Under the warm orange hue of the campfire, Clarissa rolled up her sleeves and knelt beside a portable cooking set, while Aya and Celestia brought the ingredients. The three of them worked in quiet harmony, occasionally exchanging small smiles and preparing something hearty, bulgogi.
Clarissa placed the thawed meat. courtesy of Julian’s Skill Inventory, onto a clean wooden board.
With a razor-sharp knife, she sliced the meat thinly against the grain, her movements smooth and practiced. Each slice was about 2mm thick, perfect for absorbing flavor and cooking quickly.
Zoe peeked over her shoulder with silent interest, her nose twitching at the smell of fresh meat.
Celestia took over next, pulling out a small steel bowl.
She carefully measured and mixed the ingredients, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, grated Asian pear for tenderizing, minced garlic, black pepper and mirin.
She stirred it all gently with a spoon, letting the aroma of garlic and sesame fill the air.
Aya finely sliced half an onion, then a stalk of green onion, adding them into the marinade bowl.
Clarissa nodded in approval. "Make sure the onions are thin, they’ll caramelize better."
Clarissa transferred the sliced meat into the bowl. Aya, her gloves on, massaged the marinade into the meat gently but thoroughly, ensuring every piece was coated.
"It feels... squishy," Aya muttered with a giggle.
Celestia chuckled. "That’s how you know it’s soaking in."
They let it sit covered for about 20 minutes while they tended the fire and chatted softly.
Clarissa poured a bit of vegetable oil onto the flat iron pan over the flame.
Once the pan was hot and lightly smoking, she laid the marinated meat down with a satisfying sizzle.
The smell was immediate, sweet, savory, smoky. The meat began to brown and caramelize as she stirred it quickly with wooden tongs, the onions softening and turning golden.
"Don’t crowd the pan," Clarissa reminded. "We need it to sear, not boil."
She cooked it in batches, keeping the heat high and fast. When the first batch was done, she transferred it to a warm plate and garnished it with a pinch of toasted sesame seeds and some shredded scallions.
They set the finished bulgogi on a shared plate in the center of a clean cloth, along with bowls of hot rice and pickled radish they had stored earlier.
Zoe was the first to sit, plate in hand, eyes glowing.
She took a bite, her ears twitching slightly. "Good," she said quietly. Then repeated, this time with a slight smile, "Very good."
Clarissa smiled warmly. "I’m happy you like it."
Celestia giggled softly. "We might need to add this to our regular rotation."
Soon after, the group gathered around the fire, plates in hand, And after that, they ate until they were full.
As night fully settled in, the air grew cooler and the crackling fire was the only sound breaking the silence of the camp. Julian and the others sat in a semi-circle near the fire, eyes occasionally drifting toward Zoe, whose expression had grown tense.
Zoe shifted uncomfortably on the log she was sitting on, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"I don’t like this," she muttered, her voice low.
Clarissa blinked and leaned forward slightly. "Ah—sorry. We didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable."
Emma, ever the curious one, piped up with a grin, "We just wanna see what happens when you transform! Come on—it’s exciting."
Celestia, sitting beside Aya, spoke calmly but firmly, "It’s better if we observe it properly. That way, if something goes wrong, we’ll know how to help."
Zoe didn’t respond. She simply looked away, her cheeks flushing slightly as the stares continued to linger on her.
Veronica yawned dramatically and rubbed her eyes. "Okay, but I’m sleepy. Can I go to sleep now?"
Emma instantly turned toward her, eyes narrowed. "No! What if Zoe changes and attacks you?"
Aya, hugging her knees, looked toward Zoe. "So... is it coming soon?"
The atmosphere grew heavier as everyone’s eyes once again fell on the beast-girl.
Zoe clenched her jaw and turned her back to them slightly. "Stop staring... it’s weird," she mumbled, ears twitching faintly.
Julian, leaning back against a tree with his arms crossed, finally spoke. His voice was calm, firm.
"Alright, that’s enough. Don’t pressure her. Just act normal. Let her be herself."
Emma pouted. "But I’m curious..."
Julian shot her a quick glare. "Curiosity can wait. Respect comes first."
Emma held her hands up in surrender, but her gaze didn’t fully leave Zoe.
Zoe gave a quiet sigh, her tail twitching slightly beneath her coat. The full moon was climbing higher, and somewhere deep inside her, the stirring had already begun.
