Chapter 1: The Summoning
“Haha, I did it! I finally succeeded! Who would’ve thought that a randomly summoned soul from another world could perfectly fuse with the egg of an Iphieash?”
In a small, sealed room, the floor and walls were covered with mysterious symbols. Thin streams of light flickered and flowed across them, emanating an aura of mystery and eeriness.
At the center of the room, a tiny white egg, no larger than a fingernail, floated midair. It swayed gently up and down, as if suspended by an invisible force.
Standing nearby was a humanoid creature, no taller than 1.5 meters, dressed in a peculiar long robe. It flailed its arms and danced excitedly.
Dole was ecstatic. The Iphieash, known as the “Infinite Evolution Insect,” was a legendary creature capable of endless adaptation and transformation. As it matured, its appearance could change drastically, with almost no two individuals resembling one another. The ancient book he had found detailed only the characteristics of the egg—illustrations of the adult forms were marked as “hypothetical.”
It was said that even the Iphieash themselves might not recognize members of their own species. This unique trait severely hindered their reproduction. Rumor had it that they could only produce an egg under extremely rare circumstances, often at the end of their lifespan.
Their harsh reproductive conditions led to their extinction long ago, but this flaw couldn’t overshadow their once-mighty power. When fully grown and in energy-rich environments, they could rapidly evolve to survive even the harshest conditions. With careful nurturing, a mature Iphieash could rival the power of a Tier-5 Grand Sorcerer.
In the current era, where the strongest sorcerers on the continent were only at Tier-3 High Rank, such a being would be akin to a god, capable of unifying the entire continent.
Dole, a Tier-2 High Rank sorcerer, had reached this level three centuries ago. Back then, he was a rising star among his people, hailed as the genius most likely to achieve Tier-3 status before turning 100. During his youthful days of fame and fortune, he stumbled upon the Iphieash egg during a seemingly routine exploration of ancient ruins.