Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Blood Ritual

Swanly’s heart cracked.

"No, baby is probably just resting."

Miko leaned closer.

"Baby."

Nothing.

He whispered:

"Miko brother."

Swanly smiled.

Miko pressed his cheek carefully against her stomach.

"Hello."

Tap.

His entire body jerked.

He screamed.

"IT KNOW MIKO!"

Kairo laughed.

Nilo immediately leaned closer.

Miko hugged Swanly’s stomach.

"Miko favorite!"

"You don’t know that."

"Yes."

"The baby has not even been born."

"Still favorite."

Kairo grabbed his shoulder.

"Move. My turn."

"No."

"Miko!"

"Baby want Miko."

"You had turn!"

"Baby choose."

Within three seconds, they were arguing over unborn children who could not hear half of what they were saying.

Swanly laughed until her stomach hurt.

Then Soren returned.

He stopped.

His eyes went first to Swanly.

Then Kael’s hand still resting lightly against her stomach.

Then three cubs crowded around her.

His expression changed.

Not anger.

Understanding.

He knew.

Swanly saw it happen.

The babies moved again.

Soren’s pupils narrowed.

He came forward.

Slowly.

His tail slid over the earth.

His silver gaze landed briefly on Kael’s hand.

For once, Kael did not react.

No challenge.

No deliberate possessiveness.

He simply removed his hand.

Stepped aside.

And gave Soren space.

Swanly noticed.

So did Soren.

Their eyes met.

Something unspoken passed between them.

Not friendship.

Absolutely not.

But maybe...

Acceptance.

A tiny, painful piece of it.

Soren approached.

Swanly suddenly felt awkward.

These were his children.

Yet most of her softest moments still happened naturally with Kael.

With Soren, everything remained complicated.

Their mating.

His mark.

His possessiveness.

Her confusion.

But these babies had nothing to do with that mess.

She looked at him.

"They’re moving."

His eyes immediately dropped to her stomach.

"I know."

"You know?"

"I can smell your excitement."

Swanly stared.

"That is extremely invasive."

His mouth twitched.

"May I?"

That stopped her.

Soren asking.

Not taking.

Swanly softened.

"Yes."

He crouched.

His hand settled over her stomach.

Cold.

Large.

Careful.

Nothing happened.

Soren waited.

Then a strong little movement struck beneath his palm.

His eyes widened.

Only slightly.

But Swanly saw it.

Another.

His fingers flexed.

His expression became so strange Swanly almost laughed.

Soren, who could break necks without blinking.

Soren, who ruled Riverbone like violence had personally elected him.

Soren, who rarely looked surprised by anything.

Was staring at her stomach like it contained the moon.

"My young."

His voice came quieter than she expected.

Miko immediately corrected him.

"Our babies."

Soren looked at him.

Miko pointed at everyone.

"Mama babies. Snake babies. Cub babies."

Soren considered this.

Then nodded once.

"Our young."

Miko looked satisfied.

Swanly laughed.

The babies moved again.

And for a little while, none of them cared about Veskari.

Or Rot.

Or ancient doors.

Or jealousy.

They simply sat around Swanly’s stomach waiting for tiny kicks.

And for the first time since learning she was pregnant, Swanly understood it somewhere deeper than thought.

She was going to have babies.

Her babies.

Her hand covered Soren’s.

Kael’s golden eyes lowered briefly to that touch.

Pain flickered.

But he did not leave.

Instead, Kairo crawled into his lap.

Kael wrapped an arm around him.

Nilo leaned against his leg.

Miko remained glued to Swanly’s stomach.

A strange family.

A messy one.

But hers.

Then a pale-gold fairy shot into Swanly’s face.

{HOST!}

Swanly nearly headbutted her.

Her eyes crossed.

What?!

The system floated excitedly in front of her.

{Important discovery!}

Swanly looked around.

Everyone else was still staring at her stomach.

Could you not appear directly between my eyes?

The system moved backward.

Its cheeks puffed.

