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Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 152: There. See? You found something worse than the Rot · Oct 31, 2026

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Chapter List (264)

Page number / 6

151 Chapter 151: Four Sisters 2026-10-31
152 Chapter 152: There. See? You found something worse than the Rot 2026-10-31
153 Chapter 153: We leaving you with your bad face (Guess what cub said that) 2026-10-31
154 Chapter 154: Oh my God 2026-10-31
155 Chapter 155: Ugh. Ugh. Baby heavy. Miko tired 2026-10-31
156 Chapter 156: The Babies Moved 2026-10-31
157 Chapter 157: Blood Ritual 2026-10-31
158 Chapter 158: The giant just courted your female 2026-10-31
159 Chapter 159: My babies are getting too heavy 2026-10-31
160 Chapter 160: Someone Is Watching Ironwood 2026-10-31
161 Chapter 161: I’m also your baby 2026-10-31
162 Chapter 162: Why is everyone attacking me today? 2026-10-31
163 Chapter 163: If you behave like a lone survivor again, I will tie you to your sleeping mat 2026-10-31
164 Chapter 164: Twin daughters 2026-10-31
165 Chapter 165: Mama says we were cuter when we could not talk 2026-10-31
166 Chapter 166: Ancient subterranean mimic species 2026-10-31
167 Chapter 167: The Water Broke 2026-10-31
168 Chapter 168: I’m having babies 2026-10-31
169 Chapter 169: SOREN, YOU WHITE-SCALED BASTARD! 2026-10-31
170 Chapter 170: I liked that rack 2026-10-31
171 Chapter 171: Mama is going to be angry 2026-10-31
172 Chapter 172: Snake babies 2026-10-31
173 Chapter 173: Why is Swanly alone? 2026-10-31
174 Chapter 174: Can we see Mama? 2026-10-31
175 Chapter 175: Tiny Sisters, Tiny Fangs 2026-10-31
176 Chapter 176: Three Minutes to Live 2026-10-31
177 Chapter 177: Why do you always start with me? 2026-10-31
178 Chapter 178: I would rather die than betray my people 2026-10-31
179 Chapter 179: Do not suddenly grow a conscience because everyone is looking 2026-10-31
180 Chapter 180: What exactly are you talking about? 2026-10-31
181 Chapter 181: The Night Swanly Lost Her Innocence 2026-10-31
182 Chapter 182: You made your males hurt me because you knew I wouldn’t speak 2026-10-31
183 Chapter 183: Hello 2026-10-31
184 Chapter 184: Do not touch the arrow! 2026-10-31
185 Chapter 185: Her Last Three Gifts 2026-10-31
186 Chapter 186: Although I remain available for future children 2026-10-31
187 Chapter 187: Talkative prince 2026-10-31
188 Chapter 188: Ancient creatures have terrible eating habits 2026-10-31
189 Chapter 189: What did he do? 2026-10-31
190 Chapter 190: I want a daughter too 2026-10-31
191 Chapter 191: hide-and-feed-the-postpartum-fox 2026-10-31
192 Chapter 192: A missing toof 2026-10-31
193 Chapter 193: DEER PAPA! DON’T LOTH MY TOOF! 2026-10-31
194 Chapter 194: Snake Papa Is A Bully 1 2026-10-31
195 Chapter 195: Snake Papa Is A Bully 2 2026-10-31
196 Chapter 196: DEER PAPAAAA! DON’T LOTH MY TOOF! 2026-10-31
197 Chapter 197: Miko made it fall out! 2026-10-31
198 Chapter 198: Snake babies were monsters 2026-10-31
199 Chapter 199: Did you just copy me? 2026-10-31
200 Chapter 200: She poisoned someone 2026-10-31

Chapter 152: Chapter 152: There. See? You found something worse than the Rot

Thalara shut her eye.

”Yes.”

”But not willingly.”

”That does not change what happened.”

”It changes a fucking lot.”

Thalara looked at her.

Swanly’s jaw tightened.

”You were prisoners.”

”Our power made it possible.”

”You were prisoners.”

”Millions may have died because of us.”

”And the people forcing you?”

Thalara said nothing.

”Where is their guilt?”

Thalara’s claws trembled.

Swanly immediately understood.

She had been carrying this for longer than Swanly could imagine.

Not merely fear.

Guilt.

Thousands of years of it.

”What happened after?”

”I do not know all of it.”

Thalara looked toward the trees.

”Everything collapsed.”

”The Rot escaped?”

”Yes.”

”The Veskari?”

Thalara’s expression hardened.

”They were already involved before the end.”

”How?”

”Some served those who held us.”

Swanly’s eyes narrowed.

”Some?”

”Not all.”

Important.

Thalara continued.

”Some tried to free us. Others betrayed us. Others changed sides when they realized what had been created.”

”And Vaelith’s people were wiped out?”

”I believed so.”

”That’s why you told them they should have remained dead.”

Thalara’s jaw tightened.

”Yes.”

She looked toward the western ridge.

”The last Veskari forces I remember were swallowed by the collapse.”

”But clearly someone survived.”

”Yes.”

”Or something brought them back.”

Thalara looked at her.

”That possibility is worse.”

Swanly did not particularly enjoy that sentence.

”And your sisters?”

Thalara’s expression emptied.

”I do not know.”

Swanly’s anger vanished.

”What do you mean?”

”I do not know where they are.”

”None of them?”

Thalara shook her head.

”I have searched.”

Her roots moved restlessly.

”I have listened through forests.”

She touched the earth.

”Through old roots.”

Her voice became painfully soft.

”Through places that still remember us.”

Swanly’s chest tightened.

”Nothing?”

”Sometimes...”

Thalara hesitated.

”I think I feel something.”

Hope flickered.

Then died.

