Chapter 146: New Development

"I am so glad we are having this date."

"This... date?"

Xavi and Ermin looked up at her at the same time, their hands frozen mid-task. The two males had been sorting through the fruits and smoked meat they had brought along with them.

The three of them were seated on a wide fur mat beside an uphill stream in the forest, as the late afternoon light filtered through the canopy in warm, shifting patches.

Tera smiled at them. "Yes. A date."

They both stared at her blankly.

"What is a date?" Xavi asked.

"Is it a fruit?" Ermin looked down at the food spread, as if checking whether he had missed something.

Tera chuckled. "No."

Just last night, she and Ermin had returned to the shelter after the pink panther had talked his heart out. She had been happy to see Ermin so relieved, and by the time they had joined Xavi in that bed, all three of them had gone into a deep sleep.

When morning came, Ermin was different.

He looked shockingly calmer, and it left Tera a little worried that he had been carrying that struggle for so long without telling anyone else. It was to the point that even Xavi had noticed the panther’s slight change and had pointed it out.

Tera had looked at both males that morning and made a decision.

"I want to spend time with both of you today. Just us. We haven’t had that time in a while, ever since the cubs had arrived."

Her mates’ faces had brightened, and the visible spark behind their eyes had told Tera everything she needed to know about how badly this was overdue.

They had prepared with such enthusiasm that it had shocked Tera. She had wanted to help too, but that had refused. Xavi had started deciding on the fruits and smoked meat to bring while Ermin had found the softest fur in their shelter and rolled it up to carry under his arm.

The cubs had been dropped at the nursery. Nadia had gone willingly, but Althea had clung to Ermin’s tail for a solid thirty seconds before being bribed with a chunk of tuber.

The wolves had caused a brief complication that morning. Calis had surprisingly been going around to groups of the beasts and apologising, which mortified Tera and had put the wolf’s action on pause.

Just how many times was he going to do this?

It was then that he expressed his intent to apologise to the clan for taking Tera, and was actually preparing to leave that morning. But Xavi, to Tera’s surprise, had told them to stay a few more days.

Tera had seen the flicker of conflict on Calis’s face, and she wondered why Calis wanted to leave exactly. He no longer seemed comfortable there like before, and he had been more formal with Tera. But before Calis could insist, Faelynn had stepped in and declared that she was not going anywhere and wanted to take Xavi’s offer and stay.

It was funny watching the male wolf banter with his sister who had once again thwarted his plans.

Tera had also gently reminded the wolves about their promise to get to know each other better, and Calis had relented without further protest.

The system had been oddly silent throughout this time, even when she had called it out to gauge Calis’ thoughts.

Tera wondered if it had been because of what she had said, but hadn’t been too sure about it.

If it was under fire with management regarding her nearly breaking that rule, she hoped it would make the system actually sit up this time.

But Tera decided not to think about it. Today was not for the system. It was for her and her mates.

"Don’t worry about it." She smiled and popped a grape into Xavi’s mouth. "It just means we are spending some time together."

They both smiled warmly and continued what they were doing while Tera looked up to the sky.

As much as she would like another threesome with these two despite not getting it in months, spending some time with them like this was nice—

[This system is back and reporting for duty!]

[ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ]

Tera’s smile faltered.

’Please, go away.’

[But Host—]

’I am begging you for this one thing. Let me have this moment with my mates. You can tell me all about how management grilled you later.’

The system paused.

[This system did not meet with management?]

[(꒪ᗜ꒪;)??]

[This system stopped Host before management noticed]

[Crisis was averted]

’Great. Then there is nothing urgent. Goodbye.’

Tera turned back to her mates and reached for a fruit, fully intending to pretend the floating screen didn’t exist.

The system didn’t leave.

[Host]

[(◞‸◟)]

She ignored it.

[This system has been doing some internal reflection during its silence]

Tera bit into the fruit.

[I have reviewed past actions and how this system could have handled things more efficiently]

Tera chewed aggressively.

[The truth is, this system possesses a vast amount of knowledge and details that would benefit Host]

[But it would be impossible for Host’s mind to contain it all at once]

[So this system has spent this time partitioning the most necessary information Host will need going forward at intervals]

[This system will be gradually providing Host with necessary details at each stage of Host’s journey]

[(,,>﹏<,,)]

[This system truly wants to help Host in every way it can]

[And it wants to do its best]

Tera stopped chewing.

As much as she had tried to ignore the system, she couldn’t help but still look at the screen.

A bad feeling swept through her body at the system’s mention of ’stages’.

But before that...

’This is not the first time you have apologised for your error and then gone right back to doing the same thing.’

[This system knows]

[(ᵕ ó ᴗ ò)]

[But this time is different]

[This system has genuinely restructured its approach!]

Tera sighed. As much as she wanted to believe the system, it would be foolish to fully trust it.

’Fine. But I am occupied right now, so if you could—’

[This system understands Host wants to enjoy her time with her mates]

[But Host has just experienced a real-time development that this system cannot withhold]

Tera’s brow furrowed. ’A real-time development? What are you talking about?’

[DING!]

[MILESTONE DETECTED]