Chapter 1192: Happily Never After [Part 4] "Y-You’re pregnant." Thirteen looked at Kate, a rare look of surprise on his face. "Who’s the father?" Princess Xynalia and Kate wanted to roll their eyes at the system, who seemed to have lost his usually sharp wits and thinking ability. "You’re the father," Kate replied. "So, make sure to love us lots, okay?" Thirteen had once again blanked out, as if another system error had crashed the system. Princess Xynalia didn’t know if she should laugh or cry, finding Thirteen’s reaction quite amusing. But the System of Cannon Fodders suddenly snapped out of his daze, and a solemn expression appeared on his face. "Pursuers are here," Thirteen said in a solemn tone. "We need to escape here, now." A great feeling of overprotectiveness washed over him as he dragged Kate away from the path their pursuers were taking. He was still in a state of shock after learning he would soon be a father, which he wasn’t expecting. Princess Xynalia hatefully glared in the direction from which the pursuers were coming. Just like Thirteen, she also felt overprotective of the life that was growing inside Kate’s body. Since the two ladies usually merged together whenever they made love to the young man, the Prince also saw Kate’s baby as basically hers as well. "Hurry!" Princess Xynalia said anxiously. "They have hunting dogs with them. Go toward the river, and cross over to the other side!" Since only Kate could hear Princess Xynalia, she relayed her message to Thirteen. The young man agreed with this plan and headed toward the river, which they believed would help them in their escape. The sound of barking finally reached their ears as the hunting dogs picked up Kate’s scent. Branches cracked and snapped in the distance, signaling that their pursuers were closing in fast. Thirteen held Kate’s hand firmly, almost to the point of pain, as he pulled her along. He didn’t care if she complained—every fiber of his being screamed at him to protect her, to shield her, to keep her safe no matter the cost. The System of Cannon Fodders had lost many of his hosts in similar situations, and it made his heart beat faster inside his chest due to anxiety. Kate’s breathing was ragged, not just from running but from the swirl of emotions inside her chest. She was pregnant. Pregnant with Thirteen’s child. For so long, she had lived in fear, hunted like prey, uncertain if she would live to see the next sunrise. And yet now, amid that terror, she felt hope blooming like fragile light inside her. "Don’t let go," Thirteen said, his voice sharper and more urgent than she had ever heard before. "I won’t!" Kate replied, clutching his hand tighter. Princess Xynalia manifested beside them, her illusory form shimmering like starlight as she hovered protectively near Kate’s side. Her purple eyes glowed faintly, betraying the feral instinct of a succubus ready to fight for her family. "They’re spreading out," Princess Xynalia said coldly. "Some are circling ahead. They want to cut us off before we reach the river." Thirteen’s eyes narrowed. He could sense it too—several life signatures fanning out through the forest as if to weave a net around them. Kate stumbled over a root, but Thirteen caught her before she fell. He pulled her close, his poker face unbroken, though a faint tremor betrayed the storm of emotions inside him. "Kate," he said quietly, even as they ran. "From this moment forward, you’re not just my host. You’re the mother of my child. I won’t let anyone touch you." Kate was strong. She had bought a Legendary Martial Technique in the System Shop, which she had been using for a very long time. Her cultivation rank was also pretty decent, similar to that of a Champion when it came to the Rankings of Pangea and Solterra. (A/N: I decided to use the rankings for Pangea and Solterra to avoid confusion.) But the Queen of Valoria was now desperate and sent multiple Champions to hunt her down. They soon arrived at the river, but the sight made Kate’s face turn grim—there were also people on the other side. "We found her!" one of the men shouted and didn’t hesitate to run over the surface of the water, as if he were running on land. Kate took out her sword in order to protect herself and Zion from her enemies. If she was only dealing with a Champion or two, she was confident that she could still win despite her not being at her peak condition. Unfortunately, she was dealing with multiple Champions, who now have her completely surrounded. "Kill her!" the Leader of a Mercenary that had brought a dozen of his elite men shouted. They were also the ones who had brought the hunting dogs to track her down, which led to their current situation. "Hey, wouldn’t it be a waste if we just killed her?" one of the Champions looked at Kate in a lecherous manner. "Why don’t we all have some fun first? We can cut off her hands and feet so she can’t run or fight back. What do you say?" "Very well." The Mercenary Leader smiled. "I’m sure my men will like that." "How about that guy, boss?" one of the mercenaries asked. "Just kill him or capture him to be sold as a slave," the Mercenary Leader answered. "Either way, the girl is our priority." Kate was now surrounded by several Champions and Grandmasters with no way out. Their lecherous, greedy faces were more than enough to tell her about her future fate if they successfully neutralized her in battle. The men were about to attack Kate from all sides when a cold, merciless voice reached their ears. "I will not allow you to hurt Kate, the mother of my child." Thirteen, who had the aura of a normal human, raised his hand. "By my name and authority, I hereby open the Vault of Heaven!" Thirteen declared. Countless weapons that could be bought from the System Shop materialized around him, answering his call. Thirteen casually grabbed the nearest spear and pulled back his arm, intending to throw it. "Go for the kill!" Thirteen growled like a wild beast who had been pushed into a corner. "Gaebolg!" The weapon in his hand hummed as if to answer his call. It flew straight and true toward the Mercenary Leader, who was eyeing his host in a lecherous manner, greatly angering him. The mere thought of the bastards touching the body of the woman carrying his child made him want to start a massacre. The Mercenary Leader wasn’t a pushover, so he raised his weapon to swat the spear that was headed in his direction. However, instead of deflecting it, his weapon broke the moment upon collision with the spear, making his eyes widen in shock. A second later, a scream of pain escaped his lips as Gaebolg pierced his body and unleashed countless spikes that dug into his flesh, tearing his internal organs apart. The Mercenary Leader fell to his knees, blood gushing from his mouth, his eyes wide in disbelief as Gaebolg’s curse completed its work. The cursed spear dissolved into motes of light, returning to the Vault of Heaven with a faint hum, leaving only a ruined corpse behind. The mercenaries froze, shock and fear spreading across their faces. They had all witnessed the fate of their strongest man as he had been cut down in an instant. Thirteen’s cold eyes scanned the battlefield as he grabbed another weapon to aid him in battle. "Strike true, light of Albion," Thirteen roared as he swung down the sword in his hand. "Excaaaaaaaaaaaaalibur!" A radiant light emerged from that single sword strike, devastating the forest and obliterating those who dared to harm the woman whom he planned to protect with his life.