Accelerated Pregnancy

In truth, ever since Vivian realized she was pregnant, she could sense the fetus drawing nutrients from her body.

This was a perfectly normal physiological state.

However, after she began “using” those high-quality Evernight Crystals, the speed and intensity of this absorption had noticeably increased!

She could feel the rapid growth of the small life within her, like a seed sprouting wildly in fertile soil drenched with abundant rain.

Consequently, the burden on her own body grew heavier.

Once, as the Demon Lord, she could handle administrative affairs for days on end without sleep or rest, her energy seemingly inexhaustible.

But now, merely working intensely for a single day left her mentally drained, as if her body had been hollowed out.

Now, Vivian required several hours of deep sleep each day to maintain her work efficiency.

This brought her face-to-face with a dilemma.

“Should I speed up the birth of this child?”

Vivian exhaled a heavy breath, murmuring to herself as she gently touched her slightly swollen abdomen.

The Demon Clan was not like ordinary humans; though they appeared similar on the surface, they were fundamentally different creatures.

In fact, the gestation period for demons was typically shorter than that of humans.

Of course, for powerful demons, the time required to nurture their offspring was considerably longer.

Yet, the strong had a convenient secret method to shorten this period—a state akin to hibernation, where they fully devoted their energy to nourishing and hastening the “hatching” of the child within, as if pouring fertile soil and sweet rain onto a seed to urge it to break through the earth.

After all, the Demon Clan was a race driven largely by primal instincts, with many abilities evolved for survival.

Shortening the gestation period was naturally one such ability to enhance their survival.

Vivian’s delicate hands gently caressed her slightly swollen abdomen.

If she could draw on the energy of the Evernight Crystals to accelerate the child’s “hatching” process, it would undoubtedly be the optimal solution.

She pondered this quietly.

The mining of Evernight Crystals had now been stabilized, with the quality of the output surpassing even the finest crystals of the past.

This allowed the Evernight Territory to compete with the Winter Demon Lord’s forces for greater profits and trade opportunities.

Moreover, with the resumption of crystal mining, commerce could begin to flourish again.

Additionally, the possibility of accelerating the process meant that the immense energy required for such a deep slumber was now assured.

As the Demon Lord, Vivian had long transcended the need for mundane sustenance, requiring only a sufficient source of mana to sustain herself.

In other words, absorbing dark mana from the crystals was no different from eating regular food—except the latter was far less efficient, requiring digestion and conversion into mana.

Similarly, the nutrients needed for the fetus could also be derived from mana.

But the problem was, no Demon Lord could treat mana crystals as a daily meal!

What kind of Demon Lord was that wealthy?

More critically, if she chose to accelerate the process, it could not be stopped until the child was born.

On the other hand, if she opted for acceleration, Vivian might only need three months to give birth.

This would cut the original seven-month pregnancy nearly in half.

Three months!

Just three months!

The long, grueling seven-month pregnancy could be condensed into a mere hundred days—an enticing yet dangerous temptation, like a flickering flame in the darkness.

But the risks during this period were immense!

The territory had only just stabilized, and various matters were only beginning to fall into place.

While everything was more or less on track, with regulations and reconstruction plans just starting, any mishap now could send her back to square one.

And in the coming months, wouldn’t she still face a period of restricted mobility due to her pregnancy?

Under a normal gestation, that wouldn’t occur until three or four months later, when she was seven or eight months pregnant and her condition would severely decline.

By the ninth or tenth month, just before delivery, she might even lose her basic combat abilities.

So, the question arose.

Should she gamble that nothing major would happen in the next three months and rush to give birth to the child?

Or should she proceed cautiously, waiting six or seven months for a natural delivery?

Accelerating the pregnancy would drastically reduce the time she’d be incapacitated, but the territory’s situation was far from secure.

Waiting for a natural pregnancy, on the other hand, would likely see the Evernight Territory enter a stable phase in a few months—but there was no guarantee she wouldn’t face a second wave of crusades

from the Rhine Holy Church and the Heroes.

Which option carried less risk?

After sinking into deep thought, Vivian gazed at the Evernight Crystal before her and finally gritted her teeth, making her decision.

Accelerate!

She would rely on the energy absorbed from the mined Evernight Crystals to speed up the pregnancy!

Though the territory wasn’t entirely stable, there was little need for her, the Demon Lord Vivian, to personally engage in combat.

The regular squad captains could handle the territory’s issues, even dealing with the occasional adventuring parties probing at the borders.

If she waited until the territory was rebuilt, only to be unable to fight when the Holy Church and Heroes launched their second crusade, all her efforts and reconstruction would be for naught!

This was something Vivian could not accept.

Rebuilding once in the short term was manageable, but if the Evernight Territory collapsed again in a few months, morale would truly shatter.

A single collapse might still allow her to rally the remnants, but if the foundation of reconstruction were uprooted again…

The last flickers of loyalty and faith would be snuffed out like a candle in the wind.

If morale crumbled, what would be left for her as the Demon Lord?

If morale crumbled, leading her forces would become nearly impossible.

Moreover, during the three months of accelerated pregnancy, Vivian could still handle affairs normally for the first half.

In the latter half, she would likely be in a drowsy state for about a month—but a one-month window of vulnerability was surely better than two, wasn’t it?

Weighing the pros and cons, Vivian ultimately chose to accelerate the pregnancy, aiming to give birth to the child within three months!

However, before proceeding, she needed to plan meticulously for the next three, or even four, months.

Making this decision required no small amount of mental preparation.

Truth be told, when it came to the fetus in her womb, Vivian had initially harbored thoughts of delaying as long as possible.

After all, she wasn’t truly ready to become a mother or to give birth.

But now was not the time for past notions of modesty or hesitation!

Survival trumped all shame!

With her resolve hardened, Vivian took a deep breath.

While her energy was still abundant, she continued working at her desk, meticulously preparing arrangements and plans for the future.