Chapter 10 - 010: Lunatic system
The dragon was still alive, which Anaria considered both impressive and deeply inconvenient.
He remained unconscious where they had left him, showing no signs of waking despite everything she and Ryan had done to stabilize him.
And... that was when the system chimed.
[Emergency Husband Stabilization Mission Completed.]
[Rewards Issued: 800 Spirit Fang Coins, Beginner Purification Wash ×1, Low-Grade Skin Recovery Serum ×1.]
For the first time since arriving in the Beast World, the system had delivered news she actually wanted to hear.
"Store the purification wash and serum," Anaria instructed inwardly. "Then deduct the fifty Spirit Fang Coins I owe."
[Items Stored.]
[Debt Deducted: 50 Spirit Fang Coins.]
[Current Balance: 750 Spirit Fang Coins.]
Seven hundred and fifty Spirit Fang Coins!!!
Anaria almost forgave the Beast World for everything it had put her through. It was so tragic that her first real earnings had come from emergency cave medicine and dragon strangulation, but life had lowered her standards considerably.
Her satisfaction lasted exactly three heartbeats.
[Warning.]
[Husband Candidate #2 remains in temporary stabilization.]
[Without follow-up treatment, target condition will deteriorate.]
Her smile disappeared...Of course it would.
Another panel unfolded before her eyes.
[New Mission Triggered.]
[Collect Crimson Heartleaf before Target’s Heart-Core Instability Worsens.]
[Time Sensitivity: Moderate.]
Anaria narrowed her eyes at the final line.
"Moderate," she muttered inwardly. "So... urgent enough to ruin my day, but not urgent enough to kill me immediately?"
The system offered no reply.
"Wonderful... apparently, saving a dragon once wasn’t enough. She was responsible for keeping him alive now"
Suppressing a sigh, Anaria pushed herself to her feet.
Her body protested the moment she pushed herself to her feet, but Anaria ignored the dull ache in her throat and headed toward the cave entrance.
She had barely taken three steps before Ryan stepped in front of her, blocking the cave entrance.
"Where are you going?"
"Out."
"Why?"
"To collect something."
Ryan didn’t move "We just dragged an unconscious dragon into hiding, and you nearly died." His eyes stayed on her. "The least you can do is tell me where you’re going."
Anaria folded her arms "The least you can do is stop interrogating me."
His expression hardened "Then answer one question."
She sighed "What now?"
"Why did you save us?"
"The dragon?"
"And me." Rylan said with a steady voice. "You risked your life for two strangers. Most people wouldn’t."
Anaria resisted the urge to sigh "Here we go again."*
She understood why he didn’t trust her. If she were in his place, she’d probably have the same questions.
Unfortunately, that understanding didn’t make the interrogation any less irritating. "I don’t owe you an explanation."
Ryan’s brows furrowed "That’s not an answer, Anaria"
"Yes, it is" She held his gaze.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Ryan spoke "I’m coming with you."
Anaria let out a short laugh"No."
"I’m coming with you."
Anaria let out a dry laugh. "No."
"Yes."
"You don’t even know where I’m going."
"I know you’re hiding something," Ryan replied without missing a beat. "And I’m not letting you wander into the forest alone."
She looked at him for a long moment before placing a hand over her chest with exaggerated disbelief "What an absolutely terrible way of saying you’d miss me."
Ryan didn’t even blink. "Don’t make this harder than it has to be."
Anaria clicked her tongue. "Too late. The moment we met, my life became difficult."
Before Ryan could respond, the familiar chime rang inside her head.
[New Task Triggered.]
[Increase Husband Candidate #1’s Affection Rate.]
Anaria’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
*"...What?"*
A second panel appeared before she could recover.
[Reward: Hidden.]
She stared at it for a long second before an incredulous laugh nearly escaped her.
*"You’ve completely lost your mind."*
*"I haven’t even finished keeping one husband alive, and you’re already assigning me another mission?"*
*"What exactly am I supposed to do? Hold his hand? Smile at him? Bake him meat pies?"*
The system remained perfectly silent.
Anaria’s jaw tightened "Don’t you dare ignore me."*
As if determined to provoke her further, another panel quietly appeared.
[Affection Rate measures Husband Candidate #1’s trust, favor, and attachment toward the host.]
She almost choked.
*"Trust? Favor? Attachment?...I’m barely keeping myself alive!....Which lunatic designed this system?!"*
Ryan’s voice pulled her back to reality "What happened?"
Anaria blinked and suddenly remembered she had been arguing with absolutely nobody for the past few seconds. Clearing her throat, she waved a hand dismissively.
"Nothing."
Ryan looked at her with obvious disbelief, but before he could question her again, Anaria pointed toward the forest.
"Come on. We still need to find a Crimson Heartleaf before the precious dragon decides to die again."
*******
The forest, unfortunately, had no sympathy for Anaria’s suffering.
