Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 149: Episode : Vipersan is here!

"Can I?" He choked, and Roxy nodded.

She handed him carefully to Syris, who was trembling. Roxy softly whispered to him how to hold her.

And as if the baby noticed whose arms she was in, her eyes slowly fluttered open, and he gasped; his shaking increased.

Roxy felt warm all over; her heart was practically drooling with warmth.

"She has such beautiful eyes..." Syris muttered as he stared into the curious, big sea sea-green eyes of his daughter. "Just like her mother."

"Give her back to me, I want to seeeee!" Roxy’s heart was racing now. When she was holding Tanith, the little baby didn’t open her eyes, and now she was very curious.

Syris carefully handed her back to Roxy, and she gasped.

"Oh my...." Everyone leaned in and had the same expression.

For a few minutes, Roxy and everyone in the room were just basking in this warmth, even Torian and Ren were summoned in.

The news traveled faster than a dragon in flight.

By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, the entire Iron-Wood valley knew: The Basilisk Princess had been born. The howls of the wolves, usually sharp and territorial, were tonight long, melodic songs of celebration.

Even the distant roar of a tiger from the trade post joined the chorus.

Inside the cabin, the frenetic energy of the birth had settled into a warm, golden quiet.

Mara, Sera, and Elder Vesta had cleaned the room, changed the linens, and respectfully bowed out to spread the word, leaving the new family in their intimate bubble.

Roxy sat propped up against the headboard, her hair damp with sweat but freshly brushed. In her arms lay Tanith.

The baby had been fed, a surprisingly efficient, quiet affair compared to the chaotic latching of the wolf pups, and was now sleeping. Her tiny chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm. The white scales dusted across her cheeks caught the firelight, making her look like she had been kissed by the stars.

"Roxy," Kaelen whispered, leaning over the bed. "You need to rest. Let me take her. I will put her in the golden monstrosity Torian bought."

"No," Roxy murmured, tightening her hold slightly. "Not yet. She’s so cold... I need to make sure she’s warm enough."

"She is a Basilisk, my love," Syris said softly from the doorway. "She thrives in the cool air. You are the one who needs warmth."

Syris entered the room carrying a steaming tray. He had abandoned his robes for a simple linen tunic, his sleeves rolled up.

The smell that wafted from the tray was pure comfort.

"Chicken broth," Syris announced, setting the tray on the bedside table. "With rice. I cooked the grain until it was almost dissolved, so you do not need to chew."

Roxy looked at the bowl. It was simple, golden, and smelled exactly like the comfort food she used to crave back on Earth when she was sick.

"Feed me?" Roxy asked, feeling her arms too heavy to lift the spoon while holding Tanith.

Syris sat on the edge of the bed. He blew on a spoonful of broth and rice, checking the temperature with his own lip before offering it to her.

"Open," he whispered.

Roxy ate. The warmth spread through her chest, chasing away the post-labor chills. She ate the whole bowl, Syris wiping her chin with a tenderness that made Zarek, watching from the corner, smile a rare, soft smile.

"Now," Syris said, setting the empty bowl aside. "The bath. You are sticky, and hygiene promotes healing."

"I can’t move," Roxy groaned. "And I don’t want to put Tanith down."

"Torian will hold the Princess," Zarek commanded. "He has been vibrating for an hour waiting for his turn."

Torian practically teleported to the bedside. "I am ready. I am sanitized. I am softer than silk."

Reluctantly, Roxy handed the bundle to the Tiger King. Torian took the baby as if she were made of glass, his large, clawed hands cradling her gently.

"Oh," Torian breathed, looking at the sleeping face. "She is beautiful."

With the baby secure, Syris and Zarek helped Roxy to the bathroom. Syris washed her hair while Zarek massaged the cramps in her calves.

She would wince once in a while when he would care for her protruding belly but there would still be tingles.

She had to do it so her stomach could go back to normal.

Out in the living room, Ren sat on the arm of the sofa, his fan tapping thoughtfully against his chin.

He watched Torian pacing with the baby. He watched Kaelen organizing the mountain of gifts that had started arriving, baskets of rare fruits from the monkeys, rolls of soft leather from the deer, jars of honey from the bears.

The sheer prosperity of this household was staggering. But Ren was looking at the baby girl in Torian’s arms.

"She is strong," Ren murmured to no one in particular. "To birth a Basilisk without dying..."

He looked at his own hand, checking for the black veins beneath his sleeve.

The Fox Tribe was dying. Their females were frail, their litters small and weak. Magic had a cost, and it seemed the cost was their vitality.

If she can birth a Hybrid like that, Ren thought, his violet eyes narrowing with calculation, could she be the salvation of the fox tribe? Could her bloodline strengthen ours?

He knew he was dying. But if he could leave an heir... a strong heir...

The bedroom door opened. Roxy emerged, dressed in fresh, loose robes, smelling of lavender and clean skin. She looked exhausted, but her eyes were bright.

She walked straight to Torian and reclaimed her daughter, settling onto the sofa amidst the pile of gifts.

[System Achievement: The Mother of Monsters]

[Task Completed: Successful Birth of a High-Tier Hybrid.]

[Reward: 10,000,000 LP and the Postpartum Care Kit]

[System Achievement: The Economic Empress]

[Task Completed: Establish a Unified Currency across 5+ Tribes.]

[Reward: 20,000,000 LP.]

[Current LP Balance:] 78,250,000 LP.

Roxy gasped.

"Seventy-eight million," she whispered.

Finally! I can have a mansion of my own!

"We need space," Roxy decided.

She opened the [Housing & Architecture] tab.

There it was. The item she had been drooling over for months.

[The Iron-Wood Manor

Cost: 50,000,000 LP

Installation: Instant.]

She had enough. She could buy it right now. She could give Tanith a nursery that wasn’t a corner of the living room.

"Guys," Roxy said, a grin spreading across her face. "I think it’s time we upgraded. Pack your bags, because I’m about to—"

Zarek’s head snapped up.

It always signaled danger, and Roxy rolled her eyes. Now who the fuck was it this time?

Torian, who was cooing at the baby, froze, his ears swiveling toward the front door.

Syris, who was bringing a blanket, dropped it. His face went deathly pale, then hardened into a mask of pure hatred.

That didn’t look good.

"What is that?" Ren asked, standing up and snapping his fan shut. "It smells like... rot."

"Swamp," Syris whispered. "Old swamp."

"Open the door, Runt," a voice boomed from outside. It was a voice like grinding gravel, mocking. "We heard you finally did something useful."

Roxy felt Syris tremble. She knew that voice. It was the voice from his nightmares.

"Vipersan," Roxy whispered.

Kaelen moved instantly to stand in front of Roxy and the children. Torian flanked him, claws extending.

But it was Zarek and Syris who moved to the door.

Zarek looked at Syris. "Do you want me to burn them to the ground?"

Syris took a deep breath. He looked back at Roxy, holding his daughter. He looked at the life he had built. He wasn’t the Runt anymore. He was a Father.

Roxy had given him that chance.

"No," Syris hissed, his eyes glowing neon green. "I will look them in the eye."

He marched to the door and threw it open.

The cold night air rushed in, carrying the stench of stagnant water.

Standing just outside was an entourage.

In the center stood a massive, hulking figure, Vipersan, the Serpent Lord.

Behind him stood Malus (who looked terrified to be back) and three other brothers, all looking at the cabin with greedy, slit-pupiled eyes.

Tonight, the blood feud between father and son was about to end.