Sam woke up to the enticing aroma of roasting meat. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he saw Xuan in his human form sitting by a crackling fire, turning strips of beast meat on a spit. The sun was already high in the sky—by his guess, it was nearly noon.
"You didn't wake me up?" Sam took the skewer Xuan handed him, a faint flush of embarrassment creeping up his cheeks. "I thought we had things to do today. It's almost noon already."
"It's fine—you went to bed so late last night. A little extra sleep won't hurt." Xuan waved a dismissive hand, his attention still on the roasting meat.
"What about you, though? Why didn't you rest more? How are your wounds?" Sam set the meat aside and leaned in to inspect the bandages on Xuan's shoulder. Xuan sat still, letting him check.
The wounds were healing surprisingly well—especially the ones Sam had treated with hemostatic grass, which looked far less inflamed than the untreated ones. The untreated cuts were still a little red and swollen, but they were closing up nicely. It was clear beastmen had incredible regenerative abilities.
"We need to find more hemostatic grass to treat the other wounds," Sam frowned, prodding at one of the inflamed cuts. "They look like they're starting to get infected."
"It's all right—they're just minor cuts. They'll heal in a couple of days," Xuan replied. "Medicinal herbs are precious. If we find more, I want to bring them back to the tribe."
Sam paused at that, his hand hovering over the meat. He ducked his head, pretending to reach for the skewer again, and silently asked the system a question.
*"Are medicinal herbs really that scarce in this world?"*
*"No. Herbs are abundant. Beastmen simply do not recognize their uses."*
*"Yesterday, Xuan mentioned shamans. What does the title mean here?"* Sam recalled their conversation the night before and asked another question.
*"Shamans are the sages of a tribe—the keepers of accumulated tribal knowledge. They inherit and pass down all the tribe's wisdom to selected apprentices. The use of medicinal herbs is exclusive to shamans, but knowledge is passed orally, making it vulnerable to being lost over time. Different tribes have different experiences, so their inherited knowledge varies widely."*
*"Huh? So there's no magic or anything involved?"* Sam's eyes lit up with interest.
*"No magic is involved."* At this, the system's already emotionless voice turned even colder, leaving Sam thoroughly confused. Had he said something to offend it? Or was the system just a die-hard believer in science? *Not that transmigration itself is very scientific*, he thought dryly.
He held back any further questions, his mind already spinning with possibilities. If shamans were just keepers of knowledge, then maybe this was a path he could pursue in this world.
By the time he finished the meat, his mind was made up. He wiped his mouth and followed Xuan out of the cave. The shadow beast's corpse lay not far from the entrance, its wounds smothered in some kind of paste that had neutralized the sickening stench of blood from the night before.
Sam circled the beast, marveling at its size—it was a full head bigger than Xuan. Its gray-black pelt looked coarse, its claws as sharp as daggers, and its fangs longer than Sam's palm. It was a terrifying sight, even in death.
Xuan returned with an armful of vines as thick as his wrist, then began arranging the shadow beast's limbs and tail, binding them tightly to its body to make it easier to carry. He shifted back into his panther form, hoisted the beast onto his back, and tested his balance. Sam helped him secure the corpse with more vines, and Xuan walked a few laps to get used to the weight before shifting back into his human form, nodding in satisfaction.
Sam noticed there were plenty of vines left over, and a memory popped into his head—of his grandmother weaving hemp rope into sacks to carry large items. He glanced down at himself, then at the vines, and grinned.
"Xuan, are you done with these vines? I want to make something with them."
"Go ahead—they're all yours," Xuan replied, squatting down next to him, curiosity written all over his face. "What are you going to make?"
"A sack."
"A sack? What's that?" Xuan tilted his head, clearly confused.
"It's a bag for carrying things," Sam explained, picking up a vine and twisting it experimentally. "You put stuff inside, and you can carry it easily."
"What do you need to carry?" Xuan glanced toward the cave, perplexed. There was nothing of value inside to take back to the tribe. And if Sam wanted to carry food, there was no need—he could hunt whenever they needed to eat.
"It's not for carrying things. Well, it *is* for carrying things—just… not *stuff*." Sam stumbled over his words, scratching his head frantically as he tried to explain. "It's for carrying *me*."
"Carrying *you*?" Xuan's eyes widened in shock.
"If you put me inside the sack, you can carry it instead of my clothes," Sam explained, tugging at his dirty, crumpled shirt. "When you carry me by my collar, I always feel like I'm going to suffocate. Plus, we've got a five-day journey to the tribe—I'm worried my shirt won't hold up if you keep carrying me like that. It's the only one I have left, so I want to take good care of it."
