The first few days had been the hardest for the new parents. Usually, people had one baby to worry about in the beginning, but it felt like Lizzy's arms were constantly full of squirming tots. Not to mention, they were growing quickly. Phantom was no longer surprised by anything that Lizzy did, instead taking everything in stride. The pair did what they could to store food and keep everything clean, but they often found themselves exhausted and falling into bed only to be woken up within a few hours.
Lizzy had briefly glanced at the handful of announcements that the system had sent her way when other players had begun to gain achievements or gain attention from different gods. None of the gods were named, and she supposed that would give too much information about the potential class and feat of the player.
Before long, a week had passed filled with crying children with hungry mouths. Lizzy had eaten all of the meals the system had sent her and spent time getting to know Phantom far more than she thought would be possible. He even brought some metal ore up from the depths of the mountain and used it to further reinforce the walls of their cave.
With Lizzy's request, Phantom was also working on creating some garden beds in the middle of the large cavern where she could begin to grow crops. She sighed, wondering if she could find seeds to grow crops when it dawned on her that she had yet to visit the system store since the birth of her children. She opened the interface, gasping softly when she saw the coin balance in the screen.
{Coins x 1500}
"System, when did this happen?" Lizzy's voice was hissed, a sleeping babe in her arms while the other gurgled at her from one of the furs on the floor in front of her.
{Champion was awarded system coins after the successful birth of her children.}
"Oh." Lizzy shook her head, pulling the system interface back up. She peered into the different tabs of the store, pausing when she reached the base building section of the store. Her eyes widened as she realized that she not only had the coins to buy a light system for the entire cave system they had hollowed out for their use but also for something listed as an "endless electric supply" good for one system at a time. She immediately purchased it, only feeling slightly guilty when her entire coin balance disappeared. The best part was that the light system installed itself instantly with no work from her. It was as if the system knew exactly what she wanted and needed. The bonus was that they could now see everything with the lights without having to resort to the lantern that they had been using to see in the cave once the sun went down.
But, the most important part of the discovery was that the system would reward her with creature comforts for her efforts.
Lizzy returned both babes to their cribs, taking a quick walk around the cave to get an idea as to how long the lights traveled. Little bulbs like you would find in a lamp back on Earth were spaced every ten feet in the upper part of the cave tunnels. They spread as far as Lizzy could see and she felt some anxiety in her chest ease as she had ample light to see by. As soon as she was reassured of the length the lights traveled, she returned to the nursery to find Phantom standing there.
"Lizzy, I will take over with the children. You had said that you wished to find seeds and plants?" He blinked at her with a beaming smile. "I have the powered milk that you gave me. It will be much easier to see with these lights!" He reached towards the ceiling of the cave, a finger tip trailing across the bulb of light. "Usually, we only see things like this in the other nations."
Part of her knew that there was far more to this world than the little snippet that she had seen, but Lizzy still found herself jerking her head in his direction. "What? Other nations?"
Phantom's face scrunched up in confusion, his eyes peering more closely at Lizzy. "Yes. Like where you came from? I'm sure that you have a lot of stories."
"Oh." Lizzy hesitated. The question of her origins had never quite been answered. She had been deliberately vague. "Yes, I suppose that I do. For now, I'm just glad that we have more light."
{Ding}
{Class Notification}
{Environmental Instability Detected}
She smiled at Phantom, brushing her hair behind her ear as she casually minimized the screen. Lizzy had never seen a class notification before and fear shot through her. The warning of environmental instability was vague and she mentally prodded the system for more information.
{Class: Mother of All is able to sense environmental shifts that can cause stress and chaos in a region. These notifications are built to assist the class in creating a safe environment for any offspring that are produced. Just a reminder, your class is Mother Of All. Not just those that you give birth to.}
Insight hit Lizzy like a boulder and she barely kept herself from doubling over from it. Mother of All. Mother of All. It was far more than a class or a title from the system, no it was a description of future expectations. And that expectation was greater than she was prepared for. She shook her head, dispelling any chaotic thoughts and turned her focus back to the notification. System, do I just need to find the instability? She mentally asked, her body going through the motions of picking up her babes and changing their diapers.
{Environmental Instability can cause fluctuations that affect a region's fertility levels, warp wildlife growth, severe climate changes, natural disasters, risk to health, and scarcity of food and water. It is advised that Champion seek out the affected area and work to repair it.}
"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" Lizzy muttered under her breath, handing her children over to Phantom. In a louder voice, she smiled and addressed her mate. "Mate, I need to go out to the forest and begin to forage for seeds to plant or goods to trade for those seeds. We need to begin building a food stockpile."
Phantom's ears twitched, his tail thrashing as he took the children from Lizzy's arms. "That is wise. I worry that this winter will be a harsh one." He pulled his tail up, pressing it into Lizzy's hand. "My fur grows more and more dense with each passing day and a chill has begun to seep into the air."
Lizzy was also worried about the change in seasons. Largely because she wasn't sure what winter was like in this region and if they would have enough supplies. But, the only thing that she could do was her best and that was what she would do.