Became a Demon with Pregnancy System-Chapter 146: A New Enemy

Back at the fortress, the heavy fighting had abruptly ended. Eagle carcasses littered the foothills, while the last few White Devil Eagles scattered in panic, leaderless.

Soldiers steadied themselves among the smoldering rubble, patching wounds and collecting salvage.

It felt surreal—hours earlier, they’d prepared to face certain doom, only to be rescued by a creature they had long feared or misunderstood.

Standing on a partially collapsed wall, Zack Reed beamed at the sight of the diminishing serpent. "He really came," he breathed. "For years, we suspected the stories of a serpent god might be half myths. But now we know. He saved us."

Next to him, Victor Hale had just returned from a brief flight, battered and fatigued from battling the Silver Dome Lord’s subordinates.

He looked upon the Totem Serpent with new respect, remembering how it had single-handedly crushed a threat even he and his super-level peers failed to contain.

Alan Mackey , who had fought alongside Hale, coughed a little from lingering toxins in his lungs but managed a smile. "Councilor Hale, you see now... it truly wasn’t some monstrous demon. That serpent... we owe it so much."

Hale dipped his head. "I was... mistaken." He paused, recalling all the times he had tried to champion an extermination mission. "From now on, the serpent is beyond reproach. If it calls Arcadia home, so be it."

Zack Reed let out a proud chuckle. "I’ll hold you to that," he teased. "The snake probably saved your hide, too."

Hale actually smiled, albeit wryly. "Yes. I wouldn’t be breathing otherwise."

Renewed Turmoil: The Plague

A moment later, the fortress yard filled with the sound of harsh, raspy coughing.

Soldiers who had given chase to White Devil Eagles—already exhausted and perhaps exposed to leftover toxins—were succumbing to a new malady.

One after another, they bent double, hacking painfully. Even Alan Mackey felt his chest tighten.

Zack Reed’s earlier joy vanished in an instant. "The plague... We’d nearly forgotten about that epidemic Lenora Quinn warned of," he said grimly.

"It’s arrived in full force." He recalled that hours ago, they’d discovered evidence of a potent plague—tied to the sabotage of blood agents. But then the Silver Dome Lord’s assault derailed all attempts to address it.

Now it struck with a vengeance, attacking soldiers who had fought bravely all night.

The blackish phlegm and stifling coughs hinted at a potentially lethal infection. "We need Healing Mages right away!" Hale barked, moving to help a stricken comrade.

"Mr. Lowry, the chief Healing Mage—where is he?" someone shouted, referencing the older healing archmage in the fortress.

"Here, but...he’s half-incapacitated from the battle," came a panicked reply.

Indeed, Mr. Lowry sat in a medical tent, coughs wracking his own frame. The cures he might brew were delayed by both magical depletion and this new wave of infection.

Zack Reed gritted his teeth. "We can’t lose half the fortress to sickness now," he growled. "Damn that Laurence Mann for unleashing these toxins. We have to hold out—maybe an outside cure can arrive." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

No sooner had he spoken than a piercing eagle cry echoed above them.

Soldiers tensed, fearing another wave of demon eagles, but what descended was a lone, grayish bird carrying a teenage rider in ragged uniform.

This was Wayne Yates, accompanied by his beloved eagle, Ash. In his hands: two large baskets stuffed with a specific herb.

"Y-You—" Secretary Calvin Moore (renamed from "Jun Si Yun Feng") soared up to intercept. "We’ve forbidden civilian flights over the fortress. Identify yourself!"

Wayne, clearly nervous, blurted, "I’m Wayne Yates, an aspiring beast caretaker for the West Tower.

And this...this is the antidote to the epidemic! Eagle Red Grass, it can purify plague toxins from demon eagles!" He lifted the baskets hopefully.

Calvin Moore’s eyes narrowed with suspicion, but behind Wayne, a figure approached in midair on Wind Wings: Luke. His presence radiated calm authority. "Secretary Moore, I’m Luke. This lad’s telling the truth."

"Luke...? So you’re the one who helped expose the tampered blood agent," Moore murmured, recollecting the intelligence from Lenora Quinn and the fiasco at White Town. "If you vouch for him, I’ll listen. So this is the cure we need?"

Luke landed by Wayne’s side, giving the younger teen a supportive nod.

"Yes, it’s from the Silverwood Region. Eagle Red Grass is known to counter the plague’s effects. If we distribute it quickly as a tea or herb solution, the sick should recover."

Wayne, still out of breath from his rushed flight, nodded vigorously. "I—I gathered as much as I could, sir. Please—use it to help them. Let’s save the fortress together!"

Calvin Moore let out a deep sigh of relief. "All right, come with me—both of you. We’ll get these baskets to Mr. Lowry and the other medics immediately. Move!"

Soon, Luke, Wayne, and the fortress medics assembled in the medical tent. Panting soldiers lined up outside, hacking and trembling from fever.

Mr. Lowry—still coughing but upright—took one glance at the Eagle Red Grass and almost wept with relief. "Yes...yes, this herb is exactly what we needed. Quick, we’ll brew it into an antidote infusion. Time is crucial."

Luke and Wayne helped pass out the initial doses to the worst-afflicted.

Though the first to ingest the infusion did not recover instantly, the intense coughing stabilized. Over time, color returned to their faces.

The plague, once on the brink of devastation, began to recede.

Watching them, Wayne’s expression shone with pride. He’d never felt so useful. Luke patted him on the back. "Well done," he whispered. "You’ve done Arcadia a real service."

The lad beamed, tears threatening to spill. "Does...does this mean I can become a recognized soldier, and Ash a true fortress eagle?"

Luke gave a solemn nod. "Yes. You’ve earned it, Wayne. You’re no burden—you’re a hero."

And so, amidst the battered fortress, a wave of hope spread. While the Totem Serpent had subdued the external threat, Wayne Yates and his baskets of Eagle Red Grass offered salvation from the internal plague.

Within hours, large portions of the afflicted improved, and by dawn, the fortress was abuzz with stories of both the giant serpent and the valiant youth who’d fetched the cure.