Kaira had thought she knew what exhaustion felt like. She had been chased through alleys by hired killers, dragged herself through seventy-two sleepless hours in her lab, and once even fought an assassin with a fractured wrist. But nothing... absolutely nothing... had prepared her for cleaning this cave.
She stood in the entrance, hair frizzed, lungs burning, and arms trembling like overcooked noodles. "This should count as a quest," she muttered, glaring at another pile of trash she had just finished dragging out. "Minimum reward - a kingdom."
The cave was still far from what any sane person would call "clean." In fact, every time she breathed in too deeply, the lingering smell forced her to take a tiny step back and reconsider her life choices. Worse, she couldn't tell if the foul odor came from the cave or… her.
With the makeshift broom, which now looked something between a dead branch and an insult, she had swept until her shoulders screamed. But even after all that, the cave still looked like a crime scene where hygiene went to die.
She dropped the broom with a sigh. "Yeah, no. I'm done. If I clean any more today, I'll genuinely ascend."
Among the hides left behind by the original owner, she had hoped she would find at least one half-usable one to salvage. But apparently, that woman had collected only the worst pieces nature had ever produced. Half were rotting. The other half smelled like emotional trauma.
So, into the trash they went.
Kaira squinted at the interior, debating whether to wash the floors now or collapse and let tomorrow-Kaira deal with the consequences. It took her three seconds to decide.
"Tomorrow-Kaira, congratulations. You are inheriting my regrets."
She stepped out into the night, inhaling the fresh air of the Beastworld like a dying woman reaching for salvation. Thanks to the moon and original owner's excellent eyesight, the forest unfurled before her in sharp detail. Shadows danced between trees, leaves glimmered with silver light, and the distant hum of nocturnal beasts filled the air.
As she headed into the woods, she left marks on her way out - stacked pebbles near roots of trees - to make sure she wouldn't get lost.
"First goal," she muttered. "Clothes. Clothes that don't look like they crawled out of a swamp to ruin my reputation."
The forest loomed, dense and thick. She scanned the undergrowth until she found the first set of vines hanging like lazy green ropes. She grabbed them, gave them a testing yank...
Snap.
"Too weak," she grumbled.
She kept moving. Every time she spotted vines, she tugged them like she was checking the durability of a potential weapon. Most didn't pass her standards. Some disintegrated on contact... which was honestly insulting.
Finally, after nearly tripping over a tree root, she found it.
Strong vines. Thick. Flexible. The kind used for climbing cliffs or strangling enemies, depending on one's mood.
"Oh, thank god." She slumped against the tree and began unraveling them.
Once she had what she needed, she sat on a large, flat rock and began weaving. Her fingers still held their assassin-trained precision, but her new body… well. Her hands were thicker now, clumsy and stubborn, as if they were personally offended by the idea of cooperating.
Twenty minutes later...
"Are you kidding me?" she hissed as the weaving collapsed for the fourth time.
She tried once more. The vine slipped. The pattern unraveled.
She closed her eyes, took a slow breath, and reminded herself that murder - while therapeutic - was not a solution here.
Another attempt passed. Then another.
By the time nearly an hour had gone by, she finally tied the last knot successfully.
She stared at the vine top lying proudly in her lap. It was netted, sturdy, and large enough to hide the… impressive chest her new body possessed. She could tie it at the back with leftover vine strands.
"For a primitive world," she said, "I could start a fashion line."
Next came the skirt.
She moved deeper until she found a tree bearing enormous leaves - wide, smooth, and perfect for weaving. She plucked a stack of fallen ones, arranged them, and tied them together using more vines. The process was mercifully easier than the top.
The skirt wasn't meant for her waist, she was going to tie it just under her chest to cover her large stomach. No way in hell she was walking around with her belly on display.
"Flattering enough," she decided. "At least from a distance. In the dark. With no witnesses."
On her way back, she spotted plants that resembled sage - dry, brittle leaves that released a pleasant scent when crushed. She collected a large handful, adding some fresh green herbs that could work as natural deodorizers.
Back in the cave, she piled the leaves in the middle of the place, grabbed a few stones, and struck them until a spark caught the dry sage. She then added the herbs to the fire. Smoke soon rose, carrying a herbal fragrance that battled valiantly against the cave's lingering horror.
"There," she said proudly. "Smell this, you disgusting monster of a cave."
The smoke thickened, drifting deeper. There was nothing flammable inside as she had thrown everything out, so she wasn't worried about accidentally starting the first wildfire of the continent.
Satisfied, she stepped back outside to breathe fresh air again.
"System." She called.
Ding!
"Hiyaaaa!" it squeaked in a sugary voice. "Your Favorite System has arrived!"
Kaira pinched the bridge of her nose. "Favorite? I didn't even vote."
The creature didn't gave in. "Well, you got me, so you must be someone special. And also, because the world is doomed and needs you desperately."
"Wow," Kaira said. "I love being blackmailed with flattery."
The system argued. "It's not blackmail! It's… motivational persuasion!"
"Right. And I'm a fairy princess."
"You could be!" It chirped. "If you complete enough quests, we can talk titles later."
Kaira let out a sigh. "I have no time to argue with you. I want my Starter Reward now."
The creature perked up. "Go on! Request! As long as it fits in the humble, reasonable, and not-at-all-rigged Starter Reward category."
Kaira smiled.
A slow, dangerous smile that made the system freeze.
"I want," she said clearly, "a full bath and body set."
"…A what now?" the system squeaked.
"A luxury bath set," she corrected.
She expected some more drama, instead-
Ding!
"Processing…!"
"Processing…!!"
"Processing…!!!"
"Reward Granted!"