Chapter 2
The alpha wolf crawled to my feet.
Then it stuck out its tongue and carefully licked my combat boots.
The laughter from the drone stopped instantly.
Rowan shouted in disbelief, "What the hell is happening? Are those wolves insane? Why aren't they eating her? Bite her!"
I looked up at the drone camera and flipped it off. "Rowan and Ellen, your time's almost up."
I bent down, grabbed a rock, and threw it hard.
The stone smashed perfectly into the drone.
The machine spiraled out of the air and crashed into the sand.
I lowered my gaze to my stomach.
The power from earlier had come from my children.
Those idiots in the base had no clue.
I wasn't just pregnant.
I was carrying the only SSS-rank power user in the galaxy.
I kicked the alpha wolf lightly. "Move. Find us somewhere to stay."
The alpha wolf immediately got to its feet and started leading the way obediently, its tail wagging behind it.
I followed the wolf pack deeper into the radiation zone.
The sun out there was hot enough to dry a person alive.
I walked the entire afternoon before I finally found the underground entrance to an old civilization bunker hidden between two abandoned buildings.
The giant steel door was covered in dark red rust.
I stepped forward and kicked the center of the door as hard as I could.
A thunderous bang echoed through the air.
The several-ton steel door flew right off its hinges.
It slammed into the bunker floor and sent dust exploding everywhere.
I covered my nose and walked inside while the wolves followed quietly behind me.
The bunker was massive inside.
The ventilation system was somehow still running, and the air inside felt far cleaner than the toxic air outside.
I found a relatively clean spot and sat down.
The babies in my belly suddenly became restless.
Suddenly, hunger washed over me.
I rubbed my stomach gently. "Are you hungry? Fine. I'll get food right away."
Then I looked at the alpha wolf. "Go hunt something high-level."
The alpha wolf growled low in response before racing out of the bunker with the rest of the pack.
*****
At the same time, the base was holding a celebration party.
Rowan sat in the seat of honor with Ellen curled up in his arms, holding a glass of expensive red wine.
The examiner rushed over with another report in hand. "Congratulations, Mr. Tenny. Ms. Beck's test results are out. She's pregnant, and the baby is an A-rank power user."
The entire room exploded into applause.
Rowan pulled Ellen into his arms, completely thrilled, and kissed her hard. "Ellen, you did amazing.
"An A-rank power user! Once this baby is born, I'll definitely get promoted to regional commander."
Ellen lifted her chin proudly. "Rowan, I went through a lot for you.
"I feel weak right now. The doctor said I need to eat meat from high-level mutated beasts. It'll help the baby grow stronger."
Rowan waved a hand without hesitation. "That's easy."
He turned around. "Eden, take the first squad into the radiation zone and hunt high-level mutated beasts for Ellen. Don't come back unless you bring the best meat."
Eden Kirk immediately stood up from his seat nearby. "Yes, sir!"
He left the base with over a dozen heavily armed soldiers.
Two off-road vehicles sped deep into the radiation zone.
A few hours later, the team stopped near the abandoned buildings.
They had not seen a single low-level mutated rat the entire way there. The area was unnaturally quiet, and it made everyone nervous.
"Captain, something feels off." One of the soldiers scanned the area with his gun raised. "This place is usually crawling with mutated beasts. Why is it completely empty today?"
Eden frowned and pulled out his combat knife. "Stay sharp. There's a bunker ahead. Let's check it out."
The group carefully approached the bunker entrance.
The moment they reached the door, the smell of grilled meat drifted out from inside.
Eden looked stunned. He followed the smell and peered into the bunker.
A fire burned in the middle of the hall. A massive leg from a mutated wild boar roasted over the flames on a metal rack.
Fat crackled and dripped from the meat.