The members of the Snow Tiger Tribe stared at the Iron Claw Worms, their pincers bound, their eyes gleaming with covetous green light.

The number of Iron Claw Worms was limited, so many tribe members hadn’t gotten to taste the delicious meat. But that didn’t diminish their love for it in the slightest; the aroma was simply too incredible.

After dealing with all the Iron Claw Worms, Wu Yue led the two Beastman Warriors who had helped capture them back to the central bonfire.

"The Iron Claw Worm meat is delicious, isn’t it? But many of our tribe members still didn’t get a taste of it today.

However, I have something important to tell you all. You cannot eat the meat of an Iron Claw Worm that has already died, because their meat becomes toxic. You have to capture them alive or cook them immediately after killing them."

With that, she turned and gestured to the two Beastman Warriors behind her. "The Iron Claw Worms everyone ate today were tied up by these two warriors from our tribe. As long as you can control an Iron Claw Worm’s two pincers, even a Pure Human can capture one.

So next, these two Beastman Warriors will demonstrate for everyone how to catch these delicious Iron Claw Worms."

Having said her piece, Wu Yue returned to her seat beside the Clan Leader and the witch.

"Yue, have you eaten Iron Claw Worms before?"

The witch smiled warmly at Wu Yue, a small piece of tender white Iron Claw Worm meat still clinging to the corner of her mouth.

Wu Yue smiled and nodded. "I suppose you could say that. Back when I was in a smaller tribe, we didn’t have much food, so Amu and Father would often catch insects for us to eat.

But the Iron Claw Worms I ate were only about the size of my palm and had very little meat. If I hadn’t seen these today, I’d never have believed this kind of insect could grow so large."

The Clan Leader sighed at her words. "That’s right. When food is scarce, you’ll eat just about anything."

’He recalled being a Beastman who had also eaten insects before. That slimy texture was really not very good.’

’If every insect were as delicious as the Iron Claw Worm, he’d be willing to eat them forever.’

The witch chuckled softly, nodded, and changed the subject to Wu Yue’s training.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Snow Tiger Tribe members pestered the two Beastman Warriors for demonstrations again and again, only stopping, still hungry for more, when the Iron Claw Worm left for demonstration purposes was on the verge of death.

Then they rushed over to the woodpile to find timber suitable for making catching sticks.

「That night.」

Lying in her nest of straw inside her cave, Wu Yue began to call out for the System, who had been missing in action all day. "Damned System, at a critical moment like today, shouldn’t you have been by this host’s side to protect me? Where the hell did you run off to?"

The System, looking at the Blue Fatties around it, all with their bellies stuffed to bursting, guiltily wiped its little paws. "Host, it’s not that this System is unreliable, okay? Today was a mission, and as a System, I’m not allowed to help."

Wu Yue scoffed. "More like the points weren’t right."

System: "..."

’Nonsense. Could he just come out and say that he’d taken his little bros out to forage for food today, leaving his host’s side?’

’Absolutely not. Knowing his host’s stingy personality, she would definitely empty his little spending points account in minutes.’

’So, it was better to just lay low.’

Wu Yue snorted, deciding not to press the issue. "The tribe members have all been rescued. Why haven’t I gotten the mission completion notification yet?"

The System glanced at the mission it had issued that day and sighed helplessly. "Host, did you... perhaps not read the mission carefully?"

Wu Yue froze at its words, recalling when the System had issued the mission that afternoon. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

’She’d been swamped, only half-listening. Where would she have found the time to read it carefully?’

Hearing the System say that, she suddenly got a very bad feeling.

She opened her control panel and looked at the number next to the "Eliminate Iron Claw Worms" objective. Her entire world came crashing down.

"Ten thousand!!!"

Wu Yue repeated the number through clenched teeth. "Damned System, are you telling me to charge into the Iron Claw Worm army and slaughter my way in and out a few times?"

The System picked its nose, trying hard to suppress its disdain for its host’s combat prowess. "Host, we need to be realistic about our own strength. At your current level, spearing a few Iron Claw Worms is doable.

As for something as ridiculously awesome as slaughtering your way in and out of the Iron Claw Worm army... let’s just wash up and go to bed. That’s easier to achieve in your dreams."

"Alert: Due to the damned System’s insubordinate behavior of despising its great host, 20 spending points will be deducted as punishment."

The System’s arrogant aura was instantly extinguished. With a trembling little paw, it opened its own panel and stared at the pathetic single-digit number in its spending points account. It felt its entire being as a System crumble.