Surviving The Beast World With My 'Sassy' System-Chapter 77: Absorbing The First Beast Core

His expression remained calm.

"You walk toward it regardless of fear," he said. "That alone places you ahead of most so I can only follow your lead."

Lavayla felt heat creep unexpectedly into her face and quickly turned away, pretending great interest in the cave ceiling.

Why does he say things like that so seriously?

Beside her, Mirek lay back against the bedding, one side of his lips curving up.

The fire burned low.

Vai yawned in his sleep, curling instinctively closer to Lavayla.

Night deepened.

Outside, the forest stirred with distant cries of nocturnal beasts, yet inside the cave, warmth and safety held firm.

•

A few hours later, Lavayla stirred awake.

Her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the dim glow of dying embers within the cave. Instinct guided her gaze first toward Vai. The young beastman slept soundly beside her, small body curled tightly beneath the covers, his breathing even and peaceful.

Only after confirming he was fine did her attention shift toward Mirek.

He remained asleep as well, one arm resting loosely across his chest, red hair spilling over his shoulder in soft disarray. Even in rest, there was an alertness about him, as though the warrior within never truly slept.

Lavayla turned her gaze away.

Then paused.

Ah.

She blinked.

She had completely forgotten to ask him where he had foraged the ingredients they used for cooking earlier that morning. If Mirek could gather more whenever he went hunting, it would greatly help them.

Well... no point thinking about it now.

She would remind him in the morning.

Lavayla shifted beneath the covers, intending to rise and wash herself, but the lingering warmth wrapped around her far too comfortably. The cold air beyond the blanket suddenly felt extremely unappealing.

Her eyelids drooped again.

"...Too much effort," she muttered quietly.

Instead, she adjusted her posture and exhaled slowly.

She could cultivate first.

Shower later.

Sleep again afterward.

Perfect plan.

With that decision made, Lavayla closed her eyes and began circulating the perfected Fourth Layer of the Physique Strengthening Technique.

Warmth gathered instantly within her abdomen, spreading outward through familiar pathways. Energy flowed smoothly, obediently responding to her breathing rhythm. Compared to her early attempts, the process now felt natural, almost instinctive.

Time passed unnoticed.

One hour then two.

Her consciousness sank deeper into cultivation when suddenly, unfamiliar information surged into her mind.

Lavayla’s brows furrowed, yet she did not stop circulating energy. Instead, she calmly assessed the knowledge unfolding within her thoughts.

{Supplementary Method: External Energy Assimilation}

{Warning — Not Recommended for Human Physiques Below Fourth Layer Stabilization}

Lavayla paused the circulation, then focused on reading the text appearing in her mind.

{Beast cores contain condensed ambient energy formed through prolonged exposure to chaotic environments.

For Beastmen, assimilation occurs naturally through bloodline resonance.

For humans, direct absorption traditionally results in internal rejection, channel rupture, or organ failure.}

{However, practitioners who have stabilized the Fourth Layer and purified their internal circulation through sustained intake of converted ambient nutrients may temporarily bypass this limitation.}

Her breath caught at this line.

Converted ambient nutrients.

The fruits and vegetables from the guardian’s territory.

Understanding dawned immediately.

Those foods were not merely strengthening her—they were also useful for cleansing the chaotic residue that normally made beast-core energy lethal to humans. Every meal she consumed refined her internal channels, slowly transforming her body into something capable of tolerating purer energy influx.

Though not safe, but possible.

Lavayla’s heartbeat quickened.

{Method of Absorption}

{Step One: Preparation}

{Consume stabilizing nourishment prior to assimilation. A strengthened digestive and circulatory state reduces energy backlash.}

She huffed softly. "So basically... I have to eat those foods before practicing the method."

Noted.

{Step Two: Core Contact}

{Hold the beast core against the lower abdomen, beneath the navel—the convergence point of developing channels.

Do not ingest the core.

Direct ingestion invites uncontrolled release.}

Lavayla instinctively touched her stomach.

That spot again.

Everything in this world seemed to revolve around that center.

{Step Three: Controlled Induction}

{Circulate ambient energy using the Physique-Strengthening Manual breathing cycle. Allow external energy to seep gradually into awakened channels. Do not pull and do not force it.}

{Expected Effects}

{Pain is inevitable.}

{Abdominal pressure and bloating will occur as foreign energy expands undeveloped pathways.}

{Muscle tremors, overheating, or temporary loss of mobility may follow.}

Lavayla stared flatly at the words.

