Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Birth System Server

Little Luo set a basin of raw meat in front of Su Yan. “Sister, eat.”

Su Yan stared at it for half a heartbeat.

Normally, she would have gagged. Now her mouth flooded with saliva so fast it hurt.

She tore in.

The meat was cold, slick, metallic with blood. Her teeth sank through with brutal ease. Even chewing felt too slow—like it was wasting precious seconds.

Little Luo watched, stunned. “Sister, you’re incredible. You’re so skinny, and your beast form is small, but you get pregnant so easily.”

“I should be fatter,” Su Yan said between bites, voice tight with hunger. “More reserves for the child. I’m too thin, so I have to eat a lot.”

“The more you eat, the more you carry.”

“Don’t.” Su Yan wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “One or two is enough.”

Talent mattered more than numbers.

If quantity scaled with talent, she wouldn’t mind having many. But Little Mei had said it clearly: in one pregnancy, only one would be truly high-talent. They couldn’t all be born at the same tier.

Better one strong one—easier to raise, too.

Little Luo stared at her, half-awed and half-horrified. She ate and ate, and yet her belly didn’t bulge at all.

“Sister, slow down.”

“I can’t.”

If she could eat like this, it meant the golden marrow pill was doing its work—the fetus was still evolving.

She checked her points.

After all the little expenses, she had 1887 points left, and 433 days of lifespan.

Rebirth on earth cost one hundred million points.

Even if she gave birth to a child with heaven rank talent, she’d need a thousand of them.

If it was only profound rank… she’d need a hundred thousand.

Just thinking about it made her chest tighten.

[Little Mei, are there children with talent above heaven rank?]

[Yes.]

[Red, green, blue, yellow, profound, earth, heaven. Those are the mortal beast ranks on the beast world continent. Beyond them are spirit beast clan and divine beast clan.]

[Host’s current childbearing system is mortal beast grade. You can only give birth to mortal beasts.]

Spirit beast clan. Divine beast clan.

Even the names sounded like something that could shatter the sky.

[How does the childbearing system upgrade?]

Little Mei didn’t answer with words. The birth system server flared into view—cold, blunt data.

Evolution: 13%. Grade: mortal beast.

So simple it was cruel.

Su Yan went quiet for a long moment. [So I really am doing a task. Giving birth to level up.]

[Warning, host: please eat as soon as possible. Maintain the energy required for fetal talent evolution.]

Su Yan didn’t even get time to respond before her awareness snapped back—kicked straight out of the system.

Little Luo came in carrying a bucket of fresh milk.

Su Yan licked her lips. “Bro, get me a straw.”

The “straw” was a hollow-stem plant she’d gathered from the beast forest. Wash it after, and it could be reused again and again.

She finished all the backstrap they had stored. She drank the milk dry, tugging hard through the straw until her throat ached.

She was exhausted.

And still hungry.

Last time, she’d at least had a brief gap—enough to breathe.

This time, there was no gap at all. Hunger gnawed and tightened, a living thing pacing inside her.

She was on the verge of digging into the system’s reward food when the cave entrance shifted.

Zulu returned.

He held a fistful of seven-star scarlet fruit in one hand and dragged a thick, heavy deer with the other. The deer hit the ground with a dull, meaty thud.

He tossed it at Oro. “Handle this.”

Then he strode straight to Su Yan and pressed the seven-star scarlet fruit into her hands as if offering salvation.

She wiped milk from the corner of her mouth and stared at what he’d brought. “How many plants?”

“Five. I brought these back first,” Zulu said. “I asked the clan’s bounty hunter to help search for more.”

Su Yan didn’t waste a breath. She ate.

Root, leaf, and all—chewing like she was afraid someone would take it from her.

Zulu watched her swallow, worry tightening his brow. “How do you feel?”

She finally let out a satisfied burp, eyes half-lidding. “Better.”

“Last time, Sister also ate a plant like this and only then stopped bingeing,” Little Luo said, relief loosening his shoulders. “Looks like we should keep these around. Can we grow them?”

“We can,” Zulu said, “but the mature stage is long. Not worth it.”

He touched Su Yan’s forehead, her ears, her cheeks—checking her the way he did now, like he couldn’t help himself. “If you want anything, tell me.”

“I’m fine.” Su Yan forced herself to stand. “I’m going to the beast god temple. I promised Ashley I’d help, and I already ate what she sent. I can’t skip out.”

“I’ll go with you.”

He combed his fingers through her hair with a gentleness that didn’t match his face. She’d felt it last night—how strangely he liked touching her, how soft he thought her hair was.

She looked up at him. He seemed taller again—taller even than Zulu himself.

“Alright,” she said, exhaling. “Let me change clothes.”

The dress she’d been wearing was ordinary to her, but it looked too fine here. She didn’t want eyes on her.

She came out in rough hemp.

Zulu frowned instantly. “That’s uncomfortable. Change back.”

Su Yan lifted the outer layer and flashed the soft white silk underneath. “I’m comfortable inside. This is just the outside.”

Only then did he grudgingly allow it.

After last night, his attitude had shifted in a way she couldn’t ignore.

Before, she did whatever she wanted.

Now, whatever she wanted to do, he watched. Especially her belly. As if one wrong step would shatter everything.

“I’m really fine,” she said, already tired of it.

With the childbearing system, once she was pregnant, the system would protect the whole process. No miscarriage. No premature birth. No accidents threatening the fetus.

Zulu didn’t care. “As long as you’re fine.”

…

At the beast god temple, people kept staring at him.

Some females blushed as they stole glances. Some brought hide paper over and asked Su Yan how to read the words—anything for an excuse to stand close.

It slowed her work to a crawl.

She kept her voice polite, but her patience was gone. “Brother, they’re building a stage over there. Why don’t you move your honored self and go give them a pointer or two?”

Zulu raised a brow, amused. “No need. They have earth-element talent. Building stages and houses is instinct. They’ll do it perfectly.”

The earth-element males heard that and instantly surged with energy. In moments, the frame of the stage took shape—fast and clean, and honestly impressive.

Su Yan stared at the speed of it. “Then go sit somewhere else. I’ll come find you the second I’m done.”

“Or I can help you work,” Zulu said, “and you go eat something. Don’t let yourself get hungry.”

He hadn’t seen it, but Little Luo had told him: she’d eaten all the meat at home.

The moment he said it, her stomach clenched again.

“You know how?”

“I’ve watched. That’s enough.”

She couldn’t even argue. His mind was sharp enough to make it insulting.

“Fine.” Su Yan waved him toward her work. “You do it. I’ll go ask Ashley for berries.”

“Watch your step,” he said, like she might topple over any second. “Don’t fall.”

Su Yan shot him a look. “I’m not a kid who just turned human.”