Surviving The Beast World With My 'Sassy' System-Chapter 41: Plant Ability Becoming Useful

Vera frowned slightly. "Why?"

"I think there might be something there," Lavayla replied evenly. "Even if there isn’t, it won’t hurt to look. I don’t sense anything dangerous."

They exchanged looks. After a brief pause, Miren nodded. "Alright. Stay alert."

They changed direction.

The ground grew more difficult the farther they went. Thick, tangled roots crisscrossed the forest floor, rising and sinking like the backs of buried creatures. Lavayla had to watch her footing carefully. It struck her how abrupt the change was. Only a short distance behind them, the forest had been open, almost sparse. Here, the trees crowded together, their roots intertwined as if the land itself had decided to knot.

Eventually, they reached a wall of vines and dense undergrowth that seemed almost deliberately placed.

Lavayla lifted a hand. "Here."

Vors and Miren stepped forward without question, claws and blades making quick work of the vines and bushes. It took only a few minutes before they parted the greenery enough to see what lay beyond.

They stepped through.

The darkness shifted.

Ahead of them was a shallow basin, the ground dipping gently inward. And at its center bloomed a patch of flowers, their color faint but unmistakable, glowing softly even in the low light.

Lavayla stopped.

So did everyone else.

The flowers spread like a small field, petals open and luminous, catching torchlight and reflecting it back in a hue none of them had ever seen before.

"Wow..."

"Woah..."

"So beautiful..."

"This looks... strange," someone murmured. "What color is this?"

Lavayla stared, momentarily forgetting the danger, everything else. The color was subtle, easily swallowed by shadow. Without keen eyesight or light, it would have been invisible. Even now, it felt like something meant to be overlooked.

"It’s indigo," she said quietly.

Nima tilted her head. "What?"

"The color," Lavayla explained. "Light indigo."

A pause.

"Oh..." Nima looked back at the flowers. "Are they herbs, Miss Lavayla?"

"I’m not sure yet," Lavayla said. "I need to check."

She stepped forward, and the others instinctively followed, torches angling to give her a clearer view. She knelt before one of the flowers and brushed her fingers gently over its petals.

The moment she touched it, warmth surged through her fingertips.

Information flooded her mind, seamless and complete, as though it had always been there.

[Name: Indigo Ashwagandha]

[Origin: Native Flowering Herb of the Beast World]

[Type: Flowering Plant · Medicinal Herb (Mid-Grade)]

[General Description: Newly identified herb. Data currently incomplete.]

[Effects:

• Accelerates wound healing in both humans and Beastmen, regardless of tier

• Relieves extreme physical and mental fatigue

• Stabilizes internal injuries

• Enhances recovery after prolonged combat or severe overexertion]

Lavayla inhaled sharply.

Her hand tightened slightly around the stem as she lifted her head. "These are medicinal herbs," she said, voice steady despite the rush in her chest. "And they’re very powerful."

The group stiffened.

"How powerful?" Miren asked.

"Strong enough to help with the injuries back at camp," she replied.

Relief spread quietly through the group. Yet, it barely had time to settle before it turned into motion.

"Careful," Lavayla said quickly as she moved closer. "Don’t rip them out."

Vors paused mid-reach.

"These herbs regenerate," Lavayla explained, crouching beside the flowers. "If you uproot everything, this place will be dead the next time someone needs it."

She demonstrated instead—using a blade to cut the stems cleanly just above the first set of leaves, leaving the root system intact. For a few of the densest clusters, she loosened the soil gently and divided the roots, re-covering what remained.

"Take the mature ones," she continued. "Leave the smaller buds. They’ll bloom again."

The beastmen watched closely, then mirrored her movements, suddenly much more careful than before. It wasn’t brute harvesting—it was deliberate, respectful. The basin slowly thinned, but it didn’t look ruined. It looked... tended.

Lavayla quietly stored a portion in her space vault when no one was looking too closely, careful not to overdo it. Just enough.

When they finished, Miren straightened, rolling his shoulders. "Then... should we head back?"

Vors nodded, a hint of excitement slipping through his exhaustion.

Lavayla shook her head immediately. "Not yet."

They both looked at her.

"This won’t be enough," she said calmly. "It’ll help—but not everyone, and not fully. And now that we know this place exists, we shouldn’t gamble on finding it again. We use some now, we keep some for later."

"Oh." Miren scratched the back of his neck, expression sobering. "Right."

"Then let’s keep moving."

Lavayla glanced around once more, eyes narrowing slightly. "Wait. Let’s check the surrounding area first. Herbs like this don’t usually grow alone."

No one argued.

They spread out carefully, scanning the basin’s edges and the spaces between roots and stones. It didn’t take long before someone called softly.

"Here."

