Chapter 65: Giving Birth
The fifth month of pregnancy, a sweltering and restless late night.
Above the Molten Core Plains, a spectacle extremely rare across the entire continent was unfolding—a Lava Thunderstorm.
The sky was tightly covered by layers of thick, dark red clouds, their bases churning and rolling as if the entire sky were ablaze. What fell from the clouds was not ordinary cold rain, but fine, scalding volcanic ash that left faint scorch marks upon drifting to the ground. Bolts of lightning streaked across the sky, but they weren't silver-white; they were a fierce orange-red. Each strike carried the pungent scent of sulfur and high-temperature burning, illuminating the entire territory of the Fire Giants.
Giant trees, rivers of lava, and towering volcanic rock palaces all flickered in and out of view amidst the flashing red light.
In the innermost part of the Giant King's bedchamber, in a corner covered with a thick layer of Flame Beast Hides, Livia lay prone, her abdomen heaving violently, each breath heavy and suppressed.
Five months.
Exactly five months since she had conceived this child.
A Fire Giant's pregnancy was known for being "short, fast, and intense." Compared to a Red Dragon's normal twenty-four-month long pregnancy, it was practically giving birth at light speed.
But the process was not easy in the slightest; it could even be described as torture.
This was a hybrid fetus of a Red Dragon and a Fire Giant, and its vitality was outrageously violent.
For the first three months, she felt almost nothing, able to eat, sleep, and fly as usual. But starting from the fourth month, her belly began to expand crazily, like a balloon being pumped full of air, changing every single day. By the fifth month, she couldn't even fly normally—not because of a lack of strength, but because her center of gravity was completely off. With one flap of her wings, the entire dragon would spin in place, swaying left and right like an out-of-control top, unable to fly straight or stay steady. If she used even a little too much force, she would plunge headfirst into the lava.
Over these few months, Livia's mood could basically be summarized in one word: "irascible."
Audric, this massive Fire Giant, had been living with extreme caution lately.
At this moment, he was crouching beside Livia, his massive frame curled into a ball, not even daring to breathe loudly. He held a giant stone basin in both hands, which contained a whole, freshly roasted Rock Sheep.
The skin was roasted to a golden crisp, fat sizzling and dripping down. It had been brushed with three layers of honey syrup and sprinkled with a heap of rare spices painstakingly traded from the Northern Dwarves. The aroma was rich and domineering, almost filling the entire bedchamber. Even a dragon who had just eaten wouldn't be able to help wanting to take a few more bites.
"Want... want some to eat?" Audric asked in an extremely soft voice, his face full of tension.
Livia glanced at him.
She had no energy to scold him, nor the energy to be difficult.
She hooked the stone basin with a claw and buried her head in it to eat, the sound of her fangs cutting through the roasted meat sharp and decisive. In no time, the entire Rock Sheep, bones and all, was gnawed clean, not even a speck of spice remaining.
She threw the empty basin back with a "clatter" and continued to lie on the pile of beast hides, panting heavily.
Audric hurriedly caught the empty basin and scratched his head, his tone even more cautious: "That... do you want more? Should I have the chef roast three more?"
Livia ignored him, her gaze fixed intently on her highly distended abdomen.
Something was moving frantically inside her belly.
It wasn't the gentle, soft fetal movement of an ordinary cub; it was kicking.
Kick after kick, heavy and urgent, with terrifying force, as if inside wasn't a dragon hatchling about to be born, but a little monster eager to rush out and fight the whole world.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the churning discomfort, and slowly closed her eyes.
The Lava Thunderstorm outside grew increasingly violent. Orange-red lightning struck one after another, illuminating the interior of the bedchamber.
The air grew hotter and more stifling.
Time passed bit by bit in the suppressed restlessness.
——————
Half an hour later.
An outrageously loud sound suddenly erupted.
It wasn't the weak crying of a human infant.
It was a howl.
A howl carrying sparks, carrying fire, and carrying an innate dominance.
The sound's penetrative power was absurdly terrifying, piercing through the booming thunderstorm, the hard rock walls, the entire palace, and even reaching across nearly half of the Molten Core Plains.
Like a born little overlord, upon arrival, it announced to the whole world:
I'm here!
Audric froze for a second, then snapped out of it and rushed over.
On the pile of beast hides, a newborn little fellow was rolling around restlessly.
To call it an "infant" was actually not very "infant-like" at all.
Upon birth, this fellow was a full two meters long. Its skin was a healthy dark red, covered in a layer of fine yet tough scales. Between the scales, faint flame patterns flowed slowly. Its eyes were already open, wide and round, with pupils of pure molten gold, almost exactly like Livia's.
The most recognizable feature was its mouth.
Every time it opened its mouth to howl, it would spit out a small cluster of bright sparks, which splashed onto the surrounding beast hides, sizzling and burning neat little black holes.
Audric crouched down, leaning in very close, staring at the little fellow without blinking for a full three seconds.
The little fellow also remained motionless, staring back at him intently.
