Chapter 140: Mama Bird Fox

Ren sat frozen on the white furs, her heart pounding against her ribs as the System’s warning echoed in her mind.

“What exactly is the Rite of the Severed Fang?”

[System: It is an ancient and sacred rite, Host. Essentially, it is a duel to the death between two Beast Kings to claim sole ownership of a female. The winner gets the girl. The loser gets… well, decomposed.]

The text on the blue screen scrolled up, adding a terrifying addendum.

[System: And before you ask—no, they cannot just “talk it out.” Once the Rite is declared by both Kings, it must be carried out. It is binding. If a Beast King revokes his declaration, he is instantly stripped of his title. He is no longer a King; he becomes an average beastman. So, essentially… one of them has to die, or one of them has to lose everything.]

Ren let out a frustrated, horrified groan, letting her head fall back against the wooden wall of the den.

“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard,” she muttered, closing her eyes. “We are not in the stone age—oh, wait. We literally are.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stave off the headache that was rapidly forming behind her eyes. She could only imagine Syris’ reaction when he woke up by the river bank and found her gone. She had slipped away in the middle of the night to find Vex and cure Kael, leaving the Snake King behind without a word.

“He must be furious,” Ren whispered, guilt and annoyance warring in her stomach. “I lied to him. He probably figured it out by now and thinks I ran off with Kael on purpose.”

She slumped further into the furs, her body feeling too heavy to move. “Which… is sort of true, but I didn’t plan for it to happen like this.”

She sighed deeply. “Polygamy is too hard,” she whined to the empty room. “Why can’t they just get along? Why does everything have to end in a death match?”

[System: Emotional maturity is not a stat Beastmen invest in, Host. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your harem management is about to get significantly harder. The candidate for your third husband has arrived.]

Ren’s eyes flew open. ’Third husband? Who—’

As if on cue, a shadow fell over the arched entrance of the hollow tree.

Ren looked up.

Vex was wearing his usual smirk, the one that suggested he knew the punchline to a joke everyone else was missing. His vibrant orange eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked her over. In one hand, he held a large green leaf filled with small, white mushrooms. In the other, he balanced a crude clay bowl filled with water.

He sauntered toward her, his bare feet moving silently across the grass.

“Sleeping Beauty is finally awake,” Vex drawled, his voice smooth as silk. “I was wondering if I needed to kiss you to wake you up.”

Ren’s face flushed a deep crimson against her will. The memory hit her like a physical blow—the feeling of his lips on hers from before, the surprising softness, and the undeniable skill he had shown as a kisser.

She shook her head violently, forcing the memory into the mental trash bin. She glared at him, trying to look intimidating despite her disheveled state.

“Don’t you dare,” Ren warned, her voice lacking its usual bite. “Where is Kael?”

Vex ignored the question completely. He knelt beside the furs, bringing the clay bowl and the leaf closer to her face.

“Drink. Eat,” Vex commanded gently, offering them to her.

Ren looked at the water and the mushrooms with deep suspicion. Her throat was parched, scratching like sandpaper, and her stomach gave a treacherous growl that echoed in the quiet cave. But she didn’t reach for them.

“What is in it?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. “Is it poisoned? Is it another aphrodisiac? I am not eating anything you give me, Vex. I learned my lesson.”

Vex chuckled, the sound low and rumbling in his chest. “So suspicious, Little Rose. It is just water from the spring and Snow Mushrooms. They are good for stamina. You need it.”

[System: Analysis complete. Contents: H2O and edible Fungi. No toxins. No aphrodisiacs. Safe to consume.]

Ren gritted her teeth. She didn’t trust him. And she certainly didn’t trust the System. For all she knew, the System was working with the fox to drive her insane.

Ren had doubts. She was certain that the System was definitely out to get her.

“I’m not hungry,” Ren lied, crossing her arms over her stomach to muffle its protests.

Vex’s smirk faded. His lips curled into a frown as he leaned in closer, invading her personal space.

He really looked at her then. He took in the unnatural pallor of her skin, the beads of cold sweat gathering on her forehead, and the way her chest rose and fell with shallow, ragged breaths. Her cheeks were flushed, but not in a healthy way.

“You are not fine,” Vex said, his voice dropping the playful lilt and becoming serious. “You look pale.”

Ren opened her mouth to argue, but Vex didn’t give her the chance. He reached out, his movement gentle but firm, and placed his palm against her forehead. His hand was cool, a stark contrast to her skin.

“You are burning up,” he murmured, his brows knitting together in concern.

“I’m fine,” Ren snapped stubbornly, trying to bat his hand away, though her coordination was sluggish. “I just have a high body temperature. It’s the humidity. I am perfectly healthy.”

Vex didn’t listen. He moved in. He leaned in closer, practically hovering over her, forcing her to look up at him. He put down the clay bowl and used his free hand to tilt her chin up, his thumb caressing her bottom lip in a way that made her breath hitch.

His brilliant orange eyes bore into hers, dark and intense.

“Eat the mushrooms and drink the water,” Vex whispered, his tone seductive yet laced with an underlying command. “Or I will make you do it.”

A slow, wicked smile curved onto his lips as he brought his face inches from hers.

“Mama bird style.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep