V2: Chapter 6: Childbirth, the Adorable Little One

No, could I be giving birth already?

No, no, no, no, how could that be? I'm only less than four months pregnant, how could I be giving birth already? Normally, a woman gives birth after nine months of pregnancy, or at least eight months early.

.....

Wait, a normal woman?

Yes, I'm normal woman, but... but Liang Di isn't a normal woman! So, being pregnant with her child shouldn't have any impact on me, right?

... Right?

Liang Lin suddenly realized this, but it was too late. She could only endure the excruciating pain and continue swinging her sword, otherwise the scorching flames would fall on her.

The twins beside her had probably never seen anything like this before, and were stunned for a moment. By the time they reacted, Liang Lin had already rushed to the front.

“Brother, Miss Liang Lin’s expression seems off.” Hazel noticed the pain on Liang Lin’s face. “She’s been looking quite weak lately, and I feel…”

Edwin didn’t waste any words and rushed forward. “Don’t just stand there watching, sister.”

“Okay!”

Hazel followed closely behind.

Seeing the two people suddenly appear beside her, Liang Lin, enduring the excruciating pain, warned them, “Tsk, whatever you do, don’t touch this flame. Never mind, you probably already know. Don’t try to block it with your swords; your swords are no good, they can’t cut through this flame.”

“Then what should we do…?”

“Help me disperse the crowd, and tie that wretched priest up and throw him aside!” Liang Lin glared fiercely at the terrified priest beside her.

If it weren’t for him, so many people wouldn’t have been injured today. He was the culprit, a fanatical follower of the church.

“Yes, Miss!”

Edwin drew his sword and stood before the commoners. “I am a member of the Knights! If you want to live, come with me out of the woods! Don’t linger here, or I can’t guarantee your lives!”

He had to use his Knights’ identity for now; otherwise, these commoners wouldn’t believe him.

Meanwhile, Hazel went to capture the stunned priest. In no time, she bound him tightly and threw him beside the statue of God.

“Alright, Miss Liang Lin!” Hazel shouted at Liang Lin, “Is there anything else I can do? You look worse!”

“No!”

Liang Lin forced herself to stay upright. She cleaved through the flames as she quickly approached the girl on the cross. The girl seemed surprised that the sword could cut through her flames, so the fire grew even fiercer, raining down like raindrops.

This was a scene Hazel had never witnessed before; it shattered her worldview.

Even in such excruciating pain, Liang Lin continued to show off. When she was less than a meter away from the girl, she endured the pain, leaped up, and swung her sword.

“Idiot! You're way too slow!”

Snap!

Of course, it wasn't the sound of a head hitting the ground.

Liang Lin had only severed her hair; the flame that landed on the ground transformed into long, red hair. Initially, seeing Liang Lin's sudden outburst, the girl tilted her head and tightly closed her eyes, thinking she was about to die. However, Liang Lin had only severed her hair; she hadn't killed her.

When she opened her eyes again, she was stunned. Looking down at her body, she saw no wounds and realized that Liang Lin hadn't intended to kill her.

She didn't even know the truth yet; how could Liang Lin kill someone so easily? Of course, she couldn't kill an innocent person. Although she sometimes preferred to kill the innocent rather than let one criminal go, things weren't that critical yet.

The girl was still bound to the cross, unable to escape. Liang Lin knocked her unconscious with the hilt of her sword. Then, she tried to cut the ropes binding the girl to free her. But a sharp pain shot through her stomach again. Liang Lin looked down and nearly fainted from fright.

Her white pants were stained crimson! It was definitely blood! It was sticky and even smelled fishy!

Could this be because she had exerted herself too much and miscarried?

Liang Lin had never encountered this situation before and was completely flustered. She looked around, unable to find anyone reliable.

"What's wrong, Miss Liang Lin?"

Hazel, who had already tied up the priest, came over. She also noticed the blood on Liang Lin's legs and exclaimed in surprise. She, too, was at a loss, frantically pacing around in circles.

"Miss Liang Lin, you're injured! You're injured! Why didn't you say so sooner? If you were injured, you could have given me the sword! I could have done it too! Quick, quick! Let's get back to the inn!"

"It's too late..."

She felt a sensation of something falling downwards, a feeling... something was about to emerge from inside her body.

Could it be a stillborn baby?

Would a dead baby slide out after dying inside?

Liang Lin didn't know anything about these things. Her head was buzzing, her legs were trembling like leaves, and she could barely stand.

No, I couldn't let anyone see me in such an embarrassing state.

I had to go... to the back of the woods.

Even if she had to expel the stillborn baby, she had to do it alone, without anyone seeing!

Clutching her sword, Liang Lin ran headlong into the woods without looking back, shouting to Hazel as she ran, "Don't follow! Keep an eye on that priest! Also watch those two children properly! And that woman on the cross, if she wakes up, just slap her unconscious!"

Liang Lin didn't even remember what she said in the end. She thought she had finished giving her orders, then disappeared into the woods, ignoring Hazel's shouts. When Hazel hesitated for a moment and followed her into the woods, she found that Liang Lin had vanished.

Liang Lin ran until she was completely exhausted and sat down on the ground.

"Phew~"

She looked back and, seeing that no one was following, breathed a sigh of relief. The pain in her stomach intensified, and the feeling of something heavy was growing stronger.

"Could they really be ruling out stillborns or something? Or... this living child doesn't make sense! How can a baby born at four months be alive?!" Liang Lin was both anxious and annoyed. She looked up and saw an abandoned church.

"Let's go in. It's better inside than outside. It's so cold out there. If I keep going like this, my body probably won't be able to take it anymore. Hmm, a high fever or something will definitely come my way." Liang Lin stumbled and pushed open the dilapidated church door.

Creak~

The door opened, and Liang Lin collapsed to the ground.

The ground was cold, but it was much better than outside. At least there wasn't that biting cold wind.

"Huff~"

"Huff~"

"Huff~"

Liang Lin gasped for breath. She looked at herself; a pool of blood had seeped out, sticky and gooey, yet it didn't quite feel like blood.

Why was it so sticky?

Liang Lin touched it, then held it to her nose, examining it closely.

It felt like some kind of viscous fluid… this fluid… it looked so familiar. Where had I seen it before?

She brought it to her nose and smelled it. Although it had a fishy smell, it wasn't like rusty human blood. This blood-red fluid…

Liang Lin spread her index finger and thumb apart; the fluid was stringy. She lowered her head and smelled it carefully. Besides the fishy smell, there was also a strange fragrance.

That fragrance was dizzying, made her face flush, and seemed to have aphrodisiac properties.

Liang Lin remembered—wasn't that the smell of Liang Di's tentacles? That smell was all too familiar; it was etched deep into her memory.

Liang Lin's mind went blank. A bad premonition enveloped her heart.

If the other person is a monster, if they're a tentacle girl, wouldn't the pregnancy period really be shorter? She'd never considered this before; she'd been careless.

Now, she couldn't afford to think about it anymore.

Her body felt like it was about to explode.

Making sure no one was around, Liang Lin quickly pulled down her pants, her pale thighs completely exposed. Although they were inside the church, away from the biting wind, it was still cold.

Sweat beaded on Liang Lin's forehead, trickling down her brow.

Liang Lin wanted to find a comfortable position to expel what was inside her, but whether lying on her side, sitting up, or leaning against the wall, everything made her uncomfortable.

"Ah~"

"Hiss~!"

Liang Lin gasped, feeling that part of it had already slipped down halfway. She closed her eyes tightly, sweat already running down her neck. She dared not look down, afraid of seeing something indescribable.

"Ah…!"

Liang Lin gripped her clothes tightly, tearing at them violently. A tearing pain spread throughout her body. She suspected that her genitals had been ripped open, and her brain nerves were about to snap. But gradually, she felt a strange sensation; the pain seemed to lessen, replaced by an eerie softness.

Was it the effect of the mucus?

Liang Lin's scalp tingled. She already knew what it was. She dared not look down; she dared not look down until the child was fully born. She was afraid that if the result wasn't satisfactory, she would put that thing back into her body (of course, that was an exaggeration).

It seemed that half of it had come out. Liang Lin could clearly feel its wriggling. She was truly desperate because she felt that familiar suction cup—yes, the feeling of the suction cup clinging to her inner thigh.

