The living room fell silent.
Something happened?
Seeing Valentina's expression, Chuck frowned. What could make her look so grave?
Without delay, he stepped forward. "Lead the way."
Following the silver-haired woman, Chuck left the residence.
They climbed the steep slope to the stone beach. Valentina walked ahead, giving Chuck no chance to ask questions.
Crossing the stone beach, they arrived at the familiar redwood forest. Valentina stopped.
Chuck walked up to her, following her gaze...
Nothing but trees.
So what exactly happened?
A large question mark appeared over Chuck's head. Just as he turned to ask, a powerful force yanked his shoulder backward!
Sensing it was Valentina, Chuck raised an eyebrow but didn't resist, letting her pull him down.
In the next second, she straddled him urgently.
"I should have known... you actually fooled me..."
Seeing the flush of excitement on her face, Chuck sighed helplessly.
Her performance had genuinely made him nervous for a moment.
Turns out it was a surprise attack.
"Nice acting."
Valentina rode him, her full, round buttocks pressing firmly against his crotch. She ground her warm lower body against him, her emerald eyes gleaming with triumphant laughter.
"Today, you are my prey."
"Didn't get enough this morning? It's work hours."
"Cut the crap—mmph—"
Valentina leaned down forcefully, pressing his shoulders and kissing him.
Her soft tongue invaded his mouth, stirring recklessly. Her technique was rough—practically non-existent—relying entirely on passion.
Yet Chuck found it oddly enjoyable.
Feeling the sweetness and her silver hair tickling his face, he sighed internally.
Just had a halftime break, and now another special session.
Life was hard.
Fabric rustled. Valentina stripped faster than he imagined, naked in seconds.
Her snowy skin revealed clear, fluid muscle lines. She looked like a ceramic sculpture. Her pink nipples glistened in the forest's dim light, and her emerald eyes burned with intense desire, as if ready to swallow him whole.
Looking at this cunning, sexy, insatiable leopardess, Chuck licked his lips, interlaced his fingers behind his head, and lay back relaxed.
"Make it quick. We have work to do."
...
After unlocking her exclusive bonus, Valentina's physical stats had clearly improved.
Unlike Chuck, the 33% boost didn't make her larger or bulkier. Her appearance hadn't changed, but her muscle quality, organ strength, and athletic performance had definitely leveled up.
How did Chuck know?
Simple. Sex is cardio.
Unfortunately, improved stats didn't change the fact that she was a sensitive "small fry."
In the woods, she rode Chuck wildly in the cowgirl position, hips slamming rhythmically, movements powerful.
But it only lasted a few minutes. Chuck thrust upward suddenly. Valentina's abs bulged, and she convulsed with a beast-like roar, her size-42 feet cramping. Chuck was instantly flooded and forced to flip her over, taking the offensive.
Twenty minutes later, a heavy thrust sent ripples through her muscular buttocks. With a primal wail, Valentina opened up, receiving a massive load of Energy Essence deep inside.
As a faint light screen appeared on her sweaty, spasming abs, signaling the nourishment process, the surprise encounter ended with her defeat again.
Chuck stood up, dressed, and unceremoniously nudged the twitching, ass-up Valentina with his foot.
"Done enjoying yourself? Get up and work. Don't delay business."
"Under... understood."
Though a sneaky "small fry," Valentina was sensible. She struggled up, legs trembling and numb, dressed shakily, and took the axe from Chuck.
But after two steps, the sloshing sensation in her lower belly made her shoulders tremble. She looked down, touching her slightly bulging, firm abdomen, blushing.
"So full..."
"Just filled you up. You'll get used to it. Start working. You picked a good spot. I have instructions for you."
Chuck picked a redwood tree, spoke casually, and swung his axe.
...
Hearing she would fight alongside him, Valentina didn't react much. To her, it was only natural.
But learning Chuck planned to go west, kill the leopard, and then the tiger, her face turned serious.
Not acting this time.
"The leopard should be fine, but the tiger... difficult."
"That's why we take it step by step."
Chuck looked at her seriously. "If we hunt the leopard together, do you have any ideas?"
