I tossed the heavy hood of my dark cloak back over my head, letting the thick fabric drop over my shoulders to completely shield my sensitive skin from the burning afternoon sunlight.
Tae-man immediately caught the motion and let out a highly amused, cocky smirk. "Yep. Classic. Throwing on the dark, edgy cloak the second you step outside. It's like a checklist for the ultimate chuunibyou. Edgy, hiding from the light, completely dramatic."
I rolled my single jade-green eye behind the hood and hit his armored shoulder with a lazy, unbothered slap. "Stop playing your stupid video games, Tae-man. Anyways, where the heck are you two even heading today?"
"Well, actually, Karrie and I were just about to head over to the Sanctuary of Souls," Tae-man said, his demeanor shifting into something a bit more relaxed and informal. "We're going to check in with Father Columbia and the others. Honestly, I hope they're ready to celebrate your arrival. You haven't shown your face around the hidden church in forever."
He was completely right. Between the intense pregnancy exhaustion, running the kitchen chains at the tavern, and monitoring little Cliff's unique hybrid development with Doctor Bob, I hadn't visited our secret Earth sanctuary in almost seven months. There were six of us reincarnated souls in Caria now—including the new crossers Tae-man had rescued a while back... and I had completely isolated myself to protect the baby.
"You know what? Fine," I said, gently patting my heavy seven-month bump beneath my green kirtle as my crimson wings tucked comfortably under my cloak. "Little Cliff is actually being quiet for once, and I miss speaking normal English without having to look over my shoulder. Let's go see the squad."
Tae-man smirked, fully embracing his dramatic vanguard persona. He raised two fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp, piercing whistle that cut clean through the noisy street chatter.
Suddenly, the crowds parted as a magnificent, powerful horse trotted right up to the sidewalk, its hooves clattering sharply against the cobblestones. The beast looked strong, wearing a heavy iron-leather vanguard saddle that matched Tae-man's armor.
"Oho! Look at that spawn timing!" Tae-man bragged cockily, patting the horse's snout with a proud grin. "She's a newly tamed horse I captured during one of my elite Capital Knight trials. Incredible stats, high agility, and perfect for a fast-travel rotation."
"Nice mount, Sir Gamer," I chuckled casually, adjusting my dark cloak around my massive seven-month bump.
Since the horse was broad and sturdy enough to handle the weight, Karrie and Tae-man helped me climb up carefully, making sure my massive crimson wings were tucked comfortably away beneath the fabric so we wouldn't cause a public scene. Once we were all securely positioned on the saddle, Tae-man took the reins, gave a sharp tug, and we trotted off.
We moved fast, navigating the bustling, layered layout of Caria City like a well-planned tactical route. We made it past the orderly, official streets of the 4th district, pushed straight through the heavily guarded gates of the 5th district where Betch was still keeping his mouth shut, and rattled right through the dense crowds of the 6th district. From there, we breezed past the sprawling, loud chaos of the main merchant district, where the scent of roasted meats and alchemical spices filled the air.
Finally, the atmosphere began to shift, growing quieter, dimmer, and far more destitute as we crossed into the infamous 7th district. This was the poorest, most neglected sector of Caria... the perfect place for a hidden sanctuary to exist without the Luminous Knights or the Bureau constantly sniffing around our business.
The horse slowed to a gentle walk, navigating the shadowed alleyways until we finally pulled up right in front of the weathered, unassuming stone structure of the hidden Christian church.
"We're here," Karrie whispered, a sense of profound relief washing over her face as she hopped down first. "The Sanctuary of Souls. Time to see if the rest of the Earth squad is ready for the ultimate pregnancy reveal."
We pushed open the heavy, weathered wooden doors of the hidden church, and the familiar scent of old incense and quiet sanctuary washed over us.
The first person we saw sitting near the dim altar was Joy, her golden fur catching the soft candlelight. She moved with that familiar, weary, hollowed grace... a lingering sign of the deep trauma and emotional exhaustion she had faced in this brutal world. But back on Earth, Joy was actually a man named Muhammad. Reincarnating as a female beastkin cat girl had been a massive trip for him, and Tae-man never let him live it down.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Muhammad!" Tae-man barked out a cocky laugh, completely shattering the quiet atmosphere with his informal gamer attitude. "How's the cat-girl life treating you today, bro?"
"Shut up, Tae-man! Stop calling me that in front of everyone!" Joy angrily protested, her golden ears pinning back against her head as her tail flicked in pure irritation. But as she stepped forward to glare at him, her eyes shifted over to me. Her angry expression instantly vanished, replaced by sheer, unadulterated shock. Her gaze dropped straight to my massive, rounded seven-month bump. "Wait... Roxanne? What the heck? You're pregnant?!"
"Yep. Real human biology is a trip, isn't it?" I replied with a lazy, casual chuckle, letting my heavy dark cloak slide off my shoulders to let my massive crimson blood wings stretch out in the safe room. "Occupational hazard from a high-tier infiltration mission."
Before Joy could process the absolute absurdity of the legendary Crimson Phantom being preggo, the side door creaked open. Walking into the main hall was Garret, another member of our secret six-soul circle. Back on Earth, Garret had been a completely different breed of crosser... a guy from North Korea who had escaped into this fantasy world. He was currently carrying a thick stack of ledger files, likely helping Father Columbia manage the church's underground logistics.
