Chapter 245: If we become stupid, we kill them ourselves

Chapter 245: Chapter 245: If we become stupid, we kill them ourselves

?? Content Warning: This Chapter contains intense violence, blood, injuries, and distressing scenes involving children. Please read with care. ??

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The System appeared.

Its expression was grim.

"Give me something better."

SCANNING COMPLETE: HOLLOWMAW SENSORY ORGANS ARE CONCENTRATED ALONG THE LOWER JAW AND ANTERIOR VENTRAL PLATES.

"Good."

VENOM CAUSES SEVERE TISSUE DAMAGE BUT MASS REQUIRED FOR LETHAL EFFECT EXCEEDS SAFE OUTPUT FOR INFANT VESKARI-SNAKE HYBRIDS.

Swanly looked at the twins.

"So they can hurt them, not kill them."

CORRECT. DO NOT ALLOW REPEATED VENOM EXPULSION. DEHYDRATION RISK.

Swanly’s face changed.

She immediately grabbed Sira’s chin.

"No more unless I tell you."

Sira frowned.

"Why?"

"Because Mama said."

Sira considered this.

Accepted it.

Eira did not.

She stared at the creatures.

Then at Swanly.

"Mama hurt."

Swanly’s throat tightened.

"I know."

Eira hissed at the monsters.

Swanly kissed the top of her head.

"You protect Mama by staying alive."

That got through.

Eira’s little tail tightened around Swanly’s wrist.

The System flashed another menu.

Swanly snapped:

"Can I buy a wall?"

NO LARGE TERRITORIAL MATERIALIZATION.

"A cage around the platform?"

ANCHORING REQUIREMENT. REJECTED.

"A floating platform?"

HEART FIELD INTERFERENCE MAKES SUSTAINED LEVITATION UNSTABLE.

"Teleportation?"

STILL BLOCKED.

Swanly’s ears flattened.

"What exactly can you do?"

The fairy snapped right back:

YOUR BOW IS FULLY SUPPORTED. PERSONAL INVENTORY ACCESS REMAINS OPEN. SMALL NON-ANCHORED OBJECTS REMAIN AVAILABLE. MEDICAL ITEMS AVAILABLE. LOCAL REINFORCEMENT AVAILABLE. I CAN ALSO INITIATE AN EMERGENCY AREA PURGE IF YOUR LIFE FAILS.

"Which could kill everyone around me."

The fairy went silent.

Exactly.

The System was powerful.

That was the problem.

Its strongest options were built to protect one host.

Swanly had six lives around her now.

Seven if she counted the trapped people below.

Dozens if she counted everyone within blast range.

She could not use a weapon that saved her by killing them.

"Then reinforce this."

I CAN STABILIZE EXISTING JOINTS FOR APPROXIMATELY SIXTEEN MINUTES.

"Do it."

Golden light flashed around the cracked support.

The wood stopped groaning.

Sixteen minutes.

Swanly climbed down again.

Kairo grabbed her sleeve.

"Mama."

She looked back.

His face was pale.

"No."

The word was quiet.

Not arguing.

Begging.

Swanly almost stayed.

Then a Hollowmaw climbed over the corpse below.

Another followed.

If she stayed on the platform, they would all die together.

She peeled Kairo’s fingers from her sleeve.

"Sixteen minutes."

"What?"

"That’s what we have."

His eyes widened.

"I need you."

Kairo swallowed.

Swanly pointed at Eira.

"You hold her."

Then Nilo.

"You watch every direction. Tell me before they reach the supports."

Nilo wiped his face.

Nodded.

"Miko."

He immediately straightened.

"Keep Sira away from the edge."

Sira looked offended.

"Miko bad."

Miko stared at her.

"YOU are trying to fall off!"

Sira hissed.

"Not now!" Kairo snapped.

Swanly nearly laughed.

Did not.

She climbed down.

The System bow formed in her hand.

No quiver.

No count.

No mercy.

She pulled.

Five arrows appeared.

The System flashed trajectories.

MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED MULTI-SHOT AT CURRENT FATIGUE: FOUR.

"Noted."

She fired five anyway.

Three kills.

One wound.

One ricochet.

Pain burned across both shoulders.

That was the price.

Unlimited arrows did not mean unlimited Swanly.

The bow could create forever.

Her muscles could tear.

Her hands could split.

Her concentration could fail.

She pulled again.

Four.

Release.

A Hollowmaw opened its mouth.

Arrow straight through.

Another jumped sideways.

Second arrow missed.

Third took a leg joint.

Fourth shattered against armor.

"Fine."

Swanly ran.

The wounded creature turned after her.

She deliberately stomped twice.

It tracked vibration.

Good.

She led it toward the resin trench.

Jumped over.

The Hollowmaw followed.

Swanly threw fire.

WHOOM.

It shrieked.

Its armored back survived.

Its underside did not.

It rolled.

Swanly fired into the exposed belly.

Dead.

"Left!" Nilo screamed.

Swanly turned.

Shot.

"Behind!"

Turn.

Shot.

"Tree!"

Two arrows.