Ryan walked ahead with the ease of someone who knew these woods like the back of his hand, while Anaria followed behind, still mentally arguing with the system.
*"Affection rate? Honestly, who comes up with these ridiculous missions? As if Mr. Suspicious over there was suddenly going to trust me because the system said so."*
The system wisely stayed silent.
The deeper they ventured into the forest, the thicker the trees became until vines and towering trunks swallowed the narrow path.
Then Ryan disappeared and Anaria stopped walking.
"Ryan?"
No answer.
She frowned and stepped over a fallen log then something burst out of the bushes.
"Oh, come on!"
The beast crashed into her, throwing her against a tree so hard stars exploded across her vision. Before she could catch her breath, it lunged again.
Anaria grabbed the nearest broken branch and swung with all her strength.
Crack!
The branch smacked the beast squarely across the snout.
It barely hurt the creature but It did...however...offend it.
"Oh... that’s definitely worse."
The beast roared and charged. Before it could reach her, a grey blur slammed into its side.
Ryan....
The two rolled across the forest floor in a blur of claws, dirt and flying leaves before Ryan finally drove his knife into the beast’s throat.
Silence returned.
Ryan pulled out the knife and stood, breathing a little harder than before. His eyes swept over Anaria, checking that she was still in one piece before he looked away.
"You..." He sighed. "...are a disaster."
Anaria was about to argue when her eyes landed on the fresh scratch stretching across his chest.
Blood trickled down Ryan’s chest.
Anaria stared at the wound, her heart still racing from the attack.
He had come back without a second thought, shielding her from the beast then for some reason, something inside her softened.
Ryan looked at the scratch once before dismissing it.
"It’s nothing."
*"Nothing? He’s literally bleeding and calling it nothing."*
The familiar chime interrupted her thoughts.
[Mission Item Detected.]
[Crimson Heartleaf Located Nearby.]
"...Of course."
Guided by the system, Anaria led Rylan deeper into the forest. A few minutes later, they found the Crimson Heartleaf growing between two warm rocks, its crimson leaves threaded with silver veins.
[Mission Item Confirmed.]
[Return to Shelter Recommended.]
Anaria carefully wrapped the Crimson Heartleaf in a clean cloth before standing. Ryan was already walking as though nearly getting mauled by a beast was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
*"Does this man even know what resting is?"*
Shaking her head, Anaria hurried after him and stepped into his path. "Stop."
Rylan paused, looking at her questioningly. "What?"
She gestured at the blood spreading across his chest with an exasperated sigh. "You’re bleeding."
He spared the wound a single indifferent glance. "It’s a scratch."
"A scratch?" she echoed. "It nearly carved through your chest."
"It’ll heal."
"It’ll get infected first."
Before he could refuse again, she pushed him onto a nearby rock. Ryan frowned but didn’t move this time.
Working in silence, Anaria cleaned the wound before carefully applying the recovery serum. Her movements were surprisingly gentle, making Ryan lower his eyes to watch her. The scars on her face hadn’t disappeared, nor had the rough skin or thin frame, yet the seriousness in those amber eyes didn’t match the fox woman he’d first met.
The system chimed.
[Affection Rate: 3%...]
Anaria’s fingers paused. *"It went up?"*
Another notification followed almost immediately.
[Affection Rate: 5%...]
*"Again? Whatever... I’m not complaining."*
She tied the bandage before finally looking up.
"Hmm...I want to say...Thank you. And... I’m sorry for how I acted earlier."
Ryan met her gaze for a second before quietly replying, "It’s alright."
The atmosphere softened...until Anaria’s stomach growled.
She closed her eyes in embarrassment.
Ryan’s lips twitched "Hmm.. do you want me to get some food for you..."
After an awkward cough, she pointed toward the forest. "Yes, can you... go back for the beast? I haven’t eaten since I got here."
Anaria looked up at him with the most shamelessly hopeful expression she could manage. Rylan stared at her for a moment, clearly prepared to refuse, but the stubborn little bit of softness she caught in his eyes made her pause. A quiet sigh escaped him before he finally looked away.
"Wait here."
Before she could react, he disappeared into the forest. A few minutes later, he returned with the beast resting over one shoulder and placed it down in front of her like it was nothing.
"Thank you," Anaria said, genuinely surprised.
Rylan only looked away. "It was nothing."
But his voice was softer than usual.
The system chimed.
[Affection Rate: +5%]
[Current Husband Candidate #1 Affection Rate: 10%]
Anaria blinked, then stared at his back with suspicion. "So that’s it... I just had to ask him for food and his affection goes up?"
Rylan simply picked up the beast again and glanced at her.
"Let’s go."
Anaria grinned, hugging the Crimson Heartleaf to her chest. He ignored her and started walking.Still smiling to herself, Anaria hurried after him toward the shelter.