The system noticed her hesitation. "Don't worry, host, I'll help you. As a newbie, I've prepared a starter package for you—it's got exactly what you need right now."
As soon as it finished speaking, a big gift bag appeared in front of Luna.
She reached out and tapped it, and three items fell out: shampoo, body wash, and facial cleanser.
Looking at these three items, she couldn't help but feel tempted—these were exactly what she needed most at the moment.
Especially the shampoo. Her hair was so greasy and plain water just wouldn't get it clean.
Luna stared at the three items, and her inner struggle instantly shifted in their favor.
The system noticed her wavering and didn't stop there. "Host, for every affection point you gain, you'll get generous rewards. These prizes can help you live a better life here, make you prettier, lose weight, and boost your strength. Think about it—with these, you won't have to worry about wild beasts or nature any more!"
The mention of becoming prettier and living better made Luna's heart jump.
She gazed into the river to see her painfully ugly reflection, and a strong longing surged in her heart.
Who could stand being this ugly? She might not be obsessed with looks, but this really was too much.
She didn't even look as good as a zombie from her past life.
After hesitating for a long while, she gritted her teeth. "Fine, seeing as you've given me a starter pack, I'll give it a try. Is there some kind of time limit or, like, a punishment shock if I don't finish?"
If there was a penalty, she definitely wouldn't take it.
The system, seeing she'd caved, hurried to say, "Don't worry, host, there's no time limit on the tasks. Take your time! And we're really humane—no punishments even if you can't finish."
"Good, that's what I'm talking about."
Luna nodded, satisfied, and stopped chatting with the system.
She started washing her hair in earnest.
Her hair was insanely dirty—the suds would vanish in seconds so she had to keep squeezing more out, feeling her heart bleed with every drop used.
Once it was gone, there was nowhere to buy more.
She washed her hair again and again. It took her three or four tries to finally get it clean.
An oily black film spread over the river's surface, mixed with bits of unidentifiable leaves. The surrounding water was downright pitch-black.
She used the facial cleanser and body wash to scrub herself clean, too.
Using the big rock for cover, she slipped off her filthy Beast Skin Skirt, tossed it to the shore, and fully submerged herself, scrubbing hard.
Thankfully, no one came by just then—she could finally breathe easy.
The original body probably hadn't bathed in ages. Thick, crusty, dried mud stuck everywhere.
Even with body wash, it was impossible to get clean all the way.
Her fingernails were packed with black gunk, as were her toenails—thick and solid. She couldn't wash it out, let alone pick it out.
She found a sharp stone on the riverbank and used it to scrape out every bit of grime from under her nails.
For the stubborn spots on her skin, she grabbed a rough river pebble and used it to rub the dirt away.
And it didn't even hurt—in fact, it felt weirdly good, like scratching an itch.
Thick-skinned, literally.
Luna's lips twitched—she really couldn't imagine how a woman could get this filthy.
Uh... In the Beast World they're not called "woman." They use "female," but still, you get it.
Layer upon layer of grime flaked off her and drifted down the river.
The river water around her wasn't just dirty anymore; it was jet-black, as if someone had poured ink in.
Luna scrubbed for ages before she finally felt clean. Luckily, it was hot, so she wasn't worried about catching a cold.
After a full-on cleanse, she felt alive again, a few kilos lighter—and her skin even looked way whiter.
Clean, refreshed, and in a much better mood all around.
She was just about to get out onto the shore.
Suddenly, a massive "bang" exploded behind her, followed by a huge splash and churning whirlpools in the water.
Luna nearly jumped out of her skin, thinking it was an earthquake or a landslide, so she instinctively looked over.
She spotted a slaughtered wild bull floating in the river, unbutchered. Not sure who tossed it in to wash it.
Then she glanced at the bank and spotted Rhys Blackwood standing there—he was looking right at her, eyes wide in surprise.
Apparently, he hadn't expected to see her here.
Luna hadn't expected to run into Rhys here either—she was completely naked, her face instantly turning bright red.
She instinctively squatted down, hiding her body underwater with only her head poking out.
Now Rhys probably thought she'd come here early just to try to seduce him or something.
The original owner would do literally anything just to sleep with a few Beast Husbands.
Thinking that made her want to dig a hole and hide.
And Rhys was actually thinking that. His gaze went cold, filled with disgust.
This female has no shame at all.
Just as he got back, Mia was telling him she'd tried to drug Corbin Crowley with aphrodisiac fruit.
Now, to mate with him, she was using cheap, disgusting tricks like this too.
Absolutely revolting.
"Why aren't you rolling out of here already..."
His icy voice was like the dead of winter.
Luna was furious—excuse me, but isn't she the one being wronged here?
Why does it sound like he's the victim?
Even if this guy was her Beast Husband and the target of her missions, she wasn't about to just let Rhys Blackwood's rotten attitude slide.
"Does your family own this riverbank? You can be here but I can't? I was here first, taking a bath, and you suddenly show up outta nowhere. After seeing me naked, you don't even apologize and then you tell me to leave—is that how you snake-beasts do etiquette and manners?"
Her words were sharp, confident, and left Rhys with nothing to say in return.
He looked at Luna's pitted, greasy face. She looked cleaner for once, at least—no longer as sloppy as before.
He was surprised she was actually bathing, but he didn't dwell on it.
What really caught him off-guard was her reaction—he hadn't expected her to talk back like this.
Before, whenever this female saw him, she'd be starry-eyed and desperate to please. Even when he insulted her, she'd never talk back—she'd just gaze at him all puppy-eyed.
But today, she was totally different...
Not only talking clearly, but she'd gotten tidier too.
Rhys looked at the dirty, oil-filled river, a flash of disgust in his eyes.
"I didn't know you were here."
He dragged the wild bull over to the riverbank so it wouldn't float away, then turned and walked off.
Luna watched him leave and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She went to the shore, washed her filthy Beast Skin Skirt, and put it back on, still dripping wet.
She used the river water to check herself out.
Now that she was clean, her skin did look a lot whiter. Even though her face was still covered in pimples and pus—ugly to a criminal degree—at least she was finally fresh and clean.
Staring at her scary, pimple-covered reflection in the water, she couldn't help but sigh.
The original owner had eaten nothing but meat for years, refusing any berries or veggies—no wonder she broke out so bad.
She remembered now—the original owner hadn't pooped in at least a week.
Luna's mouth twitched. Obvious constipation.
Great, now she'd have to worry about how to poop.
Staring at Rhys' wild bull by the riverbank, she swallowed. Her stomach was growling, but since it was Rhys's, she quickly looked away.
Luna gave a mental command, and a thin vine appeared in her palm.
Her gaze fell on the fish and shrimp swimming around in the river. She focused, and the vine shot out from her palm.
It quickly wrapped around a few big fish in the river, and with a flick of her wrist, she pulled them up onto the bank.
Luna walked over to the still-wriggling fish on the ground, grinning with satisfaction.