Chapter 147: Stay The Night (bonus)

[This is a very BIG moment, Host!]

[৻( •̀ ᗜ •́ ৻)]

[And early on too!]

’What are you even on?!’

Tera was more than confused. What was this system even talking about? She had not done anything recently.

[A beast under Host’s guidance has independently replicated Host’s construction methods outside of Host’s vicinity and supervision]

[※LEGACY UNLOCKED※]

[Host’s knowledge has taken root]

[Host’s reach is no longer limited to Host’s physical presence]

[The seeds Host planted are growing on their own]

[First Disciple Registered!]

[Disciple Tier: Builder]

[Rewards from completed task:]

[Analysing]

[...]

[Due to Host achieving this milestone in the first stage]

[All construction and influence stats will be boosted to the next level!]

[Construction: 88 → 100]

[Influence: 55 → 100]

[Congratulations on completing the first stage of your journey, Host!]

[This is only the beginning!]

[NEW ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: First Teacher]

[NEW CURRENCY UNLOCKED: Legacy Points]

[NEW FEATURE UNLOCKED: Legacy Boosts]

[NEW STAT UNLOCKED: Disciples]

[For completing the first stage of the Tribal Development goal, Host has unlocked her key skill]

[CORE SKILL UNLOCKED: Teleportation]

[First Disciple Achievement Unlocked!]

Tera’s mouth had been open throughout, her fruit forgotten.

’What just happened?’

[This system told you it was urgent]

[(◕‿◕✿)]

[This system will offer more explanation at a more convenient time]

[For now, these are Host’s new and improved stats]

[※Host Stats※]

- [Beast Stats] -

[Strength: 61/100]

[Speed: 69/100]

[Agility: 57/100]

- [Personal Stat] -

[Charm: 79/100]

- [Construction Stats] -

[Construction: 1/500]

[Influence: 1/500]

- [Disciple Stats] -

[Disciples: 1]

[Feron: Builder]

♡[Mate Stats]♡

[Registered Mates: Xavi (100%). Ermin (100%)]

[Potential Mate: Calis]

[Favourability: 40/100%]

∘ [Legacy Stats] ∘

[Legacy Points: 500]

[Legacy Boosts Unlocked: 0/60]

∘ [System Shop] ∘

[Tiers Unlocked: 2/21]

[Currency: 621 nipples]

[Achievements: Death Defier. Founder. Bear’s Beloved. Panther’s Adored. Clan Leader. First Teacher]

"Holy shit," Tera whispered, unable to believe what she was seeing. She barely even understood half of it, but whatever had happened was something big.

’Hey!’

’System!’

’Don’t just leave me hanging like that!’

[Please, enjoy your day, Host!]

’WTF?!’

Tera stared at the space where the system had been, her mind reeling.

Construction had jumped to a whole new stage?!

Why did it look like she was starting over? And now there was a core skill? TELEPORTATION?! And Feron... that Feron was her first disciple? What did that even mean, and why did the system just dump this without explaining immediately?!

"Tera."

She didn’t hear it.

’How is Feron a Builder? Where even IS he? What did he build? And teleportation—does that mean I can just appear somewhere? Like actually teleport? Is there a cooldown? A range limit? What—’

"Tera!"

Ermin gripped her shoulder and shook her, jolting her out of her thoughts.

Ermin was right in front of her, and Xavi had shifted from his spot to also appear near her. They both looked so worried and disturbed.

"What happened?"

"Your mind went somewhere again."

Tera blinked rapidly.

"Sorry! I am so sorry. I was just..." She waved her hand vaguely. "Distracted. By my thoughts. I am fine."

Xavi and Ermin exchanged a look.

It was the look they had been exchanging more and more lately. The look that said she was doing it again. The staring into space, the sudden stillness, the way she would go completely blank for minutes at a time as if her mind had left her body.

It had been easy to brush off at first. This was a quirk of her strange behaviour, but it was beginning to bother her mates. And the look that had been on her face just now hadn’t been the vacant gaze of someone daydreaming.

She looked shocked.

Xavi was not convinced. "Tera, if something is wrong—"

"Nothing is wrong." Tera reached out and grabbed both their hands, squeezing firmly.

She could see the worry building behind their eyes, and she needed to stop it before it grew into something she couldn’t deflect. "I promise you. I am completely fine. I will explain later, but right now..."

She pulled their hands closer and pressed them against her lap, holding on.

"I just want to enjoy this day with you both. Please."

The rawness in her voice softened them both. Xavi’s frown eased, and Ermin’s grip on her shoulders loosened.

She would talk to the system later. Her mates were more important now.

- ※ - ※ - ※ -

The afternoon stretched into evening, and Tera had more fun than she had planned for.

They talked.

It started with the smallest things. What Xavi and Ermin were fond of, and the little peculiarities they enjoyed. Ermin apparently hated the texture of one particular tuber but would eat it mashed without complaint. Xavi confessed he couldn’t stand the smell of a herb that Tera used frequently for roasting the meat, and had been silently enduring it for months.

"Months?!" Tera had nearly choked. "Why didn’t you say something?!"

"You seemed pleased with it."

"Xavi! That is not—you should tell me these things!"

He had shrugged with the calm acceptance of a bear who had decided that his mate’s happiness was worth a bit of nasal discomfort, and Tera had been simultaneously touched and exasperated.

She had made them promise not to hide things like this from her, no matter how small.

Then the conversation deepened gradually, and Tera gently steered it toward the two of them focusing on each other, rather than just her.

She had hinted, casually, that she would love to hear them share things about themselves, especially how they lived before now.

Xavi had been slightly confused.

"Is that necessary?"

Tera was shocked. Was Xavi really asking if it was necessary to know about one’s mate?

"It would make me happy," she had said instead.

Ermin, to Tera’s surprise, was the one who took the initiative. He started talking about his childhood in the Jackdaw tribe. They were small details at first, but she noticed that Xavi listened quietly, the way he always did.

And when Ermin mentioned climbing trees as a cub, something shifted in the bear’s expression.

"I did the same," Xavi said.

Ermin paused. "You climbed trees?"

Tera fought a smile and nearly poked fun at Ermin. Didn’t he know bears climbed trees?

Then again, Tera doubted he would know such information. There had been no bears in the Jackdaw tribe, and Ermin must have found it hard to imagine Xavi as a cub struggling to climb one.

Tera smiled fondly as she conjured the image in her head without any problem.

As the two males got into a whole conversation about climbing trees, Tera could sense the small thread of connection stitching into place because of something so simple.

Xavi chipped in a lot more after that. He was still reserved, but it was a surprise to both Ermin and Tera to actually hear him reminiscing about his childhood.

He still hadn’t shared a lot, but Tera learned he had been born in a bear clan, only for his family to leave while he was still young.

He didn’t share why he had left, but there had been a fond look in his eyes as he had spoken about his childhood.

The conversation then shifted to other things, and just like that, the day came to an end.

It was already night, and the air had cooled.

Tera was lying between Xavi and Ermin, her eyes tracing the stars through the gaps in the canopy.

They were going to spend the night out, and for once, it felt really nice to sleep out in the open like this, especially with these two.

Tera was considering getting up to wash herself in the stream when Xavi’s arm wrapped around her stomach and buried his face in her neck.

Tera’s heart jumped to her throat when he kissed it.

’Eh?’