Surviving The Beast World With My 'Sassy' System-Chapter 38: Colossal Beasts

Her footsteps faltered as guilt washed across her face. "I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to make you sad. I just... your clothes are really pretty."

Lavayla blinked, then gave a small snort of laughter—soft but genuine. "Don’t worry, Vira. It happened a long time ago and mentioning them doesn’t affect me anymore."

Vira peeked at her, cautious. "Really?"

"Yes." Lavayla shifted the baby against her chest, giving the woman a reassuring smile. "It’s fine. I don’t mind talking about her. It just means she’s not forgotten, right? Also, thank you for the compliment."

That answer seemed to soothe the tension instantly. Vira brightened again—though subtly—and hurried to walk beside Lavayla as if to keep her company.

Up front, Ressha cast a subtle glance back.

They continued through the dappled light filtering between the trees, the sounds of birds and distant rustles filling the spaces between conversation. The baby was happily dozing in her arms, cheeks round and warm, tiny fingers occasionally curling around the edge of her top.

Lavayla had just started humming under her breath when a shadow moved beside her.

Dark.

He slowed his pace until he was level with her, gaze forward, tone unreadable. "When we get to the tribe, the chief will probably want to meet you so you might not be able to rest immediately."

Lavayla blinked. "Alright."

He nodded once, as if that confirmed something important in his mind. "But you won’t take too long because I will explain everything to him and you just need to tell him about the guest thing you told us."

She opened her mouth, taken aback by his thoughtfulness and the sincerity in his voice, then she smiled and nodded.

"Sure, thank you."

Dark didn’t reply, but she saw the faint nod he gave her before he stepped ahead again.

They continued moving until the terrain grew slightly more sloped, roots knotting beneath their feet. Lavayla adjusted her grip on the baby, heart thudding a little faster—not from exertion, but because she was acutely aware she was heading toward a tribe full of beastmen.

Tall, muscular, fast, occasionally growly, wild, and possibly unkempt beastmen.

Her brain kept circling back to that like a panicked hamster on a wheel.

Just a guest, she reminded herself silently. Evaluation period. Absolutely no signing of lifelong tribal contracts on day one.

"Careful," Sela murmured suddenly.

Lavayla snapped out of her spiraling thoughts just in time to avoid a thick root that would’ve sent her face-first into the dirt. She muttered thanks. Sela flashed a smile as she continued walking.

Not long after, a burst of laughter came from the baby—soft and adorable enough that Lavayla couldn’t resist glancing down.

The baby had woken again, bright-eyed and reaching up in an attempt to grab a passing leaf. His little fingers swiped at nothing but air, and Lavayla couldn’t help snickering.

"You," she whispered, "want to play with whatever you see. What if it hurts you?"

The baby responded with a loud, delighted squeal, clearly unbothered by her reprimand.

Tharn, walking just behind her, peeked over her shoulder and instantly melted. "He is very small," he whispered reverently, as if speaking too loudly would break the baby. "And soft."

Lavayla bit back a smile. "Yes. Babies usually are."

"He is strong," Tharn added seriously.

"Yeah, I think he is," she replied as she stared at the baby. He was so small and delicate but also cute and sensible as if he could understand the situation. If she were in her previous life and someone left him then she would have adopted him immediately.

But here, there was nothing like that and she always wondered who the hell had left in a forest to die?

They picked up their pace again, more chatter rising between the group—light, easy, relieved. For a moment, Lavayla allowed herself to breathe, to believe that maybe entering a tribe wasn’t as terrifying as her nerves insisted.

They continued walking, but almost an hour later, Lavayla and the others felt a faint vibration, traveling up through the soles of her feet.

They all slowed at the same time.

Then, the quiet forest began to tremble with a low, rhythmic rumble, so deep it felt more like pressure than noise. Dark’s steps faltered. Tharn’s ears twitched sharply, his head lifting.

The rumble lingered, pulsing through the ground, growing heavier with each second and escalating into a heavy, repetitive beat.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It was as if two colossal hammers were slamming into the earth in furious succession.

Lavayla’s breath caught as the vibration intensified, her arms instinctively tightening around the baby. His small body stilled, reacting to her tension.

Then came the impact.

