In the apocalypse, there was no one who didn't have blood on their hands.
There were no pure flowers, no harmless mbs—only man-eating blossoms hidden under delicate petals, and mad rabbits frothing at the mouth.
Sanity was a luxury none could afford, and everyone could be said to have one or the other mental illness.
Noah was no exception.
He had crawled out of piles of corpses, with blood soaked so deeply into his soul that he had long stopped trying to wash it off. Killing wasn't something he shied away from—it was something he had even, on occasion, savored.
The rush of battle, the heat of vengeance, the sweet catharsis of blood on his skin.
The keyword being: enemy.
【Task: An Unstable Factor has been identified. Immediate action is required. Eliminate the source of instability.
Time Limit: 5 minutes remaining.】
Noah gnced at the system prompt again, his expression unmoved.
He wasn't worried about the countdown ticking away, nor the beastman shivering in pain at his feet.
Instead, he coolly analyzed the situation.
Realistically speaking, there was about a 60% chance that Kai was the unstable factor the system warned about.
But 60% certainty wasn’t good enough.
And right now, there was no way to confirm it either.
Meanwhile, 001 remained unresponsive.
Every time Noah tried to contact it, all he got was the same useless default system alert.
Tch.
This thing was truly worthless—always yapping away during normal times, and the moment something serious happened, it switched itself into autopilot.
When that thing came back online, he was definitely going to settle accounts.
If it didn’t cough up a few hundred system coins in compensation, he wouldn’t be polite about it.
Anyway, assuming Kai really was the Unstable Factor...
How should he eliminate him?
For a brief moment, a cold, killing light fshed through Noah’s mismatched eyes.
But just as quickly, it disappeared.
He thought back to what Ezra had expined earlier: The mountain caves were divided into three main factions.
One was the Tiger Cw pack—the one Noah currently belonged to.
Another was Azazel’s pack.
And finally, there was the solitary Level 6 drifter beastman—who, based on all signs, seemed to point straight at this shameless pervert currently unconscious at his feet.
Oh, and there was the bird cn living at the peak of the mountain, too.
But they rarely interfered with the affairs of nd-dwellers.
But then again—who didn’t change faces in the pursuit of their own interests?
Every pce had its own web of power and alliances, a delicate bance that kept everyone barely in check. This was only Noah’s second day here.
He still didn’t know much about these people.
Acting rashly—like eliminating a major pyer—would undoubtedly shatter that bance, leading to unknown consequences, infighting, and war over territory.
Noah had crawled through the apocalypse, where peace was nothing but a myth.
He figured he’d had enough fighting and bloodshed for one lifetime. Literally.
So if no one provoked him, he didn’t want to pick fights.
Still, if there was one lesson the apocalypse had beaten into him, it was that one can trust no man not to stab them, except for a dead man.
Although this snake looked pitifully weak and unconscious, it just looked that way.
This "Kai" character was two levels above Kieren.
Even weakened by core overload, Noah wasn’t confident he could kill him—even at the peak of his strength from his previous life.
Best not to make enemies if one can't make friends.
And especially not enemies who could, all by themselves, hold down a third of the mountain—against both a male lead and a top antagonist from the original novel.
So the real question was: what exactly did "eliminate" mean?
The task said, "Eliminate the source of instability." If taken at face value, it implies killing the unstable factor.
But if you thought about it another way, it could also mean eliminate the reason for the instability.
And as obvious as it was, the problem was his beast core.
Now, onto the next question—did he even want to save this guy?
Noah's gaze fell on the broad, muscur back stretched out in front of him.
He hated to admit it, but... he really liked what he saw.
Sure, the man was a pervert—an exhibitionist snake—but damn if he wasn’t dangerously Noah’s type.
A slender finger traced along the male's back, following the longest stripe of the beast mark up to the nape of his neck. Noah brushed aside the messy teal hair, revealing a pale, vulnerable patch of skin.
Although it looked clean, Noah still conjured a small ball of water with a flick of his wrist, letting it swirl gently in the air before pressing it against Kai’s neck, wiping it clean.
Then, looking at the remaining 58 seconds left, without hesitating further, he leaned down—and took a lick.
A small pink tongue darted out of the female's small mouth, swiping up the freshly cleaned patch of skin. Beneath him, the semi-conscious Kai visibly shuddered, his entire body tensing under Noah’s light touch.
Although he couldn’t move his body, pinned down by the crushing pain wracking his core, Kai remained faintly aware of his surroundings.
He could feel the faint killing intent radiating from the little female near him.
Inwardly, Kai wasn't surprised at all and had even expected it.