{Yesterday, this system completed an extended environmental examination.}

Swanly’s expression changed.

About the Veskari?

{Partly.}

The fairy became serious.

{They remain nearby.}

Swanly’s smile vanished.

How nearby?

{Beyond Ironwood’s claimed boundary. They have moved several times, but they have not completely withdrawn from the surrounding region.}

Swanly looked instinctively toward the western wall.

So that feeling...

She had been right.

They were still around.

Watching.

Waiting.

{There is more.}

Of course there is.

The system cleared its tiny throat.

{Host already understands that your arrival in this world resulted from an inter-universal transfer error.}

Swanly’s eyes narrowed.

She remembered that mess very fucking well.

Wrong universe.

Dead body.

System late.

No way back.

Wonderful memories.

{This system has detected instability similar to the disturbance involved in Host’s original transfer.}.

Swanly went cold.

Explain.

The system’s expression became uneasy.

{There may be another disruption between universes.}

Swanly stared.

May be?

{Not confirmed.}

What happens if it happens?

The fairy hesitated.

{Living creatures, objects, or other matter from another universe may cross into this one.}

Swanly’s mouth slowly opened.

No.

Absolutely fucking not.

She already had zombies.

Beastmen.

Root Mothers.

Ancient giants.

Winged electric assholes.

She did not need the multiverse throwing additional problems at her.

Can you stop it?

{Unknown.}

Fantastic.

{Host should not panic.}

I am not panicking.

{Your eye is twitching.}

Swanly ignored that.

The system brightened.

{This system did discover something useful.}

Finally.

{Ironwood possesses a territorial claim law older than current beast tribes.}

Swanly listened.

{The first stable people to claim, inhabit, defend, and sustain previously unclaimed land become recognized by the land itself.}

Swanly understood immediately.

That’s why the Veskari couldn’t enter.

{Correct!}

The fairy spun once.

{Those already recognized as part of the settlement may move freely. Outsiders with certain ancient bloodlines or powers cannot cross without permission from a recognized gate-holder.}

Swanly frowned.

Gate-holder?

{At present, permission is bound collectively to the settlement. That is useful but unstable. A formal blood ritual can establish one recognized gate-holder.}

Interesting.

One person decides who gets in?

{Essentially.}

Then Soren.

The answer came instantly.

Soren was the leader.

His people.

His territory.

His responsibility.

She did not want every new magical rule somehow handing her another crown she had never asked for.

The system’s tiny mouth curved.

Swanly narrowed her eyes.

Why are you smiling?

The smile widened.

System.

Tiny hands clasped together.

{Ahem.}

Oh no.

{Would Host perhaps like to purchase the complete Blood Boundary Ritual Guide?}

Swanly stared.

There it was.

The little thief.

How much?

{Only fifty points!}

Only?

The system’s cheeks puffed sweetly.

{A remarkably affordable investment in settlement security.}

You practiced that sentence.

{No.}

You absolutely practiced it.

The fairy smiled harder.

{Purchase?}

Swanly glared.

Kael noticed.

His brows drew together.

"Swanly?"

She did not respond.

She was currently imagining strangling something no one else could see.

Kael glanced toward the empty air she was staring at.

"Are you looking at your magic?"

Swanly continued glaring.

Kael’s expression became slightly concerned for the invisible magic.

Soren raised one eyebrow.

"What did it do?"

Swanly sighed inwardly.

Fine.

The system’s wings shot straight up.

{Purchase successful!}

Fifty points vanished.

The fairy hugged itself.

Swanly narrowed her eyes.

You enjoy taking my points way too much.

{Host’s points support important system services.}

You are a parasite.

{A cute parasite.}

Unfortunately true.

Golden information unfolded before Swanly.

She read quickly.

Simple ingredients.

Blood.

Stone from the claimed boundary.

Water from Ironwood’s spring.

A spoken claim by the recognized leader.

Nothing impossible.

The system vanished after giving her a smug little wave.

Swanly turned toward Soren.

"I figured out why they couldn’t enter."

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