The Monster egg. This was the item I received from Lady Yifa as a reward during the dungeon event, along with the scythe I now cherish. Both the quality and rarity were unknown, just as the creatures to be born from them were uncertain. It was a mysterious black box full of unknowns.
What I did know was that, as mentioned in the description, the egg seemed to absorb my magic power as its owner. I hadn’t even been conscious of that…
According to the sudden information, it seemed that such a monster egg was hatching. I couldn’t help but think, “Is this for real?” Still, I obediently took the egg out of my inventory.
The shell had maintained its ominous color… Wait, it’s gotten larger again? The fact that the egg was growing in size was strange in itself. I couldn’t help but wonder, what was really going to hatch from this…?
“Isam, what’s happening? Why are you suddenly taking out an egg?”
Iris’s question was only natural. Since there was no need or reason to hide it, I honestly explained.
“Just a while ago, there was an announcement that it was about to hatch.”
“Really! Congratulations!”
Iris was rejoicing as if it were her own accomplishment. I didn’t expect her to be so thrilled. It made me slightly embarrassed.
“Come to think of it, my brother used to have something like this,” Jigoro said.
“I wonder what’s going to hatch from it?” Ruby wondered.
“I have no idea,” Genjuro said.
Oh, now the three of them have turned their attention to the egg. Such fickle minds.
“It’s unlikely that a skeleton will hatch from it, right?” Genjuro said
“No, no, Grandpa. We really don’t know. This is a game, after all. The chances of something like bones being born right from the start are pretty low.” Ruby added.
“Ehh? If that was actually the case, I wouldn’t want to take care of it.” Jigoro said.
“E-Everyone…”
Oh, come on…! They’re just saying whatever they want!
That’s fine! Personally, I wouldn’t mind even if it were a bone creature! I’d actually welcome it!
“Look! There’s a crack in the shell!”
What?! I leaned forward, fixating my gaze on the egg. Indeed, there was a crack at the top of the egg! The crack gradually widened from an internal impact, extending downward.
We watched the process with tense expressions. The playful atmosphere from earlier had completely vanished.
Snap!
Finally, the crack reached the base of the egg, splitting the shell in half. And inside was…
[Oh, it looks like one of our kind.]
“”””U-Uwaaaaaaa?!””””
“Ah, Lord Agnasrelim!? Why are you here?”
Wow! I was surprised! I was so engrossed in the egg that I hadn’t been paying any attention to my surroundings!
Even with such a massive form, how can he make himself so unnoticeable? It must be some sort of skill effect… But now isn’t the time to think of that. We hastily turned around and came face to face with Lord Agnasrelim.
[No, I sensed a sudden surge in power from a fellow… from you. I came to see what was happening.]
“Well, I apologize for causing you concern.”
How kind of him. Perhaps it’s because he recognized us as friends, but was it really safe for him to be this far away from the lake?
[I have a role to fulfill, so I can’t stay here for long… But what about that little kin of yours?]
Indeed, it was a kin of Lord Agnasrelim. In other words, a dragon hatched from the egg!
However, despite the similarity in name (dragon), this little one looked nothing like Lord Agnasrelim. While he, the Water Aqua Dragon Lord, had an appearance reminiscent of water with his bluish scales, this child was black.
Deep black scales that seemed to condense darkness itself, claws and fangs that hadn’t yet fully developed their sharpness, four horns that were currently folded, two pairs of wings that were a bit large for his body, and eyes with a golden iris and deep crimson pupils.
It might sound strange to say this, but even as a child, there was an undeniable air of malevolence about him! Well, he was cute too, no doubt about that! But, I couldn’t help worrying that he might turn a bit rough when he grows up…
The young dragon was looking around with a curious expression. When his gaze fell upon me and our eyes met, he stared intently. After a few seconds, he stood on his hind legs, approached with small steps, and embraced my leg.
“Kyuu!”
[That’s your Papa, you know.]
“Pap…!?
P-Papa!? Wait, me? No, it absorbed my magic power and grew, so am I… becoming its Papa? No, I never dreamed I’d end up being the father of a dragon’s child without even getting married.
While gently comforting the young dragon nuzzling against my leg with unfamiliar gestures, I explained to Lord Agnasrelim the circumstances of its birth just as they were. I recounted how the egg I received from the goddess had turned into this.
[Hmm… That goddess… had all this planned out?]