He was a reptile, a wandering beastman. For others to fear him, to despise him, was only natural. It was the way things had always been.
But that didn’t mean he would just lie there and let himself be harmed.
If the female dared to try anything—Even half-dead, he would cripple him. A female was still a female, crippled or otherwise.
Tense, Kai waited and waited, but did not for the sharp sting of a bone knife plunging into his flesh.
Instead, he felt a slender finger trail lightly along his beast mark, pushing aside his messy hair to expose the nape of his neck.
A visible shiver rippled up Kai’s spine, his mind fshing bnk white for a moment. This...This was not what he had expected at all.
Before he could even gather his thoughts, he felt the faint, cool pressure of water cleaning his skin Followed by something soft and wet dragging slowly across the nape of his neck.
A tongue.
The little female had actually licked him.
Kai’s hazy mind reeled from the sensation, but before he could react, he felt the faint scrape of tiny fangs grazing his neck—deliberate, ciming, like a beast marking its territory.
And then, with sudden force, the teeth broke skin.
Noah closed his eyes, steadying his breath as he willed his spiritual power to flow into Kai’s body.
He had done this once before with Kieren. Back then, Kieren’s beast core had instinctively resisted, guarded, wary—before finally, slowly, accepting him.
But this time...
Kai’s beast core was wide open.
There was no resistance at all.
Noah’s brows furrowed slightly in confusion.
The protective instinct of the core was supposed to be automatic. It wasn’t something a beastman could control consciously, especially not in such a weakened, half-conscious state.
So why hadn’t Kai’s core tried to defend itself?
The answer revealed itself almost immediately.
Within Kai’s body, his beast core floated like a fragile sphere of cracked gss, veins of damage spiderwebbing across its surface. It pulsed weakly, every tremor causing faint wisps of light green energy to seep out from the fractures.
The leakage was serious—already, nearly one-third of the core’s energy had bled away into nothingness.
If this continued, it wouldn’t be long before the entire core shattered completely.
Noah willed his spiritual energy to coil around the fragile sphere, careful and deliberate, like mist curling around a delicate bloom. Instead of forcing its way in, it flowed patiently along the surface, seeking out the fine cracks one by one.
Slowly, almost reverently, tendrils of his energy seeped into the fractures, weaving through the broken lines like golden threads stitching shattered gss back together.
Where his spiritual power touched, the leaking energy slowed, and the sharpest of the cracks softened, becoming less angry, less ready to tear themselves further apart.
It was a painstaking process, patiently coaxing the broken core back from the brink of colpse.
Slowly, the searing pain that had wracked Kai’s body began to fade, repced by a foreign yet comforting energy coursing through his veins.
It had been so long since he had been free of agony that the absence of it now felt almost surreal.
The sensation was unlike anything he’d ever experienced—a heady mixture of pleasure, warmth, and something deeper... something tethering him to another presence.
The connection was so vivid, so comforting, that it lulled him without resistance.
As Noah’s spiritual energy continued to weave through him, the broken pieces of Kai's core mended bit by bit—and Kai, for the first time in what felt like forever, slipped into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
Noah released the bite and slowly leaned back, exhaling a long, steady breath as the taste of blood lingered faintly on his tongue.
A familiar chime echoed in his mind—crisp, mechanical.
【Task complete. Verifying conditions...】
【Confirmation complete. Issuing rewards.】
【System coins ×100, Wicker Weaving Manual ×1, Map to Beast God Spirit Stone ×1】Normally, spiritual counseling wasn’t particurly exhausting—but doing it twice in a single day had taken its toll. A wave of fatigue hit him, leaving his limbs feeling a little heavier than before.
He looked down at the peacefully sleeping bastard sprawled out on the ground and felt a flicker of irritation.
Noah rubbed his sore jaw and clicked his tongue in annoyance. "...What a pain."
Without much thought, Noah nudged Kai's shoulder with his foot, as if venting a bit of his pent-up annoyance.
But just as he was about to kick him again, Noah caught sight of Kai’s handsome side profile—and let out a long, helpless sigh.
Tugging his sleeve over his mouth, Noah wiped away any lingering trace of blood and saliva from his mouth before rising to his feet, with a final gnce at the now-peaceful beastman.
"You're lucky," he muttered under his breath. "If you’d been just a little bit more of a pain in the ass, I would've gutted you instead."
And he wasn’t even being dramatic. If this guy hadn’t been so dangerously good-looking—and so perfectly his type—he probably wouldn’t have bothered saving him at all.
Even if it meant failing the task, so what?
It wasn't like the system dared to actually do anything to him.
