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Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 160: Someone Is Watching Ironwood · 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 160: Chapter 160: Someone Is Watching Ironwood

Nerin smiled.

”I will.”

Soren and Kael finally returned.

Kael’s hair was a disaster.

Soren had dirt on one shoulder.

Neither looked satisfied.

Swanly stared.

”Finished?”

”No,” both said.

Wonderful.

...

By late afternoon, Ironwood was busy again.

Meat was being cleaned.

Fruit sorted.

Salt carefully broken into smaller pieces.

Druun sat nearby watching everyone use his gifts with deep satisfaction.

Swanly ate enough roasted meat that Miko stared at her with genuine respect.

Then Nerin left the inner fields.

Not far.

Only toward one of the safer outer collection areas near Ironwood’s boundary.

He needed bitterleaf and redspice.

Swanly liked both.

The thought made him smile before he could stop himself.

He moved between trees.

His broken antler tingled faintly.

Nothing dangerous.

No hollow ground.

No movement beneath him.

Then he saw it.

A footprint.

Nerin stopped.

His smile vanished.

Beastman.

Recent.

He crouched.

Touched the edge.

The soil was still loose.

His heartbeat changed.

One footprint meant nothing.

Hunters moved through this area.

But this track was wrong.

It approached Ironwood.

Then stopped.

Nerin followed.

Another.

Then another.

Three different individuals.

No.

Four.

They had moved carefully.

Spacing themselves.

Using trees.

Watching.

Nerin’s stomach dropped.

These were not infected.

Not ancient creatures.

Not Veskari.

Beastmen.

Organized beastmen.

His mind immediately went to Swanly.

Pregnant.

Inside Ironwood.

The cubs.

Her garden.

Her stupid habit of walking around without realizing half the settlement watched her.

Danger near her.

No.

Nerin’s hands went cold.

He forced himself to keep looking.

A tree ahead had been carved.

Three short cuts.

One long.

Not random.

A marker.

Another tree carried the same symbol farther along.

Scouts.

Someone had been watching Ironwood.

Nerin straightened.

A branch cracked.

Behind him.

He spun.

Nothing.

His pulse exploded.

”N-no.”

He backed away.

Then turned and ran.

Fast.

Very fast.

Branches slapped his arms.

His lungs burned.

He reached the inner path and nearly crashed directly into Soren.

Nerin stopped so violently his feet slid.

Soren caught his shoulder.

His silver eyes narrowed.

”What is the matter?”

Nerin stared at him.

Of all people.

Why him?

Why did he have to run into the most terrifying male in Ironwood?

”N-nothing.”

Soren’s expression became colder.

Nerin swallowed.

Wrong answer.

Soren leaned closer.

”I am not going to eat you.”

Nerin’s antler nearly trembled.

”That does not sound reassuring when you say it like that.”

Soren’s eyes narrowed further.

Nerin immediately regretted speaking.

”Sorry.”

”What happened?”

”I found...”

His tongue failed.

Soren waited.

Nerin hated that silence.

”I found tracks.”

Every trace of irritation vanished from Soren’s face.

”What tracks?”

”Beastmen.”

”Where?”

”Outer eastern path.”

”How many?”

”At least four. Maybe more.”

Soren’s body went completely still.

”They were not hunting.”

Nerin shook his head.

”They watched the settlement.”

Soren’s pupils narrowed.

Nerin swallowed.

”There are markings too.”

That was enough.

Soren turned.

”Raku!”

The shout cut across Ironwood.

Warriors immediately moved.

Raku arrived first.

Arion came from the training ground.

Kael appeared moments later.

Soren pointed toward Arion.

”Take six Sunmane hunters.”

Arion straightened.

”Yes.”

”Eastern route. Do not split farther than calling distance.”

Then Raku.

”Take Riverbone males around the northern side.”

Raku nodded once.

Soren looked toward Kael.

”With me.”

Kael’s jaw hardened.

Nerin stepped forward.

”I can show you.”

Soren looked at him.