”But I cannot tell whether it is one of them or merely something carrying their power.”

Swanly stared.

”You’ve been looking for them all this time.”

”Yes.”

”Alone?”

Thalara did not answer.

That was answer enough.

Swanly looked down.

Fuck.

”What about everything waking up?”

Thalara’s forehead eye lifted.

”The prisons were not only prisons.”

”What were they?”

”Anchors.”

Swanly frowned.

”For what?”

”Seals.”

The word crawled unpleasantly down her spine.

”Many ancient creatures were forced into sleep.”

”Why?”

”Some were too dangerous.”

Thalara paused.

”Some were guardians waiting for something.”

Another pause.

”And some...”

Her expression darkened.

”...even we feared.”

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

”The Rot damaged the seals.”

”Yes.”

”And you escaping the Rot Nest?”

Thalara looked guilty again.

”Broke one completely.”

Swanly exhaled.

”So that’s why everything is waking.”

”Not everything.”

Swanly stared at her.

”That is somehow not comforting.”

”It should not be.”

Fair.

”And what’s beneath Ironwood?”

Thalara stopped moving.

There it was.

Swanly leaned forward.

”The Veskari came for something.”

Silence.

”Thalara.”

”The First Rot Heart.”

Swanly’s blood went cold.

”The what?”

”The first living core that survived the forced joining of our powers.”

Thalara’s voice lowered.

”It was not the first creature infected.”

”It is worse?”

”Yes.”

Swanly swallowed.

”Is it alive?”

”I do not know what word should describe it anymore.”

That answer was horrible.

”It sleeps beneath Ironwood?”

”Sealed.”

”For how long?”

”Longer than any tribe living here remembers.”

Swanly thought of the massive underground door.

The broken chains.

Druun refusing to let the cubs near it.

”And the Veskari want it.”

”Yes.”

”Why?”

Thalara shook her head.

”I do not know.”

”You really don’t?”

”No.”

Swanly studied her.

Thalara met her gaze.

No deflection.

No strange half-smile.

Just uncertainty.

Swanly believed her.

”Could they destroy it?”

”Perhaps.”

”Use it?”

”Perhaps.”

”Wake it?”

Thalara’s face hardened.

”Perhaps.”

Swanly rubbed both hands over her face.

”Fantastic.”

Thalara almost smiled.

Swanly dropped her hands.

”One more question.”

”You have asked many.”

”This one matters.”

She looked directly into Thalara’s strange purple eye.

”Can the Rot be cured?”

Thalara went completely still.

Swanly’s heart began beating harder.

Not controlled.

Not slowed.

Not survived.

Cured.

”Can we actually end this?”

Thalara looked away.

For a long time, she said nothing.

Swanly waited.

Finally:

”I do not know.”

Her heart sank.

Thalara continued.

”We created life before.”

Swanly looked at her.

”We changed it.”

A root curled around Thalara’s wrist.

”We healed things that should have died.”

Her voice became barely audible.

”So perhaps...”

Swanly leaned forward.

Thalara looked at her.

”Perhaps there is a way.”

Hope hit Swanly so quickly it hurt.

”But I do not know it.”

And there it went.

Not gone.

Just distant.

Swanly exhaled slowly.

”That’s still better than impossible.”

Thalara stared at her.

”You are strange.”

”So I’ve been told.”

”You heard that my sisters and I helped bring this disaster into your world...”

”You were tortured into it.”

”...and your first thought is still whether it can be repaired.”

Swanly’s mouth twisted.

”I survived one apocalypse already.”

Thalara tilted her head.

Swanly looked toward the sleeping shelters.

Toward where three ridiculous cubs were probably supposed to be sleeping and were almost certainly whispering.

”I’m not interested in surviving another forever.”

Something in Thalara’s face broke.

Only slightly.

Swanly stood.

Then hesitated.

Thalara looked up at her.

Swanly had absolutely no idea how one comforted an ancient root-eyed creator who had accidentally helped destroy civilization.

Apparently there was no guide for that.

So she stepped closer.

Bent down.

And put one arm around Thalara’s shoulders.

Thalara went rigid.

Completely rigid.

Swanly almost pulled away.

Then one pale hand slowly caught the edge of Swanly’s clothing.

Just barely.

Swanly said nothing.

Neither did Thalara.

It was not a proper hug.

More like two extremely damaged women sitting awkwardly beside a spring, pretending this was not a hug at all.

Swanly rested her cheek briefly against Thalara’s white hair.

”You’ll find them.”

Thalara’s fingers tightened.

”You cannot promise that.”

”No.”

Swanly looked toward the stars.

”But you’re not searching alone anymore.”

Thalara froze.

Swanly felt it.

For a long moment, nothing happened.

Then the Root-Eyed Mother leaned the smallest amount against her.

Barely enough to notice.

But Swanly noticed.

Across Ironwood, a cub suddenly screamed:

”MAMA! KAIRO KICK MIKO!”

Swanly closed her eyes.

Thalara’s forehead eye slowly closed too.

Then, unbelievably, she laughed.

Quiet.

Rusty.

Almost forgotten.

Swanly pulled back.

”There. See? You found something worse than the Rot.”

Thalara looked toward the cub shelter.

”Miko?”

”Miko.”

Another scream came.

”I NOT KICK! HE BITE!”

Swanly sighed.

”I should go before my children create the Second Rot.”

She stood.

Thalara watched her walk away.

Then spoke.

”Swanly.”

Swanly turned.

Thalara’s expression had become serious again.

”If the Veskari survived...”

She paused.

”...then perhaps I was wrong about something else too.”

Swanly’s brows drew together.

”What?”

Thalara looked toward the dark horizon.

For the first time, something fragile entered her eye.

Hope.

”My sisters may still be alive.”

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