Thinking that, Noah zily stretched his arms above his head, bones cracking in protest. It was time to go home.
With a casual flick of his fingers, a ball of water coalesced in the air. It wasn’t the usual transparent blue of ordinary water—this one shimmered with a soft, luminous greenish-blue hue. The sphere hovered over him, drifting down like a sentient mist.
Wherever it touched, scrapes, bruises, and cuts faded, vanishing into delicate bubbles that popped against his skin like rain.
In the early days of the apocalypse, Noah had been a rare mutant with dual water and wood abilities. But as his level increased, his powers evolved, merging into something new. Both wood and water were naturally rich in vitality and healing properties. After his evolution, Noah's water ability had gained remarkable healing capabilities—rivaling even those of healing power users.
At first, he hadn't been sure. But after spending some time in this new body, Noah confirmed had transmigrated into this world with his powers intact.
Just as he gnced over the edge, even though he wasn’t afraid of heights, he couldn’t help but feel a little shaken.
The drop from the ptform to the water’s surface was dizzying—more than a thousand feet.
The drop to the water below was dizzying—easily over a thousand feet. Sheer cliff walls offered no handholds, no steps, no ropes.
Jumping wasn’t an option unless he had a death wish.
And unfortunately, Noah wasn’t quite that suicidal.
Looking up, he spotted jagged openings near the cavern’s ceiling. Thick vines and gnarled roots spilled down from the cracks, swaying faintly in the stale air.
If he couldn’t climb down, then he’d climb up.
He narrowed his eyes and reached out with his power, coaxing the longest vines to stretch a bit farther. Nearby vines twisted together under his control, forming a single, heavier cord. Once secured, he nudged it into motion, gently swinging it back and forth.
At first, the arc was small—barely moving. But with each pass, the vine gathered momentum, swaying wider and wider like a pendulum.
Still… it wasn’t quite close enough. He’d have to jump. And if he missed the timing even slightly, he’d fall straight down into the abyss.
His eyes drifted downward again, to the thousand-foot drop below.
Bad idea.
Quickly backing up a few paces, he settled into a running stance before he could start overthinking.
His gaze locked onto the swinging vine. He tracked it carefully—once, twice, three times.
When it hit the peak of its arc and began its return swing, Noah took off. He sprinted for the edge, feet pounding the stone, dirt crumbling underfoot. The ground gave way just as he leapt.
For a breathless moment, he was airborne—tilting sideways, caught in empty space.
Then, his fingers closed around the vine.
The impact jerked his arms, sending the vine into a chaotic, off-center spin. He swung in a lopsided circle, momentum flinging him sideways as the vine twisted beneath his weight.
Gritting his teeth, he wrapped his other arm around the thick cord, gripping tightly. His palms were slick with sweat, but he held on, curling his body inward to reduce drag.
The vine thrashed once, twice, before slowly beginning to settle. Each swing grew smaller until, finally, it stilled—swaying gently in the open air.
Noah climbed slowly, hand over hand, muscles taut with effort. Every movement dislodged small puffs of dust and grit from above, forcing him to squint as particles rained into his eyes. The vines scratched against his palms, but he didn’t dare stop—not when he was this close to the edge.
Just as his fingers were about to grasp the rim of the jagged opening, a sudden loud screech echoed in his mind.
【Wuwuwuwuw °?(???;)?° Host! 001 has finally been let out of the little bck room! I missed you so much, Host! Did the Host miss 001?! I was so worried about the Host… I thought you were going to die and abandon me foreverrrrrrrrr—】
Noah flinched mid-climb, nearly losing his grip, sliding down several centimeters before regaining his grip.
His foot slipped, and he slid down several centimeters with a sharp hiss through his teeth. “What the—?! Shut up for me!!”
【(╥﹏╥) But Host… I was locked up for system review! They said I did a terrible job transmigrating you and messed up your task schedule! And then you tricked me out of system coins!! My seniors scolded me for three whole days—】
As 001 whined dramatically, a sudden pop! sounded—and to Noah’s horror, the system plushie materialized in thin air, as if summoned by sheer grievance.
With zero grace, it tched onto his chest like a clingy leech.
“Are you kidding me?!” Noah barked, arms wobbling as the vine jolted beneath their added weight.
The plushie's dead button-eyes shimmered with betrayal.
【How could the Host be so heartless?! After all we’ve been through! I was your first companion in this world! You even hugged me at night—don’t think I forgot!!】
The vine swayed side to side, Noah’s grip straining as he fought to stabilize them both. He took a deep breath, his jaw tight with fury, and growled through gritted teeth:
"Heartless? You want to see heartless? Okay—just you wait. If I don’t skin you alive today, I’ll change my damn name."
