Chapter 191: The Pregnant Firebird

Chapter 191: 191: The Pregnant Firebird

"The bird is pregnant," Lucard said.

Cedric turned toward him with a confused expression. "What?"

Lucard kept watching the enormous red bird hovering above the damaged forest. "It is carrying an egg. Look at its belly. It is larger than normal, and the way it moves is different. It must have traveled a long distance to find a suitable place to lay its egg."

Elowen looked toward the bird again. She had been so focused on the battle that she had not noticed anything strange about its body.

"Are you saying she is going to become a mother?" she asked.

"Yes. It probably stopped here to rest during its journey. The nest was only meant to be temporary."

Cedric scratched his chin. "Then the Nightfall Behemoth misunderstood its intention?"

"Most likely. The Behemoth thought another Seventh Rank beast had entered its territory to challenge its authority. It does not care whether the bird is pregnant or simply resting. To a territorial beast, another powerful creature making a nest nearby is a threat."

Elowen looked at the distant mountain with a worried expression. "But the bird does not want to take its territory."

"The Behemoth does not know that," Lucard answered. "And even if it knew, there is no reason for it to allow another Seventh Rank beast to stay."

Cedric looked at Lucard for several breaths.

Then a strange smile appeared on his face.

"Lucard, when did you become an expert on pregnant birds?"

Lucard slowly turned his head.

Cedric continued before noticing the danger. "You knew it was pregnant just by looking at its belly. Have you been secretly studying female birds? Or did you spend your childhood helping birds lay eggs?"

Elowen covered her mouth.

She tried not to laugh.

Cedric noticed her reaction and became more confident. "Wait. Maybe this is your hidden talent. Blood magic during the day and helping pregnant birds at night. That would explain why you know so much about them."

Bang!

Lucard punched him on the head.

"Ouch!"

Cedric immediately grabbed his head and moved away. "What was that for?"

"For talking nonsense."

"I was asking a reasonable question!"

"It is common knowledge."

Cedric stared at him. "Common knowledge? Which common person looks at a Seventh Rank flying monster and knows whether it is pregnant?"

Lucard raised his fist again.

Cedric quickly covered his head. "Fine! I understand! Very common knowledge!"

Elowen finally failed to control herself and laughed.

Even with two powerful beasts fighting nearby, she could not help it. Cedric’s offended expression and Lucard’s complete lack of patience were too funny.

Lucard ignored them and turned toward the bird again.

"It is called a Crimson Sunwing," he explained. "It is a fire-type beast that spends most of its life flying between mountains. When a female carries an egg, she searches for a place with rich fire mana. The egg needs that mana to develop properly before hatching."

Cedric slowly lowered his hands from his head. "Crimson Sunwing? I have heard that name before."

Lucard continued, "The stronger the mother, the more mana the egg requires. A Seventh Rank Crimson Sunwing will normally search for a volcanic region or another place where fire mana gathers naturally. This mountain is not rich enough for the final hatching, so the bird is probably resting before continuing its journey."

Elowen looked toward the enormous nest on the mountainside.

"Then it must have been very tired."

"Possibly," Lucard replied. "Carrying an egg affects its balance and movement. It cannot fight as freely as it normally would."

Cedric looked at the bird more carefully.

He noticed that Lucard was right.

Every time the Crimson Sunwing changed direction, it kept its lower body away from the Nightfall Behemoth. It used its wings and tail to adjust its position rather than twisting its entire body.

"That explains something," Cedric said.

"What?" Elowen asked.

"A Crimson Sunwing should be extremely fast. It is a flying beast, and the Behemoth is a ground beast. Normally, the bird could fly around it all day. But this one keeps losing height after using strong attacks."

Lucard nodded. "The egg is limiting it."

As they spoke, another exchange began between the two monsters.

The Nightfall Behemoth slammed its tail against the ground.

A section of the rocky slope broke apart, and hundreds of sharp stones rose into the air. Instead of firing them immediately, the Behemoth gathered them into a huge rotating ring.

The Crimson Sunwing spread its wings and moved upward.

The stone ring followed.

