, her tired expression shifting into genuine delight, the kind that warmed her face without effort. Seeing the reaction, Ressha paused, curiosity blooming. "Do you know them?"

Lavayla nodded, smile deepening. "Yes. They are called potatoes."

"Potatoes?" Ressha echoed, tilting her head slightly as if tasting the word itself.

Lavayla stared at the tubers, tempted beyond all resistance. "Can I have one?"

Ressha didn’t hesitate for even a heartbeat; she immediately pressed one into Lavayla’s hand.

Touching it, Lavayla’s plant affinity activated, the familiar warmth blooming through her palm like a pulse of recognition.

[Name: Normal Potatoes]

[Type: Edible Root Tuber — Common Grade]

[General Description: A nutrient-dense root widely found in fertile forest belts and river-fed soil regions. Highly versatile and rich in Beastworld-compatible starch.]

[Uses: Highly suitable for energy replenishment, stamina recovery, and minor vitality support. Excellent as a base ingredient for broths and mash. When cooked thoroughly, it restores partial fatigue and steadies unstable energy.]

[Health Benefits: Promotes stable digestion, warms the body against nighttime chills, mildly increases body hydration levels, and sustains prolonged physical activity. Beneficial to humans and lower Beastmen.]

[Ideal for weakened hosts, infants, recovering warriors, and anyone suffering from energy depletion.]

Lavayla was caught off guard, pleasantly surprised at the wealth of information when she’d only gotten a few lines before. It seemed her ability had somehow improved.

[Planting Instructions: Potatoes thrive in loose, moist, nutrient-rich soil. Bury tubers or cut segments with at least one budding eye two hand-lengths beneath the surface. Keep soil warm but not soaked. Sprouts emerge in four days, and full maturity is reached in nineteen to thirty-one days depending on the soil’s elemental composition. Best yield when planted in earth exposed to soft morning sun and shielded from midday heat.]

[Harvest Indicators: Leaves yellow and wilt from the base upward, soil slightly swells from the growing bulk of the tubers.]

Lavayla exhaled softly, absorbing every detail. Ressha was watching her closely, curiosity sparking at her expression.

[Other Potato Variants in the Beastworld:]

[Embergold Potatoes — Rare Grade]

A fire-kissed variant that grows near volcanic ash fields. Deep orange flesh, dense with fire-elemental essence. Sweet when roasted and capable of rapidly restoring body heat. Favored by Fire-aligned Beastmen and warriors recovering from cold-affinity wounds.

[Moonfrost Potatoes — Uncommon Grade]

Pale blue skin with a soft, cool interior. Grows only in shaded, energy-rich forests touched by Moonlight Spirits. Refreshing when steamed and capable of lowering internal heat, particularly useful for fevers or inflammation.

[Thunderlight Potatoes — Rare Grade]

Violet-skinned with streaks of electric gold. Native to high cliffs struck frequently by lightning. Provides potent energy surges when consumed, temporarily boosting speed and reflexes, known to cause tingling sensations in those without lightning affinity.

[Stoneheart Potatoes — Common Grade (Hard Variant)]

Thick-skinned, incredibly tough, often mistaken for rocks. Needs to be boiled for a long time before being edible. Long-lasting in storage, making them the primary travel rations for mountain tribes. Excellent for endurance, poor for delicate stomachs.

[Sunglow Sweetroots — Variant Class: Potato-Adjacent]

Golden-skinned, honey-flavored roots are often grouped with potatoes by foragers. High natural sugar, perfect for roasted snacks, pastries, and child-friendly meals. Mild healing properties, especially for fatigue-related headaches.

Lavayla blinked as the information settled, her hand unconsciously warming around the smooth tuber surface. When she looked up, her smile was already spreading.

"These," she murmured with a soft breath, "are really useful. Do you usually find a lot?"

"Yes, they are always found together in large amounts." Ressha leaned in slightly, intrigued by the tone in her voice. "Are they... special where you come from?"

"They’re very important," Lavayla replied, her fingertips brushing tiny flecks of soil from the skin of the potato. "They can fill you up, are easy to cook, keep your energy steady, help with sickness, and they grow fast if planted right. You can survive on them for a long time if needed."