Baby System: My Mates Can Read my Mind?

The terrible, biting cold vanished instantly.

Hot, heavy air hit Rue right in the face. It smelled like warm salt, wet earth, and blooming tropical flowers. The sudden change in temperature made her entire body tingle. She blinked her pink eyes against the bright sunlight streaming into the massive room.

They were definitely not in the North anymore.

Rue looked around. The vacation suite at the Sunken Springs was absolutely gorgeous. The floors were made of smooth, polished dark wood. Huge glass doors opened out onto a wide stone balcony. Just beyond the balcony, giant pools of steaming, crystal clear blue water bubbled softly under the bright yellow sun.

Thick green palm trees swayed gently in the warm breeze.

Rue took a very deep breath.

Her rabbit body reacted to the sudden, wonderful heat immediately. All the heavy tension holding her spine completely melted away. Her long silver-white ears, which spent weeks pressed flat against her head to conserve heat, finally let go. They flopped loosely and comfortably down the sides of her head.

She felt completely safe. She felt warm.

She dropped her heavy, thick fur travel cloak right onto the wooden floor. She did not care about picking it up. She just wanted to enjoy the heat.

"We made it, little guy," Rue said softly to Theron.

Theron babbled happily in her arms. The baby boy kicked his chubby legs, clearly enjoying the bright sunlight shining through the large windows.

A blue screen popped up quietly in the air next to her head.

[Host, you just abandoned the Alpha King of the North in a freezing forest.]

Rue ignored the glowing text. She walked away from the screen. She didn’t really care; she believed he would easily find his way back to his very warm, luxurious royal carriage. He did not need her help to survive the snow.

She walked toward the centre of the large room. A massive bed made of woven dark wood sat right in the middle of the floor. It was covered in thin, soft white sheets instead of heavy winter blankets.

Rue was entirely ready to put Theron down and take a very long nap.

But then she saw the tiny grey lump resting near the pillows.

Rue stopped walking. She tilted her head slightly.

The lump was very small. It was covered in soft, fuzzy gray fur with faint, dark circular spots. It had a long, thick tail curled tightly around its tiny body.

It was a snow leopard cub.

The baby animal looked absolutely terrible. It was shivering violently, shaking the thin white sheet underneath it. Its tiny eyes were squeezed tightly shut. It let out a pathetic, weak little squeak that sounded like a broken toy.

Rue felt a sharp, heavy tug right in the middle of her chest.

She was a mother. She could not just ignore a sick baby. All of her tiredness completely vanished. She carefully placed Theron down on the safest, lowest part of the large bed. She made sure he could not roll off.

Then she stepped quickly over to the shivering cub.

She reached out and gently placed her hand on its small back. The cub was freezing cold despite the hot tropical air blowing into the room. Its breathing was incredibly fast and very shallow. Its tiny belly felt hard and tight against her palm.

[Mandatory Condition Active: Stabilise the rejected infant.]

[Patient Profile: Snow Leopard. Age: Two weeks. Condition: Severe gastrointestinal distress.]

Rue frowned deeply. She softly stroked the cub’s tiny head with her thumb.

She knew exactly what gastrointestinal distress meant for fragile animals. Her rabbit’s body required a very strict diet to keep her own stomach from shutting down. She knew that giving the wrong food to a sick baby could be completely fatal.

She looked around the beautiful room. There were bowls of fresh tropical fruit sitting on the wooden tables, but there was absolutely no milk or baby food.

[Warning: Standard cow or goat milk will be fatal to the patient.]

[The patient requires strict dietary adjustments and specialized Beastworld carnivore formula.]

Rue did not overthink the situation. She just acted like a mom who needed to feed a hungry child.

"Open the shop," Rue commanded quietly.

The blue screen immediately shifted. Rows of glowing items appeared. Rue scrolled quickly through the options. She ignored the expensive weapons and the fancy clothes. She found the section for infant care.

She tapped the screen.

[Purchase: Specialised Carnivore Formula and Heated Bottle. Cost: 500 LP.]

