Chapter Five: A Purple Egg
Evel crept through the underbrush, moving silently toward the source of the familiar noises. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of fear and curiosity propelling him forward. As he approached a small clearing, he crouched behind a thick bush and peered through the foliage.
In the center of the clearing, five figures stood in a loose circle. They were rugged men, wearing elastic leather armor and carrying swords at their waists. Their faces were hard and weathered, their eyes scanning the surroundings with practiced wariness. Their bodies were perfectly built, muscles bulging from their clothes. Their size was not comparable to that of humans but more like giants. They couldn't be said to be handsome or beautiful, but they looked fierce, killing intent spreading from their aura. The word 'wild beasts' could be more suitable to describe them rather than humans.
Seeing their large, giant-like bodies and the clothes they were wearing, Evel was certain that they were members of the Garion clan. The Garion clan was one of the five large-sized clans in the Eldoria kingdom. The clan mainly operated guilds throughout the kingdom, with most of the guilds in the kingdom under Garion clan control. Guilds were one of the most profitable businesses.
The wild beasts were very scary and ferocious to weaklings, but for those who could hunt them, they were large moving pieces of gold. Almost every part of the wild beast was a valuable material in the market, the most valuable being its blood core. Blood cores were not sold in the market; blood cores themselves were treated as currencies in big marketplaces and auctions.
Blood cores were the most necessary and important elements used during the production of a potion. The higher the quality of the blood core, the higher the effectiveness of the potion.
Because of this guild business, the Garion clan was second in the kingdom in terms of wealth, only behind the Emberheart Clan. But in terms of combat and military strength, the Garion clan was the first. As the main profession of the Garion clan was to hunt wild beasts, they were known as hunters among the common public.
Hunters had the same classification of power as wild beasts, from bronze to diamond. Bronze level hunters were the weakest whereas the diamond level hunters were the strongest. From what Evel could see, these hunters were all bronze level, whereas their leader was the only one with an iron level rank.
Evel watched as the hunters conversed in low voices, their expressions serious. He strained to hear their words, but the distance made it difficult. From what he could gather, they were discussing the presence of a dangerous beast in the area—a beast that matched the description of the White Demon Python.
One of the hunters, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, seemed to be the leader. Evel knew this person. He was a friend of that shadow assassin. "What was his name? Forget it. Why the fuck do I even need his name?" Evel started to calm himself and focus on their conversation.
The leader spoke with authority, his voice carrying an edge of urgency. "We need to find that python before it gets dark. It's been spotted near this area. We should carefully look for its traces of hunting. That python has killed nearly over twenty humans this month. We can't afford any more casualties. The date of the caravan has also been shifted because of that python, as they were afraid of big casualties. The guild leader is quite angry and is not satisfied with our work."
The others nodded in agreement, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords. Evel's mind raced. If the hunters were after the python, there was a chance they might find the artifact he was looking for. But approaching them was risky. He didn't know if they would be friends or foes.
Evel was wondering what to do when a sinister plan rose in his mind. "I am not doing them any harm; I am just trying to help them." Evel quickly headed toward the cave of the White Demon Python, following the traces left by it. It didn't take much time for Evel to reach the cave entrance as he traveled through the shadows of the woods.
The entrance of the cave was not that big, not much larger than the size of the python. Evel cautiously entered the cave, hiding in the shadows. Despite being hidden, he didn't let his guard down as there was no harm in being more cautious.
The entrance of the cave was small, but the space inside was very large. Its height was over two hundred meters, and its breadth was nearly three times the height. The deeper he went, the quicker and louder his heart began to beat. "I want to just run away from here; it's truly very scary."
Evel was about to head further, but what he saw next nearly made him scream. He quickly bit his lips to stop himself. Evel knew the python was big and scary, but he had underestimated a silver level beast. From what he could see, the python's length was in the hundreds. It had smooth, milky white skin. Every part of the python was white, from its head to its tail. "No wonder people call it White Demon Python; its name is well deserved."
Evel then began looking around the python in search of his artifact. If he could find the artifact here, he wouldn't have to face the danger of luring the snake. But Evel was bound to be disappointed. "How can my luck be so bad?" Evel sighed with disappointment.
"Looks like there isn't any other way. But how am I going to lure it?" At this time, the python slightly moved its tail. Evel stood there like a statue, his back drenched in cold sweat. He nearly had a heart attack. "I thought I messed up."
Evel began to calm his heartbeat and think of a way to make the snake run after him. Sigh... What should I do? Just then, Evel noticed something. There were at least eight white stones under the python's tail. "They are not stones but eggs. Looks like my luck is not that bad." They were hidden under the python's tail but now they were revealed.
Evel cautiously walked toward the eggs. There were almost eight eggs, their color pure milky white just like their mother. No, not eight but nine. There was a small purple egg, only the size of Evel's palm, between the other big white eggs. It seemed so small in comparison to the other eggs that Evel didn't notice it at first glance.
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