Beastlord: Tribal System

After dinner, the night sky had fully darkened. Meng Yuqing yawned, sleepiness overtaking him. Oddly, he had been feeling much more lethargic recently.

He sprawled on the straw bed, watching Xuan finish the leftover roasted meat. Xuan rarely ate meals with Meng Yuqing. When hungry, he usually hunted and ate on his own, only bringing prepared meat back to roast for Meng Yuqing. However, Meng's small appetite often left Xuan to finish off the leftovers.

Meng Yuqing insisted he had a normal appetite—it was just that Xuan and his kind ate far too much.

Gradually, Meng Yuqing's vision became unfocused, his thoughts hazy. Soon, he drifted off to sleep. Xuan glanced at the sleeping sub-beast, tidied the cave, dimmed the fire, and covered Meng Yuqing with some dry straw before stepping outside.

Xuan collected some grass, grinding it into paste and smearing it over the Shadow Beast's corpse. Afterward, he returned to the cave entrance, transformed into his panther form, and began licking his wounds before settling down to rest.

At dawn, the first rays of sunlight landed on Xuan's face, waking him up. The big cat stretched lazily, glanced into the cave at the still-sleeping Meng Yuqing, and swished his tail before heading to the stream.

By the time Xuan returned with water in large tree leaves and some fresh meat, Meng Yuqing was awake. He sat groggily at the cave entrance, yawning as he fought off his lingering drowsiness. This was the earliest he had woken up in days, thanks to instructing the system to wake him.

For the past few days, Meng Yuqing had been unusually sleepy. Initially, he attributed it to his tense state after arriving in this unfamiliar world and meeting Xuan, who was busy hunting the Shadow Beast. Now that they were preparing to head to the tribe, he had relaxed slightly and noticed how off this was.

Meng Yuqing made a mental note to ask the system about his condition. Since the system hadn't warned him, it likely wasn't serious. Being bound to the system, it wouldn't let him suffer without a reason. For now, he decided to wait until they reached the tribe to investigate further.

Greeting Xuan with a sleepy wave, Meng Yuqing forced himself to freshen up with the water Xuan brought and nibbled on two fruits. By the time he finished, Xuan had everything packed and was waiting by the Shadow Beast.

"Let's set off," Xuan said, patting the Shadow Beast's body before transforming into his panther form.

Xuan's body bore scars from the hunt, but his recovery over the past day had been remarkable. The wounds treated with herbs had already begun to heal. Meng Yuqing marveled again at the beastmen's resilience. On Earth, such injuries would have been life-threatening.

The woven bag, now holding small water flasks and fruits, was padded with dry grass. Meng Yuqing crawled inside to test its comfort and found it quite agreeable. Xuan hoisted the Shadow Beast onto his back, and Meng Yuqing emerged to help secure it before climbing back into the bag.

As the bag lifted into the air, Meng Yuqing peeked through a gap at the scenery outside. "All set—let's go," he said.

With a sudden leap, Xuan took off. Though the bag swayed, it was far more comfortable than being carried by his clothes.

Not long into the journey, Meng Yuqing felt the familiar pull of drowsiness. He slapped his face lightly to stay alert—something was definitely off. Quickly, he summoned the system.

"System, what's happening? Why am I so sleepy?"

"Your body is adapting to this world," the system replied.

"Adapting? I'm not going to grow any extra abilities, am I?" The scare jolted him awake.

"No. The biological strength of this world's inhabitants far exceeds that of your original world. The system is assisting your body with necessary adjustments. Enhancements or new functions require physical modifications, which are not part of the system's default capabilities and must be unlocked in later upgrades."

"Good. Just make sure you don't modify me without permission," Meng Yuqing said, exhaling in relief.

"All modifications will require your consent. Rest assured."

Reassured, Meng Yuqing settled into a more comfortable position. Sleepiness overtook him again, and his last coherent thought before succumbing was to ask the system how long this state would last.

"One month."

When Meng Yuqing woke again, Xuan had stopped. Peeking out from the bag, Meng Yuqing saw it was already late afternoon. Xuan sat nearby, roasting meat over a fire, with several leaf-wrapped bundles beside him.

"What are those?" Meng Yuqing asked, pointing at the bundles.

"Cooked meat. You can carry these in the bag and eat them whenever you're hungry. I've never traveled with a sub-beast before, so I didn't think to prepare meals in advance. I forgot that you're different from us—you need to eat regularly, while we can stay full for a day or two after eating in beast form," Xuan admitted, looking a bit sheepish.

Meng Yuqing understood. For Xuan, hunting wasn't a hassle, but accommodating Meng Yuqing's meal schedule would slow their progress significantly. Preparing one or two days' worth of food in advance was a smart compromise.

After finishing his meal, Meng Yuqing took a sip of water and decided to make the most of the stop. "System, scan the area for herbs or useful resources."

"Scanning… Located hemostatic herbs 36 meters behind and thorngrass 20 meters to your right."

Curious about the unfamiliar thorngrass, Meng Yuqing headed in that direction. Xuan quickly followed.

"What are you looking for?" Xuan asked.

"Some herbs I recognize. I want to check them out," Meng Yuqing replied, pointing ahead.

"Can I come along? I'd like to learn about herbs too," Xuan said eagerly.

"Sure, it's good to know these things in case you find them while hunting."

At the thorngrass, Meng Yuqing crouched to inspect the unassuming dark green plant. Its soft black thorns looked harmless but seemed worth investigating. Using a leaf to protect his hands, he plucked the plant and activated the system's identification function.

"Thorngrass: Toxic herb. The thorns cause temporary paralysis when they pierce the skin. Paralysis is strong but non-lethal and wears off naturally. The plant's juice retains its paralyzing effects and can be applied to weapons."

"This is basically a natural anesthetic," Meng Yuqing muttered, impressed by its versatility for hunting, self-defense, and medical use.

He explained its properties to Xuan, who immediately began brainstorming ways to weaponize it. After gathering the thorngrass and nearby hemostatic herbs, they returned to the cave.

That night, Xuan hunted for the last time before their journey to the tribe. Meng Yuqing witnessed Xuan's power firsthand as he effortlessly subdued a large prey animal, snapping its neck with a single paw swipe.

For Meng Yuqing, who had grown up in a city, the scene was brutal and unsettling. Yet, as he watched Xuan expertly process the carcass, his perspective shifted. This was survival in its rawest form—a necessary reality of this world.

As Xuan handed him a piece of roasted meat, Meng Yuqing felt a surge of gratitude. In this strange and dangerous world, Xuan's care and competence were the only things keeping him safe.

They set off early the next morning, the tribe growing closer with each passing day.