Eternal Winter's Reign - Book 2 - Chapter 43 - New Nests (Patreon)

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Alexander North

“Are you sure about this?” the doctor asks as soon as I finish relaying everything to her. Both about my plan to take both Cynthia and Alexia away with me from the base and about the exact details of a Frozen Lord. Since she wanted a first-hand account.

“I am,” I tell her with a nod, no longer being as strict and formal around her thanks to my promotion. Since she can’t give me direct orders anymore.

“Very well then,” she says with a sigh, glancing down at a document on her desk with a dark look on her face. “You’re welcome back at any time. We’ll take care of your friends in the meantime.”

“Much appreciated, doctor,” I tell her while glancing at the document myself and finding it to be a report about more nests appearing around the capital. Along with some appearing within the capital. And even more appearing further away from this base.

But what’s strange about it is that no nests are appearing around the base we’re in now. Around Delta base.

The doctor looks up at me from the document before sighing again and answering my unasked question, “The nests have been appearing all over the place ever since your run-in with that Frozen Lord. It’s unclear to us why, and a lot of the other bases are too afraid to get near them in order to find out. At least until we grow our strength again.”

Hmm. Right. We don’t have many strong Symbiont Hosts anymore ever since the colonel died.

At most we have one or two Tier 3 Symbiont Hosts. Meanwhile each one of those Frozen Lords should be at least Tier 3, if not Tier 4 in relative strength.

So there isn’t much we can do against them.

Even I’m only a bit stronger than a Tier 3 Symbiont Host would be.

I frown at that thought as I remember how strong that Frozen Lord was in comparison to myself. As I remember how easily she defeated us.

It’s clear that some Frozen Lords are stronger than others though. Just judging by the one I took down with me before I entered my coma.

Assuming that was even a Frozen Lord. It could’ve just been a sapient frozen one for all I know.

Either way, the humans are outmatched in this war.

I think back to my father again, wondering how he’s doing.

As if reading my mind, the doctor suddenly brightens up and looks me directly in the eyes as she adds, “Oh, and you might want to know this, but we’ve finally made some headway into reopening communications with other worlds.”

I stare at her for a second before suddenly smiling and stating, “That’s good.”

“If all goes well, you should be able to contact your father in the next month or so,” she continues while digging around for something on her desk. “We have at least been able to confirm that he is still alive. Although how we confirmed that is confidential.”

I stare at her for a bit longer, hoping that she’ll decide that it doesn’t matter if it’s confidential or not. But the woman doesn’t budge. And I don’t feel like threatening her or abusing my power just for some random information that likely doesn’t even matter.

After all, what matters right now is that Dad’s alive.

My smile grows wider at the thought.

Then my smile instantly vanishes the moment the doctor adds, “You should probably tell him about your daughter when you next speak.” And when my eyes meet hers, she smiles. “I know if my son ever suddenly brought a daughter with him that I never knew about I’d be rather shocked.”

She has… a point…

How exactly am I going to tell him that I sorta adopted a kid in the middle of the apocalypse?

I glance down at my feet, unsure about what to do. Only for the doctor to speak as I do so, “I doubt he’ll be upset or anything. I’d be overjoyed to have another member of the family, and from what I hear about the General, he likely will be too.”

She’s likely right about that. But still.

Doesn’t change the fact that I don’t know how to introduce her.

In any case, I go ahead and give the doctor a salute as I say, “It was a pleasure serving here, doctor.”

Her smile dims a little before she nods, replying, “It was a pleasure to have you here, Lieutenant North.”

I can tell just by the look on her face and how she said it that there’s more she’s left unsaid. Specifically that they wish I would stay for longer.

But I simply give her one more nod before turning around and beginning to walk away.

Terminal, did you make note of the locations of the nests in that document?

|Affirmative.|

Good job.

Definitely one nice benefit of having a sapient terminal.

|The list of benefits I provide is-|

I know. You’re a very useful terminal.

Somehow I feel a sense of satisfaction coming from the terminal at that thought that almost makes me pause mid-step at the doorway. But I keep walking anyways, soon finding both Alexia and Cynthia outside waiting for me while chatting.

Both of them quickly finish their conversation before turning to me as I approach. And the looks on their faces are clearly asking me how the chat went.

I nod to both of them and say, “We’re heading out. I found the locations of numerous newly created nests where we can hunt.”

They glance at each other before turning to me and nodding.

“Where to first?” Cynthia asks as we begin to walk down the hall of the base.

Terminal, where’s the closest nest that Alexia could handle?

|Ninety kilometers to the East.|

“To the East,” I answer her without pausing in my step. “We should start with the weaker nests for Alexia to get used to them.”

Both girls nod as we walk.

Time to go back to hunting again.

Except with some others this time.