Then the Behemoth closed its enormous jaws.

The stones suddenly rushed inward from every direction.

The Crimson Sunwing released a loud cry and wrapped its wings around its lower body. Red flames covered the feathers, forming a burning shield.

The first stones struck the flames and shattered.

Others broke through.

Several sharp pieces struck the bird’s back and wings, scattering red feathers into the air.

Elowen gasped.

The bird escaped the remaining stones by flying sideways, but its movements became uneven for a moment. It quickly opened its wings again and regained its balance.

The Nightfall Behemoth did not give it time to recover.

Another wave of earth mana spread across the ground.

This time, the Behemoth raised the rocks beneath the mountain itself.

Large pieces of stone broke free near the bird’s nest.

The nest tilted dangerously.

The Crimson Sunwing immediately turned toward it.

"Kreeeeee!"

Its cry sounded different this time.

Angrier.

It opened its beak and released several large fireballs toward the falling stones. The flames exploded against them, breaking them into smaller pieces before they could crush the nest.

However, protecting the nest left the bird exposed.

The Behemoth struck the ground again.

A thick stone pillar rose beneath the Crimson Sunwing and slammed into its side.

The bird cried in pain and lost height.

For a moment, its enormous body almost struck the trees.

Then it spread its wings and forced itself upward again.

Elowen gripped the stone in front of her.

"That is unfair."

Cedric looked at her. "What is?"

"The Behemoth knows the bird is protecting its egg. It keeps attacking the mountain to make the bird turn around."

Cedric sighed. "That is how intelligent beasts fight. They do not have to fight fairly."

"But the bird is pregnant!"

Cedric looked at her helplessly. "Do you want me to tell the Behemoth that?"

Elowen opened her mouth, then closed it.

Lucard watched the battle without speaking.

His interest was no longer focused entirely on the Crimson Sunwing.

He was studying the Nightfall Behemoth.

A Seventh Rank beast.

Its blood was incredibly valuable.

Even in his previous life, the blood of stronger creatures had always been the foundation of his power. Here in the lower world, a Seventh Rank beast was far above his present level.

If he could absorb its blood, the benefits would be enormous.

"I have just reached Level 40. What would happen if I absorbed the blood of a Seventh Rank beast?"

He could not calculate the exact number of levels he might gain. The difference in quality was too large, and his Noble Blood Vessel could only absorb so much before reaching its limit.

But there was no doubt that it would be a great opportunity.

Its earth affinity might also strengthen his resistance against Alan Gravenhart’s magic.

Lucard’s eyes narrowed slightly.

If that bird kills the Behemoth, I can collect the blood afterward.

The idea was tempting.

However, the battle was moving in the wrong direction.

The Crimson Sunwing was struggling to protect itself and its temporary nest. The Behemoth controlled the ground, which gave it an advantage whenever the bird flew too close to the mountain.

If the bird lost, Lucard would lose his opportunity.

Worse, the victorious Behemoth might notice them afterward.

He needed to change the balance.

Lucard looked at Cedric.

"Let’s help the bird kill the Behemoth."

Cedric froze.

Then he slowly turned toward Lucard.

"What did you say?"

"Help the bird."

Cedric stared at him as though he had just suggested jumping into a volcano.

"Are you mad?"

Lucard looked at him calmly. "No."

"Then why are you trying so hard to get us killed?"

Elowen looked at Lucard with surprise.

"You want to help the bird?"

"Yes."

"Because it is pregnant?"

Lucard glanced at her.

For a moment, he considered explaining the value of Seventh Rank beast blood.

Then he decided there was no reason to explain anything.

"You could say that."

Elowen’s expression changed immediately.

She looked at the bird, then back at Lucard.

A small smile appeared on her face.

She had seen Lucard kill without hesitation. She had heard him speak about people as tools. Sometimes, she wondered if he had any kindness inside him at all.

But now he was willing to help a pregnant beast facing a stronger opponent.

So he does care about others, she thought.

She felt strangely happy about the discovery.

Lucard had no idea what she was thinking.

If he had known, he probably would have called her an idiot.