Craft a trap

The two succubus women exchanged confused glances before turning to Shennong. "What do you mean by we are going to wait until the right moment?" one of them asked, her tail flicking with curiosity.

Shennong crouched down, grabbing a stick from the ground. With slow, deliberate movements, he began drawing lines in the soil. "The humans went that way," he said, pointing to a set of faint footprints leading deeper into the forest. "That means they'll likely return through here because I saw them marking their path. If we plan it right, we can take them by surprise."

The succubi frowned. "And what are we supposed to do about it?" the second one asked. "We don't usually go after groups of adventurers. That's dangerous. They have weapons. We prefer easy prey—villagers, lost travelers."

Shennong smiled, eyes gleaming. "Well, we don't really have to do anything. We just need to put some traps and they will walk right on to it.."

The two succubi exchanged uneasy glances. "It's too risky," the second one said. "They could kill us."

"Don't worry," Shennong reassured them. "I have a plan."

He began drawing more symbols and lines in the dirt, outlining a rough strategy. The succubi leaned closer, their curiosity growing. "We set traps along their path. Not just any traps, but ones designed to slow them down and separate them. If we're lucky, at least one of them will trigger."

From his bag, which neither Yenissa nor the succubi had ever seen him fully open before, Shennong pulled out a strange object. It looked like a thick, curved branch with a strong string attached to it.

"What's that?" Yenissa asked, her eyes narrowing.

"A crossbow," Shennong said, holding it up. "This little thing can kill at a distance. Much better than using claws or magic up close also this is my [Inventory]. One of my skills. Anytime I use a sack or a backpack like this, unlike normal people I get extra space."

Rilith was surprised and shocked. "I didn't even know you had some skill like that,"

"We don't need to fight them directly," Shennong explained, setting the crossbow aside. "We just need to weaken them, trap them, and then take what we need. That's why I also need a large amount of spider silk. After they are captured I know you can use your [Succubus Fume] to weaken them."

"We can do that but what about other things? We don't have enough time to find them right?" Rilith muttered.

"Spider silk?" The Velara tilted her head. "That won't be hard to find, especially in this forest. There are entire nests of giant spiders deeper in."

Shennong grinned. "I know. But I don't need to go searching. I already have plenty."

The two succubi looked at him in disbelief. "How?" Rilith finally asked. "What have you been doing in this forest all this time?"

Shennong's smile deepened. "Living. Learning. Preparing."

For a moment, there was silence. The succubi stared at him, an uneasy feeling creeping into their minds. There was something different about Shennong—something not quite normal.

And for the first time, they wondered if they had underestimated the man standing before them.

The succubi followed Shennong as he led them through the trees, pointing out where the traps would go. "First, we'll dig a few pitfalls here and cover them with leaves. Just deep enough to break an ankle or slow them down."

"And then?" Velara asked.

"Then we weave the spider silk across the paths, hidden among the trees," Shennong continued. "If they hit one, they'll get tangled. If we add some honey to them, even better—it'll slow them even more."

The second succubus smirked. "That could work. But what if they have magic users? Some of them can just burn the webs away."

"That's why we make them thick. Too much silk and fire won't burn through fast enough before the rest of the group moves ahead, leaving the mage behind." He pointed at a thick tree branch overhead. "And that's where I'll be waiting with the crossbow."

Yenissa crossed her arms, watching him closely. "You've put a lot of thought into this."

"Of course." Shennong glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "This isn't the first time I've had to survive."

The succubi were starting to believe him but they didn't know he was talking about a video game rather than real life.

As night fell, the three worked in silence, setting the traps. The pits were dug, hidden beneath layers of leaves and loose soil. The silk, gathered from Shennong's personal stash, was carefully woven between the trees, creating near-invisible barriers. 

Yenissa tested one with her claw, watching as the sticky silk clung to her fingers. "This is impressive. I didn't know you had this much."

Shennong merely smiled. "I told you—I've been preparing."

Once everything was in place, they retreated to the shadows, waiting while Shennong was covering the tips of his bolts with paralysing venom from a tree he found nearby called Devil's thorn.

***

Yenissa paced back and forth inside the small wooden shack, her sharp nails clicking against the rough wooden floor. The dim glow of torches flickered, casting long shadows against the walls, but her mind was elsewhere. Something wasn't right.

"Where is he…?" she muttered, her crimson eyes narrowing in frustration. "Where is Shennong?"

A deep sense of unease settled in her stomach, making her wings twitch with agitation. It had been too long since he had left, and she had expected him back by now. The thought of her two succubus friends crossed her mind, and her hands clenched into fists.

"If they even laid a fingernail on him… I'll kill them both," she swore under her breath, her voice dripping with venom.

Her tail flicked in irritation as she thought back to everything that had led her to this moment. She still remembered that night—the night she picked up the tiny, squirming baby from the arms of that desperate, running man. She had meant to raise him as prey, a delicious, perfectly cultivated meal.

That is the exact reason why she had been feeding him things that would increase his libido and his life force. 

But things didn't go as planned.

She sighed, running a hand through her long, silken hair. "I was supposed to make him my best meal… but instead…"

Instead, she had found herself caring for him in ways she had never imagined. At first, it was simple amusement—watching the tiny human grow, feeding him, keeping him warm. But as he started to look up at her with those innocent, trusting eyes, something in her changed.

She had never known love before. Not like this.

And then the strangest thing had happened. Her body had begun to change in ways it never should have. Succubi weren't supposed to lactate. It was unheard of. And yet, when Shennong had nuzzled against her, seeking comfort, her body had responded in a way she couldn't explain. It was as if she had been made for him—not as prey and predator, but as something more. Something deeper. Something terrifyingly real.

But she knew something happened to Shennong's humanity everytime he drank her milk. She didn't want to admit it, but more than any fruits or any meat, her milk had the most effect on Shennong increasing his libido, penis size and changing his whole body in ways nobody could expect.

"I need to find him," she whispered. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and she could no longer stand waiting.

Grabbing a dark cloak, she pulled it over her shoulders, her wings folding neatly beneath it. The moment she stepped outside, the cool night air wrapped around her like a warning. The trees whispered as the wind passed through them, and the forest beyond loomed, dark and endless.

She took a deep breath and stepped forward.