Zoe suddenly tensed.
Her breathing grew uneven. A low growl escaped her throat as her hands dug into the ground beneath her.
Then, with a sharp twitch, her ears sprouted, elongated, fur-covered, twitching at every sound. Her tail unfurled behind her in a sweeping motion, thick with jet-black fur.
Emma’s eyes lit up. "Ooh, here it comes."
Zoe’s head snapped upward. Her eyes were no longer human, slitted pupils now glowed with a primal golden hue. The change had begun.
Julian stood up slowly, muscles coiled in readiness. Just in case.
Zoe dropped to all fours. She stretched like a beast preparing for a sprint, claws digging into the earth. Her wild eyes darted around, scanning her surroundings with eerie precision.
Then—she bolted.
Without a word, she launched forward in a blur of speed.
"Stop her!" Julian barked.
Clarissa instantly summoned her telekinetic force, forming a giant invisible hand that slammed down to intercept Zoe’s path. At the same moment, Celestia flicked her wrist, threads of glimmering silk snaked out, wrapping around Zoe’s limbs like constricting vines. Julian’s shadow surged forth, twisting into solid black chains that locked around Zoe’s waist and shoulders.
Zoe thrashed violently against their restraint. Her face was feral now, teeth bared, saliva dripping from her lips as she let out a savage growl.
Veronica, still half crouched near the fire, stared wide-eyed. "What the hell?! She just tried to escape like a wild animal!"
Julian moved in cautiously, stepping closer. "Zoe... can you hear me?"
Zoe didn’t answer. Her gaze snapped toward him, predatory, enraged.
Then, with a howl that pierced the night, she erupted in power.
"Don’t let go!" Julian shouted as Zoe twisted with unnatural strength.
The ground beneath her cracked as her muscles expanded, fur growing thicker and darker. Her body elongated and surged in mass until what stood before them was no longer a girl, but a massive wolf-like beast, standing upright like a mythological creature carved from nightmare.
Massive. Towering. Black as midnight.
Fangs gleamed under the moonlight. Her crimson eyes locked onto Julian.
Veronica took a cautious step back, face pale. "H-Hey... you’ve got to be kidding me..."
Emma blinked hard, staring at the monstrous figure in disbelief.
"Wait... no one told us Zoe could turn into a giant beast."
Celestia took a step forward, her expression resolute. "I’ll try to restrain her again."
Aya’s voice cut in quickly. "You’ll get thrown across the forest."
Clarissa, undeterred, launched her telekinetic grip again, two massive invisible hands shooting toward Zoe.
But Beast Zoe twisted with a burst of brute strength and tore right through them like they were paper.
Julian, still calmly watching her movements, smirked slightly.
"Well... looks like we’ve gained an incredible new member."
Celestia threw her hands out, her threads dancing like a webstorm, attempting to bind Zoe again. But the threads strained and snapped as her enormous muscles flexed against them.
Julian’s shadows surged next, writhing around Zoe’s arms and torso, tightening fast like serpents, but she roared and shattered them in a single convulsive jerk.
Aya stepped back. "She might be overwhelmed. Maybe she’s panicking from being restrained too suddenly..."
Zoe let out a deafening howl, her huge paws slamming into the ground. The earth trembled beneath her. She turned sharply toward the camp, eyes wild and glowing.
Then she lunged.
"No—!" Julian shouted.
He quickly summoned a wall of shadows, shielding the tents just in time as Zoe crashed into them. The dark barrier rippled but held.
Zoe recoiled, growling, pacing back and forth like a caged beast.
Celestia took a breath, then, with a flick of her wrist, she spun together her threads into a large, dense ball of yarn. Bigger than a basketball. Glimmering slightly under the moonlight.
She hurled it with all her strength.
The ball bounced and rolled across the ground with a light thump.
Zoe stopped.
She stared.
A beat passed. Then another.
And then, like a curious pup, the massive beast crouched down and gently nudged the ball with her snout.
Another nudge.
Then a playful snap of her jaws. She began gnawing at the ball, rolling it around between her claws, eyes no longer wild, but strangely relaxed.
Everyone exhaled at once.
Emma let out a laugh of relief. "That was amazing, Celestia! Where the heck did that idea come from?"
Celestia smiled softly. "I used to have a dog. I remembered what calmed him down."