Her skin was wheat-colored, her narrow single eyelids sharp, and her nose bridge straight. She looked slightly stronger than the other females, and while her appearance wasn't beautiful in Sasha's eyes, it wasn't especially ugly either.
But the moment Skylar saw Sasha, her expression darkened immediately.
She had always believed she was not only the most beautiful female in her own tribe, but also unmatched among nearby tribes. Yet this stranger was so beautiful it felt unreal.
And when she noticed the exquisite snakeskin skirt Sasha wore, Skylar's eyes flickered with intense jealousy.
A snake that size would at least be an orange-rank beast, which meant Sasha's partner was powerful.
Why?
Why was the female before her not only more beautiful than she was, but also paired with a stronger mate?
As the most sought-after female in the tribe, Skylar had multiple one-star beastmen, and even the strongest orc in the tribe—Leader Orion—was under her name.
Skylar had always carried a sense of superiority. Out of the hundred or so orcs in the tribe, there were barely a dozen females, and all of them envied her.
But now she was being overshadowed by this newcomer. A suffocating frustration surged in her chest, too bitter to swallow.
She lifted her chin with a haughty air and narrowed her eyes at Sasha.
…Were all the females here this unfriendly? Sasha was briefly puzzled. She didn't recall offending anyone.
Seeing how an ordinary-looking woman could behave with such misplaced arrogance made Sasha want to laugh.
Feeling as though Sasha was mocking her, Skylar's face flushed. She gritted her teeth. "What are you laughing at?"
"I…"
"Sasha, why are you here?"
Sasha was about to answer when she heard Nolan calling. She turned and saw him walking toward her. "I was bored inside, so I came out to look around," she said.
When Skylar saw Nolan, her narrow eyes widened abruptly, filling with excitement and amazement.
Skin like porcelain, strikingly handsome features, and a toned figure with a noble, aloof presence.
Skylar felt herself fall for him instantly. And since he was a three-star beastman, he was even more desirable. She immediately imagined him as her beastman.
Acting on that thought, she stepped toward Nolan with a smile she believed was captivating. "My name is Skylar. Would you like to be my beastman?"
Nolan completely ignored her. Without sparing her a glance, he walked directly to Sasha, took her hand, and his green eyes softened. "Let's go back."
Sasha nodded. The females clearly didn't welcome her and were inexplicably hostile. It wasn't a pleasant conversation, and she saw no reason to stay.
Skylar, who had been utterly ignored, felt humiliated. She had never imagined any orc would reject her. Now she felt like a joke.
Feeling the gazes of the other females, Skylar's face burned with shame. She stomped her foot angrily, turned around, and stalked away.
That evening, the tribe held a welcome ceremony for Nolan and Sasha, announcing to all the orcs that a strong beastman and a beautiful female had officially joined their ranks.
Stacks of bonfires were lit across the open space, their bright flames pushing back the darkness around them.
Wild wolves and a few wild boars were being roasted over the fires. The wolves were provided by Nolan. Since he had too many stockpiled in his space and they would eventually spoil, he might as well take them out as a gift to celebrate joining the tribe.
Groups of orcs gathered around each fire. Those with partners stayed close to their females, while those without mates mingled elsewhere.
Sasha quickly noticed how unbalanced the population was, with far more males than females. The tribe had nearly a hundred male orcs but only around ten females.
Here, a female orc could have multiple beastmen at the same time, yet even so, many males remained single.
No wonder the females behaved like queens. Rare things truly held higher value.
After days of quietly observing, Sasha more or less understood how this beastman world functioned.
Strength meant everything here. The yellow beads she had seen earlier were actually beast cores—also known as crystal nuclei—extracted from the bodies of beasts.
Beasts were categorized into seven ranks: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, azure, and purple. Their cores matched the rank.
Orcs were ranked by stars, from one star to seven stars. Purple-rank beasts were comparable to seven-star orcs.
Orcs grew stronger by absorbing the energy within crystal nuclei. The higher the core's level, the more potent its energy.
Crystal nuclei also acted as the currency of this world. One orange crystal nucleus equaled one hundred red ones, and so forth.
Nolan was a three-star orc who had only recently reached adulthood. Many older orcs had yet to reach even one star. Compared to them, his advancement speed was extraordinary.
Though the path from one star to seven stars existed, very few ever reached six stars, and seven stars were practically myth.
Of course, this world was full of dangers, especially from wandering beasts.
Some of them had been abandoned by their females, while others rejected tribal rules and were expelled after committing offenses.
These wanderers had no permanent home. They kidnapped females and endangered other males. Females taken by them often met a tragic end, discarded once the beasts were tired of them.
Wandering beasts cared only for their own desires, making them enemies of every tribe.
Nolan was a rare exception. His kind disliked living in groups and naturally lived alone, unlike the violent beasts outside.
A wild boar roasted on the fire before Sasha and Nolan. The outer layer had turned a golden brown, and fat dripped into the flames with a sizzling sound.
Nolan kept turning the boar with both hands, sprinkling chili powder once it was nearly cooked.
The unique aroma drifted out, quickly catching the attention of nearby orcs.
What was that scent? Why did it smell so good?
They stared at the roasting meat in front of Sasha and Nolan, unable to hide their drooling curiosity.
Nolan tore off a piece of tender, juicy meat and handed it to Sasha. She took a bite, and the corners of her upturned eyes curved in delight. "Oh, it's delicious."
Seeing her enjoy it so much made Nolan feel satisfied.