Nora had long lost hope, ready to die. She never expected this bear to lick her cheek. Normally, wouldn’t it just bite her to death?

She had kept her eyes tightly shut. Now, she slowly opened them to see the bear licking toward her again.

Instinctively, Nora tried to push the bear away. But she instantly regretted it—what if it got angry?

Yet the bear stayed just as gentle as before. Nora wondered silently: Was this Monstrous Beast just a dumb bear? No matter how she treated it, it remained docile.

She lightly tapped its head. The bear didn’t react, only licking her cheek harder.

Hope suddenly sparked in Nora’s heart. Her hand slowly reached for the Giant Axe lying nearby. She’d take a desperate gamble—if she killed this Monstrous Beast, it’d bring huge wealth.

The greedy girl thought only of the bounty, forgetting she’d nearly died moments ago.

Qin Jun naturally saw her move. He found it hilarious—this girl’s greed knew no bounds. He couldn’t let her smash the axe into him.

One bear paw slammed onto the Giant Axe. Nora jumped back, snatching her hand away. She glared at the axe, frustrated. Then cold sweat broke out—when the paw lifted, the axe lay shattered. That level 50 Giant Axe had cost her many crystal coins. It wasn’t top-tier, but decent mid-grade gear. She’d never seen a Monstrous Beast destroy such a weapon so easily. Was this beast over level 80? Impossible. This was the Monster Forest’s outskirts. Legends said a great mage had cast a Barrier on half the world’s Monster Forests, confining high-level beasts to the deep zones.

This forest was one such place.

Only rarely did the Barrier weaken for a few days, letting high-level beasts escape.

But that couldn’t happen now. Whenever the Barrier weakened, imperial mages always appeared to stop them.

No mages were here—the Barrier was strong.

Crucially, high-level Monstrous Beasts grew smarter with rank.

At level 80+, they could speak and take human form. This beast was clearly dumb—it didn’t even retaliate when attacked, let alone talk.

Watching the bear lunge to lick her again, Nora cupped its massive head. She stared into its eyes. “Don’t move. Can you understand me?”

Qin Jun nodded dumbly.

As a bear, he aimed to be multilingual, violent, lecherous, and loyal—a bear playing dumb to charm girls, not a pig eating tigers.

Seeing the nod, Nora’s heart fluttered. This bear wasn’t totally stupid—it understood human speech.

She asked the dumb beast, “Do you want to kill me?”

It shook its head.

Nora gave a firm “Hmm.” “Then get off me now.”

The bear hesitated, tongue lolling—clearly begging for more kisses.

Nora understood. How lecherous! Thank goodness it wasn’t a man; she’d rather die.

Resigned, she agreed, “Get off me, and I’ll let you kiss me once. Just once!” She held up a finger, playful.

Qin Jun scrambled up like a puppy, sitting obediently beside her. Nora brushed off dust and stood, reaching for her axe—then remembered it was dust.

Annoyed, she’d need to save for a new weapon. Seeing the bear ready to kiss her, she snapped, “Stop! It’s your fault my axe is gone.”

Qin Jun chuckled inwardly: *You tried to kill me for cash just now.*

He knew she was genuinely heartbroken. Her greed made that pain obvious—this axe hadn’t been cheap.

He roared, then pointed a paw toward a direction, nudging her forward. He’d replace the weapon he’d broken.

Nora didn’t understand, reluctant. But Qin Jun’s brute strength won—she went along half-willingly.

He led her to a hidden cave, darted inside, and forged a divine weapon—a level 50 Colossal Sword, far stronger than her old axe.

That Giant Axe had only basic stats, no extras.

This Colossal Sword would grant a temporary five-level boost—an absurdly overpowered trait.

It worked for any rank under 500. For Qin Jun, it was useless.

He carried the sword out in his mouth, dropping it before Nora.

At first, she didn’t care. *A dumb bear repaying a debt? What junk could it offer?*

But when she grasped the sword, its stats flashed in her mind. She was stunned. The base stats were ordinary, but that extra ability elevated it to top-tier gear. A five-level boost could turn any battle. Imagine needing exactly five levels to cast a spell—you’d unleash it instantly.

What a sword.

She eyed the “dumb” bear. How did it get this? Was the cave a hermit’s ruin?

Curious, she peeked inside. Empty.

Disappointed, she stepped out. More powerful gear could’ve cleared her debts. This sword wasn’t enough—the creditor owned weapons with far stronger traits. To him, this was merely decent.

A bear’s call snapped her back. The dumb beast stared eagerly, waiting for its promised kiss.

Nora hid her delight, feigning reluctance. “This sword’s worse than my axe. But fine—you get one kiss.”

Qin Jun looked impatient. He kissed her cheek, satisfied.

Nora slung the sword behind her back. “Dumb bear, I’m leaving. Sorry for earlier—I had no choice. Hope we meet again.”

Qin Jun whined, wanting to follow.

Seeing his sadness, Nora felt guilty. She’d tried to kill him and tricked him out of a treasure. “I have things to do. You can’t follow. But… I’ll let you kiss me a few more times, okay?”

Qin Jun nodded eagerly: *You can’t escape. I’ve marked you. No running.*

Time to seize the advantage.

He happily kissed her cheeks, slyly aiming for her lips. Nora blocked him with her hand.

Annoyed, she said, “You’re not dumb at all. No more ‘dumb bear’—you’re a lecherous bear now.”

“Goodbye. I must find my companions.”

She waved and walked away without looking back.

After Nora left, Qin Jun shifted back to human form. He grinned, savoring the taste—he’d stolen a lip kiss, hence her anger.

Sensing her direction, he watched her rejoin her team. She chattered about the “dumb” bear and her new Colossal Sword.

Qin Jun chuckled. *She calls me dumb? She’s the fool. Strangers aren’t friends—you don’t blab secrets or treasures. Possessing jade invites thieves.*

By revealing the sword’s power, she’d sparked greed. Qin Jun sensed it—everyone but the eldest shot her envious, covetous glares.