Chapter 3: Great Mother, Part 2
Ancient One's expression shifted as soon as she arrived, thinking to herself, 'Damn it, is he back so soon?'
Lan suddenly cried out in pain. The female mages with healing abilities realized something was wrong and immediately ushered the other mages out. All the mages seemed to realize what was happening, and their hearts tightened! After all, Lan was their savior, but if she were to give birth in her current state...
Between mother and child, one might have to go. But there was nothing more they could do now; they could only pray for their benefactor outside the door...
Inside the medical room, Ancient One raised her hand and cast a pain-relieving spell on Lan, but the effect was minimal. Even when fighting Dormammu, Ancient One's heart had never wavered, but now it began to falter. After all, she had watched this Disciple grow up, and now she had to watch her make a difficult decision!
"Lan, if it really doesn't work... let's give up on the child. If we don't keep the child, I still have a way to save your life, but if..." Ancient One didn't continue, but everyone in the room understood what she meant.
"I want to give birth to him!" Without a hint of hesitation, though she was already extremely weak, her words carried an undeniable determination.
"Teacher, do you know how terrified I was when I found out I was pregnant? I don't love that man; our union was just an accident. If it weren't for Mephisto's scheme, I wouldn't have even known him. When I held the doctor's report, I was so conflicted. At that time, I felt a suffocating despair. But right then, I clearly heard a voice—a very cute, very affectionate voice calling me 'Mama.' I knew it wasn't a hallucination. My despair vanished instantly. It was only then that I truly felt alive. I am a mother, the mother of a child! Teacher, he is my child; I won't abandon him even if I die. Teacher, I have never asked anything of you in my life. Let this be Lan'er's last act of selfishness. Please, Teacher, help me. I cannot let my child die."
"But your current physical strength makes it impossible to give birth smoothly. In your current state, even a Cesarean section is impossible," Ancient One said heart-wrenchingly.
"Teacher, use your magic to forcibly restore my strength. Please," Lan pleaded.
"But your body can no longer withstand the scouring of any energy... sigh... alright." Ancient One looked at Lan's determined eyes, and the words she was about to say died in her throat.
At that moment, a female medical mage said, "It's time to start. Senior Sister Lan..."
Lan looked at Ancient One. Silently, Ancient One reached out, and ripples of magical light surged from her hands toward Lan. Knowing the consequences of doing this, a single tear escaped Ancient One's eye...
Cries of pain echoed from the medical room! No one knew how much time had passed.
It was a success. The cry of a baby rang out; it was over.
The baby was brought to Lan by the female mage. By now, Lan's breath was faint, but seeing her child, tears flowed uncontrollably.
"Have you decided on a name for the child, Senior Sister Lan?" the female mage who brought the baby asked.
"Yes, his name is Lan Xingyu. I don't ask him to achieve great things, only that he lives a safe and peaceful life."
"If there's anything you want to say, tell Xingyu quickly." Ancient One stroked Lan's hair, just as she had when they first met, when she stroked the hair of a five-year-old Lan who was crying on the ground because she was lost—gentle as always.
"Xingyu, don't be a picky eater. Eat your fill every day and grow up strong. Remember to take a hot bath every day. Also, don't stay up late; make sure you get enough sleep. Furthermore, make friends. It's okay if you don't have many; a few truly trustworthy partners are enough. Even though I, your mother, wasn't very good at it... You must study hard and master magic well, but everyone has things they aren't good at. Even if your studies don't go smoothly, there's no need to be discouraged. Respect the teachers and Seniors of the training class. One more thing, regarding the Three Prohibitions for Mages. First, do not borrow money recklessly; remember to save the rewards from your missions and work. You can't drink alcohol until you're twenty; drinking too much is bad for your health, so be moderate. And regarding 'women' in the Three Prohibitions... I am a woman, so don't worry about this one. In short, this world is divided into men and women. You will eventually become interested in women; I'm just worried you'll be entangled by some strange woman. Look for an outstanding woman like your mother. Also... speaking of the Three Prohibitions, don't worry about your chubby Senior Brother Wang. Xingyu, from now on, no matter how much bitterness or pain you face, you will suffer a lot, so you must maintain your sense of self and hold onto your dreams. Then, put those dreams into practice. Have confidence in yourself... I still have... still have... still have... still have... I really have so many things I want to tell you. I wanted to live with you. I love you. Xingyu, thank you for letting me be a mother. For you to come to my side as my child... truly... thank you."
Lan turned her head to look at her teacher, Ancient One: "Teacher, I leave Xingyu to you. Please."
"Rest assured, I will take Xingyu as my Disciple. He will surely be an excellent mage! Perhaps even more excellent than I am."
"Yes, I believe you." With one last proud smile, Lan passed away...
Ancient One snapped out of her memories and looked at the baby before her. Her face was full of astonishment. Although she had seen him when he was born, his tiny body contained a massive amount of energy. Ancient One's comment about him being "perhaps even more excellent than I am" was not without merit.
(From now on, the protagonist will be referred to as Xingyu or Lan Xingyu) Lan Xingyu watched as Ancient One smilingly placed the milk bottle in his mouth. He was somewhat curious. Had she not discovered him? And where was his mother? He had clearly felt a very affectionate and warm aura at the beginning. Was he now being adopted by Ancient One? If so, this backer was quite powerful! Wouldn't that mean he could do whatever he wanted? Wait, but in the future, Ancient One would also die. She has the Time Stone; she should know her own future. Could it be that she's just too tired and wants to step down and let someone else take over?
But it always felt like Doctor Strange was more than a little bit worse than Ancient One... Would he have to gamble on that fifty-percent survival rate? Wait, that's not right. He had the abilities of One Piece characters and magic. Couldn't he just rub Thanos into the ground himself? Why be a coward? Wow! Thinking about it like that was actually kind of exciting! Wouldn't his future strength allow him to do whatever he pleased? Hehehe. Thinking of this, Lan Xingyu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Ancient One looked at the giggling baby before her and suddenly felt her heart melting from the cuteness. No exaggeration—this life's Lan Xingyu was truly adorable. Unlike other newborns, his skin wasn't wrinkled at all. Those eyes under his double eyelids seemed to harbor a galaxy, giving off a lively and mysterious feeling.
Seeing Lan Xingyu holding the milk bottle with both hands, his two little feet raised high to prop up the bottle from behind while he sucked, Ancient One couldn't help but reach out a finger and move it back and forth in front of Lan Heng.
To look like a child, Lan Heng freed one hand and acted as if he were trying to grab Ancient One's finger.
Looking at the cute child, Ancient One said, "Little guy, from now on, I'll be your master. Please take care of me in the future."
Who knows where that speech Lan said to Lan Xingyu came from? Do any brothers who recognize it remember the fear of being dominated by tears?
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Thank you for reading to the end of this chapter, and if you can help by giving me votes of confidence, I would appreciate it ^_^