"Wait, what do you mean? I think my hearing's been off lately."
"You didn't mishear... Earlier, you infused Power of Will into that artifact you're holding. When two Power of Will energies come into contact and merge, a new Power of Will with traits completely different from its origin is born. Think of it as mixing the genetics of two beings; the resulting DNA will be entirely new, free from the constraints of its parents. There's a small chance some traits from your Power of Will have passed on to the golden egg's Power of Will, so perhaps you'll be able to control it."
I didn't really understand her strange analogy.
"So, what am I supposed to do with this thing?"
"You can turn it into a mount, a pet, a battle companion, a monster servant... It's entirely up to you."
Minerva smiled at me.
"But one thing is certain—treat it with proper care and respect. That golden Shenlong might've tried to kill you, but that doesn't mean the creature that hatches from this egg will be the same."
She turned around and began to walk away.
"A sage once said, 'Does sin linger in a soul even when memories fade? Is sin merely karma, dragging down someone who has lost their past? In the end, a soul without memories is the purest kind of soul...'"
Her sincere words lingered as she departed.
For some reason, my heart stirred faintly.
This strange feeling had grown ever since I accepted the system, up until this moment.
The lingering doubts and mistrust that had built up over time seemed to vanish, as though they'd never existed to begin with.
"Huff... What am I supposed to do with you?"
I touched the surface of the golden egg. It felt hard and cold.
Occasionally, a tingling, stinging sensation pricked my fingers.
"Should I just fry you up?"
BZZZZT—
The golden egg trembled in alarm.
"...I'll take that as a 'no.'"
ZZZT!
"What? What's wrong?"
ZT—BZZZZT! ZZZT!
A bad feeling crept over me.
SWOOOSH—
Suddenly, a cold sweat broke out as chills ran down my spine.
"This is—!"
In the sky, a crimson Power of Will surged violently toward me, its overwhelming force crushing my body.
Its density and intensity made it clear—this wasn't the power of a mere Warrior!
Space fractured like glass, time distorted, dimensions collapsed!
Countless possibilities and solutions spun in my mind.
Only one conclusion emerged—death.
Voidforge Eternia was unusable; space and dimensions were locked in a severe stasis, as if crushed by a hydraulic press. Escape was impossible.
Shadow Step was utterly useless; the elemental energy connecting my shadow to others was suppressed by the sheer natural pressure of the Power of Will.
Spark Rush wasn't even worth mentioning—I couldn't move my legs under this immense weight, let alone evade.
The raw Power of Will descended relentlessly, obliterating me.
This all happened in the span of a second.
But what they hadn't anticipated was...
A deep blue light began to grow within the chaos.
Bit by bit, the crimson ocean of Power of Will shrank.
This was because the deep blue Power of Will was devouring it!
SWOOOSH—
A gust of wind swept through the surroundings.
From within the vortex of Power of Will, a serpentine creature emerged, floating gracefully.
Its scales were hard and resembled inverted reptilian armor. Long antlers, like those of a deer, gleamed with an ethereal light. Whiskers swayed gently as if caught in a breeze.
There was only one word to describe it—elegant.
"ROAAAAAAAAR!"
The shattered space dispersed, time returned to its normal flow.
A deafening roar reverberated across countless worlds, as if declaring to the universe—the Sovereign had returned!
***
"Gasp—"
I panted heavily.
Looking around, everything seemed to have returned to normal.
"Wait, just now..."
Hold on!
Where's my golden egg?
"The golden egg! Where are you?!"
I searched frantically, scouring every corner for the treasure I'd found.
"Ugh... Where could it have gone..."
SWISSSH—
A cold breeze swept over my head.
When I looked up—
"... ..."
Since when was there a Shenlong spanning dozens of kilometers floating there?
Ah, I must be hallucinating.
"You vile worm, I'll give you three seconds to leave my sight and never return."
I closed my eyes.
"Zero..."
"One..."
My eyes snapped open.
"Three!"
I knew it—I must be hallucinating.
"After this, I'll have to ask Minerva if I'm schizophrenic."
"But this place has gotten so quiet, huh...?"
Celestial objects like asteroids and meteors had vanished completely.
As far as the eye could see, there was only emptiness.
A faint mix of darkness and shadow lingered in the void.
"But why are there traces of wind and lightning elements here?"
It felt odd.
"Whatever, I'm heading back now."
I flew toward my previous location.
***
A few minutes later...
"... ..."
Why are those two on my mountain?
No, why is the Evil Dragon there?
I was still far from the floating island with the mountain atop it (a fragment of the Evil Dragon's lair).
But even from here, I could clearly see Minerva and the Evil Dragon.
If I could see them, it was obvious they could see me as well.
I approached them.
What was different about them, aside from their unexplainable aura of pressure, was the blue, round object cradled in Minerva's arms.
"What's going on with you two?"
"... ..."
A faint killing intent emanated from them.
"Arov, oh Arov. I didn't think you could be so cruel..."
Minerva stroked the round object.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm disappointed in you," the Evil Dragon chimed in.
Why was the Evil Dragon playing along?!
No, I didn't even know what I'd done wrong.
Women's hearts are truly unpredictable.
"... Guys, I think there's been a little misunderstanding."
I raised a finger slightly.
"There's no need for you to explain; we already know your crime."
"Little Azure, go ahead and tell him."
"... Kyun—"
What's with that round, fluffy thing?
A strand of Power of Will containing memories floated toward my head.
***
The sensation was strange, like my entire body was being crushed under an unbearable weight.
When I tried to open my eyes, I saw a mesmerizing golden light.
In an instant, I realized—it was me!
No, how could this be?
Oh, I get it!
These are the egg's memories.
Did it just hatch?
It seemed so.
Was it angry at me?
Was it because it took my joke about eating it seriously?
Haha, how ridiculous.
But why did my face look so terrifying?!
Hey! Is that how the egg saw me?!
I looked more like a monster among monsters.
[Should I just fry you up?]
Damn, my face really looked menacing.
[Hehehe, just look at its size. You must taste delicious if eaten whole!]
Hey, I never said that!
[I never wanted you to exist. Because of you, some of my plans have fallen apart!]
Umm... Isn't that too cruel?
[It's a shame no one wanted you to be born into this world. What terrible luck you have.]
No way—the version of me this golden egg saw was truly despicable.
Its body trembled violently inside the shell, as though it wanted to run away and cry.
I could feel its emotions.
I sympathized with it, just a little.
The scene shifted.
I saw myself frantically searching around.
A faint warmth within the egg's heart touched my own wounded soul.
It was the feeling of being needed.
The golden egg believed this was parental love—that its parents were worried about their child.
But then...
[You vile worm, I'll give you three seconds to leave my sight and never return.]
"... ..."
The mix of emotions left me feeling more conflicted than ever.
***
"So, how about now? Do you understand?"
Minerva stared coldly at me.
"Yes..."
"It's okay, Little Azure. We'll protect you from that monster."
Nod—
Nod—
The Evil Dragon approached Minerva, gently stroking the round, fluffy creature.
Damn it, now I'm the public enemy...
---
Changed my style again. It felt so bad before