Oh? Lord Agnasrelim knew about Lady Yifa? However, it seemed like he didn’t have a particularly favorable impression of her. His expression was somewhat sour, after all.
[Well, never mind. The truth lies only within her mind.]
“Is that so?”
[Well, as for that child, make sure to raise it well.]
“Of course.”
In fact, why would he bring up such a thing and nail it down like that? This child was my familiar, but beyond that, it was a new companion. There was no reason for me not to cherish it.
[Alright then, that’s settled. Have you already thought of a name?]
“Embarrassingly, no, not yet. The egg suddenly hatched, you see…”
Just as I had been told it would suddenly come into existence, the moment I took it out, Lord Agnasrelim arrived. There was no time to even think!
Alright, then I’ll have Lord Agnasrelim take responsibility for this!
“That’s right, this must be fate. Lord Agnasrelim, if it’s not too much trouble, could you give this child a name?”
[Hmm? Sure. Let’s see…]
Lord Agnasrelim pondered for a while before speaking.
[How about Karnaghtul? It’s an ancient dragon word, meaning ‘Ruler of the Night Sky.’ It suits the child, don’t you think?]
Karnaghtul… ‘Ruler of the Night Sky.’ What a wonderful and fitting name!
“Thank you very much, Lord Agnasrelim… All right!”
“Kyu?”
I lifted the young dragon that had been playfully nuzzling against my leg. What’s the matter? Its tilting head and questioning expression were incredibly adorable.
“Your name is Karnaghtul! ‘Ruler of the Night Sky’!”
“Kyoo!”
Oh, it’s so delighted! Well then, it’s settled!
――――――――――
Would you like to make the name of the familiar, the juvenile dragon, “Karnaghtul”?
Yes/No
――――――――――
Of course, the answer was a resounding “Yes!” With that, it should be reflected in the status.
[Yeah, seems like you’ve taken a liking to it…Well then, I should be heading back. Come visit again sometime.]
“Yes, definitely. I’ll be sure to drop by.”
“Kyukyuu!”
And so, Lord Agnasrelim departed. He had been of great help. I must find a way to repay his kindness someday.
“He’s gone now.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Karnaghtul… no, let’s go with ‘Karl.’ Say hello to my comrades, Karl.”
“Kyukyuu!”
From my arms, Karl let out an innocent and charming sound.
“”S-So cute!!””
“He seems like he’ll grow strong!” Jigoro said.
“Mhm, mhm, it reminds me of the baby ruby,” Genjuro added
The two women of our party were completely smitten. He truly was adorable. And there was no disputing that!
Jigoro reacted as usual, while Genjuro had become a cheerful old man. The situation was rather chaotic.
“I-Isam!”
“Let us hold the child!”
“Y-Yeah. Go ahead… Be careful now.”
“Kyoo!”
Fearless, isn’t he? Perhaps he’s just curious, or maybe he senses that Iris and Ruby aren’t a threat…
Oh, come to think of it, as the master, I can freely check the familiar’s status. I might as well take this opportunity to do so. Let’s see…?
――――――――――
Name: Karnaghtul
Race: Juvenile Dragon Lv0
Class: Juvenile Dragon Lv0
Skills:
- [Sharp Claw]
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Health Enhacement]
- [Strength Enhacement]
- [Defense Enhacement]
- [Intelligence Enhacement]
- [Spirit Enhacement]
- [Fire Magic]
- [Dark Magic]
- [Non-Elemental Magic]
- [Flight]
- [Dragon Scales]
- [Dragon Breath]
――――――――――
Well, you know, isn’t he strong? Surprisingly strong, right? Even though he’s just a newborn baby, he’s as tough as that Ratman guy, if not even more so?
So, this is what they call a dragon species. They’re on a different level from other monsters. First of all, they don’t have weaknesses like we do. That means they can offer a tough fight right from the start.
And then there are the skills, [Dragon Scales] and [Dragon Breath]. Clearly, these were exclusive skills for dragons. [Dragon Breath] demonstrated an incredible power when I used it earlier. Therefore, the other skill, [Dragon Scales], must be equally potent. While it’s implied to be related to defense, its specific effects won’t be clear until I see it in action.
An all-around type capable of both close combat and long-range attacks. The only flaw might be agility, right? However, the focus should be on maximizing the strengths even more. Let’s raise him as a flying fortress!
