Chapter 13: Devouring Depths

Chapter 13: Devouring Depths

"How about increasing my vitality, Mia? Do you know how?" I asked softly.

Now that my doubts about natural energy had been resolved, I wanted to take the next step. I needed to keep my health from falling any further.

Mia seemed knowledgeable and experienced, so I trusted her more than anyone else here.

"Vitality, you say? You can ask His Highness, young miss. There are herbs that can increase vitality, but they are quite rare. It is better to ask him to buy a potion as a second option."

A potion? That sounded promising.

Judging by her tone, I could tell the herbs she was referring to were not ordinary.

She had high standards for a maid. I doubted she meant common plants. She was talking about the rarest kind.

If I could not find those, then potions would be my best bet.

"Then Mia, can you tell Gramps Zach about what I need? I am still a little too shy to face him directly," I said, lowering my gaze and softening my voice.

Pretending to be shy had always been one of my strongest talents.

Besides, walking all the way to him felt exhausting.

Sending Mia was much easier.

She agreed without hesitation.

"As you wish, young miss. I will deliver your request."

"Thank you, Mia," I replied, still acting timid.

But when she didn’t leave right away, I noticed something strange.

She was waiting.

Watching.

Expecting more instructions.

I remained quiet. If I spoke too quickly, she might see through me. I kept my expression innocent and full of question marks, playing the naive girl to perfection.

She was testing me, that much I could tell. Maybe trying to analyze my personality.

She was sharp for a maid, and I had no doubt she would report anything unusual to Gramps Zach.

Especially if they could communicate from a distance.

Just because I made a small request didn’t mean they could see through me.

Still, I needed to stay alert.

If they made any suspicious moves, I would catch on quickly.

But for now, sleep called to me again. I had eaten too much, and the drowsiness was settling in fast.

Resting was the best option.

I let my head sink into the pillow. I didn’t know why I felt so drained, but I allowed sleep to claim me again. It was the only thing my body wanted.

Hours passed.

When I opened my eyes again, the world around me felt hazy. My vision was blurry.

I rubbed at my eyes gently and stared at the massive window. I felt heavier than before, like my energy had been spent without me realizing it.

"Hm..."

The soft golden light filtering through the window caught my eye. It sparkled against the glass, warm and quiet. Judging by its angle, it had to be early afternoon.

It was already two? That startled me. I had not meant to sleep that long.

I reached out and rang the bell. Its delicate chime echoed through the room. Moments later, a maid entered quietly.

"What’s the matter, young miss?"

"L-Lynn?" I blinked in surprise, turning to face her as she stepped in gracefully.

"Yes, young miss?"

"Um... Lynn, how long did I sleep?" I asked gently.

My voice stayed low, still keeping up the timid act.

She seemed to think about it, then answered with her usual calm tone.

"About eight hours, young miss."

Eight hours?

That stunned me. That wasn’t a nap. That was almost an entire night’s rest.

Just how exhausted was I?

I had fallen asleep in the morning and woken up in the middle of the afternoon.

Could it be because I was pregnant?

That thought wouldn’t leave me. There was no other explanation. It hadn’t even been a full week since I became pregnant, but the symptoms already felt like I was three months in.

Something wasn’t right.

"Lynn... do you sense anything unusual in my belly?" I asked quietly.

A nervous tremor ran through my voice. I felt a real and growing fear. This pregnancy was taking a toll on my body in ways I didn’t understand. I had no idea if this was what women normally went through, but everything about it felt wrong.

I watched Lynn closely as she lowered her gaze to my belly, her expression serious.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

"I cannot peer into it clearly, young miss, but it seems your belly is already growing faster than expected. And the fetus... it is absorbing your mana. But that alone may not be enough. It is likely devouring your life force to make up for what it lacks. To confirm this, I will call His Highness for a full evaluation."

Without another word, she vanished.

But I couldn’t breathe.

Her explanation shook me.

"What do you mean... devouring my life force? Is my brat trying to kill me?" I whispered in disbelief.

I had originally intended to carry this child like any other woman, to give birth and move forward with life.

But this... this was something else. This was abnormal.

This was dangerous.

A real, suffocating fear began to settle deep inside me.

Could I even survive this?

Abortion didn’t exist in this world. Not that I had seen. And my belly already looked three months pregnant, even though it had only been a week. I had wanted to bring this child into the world, but if it was truly trying to kill me, then I would not hesitate. If I found a way to remove it, I would do it without delay.

My life came first.

I never wanted this pregnancy. The system forced it on me.

I had no say in it. And now it might be the thing that ends me.

I gritted my teeth.

I was not a kind person. I knew that much. But this... this was too much. Everything kept piling on me like I was the universe’s favorite target. It felt like no one was truly on my side.

What did I do wrong in my previous life to deserve this?

I worked hard. I pushed through life with nothing but determination. I didn’t cheat. I didn’t kill. I earned everything through pure effort. So why? Why did this unreasonable system choose me?

I buried my fingers into my scalp. My nails tore into the skin, drawing blood.

