The moment Viora called my name, I looked away from the system screen and toward her.

She had already lowered the teacup in her hands and was facing my direction. At first glance, nothing seemed different. Her expression was as calm as before, and her posture remained relaxed.

Yet for some reason, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something had changed.

And before I could figure out what it was, another notification appeared in front of me.

Ding!

[Predatory Instinct Conversion Initiated.]

[Target: Wife.]

[Compatibility Check In Progress...]

Reading the text, a bad feeling immediately appeared inside my chest.

The words themselves didn’t sound dangerous, but they definitely didn’t sound reassuring either. Knowing this system, anything that sounded harmless usually ended up becoming a problem later.

Ding!

[Compatibility: Exceptional.]

[Mutation Absorption Rate: 327%.]

[Warning: Trait quality has exceeded original parameters.]

"What?"

I stared at the screen in disbelief.

’Three hundred and twenty-seven percent? How is that even possible?’

Before I could inspect the notification further, a small cracking sound suddenly reached my ears.

Crack.

My head instantly turned toward Viora.

Her hand was resting on the wooden table between us. More accurately, her fingers were pressing so deeply into the wood that thin cracks had already begun spreading across its surface.

"Viora?"

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she slowly placed a hand over her chest and frowned slightly.

"Strange..."

"What is?" Confused by her response, I asked.

"My heartbeat... It feels faster."

The moment those words left her mouth, another notification appeared.

Ding!

[Trait Integration Beginning.]

[Trait: Predatory Instinct.] 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

[Trait Rank Increased.]

[Instinct Evolution → Abyssal Predator’s Sense.]

My eyes widened, and my breath caught in my chest.

"What kind of evolution is that?"

The original trait had belonged to a goblin. Predatory Instinct was already dangerous enough.

But Abyssal Predator’s Sense sounded like something that belonged to an ancient monster lurking at the bottom of the ocean.

And somehow my blind wife had just obtained it?

I simply glanced between Viora and the screen as I waited for something to happen.

However, nothing major happened other than Viora cracking the wood with her finger, which she had stopped doing now and leaned back into the exact same position as before.

There was no dramatic transformation. No surge of power or glowing eyes.

Ding!

[Trait Integration Successful.]

[Mutation Complete.]

That was all. The notification disappeared, and everything returned to normal.

"..."

I rubbed my forehead in disappointment.

Honestly, after seeing a name like Abyssal Predator’s Sense, I expected something more impressive.

At the very least, some visible change. Instead, Viora was simply sitting there while the cracks remained visible in front of her.

"Are you feeling okay now?" I asked, and she nodded. "I am feeling better."

Yet, for some reason, I suddenly felt cheated.

’I nearly died for this.’

The two of us just sat there without saying anything further. The wind blew across the balcony, and the lake below reflected the morning sunlight.

Honestly, it was peaceful, which was why I didn’t notice anything strange at first. Not until Viora suddenly froze and turned her head toward me immediately.

"..."

Noticing her movement, I also looked at her and asked, "What happened?"

She didn’t answer. Instead, her brows furrowed, and she just kept her eyes on me as she remained motionless.

’What is she doing now? The trait thing has already finished. Could it be she is feeling the aftermath? At last, the trait is showing itself.’

I thought now I would see the thing I fought for, but rather, I got something else.

"Woo Jin."

Viora’s voice had changed. Instead of being cute and playful, it sounded cautious. Looking at her, my expression also became serious.

"What is it?"

"Something... is wrong."

The moment she said that, I instinctively looked around myself. The balcony, the garden, and the lake, but to me, everything looked completely normal.

’Is she feeling something inside her body?’

I got a bit worried and was going to stand up and walk up to her, but before me, she slowly moved and stood up.

Then her head turned slightly. Almost as if she was trying to locate something.

"What exactly is wrong?" Confused and a bit frustrated by her actions, I asked again.

"I don’t know," she began. "It feels... strange."

I frowned at her answer since that explanation wasn’t helping at all.

Then, suddenly, her head snapped toward my right side where only empty air was.

Immediately afterward, her expression changed, and the confusion was replaced by certainty.

"There."

"What?"

Before I could react, Viora’s hand moved. The empty teacup she had just placed on the table was suddenly grabbed by her and then thrown toward me.

WHOOSH!

The cup left her hand, and my eyes widened as it flew above my head. For a brief second, I thought she had lost her mind.

"What are you doi—"

CRASH!

I couldn’t complete my sentence when the teacup exploded in midair. Not against the wall or anything solid. It just shattered.

For a brief moment, everything became silent, and both Viora and I focused our attention on the space where the cup had broken.

Then, suddenly, a distorted outline began appearing, like ripples spreading across water.

The empty space behind me twisted, and a human figure emerged within that distorted outline.

A man dressed entirely in black stumbled backward. His face was hidden behind a mask. One of his hands held a dagger, and the other was covering the spot where the teacup had struck him.

"What?!!!"

Instinctively, I jumped up from the chair and moved two steps away from it.

’There had been someone standing behind me the entire time? Moreover, holding a dagger as if he was ready to kill me?’

A cold chill immediately ran through my spine. If Viora hadn’t reacted, would I even be alive right now?

And just like me, the assassin seemed just as shocked. His gaze shifted between me and Viora and then stopped at her.

As if he couldn’t understand how she had found him. Honestly... neither could I.

"Woo Jin."

Viora spoke up, and her voice pulled me back to reality. She slowly took a step forward and began walking toward the assassin.

"He is the one." Viora spoke again, and I raised an eyebrow at her words. "The one?"

"The one who wants to hurt you." As she said that, her eyes began to shine, and a screen appeared in front of me.

Ding!

[Trait: Abyssal Predator’s Sense has been successfully integrated into Wife’s body!]

Ding!

[Target/s perceived as hostile are detected.]