The Ultimate Beast World Glow-Up novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16 Law of the Jungle

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Finished

When the crowd finally dispersed, Rosalie packed her things, her heart still racing. She hadn’t expected the stew to draw such a frenzy, but it had. Her name was already spreading.

On the way home, a warm evening breeze brushed against her face. Her hair swayed lightly, carrying a soft, clean scent that drifted toward Leon.

Leon walked a few steps behind her, his eyes fixed on her back. His lips curved slightly, just enough to hint at a smile.

Rosalie did the math in her head. She had sold hundreds of bowls and earned over a thousand copper coins -about an ounce of silver.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start to a better life.

Next time, she needed to bring more. And she had to start brewing soy sauce soon. Her supply was almost

gone.

If she could track down that Westland merchant again, she could buy a few jugs to save time.

Her mind raced, full of plans.

Then a scream tore through the night.

Rosalie froze as birds scattered from the treetops. A heavy crash followed, and then another shrill cry that split the silence apart.

Her eyes hardened. The forest had turned pitch black, the air thick and still. It felt alive, like a beast ready to swallow them whole.

Leon stepped in front of her. Cameron moved behind, losing the distance to protect her.

Rosalie didn’t want to get involved. But the desperate screams echoed through the trees, cutting deep into her chest.

They pushed forward. The sounds grew louder. The snarls of beasts clashed with terrified voices.

The trees were streaked with claw marks. Blood stained he ground in thick, dark smears. The cries faded, one by one, until the forest fell silent again. Rosalie stopped walking. Whoever had been calling for help was already gone.

Rosalie lowered her gaze. In the beast world, the strong uled and the weak fell. It was the natural order, yet it still left a sharp ache in her chest.

A fox tail brushed against her hand. Its thick fur was sof almost hot to the touch.

Rosalie looked down at Cameron and smiled faintly. She closed her hand around the tail. Cameron’s eyes lingered on her face, full of quiet worry. For once, he didn’t argue.

“Let’s go,” she said.

The sky was pitch–black now. They had to get home.

Then a sound broke through the silence. Someone wasrying in the woods. The faint sobs came from somewhere ahead. Rosalie stopped walking. Her feet tuned toward the noise, but Leon reached out and

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Chapter 16 Law of the Jungle

blocked her path.

“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll check it out.”

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The sound of his boots pressing into the leaves echoed through the still night. The forest was so silent that Rosalie could hear her own heartbeat drumming in her ears.

Leon’s figure vanished into the trees. When he came back, he was holding something in his arms.

Rosalie’s breath caught.

It was the wolf cub.

Her heart jumped. The cub’s gray fur was streaked with blood, his small body shaking violently.

When he saw her, Christopher reached out and grabbed the edge of her coat. His voice trembled. “Lady, please. Save my father.”

Rosalie moved quickly. The beastman she had met before was lying in a pool of dark blood. His chest was split open from a deep claw mark. Blood spilled down his side, soaking the ground.

His breathing was shallow. His chest barely lifted. He’s probably…

Rosalie’s throat tightened. She dropped to her knees and pressed two fingers to his wrist. There was a pulse -faint, but real.

She let out a shaky breath. He was still alive, but not for long. If he kept bleeding out, he would die.

She opened the system shop in her mind. A hemostatic pill appeared on the list. Price: five ounces of silver. Her stomach turned. She didn’t even have two.

She looked down at Christopher. His eyes shimmered with tears, his lips trembling. Rosalie felt her resolve melt. She asked silently, “System, can I buy it on credit?

There was a pause. The voice answered at last. “Get one bunce of silver and you have to repay two in its place.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered.

Cameron frowned. “What?”

Rosalie forced a cough and pretended nothing was wrong, but her blood boiled. “System, you’re worse than

a usurer,”

The voice came again, cool and detached. “You don’t have to take the loan if you don’t want to.”

Rosalie gritted her teeth. “Fine. I’ll take out a loan. Just give me the pill.”

A black pill appeared soundlessly in her palm. She pushed it between the beastman’s lips. The bleeding stopped the instant he swallowed.