"Submit quest."
[Ding—Quest Complete (Trade with the Feather Clan). Rewards: ① +95 Gold Coins, ② Lottery System unlocked!]
"The Lottery System?"
An Jin was a little stunned. ’You can play it like this?’
’Might as well try my luck and do a draw.’
[10 gold coins consumed. Performing one random draw!]
[Congratulations! You received: Beast Skin x1 (R-level)]
An Jin was speechless. ’Ten gold coins for a single, common beast skin? Seriously? Could this system be any more of a ripoff?’
She refused to accept her bad luck. ’One more time.’
—Exquisite Yellow Wood Box x1 (R-level)
She tried a few more times.
—Thank You For Playing (Dud), A Fairly Sharp Stone Knife x1 (R-level), Delicious Roast Meat x1 (R-level)...
The Lottery System’s prizes were completely random, and it seemed she was one of those legendary, gacha-cursed players. An Jin resisted the urge to spit blood. Unwilling to give up, she decided to try one last time.
Suddenly, a golden light flashed in her mind.
[Congratulations on the rare drop! Lady Luck’s Favor (SSR-level) (Increases Luck. Duration: 12 hours)]
’A stat buff?’
’But luck isn’t like speed or strength. You can’t see it or touch it. Could it really be that amazing?’
She waited for the afternoon sun to weaken, then called for Gu Yin and Ling Hong. The three of them headed to the city’s bustling district, carrying baskets and Beast Skin Bags.
Large groups of Beastmen had set up stalls there to trade.
Their tribe wasn’t short on basic supplies these days.
An Jin had only planned on casually looking for some seeds and seedlings for wild vegetables and fruits. She thought she could plant some in her spare time; she was getting tired of eating meat all the time and wanted a change of palate.
But as soon as they arrived, she unexpectedly ran into all sorts of herbivorous Beastmen selling sugarcane, rose myrtle berries, and many other fresh, crisp vegetables and sweet, juicy, fuzzy fruits...
’So this is the good-luck buff in action?’
Normally, she could wander around here all day and not find anything worthwhile. But this evening, after just a short walk, they had already bought several bags full of fruit, seedlings, and seeds.
An Jin carried a basket filled to the brim. Before long, her shoulders began to ache, and her fingers started turning red.
"This is so heavy... I’m exhausted," she panted, stopping to rest her hands on her lower back and shake them out.
Gu Yin and Ling Hong doubled back from ahead of her and took her basket, shouldering it themselves.
They were already laden with all sorts of goods, and with the added basket, they were completely hidden from view. All that could be seen were two small mountains of cargo moving steadily forward.
"Come on, you can sit on my tail." Gu Yin lifted an arm, transforming his lower body into a long, black-and-red snake tail, which he flicked toward her through a gap in the cargo.
"Agh! A Wandering Beast!" Many of the nearby females and Beastmen cried out in terror and scattered.
In an instant, they were the only ones left on the road.
In the brief moment An Jin hesitated, Gu Yin’s snake tail curled and gently swept her up onto it.
She could only sit sideways on his cool, smooth tail. She hugged a thinner section of it, trying to keep her balance as he moved with surprising speed.
Once they were a good distance away, many of the females regrouped, their gazes following An Jin from afar, now filled with a mixture of envy and astonishment.
They hadn’t expected a Wandering Beast to be so gentle with a female. He wasn’t as bad as they had imagined, and on top of that, he was incredibly strong.
Besides, it looked like so much fun for that little female, getting a ride on his long tail.
At the same time, they shot dissatisfied glances at their own partners. If only they had long tails like that, they could even take them swimming.
An Jin, of course, was oblivious to the envious stares of the females behind her. She watched Gu Yin and Ling Hong carrying hundreds of pounds of goods, their steps still swift and powerful.
This was especially true for Gu Yin. He was carrying her in addition to his share, yet he wasn’t even flushed or out of breath and could still effortlessly control his speed.
"Sigh..." She looked down at her own skinny arms and legs and heaved a deep sigh.
When they returned to the large stone courtyard where their tribe lived, everyone pitched in to store the newly purchased goods in the warehouse. The sky had grown dark. After gathering for a communal meal, they all returned to their own huts to rest.
The two had been apart for several days, so Gu Yin eagerly whisked An Jin away to his den. The room was dim. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her for a long time.
"Mmph..." An Jin’s mind grew fuzzy from the kiss. Her hands wrapped around his neck as she tilted her head back, responding with a bit of awkwardness.
She watched Gu Yin’s prominent Adam’s apple bob.
She couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it.
An Jin had always been curious about things she didn’t have herself. She felt the man’s body stiffen for an instant before his large hand closed around her small one, pinning it above her head.
His thin lips brushed against hers as he murmured, "Jin’er, don’t fidget."
But despite his words, his own hands didn’t stop moving. He untied the taut bandeau she was wearing, only to discover that the Snake Shedding top could no longer quite contain her curves.