”You stay behind me.”

Nerin blinked.

”Yes.”

They moved.

Fast.

...

The tracks remained.

The scouts did not.

Nothing waited beyond the trees.

No bodies.

No camp.

No scent strong enough for Kael to follow far.

Only footprints.

Broken twigs.

And the carved marks.

Arion touched one.

”This is deliberate.”

Raku looked toward the settlement behind them.

”They marked the location.”

Kael’s claws slid out.

”For who?”

Nobody answered.

Soren stared at the symbol.

Someone knew Ironwood was occupied.

Someone had found them.

Someone had watched long enough to map approaches.

And they had left without being caught.

His face went cold.

”Double the wall guards.”

Raku nodded.

”No one hunts alone.”

Another nod.

”Search every person entering and leaving the inner settlement.”

Kael looked toward Ironwood.

Toward Swanly.

His expression darkened.

”Do we tell her?”

Soren was silent.

Nerin looked at both males.

His stomach twisted.

”She will find out.”

”Yes,” Kael said.

”And then she will worry.”

”She should know.”

Kael looked conflicted.

Soren stared toward the walls.

”First we find out what this is.”

Nerin frowned.

That felt dangerous in a different way.

Because Swanly hated being protected with ignorance.

...

Not everyone inside Ironwood was surprised that someone waited beyond the walls.

Brea had known for days.

She kept her head down as she carried a basket toward the waste path.

Nobody looked twice.

She was only Brea.

Selka’s old follower.

Quiet recently.

Useful when ordered.

Careful.

She waited until the nearest guard turned toward the storage cave.

Then her fingers slipped beneath a loose stone beside the path.

A tiny strip of softened bark disappeared into the crack.

Carved into it were only a few marks.

Guard changes.

Water path.

Western wall.

Pregnant fox female.

Brea covered the stone again.

Then walked away.

Nobody saw.

...

Swanly knew something was wrong before anyone told her.

Kael came back too quiet.

Soren disappeared straight into a meeting with Raku.

Arion doubled guards near the gate.

And Nerin refused to look directly at her.

Suspicious.

Very suspicious.

Swanly intercepted him beside the drying racks.

”Nerin.”

He froze.

Poor thing.

”Yes?”

”What happened?”

”Nothing.”

Her eyes narrowed.

Apparently every male in Ironwood had chosen stupidity today.

”Nerin.”

”We found...”

He stopped.

His ears flattened.

Kael appeared behind her.

”We are handling it.”

Swanly turned.

”Handling what?”

”Nothing you need to worry about.”

That was even worse.

She crossed her arms.

”You all realize saying that makes me worry more.”

Kael sighed.

”Swanly.”

”I am pregnant, not brainless.”

”I know.”

”Then?”

He hesitated.

Wrong.

Swanly pointed at him.

”You are hiding something.”

Kael caught her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Cheap tactic.

Unfortunately effective for exactly half a second.

”We found signs someone passed near the boundary.”

Her smile vanished.

”What signs?”

”Tracks.”

”Whose?”

”We do not know.”

”How many?”

”Swanly.”

”How many?”

Kael exhaled.

”Several.”

Her hand immediately covered her stomach.

Kael saw.

That was precisely why he had not wanted to tell her.

”We found no one.”

”Were they Veskari?”

”No.”

”Infected?”

”No.”

”Then beastmen.”

”Yes.”

Her stomach tightened.

Someone else.

Great.

”Did they attack?”

”No.”

”Then they were watching.”

Kael said nothing.

Swanly glared.

”Wonderful.”

His hands settled on her shoulders.

”You are staying inside the inner paths.”

”Kael.”

”Please.”

That stopped her.

Not an order.

Not possessive male nonsense.

Please.

His golden eyes were serious.

Scared.

For her.

For the babies.

Swanly exhaled.

”Fine.”

His shoulders loosened.

”But tomorrow, you tell me everything.”

”Yes.”

”And Soren too.”

Kael’s expression immediately soured.

”Unfortunately.”

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