Chapter 33 - Journey to the west

Words : 1060 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 33 of "The Girl Who Hacked The Magic System" opens presenting key developments: Chapter 33: Chapter 33 - Journey to the west I woke up the next day to... Read on!

Chapter 33: Chapter 33 - Journey to the west I woke up the next day to find her at my side, looking at nothing. "Good morning, Yaci." "Oh, I see you woke up, Aurea. Good morning." "Were you... thinking about all that?" "Yeah... But there’s nothing we might gain by dwelling too much on it." "Yes, let’s move on. We are in this together, and we’ll get to the end of it together." Yaci smiles at my words. "You’re right. Let’s get moving." She gets up and starts dressing. When she gets her boots, she screams, throwing the boot away. "What happened?" I ask, already having to make an effort to suppress the laughter. "A scorpion." I can’t hold back anymore, laughing at her face, which goes from fear to confusion. "I’m sorry, you should’ve seen your face right now. It was perfect." "How can you laugh at this? There’s a scorpion inside the tent." "No, there’s not," I say, still laughing. "What?" "It was an illusion." "What? Damn you!!!" She tries to get me, but I’m already out of the makeshift bed. I slip to the tent entrance and run away, still laughing. ::: Half an hour later we’re both sitting under the shade of a tree, eating our breakfast. "You’re unbelievable, Aurea. How could you do something like that?" "You were just too gloomy. I had to do something to break you out of it." "Ugh..." "It worked, didn’t it?" "You didn’t need to scare me like that." My only answer is just an angelical smile. ::: The following days passed swiftly, as the tribe prepared for the journey. I offered my help in whichever activity I was able to do. They wouldn’t let me participate in the patrols because they say I’m ’too young’ to fight, so I mostly help with cooking, cleaning, stuff like that. Today, I’m helping with the laundry. The oasis is a basin that collects the water from a stream, like a lake. The stream then flows down into an underground river through a small cave. The part of the lake near the cave is reserved for laundry and baths, as the water will flow out of the oasis, carrying the filth away. I don’t know almost anything about the everyday chores like laundry, simply because I used to have machines that would do them for me. And in this new life... well, the women in that den were luxury slaves, and the owner probably earned a fat sum of money for selling their ’services,’ which meant we weren’t expected to do any chores ourselves. After all, they wouldn’t want to make a customer wait for the girl to finish cleaning the bathroom and get ready, right? So, the overseers handled everything for us, except for the room cleaning, to which they sent maids. But the women here are very accommodating and were happy to teach me everything I wanted to know. They also gave me new clothes. The one I used in the ceremony was a special one just for it, so I still needed everyday clothes. And nobody wanted me to use the clothes from slavery times again. Including myself, of course. Those new clothes were made from the leather of monsters from the Barrens. They were loose, so air could circulate, and very durable. They provided a layer of protection in a hostile environment in which you could be bitten by a serpent or insect at any moment and where even most plants had thorns that could make cuts on any person’s ankles. As I could attest myself. Despite the heat of the place, those clothes were very practical and full of pockets and belts. Some of those belts were more for ornament than for any practical purpose, as they didn’t have anything hanging in them. The clothes consisted of a pair of pants, high boots, a jacket, a hat, and a pair of gloves. Plus the belts, pockets, and several colored ribbons that ornamented it. All in all, they were made with the materials they could fetch living in the Barrens that provided protection while holding a certain sense of fashion. The fashion of what was possible to do. They also taught me to take some bark off one of the trees that grew in the oasis and make a sort of anklet from it. It didn’t have any aesthetic value. Instead, it was very useful against the bites of small snakes and insects that we could inadvertently step on during our journey. The women seem to be very proud of the ribbons on their jackets and hats. I guess you have to make the best of the situation you’re handed, right? ::: Five days after the ceremony, we finally depart. Life in transit was a completely different affair from the one in the oasis. Everyone was on edge at any time, and the patrols were doubled. We had stocked up on dried food and fresh water, and the scouts knew the way to the next oasis, so I wasn’t very worried about it. But as we were reaching the next oasis, four days after our departure, someone told me. The margin for error, especially of water, was very small. So, if we got lost for any reason, it would spell disaster for the tribe. And one of the things that could get us off the trail is the presence of any stronger monster. And it looked like everyone had some story or other to tell about times in which they suffered dehydration on those travels. Everyone here was a survivor. Everyone had their share of suffering that made the pains of my old life look trivial in comparison. My admiration for them grew day by day. Even though I am a human, a member of the race that was responsible for their situation, they treat me as one of their own. This is what true empathy looks like. I’m starting to feel like an actual member of the tribe. And I’m proud of it. I’m proud of my beastkin brothers and sisters. I haven’t told them, of course, about how the girls in the den used to call me "honorary kitsune." I thought it would be too pretentious of me to say that. But, for the first time, deep inside of me, I feel like that title fits me.

Chapter 33 - Journey to the west

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