Chapter 189: Beast Essence

Finding the right patch of land for the farm had taken some time. She had eventually settled on a clearing near the stream downhill. The wolf territory’s soil was softer and more moisture-saturated than the Dow clan’s, which made it excellent for certain crops and easy digging.

Tera had brought along a basket of herbs and starter plants that the system had carefully selected for the wolf territory’s conditions. Leafy greens that thrived in damp soil, a fibrous root that could tolerate moisture, and several herb varieties that would grow quickly.

She had also brought sprouted plants from the Dow clan’s farm to transplant.

However, when it came to the tubers...

[This system regrets to inform Host that tubers will not thrive in this soil]

[(◞‸◟)]

[The moisture content is too high]

[Tubers planted in this environment will rot before they mature]

’What?! But the tubers are the main thing everyone eats!’

What other food source was she supposed to plant here aside from medicinal and seasoning herbs?

[This region’s soil composition does not support root vegetables that require well-drained earth]

[Unless Host can locate a specialised variety adapted to wet conditions or other plants further into the territory]

Tera had sat with that disappointment for a while.

The tubers had been the foundation of the Dow clan’s diet. They were filling, easy to grow, and versatile. Without them, the wolf pack’s farm would need an entirely different crop base.

And having to look for an alternative in this region where fruit trees hardly grew was another problem in its own.

This would slow down her task.

Tera decided to focus on preparing the farmland now. She would source for other plant varieties later. But now, standing at the edge of the field watching beasts and wolves dig side by side, Tera decided to check her stats, which she hadn’t done for a while.

[※Host Stats※]

- [Beast Stats] -

[Strength: 77/100]

[Speed: 79/100]

[Agility: 73/100]

- [Personal Stat] -

[Charm: 85/100]

- [Construction Stats] -

[Construction: 1/500]

[Influence: 9/500]

- [Disciple Stats] -

[Disciples: 1]

[Feron: Builder]

♡[Mate Stats]♡

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

[Potential Mate: Calis]

[Favourability: 59/100%]

∘ [Legacy Stats] ∘

[Legacy Points: 500]

[Legacy Boosts Unlocked: 0/60]

∘ [System Shop] ∘

[Tiers Unlocked: 2/21]

[Currency: 433 nipples]

Tera’s eyes immediately locked on the beast stats.

She wondered what would happen if they got full.

’System. What happens when my beast stats hit 100? Does that mean I get to turn into a fox beast or something?’

The system’s response carried an energy that Tera didn’t trust.

[Excellent question, Host!]

[(◕‿◕✿)]

’Why do you look so excited?’

[When all three beast stats reach completion, Host 100/100, a hurdle will unlock]

[Host’s Beast Essence Meter would still need to be filled before it gets to that point of no longer being a shiftless female]

’What the fuck is that?’

Wonderful. Another stat or something for her to fill.

Turning into a beast was not necessary for her yet, so she would just take her mind off it. That meter would definitely have some crazy requirement for it to fill up.

[This meter, once activated, will fill gradually over time]

[When the meter is complete, Host will undergo a physical transformation!]

[(ᕼ✧ᴗ✧ᕼ)]

Tera could not help the slight jump in her heart.

’Physical transformation, my ass. Just say I would become a proper fox beast then.’

[This Host is pretending to hide her joy]

[૮₍ ´ ꒳ `₎ა]

She frowned at the system.

To be honest, she had strangely been a little bit excited at the possibility of getting her fox form. But would a tail and ears not be a hassle?

Though since that form would come with added benefits, maybe that would be nice.

’How does the meter fill?’

[The more Host’s body absorbs beast essence, the closer she gets to manifesting a beast form of her own!]

[The Beast Essence Meter fills through three primary sources!]

[Source 1: Prolonged physical closeness with bonded mates in their beast forms]

[Sustained skin-to-fur contact allows their beast essence to slowly transfer into Host’s body]

[This is the primary source and the most effective]

Tera’s eyes widened.

That was relatively easy. There were multiple nights she always snuggled up to Ermin in Xavi in their beast forms because of how soft they were.

[Source 2: Embracing instinct over logic]

[Moments where Host acts on gut feeling rather than calculated reasoning contribute to the meter]

[Beasts have certain intuitions based on their beast type. Host’s would be the usual instinct and cunning when making decisions]

[Source 3: Extended exposure to strong pure-blood beasts]

[Being in close proximity to powerful beasts for sustained periods contributes a passive daily increase to the meter]

[This system is sure Host has no problem due to her capable mates...]

[And another on the way]

[(¬ ͜ ͡¬)]

’Omg. Get to the rest of it already!’

[𓁹‿𓁹ʰᵉʰᵉ]

[Host can get this from other strong beasts in the area, like the Glimmer pack, for example]

[This also provides a slight daily tick]

’Hmm...’

These requirements were not as bad as she had expected.

It would be fairly easy to fill that meter. Then again, the frustrating part was how far these requirements would fill that meter exactly.

’Are you sure that is everything?’

[ =͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇)]

[Yes, Captain!]

Tera sighed and accepted it.

But her mind still lingered on having an actual beast form and what that would feel like.

She smiled, only for her attention to be hijacked by a shout on the farm.

Bessier was waving frantically at a wolf who had dug his mound in the wrong direction, and the resulting chaos was threatening to undo an hour of work.

Xavi was already joining to intervene, but Tera still sighed and made her way to them. This was going to be a long day, but thankfully, not so stressful.

As Tera was handling the problem, Calis was also making his way there. But his attention was partially divided, and over the following days, a quiet ache had settled into Calis’ chest that refused to leave.

Her mates here were making things difficult for him.