Valentina thought for a moment, then nodded. "Some."
"Great. That's what I wanted to hear."
Crack.
A redwood tree fell. Chuck holstered his axe, clapping his hands in satisfaction.
Valentina's strengths weren't just combat but survival and hunting. With her assistance, Chuck felt they could test the leopard's strength right now.
But better safe than sorry.
Preparation was key.
...
After the trial, Chuck felt everything progressing smoother.
Time flew when things went well. Two days passed in a blink.
Janet's doubled livestock bonus accelerated the silkworms and goats. The ewes were visibly showing, and the silkworms completed a cycle in four days instead of eight, leaving behind trays of waste and light brown cocoons.
It was the first mass production of silk. As expected, quality was poor—small, misshapen, dull.
Janet selected twenty of the best cocoons for the next generation. At this rate, weaving-quality silk wasn't far off.
The rest were processed into silk floss—not for fabric, but filling. Chuck got a soft silk pillow, the first animal-product bedding.
His lifejacket-pillow finally retired to the storage room.
The remaining pupae had a great use: Fish Bait.
With Valentina and Kaede's help, they felled forty redwood trees over two days. Chuck processed them into sharpened piles and drove them into the seabed near the southern reef.
Planks were laid on top, reinforced with mortise and tenon joints, mortar, and resin.
Without even using a blueprint, Chuck built a decent fishing pier. Except for occasional creaking, it was perfect.
Having a pier made the rest simple.
A wooden rod, fiber line, sharpened bronze hook, and fresh, wriggling pupae.
Though the rod was crude, the bait was top-tier. Handing the gear to Kaoru, her expression said it was challenging but possible.
Chuck wasn't worried. The 200% fishing efficiency bonus was there.
Sure enough, before lunch, Kaoru returned.
"How was it? Catch anything?"
Chuck dropped his forging hammer and wiped his hands, eyes fixed on her basket.
Kaoru paled, lowering her head like a child who made a mistake.
Chuck's heart sank. Even with the bonus?
If the pier failed, two days of effort were wasted.
But he wouldn't blame her. He stepped forward, stroking her blonde curls gently.
"It's okay. Even if you caught nothing, I won't blame you."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chuck."
Kaoru sniffled, carefully taking off the basket.
"I only caught two..."
Splash.
Chuck looked inside, eyes widening.
In a bit of seawater at the bottom lay two fish.
One was solid, dark brown with green mottling—a rock-like grouper. The other was smaller, slender, with silver scales—a sea bream.
Chuck was silent for five seconds.
"What are these?"
"This is a grouper, and that's a snapper."
"Mmh."
Chuck nodded, staring at the fish.
Kaoru, frightened by his silence, gripped the basket rim until her knuckles turned white. She whispered, "Mr. Chuck... is it too little? I can go try again..."
Chuck laughed. "Little? How is this little?"
The grouper was at least three pounds, the snapper nearly two. Soup or fillets, it was enough meat for one or two meals for the whole family!
And this was just one morning.
"Better than I imagined. Good job. Give them to Yitong; we're eating fish tonight."
Chuck patted her head, smiling encouragingly.
Kaoru beamed, nodded vigorously, and ran inside.
Chuck sighed in relief.
Kaoru's efficiency was good, and she clearly felt she underperformed. If she maintained this, she could fill the meat gap.
With the fish, the meat supply gained precious time. Instead of a week of goat, they had meat for half a month.
After that... either Janet's herd would produce, or Chuck would take the plains.
He was confident.
Everything was ready.
After lunch and a nap, around 2 PM, Chuck and Valentina gathered their gear and left the platform calmly.
Chuck carried a new steel pike on his back, a pot-lid-sized spiked buckler on his wrist, and a gleaming short sword at his waist.
Just as planned: gear designed for offense and defense against the leopard.
Valentina was simpler: steel javelins on her back and waist, tips forged by Chuck that morning, sharper and heavier than bronze.
They walked side by side along the stone beach, heading west. Their pace was unhurried.
As if going on a picnic, not a beast hunt.