Xuan nodded slowly, half understanding, then brightened. "I can help!"
Eager to assist, he grabbed one end of a vine, stood three meters away from Sam, and squatted down, his expression serious as he waited for instructions.
Sam fought the urge to ruffle his hair, then began directing Xuan in the art of sack-weaving. The process was far from smooth—he hadn't seen his grandmother weave in years, and his memory of the steps was fuzzy at best. He made countless mistakes, having to undo the weaving and start over again and again, which left him feeling frustrated. But Xuan was incredibly patient, following every instruction without complaint, and never once showed any irritation when they had to start over. It helped calm Sam's frazzled nerves a great deal.
The sun was dipping toward the horizon by the time the sack was finally finished. The moment the last knot was tied, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
*"Ding—Hidden Quest Completed: Teach the Azure Mountain Tribe a new crafting skill. Energy Points awarded: 10. Host may check quest details at any time."*
Sam froze for a split second, then glanced over at Xuan, who was already excitedly examining the finished sack, completely oblivious to the system's announcement.
"Sam, you're amazing!" Xuan ran his hands over the rough weave, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "We've only ever used vines to tie up big game before. But this—this is perfect! We can carry things back from hunts so much easier now. It's way better than using animal hides!"
"Ah… it's nothing special, really," Sam said, waving a hand dismissively as he collapsed onto the ground, exhausted from the day's work.
After stowing the sack back in the cave, Xuan gathered a pile of dry grass and covered the shadow beast's corpse with it to hide it from scavengers. He glanced up at the darkening sky, and Sam suddenly remembered his plan to find more hemostatic grass.
"Can you come with me to look around the area?" he asked. "I want to see if there's any more of that hemostatic grass nearby."
"Absolutely!" Xuan's eyes lit up, his excitement even greater than before. Having experienced the herb's powerful effects firsthand, he knew how valuable it was to beastmen, who spent their lives fighting wild beasts. If every beastman carried a supply of this grass, their chances of surviving serious injuries in the wilderness would skyrocket.
With Xuan accompanying him, Sam searched every inch of the area around the cave—even venturing to a small stream a short distance away, where he splashed water on his face, washing away days of grime. He didn't dare take a bath, though—better safe than sorry in the middle of the wilderness. Before heading back to the cave, he used the hard shell of a coconut-like fruit to make a simple water container, filling it with stream water to drink on the journey to the tribe.
Unfortunately, they didn't find any more hemostatic grass. Xuan didn't seem to mind, though—he even comforted Sam, saying it was only natural that such a valuable herb was hard to find, otherwise it wouldn't be so precious.
The coconut-like fruit, however, turned out to be a happy surprise. Following Sam's instructions, Xuan used his razor-sharp claws to slice off the top of the fruit, scooped out the flesh, cleaned the inside thoroughly, filled it with water, and sealed the top back on with the sliced-off lid, securing it with a tough blade of grass. The result was a simple, functional canteen.
Xuan stared at the canteen in amazement, his mouth hanging open slightly. "How did you think of this? We've always used animal stomachs or bladders to carry water. No one ever wants to use a new one right away—we all prefer the ones that have been used for a while. Especially the sub-beasts and the cubs—they'd rather carry water in stone bowls if they have a choice."
"It just came to me," Sam said, puffing out his chest a little, pleased with himself. "It's a bit leaky right now, though. I'll have to figure out how to improve it when I have more time."
Just then, the system's voice chimed in again.
*"Ding—Hidden Quest Completed: Create a new water-carrying tool using local materials. Energy Points awarded: 10. Tool design has potential to improve tribal quality of life."*
Sam frowned, confused by the system's arbitrary quest criteria. He hadn't even finished the system's first official task yet, but he'd already completed two hidden quests by accident. It felt like the system was making things up as it went along.
Still, now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He'd have plenty of time to study the system once he was settled in the tribe.
By the time they returned to the cave, the sky was completely dark. Xuan lit the fire again, settled Sam inside, then headed for the cave entrance.
"I'm going out to hunt," he said. "I'll be back soon. With the shadow beast's body here, no other predators will dare come near. Don't wander off."
"I won't—promise!" Sam called after him. "Bring back lots of berries! I'll put them in the sack to eat on the way!"
Xuan nodded, then shifted into his panther form and bounded off into the forest, his powerful legs carrying him nearly twenty meters in a single leap. Once Xuan's figure had vanished into the trees, Sam slowly walked out of the cave and over to the shadow beast's corpse, curiosity getting the better of him.
*"System, identify the shadow beast,"* he ordered silently, his eyes fixed on the massive corpse.