This feeling was all too familiar to her; it had once caused her so much pain, yet also brought her so much pleasure. It was a pain of dignity, and a physiological pleasure she couldn't deny.

It's over.

This child isn't just alive, it's not even human.

Liang Lin was truly desperate. As the mother of this little thing, she didn't know how to face it. Could she possibly strangle this innocent child? Just because she wasn't human? Just because she hadn't planned to give birth to her?

But she shouldn't have given birth to her in the first place! She had clearly made up her mind, she was prepared to abort it, to remove the child at the border, but the child was still born.

Now that the child was born, strangling her was out of the question.

So… I can only keep her with me and raise her well.

After this internal struggle, that thing finally completely detached from her body, clinging tightly to her thigh. Liang Lin still didn't dare open her eyes; she hadn't accepted the fact that her child wasn't human.

Wait, wait a little longer.

What if it was a dream? I was sleeping with my eyes closed, probably still half asleep.

Below, a gurgling sound came from her. The thing seemed to be wriggling upwards along her thigh; its boneless softness sent chills down her spine and gave her goosebumps.

Finally, it settled on her stomach. Even through her clothes, she could feel the softness and warmth of the little thing.

Liang Lin's eyelashes trembled slightly. She wanted to open her eyes, but she didn't have the courage. What if she opened them and saw a tiny tentacled mass?

The little one on her stomach seemed to be trembling.

Was it because it was cold? Newborn babies are always very sensitive to the cold, right? It's so cold outside; wouldn't the baby get sick?

No, no, this child shouldn't have been born. Let it freeze to death, let it freeze to death…

No!

How could she have such thoughts? She was the child's mother!

Thinking this, Liang Lin gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and, clinging to her last glimmer of hope, suddenly opened her eyes.

The result, as expected, disappointed her; her last hope was shattered. Just as she expected, a small, reddish-brown tentacle was lying on her stomach. The little tentacle was round and plump, one eye not fully open, only the other half-closed, as if scrutinizing her. Then, it swayed its body back and forth, surveying this unfamiliar world.

Although she had mentally prepared herself, seeing this little tentacle still shocked Liang Lin deeply. This little monster had actually grown from her own body.

"This…"

What am I going to do?!

Liang Lin was on the verge of tears, staring at the little tentacle on her stomach.

Perhaps noticing that Liang Lin had opened her eyes to look at her, the little creature stretched out two small tentacles, seemingly very happy, waving them in the air a couple of times, making strange "chirp chirp chirp" sounds—a childish, yet strangely cute, sound.

Seeing this, Liang Lin's restless heart suddenly calmed down.

Since Liang Di could eventually transform into a human, could their child do the same?

It should be possible… children usually resemble their mothers, right?

Thinking this, Liang Lin felt uneasy. Unconsciously, she raised her hand, extended a finger, and poked the tiny tentacle. The feel was surprisingly pleasant—soft and warm, completely unaffected by the surrounding cold environment.

Sensing the person poking it, the tiny tentacle extended it's tentacle, wrapping it around her slender finger, as if greeting her, and chirped again.

"Uh... the longer I look at this thing, the more... it's actually kind of cute?" Liang Lin muttered to herself.

That's probably just a mother's perspective. At first, she thought it was an ugly little thing, but after looking at it a couple more times and accepting the fact that this little guy was her child, she thought her child was adorable.

But why take this little thing home?

Liang Lin wasn't seeing the little tentacle in front of her as a person at all; she felt more like she was seeing a little pet. She had to forgive herself; this was her first time being a mother, how could she possibly understand? Plus, with her complicated feelings, this child was born in such a daze. She had originally planned to abort it, but now, she hadn't aborted it, and she could give birth.

Although she had considered giving birth before, the thought of abortion still dominated.

After the excruciating pain subsided, Liang Lin stopped sweating and her excitement subsided. Feeling the increasingly cold air around her, she couldn't help but shiver.

No, she had just given birth; if she stayed any longer, she'd probably catch a cold. She should go back first, then figure out what to do, how to explain this to her subordinates.

Should she say she adopted a little monster?She'd have to explain to them again—do monsters really exist? Oh my god, this is so troublesome…

And then she'd go to the battlefield. Who would take care of this little monster then? Would someone secretly strangle her just because she's a monster or something?