One large, one small, staring at each other.
Silence.
You could hear a pin drop.
Three seconds later.
The infant's brow truly furrowed.
Two tiny eyebrows knitted tightly together, its eyes widened further, and its mouth pursed into a tight line.
Despite being so small, it emitted a clear-as-day aura—
What are you looking at? Want me to torch you?
Audric was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha—!!!"
The laughter was powerful and domineering, shaking loose debris from the bedchamber's ceiling and even drowning out the thunder outside.
"He looks just like her! Exactly like her!"
He carefully and extremely gently picked up the two-meter-long giant infant, holding it up before his eyes, grinning from ear to ear. "This gaze! This expression! This defiant attitude! He's exactly like his mother!"
Held high, the infant showed no fear; instead, it stared at him with a look of annoyance, opened its small mouth, and spat out another string of sparks.
Audric quickly held him steady and gently brought him before Livia, his face beaming with smiles like he was presenting a treasure. "Look, look! He looks like you, doesn't he! Isn't he exactly the same!"
Livia lowered her eyes, staring at her newborn son.
The infant also immediately turned its head, staring back at her intently.
Mother and son stared at each other.
Silence.
The atmosphere was momentarily very serious.
Three seconds later, the infant's brow furrowed even tighter, its eyes widened further, and it spat out even more sparks.
Livia remained silent.
She suddenly recalled how she had spent these past five months.
Because her body was forcibly compressed and she was uncomfortable, she glared at Audric.
Because her tail was being sat on and it hurt, she glared at Audric.
Because she was annoyed by his foolish concern, she glared at Audric.
Because he asked stupid questions like "Do dragons get morning sickness?", she glared at Audric.
From beginning to end, she had glared for five whole months.
Now, look at what happened.
She gave birth to a son, and before he learned anything else, he had inherited the glare perfectly—the student had even surpassed the master.
Just then, an incredibly punctual and annoying system pop-up appeared with a "ding," jumping right in front of her eyes.
[Offspring Birth Complete]
[Name: Pending]
[Race: Red Dragon × Fire Giant Hybrid (True Dragon Rank)]
[Body Length: 2 meters (Infant Stage) / Estimated Adult Length: 35–40 meters]
[Talents:
1. Flame Control (Inherited from mother)
2. Size Fortification (Inherited from father)
3. Glare Attack (Inherited from mother's habits during pregnancy)]
[Special Note: This individual is born with the "Glare" intimidation skill. Effect: Causes the target to involuntarily experience the guilty illusion of "Did I do something wrong?" Current Skill Level: Novice. Can grow to Master Level upon reaching adulthood.]
Livia stared at the line **"Glare Attack (Inherited from mother's habits during pregnancy)"** for a full three seconds.
Expressionless, she closed the system panel and reached out a claw, gently pulling the infant, who was still staring her down, closer to her side.
Being pulled over, the infant didn't soften at all and continued to glare at her.
Livia didn't back down either and glared right back.
The mother and son stared at each other like this for a full ten seconds.
Finally, the little fellow couldn't hold out any longer. He blinked hard, gave a big yawn, closed his eyes, tilted his head, and curled into a ball beside Livia, falling fast asleep instantly. The little overlord aura from just now vanished without a trace, leaving only the peacefulness of deep sleep.
Livia withdrew her gaze and lay down tiredly.
Audric immediately leaned in and lowered his voice, looking expectant: "What... what should we name him? Something domineering! In line with our Fire Giant traditions!"
Livia rested with her eyes closed for a few seconds before slowly speaking. Her voice carried a hint of raspiness but was exceptionally clear:
"Grimhild Noventu Skarun."
Audric was taken aback and clumsily repeated it: "Gri... Grimhild... Noventu... Skarun... What... what does this mean in Dragon Language?"
Livia said flatly:
"Son of Fire.
The Glarer.
Heart of Molten Lava."
Audric was stunned for a moment, then grinned widely, his face turning red with joy:
"Good! A great name! So domineering! We'll call him that! It suits him perfectly!"
He was incredibly excited and couldn't help but reach out his hand, wanting to gently stroke the infant's head.
His hand was only halfway there.
The sleeping Grimhild suddenly snapped his eyes open.
Without blinking, he stared at him intently.
Audric's hand instantly froze in mid-air.
The infant didn't cry or make a fuss; he just stared quietly.
Audric sheepishly withdrew his hand, rubbed his nose, and muttered in a low voice, his tone a mix of helplessness and amusement:
"This child... really takes after his mother..."
Outside the bedchamber, the Lava Thunderstorm continued to roar.
Inside the bedchamber, the giant Red Dragon, the tall Fire Giant, and a hybrid dragon hatchling who could glare from birth huddled together on the warm pile of beast hides.
Molten-gold firelight flowed slowly over them.
Livia closed her eyes and let out a soft breath.
The first cross-breed child had... arrived.
And one with a built-in glaring skill, no less.
She suddenly felt a bit of anticipation for what this little brat would look like once he grew up.