【(⊙﹏⊙?) Host… that’s… that’s murder!】
"Good! Because I feel murderous!" he snapped, climbing another few inches with sheer spite, veins bulging as he wrestled both the vine and the emotional terrorism clinging to him.
【Wuwuwu... 001 is traumatized... this is abuse... I should report you...】
“Go ahead!” he sneered. “Report me. I’ll help write the compint. Let’s see what your can do.”
The plushie let out a scandalized gasp, stubby limbs tightening around his chest like a koa refusing eviction.
Noah chose to ignore the system and, focused forward, lips pressed into a line of restraint. He was afraid that if he listened to the system anymore, he might just cough up blood from anger. With one final grunt, he stretched and grabbed the jagged rim of the cavern’s mouth. The vine shivered under him, but his grip held.
Every muscle screamed, but he pulled, inch by inch, teeth bared, breathing harshly. His feet scraped against stone, searching for purchase. Finally, with a full-body heave, Noah dragged himself over the ledge and colpsed onto solid ground.
Noah y sprawled on the stone floor like a dead starfish, panting hard. Every inch of him throbbed like he’d been fttened by a steamroller.
Above, the sky had turned a deep, burning orange, bleeding into crimson. The st rays of sunlight kissed the treetops with golden fire.
Beautiful. Not that he cared.
The forest was dangerous at night, and he knew he couldn’t afford to rest long. Groaning, Noah forced himself upright
When he’d arrived here on Kieren’s back, it had been midday—the sun was on his left shoulder. Now, it was dipping low. After a bit of rough calcution, Noah picked a direction and started walking.
The mountainside was treacherous. The uneven terrain was riddled with holes—natural pits and sinkholes leading straight back into the cave system below. One wrong step and he’d tumble right back into the abyss he’d just crawled out of.
The mountain, even in fading light, was stunning. But Noah was in no mood for scenery.
He was tired. Hungry. Dusty, muddy, and aching. His feet were bare, every step a stab of pain, even with grass cushioning his soles. Sharp rocks and stray debris still pressed through. He was irritable. Annoyed. And worst of all, he had a clingy system plushie wrapped around him like a leech.
He couldn’t throw it away. Not for ck of trying.
He was miserable. Dirty. Frustrated.
And did he mention he was hungry?
All he wanted was to get back to Kieren’s cave, colpse into his fluffy bear, and sleep for three straight days.
Was that really too much to ask?
After walking for what felt like forever, the towering trees thickened overhead until they completely blotted out the sky. Though it was still technically daylight, not a single ray of sunlight managed to reach the forest floor.
Annoyed, Noah gave up and flopped down onto a patch of grass with a loud sigh.
Right in front of him was a small cluster of yellow flowers—delicate and familiar-looking. They resembled dandelions. He narrowed his eyes and activated his third eye, scanning them carefully for toxins. Once satisfied they weren’t poisonous, he plucked one, rinsed it clean with a flick of his water ability, and bit into the flower.
…Mhm. Sweet.
Beside him, the system plushie mimicked his movements—tiny paws holding a flower, mouth chomping down with cartoonish enthusiasm. Together, man and plushie sat in silence, chewing solemnly on wildflowers with imaginary tears trailing down their cheeks.
The scene was strangely comical.
But then—Noah froze mid-chew.
Wait a damn minute.
His eyes widened as realization struck him like a sp to the face. He slowly turned to 001, who was still nibbling innocently on its flower.
Without warning, Noah snatched the plushie by its stubby shoulders and shook it violently. “Hold up—I just used the【The Great Sage’s Third Eye】without prompting anything, no panels popping into my face. What the hell is going on?! Don’t tell me the skill’s broken now!”
001's soft felt body flopped around like a sack of jelly, the chewed dandelion still stuck under its beak mask.
【Mmn~】001 mumbled, still chewing. Then, with a soft gulp, it blinked zily up at him.
【The skill isn’t broken, Host. It’s functioning exactly as it should. 【The Great Sage’s Third Eye】 is a Soulbound Skill—so naturally, the more you use it, the more intuitive it becomes! Once you've mastered the fundamentals, the interface fades away—it just becomes a part of your original being!】
With a theatrical “pei,” 001 spat out the flower stem and slumped dramatically.
【But of course, since 001 is just a lowly novice system, 001 isn't even qualified to view a B-rank skill, let alone an SSS-grade one. When 001 got dragged back to the system training room, I asked the instructors how to help the Host better—but they all ughed at me... Even the junior systems who haven’t graduated yet ughed…】
Noah blinked once. Twice. Then let the plushie go with an unimpressed look.
