Chapter 154: The egg hatching
The heartbeat carried emotions alongside its physical sensation. Warmth. Contentment. Recognition. The creature inside knew me somehow, acknowledged me as something significant even before hatching.
The mana fluctuations finally began stabilizing as the transformation completed. The egg settled at its new size, the colors still shifting but no longer creating the chaotic energy surges that had filled the room moments earlier.
I stood there holding the enlarged egg carefully, feeling that mysterious heartbeat connection and trying to process what had just occurred. The Bloodline Evolution Card had clearly worked - meaning the creature’s original bloodline had been Legendary rank and was now elevated to Mythical tier.
Whatever hatched from this egg wouldn’t just be King-rank potential anymore. This was something that could potentially transcend even that limitation, reaching heights that few beasts in history had achieved.
The bond forming between us suggested something else too - this wouldn’t be a simple tamed beast or contracted familiar.
This would be a genuine companion, connected on a level that went beyond normal master-pet relationships.
As the egg settled at its new size and the mana fluctuations finally stabilized, another notification appeared in my consciousness.
[Bloodline Evolution Successful]
[Mysterious Egg bloodline has evolved from Legendary rank to Mythical rank]
[Species potential elevated!]
My eyes widened at the information. The litgle hatchling’s potential was going beyond even King rank, a tier that only a handful of humans in recorded history had ever achieved. The Evolution Card had done far more than just improve the bloodline; it had fundamentally transformed the creature’s ultimate potential.
Before I could fully process the implications, the egg began trembling in my hands.
[Hatching Process Initiated]
Crack... crack... crack...
Fine fracture lines appeared across the vibrant surface, spreading rapidly as the creature inside began breaking free from its shell. Golden light leaked through the cracks, illuminating my darkened room with gentle radiance.
CRACK! Break!
A larger piece of shell fell away, followed by another, and another. The creature inside pushed against the remaining barriers with surprising strength for something just being born.
Finally, the top portion of the egg split completely open.
What emerged made me catch my breath.
A small dragon, no larger than a house cat, tumbled out onto my desk with an adorable lack of coordination. Its scales were a beautiful light blue color that seemed to shimmer with an inner luminescence, like sunlight reflecting off tropical waters.
The dragon looked up at me with impossibly large, round eyes that were a deeper shade of sapphire blue. Those eyes held an intelligence far beyond what newborn creatures typically possessed, studying me with curious fascination rather than fear or confusion.
Rawr! Grrr!
It made a high-pitched sound that was more bird-like than the terrifying roar I associated with dragons. The tiny creature’s wings - delicate, translucent things that looked almost like stained glass fluttered experimentally as it tried to figure out how they worked.
Its body was proportioned in a way that could only be described as adorable. The head was slightly oversized compared to its body, with small horn nubs just beginning to emerge. Its snout was short and rounded rather than the elongated, fearsome shape of adult dragons. Even its claws were tiny and harmless-looking, more suitable for gripping than rending.
Waddle... stumble...
The dragon attempted to walk toward me and promptly tripped over its own feet, tumbling forward in a small ball of blue scales before righting itself with determined effort. It looked up at me again with those huge eyes, seemingly seeking approval or reassurance.
The bond I’d felt through the egg intensified dramatically now that the creature had hatched. I could sense its emotions clearly - curiosity, hunger, and an overwhelming sense of trust directed specifically at me. It recognized me as something important, someone safe and protective.
Grr!
It made the adorable sound again, its tiny tail swishing back and forth with what could only be described as excitement.
I reached out carefully and the dragon immediately climbed onto my hand, its small claws gripping gently as it settled into my palm. It was warm to the touch, radiating body heat.
This impossibly cute creature would one day reach a high rank and become one of the most powerful beings in existence.
But for now, it was just a newborn dragon looking up at me with complete trust and innocent wonder.
I sat on my bed with the tiny dragon still perched in my palm, watching as it explored its immediate surroundings with childlike curiosity.
Every small movement was endearing - the way its tail curled when it was concentrating, how its wings would flutter involuntarily when it got excited, and those impossibly large eyes that tracked everything with keen intelligence.
Pat! Pat!
The dragon gently patted my finger with one tiny claw, as if testing whether I was real. When I moved my finger slightly, it jumped back in surprise before immediately returning to investigate again with fascination.
"You’re going to need food," I said aloud, realizing that newborn creatures
, especially dragons, would have substantial nutritional requirements.
The dragon tilted its head at the sound of my voice, its expression somehow managing to convey both confusion and interest simultaneously.
I mentally reviewed the contents of my storage ring and remembered I still had several beast corpses from recent hunts that I hadn’t yet processed for materials. The storage ring preserved items in their original state, preventing decomposition or decay, which meant the meat would still be fresh.
I reached into my storage and withdrew the body of a forest sloth I’d killed during my early hunting, a Noble-rank beast that should provide adequate nutrition for a newborn
Thud!
The sloth corpse materialized on the floor, and I turned to see the dragon’s reaction.
The tiny creature looked at the offering with what could only be described as absolute disgust.
Its small snout wrinkled, its wings folded tightly against its body, and it actually turned its head away as if personally offended by the presentation.
My mouth dropped open in disbelief before a wry smile formed on my face.