Free Web NovelChapter 38: Chapter 38 I’ll name her Hope.
{Military training to further strengthen body.}
"You must be kidding me, System... I literally just gave birth! How am I supposed to start military training now?" Ivy snapped, raising an eyebrow as she stared at the glowing interface before her.
Her voice carried disbelief, exhaustion, and a hint of irritation. Her body had only just gone through the ordeal of childbirth, yet here the System was already demanding more from her.
Ding!
{You should check your body. Do you feel weak like every other pregnant woman?}
Ivy paused.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Because... if she was being honest....
She didn’t.
There was no lingering heaviness in her limbs. No unbearable soreness. No fragile, drained feeling she had expected after childbirth.
Instead, her body felt... stable. Strong, even.
The realization made her frown. One could say she just wanted to be around her children.
{The apocalypse is getting more dangerous}
{You have to be prepared. Yes, you’re in your base, but danger is everywhere. Soon, you’ll be facing monsters... and humans.}
Ivy’s expression slowly hardened.
{You cannot rely solely on your shelter to protect you. Yes... they cannot break in. But will you truly be at ease with them banging against your gates endlessly?}
A brief silence followed.
{Will you be satisfied being trapped inside... unable to step out when necessary?}
That question lingered.
It sank deep.
Ivy exhaled slowly, her shoulders rising and falling as she forced herself to calm down. Her earlier frustration faded as she understood the system.
Of course she did.
Her concern wasn’t laziness... it was fear.
Fear that training now...so soon might harm her body.
But if the System said she was fine... fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Then she had to trust it.
Her fingers subconsciously curled into a fist.
This wasn’t just about her anymore.
This was about her children.
Her gaze instinctively drifted to where her newborn rested, tiny and fragile, completely dependent on her.
"If I die..." she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible, "they die too."
The truth was cruel and it dragged something painful out of her chest.
Her eyes dimmed for a moment as memories surfaced....memories she could never escape.
Memories of her first life.
Only a mother who had lost a child could truly understand that kind of pain.
The kind that never faded.
The kind that carved itself into your soul and stayed there... forever.
"I watched them..." Ivy murmured, her voice trembling now despite her efforts to stay composed. "I watched them get eaten alive..."
Her grip tightened while her knuckles turned white.
"The screams... the blood... the way they reached for me..."
Her breathing became uneven.
"The agony... it’s indescribable."
Even now, in this new life, those memories still chased her.
Still broke her, haunted her in quiet moments like this.
Her gaze slowly sharpened, determination replacing the lingering pain.
She had made a promise.
The moment she opened her eyes in this world again, she had sworn it to herself that she would protect her children no matter what.
"Mommy...?"
A soft, hesitant voice broke through the silence.
Ivy blinked, pulled out of the whirlpool of her thoughts as she turned toward the source.
Aria stood there, her small brows furrowed with worry, her big eyes fixed on Ivy’s face.
"What’s wrong?" she asked gently, stepping closer. "Are you okay?"
Before Ivy could respond, another voice joined in.
"You look so sad, Mommy..." Lila added, her tone quieter, softer, as if afraid to make things worse.
For a brief moment, Ivy just stared at them.
Then her expression melted.
"Oh, my babies..." she murmured, her voice instantly warm as she stretched her arms toward them. "Mommy is fine. I was just... thinking about your little sister."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted toward the tiny bundle lying peacefully on the bed. The baby, who had cried so loudly earlier, had now grown tired and fallen into a deep, quiet sleep.
A small smile touched Ivy’s lips.
"She’s so cute..."
Aria didn’t wait any longer. Carefully, she climbed onto the bed, with Lila following right behind her. Both girls moved closer, their attention completely captured by the baby.
Their tiny hands reached out, each gently holding one of the baby’s little fingers.
Their eyes sparkled with fascination.
"What is her name, Mommy?" Lila asked, tilting her head slightly, a bright smile forming on her face. "I can’t wait for her to grow up so we can play together."
Aria nodded eagerly. "Yes! I want to teach her games too!"
Ivy watched them quietly, her heart swelling.
A baby born in the apocalypse...
The thought echoed in her mind but instead of fear....
This time, she felt something else.
Hope.
A soft, determined smile spread across her face.
I’ll name her Hope.
