Chapter 4: The Pocket Dimension Appears
Wen Nanxi’s picturesque eyes hardened as he swiftly moved to engage the massive beast.
Despite his usual gentle and refined demeanor, in battle, he exuded an aura of biting cold, like frost and snow. The oppressive force he emitted was overwhelming.
The bone knife in his hand spun rapidly, launching toward the beast like a blade of pure wind.
The beast was clearly powerful in its own right, dodging the fatal blow with incredible speed. But the bone knife simply curved back through the air, landing perfectly in Wen Nanxi’s waiting hand as he moved.
Leaping down from above, Wen Nanxi plunged the bone knife straight through the beast’s neck. Blood sprayed as he withdrew the blade, but he sidestepped with effortless grace, not a single drop staining his clothes.
Boom!
The beast crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud that made the earth tremble.
Su Muyao watched, her eyes wide. She could tell that Wen Nanxi had dispatched the beast with ease, barely using any of his true strength. His gentle elegance was just a facade; in reality, he was terrifyingly powerful.
Her predecessor had possessed no powers or strength whatsoever. How had she dared to provoke these beastmen? To abuse them so cruelly? Wasn’t she afraid they would snap and kill her?
True, as their matriarch, her death meant their own. But surely there were secret ways to kill someone, ways that would leave no trace.
Remembering the looks on the faces of the five beastmen her predecessor had cast aside—looks of pure, murderous hatred—Su Muyao wanted to cry but had no tears left.
“My lady?”
Seeing that Su Muyao was unresponsive, Wen Nanxi leaped effortlessly up into the tree.
The sound of his voice snapped Su Muyao out of her thoughts, and she found herself face-to-face with Wen Nanxi’s exquisitely handsome features, far too close for comfort.
“Ah!”
Acting on instinct, she tried to pull away, taking a step back. But she was on a tree branch. Her foot found only empty air, and she plummeted downwards.
Wen Nanxi dove after her, catching her in mid-air. “My lady, are you alright?”
Held in Wen Nanxi’s arms, Su Muyao was enveloped in his clean, pleasant scent, a fragrance that could easily bewitch the senses.
But then she remembered the way he’d just killed the beast, and the way her predecessor had abused him. Her body went stiff. “Um, I’m fine. You can let me go. Yes, just put me down.”
As she spoke, she was careful not to touch him more than necessary. All of them despised her touch; it was better not to provoke them. It was a self-preservation instinct honed by the kill-or-be-killed apocalypse.
Wen Nanxi looked down at the woman in his arms. It was the first time he had ever held her. There was no delight in her expression, only a pale face, wary eyes, and a body rigid with tension.
Her long lashes fluttered like feathers. It was so different from her usual paranoid, crazed gaze. Her eyes now were clear and bright.
She really wasn’t the same.
A shadow crossed Wen Nanxi’s eyes, then was replaced by a dangerous glimmer. He leaned in, his voice a low, husky whisper in her ear, “My lady… are you afraid of me?”
Su Muyao bit her lip. “No, of course not,” she said softly.
The moment the words left her mouth, she froze. She looked up at Wen Nanxi and met a shimmering darkness in his gaze, a vortex that threatened to pull her in and swallow her whole. Suddenly, Su Muyao realized she didn’t know this snake beastman at all.
In this moment, he seemed incredibly dangerous, nothing like his usual gentle self. Was that all just camouflage? All she wanted was to be put down, but he wasn’t letting go.
She struggled but couldn’t budge. Her own powers were still too weak to resist his strength.
“You used to like it when I held you like this.”
Su Muyao’s lashes trembled. Her predecessor might have liked it, but she wasn’t her. She forced a weak, awkward smile. “Well, I’m trying to turn over a new leaf, you know!”
She had a gut feeling Wen Nanxi suspected something. She was about to say more, but a soft, cute voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
“Host, I’m finally awake! I’m so happy you’re still here, Host!”
Hearing the voice of her Space System, Su Muyao communicated with it telepathically. “It’s good that you’re okay. Are all the supplies I stockpiled in my dimension still there?”
The Space System had been with her since she was a child. It was thanks to its help that she had been able to stockpile supplies, awaken her powers, and survive the apocalypse. It had always protected her. Though it was a system, they had a real bond.
The Space System explained softly, “Host, when you ascended and crossed over to this world, I was damaged in the process. My functions are limited right now. The available space is only half an acre, and your stockpiled supplies can only be unlocked bit by bit as I upgrade.”
Su Muyao had amassed countless supplies during the apocalypse, all stored in the villa within her pocket dimension. The space had originally been vast. It was frustrating that she couldn’t access her things, but there was nothing she could do about it for now.
“So what triggers an upgrade?”
The system replied, “Intimate contact with your beastmen husbands will unlock different levels of access. In fact, it was because you were being held just now that I was able to wake up.”
Su Muyao was speechless. She never would have guessed this was the trigger for her dimension to reappear. And to unlock more of it, she needed intimate contact with her beastmen husbands?
The System added, as if remembering something important, “Host, if you were to have a… physical relationship with one of your beastmen—you know, do the deed—the dimension would upgrade much faster, and you could access your supplies more quickly!”
The corner of Su Muyao’s mouth twitched. “If you want me to stay alive, don’t even suggest that.”
It seemed she’d have to rely on herself to find food for the time being.
Wen Nanxi watched the myriad of expressions flash across Su Muyao’s face. A teasing glint appeared in his eyes. This was much more interesting.
After her brief conversation with the System, Su Muyao came back to her senses. At some point, Wen Nanxi had put her down.
Su Muyao quickly put some distance between them and walked over to the dead beast. “Is the meat from this animal edible?”
“No, this one is a mutated beast. It’s poisonous.”
Su Muyao understood. The forest was full of beasts, but some were mutated and toxic, just like how some mushrooms were poisonous while others were safe to eat.
She paid the dead beast no more mind and went back to diligently picking tomatoes. Wen Nanxi said nothing more and began to help her. Soon, the baskets were full.
She wanted to find other food sources, or maybe some medicinal herbs. As she scanned the surroundings, the System’s excited voice popped into her head again.
“Host, I can now scan an area a hundred meters around you! There are sweet potatoes underground in a patch of grass one hundred meters straight ahead!”
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