The world tilted—stars wheeling overhead, the ground rushing up (or was it away?), cold air burning his lungs as he gasped—
[ERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED!]
[PURCHASING: Protective Barrier Shield - EXTRE (Cost: 200 SP)]
[CURRENT SP: 613→413]
[DEPLOYING NOW!]
A sphere of shimring golden light erupted around Alex’s body—crackling into existence milliseconds before he would have hit the rocks below. The barrier absorbed the impact with a sound like a gong being struck, the force reverberating through Alex’s bones but not breaking them.
He bounced once—the shield holding—then hit the rushing river with a trendous splash.
The freezing water was a shock even through the barrier—the river swollen with snowlt, moving fast, carrying him downstream with terrifying speed.
[SHIELD HOLDING! But Host, this is a PROBLEM!]
[Current status:
Shield duration: 30 minutes maximum
River speed: VERY FAST
Direction: Downstream toward... oh no. OH NO.]
[Host, this river feeds into the coastal region. The OCEAN. Where the r-Tribe lives!]
Alex couldn’t respond—too busy trying to orient himself inside the barrier sphere as the river tossed him like a toy. Through the golden shimr he could see rocks rushing past, glimpses of the night sky when he tumbled to the surface, darkness when the current dragged him under.
His hands instinctively went to his belly—the babies were kicking frantically, probably terrified by the tumbling motion.
"It’s okay," he gasped, even though it absolutely wasn’t. "We’re okay, shield’s holding, we’re—"
The river dropped.
A waterfall—not huge, maybe fifteen feet—but enough to send his stomach into his throat as the barrier sphere plunged over the edge and crashed into the pool below.
[SHIELD INTEGRITY: 85%]
[That waterfall took so energy! Host, we need to get you OUT of this river before—]
Another waterfall. Bigger this ti.
The barrier cracked—just slightly—golden light fracturing like glass under stress.
[SHIT! SHIELD INTEGRITY: 70%!]
[Host, I’m going to try to steer you toward the bank! Brace yourself!]
The barrier shifted—no longer a perfect sphere but elongating slightly, angling toward the eastern riverbank where the current was slower.
Alex tumbled again, his head spinning, nausea rising.
The barrier scraped against a massive boulder—sparks of golden light showering off the impact.
[60%! Co on, co ON—]
Then, miraculously, the river widened.
The current slowed.
And the barrier sphere, now more egg-shaped than round, drifted into calr water near the bank.
[OKAY! OKAY, I’M DROPPING THE SHIELD—GET READY TO SWIM!]
"I can’t swim very well!" Alex shouted.
[THEN FLOAT! JUST—FLOAT TOWARD SHORE!]
The golden barrier dissolved.
Alex dropped into the water—absolutely freezing, shockingly cold—and gasped, arms flailing.
His pregnant belly made him naturally buoyant, at least, floating face-up like so kind of bizarre life raft.
He kicked weakly toward the bank—twenty feet, fifteen, ten—
His hand hit mud.
Roots.
He grabbed desperately, pulling himself forward, dragging his ungainly body through shallow water until he collapsed on the muddy bank, gasping and shivering.
[SHIELD DEACTIVATED]
[Status check:
Host: Alive, freezing, traumatized but INTACT
Twins: Heartbeats strong, still kicking (they’re probably FURIOUS)
Location: Unknown riverbank, approximately 20 downstream from Bear Territory
Ti: Middle of the night
Temperature: VERY COLD
Threat level: MODERATE (hypothermia risk HIGH)]
"Where..." Alex gasped between shivers. "Where are we?"
[Based on star positions and river geography... you’re about halfway between Bear Territory and the coastal region. The river will reach the ocean by dawn if it keeps this pace.]
[Your mates are probably LOSING THEIR MINDS right now. They would have heard the commotion, found you missing, found that broken railing—]
Alex’s heart clenched.
Naga and Leo would think he was dead.
Granite would bla himself for not insisting on escorting him.
The bear who pushed him would be—
Actually, what WOULD happen to that bear?
[Probably executed,]
System said grimly while flickering its tail once.
[Harming a pregnant bearer under tribal protection is basically the worst cri possible. Even if it was an accident born of grief, the punishnt is severe.]
"I don’t want him executed," Alex said through chattering teeth. "He was hurting. He made a terrible choice but—"
[HOST, YOU ALMOST DIED. YOU’RE ALLOWED TO BE ANGRY.]
"I’m too cold to be angry right now," Alex admitted.
"I need... I need warmth. Dry clothes. Sothing—"
[On it!]
[PURCHASING:
Ergency Thermal Blanket (15 SP)
Dry Clothes - Basic Set (10 SP)
Waterproof Fire Starter (10 SP)
High-Calorie Ergency Rations (15 SP)]
[Total cost: 50 SP]
[Current SP: 413→ 363]
Items materialized beside him on the bank—a shimring silver thermal blanket, a set of simple wool clothing, a small fire starter kit, and wrapped food bars that slled like honey and nuts.
Alex stripped off his soaked clothes with shaking hands—modesty be damned, he was going to die of hypothermia otherwise—and pulled on the dry wool.
Then he wrapped himself in the thermal blanket, which imdiately began radiating gentle heat.
The shivers slowly subsided.
He ate one of the food bars—it tasted like concentrated sweetness and energy, warming him from the inside.
[Better?]
"Better," Alex confird. "Thank you. You saved my life back there."
[That’s literally my job, Host. Also, I’m invested in your survival. If you die, The Headquarter will punish , so... enlightened self-interest.]
Despite everything, Alex smiled.
"What now?" he asked. "I’m miles from Bear Territory. My mates don’t know where I am. I’m pregnant and stranded and—"
[AND the river is flowing toward the ocean,]
System interrupted.
[Where the r-Tribe lives. Where the WATER STONE is probably located.]
Alex blinked.
"You’re suggesting I just... go with it? Literally go with the flow?"
[Think about it! You NEED the Water Stone eventually. The river is taking you there anyway. Your mates are smart—they’ll track you. Naga especially can follow scent trails even through water, and Granite knows this territory. They’ll find you.]
[anwhile, you float downstream to r-Tribe territory, arrive as a dramatic shipwreck survivor (very sympathetic!), negotiate for the Water Stone while you wait for your mates to catch up.]
[It’s not IDEAL, but it’s efficient!]
"That’s insane," Alex said.
[You jumped into a basilisk pit, survivef a dragon chase while in heat, and collected marriage proposals from two different tribe leaders in one week. Your sense of ’insane’ is severely miscalibrated.]
Alex wanted to argue.
But he was also exhausted, freezing despite the thermal blanket, and the babies were finally settling down from their panic-kicking.
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