Chapter 32: Hidden Rewards and an Embarrassing Mishap

Before leaving the tribe, Sora had wisely asked everyone to bring several large animal skins. They were heavy once filled, but nothing else was as practical for transporting large amounts of salt.

While Ace, Xavier, and Lucas busied themselves collecting the crystallized salt and packing it into the animal skins, Sora turned her attention to lunch.

Since they had already gathered fresh ingredients, today was the perfect opportunity to prepare something special—salt-baked chicken and salt-baked eggs.

The three beast husbands worked surprisingly well together.

Without Sora needing to ask twice, Xavier slithered into the nearby brush and returned with several fresh wild eggs. Ace disappeared into the forest and soon came back carrying two plump wild chickens over one shoulder. Lucas, despite usually acting aloof, quietly fetched clean water and broad banana leaves for wrapping the food.

For a brief moment, Sora simply watched them.

Not long ago, these same men would rather starve than help her with anything.

Now they naturally divided the work among themselves without being asked.

A faint smile crept across her lips.

"Food really is the quickest way into someone’s heart."

She quickly got to work.

The chickens were cleaned thoroughly, their feathers removed and the internal organs discarded. Earlier on the journey, she had gathered several ripe gardenia fruits. After crushing them and soaking them in water, the liquid had become a beautiful golden-yellow dye.

She brushed the fragrant gardenia water evenly over the chicken skin.

"This will make it turn golden while it cooks," she explained.

Lucas tilted his head curiously.

"You can even change the color of food?"

Sora laughed.

"It’s only the skin. It also adds a light fragrance."

Next, she heated several handfuls of coarse salt inside a large clay-colored fruit-shell pot.

Unlike table salt, this coarse crystal salt didn’t need immediate purification because it wouldn’t actually be eaten. It simply served as the cooking medium.

When the salt became slightly warm and took on a faint yellow tint from the heat, she wrapped each chicken tightly inside fresh banana leaves.

The eggs received the same treatment.

She laid a thick layer of heated salt across the bottom of the pot before placing the wrapped chicken and eggs inside.

Another heavy layer of salt completely buried them.

Finally, she covered the pot with the shell lid she had made earlier and adjusted the fire until only a gentle flame remained beneath it.

"It’ll need slow heat," she murmured.

"The salt will cook everything evenly."

As the delicious aroma slowly began filling the cave, a familiar mechanical voice echoed inside her mind.

Ding!

Congratulations, Host!

Hidden mission completed.

Successfully discovered a natural salt well.

Reward granted: One elemental ability enhancement.

Please select an attribute.

Metal.

Wood.

Water.

Fire.

Earth.

Sora immediately asked in her thoughts,

"Show me my current abilities."

The system responded almost instantly.

Host Status

Metal Ability: Level 0

Wood Ability: Level 0

Water Ability: Level 1

Fire Ability: Level 0

Earth Ability: Level 0

There wasn’t much to think about.

During the apocalypse, water manipulation had always been her strongest and most reliable ability.

"Upgrade Water."

Command accepted.

Water Ability upgraded.

Current Level: 2.

The instant the notification ended, Sora felt a cool stream flow through every part of her body.

It wasn’t painful.

Instead, it felt refreshing.

The water element surrounding her suddenly became much clearer, as though every drop in the cave now answered her call.

She flexed her fingers.

The control was noticeably smoother.

More importantly...

Level Two unlocked a feature she had been looking forward to since arriving in this primitive world.

Acceleration.

During the apocalypse, experienced water users eventually learned how to stimulate blood circulation and improve metabolism through precise control over moisture inside the body.

It wasn’t magic.

It simply enhanced the body’s natural functions.

Sora had loved using this technique during training because it dramatically improved endurance while helping burn excess fat much faster.

She smiled to herself.

"Perfect."

Without drawing anyone’s attention, she quietly activated the enhancement.

Instead of affecting her whole body dramatically, she focused it locally.

Every movement she made from now on would burn calories far more efficiently than before.

She didn’t want to lose weight overnight.

That would only make everyone suspicious.

A gradual change would be much safer.

Today’s trip had already exceeded every expectation.

They had found an enormous natural salt reserve.

She had completed a hidden mission.

Her strongest ability had advanced another level.

And now her weight-loss plan could finally speed up naturally.

Thinking about it filled her with fresh motivation.

The salt-baked chicken still needed time.

After reducing the fire, Sora occasionally poked the embers with a wooden stick, making sure the heat remained gentle and steady.

With nothing else demanding her attention, she wandered over to help Xavier collect more salt.

The temporary pool they had dug was fairly deep.

Sora bent over to scoop the crystallized salt into one of the animal skins.

Xavier had been concentrating on his work.

Suddenly his eyes drifted upward.

"..."

His expression stiffened.

"...Kaelira."

Without looking up, she answered,

"Hm?"

"Your skirt."

She blinked.

"My skirt?"

He awkwardly cleared his throat.

"...Could you adjust it a little?"

Sora looked down in confusion.

Only then did she realize that as she repeatedly bent over, the leather ties securing her animal-skin skirt had gradually loosened.

She reached behind herself—

At that exact moment...

Slip.

The entire skirt suddenly slid straight down.

"..."

"..."

"..."

For one terrifying second...

The cave became completely silent.

Sora froze.

Her eyes widened in horror.

The skirt had dropped all the way to her ankles.

Instinctively she covered herself with both hands.

Unfortunately, the skirt had fallen from both the front and back.

If she protected one side...

The other would inevitably be exposed.

Thankfully, a large rock stood directly in front of her, blocking most of her from view.

Still, moving even a little would ruin that protection.

Her face burned with embarrassment.

Fortunately for her, weeks of herbal facial treatments and sun exposure had left her skin noticeably darker than before, hiding most of the crimson blush spreading across her cheeks.

Ace and Lucas had just finished tying another animal-skin sack full of salt.

Hearing Xavier’s warning, they looked over—

Then immediately froze as well.

None of them spoke.

A moment earlier, they had all been quietly thinking that Sora’s recent weight loss had become surprisingly noticeable.

Her waist had slimmed considerably.

Her figure had begun developing visible curves.

Even Lucas, who had carried her all morning and still thought she was rather heavy, couldn’t deny that she looked different from just a few days ago.

Now...

The unexpected wardrobe mishap left everyone completely speechless.

Sora gritted her teeth.

"Of all the times..."

After a brief internal struggle, she finally made her decision.

She abandoned trying to cover her back and instead protected the front of her body.

At least Xavier had accidentally seen her backside once before during an earlier incident.

As embarrassing as that memory had been, she could survive another awkward moment.

But exposing the front?

That was something she absolutely refused to let happen.