Chapter 349: Another baby?
The moment the instruments appeared, they rose effortlessly into the air, suspended by invisible force as a soft blue glow radiated from their sleek surfaces.
"These are the latest medical devices I’ve developed," Lian explained while skillfully operating the communicator on his wrist. "They can perform a complete examination without causing you the slightest discomfort."
His fingers moved rapidly across the virtual interface. Streams of complex data cascaded down the screen like waterfalls of light.
The hovering instruments responded immediately to his commands.
Several beams, finer than strands of hair, emerged from the devices and gently enveloped Rory’s body. The pale rays swept across her from head to toe, conducting an incredibly detailed scan.
Xarion, Polly, and her mate all held their breath.
No one dared interrupt.
Watching the advanced equipment and Lian’s focused, professional demeanor only deepened their confidence in him.
The scan continued for about a minute.
At last, all the collected data flowed into Lian’s communicator, forming an extraordinarily complex three-dimensional energy model.
As he studied the results, a slight furrow appeared between his brows.
Again and again, he compared the figures, running calculations and confirmations with meticulous care. His expression grew increasingly grave.
The atmosphere in the room became tense.
Xarion’s heart climbed into his throat as he stared at Lian, terrified of hearing bad news.
Finally, Lian lifted his head.
He closed the communicator, and the floating instruments vanished instantly before returning to his spatial ring.
His gaze settled on Rory.
There was something complicated in his eyes.
"Lian, what’s wrong with Female Master?"
Unable to bear the suspense any longer, Xarion blurted out the question.
Lian glanced at him before looking back at Rory.
"Rory isn’t sick."
"She’s not sick?"
Polly frowned.
"Then why was she suffering so much just now?"
Lian pressed his lips together briefly before answering.
"The reason she experienced those symptoms is that she’s pregnant."
As he spoke, his gaze dropped to Rory’s abdomen.
"The pregnancy is still in its very early stages, but one thing can already be confirmed."
His voice softened.
"The child carries the firebird bloodline."
Pregnant.
A firebird bloodline.
The two revelations struck Xarion like twin bolts of lightning.
For a moment, he simply stared at Lian, unable to process what he’d heard.
Then he asked again, just to be certain.
"You’re saying Female Master is pregnant... with Vincent’s child?"
Lian nodded.
"That’s correct."
Xarion clenched his jaw.
That damned Vincent.
Not only had he stolen Female Master away, he had also gotten her pregnant.
Meanwhile, Polly completely missed the storm brewing behind Xarion’s expression.
Delighted, she hurried to Rory’s side and grasped her hand.
"Rory, congratulations! You’re going to have a baby soon!"
Rory herself was just as stunned.
Another baby?
Terry had barely begun growing up, and now she was about to have a little firebird too?
Far beyond the borders of civilized space, deep within the Outer Domain, violent explosions echoed through the void.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Another massive barren planet groaned beneath the collision of two terrifying forces.
Gigantic cracks spread across its surface like a spiderweb before the entire world exploded into countless burning fragments.
A violent energy storm erupted outward, reducing nearby asteroid fields to dust.
At the center of the devastation, two figures separated after another fierce clash.
Each landed atop distant chunks of shattered planetary debris.
"Haa... haa..."
Vincent knelt on one knee atop a floating starstone, one hand braced against the surface as he fought to steady his breathing.
Sweat soaked the strands of hair falling across his forehead and slid down the sharp contours of his handsome face.
He stared at his own hands, shock filling his eyes.
Across from him, Vangar wasn’t faring much better.
Though still standing, his breathing had become uneven as well.
Several tears had appeared in his expensive combat uniform, exposing the powerful muscles beneath.
He stared at Vincent, and turbulent waves of disbelief churned in his gaze.
By now, he had used nearly all of his strength.
Yet he had failed to injure Vincent even once.
This bastard...
Could he have already reached Rank Thirteen?
"You really have surpassed Rank Twelve."
Vangar stared at Vincent as he spoke.
Vincent froze.
He shook his head, still dazed, and lowered his gaze to the golden flames dancing around his palm.
The fire was far stronger than before, several times more powerful than anything he had ever wielded.
At the same time, he could feel an endless torrent of energy surging through his body, vast and boundless, like a raging sea trapped beneath his skin.
Fragments of memories flashed through his mind.
"I..."
A sharp pain lanced through his head.
Vincent pressed a hand over his eyes.
He was beginning to remember.
He remembered being sent back to the Firebird Clan by Rory.
He remembered falling ill on the journey home.
To keep Rory from finding out, he had ordered his subordinates to take him directly back to the Firebird Clan and to tell her nothing.
Because he knew exactly what would happen once his condition worsened.
If he wanted to survive, he would need Rory’s blood to complete his Nirvana.
He had never wanted that.
He had never wanted her harmed.
Not even for his sake.
But what happened after that?
Why couldn’t he remember?
How had he recovered?
And where had this overwhelming power come from?
The answer appeared before he could even fully think it through.
Even without the missing memories, he already knew.
It was Rory.
She had saved him.
She had used her blood to save him.
And what had he done in return?
He had stolen her away from the castle.
He had imprisoned her.
He had treated her like that...
"Are you alright?"
Seeing something was clearly wrong, Vangar stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.
"I’ve already proven my point. I can’t beat you anymore."
He laughed bitterly.
"Let’s stop here. If we keep going, we’ll destroy this entire star system."
He already had his answer.
There was no point continuing.
All he wanted now was to get back and see his little Female Master.
Vincent slowly lifted his head.
The feather mark between his brows had turned a vivid crimson red.
His voice came out strained and hoarse.
"Tell me the truth."
He looked directly at Vangar.
"When my illness flared up... did Rory exchange blood with me?"
"You remembered?"
A flash of surprise crossed Vangar’s face.
"That’s right."
He grinned.
"You really are lucky, you know that?"
His expression became complicated.
"Female Master truly cares about you. The moment she learned you were in danger, she barely hesitated before deciding to exchange blood with you. Honestly, I was jealous just watching it happen."
After Vincent had returned Rory’s communicator, she had already told them that he had forgotten everything surrounding his Nirvana.
Vangar had never expected that one fight would trigger his memories.
If he’d known it would work, he would have punched some sense into him much sooner.
"So it really was her..."
Vincent closed his eyes.
A tear struck the starstone beneath him.
Vangar’s words, barely hesitated, cut through him like a blade.
Again.
And again.
And again.
He could imagine exactly how frightened Rory must have been when she learned what had happened to him.
He could imagine the panic, the worry, the desperation.
And he could picture the moment she made her decision.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
Without considering the cost to herself.
All his life, he had wanted to shield Rory beneath his wings.
He had wanted to protect her from every danger, every injury, every ounce of pain.
Yet in the end, the person who had hurt her most was him.
Because of him, she had sacrificed her precious blood to save a life that should have already faded away.
How much pain had she endured?
How dangerous had the blood exchange been?
How much had she suffered?
Every thought tightened around his chest like an invisible hand.
The pain became so intense he could barely breathe.
Rory had done so much for him.
And what had he done after recovering?
Instead of cherishing her.
Instead of thanking her.
Instead of treasuring everything she had sacrificed for him.
He had allowed jealousy and possessiveness to consume him.
He had stolen her away from her home.
He had trapped her at his side.
He was a bastard.
A complete and unforgivable bastard.
