Heavens! I’ve grown beast ears!
Just like Nanalia’s— soft, fluffy, and velvety.
But while Nanalia’s were a uniform peach pink, Wu Xiaomi’s ears faded from pure white at the base to a cherry blossom pink at the tips, matching her hair color.
“This doesn’t make sense.”
Nanalia cautiously poked Xiaomi’s new ears, sending shivers through her body and drawing out a stream of pitiful whimpers.
She muttered to herself, “The Spirit of Abundance has never changed a believer’s race before…”
“Eh?”
“My spiritual lineage comes from my parents,” Nanalia said, pointing to her own ears.
“I was born like this. But you’re different. You’re human. Your race shouldn’t change so easily, unless…”
Wu Xiaomi thought for a moment.
“Could it be… because of the demon?”
“No,” Nanalia shook her head.
“Even a demon’s mimicry needs a base spiritual source connected to the Spirit of Abundance.”
Spiritual source of the Spirit of Abundance?
I’m not even from this world.
How could I possibly have a spiritual source from it?
“It’s strange,” Nanalia said, placing her delicate fingers on Xiaomi’s collarbone and closing her eyes in concentration.
“Your spiritual energy is complicated. Besides the Spirit of Abundance, there are many others inside you… some I can’t even name.”
“Is that going to be a problem?”
“There are upsides and downsides,” Nanalia said with a concerned expression.
“A spiritual source is like a seed—each one can grow into a towering tree. But if there are too many seeds, they’ll fight over nutrients. That’s probably why you’re so weak.”
“Then why the ears?”
“Most likely because you’ve been close to the Spirit of Abundance lately. It must have awakened the seed related to it.”
Oh. That made some sense.
“But if you really do have the Spirit of Abundance’s spiritual source, then things will be much easier!” Nanalia beamed warmly. “Let’s start training!”
……
Time passed quickly in the rhythm of growth.
Sweeping fallen leaves, polishing idols, occasionally helping Nanalia with her laundry…
Nanalia had no qualms about bossing her little apprentice around.
But as a teacher, she was also deeply dedicated to passing on her skills to Wu Xiaomi.
“Can you feel it?”
“A little fuzzy…”
“Calm your mind. Your abilities are hidden within your spiritual source—you just need to remember them,” Nanalia said softly.
“I still feel lost…”
Xiaomi slumped onto the ground, disheartened.
She began to doubt herself.
Was her fake Spirit of Abundance just useless?
Nanalia sat cross-legged in front of her.
“Don’t give up. I was even dumber when I started.”
Really? That’s a relief…
Wait a sec, did she just call me dumb?
“All abilities are buried in your spiritual source,” Nanalia continued.
“It’s your innate talent, part of your body like wiggling your fingers or blinking your eyes.”
As she spoke, her fingertips lit up with a soft glow.
“This is Spell Sequence No. 97 – Lightguiding. The smaller the number, the stronger the power—and the harder it is to cast.”
“Sequence?”
“In The First Scroll Under Heaven, there are three major types of abilities, each with 360 unique sequences,” Nanalia explained.
“The three types are Spell Sequence, Combat Sequence, and Shaman Sequence.”
“Which type does the Spirit of Abundance belong to?” Wu Xiaomi blinked.
“Mostly Shaman.”
Nanalia was nothing if not patient— a truly reliable teacher.
“It’s said that with the power of the Spirit of Abundance, you can access high-level abilities like Spell Sequence No. 45 – Celestial Glacial Fall, Combat Sequence No. 32 – Azure Song Burning Sky, or even Shaman Sequence No. 7 – Dance of Abundance. Of course… I’m not that powerful.”
“How high can you go?”
“Starting from my grandmother’s generation, we could only reach Shaman Sequence No. 80 – Blessing of Grain Rain. Anything beyond Sequence 95 is totally out of reach,” Nanalia stuck out her tongue.
“No idea why. If I could get past Sequence 79, maybe the Beast-Faced Tribe wouldn’t be so arrogant.”
“Is 79 that strong?”
“Sequence 79 is one of the few offensive abilities in the Shaman Sequence…”
Nanalia sighed.
“Anyway, enough rambling. Back to dancing. Ritual dance helps awaken your spiritual power.”
“Again?! Isn’t there any other way?” Wu Xiaomi moaned.
“Nope! Practice!”
As a former rough-and-tumble guy, Wu Xiaomi felt deeply embarrassed by dancing.
Especially this kind of dance—graceful and feminine, showcasing the dancer’s soft, alluring charm.
It demanded grace, poise, and precise expressions.
And Nanalia was nothing if not a strict teacher…
Under her constant corrections and detailed instructions, Xiaomi’s once-sloppy habits were gradually worn away over the course of a few days.
Her every move, bit by bit, began to mirror Nanalia’s—elegant and gentle.
And yet, there was no reaction from the sequence abilities at all.
Not until the seventh day.
“…”
Wu Xiaomi woke up to a strange warmth between her thighs and her brain froze on the spot.
Crap! This wet feeling…
Did I just wet the bed?!
A grown girl like me, and I still managed to paint a Mona Lisa on the sheets?
Stiffly, she turned her head toward the nearby idol.
Ever since moving into the shrine, she’d been sleeping on a futon laid out in the main worship hall.
Thank goodness she didn’t share a room with Nanalia…
Now the statue was the only witness to this crime.
What should I do? What should I do?!
Before Nanalia sees this, I need to destroy the evidence—wash the bedding, fast!
Terrified, she sat upright.
Hands trembling, she lifted the blanket.
“Uwaaah—!”
Morning light cast a soft glow on the girl’s cheeks as her panicked cry startled the swallows resting under the eaves.
—I bled so much!
She had woken up in a sea of crimson… Who could stay calm seeing something like that?!
After the initial panic, she forced herself to calm down.
Her lower abdomen throbbed with a dull ache, her underwear felt sticky and damp and the breeze made it all feel cold.
Could it be… that thing all girls go through?
Her… her first period?
The bloodstains seemed to scream at her, reminding her with brutal clarity— Wu Xiaomi, you’re not who you used to be anymore.
You have to face this. Pretending it didn’t happen won’t help.
In that moment, anxiety, confusion, shame and even a bit of guilt for dirtying the bedding—all tangled together.
A storm of mixed emotions.
And of course, right then…
Her body suddenly responded to a powerful, overwhelming sensation.
Compelled by an unfamiliar force, she stepped out of bed.
Blood still trickled down her pale legs.
When it reached the silver anklet she wore, the metal greedily absorbed it.
“It’s the Spirit of Abundance! Your spiritual source has activated, you’re responding!” Nanalia burst into the hall, thrilled. “The first awakened ability is always important. I wonder which one you’ve—wait, are you hurt?!”
She saw the trail of blood and immediately rushed to check Wu Xiaomi’s condition.
But soon enough, she understood the source.
“Pfft—” Nanalia let out an unseemly laugh.
“Looks like today’s your first awakening… in every sense of the word.”
Wu Xiaomi looked like she was about to cry.
Why now, of all times?!