Chapter 170: Pregnant??

The tribe couldn’t continue using it.

Sora immediately stepped forward.

"We need to purify it again."

The beastmen nodded without hesitation.

After everything that had happened, no one dared question Sora’s knowledge of salt purification.

Under her instructions, they separated the contaminated salt and began the process all over again.

The salt was dissolved and filtered carefully.

First through coarse sand.

Then through fine sand.

Then through layers of charcoal.

Sora personally supervised every step.

This time, no one was allowed to work without supervision.

Every container was checked.

Every batch was inspected.

Every step was repeated exactly according to her instructions.

After the purification was completed, the salt was once again clean and edible.

The beastmen stared at the pure white crystals in their hands.

Some were nearly moved to tears.

"We can finally eat salt again."

"It’s all thanks to Kaelira."

"If Sora hadn’t discovered the problem, we might still be eating that poisonous salt."

"Thank you, Kaelira."

One after another, the tribe members gathered around her.

Sora smiled awkwardly.

"You don’t have to thank me so much. We’re all members of the same tribe."

But the gratitude in everyone’s eyes did not diminish.

In the past, many of them had looked down on Sora because of her appearance.

Some had even believed the rumors about her.

Now, none of that mattered.

They had personally witnessed what she could do.

She had saved them from the poisoning.

She had taught them how to purify salt.

She had helped them obtain something that had once been extremely difficult to acquire.

More importantly, she had never asked for anything in return.

As evening approached, someone suddenly suggested something.

"Why don’t we hold a bonfire party tonight?"

The beastmen immediately became excited.

"Yes!"

"We should celebrate!"

"It can also be a way to thank Kaelira."

Martin thought about it and agreed.

"That sounds good."

The tribe quickly became lively.

A large bonfire was prepared in the center of the settlement.

Dry branches were piled together, and before long, flames rose into the darkening sky.

The golden light illuminated the surrounding wooden houses and the faces of the beastmen gathered around the fire.

Sora found herself smiling.

It had been a long time since she had seen something like this.

In the apocalypse, people had been too busy surviving to think about celebrations.

Every day had been about finding food.

Finding water.

Avoiding monsters.

Fighting.

Killing.

Surviving.

There had been no warmth like this.

No one gathered simply because they wanted to laugh.

No one sat around a fire and shared food without worrying whether they would survive until morning.

Sora lowered her eyes.

For a moment, she felt strangely nostalgic for something she had never truly experienced before.

"Come on, Kaelira!"

A beastman handed her a large piece of roasted meat.

"Try this!"

She accepted it with a smile.

"Thank you."

The entire tribe had prepared an enormous amount of food.

There was roasted meat, grilled vegetables, fruit, wild roots, and various other foods that Sora had taught them how to prepare.

The beastmen sang.

The females danced.

The children ran around the bonfire, laughing loudly.

Someone began beating a wooden drum.

Another beastman started singing.

Soon, several others joined.

Sora sat among them, quietly eating the food everyone kept bringing her.

For once, she didn’t have to worry about danger.

She didn’t have to think about the next monster attack.

She didn’t have to calculate how much food remained.

She didn’t have to wonder whether she would wake up alive the following morning.

She simply sat there.

Eating.

Laughing.

Watching the fire.

The feeling was so peaceful that her heart softened.

Perhaps this was what living was supposed to feel like.

Not merely surviving.

But actually living.

Sora picked up another piece of roasted meat.

She had barely taken a bite when her expression suddenly changed.

A strange nausea rose from the pit of her stomach.

Her brows immediately furrowed.

She quickly covered her mouth.

"Ugh..."

The smell that had seemed delicious a moment ago suddenly became overwhelming.

She swallowed hard and turned her head away.

One hand pressed against her stomach.

The nausea intensified.

Sora’s face became pale.

"What’s wrong?"

Xavier immediately noticed her reaction.

Ace also turned toward her.

Lucas stopped eating.

Even Lukan’s attention shifted toward her.

Sora shook her head.

"I’m fine."

She wasn’t convinced herself.

Perhaps she had simply eaten too much.

After all, she had been busy the entire day.

Saving people.

Investigating the salt.

Dealing with Serena.

Purifying the salt again.

Maybe her body was simply exhausted.

She took a few breaths and tried to calm herself.

But the moment someone placed another piece of roasted meat near her, the smell made her stomach twist again.

She immediately covered her mouth.

This time, she nearly vomited.

A female sitting nearby had been quietly watching her.

She was an experienced mother who had already given birth to several cubs.

The moment she saw Sora’s reaction, her eyes widened.

Then a knowing smile appeared on her face.

"Sora..."

Sora looked at her.

The female leaned closer.

"You can’t be pregnant, can you?"

The words fell into the middle of the celebration like a stone dropped into still water.

Silence.

Sora froze.

For several seconds, she didn’t move.

Pregnant?

Her hand slowly drifted toward her abdomen.

Her eyes widened.

She had been so occupied with everything that had happened recently that she hadn’t even considered it.

The female’s smile grew wider.

"You’ve been married to so many strong beastmen. You’ve been looking a little tired recently, too."

She pointed toward the roasted meat.

"And now the smell is making you nauseous."

Several nearby females exchanged glances.

Then their eyes slowly widened.

"Could it really be?"

"She might actually be pregnant!"

"Whose cub?"

The question immediately caused another wave of whispers.

Sora’s face became stiff.

Whose cub?

That was the problem.

She slowly looked around.

Xavier.

Ace.

Lukan.

Pregnant?

No way.

The thought flashed through her mind before she immediately rejected it.

That was ridiculous.

She had only felt a little nauseous after eating the roasted meat. That alone couldn’t possibly mean she was pregnant.

Maybe the meat was too greasy.

Although...

Sora lowered her gaze to the chicken leg in her hand.

The roasted chicken was practically dry. There wasn’t even enough oil on it to make her reaction reasonable.

Her brows slowly knitted together.

She stared at the chicken leg as if it had suddenly become her greatest enemy.

Could she really be pregnant?

No.

Impossible.

She had never experienced anything like this before.

In the apocalypse, she had been alone for years. Survival had been her only concern. She had never married, never had children, and certainly never imagined herself becoming a mother.

And now, after crossing into this strange beast world, she had somehow ended up with several beast husbands.

The thought alone made her scalp tingle.

Unbeknownst to Sora, the beastmen sitting nearby had all heard the female’s words.

As fifth-level beastmen, their hearing was far sharper than that of ordinary people.

Xavier immediately turned his head.

His dark eyes landed on Sora’s face.

Then his gaze slowly lowered toward her stomach.

A strange warmth appeared in his eyes.

Could it be his?

The possibility made his heart beat faster.

He didn’t want to get his hopes up too soon, but when he thought about the number of times he and Sora had been together, his confidence increased.

Among all of them, he had spent quite a lot of time with her.

Perhaps the little one inside her really was his.

His lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile.

Then another thought occurred to him.

What would their child look like?

A little snake beastman?

A tiny wolf?

Or perhaps a child with characteristics of both?

Xavier’s imagination wandered for a moment.

His expression became unusually gentle.

Unlike the terrestrial beastmen who gave birth to cubs, his snake lineage had its own unique way of reproducing.

Snake beastmen laid eggs.

So if Sora were carrying his offspring, would she eventually lay a clutch of eggs?

The thought was so strange that even Xavier found himself amused.

He quietly glanced at the others.