The next morning, Visha woke up and didn't see Xeno or Uri.
She pouted, upset that she hadn't woken up to see them. She noticed her body had been washed and smiled. She decided to forgive them this time.
She noticed her body felt amazing.
It didn't feel as if she had been fucking for most of the night.
She thought back to it. Remembering Uri had told her she wouldn't be able to handle them both.
She patted her cheeks. She was so horny last night that she actually tried to take both of them. She shook her head at how confident she was.
Using toys was most she did before, yet now she thought she was ready to take on both of them at once.
She put the thought aside. She reached for her clothes. She was still naked, tucked in a corner of the cave. The ever-embers close by.
She wanted to go outside to see what was happening. Normally, they wouldn't leave her alone. So, there must have been something that caught their attention.
The system had given her a body that was adaptable to the cold as a reward. She was curious as to whether she would be able to go out in the animal skin, in the cold now.
Stepping out of the cave, Visha felt a chill.
Yesterday, it was much colder than this. She could see the snow falling through the daylight hole. Even the ground in the grotto had a small amount of snow.
The slight chill she felt was disproportionate.
She smiled widely. She knew the system reward was working. She would find some time to test out the basic weaving. Maybe if she explored the grotto, she would find something to use.
She walked towards everyone. They were crowded together. Kit and Nimo stood in the middle.
She didn't immediately see the two little ones. She only knew it was them because they heard them talking.
Uri and Xeno turned to look at her. She blushed despite herself. Xeno was still his playful self, but today, Uri seemed more relaxed.
A small smile curved on his lips.
The way he looked at her between yesterday and now was as if she were seeing two different people. It let her know that Uri, although quiet and calm, had a dominant and possessive streak that he hides away.
She walked towards them, face flushed, heart beating a little faster than usual. She nestled between the two men. Xeno's hot body and Uri's cool one make her feel contented.
She looked at the two children covered from head to toe in what looked like neon paint.
Where did they get paint? Visha wondered.
Kit and Nimo proudly showed the adults what they had found.
It was a glowing crystal. Even in the daylight, it still gave off a small glow.
Visha tried using Nature's Echo to find out what it was, but there wasn't any reaction.
She decided to use the help section in the system.
Glow in the dark stone. Makes paint
This was all she knew, so it was the only thing she could type in.
She hoped she didn't receive another access denied message.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw there was a response.
[New resource found: Luminous crystal]
[Reward: Keen observation]
Keen observation? Why would the system give me something like that? Am I not attentive enough?
"We found it over there."
This was what Visha heard after coming out of her thoughts.
The one who spoke was Nimo. The paint covered his face. The image was that of two handprints that had been placed on his face.
She snorted a little, trying to hide her laugh as she looked in the direction Nimo pointed.
She watched as the two children shifted and ran off.
Yes, Kit was now able to shift. Not long after they came to the grotto, Visha fulfilled her promise to the little one. He took the pill, she was rewarded, and was now able to shift.
When she watched the little boy gritting his teeth and trying not to cry after he took the pill, she couldn't stop the feeling of her heart aching.
Now, he was running around and being lively. No longer the timid thing she met a few months ago. She smiled, her heart full of joy.
She watched as the males ran after the little ones. The females, bundled in their arms.
Visha only just noticed that the females were wrapped up tightly. A testament to how cold the place actually was.
Visha looked odd when compared to the tightly wrapped women.
She caught a gaze staring at her. Not vicious, but something akin to scorn. Following the gaze, she saw Heta's eyes peeping out of the animal skin. She looked at Visha as the man ran with her in his arms.
As she watched everyone leave, she quickly jumped on Uri's back. She stuck out her tongue at Xeno and grinned.
"You've carried me before; it's his turn. Sharing is caring."
Uri placed his hand under her buttocks, squeezing lightly. Visha slapped him on the shoulder. Xeno watched them in amusement. Shaking his head, he ran after everyone.
"Let's go, let's go." Visha shook Uri.
"Someone is being playful today. Did you sleep well last night?" A smug look crossed his features.
Rolling her eyes, Visha ignored his comment. "Come on. Everyone's leaving."
He snickered before running off.
Visha could feel the wind in her hair. She realized they were moving very quickly. It's one of the reasons she didn't try and run on her own. Although she had been drinking the vitality stew, she hadn't gotten that much stronger. According to the system, her stats had only increased by 1. She could compete with them, even a little.
[Host: Visha Solace]
[Race: Human]
[Stamina: 8/10]
[Agility: 9/10]
[Strength: 9/10]
[Current status: Playful, relaxed]
She toyed with the system sometimes. She found that her status didn't mean she wasn't strong; on the contrary, she was. The 10 is for human limitation. If she can surpass it, she might be able to compare with some of the females here.
She also learned that the system can level up. How? She hasn't been able to figure it out just yet.
It was another 15 minutes before they stopped.
Visha had never visited this part of the grotto before. After exploring most of the space close by, she assumed the rest of the grotto was the same.
Especially since this was a little off the beaten track.
But children are curious, so it's expected that they might try to find something to do. The winter is too long.
The children walked into a narrow opening. It was easy for children to get into, but for adults, it was another matter.
They stood there watching as the little ones went inside and came out with more crystals.
There were a number of them in the children's hands. They were different sizes and colours.
She went to the help section again. She didn't look thoroughly before because she only wanted to know the name. But seeing there were two different kinds, she thought she ought to check it out. Make sure the children are safe.
This world might not be like hers, where there are toxic substances everywhere, but as the saying goes, better safe than sorry.
As she checked the system, she found that there weren't just two types, there were five. The ones in their hands were the most common. As a matter of fact, it was the same kind.
It had two colours, a pale blue and a milky white.
Mainly used to illuminate. They also help bread-moss and gloomcap fungi to grow.
Visha laughed when she saw the rest. She wanted to go inside to see if she could find any others.
It might be unlikely, but she wanted to try. Especially to see if she could find a Verdant crystal.
If she could, she might have everyone stay here, even after the winter.
"What's wrong?" Uri asked.
Visha then realized she was still on his back. She was wiggling around. He must have heard her laugh.
"I'll tell you later. Do you think there's any way we can get in? I want to check something."
"We'll need to talk to the others. We don't know if it will collapse if we force our way inside."
"OK, but we need to do it quickly."
Visha snuck out a piece of beef jerky from the space, putting it to Uri's mouth and handing it to Xeno, who was beside them.
"Go talk to them," she said, kissing him on the cheek and jumping off his back.
She curled her index finger, calling Xeno.
She placed a kiss on his cheek as well and pushed him to go talk to the males.
She decided to stand with Willa for a while until they made up their minds.