"Platform!"

Swanly’s heart stopped.

One Hollowmaw had ignored her.

It climbed the rear support.

Eira saw it.

Sira saw it.

Both babies hissed.

"No venom!"

Swanly fired.

The angle was bad.

The arrow skimmed armor.

The creature climbed higher.

Miko grabbed a piece of broken wood.

"I’ll hit it!"

"No!"

Kairo shoved him behind his body.

The Hollowmaw reached the railing.

One hooked limb came over.

It caught Kairo’s forearm.

He screamed.

The claw sank.

Blood poured instantly.

"KAIRO!"

Swanly ran.

The creature yanked.

Kairo hit the railing.

His arm twisted.

His scream changed.

"MAMA!"

Swanly saw the claw pull.

Saw how close it was to the joint.

For one horrifying second, she knew exactly what could happen.

One harder pull.

His arm could come apart.

Kairo knew too.

He was crying.

Not brave now.

Not eldest.

A child.

"It hurts!"

Swanly screamed.

"LET HIM GO!"

The Hollowmaw pulled again.

Kairo’s shoulder slammed into wood.

Nilo grabbed him around the waist.

Miko grabbed Nilo.

A chain of children trying to stop their brother from being dragged over.

Eira went insane.

She launched herself at the Hollowmaw’s claw.

Kairo caught her with his free hand.

"No!"

Eira hissed.

Sira screamed:

"KAI!"

The Hollowmaw opened its mouth.

Sira spat.

Not at its face.

At the hooked limb embedded in Kairo’s arm.

Venom splashed across the soft joint.

The creature shrieked.

Its grip spasmed.

Swanly fired.

One arrow through the mouth.

Second into the joint.

Third through the exposed underside of its neck.

The Hollowmaw fell.

Its claw ripped free as it dropped.

Kairo screamed again.

Blood sprayed the rail.

Swanly reached him.

Climbed.

Grabbed.

"Kairo."

He was shaking violently.

"I have you."

"My arm."

"I know."

"It hurts."

"I know, baby."

Swanly’s hands shook worse than his.

She poured water.

Then disinfectant.

Kairo screamed and tried pulling away.

"I know! I know!"

"Stop!"

"I have to clean it!"

"Mama!"

"I’m sorry!"

She was crying now.

She did not even realize it.

Nilo held Kairo’s other hand.

Miko pressed himself against Kairo’s back.

Eira crawled into Kairo’s lap and hissed at anybody who came near.

Sira patted his knee.

"Kai."

Kairo sobbed.

Swanly wrapped the wound tightly.

The arm remained attached.

He could move his fingers.

Thank every god.

Swanly kissed them one by one.

"Move these."

He did.

Painfully.

"All of them."

He did.

Swanly nearly collapsed from relief.

Then the platform shook again.

No.

No.

No.

Swanly pulled all five against her.

For one moment, she did not know what to do.

That terrified her more than the monsters.

The apocalypse had taught her how to run.

How to kill.

How to ration.

How to listen to the dead scratching behind doors.

It had never taught her how to choose which child to carry when she only had two arms.

Kairo was hurt.

Miko was shaking.

Nilo was trying to stay calm and failing.

Eira and Sira were crying whenever Swanly moved more than a handspan away.

The ground was death.

The platform was breaking.

The route out had collapsed.

Her mates were close enough to hear them scream and still could not reach them.

Swanly wrapped her tail around the entire pile of children.

And for three breaths, she did nothing.

Just held them.

"Mama," Nilo whispered.

"I don’t know."

The words escaped before she could stop them.

All three boys looked at her.

Swanly closed her eyes.

Then opened them.

"I don’t know how we get out yet."

Not a lie.

Kairo sniffled.

"But you’ll figure it out?"

Swanly looked at him.

At all of them.

"Yes."

That one was a promise.

Across the collapse, Kael heard every word.

His claws scraped stone.

Soren was beside him.

Kael’s voice came out broken.

"She said she doesn’t know."

Soren did not answer.

His head was lifted.

Silver eyes tracking.

His enormous tail had gone completely still.

That was the snake equivalent of terror.

Then Kairo screamed.

Kael lunged.

Soren’s body blocked him.

Kael snarled.

"MOVE."

"If you land there, the slab goes."

"I DON’T CARE!"

"There are six people beneath it."

"My son is screaming!"

Soren’s head snapped toward him.

"And my daughters are screaming."

Silence.

Kael’s chest heaved.

Soren lowered his voice.

"If we become stupid, we kill them ourselves."

Kael stared at him.

Then at the rubble.

Then at Swanly’s platform.

A Hollowmaw crawled toward her below.

Kael’s eyes went black with rage.

Soren’s tongue flicked.

He looked upward again.

"There."

Kael followed his gaze.

A half-broken roof beam extended over part of the collapse.

Not enough.

Then a dead tree branch.

Then a narrow section of wall.

A panther might make it.

A giant snake could not.

Soren looked at Kael.

Kael understood.

"No."

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Read the author’s thoughts guys, I want y’all to listen to a song when reading the next Chapter??????