It healed quickly, but the pressure in my mind didn’t fade.

The stress was unbearable.

I could feel myself unraveling.

I hated the system.

Truly, deeply.

And now, that hatred had reached a new level.

My situation was spiraling. I had no idea if I could survive giving birth. This was no longer about deception or clever manipulation. This was about survival, and the odds felt like fifty-fifty. No. Even less.

Even if there was a solution, it didn’t mean I would live through it.

I had Gramps Zach and Szélanya. Two powerful beings at my side. But even they might not be able to save me.

They couldn’t save their real daughter. So why would they be able to save me?

I didn’t know the full logic behind healing in this world, but I was sure about one thing.

Escaping death was not something even they could guarantee.

At first, I thought I was lucky. I thought I had found some twisted version of fortune by being adopted by them. But that luck was only temporary. I couldn’t even enjoy this wealth, this safety, in peace.

My mind was reaching its limit.

I wanted to give up.

But deep down, I still refused to fall.

I would not let this break me.

"I want to walk for a bit. Staying in this room any longer will make my mind collapse. I need air. I need space. I need time to think... to find a way to survive."

I rose from the bed and turned toward the door. My mind was a mess. Anger, frustration, fear, and hatred swirled inside me until I could barely breathe. I needed to get out. I needed the wind on my skin, anything to stop myself from drowning in misery.

After being permitted to leave, I headed to the backyard of the mansion where a quiet stream flowed through a patch of forest. I passed a few servants on the way. They greeted me respectfully, their voices calm and polite. It felt like they already knew I was Gramps Zach’s granddaughter.

Even though I was seething inside, I returned their greetings with forced politeness. I was afraid that if I said too much, I might scream at them like a madwoman.

So I came here instead. This place was quiet. The stream’s gentle rush and the scent of forest and earth wrapped around me like a blanket.

I slipped off my sandals beside a small oak tree and stepped into the water barefoot.

It curled around my ankles, cool and soothing. My head slowly began to clear as each step stirred something deeper inside me.

Birdsong echoed overhead, and moss blanketed the smooth stones beneath the surface. The air smelled like pine and damp leaves. I walked without purpose, letting my body move while my mind wandered.

Eventually, I stopped and closed my eyes.

I breathed in deeply.

The scent of wood and water filled me. For a moment, I felt like I could stay here forever.

It was peaceful.

But peace never stayed long.

Just as I began to calm down, a familiar voice drifted on the wind.

"This... goblin is really cunning. I wonder why His Majesty Zach wanted this thing."

My eyes snapped open.

That voice.

It was the wind spirit who brought me to that mysterious cave.

I immediately activated my Divine Vision.

My perception expanded, revealing a glowing orb of wind carrying a floating goblin.

The moment I saw it, my blood went cold.

That aura. That killing intent.

I recognized it.

It was the same goblin who stabbed me.

I touched my face and laughed, my voice hollow.

"Hahahaha... I think I’m going crazy."

The wind spirit must have heard me. Her voice reached my ears again as she flew over the stream.

"Hmm... that’s the adopted daughter of our queen. She’s quite pretty, but what is she doing here?"

I ignored her. I was already calculating their altitude. Judging by the distance, they were about twenty feet in the air, around six meters. That was about double the height of a standard basketball hoop.

A slow smile crept onto my face.

Finally, I could release some of the pressure building up inside me.

I had no weapons, but sharp stones would do. I had been curious about fusing some of my low-level skills, and now I had a target to test them on.

If I fused Blood Strengthen Strike, Pressure Point, and Striking Blade, the result should be a precise, deadly attack that amplified internal damage using blood-powered force and pinpoint accuracy.

If executed properly, it could easily reach the power of a mid-grade skill.

I lowered my gaze to the ground and quickly picked up a few sharp stones. One in particular had edges that glinted in the light.

I smirked.

"You’re dead," I whispered.

I channeled blood to amplify my muscle strength.

To be sure, I added a surge of mana.

My body responded instantly, the veins in my arm glowing faintly red.

Above, the wind spirit was still chatting to herself, unaware.

"What is she doing? Why is she posing like that?"

I took the stance of a baseball pitcher, tightened my grip, and threw the stone with everything I had.

A sharp whistle cut through the air.

The stone spun fast, its surface tinged with a faint crimson hue.

The goblin barely moved before it hit.

The wind spirit had placed a basic wind barrier around it, but it didn’t matter. My fused skills were designed to bypass armor and strike critical points.

The stone tore through the barrier and pierced the goblin.

A sound like a muffled explosion echoed through the clearing.

The goblin’s body erupted in a violent burst, blood splattering into the stream as flesh tore apart from the inside.

The force of the fused skill ruptured its internal pathways, paralyzed its organs, and detonated from within. There was barely any damage on the outside, but the inside had been reduced to pulp.

The wind spirit froze midair, staring in open shock.

Her wide eyes locked onto me.

My golden and blue eyes were glowing.

And I was smiling.

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Nerine, I’m scared. I think I’m turning her into a real stressed mom by accident. Haha, I hope that’s not the case!