Aiden picked up the egg, turning it in his hands as he examined it. It felt oddly mundane, no different from any roadside rock. Yet, he knew better. This was no ordinary rock; it was something far more extraordinary, carrying the potential for new life. As he rolled it over, Ciara trotted near and sniffed at it curiously. She paused, tilting her head as if sensing something inside. Her eyes flicked to Aiden, brimming with expectation, as if she were urging him to hatch it already.
Aiden chuckled, kneeling to pet Ciara. "Are you that eager to meet your new sibling?" he asked, amused. Ciara purred in response, rubbing her head affectionately against his hand before returning her attention to the egg.
Determined to proceed, Aiden made a small cut on his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the rock. He watched intently, but nothing happened. Undeterred, he tried again, dropping another bead of crimson onto the surface. Still, the rock remained inert. Frowning, he channeled mana into it, yet the rock gave no reaction. His worry grew. Perhaps the life within was too weak to respond.
As he considered his options, Ciara observed silently, her golden eyes glinting in the dim light. Inspiration struck Aiden as he retrieved one of his precious golden seeds. Ciara's eyes widened, sparkling with recognition and excitement. She stepped closer, her tail swishing with anticipation.
Aiden placed the golden seed on the rock and stepped back. The seed was absorbed instantly, sinking into the surface as if swallowed by quicksand. Moments later, the rock began to glow with a radiant golden light, illuminating the entire room. Aiden shielded his eyes as the rock started to expand. What had once been the size of a clenched fist grew larger and larger—first to the size of a watermelon, then that of a small child. Finally, it stopped growing, towering at about a meter in height, roughly level with Aiden's chest.
The transformation left Aiden stunned. Even Ciara, who had been so eager moments ago, took a cautious step back, her body tense. Aiden stared at the now-massive rock, a mixture of awe and trepidation filling him. Had he inadvertently mutated it into something far beyond its original form?
He decided to test it again. Carefully, he let another drop of his blood fall onto the rock. This time, the response was immediate. The golden surface glowed intensely, and the rock began to absorb his mana at an alarming rate. Aiden grinned in relief, happy to see it finally reacting.
But his relief quickly turned to concern as the egg continued to drain his mana. He allowed it to absorb freely, thinking it would stop soon. Yet the process only accelerated. He felt his mana reserves plummeting, dropping from 60% to 30% in seconds. Panic set in as his core reached 10%. Still, the rock showed no signs of stopping. Just when he thought he might collapse, the absorption slowed and finally ceased. Aiden stumbled backward, collapsing onto his bed, utterly drained.
Breathing heavily, he stared at the egg. "That… was insane," he muttered. Even as having mana capacity compared to Elite rank mage, he hadn't expected his reserves to be nearly emptied. Before he could process what had happened, a loud cracking sound reached his ears. He sat upright, watching as cracks spread across the egg's surface. The golden shell splintered, pieces breaking away one by one, until the entire structure burst apart with a blinding flash of light.
When the light subsided, Aiden's breath caught. Sitting on the ground where the egg had been was a girl. She was entirely naked, her long golden hair cascading down her back like a shimmering waterfall. Her skin glowed with an ethereal radiance, and her eyes—inhuman and mesmerizing—were pitch black, with golden pupils that seemed to shimmer like stars. She looked around curiously, her movements a little clumsy.
Aiden could barely process the sight before him when her gaze landed on him. A wide smile spread across her face, and before he could react, she leapt to her feet and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She nuzzled her face into his neck, her golden hair brushing against his skin, and Aiden froze. Her body pressed against his chest, soft and warm. The sensation sent heat rushing to his face, and he gulped audibly, trying to keep his composure.
"Hey, hey," he stammered, gently trying to pry her off. "Let's… give each other some space, okay?"
Reluctantly, she let go and sat beside him on the bed, her expression dejected. Her golden eyes never left his, filled with a strange mix of affection and curiosity. Aiden rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, trying to regain his composure. He reached into his space storage and pulled out a spare shirt and trousers. The effort strained his already depleted mana core, and he winced, hurriedly closing the storage to conserve energy.
"Here," he said, holding the clothes out to her. "Put these on."
She tilted her head, clearly not understanding. With a sigh, Aiden knelt down and helped her put on the shirt first. She seemed intrigued by the fabric but didn't resist. Once the shirt was on, she looked at it, then at Aiden, her expression one of tentative approval. Next came the trousers. Aiden's face turned red as he worked to dress her, avoiding looking at certain areas. Finally, she was dressed in his oversized white shirt and black trousers, which only added to her charm.
Taking a step back, Aiden looked her over. She sat on the bed, her golden hair pooling around her, the shirt's sleeves covering her hands and the trousers slightly too long. Her inhuman eyes watched him intently, her cherry-red lips curved into a small smile. For a moment, Aiden felt like he was looking at a goddess.
Snapping out of his daze, he noticed the pieces of the egg scattered around the room. Gathering them, he brought them to her. "Here," he said. "You need to eat these."
She took the first piece hesitantly, nibbling on it. Her eyes lit up at the taste, and she quickly devoured the rest, finishing every fragment in mere moments. As she ate, Aiden felt a strange connection forming between them, similar to what he felt with Ciara but deeper, more profound. Concentrating, he reached out mentally and was shocked to hear a soft voice in his mind.
"Hello, Master," the voice said cheerfully.
Aiden blinked, dumbfounded. "You can understand me?" he asked aloud.
The girl nodded, smiling brightly. "Yes, I can."