The moment Garret saw me standing there with my massive wings and giant belly, his strict, quiet composure completely broke. He froze in his tracks, nearly dropping the files.
"Roxanne..." Garret stammered, his eyes wide as he stared at my stomach. "What in the name of the Supreme... what happened to your body?!"
"Good to see you, Garret," I said, offering him a lazy, casual wave before resting my hand right back over the top of my massive seven-month bump. "And as for the child, don't worry. He's a strong boy. Little Cliff is already packing enough muscle to kick my ribs into dust every morning."
"Enough! Don't let her fool you guys!" Tae-man instantly interrupted, throwing his hands up in absolute, dramatic frustration. "This girl is a literal, unrepentant pervert! Two minutes ago in the Bureau lobby, she was literally pressing her hands into my trousers and making the most scandalous, horny noises known to man just to ruin my career! Do not trust her motherly facade!"
Joy let out a dry, weary chuckle, her golden cat ears twitching as she looked between Tae-man's iron-leather armor and my giant belly. "A pregnant vanguard lord and a newly enlisted Capital Knight... man, that's a lot of milestones to celebrate at once. Though, speaking of your new job, Tae-man, you literally disappeared for a whole month just to pass those trials. Was the Capital Knight entrance exam really that brutal?"
"Pff, please! For a peak-tier MOBA champion with macro-strategy brain? It was just a standard level-grind," Tae-man bragged cockily, crossing his arms. "But yeah, the physical reflex tests were no joke. They really make you sweat for that badge."
I chuckled, letting my massive crimson wings give a relaxed rustle against the wooden floorboards. I scanned the dim, quiet altar room, noticing a distinct lack of a certain calm, supportive presence. "Well, where the hell is Father Columbia anyway? I thought the holy man would be the first one to greet us."
"Yeah, exactly," Tae-man nodded, his gamer attitude softening a bit. "I wanted to show him my new armor and get a proper paladin blessing or something."
Miss Karrie let out a heavy, solemn sigh, her expression turning serious as she looked at the two of us.
"Well... right after you left to handle your pregnancy leave, Roxanne, Father Columbia made a big decision," Karrie explained softly. "He reminded us that since he possesses that unique soul-tracking skill, he's the only one among the six of us who can actively sense the specific energy of a reincarnated Earth soul. He promised us he would expand our network and track down more lost crossers who might be suffering or hiding across the continent. So... he said his goodbyes, packed his things, and left Caria City entirely to go hunting for our people."
The room fell into a temporary, heavy silence as Karrie's words settled over us. I leaned back slightly against a nearby wooden pew, the extra weight of my seven-month bump making my lower back ache. My massive crimson blood wings gave a slow, sympathetic droop underneath my cloak.
"Damn," I muttered, my voice dropping into a low, unbothered deadpan. "So the old priest really went full global matchmaking mode on us, huh? Didn't even wait around to see if his tracking skill could detect a hybrid baby's soul."
"Man, that's wild," Tae-man said, his cocky gamer stance completely slumping. He kicked at a loose floorboard with his iron-leather boot, looking genuinely disappointed. "I was totally planning on bragging to him about my new Capital Knight title. Having a high-tier priest in your party configuration is crucial for macro map control. Who's gonna keep me healed up if I pull too much aggro in the lower districts now?"
Joy rolled her eyes, her golden beastkin ears twitching with irritation as her tail gave a sharp flick. "Oh, shut up, Tae-man. Father Columbia didn't leave just to satisfy your stupid video game mechanics. He left because this world is brutal, and there are probably dozens of Earth souls out there getting slaughtered or enslaved because they don't have a sanctuary like we do. He's doing the right thing."
Garret nodded slowly, setting his thick stack of files down on a nearby table with meticulous, disciplined precision. "Joy is correct. In my past life, keeping a unified front was the only way to ensure survival against external threats. Father Columbia's departure is a necessary tactical expansion. However, it means our defense parameters here in Caria are severely reduced. We only have six of us, and our primary heavy hitter is currently... occupied."
He pointed a finger directly at my massive, rounded belly.
I let out a loud, highly amused laugh, rubbing the side of my stomach as little Cliff gave a firm, supportive kick right against my ribs. "Hey, don't write me off just yet, Garret. Even with a seven-month passenger, I can still summon my Death Chant shotgun and blow an enemy's head clean off before they can even register my processing speed. I'm just on a localized cooldown."
"Yeah, right," Tae-man snorted, a wicked, teasing smirk returning to his face as he looked at me. "The only thing you're hitting right now is your pervert limits. Seriously, guys, you have no idea what she did to me at the Bureau lobby. She's completely unhinged. If Father Columbia were here, he'd be splashing holy water all over her face to cleanse her horny sins."
"Oh, please, you loved every second of it, Sir Vanguard," I shot back with a scandalous, sharp-fanged grin, deliberately letting my eyes drift down to his armor again just to watch him squirm. "Your physical responses don't lie, remember? Your sword was practically leaping out of its scabbard."
"Stop! Stop right there!" Tae-man shrieked, instantly jumping back three feet and covering his crotch with both hands, his face flashing a brilliant, embarrassing red. "Karrie, save me! The pregnant demon lord is targeting my stats again!"
Karrie just burst out laughing, the heavy tension in the room completely evaporating as the secret Earth sanctuary felt exactly like home again.