Became a Demon with Pregnancy System-Chapter 103: Awakening of the Fort Snail
The slightest quake, or even a step, could dislodge debris. Hazel placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder, stilling him. "Wait," she whispered, "the energy here feels strange."
At that moment, a subtle tremor ran under their feet, rattling shards of glass in a nearby window frame. Elias took a small step back. "What was—"
Before he could finish, the very ground beneath them gave a violent shudder. The vibrations were so powerful they could hear old buildings groan in protest. High above, a flock of startled crows shrieked and soared away in an inky cloud.
"Something is wrong," Hazel muttered, her hand clutching at Luke’s arm.
And then it happened all at once: A colossal upheaval rocked the entire Lion City. Streets buckled and heaved, as though an ancient behemoth were awakening beneath the asphalt.
Concrete slabs tilted upward, vines whipped through the air, and bits of crumbling facades collapsed with thunderous crashes.
Elias stumbled, struggling to keep his balance. "Luke!"
Luke’s jaw tightened, adrenaline surging. "Steady yourselves!" he barked. But any further orders were lost in the cacophony of a second, sharper quake.
An enormous rumbling sound—like the deepest drum ever struck—resonated across the city. A single, monstrous heartbeat.
One heartbeat. Then another. It was the same lonely signal Elias had picked up with his Sound magic—only now it echoed everywhere, as if the entire city were the demon’s flesh.
Hazel’s eyes shone with alarm. "Luke, the city...it’s not deserted at all—"
As soon as she spoke, the ground lurched again, jolting upward. The entire Lion City seemed to rise through sheer force, as though forced from the earth by a gargantuan hand.
The old roads, the collapsed buildings, and the twisting vines all moved in unison, like fur bristling on the back of some colossal beast.
One heartbeat, only one heartbeat indeed!
A horrifying realization sank in: This whole Lion City actually stands on the body of a demon!
Chapter 94: The Fort Snail
In a lavish estate on the other side of the ocean, the chandelier lights gleamed over polished marble floors.
A blond man lounged comfortably in a tall-backed chair, swirling a glass of dark red wine.
At a mere hand signal, a maid behind him massaged his shoulders with practiced grace while, across the room, a famous dancer swayed to a slow, sensual rhythm, and a pianist filled the air with the plaintive notes of Chopin.
The entire atmosphere radiated indulgence, the assembled entourage rarely speaking above hushed tones.
A sudden presence broke the harmony. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
A figure wrapped in shadows appeared at the far edge of the hall, then knelt before the blond man with an air of unwavering reverence.
"What is it?" the man asked, his tone casual, though his cool, blue eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"My lord, the Fort Snail has awakened," the shadowy figure announced. In contrast to the tranquility of the room, that statement hung in the air like a thunderclap.
For an instant, the blond man froze. "What did you say?" He lurched to his feet, nearly spilling his wine. "Impossible!"
His anger manifested in the abrupt snap of the wooden armrests. They disintegrated into splinters beneath his grip, sending a shower of debris to the floor.
The dancer halted mid-movement, startled, and the maid stepped back in alarm.
"Hazel Ross entered the Fort Snail’s sound range," the messenger continued shakily, "and woke it prematurely."
"Hazel Ross?" the man repeated, voice brimming with disdain. "Wasn’t she supposed to be crippled? How on earth did she wander into that place?"
He ground his teeth, fury flaring in his eyes. "Poison Boy was supposed to ensure nothing like this would happen! I’ve wasted five years of careful planning!"
His voice rose to a roar. In a whirlwind of rage, he swept his arms out, toppling chairs and shattering expensive ornaments. The room filled with the clatter of glass and porcelain hitting the floor.
Even so, his anger refused to subside. He turned his attention to the maids trembling at the edge of the room, and a corrosive energy materialized around them like a poisonous fog.
They screamed in pain as the acid-like magic clung to their skin. Only when their cries echoed against the silent walls did the man’s expression begin to soften.
The tension in his shoulders eased, and he finally released a measured exhale.
"I nearly forgot," he growled. "Poison Boy suffers from those blasted memory lapses. He probably doesn’t even recall that Hazel Ross has the power to wake the Fort Snail." He paused, taking another sip of wine as if to steady his temper.
"Find Poison Boy. Tell him to feed the Fort Snail everything necessary so it can continue growing. My entire plan hinges on it."
Then his eyes hardened again. "Prepare a teleportation array for me—immediately. In one hour, I want to be in Skandia."
"Yes, Lord Apollo," the shadowy figure answered. He vanished from sight as swiftly as he had arrived, leaving broken furniture and whimpering maids in his wake.
Far across the globe, a sprawling city soared into the sky, balanced atop the gargantuan shell of a colossal beast. Dust and debris rained from the cracked streets.
Vines tore from the soil, and shattered windows reflected a world tipped on its side. From a distance, the sight of Lion City being lifted was nothing short of an apocalyptic vision.
Luke hovered in midair, scanning the scene below with tense focus.
His feet were reinforced by the faint shimmer of wind magic, allowing him to hold position even as the shockwaves battered the space around him.
Nearby, Elias Vaughn clutched at the swirling air to stay afloat, while Hazel Ross floated with measured poise, her eyes glowing with an almost unearthly light.
"Just how massive is this thing?" Luke muttered. Beneath his vantage point, the entire city moved as if riding the back of a leviathan.
More than two hundred meters of stony ruin had already emerged from the ground, yet the beast continued to rise.
