[Water pine, a rare tree in the pine family, rated five stars in rarity. Reward: a full set of clay brick making instructions.]
Tanya was surprised. A rare and precious tree like this only gave her instructions to make clay bricks?
Shouldn't it at least fill her weapon and ammo storage?
Thinking of this, she felt disappointed. She had collected such a rare tree, and there was still no weapon reward. Did this mean the guidebook didn't offer weapons at all?
Tch.
As someone who was powerful in the end times, being without weapons felt like a bird having its wings broken.
Annoying.
Frustrating.
She collected two bamboo tubes of plant water and stored them in her space, then started picking snake berries. She only knew this herb might heal wounds. She wasn't sure if it really worked but picked some anyway to have something to show for it.
Just as she picked a handful, she suddenly sensed a strange smell behind her.
She had wind powers and could feel movements in the air better than normal people.
So when the enemy attacked, she quickly dodged.
She looked carefully. "Oh, it's you. You're not dead yet?"
It was the spider beastman who attacked them the other day.
So the final wind blade she had used with all her strength had only killed the wasps and let him escape?
"Little female! Let's see where you can run!" the spider beastman shouted as he quickly released webs to trap her and drag her away.
To do that, he even showed his real beast form.
Before Tanya could make a move, Miles returned like a whirlwind, carrying a bunch of rabbits.
With two bone knives in his hands, he moved like a storm, cutting the webs into pieces. Then he jumped off a tree and used the momentum to slash at the spider beastman with a deadly strike.
But the spider beastman wasn't stupid. He had fought Miles before and knew how strong he was. He had planned this attack while Miles was gone. Seeing the situation change, he immediately tried to escape.
Tanya wasn't going to let him run.
She used her wind power to block his path and even pushed him forward, sending him right into the path of Miles' bone knives.
Both knives stabbed into the spider beastman's body. But because of the wind push, they missed the vital spots. He didn't die, but the pain was so bad he turned back into human form, pinned to the ground and struggling.
Tanya patted Miles, telling him to move aside. She squatted in front of the spider beastman and asked, "I'm curious. Why are you so desperate to catch me?"
"Still not ready to talk?"
Tanya grabbed the handle of the knife in his back and twisted it hard. "Think about it. So many of your people died. Was it really worth it?"
From her instincts as someone experienced in the apocalypse, she knew people never acted without a reason. These beastmen kept trying to catch her even after losing many. That meant they had a clear goal and plan.
She suddenly moved again. The pain made him scream.
Miles quickly picked up a dry branch from the ground and shoved it in his mouth. He answered her quietly, "I'm worried he'll call others."
They were just humans. If more beastmen came, they couldn't handle it.
Even though Tanya had some kind of divine power, the side effects were too dangerous. He didn't want to see her fall unconscious again for two days and nights.
Tanya nodded and kept questioning. "If you want to talk, nod. If you try to play games, I'll break your hands and feet next."
The spider beastman had seen how ruthless she was. He knew he wouldn't survive this if he kept quiet. He quickly nodded.
Miles looked at Tanya. After she agreed, he took the branch out of the beastman's mouth.
Tanya casually moved her fingers. "Talk."
"It was someone from your tribe. No, from the Little River Tribe. That male named Bogart told us to do it. He said if we killed him, then took you to the beastmen in the Endless Forest, he would let us live in the tribe."
Humans and beastmen weren't supposed to live together. Was Bogart really trying to bring beastmen into the human tribe?
Tanya didn't believe it, but Miles looked thoughtful and asked, "Which tribe did he say you could live in?"
"Your Little River Tribe."
Tanya looked confused and poked Miles. "What's going on?"
He felt a numb tingle where she poked him, but quickly calmed himself and said, "They're wandering beastmen. The tribes don't accept them, so no female wants to be with them."
Tanya instantly understood. "So they want to pretend to be human males, sneak into the human tribe, and get wives?"
Miles nodded. That was basically it.
"Heh." Tanya thought Bogart must be crazy. Didn't he worry these beastmen would kill all the humans?
"I already told you everything. You said you'd let me go."
The spider beastman's voice brought Tanya back from her thoughts. She made a sound, "Hmm? Did I say that?"
The spider beastman's pupils widened. In his eyes, she grew larger. Her hand moved and the knife that had been in his back went straight into his heart.
"No."
As soon as she spoke, the spider beastman turned back into his beast form. Then he shrank until he was just a dead spider, the size of a palm.
Tch. This was just like the comics she had read before.
Maybe those stories weren't all made up. This was actually kind of realistic.
She pointed at the dead spider and asked Miles, "How should we deal with this?"
Miles said, "Take him back and burn him like firewood?"
Tanya nodded with approval. "Okay."
So they went back to the bamboo house. Miles burned the spider's body. Tanya went to heal the phoenix. She treated its wings and legs, gave it some plant water to drink, then left it alone.
She called out, "Miles."
"Yeah?"
"Let's go find Bogart."
"Right now?"
"What else? That kind of scum shouldn't be left around. What, save him for soup?"
Tanya walked out as she spoke. "The soup would stink anyway."
Miles didn't say anything, but the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. He caught up with her and walked beside her, tilting his head a little to look at her. "I didn't think you could be funny."
Tanya asked, "Was I?"
She said she needed him to lead, but she already knew the way from her original memories. She confidently walked into the Little River Tribe.
Some kids saw them coming and ran off, yelling, "Bad people are coming! Bad people are coming!"