Eddie, seemingly nonchalant, purchased an additional ten chaos eggs, almost as if he was picking them at random. To avoid arousing the shopkeeper's suspicion, Hessian, eager to prove himself, insisted on including his own chaos egg in the purchase: "I have a feeling this one is special, let's buy it! What, no? Listen, we're buying beasts and all these chaos eggs. You should give me this one for free. If you do, I'll put in a good word with Eddie about selling you the Grey Wolf. You don't know, but I'm his big boss; he listens to everything I say! Wait, put this chaos egg in the bag too."
If Hessian hadn't been so keen on a bargain, Eddie would have had to resort to more covert measures to secure the mysterious egg. Its true value was something he couldn't let the shopkeeper discover, or it would never be sold to them.
"Why are you buying so many chaos eggs?" Inan couldn't help but ask, puzzled by Eddie's actions. She had a feeling that he had an ulterior motive. In the store, she restrained her curiosity, but once they were outside, she had to ask.
"There must be a reason for Eddie's actions," Sophia said, assuming her brother had some hidden talent or insight into the hidden properties of the beasts.
Inan was taken aback, "Was the perfectly matched chaos egg just a stroke of luck?"
Yehken and the Lyqeen,Lyken brothers remained silent, their eyes filled with gratitude towards Eddie. Though he never vocalized his care for others, preferring to act rather than speak, his actions spoke volumes. His journey to find Sophia, his refusal to use companions as shields against the demons, and his fearless dive into danger to rescue his team – all were testament to his character.
"Guys like Eddie, who truly care for their family and companions, even in the face of danger, are rare in this world," thought Yehken, deeply moved by Eddie's actions.
Hessian's boast about his innate talent for identifying exceptional chaos eggs amused everyone. Eddie, however, knew that Hessian's greed had inadvertently led to a great find.
He teasingly handed Hessian another ordinary chaos egg: "Why not boil your precious egg and eat it? Maybe you'll transform into a bronze-level wild boar!"
Inan and Sophia couldn't help but giggle at the jest, while Hessian, unfazed by the teasing, proudly proclaimed his aspiration to become a dragon. Yehken and the Li brothers were bewildered by Hessian's obliviousness to ridicule.
After settling into a warrior's inn, Eddie took out the five-star beast egg and the mysterious chaos egg he had secured. The mere sight of the two eggs being placed together nearly petrified the group. With even a one percent risk of failure, they all felt it unwise to gamble with such a valuable egg. Even Inan and Sophia, who usually supported Eddie's decisions, advised against it.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Eddie surprised everyone by asking Sophia to perform the contract: "Little sister, it's your turn." This act alone indicated Eddie's confidence in a successful fusion. Sophia hesitated, unsure of the beast type, "Is it a plant-type beast? I can only effectively use those."
Eddie was taken aback, realizing Sophia's limitation to plant-type beasts. Sophia continued, "I was tested at the academy. My compatibility with plant-type beasts exceeds 120%, but with others, it's under 50%. I'm really only good with plant-types. If this isn't a plant-type and you're sure about this, let Inan try instead."
Sophia's suggestion to give the egg to Inan if it wasn't suitable for her displayed not only her practicality but also a subtle intent to bring Inan and Eddie closer, especially after Eddie's recent breakup.
In the face of Inan's reluctance to accept the valuable beast egg, Eddie insisted, "This isn't about value; it's about trust and appreciation."
Moved by his sincerity, Inan hesitantly agreed to the exchange. She then remembered a legendary item she possessed, which might prove useful to Eddie.
Inan removed a peculiar necklace with a pale purple gemstone from her neck and offered it to Eddie.
As he received the necklace, a powerful sensation surged through him. It felt like a call, a summoning from within the gemstone.
Intrigued, Eddie attempted to probe the gemstone with his innate energy, only to find it aggressively drawing his energy into itself.
The pain was sharp, and his fingertips bled, merging into the gemstone.
The room was instantly bathed in a radiant golden light, stunning Yehken and the others. Even the formidable Grey Wind Wolf trembled in fear.
In the briefest of moments, an image appeared in the golden reflection on the wall – a creature with golden eyes, sharp teeth, scales, horns, and massive wings. It was unlike anything they had ever seen.