Liang Lin suddenly remembered what Liang Di had told her about her childhood experiences—being ostracized and even forced to sleep in a dog cage because she was a tentacle monster. Would her child be treated the same way, seen as a monster by others?

The thought of her child being abused made her heart ache unbearably.

"Sigh..."

How did I become a mother? How did I become such a doting mother?

Wait, I don't even know if the baby is a boy or a girl yet? Erm, but how can we tell if a tentacle monster is a boy or a girl?

Liang Lin grabbed the little tentacle monster in front of her. Caught off guard, the little tentacle monster made a "pop" sound from its suction cups. It struggled in Liang Lin's hand, its little tentacles writhing wildly, looking truly comical, which made Liang Lin laugh.

Sigh, she was so carefree; she could actually laugh in this situation.

She turned the little tentacle in her hand over, trying to check if the child was a boy or a girl. After turning it over twice, she still couldn't tell.

Finally, she gave up.

Who cares if it's a boy or a girl? It's not even human; what's the point of expecting it to be a boy or a girl?

Liang Lin thought for a moment, then placed the little tentacle on her shoulder, gently tapping its head reassuringly. Regardless of whether it understood, she said, "Stay on my shoulder and don't move around, or you'll fall and die!"

Liang Lin's tone was stern.

The little tentacle was so small, how could it possibly understand Liang Lin's words? It blinked curiously, continuing to make "squeak squeak squeak" sounds.

Liang Lin grabbed her pants, already stained with a lot of red slime, and casually pulled them on. She'd change into new pants when she got back. There weren't any other clean clothes around; she couldn't go out naked and be seen as an exhibitionist.

After putting on her pants, Liang Lin tried to stand up.

She had heard from people who had given birth that it was impossible to stand up immediately after childbirth; the body was very weak, and at that time, one should lie in bed and sleep for a long time. She couldn't possibly sleep in this shabby place; she didn't even know if she'd freeze to death the next day.

Liang Lin, supporting herself against the wall, slowly stood up. A wave of dizziness washed over her; tiny stars seemed to bounce before her. Her vision blurred, and she almost fell. Thankfully, she held onto the wall and didn't collapse.

"Hiss~"

Would I be unable to get back?

Liang Lin was very worried. She stood there for a long, long time until the dizziness subsided and her legs stopped trembling like leaves. Only then did she try to take a step forward. Thankfully, this time her head didn't spin, and her vision didn't go black. So, Liang Lin, still holding onto the wall, slowly walked forward.

She groped her way to the church entrance, where she slowly released her grip on the wall. She tried again, taking a step forward. This time, the step landed steadily on the ground, and her head didn't spin.

"Phew~"

Liang Lin breathed a long sigh of relief. It seemed she could safely get back now.

She carefully grasped the tiny tentacle resting on her shoulder and pulled it to her chest. Afraid the little creature would get cold, she wrapped it tightly in her already soiled fox fur coat.

"Uh, won't she suffocate like that? I wonder where her nose is."

Liang Lin opened her coat again, afraid the child would suffocate and die shortly after entering this world, only to be reborn.

She wasn't cruel enough to kill her own child with her own hands. Which child isn't a mother's precious treasure? Those mothers who abuse their children, those who constantly beat and verbally abuse them, all suffer from some degree of mental illness.

Liang Lin carried the tiny tentacle out of the church, weaving through the jungle, her mind still racing, wondering how to explain things to the soldiers.

Just as she was in deep distress, she heard someone calling her name. It was her subordinates. She wanted to respond, to say, "I'm here," but the wriggling little tentacles in her arms dissuaded her. She hadn't even thought of an explanation yet, and now they had suddenly appeared. What if they asked her what was in her arms? How could she explain?

If she said it was her child, how many people would believe her?

"Huh?"

In her arms, the little tentacle was writhing violently, its cries somewhat pitiful. Several tentacles were tangled together, its large eyes were tightly closed, and its body trembled repeatedly.

"No, damn it! Don't scare me, little, little...uh!" Liang Lin didn't know what to call it.

The little tentacle looked to be in pain, shivering in Liang Lin's arms.

Wait, this child's body...?

Liang Lin slowly widened her eyes.