He’d gotten the expnation he needed. The rest of 001’s tragic backstory could stay where it belonged—in the comedy section.
Probably just bragging to its juniors, anyway.
Noah tested the skill again, narrowing his eyes at a new cluster of pnts. This time, the familiar game-like interface popped up again.
“Tch,” he muttered under his breath, slightly disappointed. But not too much. It had worked once. That meant it could work again.
After resting for a bit, he got up, brushed the dust and grass from his clothes, and continued walking.
This time, his mood was noticeably better. He allowed the system to burrow into his arms, tucking it close to his chest. The mountain air had grown a little chilly in the te afternoon, so Noah gave a simple command. “Warm up.”
Obediently, the plushie’s body temperature rose, turning into a fuzzy, portable heater. Noah sighed in contentment.
Feeling unusually talkative, he asked casually, “So… where the hell were you, anyway?”
The system hummed like it had been waiting to be asked.
【When the Host transmigrated, the original memories and spiritual abilities weren’t transferred properly. So my supervisor recalled 001 to repair the loopholes in the time-space portal. After that, 001 was demoted—temporarily!—and had to retake my junior system courses... and write a one-gigabit self-reflection report...】
Noah raised an eyebrow. “One gigabit?”
【Yes… single-spaced… no auto-correct...】001 whimpered.
Before he could respond, a new system notification materialized in front of him with a soft chime:【Pending Transfer – Spiritual Power of the Original Soul. Would you like to receive it now? Yes/No】
Noah accepted without hesitation. As soon as he did, a surge of familiar energy coursed through him, converging in his dantian like a glowing thread weaving into pce. It felt... right. Like a missing puzzle piece returning home.
Female beastmen were known for their ability to project spiritual power externally in unique forms. And the original owner possessed a particurly rare and powerful one.
【 Unique Skill (Inherited) Acquired: Overdrive
Unleash your full tent potential in a moment of desperation. All stats increase by +150% for 10 seconds.Immune to all crowd control effects during activation.After the effect ends, enter Fatigue: -50% to all stats for 1 minute.Cooldown: 7 days】
Thinking of something, a beautiful and loving smile spread across Noah's lips—calm, serene, almost affectionate. He turned the system to face him, looked at it with a loving expression as he met its unblinking, beady eyes, “001… Are you pnning to take my water and wood abilities and give them to the original owner?”
Of course, the system knew who Noah was talking about.
The system froze, its little felt body stiffening. A chill seemed to run down 001's nonexistent spine, and it stuttered in reply.【 Of course not, beloved host... The original owner had already drunk the Meng Po Soup and entered the cycle of reincarnation.】
The dark atmosphere behind Noah vanished in an instant, and his smile became much more genuine. “Good. Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
But then a puzzled expression flickered across his face. He looked at 001, brows furrowing. “But if the original owner has already passed on and I’m here, then... who’s in my body?”
“No one,” 001 answered casually, its voice light—but then it froze, a wave of cold sweat washing over its plush form. “No wait, dearest host! That’s not what I meant! Don’t misunderstand 001—”
Noah simply responded with an uninterested, “Oh.”
001 froze again, its little felt arms twitching nervously. It looked at Noah suspiciously. “Are you... NOT mad, host?”
Noah blinked, genuinely puzzled. “Why would I be mad?”
001 double-checked, just to be sure—was this really the same bad-tempered, heartless host it knew?
It was about to voice its doubt when Noah’s expression suddenly shifted. His gaze lifted as he stepped out of the forest's edge.
For the briefest heartbeat, his heterochromatic eyes widened in pure, unguarded awe.
Before him stretched a sea of red—an endless flower field, abze in the warm glow of the setting sun. Crimson petals bnketed the mountain slope like wildfire frozen in bloom, each one catching the golden light and burning in shades of vermilion, coral, and blood-red silk.
The sun hung low on the horizon, half-sunken into the earth, its rays spilling over the field like molten gold. As the wind danced through the blossoms, the petals swayed in perfect rhythm, forming waves that shimmered like a scarlet ocean gently folding into the sky.
And there, in the heart of the Red Sea, stood a forest nymph bathed in gold.
[Random Mini Theater]
Noah: By the way... weren’t you only gone for an hour?
System 001 (gazing into the horizon, holding a wine gss filled with juice): Tsk tsk tsk... The wonders of time and space, my dear host. So mysterious. So tragic.
Noah (?? veins popping): Bear children deserve a beating.
