Surviving The Beast World With My 'Sassy' System-Chapter 80: Sophisticated And Striking

They walked toward the place Mirek had mentioned earlier, the location where he had discovered the tender fern shoots and the honeyfruits.

Lavayla still found the discovery almost unbelievable.

The honeyfruits alone were an incredible resource and of course a surprise.

When she tasted it yesterday, the flesh carried a natural sweetness with a faint floral richness that resembled honey itself. In this world where refined sugar did not exist and true honey was rare and difficult to obtain, these fruits were practically priceless.

For cooking? They were perfect and indispensable.

They could sweeten broth, balance bitter herbs, or even be crushed into sauces. Lavayla had already begun imagining several recipes the moment she tasted them the previous day.

Such a pity that for this so-called ’recipe’ the other ingredients haven’t been found and can only be imagined for now.

But, if a stable supply existed nearby, their small group would never lack flavor in their current meals again.

Shaking away the distracting thoughts, Lavayla focused on the path ahead.

The grass in this area had grown thick and tall, reaching nearly to her waist. Using a long stick she had picked up earlier, she lightly beat the grass in front of her as she walked.

The rhythmic swishing served a purpose.

It startled away smaller creatures that might be hiding beneath the dense growth. In a place like this, stepping blindly into a snake nest or disturbing a venomous insect colony could become a disaster very quickly.

Mirek walked a few steps ahead. Despite carrying Vai secured against his back with a strip of thick hide, his steps remained steady and silent.

Occasionally he paused to examine broken branches or bent grass, confirming the path he had taken during his earlier hunt.

The forest around them felt calm.

Lavayla noticed it after several minutes.

The constant chirping of insects faded intermittently, and even the distant calls of birds had grown sparse. Only the soft brushing of grass against their legs and the faint rustling of leaves accompanied their steps.

She tightened her grip on the stick slightly.

Just as she was about to speak, Mirek slowed his steps.

A few seconds later, he stopped completely.

"It’s here," he said, turning his head slightly to look back at her.

Lavayla stepped forward until she stood beside him.

The moment she saw the clearing beyond the tall grass, her eyes widened in surprise. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

A massive fallen tree lay across the center of the clearing. The trunk was so enormous that it looked like a natural wall of dark wood resting on the forest floor. Time and weather had hollowed parts of it, and thick moss covered the bark in deep green patches. Sunlight slipped through the forest canopy and spilled over the clearing, illuminating the fallen giant like an ancient monument.

Around the base of the trunk, the soil was soft and shaded. Fern shoots grew there in thick clusters, their curled tips vibrant and tender as they pushed through the damp earth.

There were far more than she expected.

But that was not what caught her attention.

Several young trees had grown beside the fallen trunk over the years, their slender branches stretching toward the sunlight that the clearing allowed. Hanging from those branches were round golden fruits that glowed faintly under the light filtering through the canopy.

Honeyfruits.

Dozens of them.

Lavayla stared for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.

"So many," she said softly.

Mirek nodded. "I only took a few yesterday."

Lavayla stepped into the clearing slowly, her gaze moving between the ferns and the fruit trees. The air here carried a faint sweetness from the ripe honeyfruits, mixing with the earthy scent of moss and damp wood.

She reached down and gently parted a cluster of fern shoots with the stick in her hand, examining the tender spirals.

The fern shoots were young and tightly coiled, exactly the stage when they tasted best. Harvesting them now would give them tender greens for several meals.

She crouched down and gently touched one of the shoots.

Fresh. Very fresh.

"These are perfect," she murmured as a pleased smile appeared on her lips.

Behind her, Mirek walked toward the fallen trunk and placed a hand on its rough bark.

"The fruits grow better here because the tree opened the canopy," he said. "More sunlight reaches the ground."

Lavayla looked up at the golden fruits again, already calculating how many they could gather without exhausting the place.

Mirek set down the small hide bag he had made from the Stone-Glared Wyrm a while ago and helped Lavayla begin gathering the fern shoots. They worked quietly, breaking the young stems carefully to avoid damaging the surrounding growth.

Vai watched from Mirek’s back with curious eyes, occasionally babbling when a particularly large fern brushed his hand.

Lavayla eventually moved toward the honeyfruit trees.

The fruits hung low enough for her to reach. When she twisted one free from the branch, a faint fragrance immediately filled the air.

Sweet and warm.

She sliced the fruit open with a small knife.

Golden juice glistened inside.

Lavayla tasted a small piece and closed her eyes briefly.

"Still just as good," she murmured.

They continued harvesting for several minutes, filling the bag slowly with fresh shoots and fruits.

Then Lavayla noticed something.

The air felt... heavier.

She lifted her head.

The breeze that had been drifting through the basin earlier had disappeared.

Even the leaves above them had gone completely still.

Lavayla frowned slightly and looked around.

"Mirek," she said quietly.

He had already stopped moving.

His gaze was fixed on the mist gathering at the edge of the basin.

It was thickening.

Not drifting naturally like morning fog.

It was flowing.

Lavayla stood slowly.

"Mirek... was it like this yesterday?"

"No."

His answer came instantly.

The mist crept closer, sliding between the trees and curling along the ground like pale smoke.

Lavayla’s instincts immediately flared with warning.

Something was wrong.

Before she could say anything else, the ground beneath her feet rippled.

For a brief moment, Lavayla felt as if the forest itself was being stripped away.

The world tilted and the trees around them blurred into streaks of green and gold.

Lavayla instinctively turned toward Mirek.

But the moment her vision cleared again...

He was gone.

The ancient tree had vanished.

The honeyfruit trees had disappeared.

And Lavayla suddenly found herself standing alone in a place she had never thought she would see again.

With a look of disbelief, she glanced down at herself.

A long-sleeved satin blouse.

A gold chain belt.

Black office trousers.

And stiletto heels.

Her outfit was both sophisticated and striking.

Just like always.

After all, before dying in her sleep and then transmigrating, she had been a creative director for a high-level fashion company.