Beastmen: She Tames the Land-Chapter 159: A Risky Mission

Visha pressed her thumb under her fingers. The thought of a plant they cannot kill seems strange.

"I don’t understand. Why weren’t you able to do anything to it?" Visha asked. "I’m sure you have weapons."

Her eyes fell on Gorn. Who lowered his head. Not in submission but in shame.

He had always thought the weapons his tribe made were powerful. Only when facing that plant did he understand that there are things in this world that some metal cannot break.

"It did nothing. No matter how much we swung, it did nothing but tickle it. We heard the clash of the metal when it touched the plant. It was as if we were fighting metal with metal." Fatigue filtered into Gorn’s features.

"Our people are even worse. We get our weapons from the Stone-horn, but you know we mainly trade. We do not have the fighting experience they have. The only reason we have been able to survive thus far is that the thing only takes one person per day." Mira sighed.

"It does not care whether the person is old or young. As long as it finds someone to take them."

A deafening silence fell on the group. Visha’s heart pounded. A plant that would take whatever person it could find. It is impervious to the metals the Stone-horn tribe uses. And it comes and goes as it pleases.

"What about your tribe members now? Are they doing well? Did it follow you?" Visha asked. She spoke quickly. She understood the urgency of the matter.

Turning to Uri and Xeno, she left the decision up to them. Although she is included in the day-to-day leadership of the pack. She prefers to give the final decision to them. They are oafterall the leaders.

"They should be safe. We left them in the clearing, which we used for trade. It is not the safest, but they can see if anything moves," Gorn replies.

"Go back, bring them with you," Uri said. "You may stay until the matter ends."

The tension in their shoulders relaxed as soon as they heard the confirmation. Without much ado, Mira and Gorn left, rushing to tell their tribe members to head to the caldera.

Xeno, Visha, and Uri sat together. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Visha sighed. One thing she has been doing often these days. I might sigh my blessings away soon. She scoffed mentally. The old saying she used to hear suddenly popped up.

"This is my fault," she muttered.

Uri and Xeno heard her words and watched her with confusion.

"Yesterday, I talked with the system. I didn’t tell you about it because I was still trying to process it." Visha’s hands went to her knees. She squeezed. "The cleansing ritual we performed...it caused something to happen on the continent."

"I’m not sure about the extent of it. I only know that it affects the continent, forbidden zones included. The plant...I think it might be from the Verdant Maw."

The silence hung in the air. Visha continued talking. She told them about what she and the system talked about. She told them about her own assumptions. She also told them about the request the system had.

"So," Uri began. "The reason we live so long is because of vital energy. The ritual caused a surge in vital energy. The vital energy surge caused issues that would have happened further into the future to happen now. Is that right?"

Visha nodded.

"So it is not your fault. If the issue was already there. Doing the ritual might have slowed down the rate of decline. But it would still happen." Uri reached out for her. Pulling her onto his lap, he rocked her. "Even if you did cause it, which you did not. We will help. We are your mates. For a lifetime. Whatever issues you go through, we will be there."

Uri’s soft and steady voice soothed Visha’s worry. Not completely, but it helped. She found herself relaxing in his arm. Her gaze met Xeno, who was sitting beside Uri. He tucked her hair behind her ear.

"We are here. You are ours, and we are yours. What troubles you is also our trouble." His gaze was filled with determination. He appeared ready to crush whatever obstacle Visha might have to face.

She smiled. Having these two men in her life was the greatest thing that could have happened to her. Her tail, which she had not gotten used to, started to rise as she listened to them.

In the midst of their relaxing moment. Visha heard the chime. It was the system.

[Task: Echo of the Second Breath]

[Objective: The priestess and her mates are required to enter the Verdant Maw and participate in the trials.]

[Rewards: 10,000 EXP, Vital Energy manuals]

[Failure: May result in death]

[Accept: Yes/No]

Visha shot up from Uri’s lap. Her mouth was wide open. Her tail and ears drooped. Her mind rushed through several emotions at once. Disbelief, anger, frustration, reluctance, rejection, shock. Acceptance did not fall into place. For the first time, she got a mission that might lead to her death.

Why would she ever want to do this kind of mission? She refused. There was no way in heaven or hell she would do this kind of mission. Even if the reward is cultivation manuals. If she doesn’t go, at least she can live.

She intended to click no straight away. That was until she saw a hand waving in front of her face. With the system interface still up, she turned. Uri and Xeno, who had seen her outburst, were standing, waiting for her to tell them what happened.

"What’s wrong?" Xeno asked.

Visha’s gaze flitted between the two men, then back to the interface. She paused. Should she tell them about it? If she did and they wanted to go, would she be able to accept it? This is death. There is no coming back from that.

But this is also a choice they should make together. She refused to take that choice from them, given that they knew what vital energy was. She decided it would be best to tell them about it.

This way, they can make an informed decision.