PinkSnake - Grinding as a Witcher - 204

Chapter 204: Egg-Laying

A pinpoint of silver light suddenly appeared in the air. Sparks spiraled around it as the silver glow rapidly expanded, stopping only once it was large enough for a person to pass through.

A Witcher clad in a black-and-gold Witchrobe stepped out from within.

Kestrel Mountains, Morgraig.

Alvin looked around.

With November approaching, winter had already descended upon the Northern Kingdoms.

A bitter wind swept across the mountainside, cutting against his skin like a knife.

Though a clear moon hung overhead, the distant sky was already shrouded in gray. Before long, snow would begin to fall.

Everything within sight would soon be buried beneath it.

The landscape would remain like this until at least March of the following year, perhaps even April.

Alvin entered the well-hidden cave behind him.

The passage was narrow at the entrance but widened farther in. Gradually, the sound of deep, drawn-out breathing reached his ears.

A massive red figure lay within. With every breath, the scales covering her body shifted and parted involuntarily.

Keltullis, the Red Dragon.

Sensing Alvin's arrival, she raised her head. Her amber, slit-pupiled eyes were filled with exhaustion.

“Grrrgle...”

A muffled rumble came from her belly.

She was clearly in terrible discomfort.

“I’m here.”

Alvin spread his arms and traced a magical array across the ground. Pale blue Chaos Magic flowed through its patterns, weaving together into a magical shield that enveloped the entire cave.

“You can start whenever you’re ready.”

His voice was calm.

Keltullis found his presence deeply reassuring, and gratitude showed in her eyes.

“Thank you.”

With that, she closed her eyes. The scales across her body seemed to come alive, shifting with each forceful breath as low pants escaped her mouth.

Alvin did not remain inside. He walked back out of the cave.

Magic was boiling in the air. Whenever a Dragon laid eggs, the surrounding magical energy became extraordinarily active.

That surge of magic would inevitably draw large numbers of monsters. Worse still, the foul blood released during a Dragon's labor acted like a catalyst, driving those creatures into a frenzy.

Every living creature became vulnerable during childbirth.

Dragons were no exception.

This would be the most dangerous moment of Keltullis's life.

The Draconids living throughout Morgraig would swarm here like hyenas the moment they caught the scent of blood.

To them, a Dragon's flesh and blood was an unparalleled treasure.

A single bite could elevate their very life force.

Alvin yawned. Acting as a midwife certainly wasn't his specialty.

Killing monsters, on the other hand, suited him just fine.

Before long, disturbances spread through the surrounding forest. The Necrophages reacted first. They were especially sensitive to the scent of blood, and instinct drove them madly toward the cave.

Then came Dragon roars, shrill cries from the sky, and the howls of all manner of monsters.

Manticores, Forktails, Royal Griffins, Wyverns. There were too many to count.

And that was without mentioning creatures like Water hags.

In mere moments, a vast Monster Tide had gathered in the sky, blotting out the heavens as it surged toward them.

Alvin exhaled softly.

The ground around him began to churn. Soil rolled aside as an enormous, iron-armored creature burrowed its way to the surface.

Kikimore queen.

There was no need for Alvin to personally deal with such low-level monsters.

As for the two Koshchey monsters, he had left them in Kovir as a precaution against any unexpected developments in the war in Poviss.

[Pheromone Dominion] spread outward.

‘Slaughter them all!’

The Kikimore queen received his command. Her body writhed, her vicious mouthparts opening wide.

Her antennae struck against one another, producing a deep, low-frequency hum.

In an instant, the earth shook and cracked apart. A furious buzzing filled the air, loud enough to make one's eardrums ache.

Swarms of Kikimore burst from underground, packed densely together as they charged straight into the surrounding Monster Tide.

“Roar!”

The monsters howled, but the Kikimore had no fear of death. They slammed into their enemies with carapaces as hard as steel.

This was the Kikimore queen's ability. Like the queen of a hive commanding all her workers, she controlled the entire swarm while simultaneously driving them onward.

Every Kikimore had gone berserk.

Against the Kikimore army, the weaker Ghouls were smashed into chunks of rotten flesh by the very first charge.

Even the more powerful monsters became wary.

The flying creatures fared no better.

The moment they drew near, the Kikimore army bombarded them with venom.

Before long, the Monster Tide was completely bogged down, unable to break through.

Standing at the center of it all, Alvin surveyed the ironclad defensive line surrounding him and found himself mildly surprised.

A message came from the Kikimore queen.

“Master, Master, look! Aren’t I impressive?”

“While you were away, my children explored the entire mountain range.”

“I’ve already beaten up all these big fellows once. Now they actually dare come here while Sister Keltullis is weak. I’ll teach them a proper lesson!”

The Kikimore queen gave an indignant huff, clearly furious.

Over the past year, Alvin had barely returned at all. Even when he did, he would stay only a short while before leaving again.

Verona had heard from her master that he had gone somewhere far away and would not be returning anytime soon.

The two Koshchey monsters were both hopelessly taciturn. Trying to speak with them produced nothing but grunts, nods, and shakes of the head.

She had grown terribly bored.

With nothing else to do, she spent her days directing the Kikimore to go looking for trouble with the monsters throughout the mountains.

Half a year ago, Keltullis had arrived here.

Restless by nature, the Kikimore queen had quickly befriended the gentle older sister.

Sensing the Kikimore queen's thoughts, Alvin couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt.

During his six years in Morgraig, he had watched this creature grow from a young age and had long since come to regard her as his own child.

The image of a child left behind suddenly came to mind.

He raised a hand and stroked her carapace.

“Then I’ll leave everything to you from here on.”

The Kikimore queen's body trembled with excitement. Her segmented legs tapped against the ground like oars. If she weren't so enormous, she would already have been running circles around Alvin.

She was overjoyed.

At last, she could be useful to Alvin.

“All right, Master. Leave everything to me!”

After that, Alvin truly had no need to intervene.

The Kikimore queen stopped the entire Monster Tide by herself.

The foul stench of blood filled the air. Severed monster limbs lay scattered everywhere, and blood ran across the ground in streams.

Great swarms of Kikimore dragged chunks of monster carcasses over to the Kikimore queen, piece by piece, for her to devour.

Alvin soon noticed something else.

As the Kikimore queen continued eating, the life force within her was steadily rising to a higher level.

She was about to evolve.

She was about to become the Kikimore Empress.

“Roar!”

A resounding Dragon roar suddenly echoed from the cave behind them.

There was an unmistakable sense of relief in it, like someone finally finding release after a long bout of constipation.

Scorching Fire surged from the cave in a wave.

Even the frigid air around the entrance warmed by several degrees.

The Kikimore queen waved her antennae.

“Master, Master, has Sister Keltullis finished giving birth?”

“Mm.”

The Kikimore queen tilted her head.

“Then why did she sound like she was in so much pain?”

“Isn’t giving birth supposed to be painless? Like passing waste?”

Alvin understood what she meant through their mental connection, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

After waiting for roughly half an hour, a tall, graceful human figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the cave beneath the moonlight...