Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 49: Episode : The White Tiger

What do you fucking mean by Triplets?!

Do I look like someone who could give birth to three children at once?!

[This is a thing of Joy, Host]

Are you the one giving birth to them?

[...]

Exactly, fucking robot!

"Triplets?!" Roxy screamed aloud. "Three?! I ordered one! I paid for one!"

As if she were having some kind of delusion and needed another confirmation.

[TheMotheroftheWorld scoffs and says Welcome to motherhood again.]

Kaelen looked like he had been hit by a falling tree. He sat up, staring at her belly with a mixture of absolute terror and overwhelming pride.

"Three?" he repeated, his voice rising. "A litter? A true litter?"

"I am not a dog!" Roxy hyperventilated. "I cannot push three babies out of there! It’s physically impossible! The exit is a one-lane highway, Kaelen!"

"Three heirs," Kaelen breathed, ignoring her panic. Tears welled in his eyes. "The Moon has blessed us three times over."

He let out a laugh, a loud, joyous, hysterical sound. He grabbed Roxy’s face and kissed her hard.

"We are not just saved," he cried. "We are an army! Three sons! Or daughters! Three!"

[TheMotheroftheWorld is clapping. Efficiency at its finest.]

[TheSassyGoddess sends a virtual basket of earplugs. You’re going to need them.]

Roxy slumped back against the pillows, her hand on her forehead.

Is it even possible to do an operation to bring them out?

[In the Primitive Era, it’s impossible.]

"Three," she moaned. "I’m going to need a bigger diaper bag."

Kaelen lay his head back on her stomach, weeping tears of joy onto her skin. He kissed the left side. He kissed the right side. He kissed the center.

"I will protect them," he vowed, his voice fierce. "All of them. No harm will come to them."

Roxy’s heart raced.

So after that day, Roxy found a new spot for relaxation, advice the mother of the world god gave her, and she was enjoying it.

"Gravity," Roxy groaned, "is a bitch."

But currently, I am the bitch.

She was currently lying on her back in the shallows of the stream, floating like a very pregnant otter. The water, warmed by the summer sun, was the only thing that gave her relief.

On land, carrying triplets felt like strapping a bowling ball bag to her stomach. In the water, she was weightless. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Kaelen observed from the bank. He was sitting on a large rock, sharpening his spear, his eyes constantly scanning the tree line. He hadn’t let her out of his sight since he found out she was pregnant with triplets.

Roxy loved the attention, but it also made her feel on edge.

"I feel so bloated, Kaelen," Roxy splashed water at him. "I’m basically a human buoy. If the ship goes down, grab my ankles."

"You will not drown." He declared.

Roy scoffed. "Easy for you to say, you are not the one holding three babies," Roxy closed her eyes. "Relax for five minutes, though. The pups can feel your stress."

And I can feel your stress.

At the mention of the pups, Kaelen softened. He set the spear down and waded into the water, fully clothed in his leather breeches. He moved behind her, his large hands supporting her floating form, taking the last bit of weight off her spine.

"Better?" he whispered.

"Heaven," Roxy sighed.

It was peaceful. The stream bubbled over the rocks. The birds sang in the canopy. For a moment, Roxy could pretend she wasn’t the center of an inter-species war. She could pretend she wasn’t terrified of the moment Zarek would burst through the trees.

[Ding!]

Roxy’s eyes popped open. Oh, come on. Can’t I have one single moment of peace?

[System Alert: New Biological Signature Detected.]

[Distance: 50 meters. Direction: North-East Bank.]

[Threat Level: Apex.]

Roxy stiffened in Kaelen’s arms. "Kaelen."

"I smell it," Kaelen whispered, his body turning to stone against her back. "It’s a big cat."

One of the species that barely shows itself to the rest of the jungle.

No one knows where their territory lies, but they always come out to hunt. Kaelen could not afford the big cat to sniff on his mate.

He slowly began to pull her toward the opposite bank, moving with silent, fluid grace. He felt hostility from the big cat, and he was nowhere sure he would be able to fight the tiger.

"Do not look," Kaelen breathed into her ear. "We will be getting back."

Roxy, naturally, looked.

She was a bowl of defiance. When they said she should not do this, she would do it with all honesty. Why? Her curiosity was piqued.

She turned her head slightly, peering through the dense ferns on the far bank. At first, she saw nothing but the bushels.

Then, the shadows moved.

A massive shape detached itself from the gloom. It was a tiger. But not just any tiger. This beast was enormous, easily the size of Kaelen in his wolf form, and its fur was a brilliant, shocking white, slashed with stripes of jet black.

[Target Identified: White Tiger King.]

[Name: Torian.]

[Status: Watching.]

The beast stopped at the water’s edge and sat down on its haunches, wrapping a long, thick tail around its paws.

Its eyes, bright, electric amber, locked onto Roxy.

For some reason, Roxy wanted to pet its fur! Her love for cats was surfacing.

It ignored Kaelen completely. It stared straight at her, its gaze sweeping over her floating form, lingering on the swell of her belly that broke the water’s surface like an island.

"He watches you," Kaelen snarled, his restraint snapping. He shifted his grip, moving Roxy behind him, baring his teeth. "Leave! This is Wolf Territory!"

Roxy glared at the tiger, Leave bitch, I don’t have the time to deal with you!

The White Tiger tilted its head. A low, chuffing sound rumbled from its chest. It sounded like... amusement.

It stood up, stretched languidly, exposing massive claws, and then looked at Roxy one last time. It winked. Actually winked.

Then, it turned and rushed into the forest as if it had never been there. The stripes acted as perfect camouflage, breaking up its outline until it vanished.

[System Analysis: The Tiger King likes what he sees.]

[New Questline Unlocked: The Jungle Harem.]

The fuck do you mean by Jungle Harem? You really take me for breeding equipment?!!

[On the bright side... It’s a territory you would love.]

Don’t fucking try to bribe me! I am okay where I am!

I haven’t even popped these three out yet! Yet you are mentioning Jungle Harem like it’s some kind of game.

Roxy sighed, trying out a breathing exercise to calm her mind, clutching Kaelen’s wet arm.

Kaelen was vibrating with rage. "He dared to look at my mate like that. I will hunt him down. I will skin him."

"No!" Roxy grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. "No hunting! Zarek is days away. If you run off chasing a cat, who guards the gate?"

Kaelen struggled, his instincts warring with his duty. Finally, he let out a frustrated howl.

"He marked you with his eyes," Kaelen spat. "I feel it. He covets you."

As if you didn’t do the same!

"Let him covet," Roxy said, shivering as dread swept over her. "He can get in line. Right now, we have bigger problems."

I don’t know why, but I have a very bad feeling.

But as Kaelen carried her back to the cabin, wrapping her in furs, Roxy couldn’t shake the image of those amber eyes. They weren’t angry like Zarek’s. They weren’t desperate like Kaelen’s.

They were greedy, and he knew exactly what needed to be done.