Chapter 130: Two Mates and Running Water

Calis was the first to snap out of his shock and clear his throat.

"What are you doing? And where did that also come from?"

Tera eyed the can and quickly dipped it back into space as she forced a bright smile. "I will explain later."

Calis’ eyes bulged as he watched the can vanish into thin air. He had barely even registered Tera’s response.

The minute passed, and Tera crouched back down and drove the blade of her hoe into the gap between two chunks of limestone that had been sealed together moments ago.

The limestone gave way like it was made of wet mud.

Tera’s eyes went wide. The hoe sank into the crevice with almost no resistance, and the space opened up.

’Holy shit, it actually worked!’

Before she could even react to her own success, a jet of water burst through the gap she had just opened and hit her directly in the face.

The spray was so sudden and so forceful that it shoved Tera backwards off her crouch. She landed on her backside with a spluttering yelp, water streaming down her face and into her mouth and up her nose.

"PFFT—GACK—"

Water still sprayed past her from the widening crack, and Tera sat on the ground, blinking.

Calis was at her side in an instant. His hands gripped her arms and pulled her up, his crimson eyes scanning her face.

"Are you well?"

He did not understand why she had reacted so strongly towards a little bit of water.

Tera spat out a bit more water that tasted faintly of minerals.

"I am fine." She wiped her face with a small smile.

The wolves had already descended on the opening. With the soil softener having weakened the calcium bonds throughout the structure, the hoes were now cutting through limestone and debris like they were slicing through packed clay. Chunks of rock that had resisted every strike minutes ago were crumbling under blows that would have previously just bounced off.

The wolves were shouting and digging with frantic energy as water sprayed in wild arcs from widening cracks across the entire face of the blockage.

Tera grinned, still dripping.

It worked!

More thin jets of water burst through the loosening debris, hitting the nearest wolves in the face and chest. Excited shouts erupted across the group, and wolves who had been digging with resigned duty were now striking the mound with visible eagerness.

The sprays reduced, but water started to flow, and soon enough, a chunk of rock the size of her head separated from the wall and crumbled to the ground in soft, powdery pieces.

It was Tera’s turn to look so stunned.

The soil softener had literally turned the rocks to cake?

At long last, the final wall of compacted earth gave way.

The debris crumbled inward, and a massive surge of water exploded out of the opening with a force that sent the nearest wolves stumbling back. The spray hit Tera square in the chest, drenching her completely.

The initial burst subsided within seconds as the water found the channel they had prepared.

It rushed along the rough trench, muddy and wild at first, carrying loose sediment and small debris with it. Then it steadied, the limestone-filtered water pushing the murk ahead of it until what flowed behind was clean and clear.

The water hit the dry stream bed and kept going, racing along the path nature had originally carved. The clear water that caught the first traces of light creeping into the sky.

Several wolves dropped to their knees at the stream’s edge, staring at the flowing water with wide, disbelieving eyes.

One scooped water into his hands and drank. His whole body went still.

"It is clean," he whispered. "It is so clean."

Others rushed forward, cupping water in their palms and drinking deeply.

They just knelt there, stunned by how much water was flowing past them. Some of them had spent their entire lives rationing sips from water skins and licking morning dew off leaves. The sight of an actual flowing stream was something several of the younger male wolves had never experienced.

"This tastes weird."

SMACK!

"Yes water or no water?!"

Tera chuckled and rested her hoe over her shoulder.

The sky above was shifting into morning, the deep blue-black bleeding into soft grey as the first pale fingers of dawn light reached through the clouds. Tera was stunned. They had actually worked through the entire night and had barely even noticed.

The wolves turned from the stream to look at the female who had led them here.

Calis stood still, water also dripping from his body as they all stared at Tera. The growing light spread across the sky behind her, framing her small, smiling figure against the brightening horizon.

For a breathless moment, it looked as though the sky itself was glowing around her.

A shiftless female had just handed them the world.

Tera smirked. "Did I not tell you to trust me?"

[Ding!]

[Tasks Complete!]

[Clear the Blocked Water Source: SUCCESS!]

[Rewards granted!]

[Construction +10, Influence +5, Nipples +50]

[ʕु•̫͡•ʔु ✧]

[Job well done, Host!]

[Calis’ Favourability: 20% → 40%]

’Whoa!’

Tera looked at Calis and nearly jumped out of her skin to find him staring at her with such admiration.

The last time she had seen a jump like this was with Ermin.

[ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ]

[Twenty percent!]

[This system is massively pleased with this favourability jump!]

[Calis immensely admires Host]

[This wolf leader never expected a shiftless female to be capable of such a feat]

’Well, damn.’

Calis, realising that he was staring, snapped out of his thoughts and immediately turned to his wolves, joining them to drink and taste the water.

’Hehe... this is very interesting.’

As much as Tera would like to tease him, she wanted to drink, bathe, and find her way back to her mates and her babies.

- ※ - ※ - ※ -

The wolves walked back to the pack, and Tera was giddy with excitement. She felt so fulfilled.

Behind her, Calis walked in silence.

His crimson eyes kept drifting between two things. The shiftless female walking ahead of him, humming like she hadn’t just shouted through an entire night. And the flowing water they were walking beside.

This female was something else.

She had pulled things from thin air, sprayed a mysterious substance onto rocks that turned them to powder, commanded his wolves with a confidence that even seasoned pack leaders would struggle to match, and done it all while being small enough that most of his wolves could carry her with one arm.

As they drew closer to the pond, they noticed it was full.

The stream had carried the water all the way down, filling the large, rocky basin for the first time. Clean water pooled across the surface, catching the soft morning light, and the overflow continued along the stream bed beyond.

Cubs splashed around and tumbled over in silent glee while the adult wolves lined the edges of the stream, drinking deeply and filling their water skins.

Greymaw knelt at the water’s edge, staring at the flowing stream with a dazed expression as if he couldn’t quite believe it was real.

Tera took it all in, then a sharp howl cut through the morning air.

It came from the direction the pack had been resting earlier, and Tera suddenly felt how close the mate bond was.

Her body thrummed when she realised what it meant.

Xavi and Ermin were here!

Tera ran, and within minutes, she burst into the clearing where the pack had been sleeping and saw her mates.

Xavi and Ermin looked so relieved to see Tera, and before they could even take another step forward, she slammed into them so hard that they nearly stumbled back.

Tera laughed fondly, pressing her face into Xavi and Ermin’s chests, breathing in the warm, familiar scents.

"I missed you both!"

"We were so worried." Ermin held Tera tighter, and soon enough they were pressing kisses on her head and face.

The Dow clan males behind them visibly relaxed at the sight of their leader alive and unharmed.

Calis had followed Tera and stopped short at the massive bear and panther holding the shiftless female.

He was stunned.

The shiftless female truly hadn’t been lying?