Baby System: I'm the Beast World's Only Hope!-Chapter 220: Episode : Baby Confirmed

Three weeks later.

Everything was going smoothly, Roxy had started her teachings and the mermaids were surprisingly very fast, even faster than the wolves and dragons she had taught before.

That was how the "Twin Tides" were created.

Located in the bustling heart of the Artisan District, was a restaurant. The walls were lined with polished mother-of-pearl. Tables made of smooth, flat coral were arranged in neat rows. Bioluminescent lanterns, cultivated from deep-sea jellies, cast a warm, inviting glow over the diners.

But the real attraction was the smell.

The rich, savory aroma of the Cajun spice mix wafted through the water, drawing merfolk from the Lower Trenches and the High Spires alike.

Roxy floated near the entrance, watching the chaos with a proud smile.

She did this, kind of smile.

Lynx, a stout mermaid with a mottled brown tail and a passion for heat, swam over. She bowed low, her hands dusted with red spice.

"Your Majesty," Lynx beamed. "We are at full capacity. The waitlist is three currents long. We have dedicated the first catch to you and the Matriarch. Without your teaching, we would still be eating cold squid in the dark."

"You did the work, Lynx," Roxy said, reaching out to squeeze the chef’s hand. "I just gave you the recipe. Keep the heat steady, and don’t skimp on the garlic."

"Never!" Lynx vowed.

Roxy watched her swim back to the kitchen vents.

Influence Level 3, Roxy thought, checking her internal stats. The people love the food. The nobles love the hair. I basically run this place now.

She raised her chin high.

She should have felt triumphant. But as she watched a waiter swim past with a steaming tray of spicy sausages, a strange sensation washed over her.

Usually, that smell made her mouth water. It reminded her of home, of the surface, of flavor. Today, it smelled like rot.

Roxy’s smile faltered. The scent hit the back of her throat, oily, heavy, and suffocating.

"Roxy?" Nimue asked, noticing the change in her expression. "Are you well? You look pale."

"I’m fine," Roxy lied, swallowing hard against a sudden wave of nausea. "Just... hot. Is it hot in here?"

"The vents are active," Kaia’s voice rumbled from behind her. The General was in full armor, scanning the crowd for threats. "But the temperature is within normal parameters."

Roxy nodded weakly. "Right. Normal."

She tried to take a deep breath, but the water felt thick. The room began to tilt. The bioluminescent lights blurred, stretching into long streaks of neon color.

The noise of the restaurant distorted into a low, throbbing hum.

Dizzy, Roxy thought. Why am I so dizzy? Did I eat something bad?

She reached out to steady herself against a coral pillar, but her hand missed.

"Whoa," she whispered.

Her vision tunneled. The darkness at the edges of her sight rushed inward.

"My Queen?" Kaia’s voice was sharp now, alarmed.

Roxy’s eyes rolled back. Her tail went limp. She slipped sideways, drifting toward the floor like a stone.

She never hit the sand. Strong arms caught her instantly.

"HEALER!" Kaia roared, her voice cracking the stone of the entryway. "THE QUEEN IS DOWN!"

****

Roxy woke up to the sound of humming.

She blinked her eyes open. The bright lights of the restaurant were gone, replaced by the soft, soothing purple glow of the Pearl Wing.

She was lying in the clam bed. The water was cool and fresh.

"She is awake," a soft, ancient voice croaked.

Roxy tried to sit up, but a gentle hand pushed her back down.

"Lie still, Little Pearl," Caspian’s voice whispered. He sounded wrecked.

Roxy turned her head. Caspian was kneeling by the bed, gripping her hand so hard his knuckles were white. His golden eyes were red-rimmed, as if he had been weeping.

Behind him, Nimue was floating near the ceiling, biting her nails. Kaia was standing guard by the door, looking ready to murder whatever invisible force had attacked her Queen.

And hovering directly over Roxy was a creature she hadn’t met before.

It was an elderly mermaid, her skin wrinkled and patterned like a sea turtle’s shell. She wore necklaces of shark teeth and carried a staff made of twisted coral.

"What..." Roxy croaked. "What happened? Did I faint?"

"You collapsed," Caspian said, his voice trembling. "Kaia caught you. We thought you were poisoned."

"It is not poison," the Healer interrupted calmly.

She raised her staff. A green light pulsed in time with a rhythm Roxy couldn’t hear but could feel in her bones.

"The diagnostic spell is clear," the Healer murmured. "The mana flows perfectly. But the current has split."

Roxy couldn’t understand a word this woman was saying.

Was she like a shaman?

She moved the staff over Roxy’s stomach.

The water around Roxy’s midsection began to glow. First, a soft pink light—Roxy’s own life force. And then, nestled deep within the pink, a tiny, fierce spark of indigo blue appeared.

A sound amplified in the water. A heartbeat. It was fast. It was strong. It sounded like a tiny drum beating a war march.

Roxy stared at the light.

Oh...

Roxy suddenly realized what this whole thing was about.

The Healer smiled, "The ocean is generous," the Healer announced to the room. "The Queen is not sick. She is carrying a child."

She bowed her head.

"Hail the Heir."

The room exploded.

"YES!" Nimue shrieked, doing a somersault in the water. "I KNEW IT! I am going to be an Aunt!"

Kaia thumped her chest, her grey eyes shining with pride. "A strong heir! The line is secure! I will guard the child with my life!"

Caspian just stared at Roxy’s stomach, then up at her face.

The joy in his eyes was blinding. It was pure, unadulterated happiness. The guilt he had felt the night before seemed to vanish, replaced by the primal triumph of a father.

"Roxy," he choked out. "We did it. A child. Our child."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then her hand.

"Thank you," he wept. "Thank you for this gift."

Roxy lay there, frozen.

She looked at Caspian’s happy face, and everything that was happening around her and she felt a rush of emotions that threatened to drown her.

Fear. I’m pregnant. Underwater. With a fish-baby. Love. It’s my baby. It’s a part of me. Guilt. I am going to use this baby to leave.

She placed her hand over the blue light. It felt warm.

The Key, she thought.

The blue window materialized in front of her face, obscuring Caspian’s joy.

[SYSTEM ALERT: QUEST COMPLETED]

[Quest: The Path Home - Stage 1]

[Objective: Conceive a Royal Heir.]

[Status: SUCCESS.]

[Reward: Gestation Acceleration (Active): The mana of the Deep Spires will speed up the development of the fetus.

Expected delivery: 4 Weeks.

Royal Status: Confirmed.]

The window flashed, and a new Quest appeared.

[NEW MAIN QUEST: THE KEY]

[Objective: Deliver the Royal Heir safely.]

[Condition: The Heir must be born in the Pearl Wing to absorb the ambient mana of the Spires.]

[Reward:

The Royal Bio-Key (The Child).

Access to the "Gate of Tides" (Teleportation to Surface).

100,000,000 LP.]

[WARNING: The Gate of Tides requires a tremendous amount of mana to activate. The Heir will act as the catalyst. Ensure the child’s survival at all costs.]