With the childcare (or whatever you call it) plan in place, let’s now move on to fulfilling the purpose of coming here. Huh? Was there even a purpose for coming here, you say? Well, the destination on the map I got from the Gravekeeper was right here!
Looking back, it has been quite a journey. Leaving the familiar sewers, crossing the northern mountain where Jigoro’s tribe resided, getting involved in the war between the Lizardmen and the Toadmen at the lake we were supposed to bypass, and conquering the uncharted territory teeming with birds. It’s been quite the grand adventure.
While everyone was captivated by Karnaghtul, I couldn’t just wait around until things settled down. I didn’t know how long it would take! Let’s recite the incantations while there’s still time.
“Let’s see…
The aspirations of days gone by are our journey’s path,
The once revered vast skies now become our utopia.
Yet, the flames of labor scorch the heavens, reducing all we are to dust.
Inscribed within this are the remnants of our dreams, our pride, our hopes.
Left behind by us are the wedges of spacetime, the truths of arcane arts,
People, oh people, do not be afraid, for all that is sought lies only in front of you.
…Is this alright?”
If I were to summarize the contents of the incantation, it would go something like this: “We created a utopia, but it fell to ruin. If you desire what was left behind, don’t be afraid and move forward.” It’s possible that we might obtain relics of the ancient civilization, but I’m also curious about the cause of its downfall.
Concrete details about these relics were unknown. However, the keyword “Wedge of Spacetime” was likely a clue. While “Spacetime” was somewhat clear, I couldn’t quite grasp the metaphorical meaning of “Wedge”. Hmmm, it’s puzzling!
Nevertheless, I recited the incantation that I deciphered through my [Archaeology], but what exactly was expected to happen now? Surely, it’s not like an angel will suddenly appear. Perhaps Jigoro’s skepticism about it being a mere piece of suspicious paper was right after all…
Whew!
“””””Wha?!”””””
What was that sound of compressed air just now!? Isn’t that the kind of noise you hear in factories?
The four others who were admiring Karnaghtul were snapped back to reality by the utterly out-of-place sound. And all of us, including me, turned our attention toward the source of the sound.
“That sound just now… came from that rock, right?”
“Yeah. I heard it too.”
I affirmed Iris’s somewhat bewildered inquiry. It seemed that the huge rock in the boss area could be the source of the sound.
“…Let’s go.”
“Kyuu!”
“…Bufu.”
…We had a good sense of tension going, but Karl’s enthusiastic response managed to deflate it with a burst of energy. Well, I should consider it as him alleviating the unnecessary tension I had been feeling.
I gently lifted Karl, who still seemed unable to fly properly, with my four arms. Just seeing him happily cry in response was soothing enough to make me unable to say anything to the other four.
We reached the huge rock in a matter of seconds. I had thought that there might have been significant changes due to the unusual noise, but at first glance, I couldn’t discern any changes.
“There! Found it! Right here!”
However, we had Ruby, who was skilled at this kind of thing, with us. She quickly detected a sense of incongruity on the rock’s surface. And Lo and behold, there was quite a modern-looking switch embedded there.
“S-So, what do we do?”
“What do we do? Well…”
Ruby seemed somewhat uneasy for some reason, but when it came to villains and suspicious buttons, it was a classic combination that had persisted since old times. And when pressing the button, one mustn’t forget the customary lines!
“…And click!”
Wiiiiin
The button I pressed seemed to be a door opening and closing button. Next to the button was a door, and it swung open from side to side like an automatic door.
“So, the surface of the rock itself becomes a door…”
“Whoa! This is a [Detection] countermeasure!”
Ruby possessed the essential scouting skill of [Detection]. This skill was useful for detecting traps and finding hidden switches, like the one we had just come across. However, when the rock itself was turned into a door like this, it seemed to trigger a “not hidden” assessment.
It was a cunning concealment method that took advantage of the characteristics of our skills. Could we perhaps employ this approach when we establish our base someday? Let’s tuck that idea away in the corner of my memory.
No, no. I’m getting off track here. I don’t know what awaits us, but once again, the scent of a new adventure is wafting in!
――――――――――
Isam and the others have discovered the hidden area known as the “Ancient Travel Tower”
10 SP is allocated as a reward for this discovery.
――――――――――
Indeed, this appears to be a hidden area as well. And its name is the “Ancient Travel Tower”. Travel… and the “Wedges of Spacetime”… Interesting. I have a vague sense of what we might find here.
Well, it’s just a hunch. Let’s go inside right away!
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