Chapter 27: It’s too big, really too big

[Ding! Detected that the host successfully provided Crisp Wife bentos to the purple spirit snake clan, increasing clan affinity by +10 and granting 150 ability EXP. Current EXP: 871/1000.]

Not long after leaving the glowing purple forest with the Cangyou Wildcat Team, a notification popped up in Su Qi’s vision.

She’d anticipated some EXP gain—cooking with spirit ingredients had boosted her EXP, so feeding the snakes should too. But 150 EXP still gave her a headache. Today’s total of nearly 400 EXP, more than all prior gains since awakening her ability, left her just 129 points from leveling up.

As a boy with a Crisp Wife ability, the prospect of leveling up filled her with dread. ‘What if it’s like those “Sunflower Manual” abilities, altering my body to match the “wife” theme?’

“Su-jie, want a spirit snake fruit? They’re super tasty!” An Xiao Ling’s cute loli voice interrupted, offering a fruit while munching one herself.

The purple fruit, despite its snake-like appearance, burst with sweet, red juice, tempting Su Qi. But after a moment’s hesitation, she declined. The fruit boosted EXP, and as a boy, she wanted to delay leveling up as long as possible.

Waving off An Xiao Ling’s offer, she changed the subject. “Xiao Ling, you mentioned testing my ability earlier. How’s that going to work?”

Before An Xiao Ling could answer, her elf ears twitched, and her tone shifted to alertness. “Everyone, stop! Fifty meters ahead, a Tyrant Bear is in light sleep.”

Tyrant Bear? The name’s fierce components made Su Qi tread lighter. Bears alone were dangerous, and “Tyrant” screamed enhanced spirit beast.

As she considered detouring, Lin Xue’s playful, devilish whisper tickled her ear. “Boss Su, no need to stop. This is your ability test.”

The jasmine scent of Lin Xue accompanied her words, but their content sent a shiver through Su Qi. ‘Test? Is she saying I should approach the Tyrant Bear like I did the snakes?!’

She recalled a video fact: bears, despite their cuddly look, were agile, could climb trees, and had the strength of five men. A spirit-enhanced Tyrant Bear sounded even worse. ‘One swipe, and I’m flattened!’

Lin Xue elaborated, “Boss Su, you have a unique affinity, paired with your nurturing aura and cooking skills, making you feel like the perfect wife—someone people can’t help but want to protect. The snakes didn’t attack you, likely feeling the same. Let’s test it on another target.”

The “perfect wife” explanation made sense, but facing a Tyrant Bear? Su Qi felt cowardly.

Before she could back out, Wei Mian, groggily held by Da Shan’s burly arm, chimed in. “Boss Su, don’t worry. Your agility is high. If the bear threatens you, dodge, and I’ll put it to sleep.”

He pointed upward, and a flock of sleeping birds plummeted from the branches, thudding silently onto the ground, still asleep.

Reassured by Wei Mian’s sleep ability but wary of its creepiness, Su Qi resolved to avoid being alone with him. Still, with his backup and her 50 agility, she mustered the courage to approach the bear under the team’s watchful eyes.

Roar~ Roar~

As she neared, the bear’s roars grew louder, and heavy footsteps thundered through the dark forest.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Each step shook the ground like an earthquake. Within ten seconds, two massive black figures loomed in her blurry vision.

The Tyrant Bears were unlike normal bears, which topped out at 300 pounds. Wrapped in thick black fur over bulging muscles, they resembled tanks, easily over a thousand pounds—bigger than elephants. Their blood-red eyes glowed with frenzied violence in the dark.

Facing their charging bulk and oppressive paws, Su Qi’s heart raced. They were far larger and fiercer than expected, but with Wei Mian’s support and her prior mental prep, she resisted fleeing, readying to dodge.

Then, something unexpected happened.

At fifteen meters, the bears seemed to see her clearly. Their roars ceased, and their aggressive red eyes softened, sparkling with… delight?

Mirroring the snakes’ affection, Su Qi exhaled in relief. ‘My Crisp Wife aura works on spirit beasts too! What a discovery!’

But the moment shifted.

Thud!

The larger bear suddenly swiped the smaller one’s head, knocking it out cold.

Caught off guard, neither Su Qi nor the fallen bear expected it.

Roar!

The unconscious bear collapsed, and the larger one rose from all fours to stand upright, towering like a three-story building as it lumbered toward Su Qi.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Its human-like gait, awkward and unsteady, puzzled her. ‘Why attack its kin? And why walk upright when it ran on all fours before?’

As it closed within ten meters, the faint moonlight revealed its full form. Su Qi’s questions dissolved in horror as she saw its engorged fifth limb—impossible for any human to “accommodate.” It stood upright to avoid dragging it on the ground.

The bear had knocked out its companion to have her to itself.

Her calm facade shattered, her fair face paling with terror. Her white-stockinged legs pressed together, knees trembling.

Only now did she realize: her Crisp Wife ability indeed made beasts feel her warmth, like humans did.

But she had zero intention of fulfilling “wifely duties”!

“No! Don’t come closer! It’s too big—way too big! It won’t fit—there’s nowhere for it to go!”

(ΩДΩ)!!!