A massive, echoing KRA-BOOM! ripped through the ground, sending a violent tremor surging beneath their feet. Lavayla gasped as the earth lurched hard enough to throw her off balance. She lunged for the nearest thick tree trunk, clutching it tightly to keep herself upright, instinctively curling her body around the baby. Around her, even the Beastmen grabbed onto trees, rocks, or roots to steady themselves.

The earth groaned.

A deep, grinding rumble followed—the sound of bodies colliding, tearing through the forest. The vibration lasted for nearly two minutes before abruptly stopping, leaving behind a ringing silence that made her ears buzz.

Just then, Vors—who had gone ahead to scout—burst back toward them in panther form, paws pounding the ground.

He shifted mid-stride, breath sharp as he spoke. "We must move now! It’s the Gravemaw and the Craghorn Beasts! They’re fighting over the main river fork. The path ahead is gone—everything is leveled!"

The group froze.

Dark stepped forward, his expression darkening. "Has the path toward the tribe been destroyed?"

"Yes!" Vors replied immediately. "It’s blocked. Broken trees and trenches are all over the path—"

Another violent tremor slammed through the ground, cutting him off. Lavayla tightened her grip on the baby and the tree branch just as a furious roar tore through the forest. Birds scattered into the sky, followed by the unmistakable sound of something massive snapping apart and crashing down with a thunderous bang.

The sounds were far too close.

Everyone exchanged tense looks before Dark spoke again.

"We need to take another path."

"What path?" Eiran demanded, brows drawn tight.

Very few of them knew there was another way to the tribe—only Dark, Vors, Tharn, and Ressha did.

"There is another path," Vors said grimly. "But it’s filled with dangerous beasts, the journey is longer, and it runs close to the route the warriors use to exchange salt across the forest. The terrain is unstable. Extremely dangerous."

Dark’s voice was steady, cutting through the tension. "But it’s the only way left."

A heavy silence followed.

Lavayla’s heart hammered as another distant roar rolled through the forest, lower this time, but no less menacing. She didn’t understand what a Gravemaw or a Craghorn Beast was—but she absolutely understood the universal language of something very big is destroying everything nearby.

’Host~ do you want to know what the two beasts are?’

’Yes, I do. But not now. Later.’

’Alright host~’

Immediately Nessa stopped talking, another bang echoed through the forest and she instinctively pulled the baby closer, angling her body protectively. He startled at the noise, then whimpered softly, tiny fingers clutching at her clothes as if he, too, could feel the danger in the air.

Ressha scanned the forest, "If we delay, the fighting beasts may move closer. If they stray from the river fork—"

"We’ll be caught in it," Tharn finished grimly.

Eiran clicked his tongue in frustration. "Those two again... Of all the days."

"You should be happy you are not seeing them fighting." Sela gave him a look.

Lavayla swallowed. She also didn’t want to witness two colossal beasts fighting. "How dangerous is the other path?"

Every head turned toward her.

Dark met her eyes, honest to a fault. "It’s not a path meant for ordinary beastmen. Predators roam there, and the ground is uneven. But we know it. And we can protect you."

That last part wasn’t said lightly—it was a promise.

Before she could answer, another violent tremor tore through the ground, closer this time. Trees shuddered violently. A massive crack echoed as something ancient and heavy collapsed in the distance.

Lavayla exhaled slowly. "Then we take the other path."

There was no hesitation in her voice.

For just a split second, the Beastmen stared at her—then Garrick grinned fiercely. "Yes, we should take the other path!"

Dark nodded once. "Good, everyone take your positions."

The group moved immediately, proceeding into a protective formation without needing further instruction. Warriors shifted outward, women and supplies drawn inward. Lavayla found herself gently but firmly guided toward the center, Sela close on one side, Ressha on the other.

Vors shifted back into his panther form, "I’ll lead. If anything moves wrong, I’ll signal."

Dark raised a fist. "Let’s move now."

They turned off the familiar route, plunging into denser forest where the trees grew twisted and the ground dipped unpredictably. The air felt heavier here. Lavayla had the uncanny sensation of stepping into a different place in the same forest.

Behind them, another deafening roar tore through the air, followed by the sound of stone grinding against stone.

She kept her eyes forward, feet steady, baby held close, and one thought repeating in her mind like a mantra:

It’s alright, Lavayla. Just survive today.