She was far more beautiful than the other females. Nolan felt a surge of possessiveness, like a sense of danger. His female was too beautiful. He wanted to hide her away so no one else could see. He needed to grow stronger quickly.
Seeing him dazed, Sasha waved a small hand in front of him. She knew she looked good, but being stared at so directly by a man still made her a little uncomfortable.
Nolan swallowed hard, feeling a tightness somewhere in his body. Forcing himself to look away from her, he suppressed the desire to pin her down, remembering what she said the night before.
After waiting for their clothes to dry, the two packed their things and set out. Sasha also told Nolan to pick more peppers and store them in his space for later use.
Nolan led her along a safer path, and by the time they left the misty forest, both were unharmed.
After they had walked a long distance beyond the forest, Sasha spotted something resembling a wall ahead.
The fence was made of wooden logs, and behind it stood scattered stone houses of various heights, with orcs walking here and there.
The humanoid orcs all wore animal-skin skirts around their waists, their muscular chests exposed, their bodies strong and impressive.
When they saw Sasha approaching, the busy orcs froze, instantly ignoring Nolan beneath her.
When had they ever seen such a beautiful female? She surpassed imagination, too gorgeous for words.
The entire group simply stood there, stunned, doubting their own eyes.
Seeing all those males looking at his female like hungry wolves, Nolan wasn't pleased.
He released a low, dangerous growl, shifting into his orc form. His tall body cast Sasha completely in his shadow.
Once his oppressive aura surged forth, the male orcs finally acknowledged him—and realized he was a three-star orc, and a Moonclaw cat at that. Fear flickered across their faces.
Seeing their reactions, Nolan spoke arrogantly. "I want to join your tribe. Is there a problem?"
"That depends on the patriarch." A one-star orc quickly shifted into beast form and rushed off to inform their leader.
Soon, a more powerful orc arrived with him.
His name was Orion, a two-star orc—and the strongest in their tribe.
Orion looked at Nolan with great enthusiasm. "It's wonderful that you're willing to join our tribe. You're very welcome."
A powerful orc was rare enough. A three-star Moonclaw was even rarer. With the Moonclaw clan's natural ability to challenge above their level, Nolan likely had strength comparable to a four-star orc.
Their tribe was merely a small one in this region. With Nolan joining, they could finally rise to a new level.
The Moonclaw Cat Beast was always known for being elusive and hard to read. Orion had been delighted and surprised that he agreed to join their tribe, but the moment he noticed the female standing behind Nolan, he understood that everything was done for his partner's safety.
Of course, Orion was stunned when he first saw Sasha's appearance, but he quickly regained his composure. He already had a female of his own.
Nolan and Sasha's arrival was welcomed warmly by all the orcs in the tribe. Nolan's strength was impressive, and Sasha, being both rare and exceptionally beautiful, immediately became the center of attention among the male orcs. Any male technically had a chance to become her beastman.
The male orcs cheered and stared at Sasha with unabashed admiration.
Nolan swept his sharp gaze over them, making his intention clear. "She is my female. None of you is allowed to think about her."
The force released by a high-ranking orc rolled out, and the orcs stepped back a few paces, though their furtive glances never stopped.
Facing dozens of wolf-like gazes, Sasha felt as if she wasn't wearing anything at all. Unconsciously, she hid behind Nolan.
Noticing her movement, Nolan took the opportunity to pull her small waist into his arm, even sneaking in a faint squeeze.
This time, Sasha didn't brush him away. She could feel herself slowly warming to Nolan.
Patriarch Orion assigned them an empty stone house. It was spacious, with a pile of soft hay in the corner, a stone pot, and a few stone bowls. Nothing else.
While Sasha tidied the place, Nolan headed off to discuss matters with Patriarch Orion.
After spreading animal skins across the hay and cleaning the stone house as best as she could, Sasha grew a little bored waiting for Nolan to return. She stepped outside and wandered around the tribe.
When she arrived at a shimmering river, she noticed several female orcs chatting together. She had always been curious about the females of this world, and now she finally saw them.
But once she got a clear look at their faces, Sasha almost felt her eyes pop out.
Their skin was dark—almost the shade of Africans—paired with triangular eyes, thick lips, and loose, coarse skin.
Then her gaze drifted lower. "Tsk…"
Wide barrel waists, folds of exposed fat, and severely sagging chests. They were honestly difficult to look at.
Compared to them, Sasha back home would look like a fairy. No wonder the male orcs reacted the way they did when they saw her.
Why was the difference between males and females of the same species so extreme? Sasha could hardly imagine these handsome male orcs living with partners like this. The image felt painfully sour.
"Hey, are you the new female?" one of the females called out after spotting her.
Sasha snapped out of her thoughts and walked toward them with a polite smile. "Hello, my name is Sasha."
When the female orcs at the river got a full view of Sasha, their jaws collectively dropped. They had never imagined that a female could look like this. Their worldview was instantly overturned.
Her snow-pale skin, dark hair, and red lips made them glance reflexively at their own dry, dark complexions. A wave of inferiority washed over them, and jealousy prickled at the edges.
Sasha noticed they were gathered around one particular female, and the others seemed to treat her with faint respect. It appeared she held a high status within the tribe.