Her Beasts

Free Update

The next day when Iris awoke she was supposed to return back to the cave she called home. However, her plans were disrupted when she heard the all too familiar sound of the system notification.

[System 316: Good news! The system has given you a free map update. You will now have a grided map that has letters A through L going vertically and numbers one through ten horizontally. Additionally, there will be a tracking system showing the hosts current location and a separate marker for any active quests.]

[Please head to square H4 and mine out the valuable resources located there. The host is free to keep these resources and do as they please after the quest completion.]

[Time Limit: 45 Days]

[Reward: System Shop Upgrade]

[Penalty: System including shop becomes unavailable for a year.]

Iris pulled out her map and looked it over. From what Iris could tell, the beast continent is the size of Australia from the modern world. The map now was slightly easier to use as Iris easily found herself around the right bottom of square F3.

The marker for Iris was diamond like in shape and was only an outline of the shape in a golden color. Similarly, the quest tracker looked like a gps map pin with a rounded top and pointed bottom in a golden outline.

Iris sighed as she took in the fact that she would have to immediately pack up her life and set out. It was impossible to know how long it would take to mine resources after they got there. However, if it took a month then Iris would only have fifteen days for travel time.

Judging from how far away the island at the western end of the river where the beast city was, it would likely take two whole weeks to travel to the quest marker. This meant they would only have a mere day to get things packed up and ready to go.

Iris walked over to her mates who were preparing to head out and exclaimed

"I got another task from the Beast Deity. We have to head home right now and pack up anything we can to take with us. We have to do about two weeks of traveling to reach a location where we expected to collect resources.

If you look at this map, it's been updated since I first received it. Caspian is the only one who has seen this before, but it's a map of the beast continent where we live. Thus marker here is where we are and this one over here is where the Beast Deity wants us to collect resources.

I'm expected to complete the tasks within a month and a half. The rewards should be pretty good for completing the quest, but there is also a penalty."

Basil was curious about the details as he inquired

"What kind of penalty is it? Also, what reward did you get for the quest we just finished?"

Iris sighed, unsure of how to explain everything, but pulled the meat grinder out anyways. It was made from metals and was clearly not anything like what her mates had seen previously if their expressions were anything to go by. Iris explained

"This is a tool for grinding cubes of meat into ground meat. You have to add ice and chop the meat into small cubes to feed into this top part. Then you just have to crank the handle and it will come out from here. With this I will be able to make a lot of delicious foods I miss from my old world. I really appreciate everyone's efforts to help me, especially you Ember. You worked so hard on my behalf."

Iris went over to him to offer him a kiss. Ember wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer to deepen the kids. Basil pouted as he whined

"You're gonna make me feel left out. At least let me join in if you're gonna put on such an explicit show....."

Iris gave an awkward cough as she turned beet red in embarrassment. Iris tried to pull away, but Ember kept his arms around her, only letting Iris turn around to face the others. Iris sighed as she continued

"The penalty isn't necessarily serious since it isn't life threatening, but I still don't like it. The Beast Deity said they will no longer issue me tasks and stop supporting me with gifts for a year if I fail this time around. I really don't want that.

Besides, the task mentions mining valuable resources and I'm allowed to use it as I see fit afterwards. It could be anything from crystals to metals like this meat grinder is made from or even salt. We won't know unless we try."

Ember grumbled as he complained

"It isn't worth traveling so far away with so few mates for what ifs. Also, so what if the Beast Deity stops issuing you tasks? That sounds like a good thing to me! You get a break from being told what to do and no tasks means no consequences."

Basil looked sad on behalf of Iris. Many priests spend their entire lives dedicated to the Beast Deity and wish to receive his guidance. The Beast Deity was an existence revered across the entire beast continent. Basil could understand where Iris wouldn't want to fail a single task issued to her.

Caspian knew that Iris was quite attached to her old world and often enjoyed recreating things from her old life. Caspian also knew that the tasks Iris received and her generous heart had led to many good things for their family and the ones around them. Caspian couldn't bring himself to deny Iris such things when it wasn't impossible to complete such a task.

Iris got angry as she stomped on Ember's foot and turned around to face him. Iris jabbed her finger into Ember's chest as she berated him.

"You say that, but I might not have accepted you as my mate without the Beast Deity's guidance. I was told to accept two mates and, at the time, I only had eyes for Basil. I spent the whole day feeling heartache as I desperately wished he would show up. How can you sit here and say that the Beast Deity's tasks aren't worth the effort?"

Ember felt complicated as he heard this. The idea that there had ever been a possibility of him not being accepted by Iris felt inconceivable. Yet, here his mate was saying that she had only accepted him as an after thought. Ember looked sad as he asked

"Is that really all I am to you? Another task to complete?"

Iris realized that her words might not have come across as she meant and hugged Ember. She reassured him

"I love you now just as I love all my mates. I just didn't know you very well then and it's hard to just accept a male based on his good looks and combat level like other females do....."

Ember sighed as he rubbed Iris's back tenderly. Hearing her say she loved him, how could he argue the matter anymore? Thus Ember replied

"Fine, we'll do it. Come on, let's hurry back home so we can set out while it's still early."

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