Mate Collecting System: The Beast Kings Are Obsessed With Me

Chapter 54: The Legend of Aestra

Selka sat down on a smooth, flat rock inside the cool darkness of the den, smoothing her loincloth skirts. Nuan slid onto the dirt floor directly in front of her, tucking her good leg beneath her. Kael watched them intensely from his corner, his jaw resting in his palm.

"Before I teach you exactly how to apply the true Whiteclaw herb to different injuries," Selka began, her voice dropping into a rhythmic, storytelling cadence, "I want you to hear the history behind these leaves. They are a sacred blessing meant only for our Silver Grey wolf clan."

Nuan nodded seriously, her survivalist instinct shifting into deep respect for the pack’s culture and history.

"Many, many generations ago, when this jungle was still very young, the sun burned fiercely and the waters flooded with every single rain. Everything in this jungle was chaos," Selka said, staring blankly at the cave wall as if visualizing the past.

"Everywhere you looked, predators were tearing into plant-eating prey. When a shortage of those prey animals grew, the fights among the meat-eaters began. It was a brutal effort to cut off the extra mouths that ate the same meat."

"During this dark time, our ancestors were wandering in search of a new territory, completely leaving this dense, young jungle behind. It was a massive pack—over three hundred wolves—all hungry, desperate, and struggling to track down game. When they finally broke through the thick trees, they reached the great open grassland."

Selka’s ears perked up slightly. "It was a vast land of long, dry yellow grass. And right there in the open, they saw a herd of thousands of buffalo. For our starving ancestors, that sight was like finding fresh river water after a dry summer ends."

"Because our ancestors were in such a massive number, they successfully startled the buffalo herd. They isolated and tired out many of them. Groups of thirty wolves worked together to drag each massive buffalo down. They were incredibly strong, dangerous prey, but it was more than enough to satisfy the pack’s deep hunger."

Selka’s face suddenly darkened, her eyes narrowing. "But right when they were enjoying their great feast, their nostrils caught a terrifying scent on the wind. Something far greater and more dangerous than the Jaguar clan or the Leopard clan. Something that came dangerously close to the threat of the Tiger clan itself."

"For the very first time in our history, they met a Pride. A Pride of lions."

Nuan’s eyes widened slightly, her mind instantly connecting the term bearded beast from her conversation with Bramor.

"Lions so huge, with massive, heavy manes of long hair, muscular bodies, and a majestic air around them that felt absolutely suffocating," Selka rumbled.

"Their pride wasn’t even large—merely a hundred of them. Most were females; the males numbered barely forty. Our ancestors did not want to abandon their hard-earned buffalo hunt. But looking at the lions’ absolute confidence, watching them walk forward without a single shred of fear, our ancestors understood they were completely outmatched. Even the mighty Jaguar and Leopard clans would look like mice eating cats before them. Taking them on in an open field was a suicide mission... unless you belonged to the Tiger clan."

"They immediately thought of abandoning their territory and their food to avoid a conflict, but they quickly realized they were already completely surrounded in that large, open grassland. There was nowhere to hide, and nowhere left to run."

"Our ancestors tried to negotiate, attempting to explain their peaceful arrival in the territory. But their mere presence had already displeased the pride. The lions started a fight to the death. Our ancestors did everything they could to fight back, but even with their massive numbers, they were simply no match for the raw power of the lions."

Selka let out a low, bitter hiss. "The lions were hunting for pure fun. For them, our arrival was merely a cruel game. They didn’t even bother killing most of us. All they did was brutally injure our people, systematically shattering our legs and crushing our bones."

"Our leaders pleaded that we would leave their territory immediately, but it didn’t work. They weren’t fighting us to protect their borders; they were just enjoying the bloodbath. After crippling every single member of our Silver Grey clan—from the youngest pups to the oldest elders—they left us there, laughing as they went to rest under a large tree far away in their domain."

"Exhausted, broken, and completely unable to move, our dying people lay in the dirt, desperately praying for any kind of help. That is when they heard a loud, manic hooting. A very large clan was approaching. At first, our ancestors thought they were saved—they thought these newcomers were their own kind."

"They met the hyenas."

Selka’s lips curled back, revealing her sharp fangs. "Their clan was massive—nearly five hundred of them. As they surrounded our broken people, our ancestor Alpha dragged himself forward and begged, ’Help us... take us back to the safety of the jungles. Protect our injured pups! Help your own kind!’"

"But the hyenas just let out a ruthless, heartless laugh. ’What do you mean, your own kind?’ they sneered. ’We are not you dogs cousins. We are hunters of another bloodline! And even if we didn’t, we are not helpers!’"

Nuan’s breath hitched. Basically feliformia. Feliformia... the cat-like suborder. Biologically, hyenas are closer to cats than dogs. They really knew their evolutionary taxonomy.

"The very moment those cruel words left their mouths, the hyenas lunged forward to devour our defenseless people and our pups," Selka continued, her voice softening. "But just then, a shadow flew right above us all. Her skin was as smooth as a boiled egg—just like yours. Her clothes were made of a strange material that no crafting wolf or Raccoon beastman could ever weave. She was a tanned beauty with long, flowing hair, and her eyes were filled with a mixture of furious panic and deep kindness."

"She was the good witch, Aestra."

"With her powerful witchcraft, she protected our clan, violently pushing back the entire hyena pack and guiding our broken survivors all the way back into the deep safety of our jungle. She then walked to a hidden plant, cast her magic, and created the very first healing paste out of its leaves."

"She took care of our clan for months until everyone could walk again. During that time, she helped the other plant-eating animals as well, ensuring this young jungle didn’t lose its vibrant life force. Once our people were fully recovered and ready to hunt again, she disappeared. But before she left, she blessed these plants in our jungle, dictating that they would only activate and heal if someone carrying the blood of the Silver Grey clan applied them."

Selka finished her story, the den falling into a heavy, profound silence.

Nuan’s breath hitched, a storm of questions instantly clouding her mind. If a magical witch was the real source of this medicine, why does the Blackclaw lookalike plant even exist? Evolution or sabotage? And if the plant is only effective when used by a Silver Grey wolf, how is this training going to be of any use to me on my solo journey? And most importantly... if Selka and the entire pack think I am the good witch Aestra, why the hell did she just tell me this story?

Selka looked up, catching the highly concerned, question-filled look plastered across Nuan’s face. A knowing, gentle smile touched the old wolf’s lips.

"I know exactly what you are thinking right now," Selka murmured softly. She slowly rose from her flat rock, stepping across the dirt until she was hovering directly over Nuan.

She bent down, leaning her mouth right against Nuan’s ear.

"I know you are not a witch," Selka whispered into the dark.

Nuan’s eyes snapped wide. Her heart gave a violent, terrifying thud against her ribs, her breath locking completely in her throat.

"Then what do you think I am?" Nuan whispered.