Almost as if the pooping ordeal had drained the life out of her, Tessa had to sit down and recover her strength.
Pushing all that out had not been easy, and she was beyond relieved it was finally over. But strangely enough, something felt different. She didn't know why, but somehow she felt lighter—like a heavy burden had been lifted off her body.
"Are you sure you're completely alright? Let's take you to the checkpoint so they can see what's wrong with you," Valen suggested. He stepped in front of Tessa, wanting to hold her hands, but she was still busy regaining her energy.
Checkpoint?? How? The last time she checked, nobody here had cars, so what exactly were they checking?
Or did he mean some kind of clan doctor? If that was the case, then the term for it was definitely weird.
"I'm fine. I'm sure if anyone else had to push out what I did back there, they wouldn't survive." Tessa sighed, and Valen's eyes suddenly twinkled as if he had just gotten a brilliant idea.
"This is perfect! Why don't we try having cubs now? Let's get the litters started!"
At first, Tessa didn't understand, but when she saw Valen stepping closer and reaching for her, she instantly jumped to her feet and took off.
"Don't you dare! Gosh, can't you see I'm exhausted? I need to rest, not start popping out your litters! And how many are we even talking about here?" Tessa exclaimed, alarm ringing through her bones.
Valen actually paused to think before answering, speaking with far too much carelessness.
"We normally lay an average of seventy eggs, but if the female is very fertile… I'm betting on two hundred."
The moment those words left his mouth, Tessa stumbled backward with all her might, her eyes nearly falling out of her head as if she had just seen a pig fly.
Two hundred freaking eggs??
He wanted her to lay that many? And from where exactly was she supposed to produce two hundred eggs?
Absolutely not. That was never happening.
"Hmm… maybe you're rushing things a little too much. Can't you see I need time? How exactly am I supposed to push out two hundred eggs? Be considerate for once."
She hoped her words would finally get through to him—and thankfully, they did.
When Valen finally calmed down and stopped pestering her about laying two hundred eggs, Tessa let out a breath of relief.
"Okay, I've reduced it. Why don't we go for seventy instead?"
Tessa's jaw dropped on the spot.
Weren't they already done with this topic? Why was he still negotiating like it was some kind of bargain?
Groaning, she turned to walk away, but Valen suddenly stopped her, as if he had noticed something different. He caught her hands, then gently brushed a hand over her face and cheeks.
"Tessa Yun, you're so beautiful. I can't take my eyes off you. Look at your eyes… and your spotless face," Valen praised softly.
Beautiful? Spotless face?
That was odd.
Oh right.
She needed a mirror.
"How far is the nearest river?"
Before she could even process his answer, Valen swept her up into his arms and took off like a groom carrying his bride home—except there was absolutely nothing gentle about it. Clinging to him for dear life, Tessa was convinced the rushing wind was about to peel her face off.
When they finally stopped by the riverbank, she realized it was the exact same river where she had bathed after escaping that awful place she used to call home.
Stepping carefully into the shallower edge, she looked down at the surface of the water—and gasped.
The patches and blemishes on her face were gone.
Her eyes were a vivid emerald green, bright and clear, and her features had become so delicate and refined that she almost looked like a model.
Who would have thought that one decent meal and a proper bath could transform her overnight?
Well… not exactly.
That was definitely thanks to the system, as much as she hated admitting it.
The rude system had actually helped this time.
The health recovery points had done wonders, saving her from the disaster the original host had turned this body into.
"Well, this body is mine now, and I'll do whatever I want with it since the original owner clearly didn't value it much."
She was happy—very happy—with how successful the transformation had been.
And now, there was something even more important she wanted to do.
Get food.
Sooner or later, they would both be hungry, and she had absolutely no intention of going back to eating those wild things that had nearly destroyed her stomach.
She needed a proper meal.
A real one.
And fast.
Stepping out of the water, she noticed Valen staring at her as if she had completely lost her mind.
Tessa rolled her eyes. Was it because she had been talking out loud about taking care of her body that he was looking at her like that?
"Tessa Yun… did you hit your head while sleeping?"
Now Tessa was certain this merman was insulting her, and she frowned.
But honestly, she wasn't in the mood to argue.
"Is there any way to get better food?" she asked instead.
Valen thought for a moment before offering a suggestion.
"Why don't we go to your clan? It's just a short walk away."
Tessa immediately agreed.
Of course, she had to go there eventually. At least this way, she could see the beast world's situation for herself and figure out how to begin her mission.
For some reason, the route to the tribe's main clan came naturally to her, as if the body remembered it. So she started walking, and Valen followed behind, whistling some strange tune that would have sounded much better if he had simply kept his mouth shut.
After walking for a while, Tessa could no longer take it.
She turned and offered him a sweet smile.
"Valen Xuan… where exactly did you hear that music from again?" she asked.
Valen's eyes lit up instantly, eager to impress his female.
"Oh, that's one of my talents! It's the way our tribe calls to their mates. Since I'm here with you, I'm trying to make you happy."
He grinned from ear to ear.
Tessa let out a short laugh before speaking.
"You know what's even sweeter than singing?"
He blinked, confused, and looked at her expectantly.
"No singing at all. At this rate, your voice is going to scare away any food we might find on the road."
Valen froze, blinking at her for a full second as he tried to process what she had just said.
Was she… trying to tell him his voice was horrible?
He opened his mouth, probably to protest, but one sharp glare from Tessa made him shut it immediately.
"Now that's better, sweetheart. Let's keep going."
At the new nickname, Valen's entire body turned red.
Not long after, Tessa came to a line of towering trees that formed something like a natural barrier. The moment she stepped through with Valen, his eyes widened like saucers.
If the wasteland they had been staying in was empty, this place was the exact opposite.
It was full of life.
Beastmen moved all around them, but most of them were from the cat clan. They seemed to be trading with members of the lion tribe, and on closer look, Tessa realized what the exchange was centered around.
Salt.
Trying to dig through the original Tessa's memories, she quickly understood why.
The cat clan treasured salt above all else.
They guarded it like their lives depended on it, and through trading it, they received food supplies in return—grains, edible roots, and vegetables. There was even one particular vegetable in the trade pile that Tessa couldn't recognize from a distance, and of course, the useless original host knew nothing about it either.
Original Tessa really had been hopeless.
No doubt about it.
Valen, who looked like a lost child dropped in the middle of a battlefield, tapped her shoulder.
"What are we going to do? We've been standing here for a while."
Tessa shrugged.
They were here for food, and this was the perfect chance.
They didn't have salt, but surely there had to be something else they could trade.
She started walking forward with Valen close behind, his eyes darting around cautiously like he was ready to attack anyone who got too close.
But before they got far, a female suddenly jumped in front of Tessa, stared at her in shock, and then screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Everyone! It's Tessa Yun—she's back!"
At once, every head snapped in her direction.
Then the whispers began.
"What is she doing here again? Didn't they exile her?"
"She's breaking the rules," an elderly cat muttered disapprovingly.
Then the males started gawking openly.
"She turned beautiful… Are you sure that's really Tessa Yun?"
And honestly, they had a point.
All eyes were on her like they had never seen her before. Even the traders had paused their work just to get a proper look at her.