Lavayla stepped over and crouched beside the plant in question. White-petaled flowers clustered tightly together, leaves jagged and sturdy. Familiar.

She tilted her head. "I’ll handle this one."

The moment her fingers brushed the stem, recognition snapped into place.

[Name: Earth – Yarrow | Beast World – Bloodleaf]

[Origin: Shared between Earth and the Beast World]

[Type: Flowering Plant, Herb – Common Grade]

[General Description: Hardy wild herb found along paths, grasslands, and disturbed soil. Highly resistant to drought.]

[Effects:

— Rapid blood coagulation

— Prevents infection

— Supports wound sealing]

Lavayla raised a brow.

"Well," she murmured, "that explains why you use this so often."

She harvested it properly—cutting the upper stalks, leaving the crown intact—and stored a portion away just as she had with the indigo flowers.

"This one’s good for immediate bleeding," she explained aloud. "Stack it with the indigo herb and the healing will be faster and cleaner."

That earned a few impressed looks.

Once they were done, Lavayla brushed dirt from her hands and stood. "Alright. Now we go back to the path we were taking."

They retraced their steps, leaving the basin behind—still blooming, hidden once more beneath vines and shadow.

As they walked, Lavayla murmured almost to herself, "We have something for infection, for bleeding, for wounds... but we’re still missing pain relief. Inflammation. Fever."

The words had barely left her mouth when her foot caught on a root that jutted sharply from the soil.

She stumbled.

Instinct kicked in before panic could. Lavayla shot a hand out and caught herself against the nearest tree, fingers pressing into rough bark as she sucked in a quick breath.

"I’m fine," she said automatically, even as Miren half-turned.

But the moment her palm made contact—

Warmth surged again.

Her plant affinity flared, information snapping into place so suddenly her eyes widened.

[Name: Earth – Willow Bark | Beast World – Painstembark]

[Origin: Shared botanical lineage between Earth and the Beast World]

[Type: Tree · Medicinal Source (Common-Grade)]

[General Description: A bark-bearing tree whose inner layers contain potent medicinal compounds. Commonly overlooked due to its ordinary appearance.]

[Effects:

— Relieves pain

— Reduces inflammation

— Lowers fever

— Eases headaches and joint stiffness

— Safe for both humans and Beastmen when properly prepared]

Lavayla froze.

Then very slowly, she smiled.

"...You have got to be kidding me."

Miren noticed her expression immediately. "Miss Lavayla?"

She lifted her hand from the tree and turned to them, eyes bright despite the exhaustion tugging at her bones. "This tree," she said, patting the trunk lightly, "is exactly what we need."

Vors blinked. "The tree?"

"Yes." Lavayla nodded, glancing back at the trunk, her gaze tracing its rough surface. "The darkness made me overlook it at first, but now... it’s a Willowbark tree." It looks a bit different, she thought, studying the grain of the bark and the way the branches curved, but the essence was unmistakable.

She faced them again. "The bark, specifically. The inner bark." She ran two fingers along the trunk to show the depth. "When prepared properly, it eases pain, reduces inflammation, and lowers fever. It’s especially effective for muscle strain, joint stiffness, swelling from wounds, and the kind of lingering pain that comes after prolonged fighting."

Miren’s eyes sharpened. "How fast does it work?"

"Not instantly like some stimulants," Lavayla said honestly, "but it’s steady and reliable. It dulls pain without clouding the mind, which means the injured can stay alert. Brewed as a decoction, it also helps stabilize body temperature and prevents fevers from worsening."

Vera let out a low whistle. "You’re serious."

"As a heart attack," Lavayla said. Then, after a beat, "A preventable one."

Nima frowned slightly. "Is it safe?"

"Yes," Lavayla replied without hesitation. "For humans and Beastmen. As long as we don’t overuse it and we only take the inner layers. Strip the whole trunk and you’ll kill the tree—and we don’t need that much anyway."

She drew her blade and demonstrated, cutting a narrow vertical line and carefully peeling back just enough bark to reveal the pale inner layer beneath. "Thin strips like this. Take small sections from different trees if there are more like this nearby."

Miren nodded immediately. "I’ll remember that."

They followed her lead, harvesting sparingly, respectful now in a way that was almost reverent. Thin strips of bark were wrapped carefully and bundled with the herbs they’d already collected.

When they were done, Lavayla stepped back and exhaled, tension finally easing from her shoulders.

"Infection," she counted quietly, "bleeding, wounds, pain, inflammation, fever..."

She looked at the bundle in Miren’s hands.

"That should be enough to stabilize everyone."

Relief rolled through the group.

"Then let’s move," Miren said, urgency returning. "They’ll need this as soon as possible."

Lavayla nodded and fell back into step.