NOVEL NEXT Chapter 435: Hatching
Lumi excitedly nodded her head,
[Yes, it's a good thing you got most of the books for the elements, now only the books for some Advanced Grade elements and higher are missing. (＾▽＾)／]
Orion nodded his head and placed the journal back in his inventory and summoned the Golden Headband, "Well, I plan to learn a few elements this time. I might not be able to learn Top Elements like Light and Darkness at once but Core elements are a piece of cake. They might not increase my strength but my versatility will increase explosively."
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and in a few seconds entered the world of inheritance.
***
After an unknown amount of time, Orion returned to the inn's room where not even seconds had passed and stood up and stretched his body comfortably.
Orion let out a satisfied groan, feeling a pleasant soreness coursing through his muscles. He muttered to himself with a slight smile, "Hmm, this was quite a long seclusion. It took me months just to properly learn the elements and all their corresponding skills."
Lumi's enthusiastic voice immediately echoed cheerfully inside his Sea of Consciousness, her delight and pride unmistakable,
[Hehe, but the gains were also really good, Master! Now you've thoroughly mastered Wind, Shadow, and Water elements. Your versatility has increased by a lot now! (＾▽＾)/]
Orion lightly chuckled, feeling his fatigue slowly catching up to him. He dropped dead onto the soft bed once again, he closed his eyes with a content sigh. "Yeah, it was definitely worth it. Now I'm also one step closer to Tier 8. Perhaps in a few more months, I'll naturally break through. But…" a smirk formed on his face, "if I manage to find another Origin Mana Pool…hehehe…"
His laughter faded gently into silence as Orion quickly slipped into a deep, peaceful slumber.
***
Days passed by quietly and uneventfully within the safety and comfort of his room. Finally, after two full days, Orion stirred awake, slowly rising from his bed.
Stretching lazily once again, he let out another refreshed sigh, "Mmm… looks like I really was exhausted after all."
Lumi's cheerful voice quickly chimed in with eager agreement,
[Indeed, Master! Also, that egg you've been carrying around started shaking a lot a couple of days ago. You should definitely check it now! ( •̀ ᴗ •́ )و]
Orion curiously raised an eyebrow, instantly getting interested in the news. He had tried to check the egg before but there was no movement. So he placed it in his inventory and decided to check it later.
With a swift thought, he retrieved the enormous egg from his inventory, gently placing it on the floor in front of him. The egg was quite large, enough to feed a family of four for months. It was about a meter in height and weighed hundreds of kilos.
Orion examined it closely, his expression filled with curiosity and confusion, "Do you have any idea which species this egg belongs to? I don't think it's a dragon egg since I can't sense any resonance."
Lumi appeared beside him, her translucent screen hovering thoughtfully near the egg. Her tiny face stared intently at the mysterious egg, clearly perplexed. [Hmm…I'm not sure either, Master. I've searched thoroughly through your entire inheritance knowledge, but there are simply too many types of mystical eggs similar to this one. I'm afraid I can't confidently identify it.]
Orion rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a faint smile appearing on his lips as he reached a quick decision. "Alright, since it's about to hatch anyway, I'll pour some of my mana into it. This will help it hatch faster, and it should allow me to form a deeper bond with whatever is inside."
Stepping forward, Orion gently placed his palm onto the egg's smooth surface. He closed his eyes, channeling a gentle stream of his boundless mana into the egg.
At first, the flow was effortless and calm, like water trickling down a mountain stream. However, as time passed, Orion began to sense the egg's insatiable demand rapidly increasing.
Initially, he maintained a leisurely expression, confident and calm, but gradually his face changed into one of mild surprise. "Oh? You're quite greedy, aren't you?" he murmured aloud, feeling a surge of fighting spirit rising within him.
His competitive nature instantly surfaced, and with a smirk, Orion began actively increasing the mana output.
The egg absorbed his mana voraciously, greedily drawing more and more of Orion's immense reserves. His lips twitched slightly in astonishment at its enormous appetite, yet he stubbornly continued, not wanting to be outdone.
Eventually, Orion felt his internal mana reserves nearly depleted, a state he hadn't experienced in a long while because most of the time he was either defeated and half dead from superior enemies or win overwhelmingly against his peers.
Refusing to yield, Orion quickly circulated the mana absorption technique, drawing from the ambient mana within the room while simultaneously retrieving batch after batch of High-Grade Mana Stones from his spatial ring.
Each Mana Stone disintegrated rapidly in his grasp, their energies pouring swiftly into his body, replenishing his depleted reserves.
Yet, as if mocking his determination, the egg continued absorbing endlessly, draining Orion's mana at a terrifying rate.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, just as Orion's spatial ring was completely emptied of Mana Stones and his heart bled tears of poverty, the mana absorption abruptly slowed to a halt.
Orion released a heavy breath of relief, his shoulders slumping slightly. He stared at the egg with mixed emotions, half-amused and half-annoyed, grumbling weakly, "Damn…you nearly drained this Young Master's fortune dry. If you aren't something amazing, I'll definitely cry."
As if responding to his complaint, the egg suddenly trembled vigorously. Fine cracks appeared across its glowing surface, quickly multiplying and spreading rapidly until they enveloped the entire shell.
Orion's exhaustion vanished instantly, replaced by eager anticipation and excitement. Lumi hovered anxiously beside him, her screen flickering with enthusiastic curiosity.
[Master! It's finally hatching!]
Orion took a step back, eyes glittering brightly with expectation. As they both watched closely, the egg emitted a brilliant flash of light.
With a clear, resonant cracking sound, the egg finally broke apart.
Orion's eyes widened with disbelief looking at the spectacle. While Lumi herself was wide-eyed looking at it.
"…What did I get myself into?" Orion didn't know if he should cry or rather if he can cry in this situation.
***
A gentle breeze swept across the vast, green plains, carrying with it the faint aroma of wildflowers.
Under the soft, golden sunlight that stretched endlessly across the horizon, a handsome young man with flowing black hair tied neatly behind him, and dressed in white clothes, walked at a calm pace.
Beside him was an exceptionally adorable girl, appearing no older than eleven or twelve, whose vibrant green hair flowed gracefully to her waist, perfectly matching her bright, curious eyes. She wore an emerald-green dress, giving her an innocent, fairy-like charm.
With a bright and cheerful expression, the little girl clasped her hands behind her back and skipped happily beside Orion, smiling brightly as she asked in a sweet voice, "Where are we going, mama?"
At her innocent question, Orion's lips twitched uncontrollably, and he almost stumbled over his own feet. He barely suppressed a sigh, struggling to maintain his composure as he looked down helplessly at the little girl, softly yet firmly correcting her, "Stop calling me mama. I'm definitely not your mama."