*"Initiating Identification...Identification complete. Adult Shadow Beast (Deceased). High-Level Carnivorous Beast. Traits: Exceptionally intelligent, ferocious, and cunning. High combat power—requires at least 2-3 average adult beastmen to defeat. Prey preference: Sub-beasts and beastman cubs. Possesses the unique ability to command low-level and even some mid-level wild beasts. Considered a nightmare-level threat to small tribes."*
*"2-3 beastmen to defeat it? But Xuan killed it all by himself—he didn't have any help!"* Sam was stunned by the system's assessment.
*"Xuan is not an average beastman."* The system's reply was deliberately vague.
*"What makes him different?"* Sam pressed, his curiosity piqued.
*"Insufficient host permissions. Please upgrade the system to unlock additional information."* The system refused to elaborate. Sam scowled, then switched gears, remembering how Xuan had referred to him as a sub-beast since they'd met.
*"By the way—what exactly is a sub-beast?"*
*"In the Beastman Continent, the population is divided into two categories: Beastmen and Sub-beasts. Beastmen can shift into animal forms, excel in combat, and possess high combat power. Sub-beasts cannot shift into animal forms, possess the ability to bear offspring, are not suited for combat, and have low combat power. Only a tiny minority of sub-beasts possess any significant fighting ability."*
*"Bearing offspring? Is it what I think it is?"* Sam's jaw dropped, his mind reeling from the revelation.
*"It is exactly as you think it is."*
*"But I'm a guy!"* Sam exclaimed, his voice rising in panic. Xuan had been treating him like a sub-beast this entire time, and he'd just gone along with it because he didn't know what the term meant. But now… now he understood, and he was horrified.
*"In this world, sub-beasts have the same physical appearance as males."*
*"I'm not like them! I can't bear children—you know that!"* Sam insisted, his face burning with embarrassment and disbelief.
*"If the host wishes to acquire this ability, the system can provide a solution after reaching a higher level."*
*"Absolutely not!"* Sam refused flatly, turning on his heel and marching back into the cave, where he collapsed onto his grass bed, his mind spinning. He needed a minute to process this.
After a long, awkward silence, he asked the system another question, his voice small and hesitant.
*"Are there any females in this world?"*
*"There are no living creatures in this world with the physical appearance of females."*
Sam's face twisted into a complicated expression. So this world was populated entirely by males—beastmen and sub-beasts, both of whom looked like men. Which meant… *everyone here is gay?* He had nothing against the LGBTQ+ community—his best friend back home was gay, and he'd supported him through his coming-out process, even listening to him pour his heart out about his fears and anxieties in high school, when his friend had been terrified of being rejected.
As for Sam himself—he'd never been attracted to anyone, male or female, so he'd never given much thought to his own sexuality. But the thought that he'd been dropped into a world where there was no other option? It was a little overwhelming, to say the least.
*Forget it*, he thought, shaking his head to clear it. *Focus on surviving and going home. Worrying about this stuff won't help me get back any faster.*
Having made up his mind, he sat up straight and waited for Xuan to return, his mood already improving. But then he thought about Xuan again—and about everything the system had just told him—and his expression turned complicated once more. He didn't know how to look at Xuan now. To Xuan, he was essentially a member of the opposite sex. The thought made him shudder, and he resolved to put the whole thing out of his mind.
Xuan returned a short while later, carrying a bundle of cleaned beast meat and a handful of ripe berries. He found Sam sitting silently on the grass bed, staring into space, with no fire lit. He waved a hand in front of Sam's face, and Sam jumped, snapping out of his daze. He looked up at Xuan, his expression so complex it made Xuan frown in concern.
"Are you okay?" Xuan asked, setting the food down. "You look… strange."
*"I'm fine,"* Sam said, forcing a smile. *"I was just thinking about tomorrow's journey to the tribe. We are leaving tomorrow, right?"*
"Yes—first thing in the morning," Xuan replied, taking out his flint and steel and striking a spark to light the fire. "We won't stop except to eat. You can stay in the sack the whole time—if you're hungry, just tell me, and if you're tired, you can sleep. Don't worry about me—I won't need to rest every night."
*"You won't rest? Is it really that urgent? Won't you wear yourself out?"* Sam asked, surprised by Xuan's words.
"I've been away from the tribe for too long," Xuan explained, his voice softening as he spoke. "My father and papa must be worried sick—especially now that I'm bringing you back with me. It's too dangerous for you to be out in the wilderness. And I need to get the shadow beast back to the tribe as soon as possible. Father, papa, and Uncle Yang will be so happy when they see it."
A faint, warm smile tugged at his lips as he mentioned his family, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes when he spoke of the shadow beast. Sam recalled the system's identification of the beast and wisely chose not to ask any questions about it.