Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 126: Chapter 126: What Do You Mean I’m Pregnant?

Nearly a week had passed since they entered Ironwood Basin.

And somehow, nothing had tried to eat them.

Swanly did not trust it.

The enormous footprint beside the spring had not been a mistake. After checking the surrounding forest, they found claw marks on trees, crushed stone, and one massive sleeping crater farther inside the basin.

Something huge lived here.

It simply had not come home yet.

Wonderful.

So while everyone else celebrated their new settlement, Swanly prepared for the day their landlord returned and discovered several dozen strangers occupying its property.

Still, Ironwood was good.

They had fresh water.

Fruit.

Game.

Stone caves.

Tovan had reinforced the entrances. Swanly taught people how to make planting rows instead of throwing seeds at the ground and praying.

The cubs received their own small cave beside hers.

Mostly because Swanly loved them.

Partly because Miko had attempted to crawl into a crack in the wall on their second night because he had ”heard friend.”

There had been no friend.

Only a large insect.

He tried to eat it.

Now their cave had guards.

At that moment, however, Swanly had much greater problems.

She stood inside her storage space with both hands planted on her hips.

”What do you mean I’m pregnant?”

The system fairy sat on a mountain of packaged snacks.

Crunch.

It chewed slowly.

Then looked at her.

”You’re pregnant.”

”I heard that part!”

”Then why ask?”

Swanly’s eye twitched.

The system took another bite.

”You mated with a snake.”

Swanly stared.

The fairy shrugged.

”You fucked him.”

”WHY ARE YOU SAYING IT LIKE THAT?”

”Because you did?”

Swanly lunged.

The system immediately covered both ears.

”No! No! Stay away! You already abused these!”

Swanly stopped.

”That was months ago!”

”My ears remember!”

”You don’t even have real ears!”

The system gasped.

Its tiny hands slowly lowered.

”That is extremely offensive.”

Swanly reached for it again.

The fairy screamed and flew backward.

”My ears! My beautiful ears!”

”Come here!”

”No!”

It zigzagged around a shelf.

Swanly chased it.

”You wait until I catch you!”

”You are pregnant! You should not be running!”

Swanly stopped dead.

The system also stopped.

Slowly, Swanly pointed at it.

”You did that on purpose.”

”Yes.”

Silence.

Crunch.

The system took another bite.

Swanly snatched the snack bag from its hands.

The fairy’s mouth fell open.

”That’s mine!”

”Not anymore.”

”You gave it to me!”

”I changed my mind.”

”That is theft!”

”You live inside my space!”

”You cannot use housing inequality against me!”

It flew at the bag.

Swanly lifted it higher.

The fairy grabbed the edge.

”Give!”

”No.”

”Give!”

”No.”

”My snack!”

Swanly caught it by one tiny ankle.

The system froze.

Then screamed like she had stabbed it.

”MURDER!”

”You are upside down.”

”MY EAR!”

”I am holding your leg!”

”My ear feels your violent intentions!”

Swanly flung it.

The fairy sailed across the storage space.

It landed face-first in a pile of snacks.

Silence.

Then one tiny hand rose dramatically.

”I have been abused my entire life.”

Swanly stared.

”You got that body a few months ago.”

The system rolled onto its back.

”Exactly.”

”What?”

”You have abused my body for almost its entire existence.”

Swanly rubbed her forehead.

”You are insane.”

The fairy sat up and admired its own arms.

”But cute.”

”You are annoying.”

”Cute and annoying.”

”Mostly annoying.”

The system smiled.

”I love this body. Best thing I have ever done.”

”Apart from using it to frustrate me?”

”That is one of its main functions.”

Swanly sighed and dropped onto a storage box.

Then the humor vanished.

Her hand slowly touched her stomach.

Nothing felt different.

Flat.

Normal.

Pregnant.

Her brain rejected the word all over again.

”How far?”

The system floated closer.

”Early.”

”And...”

Swanly swallowed.

”It is Soren’s?”

The system stared at her.

”Who else did you mate with inside an underground aphrodisiac flower chamber?”

Swanly covered her face.

”Please stop describing it.”

”White snake paternal bloodline confirmed.”

”Oh my God.”

”You already said that.”

”I’m going to have snake babies.”

”Possibly.”

Swanly’s head shot up.

”Possibly?”

”Beast bloodlines can express differently.”

”That did not make me feel better!”

The system began counting on its fingers.

”You should expect increased hunger, fatigue, scent changes, weight gain...”

Swanly’s eyes widened.

”Weight gain?”

”You will get fatter.”

”Excuse me?”

”Round.”

”Stop.”

”Very round.”

Swanly grabbed another snack and threw it.

The fairy dodged.

”And then in a few months, birth.”

Swanly went completely still.

Birth.

Actual birth.

Not waking up and discovering three already-made panther cubs staring at her.

Not skipping pregnancy.

Not skipping labor.

She had to produce the babies herself.

Her face slowly drained of color.

”I have to give birth.”

”Yes.”

”Out of my body.”

”That is generally where babies come from.”

Swanly stared into nothing.

The triplets had been easy.

Not raising them.

Absolutely not.

Those three had nearly shortened her lifespan by thirty years.

But she had skipped the terrifying part.

Now she had to actually give birth.

To snake babies.

”How many?”

The system smiled.

Swanly narrowed her eyes.

”Why are you smiling?”

”No reason.”

”How many?”

”Too early to confirm.”

”That smile means something.”

”It means I am beautiful.”

”How many?!”

The system flew backward.

”Ask later!”

Swanly clutched her head.

”What am I supposed to do now?”

”Wait.”

”For what?”

”To give birth.”

”That is your advice?”

”What else do you want me to say?”

Swanly’s hands dropped.

For one fleeting moment, possibilities crossed her mind.

Then disappeared.

No.

She was terrified.

Completely unprepared.

And the circumstances that created this pregnancy were a disaster she still had not fully processed.

But when she touched her stomach again, she already knew.

She was not getting rid of the baby.

Or babies.

Whatever nightmare number the system was hiding from her.

Swanly groaned.

”I survived zombies for this.”

The system nodded.

”Should have stayed dead.”

Swanly lunged.

The fairy screamed.

The storage space vanished.

Swanly reappeared inside her cave.

And immediately found Kael standing at the entrance.

He had probably heard her pacing.

His long black hair was damp from the spring. His golden eyes moved over her face.

Despite everything that had happened, Kael still slept beside her every night.

He still guarded her.

Still touched her in his sleep.

But something between them had become careful.

Bruised.

He no longer reached for her without thinking.

That hurt more than she wanted to admit.

Kael frowned.

”What happened?”

Swanly opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

His expression sharpened instantly.

”Swanly.”

She looked at him.

Then at her stomach.

Then back at him.

Kael went rigid.

”What is it?”

Swanly swallowed.

”I’m pregnant.”