Chapter 202: You did not miss me!

Chapter 202: Chapter 202: You did not miss me!

He did.

Then his wrist.

Then his elbow.

A few breaths later he could raise the whole arm.

The male looked at Sira.

Relief filled his face.

"Thank you, little one."

Sira glared at him.

Then turned her entire body away and buried her face in Soren’s chest.

Everyone stared.

Swanly put a hand over her mouth.

"Is she angry because you made her save him?"

"Yes."

"Girl..."

Swanly leaned closer.

"You poisoned him."

Sira peeked at her from Soren’s chest.

"Sowre."

The Riverbone male immediately softened.

Soren did not.

"She is lying."

"Sowre," Sira repeated.

The man smiled.

"It’s all right."

Soren looked at him.

"No, it is not."

The male’s smile vanished.

Swanly laughed.

"Soren."

"She needs consequences."

"She can barely pronounce milk."

"That has not stopped her from developing weapons."

Eira, still in Kairo’s arms, suddenly said:

"Miwk."

Swanly stared.

"No."

Eira blinked.

"Miwk."

"Not you too."

Kairo looked down at her.

"Eira, you didn’t bite anyone."

Eira stared at Sira.

Then at the man.

Then at Swanly.

"Miwk."

Kairo nodded solemnly.

"She has a point."

Swanly whipped toward him.

"What point?"

Kairo froze.

"I don’t know."

"Exactly."

...

The system chose that moment to return.

A tiny golden light exploded beside Swanly’s head.

"USER!"

Swanly screamed.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

A tiny pale-gold fairy shot into existence.

Wings fluttering.

Hands on hips.

Face deeply offended.

The System.

Three weeks gone.

No warning.

No apology.

And apparently furious.

"You did not miss me!"

Swanly stared.

The system stared back.

Swanly slowly bent down.

Picked up a thin stick.

The system’s eyes widened.

"Wait."

"You disappeared for three weeks."

"Upgrade."

"My storage locked during labor."

"Temporary inconvenience."

"I gave birth during a fucking invasion."

"That was unfortunate timing."

Swanly raised the stick.

The system shrieked.

"VIOLENCE AGAINST SUPPORT STAFF!"

It vanished.

The stick flew through empty air.

Kael stared.

Soren looked at Swanly.

The Riverbone male wisely decided his arm was cured enough and left.

Five seconds passed.

Golden light appeared again.

The system’s tiny head poked out from behind Soren’s shoulder.

"You are emotionally unstable."

Swanly reached for another stick.

It disappeared.

"COME BACK HERE!"

Its voice came from nowhere.

"I WAS GONE THREE WEEKS AND YOU DIDN’T EVEN SAY YOU MISSED ME!"

"I WAS BUSY NOT DYING!"

"I checked the logs!"

"THEN YOU SAW THE PROBLEM!"

The system reappeared higher in the air.

"You could have thought about me once."

"I DID!"

The fairy brightened.

Swanly continued:

"I THOUGHT, ’WHERE IS THAT USELESS LITTLE THIEF WHEN I NEED IT?’"

The system’s face fell.

Kael turned away.

Soren’s shoulders moved.

Swanly pointed.

"You ate my emergency nuts before disappearing too!"

"I replaced those!"

"With fewer nuts!"

"Inflation."

"There is no economy in my storage!"

The fairy folded its arms.

"This reunion is not going the way I imagined."

Swanly picked up a pebble.

The system vanished again.

Miko whispered:

"Mama ith fighting air."

Kairo nodded.

"She does that."

Nilo looked concerned.

"It might be magic."

Kael looked at them.

"Do not interrupt."

The system reappeared near Swanly’s fox ear.

"Anyway."

She swung.

It dodged.

"I have upgrades."

Swanly stopped.

The fairy’s chest puffed.

"Interesting upgrades."

"What kind?"

The system immediately turned its back.

"Oh, no."

Swanly’s eye twitched.

"You can come speak to me when you’re ready to become a better user."

"What?"

"It is called boundaries."

"YOU LITTLE..."

It vanished dramatically.

A golden sparkle remained.

Then its tiny voice echoed:

"Also, your daughters are terrifying!"

Swanly shouted at empty air.

"COME BACK AND EXPLAIN!"

A panel flashed briefly.

SCAN COMPLETE: EIRA / SIRA

Bloodline development: exceptionally high.

Venom potential: abnormal.

Maternal immunity: confirmed. Gestational adaptation provides natural resistance to both daughters’ venom.

Paternal resistance: confirmed.

Everyone else: Good luck.

Swanly’s face went blank.

"Good luck?"

Soren looked at her.

"What?"

Swanly read the result twice.

Then slowly looked toward the children.

"My daughters have unusually strong venom."

Kael’s expression sharpened.

"How strong?"

"I don’t know yet."

Swanly looked at Soren.

"And apparently I’m immune."

His eyes narrowed.

"Because you carried them."

"Yes."

"And me?"

"You’re safe."

"Obviously."

Swanly stared.

"Must you sound smug about immunity to your own children?"

"Yes."

Kairo was listening.

Of course.

His ears rose.

"So Mama cannot get poisoned?"

"No."

Kairo looked relieved.

Then toward himself.

"And us?"

Swanly hesitated.

"No."

Three black panther cubs froze.

Miko’s mouth opened.

Nilo’s hand immediately landed over it.

"Do not scream."

Miko moved Nilo’s hand.

"My thithters can kill me?!"

Swanly nearly choked.

"No! Not if they control it!"

Miko stared at Sira.

Sira smiled.

He moved behind Nilo.

Nilo sighed.

Kairo, meanwhile, did not move away.

He looked at Eira.

Then at Swanly.

"Are they dangerous to everyone?"

Soren answered.

"If they deliberately release enough venom, yes."

Kairo became extremely serious.

He looked down at Eira.

She looked up at him.

Kairo tightened his little arms around her.

"Then I guard them."

Swanly’s heart softened.

"Kairo..."

"So nobody makes them angry."

Swanly stopped.

Kael laughed.

Kairo looked offended.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Kairo raised his chin.

"I’m eldest."

Eira suddenly pressed her tiny face beneath his chin.

Kairo melted instantly.

His tail started moving.

Soren watched.

"An effective guard."

Kairo nodded proudly.

"Very."

Miko had recovered from fear.

Too much.

His eyes had started shining.

Swanly knew that look.

"No."

Miko blinked.

"I didn’t say anything."

"You are thinking something."

"No."

"Miko."

He turned toward Nilo.

"Nilo."

Nilo immediately looked tired.

"What?"

"Come."

"Where?"

"I have to tell people."

Swanly groaned.

"Miko..."

Too late.

He grabbed Nilo’s hand.

Nilo allowed himself to be dragged three steps.

Then Miko changed direction toward the cooking fire.

Nilo caught him around the waist.

"No."

"I’m going there."

"Too close to the fire."

"I won’t touch."

"No."

Nilo physically turned him around.

Miko sighed.

"Fine."

They reached Tilla first.

Tilla was carrying a basket.

Miko planted himself in front of her.

"Tilla."

She looked down.

"What?"

"Do not make my thithters angry."

Tilla blinked.

"Why?"

Miko leaned closer dramatically.

"They can kill you."

Tilla nearly dropped the basket.