"Is that a dragon?" Hessian gaped in awe, his mouth wide enough to fit a mammoth.
The phenomenon startled not only the people in the room but also the beasts outside. Numerous creatures panicked, with some fleeing in terror, uncontrollable even by their owners.
The mere presence of this mysterious force caused an uproar, hinting at the extraordinary nature of the item Inan had given to Eddie.
As the mysterious metallic creature landed on the table, aiming for the emerald snake crystal in Eddie's hand, everyone in the room was baffled.
The creature, with its silver body adorned with enigmatic golden patterns, purple eyes, red claws, a round head, a long tail, and wings on its back, was unlike anything they had ever seen.
"Is it a living being or a metal puppet?" Inan questioned, her curiosity piqued by the creature's childlike behavior.
"It seems intelligent, yet acts like a child. It's made of metal but wants to eat, specifically crystals. What on earth is this?" Yehken added, equally puzzled.
Eddie, quick to react, secured the emerald snake crystal before the creature could snatch it. The creature, resembling a greedy cat, kept nudging Eddie, determined to consume the crystal.
Grace, Inan, Yehken, Hessian, and the Lye brothers all turned to Eddie, seeking an explanation. The room was filled with a mix of amazement and confusion, all eyes on the metallic creature.
"What exactly is this?" Grace asked, her voice reflecting the bewilderment shared by everyone in the room.
Eddie, holding the creature gently, replied with a hint of wonder in his voice, "I'm not entirely sure, but it seems to be some kind of metallic lifeform. Perhaps it's a rare kind of magical creature that feeds on magic crystals. We might have stumbled upon something truly unique and ancient." His words, while speculative, added to the air of mystery surrounding the little creature.
As Eddie held the enigmatic metallic creature, he was astonished to find that even with his level two Insight, he couldn't see through it.
The most curious aspect was that this creature had automatically formed a contract with him, a phenomenon Eddie had only experienced once before with the snake demon Lolita, Little Wenli.
Could this mysterious metallic creature be of diamond level? The initial image it presented, somewhat resembling a Chinese dragon but with wings, added to its mystery.
Suddenly, Hessian shouted, "It's melting!" As Eddie examined the creature, it began to liquefy, reverting to a liquid metal sphere that enveloped the emerald snake crystal he refused to let it consume.
The sphere attached itself to Eddie's wrist and morphed into an odd bracelet with the crystal barely visible at its center.
Eddie could feel the creature slowly absorbing energy from the crystal, expelling impure magical energy through the protrusion.
Connected through his mind, Eddie discovered the creature comfortably asleep, more akin to a living being than a metal construct. Its nature remained a baffling enigma.
Grace, Inan, Yehken, Hessian, and the Ly brothers looked to Eddie for an explanation.
"I'm not sure myself," Eddie admitted. "It seems to be a unique life form, perhaps a rare kind of magical creature that feeds on magic crystals."
Turning to Inan, who had provided the broken gemstone that triggered this transformation, Eddie asked, "Do you have any idea what this could be?"
Inan shook her head, "I only know a legend. My ancestor, a powerful peak warrior, was once saved by a mysterious creature in the eighth layer of the Tower.
Later, he found only this gem fragment at the site of a devastating battle. It's possible that this fragment was part of the creature's core, but its true nature remains unknown."
Eddie nodded, understanding. "Regardless of its origin, having such a companion is a great asset."
Sophia looked at the creature with a mix of wonder and excitement. "Whatever it is, it's incredible. Your brother is truly fortunate to have such a mysterious ally."
The room remained filled with a sense of awe and curiosity as they pondered the origins and abilities of this enigmatic metallic creature.
As Yehken warned everyone about keeping the secret of the mysterious metallic creature, all eyes turned suspiciously towards Hessian.
"What are you looking at me for? Do you think I'm a gossip? You don't know me at all. My greatest strength is keeping secrets, then comes being low-key. Did you ever hear me boasting about my Summoning Tome and the Bronze Level Ironskin Rhino? I'm not that kind of person!"
Hessian protested, but his explanation only made everyone more convinced that he was unlikely to keep a secret. Reluctantly, he swore to remain silent, and everyone decided to spare him the threat of dire consequences.