"...Alright, I think I can manage that."

{If circulation remains stable, the absorbed energy will merge with refined ambient reserves, accelerating physique strengthening beyond natural progression.}

That sentence alone made everything else worth it.

Natural progression was too slow.

She had already perfected the Fourth Layer through nightly cultivation. Every evening she pushed her body to its limits, carefully circulating energy until exhaustion claimed her. But survival in this world did not reward patience.

The beasts growing stronger outside would not wait for her to catch up.

If she wanted to be safe and not reliant on others, she had to be strong. They wouldn’t stay here forever, and she couldn’t jeopardize her companions because of her weakness.

{Final Principle}

{External energy is a blade.

Without preparation, it destroys.

With refinement, it becomes strength.}

Lavayla finished reading, her thoughts racing.

The vegetables purified chaos.

Her channels were stabilized.

Her body had adapted far beyond what an ordinary human should achieve.

Which meant... She could do it.

Not without consequences.

But she could survive it.

Slowly, a determined smile formed on her face

She rose quietly and walked toward the inner area, careful not to wake the others. Selecting several fruits, she returned and ate slowly, allowing the familiar warmth to spread through her body.

"Ha..." Labayla closed the bottle of water and returned it to the space vault.

Then, from within the second space vault, she retrieved one of the beast cores she had harvested earlier. The crystal pulsed faintly in her palm, dense energy swirling beneath its surface like trapped lightning.

Even without touching it directly, she could feel the pressure radiating from it.

Exactly what she needed.

Lavayla steadied her breathing and straightened her spine.

"...Alright," she murmured. "No shortcuts without suffering, right?"

She placed the beast core carefully against her lower abdomen and began to circulate her energy.

At first, nothing happened. She only felt warmth and silence.

Then...

Pain exploded through her body.

Her breath hitched violently as scorching energy seeped inward, invading her channels like molten fire. Her muscles seized instantly, trembling under unbearable pressure.

Lavayla clenched her teeth, refusing to cry out.

The energy did not flow like ambient power.

It forced its presence.

Her abdomen swelled painfully as foreign energy expanded pathways that were never meant to handle such density. Heat surged upward through her chest, spreading into her limbs until even her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

Sweat beaded across her forehead.

Don’t force it.

She remembered the instruction and slowed her breathing despite the agony clawing through her insides.

Instead of pulling the energy, she allowed it to seep gradually, guiding circulation carefully along stabilized routes.

Minutes felt like hours.

Her vision blurred and for one terrifying moment, her circulation nearly collapsed as chaotic energy clashed against her refined reserves.

Lavayla’s nails dug into her palms.

Holding it, steadying it then guiding it.

Slowly, the violent energy began to change.

The purified nutrients lingering within her body reacted, smoothing the chaotic edges of the invading force. What entered as destruction gradually merged into something usable.

Her trembling lessened.

The burning heat transformed into crushing heaviness.

Then strength.

Dense power settled deep within her core.

Lavayla released a shaky breath.

A faint cracking sound echoed internally.

Her eyes snapped open.

Warm air burst outward from her body, stirring ash within the cave as invisible pressure rippled briefly through the surroundings.

The Fourth Layer... stabilized further.

Lavayla stared down at the dimmed beast core in disbelief as exhaustion crashed over her.

A slow, exhilarated smile formed despite her pale face.

"...It worked."

But deep within her abdomen, energy still churned restlessly and she felt bloated.

It was... really uncomfortable.

Lavayla forced herself to stand.

The moment her feet touched the ground, regret and relief struck her.

She felt like she should have washed first but she was thankful she didn’t.

Every inch of her body felt heavy and overheated, as though molten iron had replaced her blood. Sweat clung uncomfortably to her skin, mixed with faint traces of dark impurities forced out during the assimilation. Her abdomen felt swollen and tight, an unpleasant pressure lingering beneath her navel with every breath she took.

She pressed a hand against her stomach and grimaced.

Still, cultivating before bathing had seemed efficient at the time. Now it felt like punishment.

Careful not to wake Mirek or Vai, Lavayla wrapped a small, folded blanket they had made from the remaining materials loosely around herself and slipped toward the cave entrance. The night air greeted her instantly, cool and sharp against her flushed skin. Relief washed through her as the forest breeze brushed away some of the suffocating heat trapped in her body.

Above, the moon hung high between drifting clouds, silver light spilling across the clearing.