Tessa wasn't bothered by the stares and kept an indifferent expression on her face.
They could all go to hell for all she cared.
She hadn't come here because she missed anyone. She came for food, nothing more. No one in this place had ever cared about the original host, so why should she waste even a second caring about them?
"Valen, let's get the food and leave," she said flatly.
The two of them continued toward the main trading section when suddenly, a towering figure stepped in front of her and blocked her path. Before she could react, he grabbed her wrists so tightly that she winced.
"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone, you useless cat? Why are you here, Tessa Yun? Did you come to beg me again to take you back? Are you deaf? I don't want you anymore!" he barked, leaning so close his breath nearly hit her nose.
Tessa instantly jerked back, pinching her nose shut.
Goodness.
His breath stank.
What was wrong with these beastmen and their terrible mouths? Why were they all walking around like proud animals when half of them smelled like something had died between their teeth?
Looking at him more carefully, she finally recognized who he was.
One of the idiots the original Tessa had been chasing like her life depended on it.
The same man she had once threatened to kill herself over when he rejected her.
And now this arrogant peacock actually thought she had returned because of him?
How stupid.
The moment Valen saw another male touching his female, he moved with shocking speed. His fist slammed into the cat's wrist, forcing him to let go with a pained groan as he stumbled back.
"Don't touch her. She's my female."
The warning was sharp enough that the surrounding beastmen instinctively stepped backward.
At the edge of the crowd, a female cat whispered nervously to the person beside her.
"Isn't that the fish feral we always see near the river? The one that attacks anyone who gets too close?"
The other female gasped.
"She's with a feral? Everyone, give them space!"
And just like that, the crowd widened the distance around them.
Tessa, who didn't give two shits about their opinions, simply shrugged.
That was their business.
She had come here for business too.
And as for the idiot who had just grabbed her hands and spat nonsense in her face—
The audacity.
Seriously, did the original Tessa have no standards at all? Who chased after a scumbag like that?
While the commotion continued to build around Tessa, and Valen began drawing attention from more than a few curious beast females, another figure stepped forward.
This time, it was a lion.
He carried a heavy wooden staff carved into a weapon, and the leather strapped across his body showed off broad shoulders and bulging muscles. Compared to him, Valen looked smaller, but the merman didn't flinch in the slightest. His gaze remained steady and cold.
"Tessa Yun, I thought you would've died in that wilderness. Did you come back to poison yourself again just to force my claim? Is that your plan?" he asked smugly.
His tone was so arrogant, so full of himself, that Tessa felt secondhand embarrassment just listening to him.
Who the hell cared about him?
She had only come here to trade and get a proper meal. Why would she kill herself over some overgrown cat?
"Keep those embarrassing thoughts to yourself. I only came here to trade and get food for me and my partner, so right now, you're just blocking my way."
Tessa didn't hesitate to emphasize the word partner as she glanced at Valen.
The lion's face stiffened in visible shock, especially at her boldness.
The tension in the air thickened so fast that the elders finally had to step in.
Seven elderly female cats approached from the inner section of the clan.
Tessa recognized every single one of them.
Of course she did.
They were some of the same bitter old women who had treated the original host like dirt, always making her feel like an outcast in her own clan.
And speaking of the devil—
Right at that moment, a white cat female, pure as snow and just as polished as a precious ornament, strutted forward with her head held high.
Beautiful, delicate, and fake.
She rushed straight at Tessa and threw her arms around her.
What the fuck?
Who was this lying bitch performing for now?
Tessa nearly cursed out loud, but though the words stayed in her head, the irritation on her face was obvious.
"Oh, sister… you're back! I missed you so much!" the white cat cried dramatically.
And there it was.
Instantly, the males around them rushed over, surrounding the weeping beauty as if she were some fragile treasure.
Of course.
The drama queen had stolen everyone's attention again.
"Lily Yun is so kind, unlike that monstrous sister of hers," a young male cat commented with disgust.
Tessa smiled coldly.
Of course that sly little snake would try this.
Trying to make her look bad in front of everyone the second she returned.
Good thing she had no plans to stay long.
Otherwise, she might have really considered pouring hot oil all over that fake face.
Useless bitch.
After soaking up enough pity from the crowd, Lily finally released the men and came back to Tessa, grabbing her hands again like her whole world would collapse if Tessa walked away.
"Tessa Yun… come back to us," Lily pleaded, her eyes shimmering with fake tears.
The males around them grew angry at the sight.
How dare the rejected, barren cat make their clan's angel cry?
"We'll never allow her back! Let her go! She'll only bring us misfortune!" one of them shouted.
Lily kept crying, reaching out as if she wanted to hug Tessa again.
But Tessa stepped aside without hesitation.
Lily missed her completely and fell face-first into the mud with a heavy splat.
Tessa blinked.
Then inwardly grinned.
Yes, bitch.
That was for all your nonsense.
Only recently had she pieced together that the rumors about Tessa being barren, useless, and infertile had all started with Lily. Her so-called sister had been spreading the poison through the entire clan for who knew how long.
For what?
Jealousy?
Spite?
Whatever the reason, Tessa no longer cared.
Fuck them all.
The moment their precious angel hit the mud, the crowd exploded in outrage.
Several males lunged forward, ready to lash out at Tessa—
But Valen stepped in front of her with a low growl.
His claws extended in an instant, sharp and dangerous, and for the first time, Tessa noticed just how deadly he could look.
The elders, as usual, said nothing.
When it came to Tessa, they never interfered.
Even though the cat clan—and most of the beast world—was matriarchal in nature, where females made the important decisions while males hunted, mated, and cared for cubs, the elders still chose silence.
The highest duty of every clan was supposed to be toward the females.
But apparently, that rule didn't apply to her.
"Keep your fake concern to yourselves, because I'm never coming back here again. And you two overgrown muscle heads—brush your disgusting teeth. I don't know why females are so obsessed with either of you when you both smell like a rotten pit. Also, good luck starving during the winter and drought that's coming. By the time I return, all of you might already be dead. So… bye."
Tessa rolled her eyes and turned away, leaving the entire clan frozen in place.
No one spoke.
No one even moved.
She had just rejected the two most desired males in the clan… and insulted them in front of everyone.
As Tessa prepared to walk out of the clan with Valen beside her, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang through her ears.
[Ding ding ding!!]
Task Name:
[Primary Mission: Plant Before You Perish]
System Prompt:
Congratulations, Host. You are still alive. But let's see how long that lasts.
The beast tribe is entering the third cycle of famine.
If no food source is established, projected casualties will be catastrophic.
Begin your first survival mission by cultivating your first little farm.
Objective:
Clear 1 patch of land (2m x 2m)
Loosen soil manually
Mix ash + dried leaves into soil
Plant 10 fast-growth root seeds
Water carefully
Reward:
1 Wooden Hoe (Beginner Grade)
1 Rain Collection Cloth
+20 Prosperity Points
Unlock: [Crop Growth Tracker]
Bonus Reward (if completed before sunset):
1 Beast Lure Soup Recipe
Tessa smiled as she read the task.
Now that she thought about it… she didn't need those fuckers at all.
If the clan wanted to rot, let them.
She could just build one of her own.
The thought made her strangely excited, and she walked out with a lighter step while Valen stayed close beside her like a loyal escort.
But before they got far, a loud, painful groan echoed nearby.
Tessa instantly stiffened, her heart jumping in alarm.
Then she looked up—and gasped.
A hawk beastman had collapsed not far ahead.
Blood soaked his body, and one of his wings looked badly broken, bent at an unnatural angle.