Exiled Villainess: They Threw Me Out, Now Every Beastman Wants Me
Chapter 23: Nature’s Rubbish Pile

Chapter 23: Nature’s Rubbish Pile

The storm had already built half her shelter for her.

She had constantly been having the system scan the area since it had a limited range, and she had to keep checking each distance they passed.

But Tera finally found a spot. It was a disaster, but one she could work with.

The flash flood had ripped through this section of the hillside like an angry god, uprooting massive trees and flinging them into the rocky outcrops like matchsticks.

Three enormous trunks had wedged themselves between stone formations at different heights along the slope, their root systems jutting upward like wooden walls waiting to be finished.

These three had especially called across a smaller hillside slope, forming a somewhat natural barrier against the entrance of a wide, gaping hole.

Remembering how she had hidden with Ermin from the first storm, her trained eye felt this would be a perfect spot.

Especially since there were more rocks than mud in this area.

’System, please scan this formation. I need its structural integrity, size, and if that hole leads to a larger space inside.’

[Scanning...]

[( ⊙_⊙)]

[How did you find this?]

’What do you mean, how? You scanned the area!’

[Isn’t your task to construct emergency flood defences—]

’Just do what I asked! Of course, I won’t leave the shelter as it is!’

[Structural Assessment Complete]

[Multiple connected enclosures along slope at staggered elevations]

[Upper pockets: Well above the estimated flood line. Wind-sheltered by root systems and rock]

[Mid pockets: Above flood line. Partial wind exposure. Adequate with reinforcement]

[Lower pocket: Marginal. Near the entrance. Exposed to wind and rain splashes. Above flood line but vulnerable to spray and cold]

[Warning: Earth in this area is soft. Internal walls in several pockets show signs of crumbling. Structural reinforcement of internal supports is recommended to prevent collapse]

Tera nodded.

This might definitely count as construction. She had gotten a point just for tying sticks together during the last storm to help the beasts.

Surely, reinforcing an entire multi-level shelter system from natural debris is qualified.

[This system did not account for Host repurposing natural storm debris as a structural framework]

[This system is recalibrating its assessment of Host’s intelligence]

[Upward]

Tera would have gloated if she weren’t freezing and running out of time.

’Don’t tell me you freaking expected me to build something from scratch in such an environment?!’

[(ᵕ—ᴗ—)]

Tera turned to the clan before she could start throttling a floating screen.

"We should stay here!" she announced, gesturing at the slope.

They stared at the jumble of fallen trees, exposed roots, and muddy rocks with the enthusiasm of people being told their new home was nature’s rubbish pile.

Several of them were still avoiding her eyes from the cub-induced confession earlier. The fox-eared woman looked like she’d rather chew off her own tail than take orders from the shiftless troublemaker.

One beast man had his arms crossed so tightly it looked like he was trying to fold himself into a defensive cube.

"And why should we listen to you? Do you know anything about—"

Someone smacked the other beast’s head. "She helped us back then. Why not now?"

"But the storm has ended."

’Not this again!’

Tera turned to Xavi, who was already looking up at the opening.

It would be easier to have him tell them to listen to her. And any reasonable person would want to take shelter.

Unless they were unaware that another storm was coming?

"I think another storm is coming. It will be best for us to take shelter at least before moving on. It would be risky if another one came while we are exposed out in the open."

He looked up at the sky, blinking against the drizzle. "Why are you so sure of another—"

Thunder cracked, and lightning brightened the sky before he could even finish speaking.

All the clan members slowly turned towards Tera with wide eyes, suddenly eager and on board with her plan.

What followed was hours of organized chaos.

The spaces in the hill were spacious, especially the top section, but like the system pointed out, the walls were crumbling, and a lot of the earth was loose.

It was far worse than what the system had described.

This left Tera with a very big concern. The whole thing could collapse on them if they were not careful.

The fallen trees against the hole were a major advantage she wasn’t going to take for granted.

Tera worked fast and divided the clan into teams. One group was assigned to rip off parts of the trees. Another was tasked with pulling those parts to the upper chamber, and the third used the wood to support the walls and ceiling to prevent more sand from crumbling over them.

Tera moved between them like a muddy, undersized general, pointing, adjusting, and occasionally yanking a branch out of someone’s hands to demonstrate exactly how she wanted it placed.

The beast folk were not natural builders, so the concept of structural integrity was foreign to them. One wolf beast man tried to hold up a wall section with a single vertical stick and looked genuinely confused when more sand toppled over.

"That stick is thinner than my arm!" Tera snapped.

"It is a strong stick."

"It is a twig! Use all of this and put them together like this!"

The wolf stared at her like she had just performed magic.

The cubs, naturally, had appointed themselves quality inspectors. The bear cub waddled around with a single pebble in each paw, solemnly placing them against walls as if testing their strength.

The cat cub followed behind him, nodding seriously at each pebble placement.

Despite all her shouts and commands, Tera worked alongside them the entire time.

Ermin watched the shiftless female hard at work.

The Tera he knew didn’t work. She always threw tantrums at every opportunity that required work. As much as Ermin wanted to tell himself that she was pretending, the thought felt hollow.

Her hands were muddy, but she didn’t stop.

She wouldn’t go this far for an act. And another odd thing was how knowledgeable she appeared.

The lazy female was building shelter for a clan.

He didn’t understand her, and the not-understanding was becoming frustrating.

[Ermin’s Favourability: -50% → -45%]

Xavi was also watching Tera. She was so small compared to everyone else, and she was commanding them with such confidence.

He couldn’t help but admire her, and it was almost to the point he was considering the possibility of her being his mate. She had survived his heat, and had helped his clan twice despite how they treated her.

If that was not a worthy mate, Xavi did not know what was.

But the thought led to another, one that landed with a sharp ache.

In the rush of the storm and the hunt, he hadn’t checked yet if she was carrying his cub.

What kind of male was he?

If she was with his child, she shouldn’t be doing any of this but resting.

He felt a bit guilty, but his thoughts came to a stop when she looked like she was about to cry.

And with that same stubbornness he had seen at the stream, she wiped her face and looked serious again.

This female was carrying something heavy inside her, and he wanted to understand her and know what it was.

[Xavi’s Favourability: 25% → 33%]