Chapter 94: Ripe Tomato
The mood of the clan skyrocketed when Tera woke up, and no one was happier than her two mates, who had been waiting nearly three weeks for her to wake up.
Tera was pampered like she had never been before, and she might have enjoyed it even more if she wasn’t so weak most of the time.
Xavi and Ermin’s constant presence had helped take her mind off the system’s absence. The constant cries of the new babies during the night made Tera laugh at times. Despite this being a new world, babies were the same everywhere.
The only other sad thing Tera had learnt was the fact that Feron had left the clan.
He had asked to be banished shortly after what happened with Kiri because he still felt guilty after what had happened. And he believed that, with the danger of what Kiri had exposed them to, he felt some clan members would be worried about him doing the same thing.
Xavi had refused since Tera had wanted him in the clan, and he had redeemed himself to a degree, but one morning when everyone had been preoccupied with the newborn cubs, Feron had disappeared, and it had been a week since then.
A quiet sadness settled over her. Feron had been a problem, but also a tool, and it had been touching to see him genuinely trying to be better over time.
But she could also understand why he had removed himself... even though it felt like he had jumped to that assumption too quickly.
Tera wondered if he had actually also been sad that Kiri had died.
But Tera had too much on her plate to dwell on someone who had chosen to leave.
- ※ - ※ - ※ -
It was one fateful afternoon that the system finally returned.
Tera had just woken from a long, dreamless sleep when a familiar blue screen flickered into existence in front of her face.
[System reboot complete]
[Hello, Host]
[(ᵕ—ᴗ—)]
Tera’s whole body sagged with relief so intense it startled her. She hadn’t realised how tense she had been until the tension left.
’Where the HELL have you been?!’
[Did Host miss this system?]
[(￢‿￢)]
’The fuck?!’
The screen tilted, and she could practically feel the smug energy radiating off it.
[Host looked relieved just now]
[This system saw it clearly]
[(◕‿◕✿)]
’Hey. Materialise for a second. I just want to touch you.’
[ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ]
[This system would rather not]
Tera glared at the screen. ’By the time I find some way to delete you—’
[Host says this frequently and has never followed through]
[This system is not worried]
[(⚈₋₍⚈)]
Tera pressed her face into the fur to hide the fact that she was, against all dignity, smiling.
’Ugh! Where did you go exactly?’
The system’s tone shifted, and the playfulness dimmed.
[This system was required to undergo an investigation]
Tera paused, surprised. Then she looked up.
’Investigation? For what?’
[The emergency protocol that was nearly activated during the corrupted beast encounter]
Tera remembered the system counting down to hijack her body before she started running on her own.
’Wait... You mean when you tried to take over my body?’
[Management wanted a full review of the emergency protocol that was about to be activated]
[It was... thorough]
’What does that mean, exactly? Did something happen to you? Are you okay?’
The screen flickered.
[Host is showing concern for this system?]
[( ꒪⌓꒪)]
[How touching!]
’HEY!’
[Management merely reviewed the incident]
[Activation was deemed justified given the circumstances]
[This system has been cleared]
[(ᵕ—ᴗ—)]
Tera paused, a bit disturbed by one particular detail.
’You can actually take over my body anytime?’
[(ᵕ ó ᴗ ò)]
[Worry not, Host!]
[This isn’t something this system can use at its leisure]
[The emergency protocol is a last-resort measure designed to preserve Host’s life when Host is unable to act]
[It is not meant to be activated unless absolutely necessary]
[It can only be activated on two occasions]
[Thankfully, this system is still able to hold on to those two chances due to Host’s... not-so-quick decision]
’Hmm...’
That eased Tera a bit.
[Don’t worry about me, Host]
[This system is fine]
[(..◜ᴗ◝..)]
’Who said I was worried about you?’
[(っ º - º ς)]
Tera was curious about this management.
’What is this management, exactly? You have never told me.’
[That information is classified]
’You always say that.’
[Because it is always classified]
’Will it ever not be classified?’
[٩(ˋᗣˊ*)و]
[NO!]
Tera sighed. This was the same wall she hit every time she tried to pry into the system’s origins or hierarchy.
But she decided to let it go.
For now, it was enough that the screen was back.
Tera leaned back against the furs, one hand resting on her belly as she thought back to those terrifying moments when she had nearly died.
She no longer felt as afraid as she had been, but a slight resolution had started to build up. She really had been very weak and had barely survived.
She needed to grow stronger. This time, not just for her personal body goals, but to actually survive in this world, and against corrupted monsters like that one.
She remembered how Kiri had outpaced that monster. Tera didn’t have a beast form or the raw physical power and traits that every other creature in this world was born with. But she needed to fully train and hone her body to that point, and she would learn to fight too.
And now more than ever, she needed to protect the lives growing inside her too.
Ermin ducked into the shelter with an armful of fruits.
He visibly cheered up upon finding Tera awake, and he rushed to meet her, pressing a kiss to her cheek that made Tera smile.
This was the same male who had flinched at her touch months ago.
Her cheek tingled. "How are the cubs? Those two?" she asked, referring to the two cubs who had been traumatised by the monster.
Ermin nuzzled up against Tera, a fond look entering his eyes. "The nightmares have stopped. The new cubs seemed to have helped. There is so much noise now that the older ones are distracted, and it helps that the babies keep them occupied."
Tera felt happy. The experience had been particularly terrible for them.
"I would like to see the new cubs." She was especially curious as to what they would look like and if they had even been born in their beast forms.
Ermin huffed and shook his head. "You will when you are stronger."
"I am stronger. I am sitting up."
Ermin’s ears twitched with amusement, but he didn’t say anything else.
Tera sighed.
She had been a bit too tired to leave the shelter, and Xavi had also been refusing her request to see the clan’s new cubs. They didn’t want the babies to make noise and stress Tera or disrupt her sleep, which she had honestly been doing a lot of it lately.
Her gaze drifted, and she noticed something she hadn’t seen before.
Ermin, who had always had smooth skin, now had a scar running along his arm. Her heart quivered.
He had been injured fighting the monster. So had Xavi, which she had noticed. But she didn’t know Ermin had been injured. She hadn’t even noticed Xavi’s wound until recently.
"Does it still hurt?"
Ermin was confused by the question until he noticed what she was staring at.
He tried to shift his arm, suddenly embarrassed, but Tera held on.
He sighed and gave up. "Not anymore."
Tera felt a bit sad regardless and lightly kissed the scar.
When she looked up, Ermin’s ears were flat, and there was a flush creeping up his neck and face.
"Thank you for protecting us," she said quietly, touching her stomach.
Ermin’s blush deepened, and he looked away.
[Ermin’s Favourability: 92% → 95%]
Tera was momentarily stunned. It seemed her mates’ favourability had been increasing while she was unconscious.
But as usual, the system just had to ruin the moment.
[(≖⩊≖)]
[Hmm...]
[This one is ready to turn into a ripe tomato]
’Excuse you?!’