[Confirm purchase?]

Rue tapped the glowing yes button without a second thought.

A small, warm glass bottle completely filled with thick, creamy liquid appeared directly on the bed next to her hand.

Rue sat down gently on the edge of the mattress. She carefully scooped the tiny, shivering snow leopard into her lap. The cub was incredibly light. It felt like holding a handful of soft feathers. It whimpered loudly and tried to curl into a tighter ball to hide from the light.

"Shh, it is okay," Rue whispered softly. "I have food for you."

She pressed the warm rubber tip of the bottle gently against the cub’s tiny mouth.

At first, the cub completely refused. It kept its little jaws clamped shut. It was entirely too weak and too sick to understand that she was trying to help.

Rue did not give up. She gently rubbed the side of the cub’s cheek, right near its jaw. She squeezed the soft bottle just a tiny bit, letting a single drop of the warm, sweet-smelling milk fall right onto the cub’s pink tongue.

The cub paused. Its tiny pink nose twitched.

It tasted the milk.

Suddenly, the cub opened its mouth wide and latched onto the bottle. It started drinking frantically. Its tiny paws pushed rhythmically against Rue’s hand, trying to get the food out faster.

"Slow down," Rue cautioned gently. She pulled the bottle back just a little bit so the baby would not choke. "Take your time. There is plenty."

Rue’s own nose twitched rapidly in deep concentration. She watched the cub’s throat move, its colour slowly starting to return to its pale little nose. She sat there in the quiet, warm room and fed the tiny animal until the entire bottle was completely empty.

When the milk was gone, Rue gently placed the cub over her shoulder. She patted its small back softly until it let out a tiny, squeaky burp.

The cub did not shiver anymore. The special formula warmed its small body from the inside out. Its tight, hard belly looked soft and round again.

The cub slowly opened its eyes. They were a bright, striking icy blue. It looked up at Rue and let out a soft, highly adorable purring sound.

Rue smiled. The heavy weight in her chest finally lifted.

[Quest Objective Met. Patient stabilised.]

The system screen vanished, leaving Rue alone with the two babies.

Rue lowered the snow leopard back down onto the centre of the large bed. The cub stretched its tiny legs out, completely relaxed in the warm sunlight. It was feeling much better.

Theron was sitting just a few feet away.

The baby boy watched the entire feeding process with very wide, curious golden eyes. He had never seen a snow leopard before. He slowly crawled across the soft white sheets to get a closer look.

The cub noticed Theron approaching. It did not hiss or act scared. It wobbled slightly on its short legs and took a clumsy step toward the baby.

Theron reached out his chubby hand. He gently poked the cub right on its fuzzy gray nose.

The cub sneezed quietly. It lifted a tiny paw and playfully batted at Theron’s fingers.

Theron giggled loudly. He grabbed the cub’s soft tail. The cub did not mind at all. It just rolled over onto its back and wiggled happily, inviting Theron to play.

Rue sat back against the pillows. She watched the two babies interact. It was an absolute overload of pure cuteness. The tropical sun warmed her skin. This was exactly what a vacation was supposed to feel like.

She reached out and gently stroked the snow leopard’s soft ears.

"You are a very good, brave little kitty," Rue told the cub softly.

The cub purred louder and leaned directly into her warm hand, completely soaking up her affection.

Theron immediately stopped giggling.

The baby boy looked at Rue’s hand petting the fuzzy animal. Then he looked at the cub. His bright golden eyes narrowed slightly.

Theron did not like sharing his mother.

He crawled quickly over the sheets and pushed himself directly between Rue’s hand and the snow leopard. He completely blocked the cub from getting any more pets. Theron puffed out his chubby cheeks. He crossed his tiny arms over his chest and let out a loud, highly demanding babble right at Rue.

He glared down at the tiny leopard as if it were a rival.

Rue blinked. She looked at her son’s angry, pouty little face. She let out a soft, genuine laugh.

"Are you jealous, Theron? Aww..."