I thought I'd just rest for a bit.
Sneak into an empty egg nest, curl up comfortably, and then continue my adventure.
But life as an egg is never that simple.
The moment I touched one of the eggs, a tiny crack appeared. "Oops."
Then another one cracked. "Don't tell me they're touch-sensitive!"
One by one, baby monsters hatched from their shells.
Tiny bodies, glowing round eyes—some scaled, others furry—but all of them… stared at me.
With innocent eyes.
The kind that pierce straight into your soul.
The kind that say… "Mom?"
> "OH NO. I'M A MOM!?"
They approached. Surrounded me.
One bit the tip of my shell. Another sat on top of my head (yes, somehow I have a head).
And the little purple one… curled up and snored beside me.
> [Status: Monster Hatchlings have designated you as "Core Object"]
> [Buff Effect: Group Protection – Minor]
I had officially become a monster babysitter.
And weirdly… it had side effects.
When one of them licked a magic crystal on the floor and then touched me…
My body trembled. Heat surged.
> [Fire Element +0.2%]
> [Passive Synchronization Activated]
I stared at them. They stared back.
They weren't just a burden. They were… adorable, living leveling tools!
A new strategy was born:
Use these kids to accelerate element absorption.
Let them sense danger → I become the shield → hungry monster appears → I get eaten → I absorb its power → I escape with bad breath.
Repeat while collecting various elements.
One day, I'll become the strongest egg in the dungeon.
But all those plans changed when a Young Basilisk slithered out from the dark tunnel.
Its body was long like a snake, covered in tough scales, eyes glowing red, and its saliva sizzled on the floor like acid.
> [Threat Detected – Class C – Status: Severely Hungry]
The baby monsters panicked. They hid behind me, trembling.
The purple one started crying. The red one hugged me tight.
And me… I couldn't run. My body started to heat up.
> "I… I'm not just an ordinary egg anymore."
I drew energy from the leftover crystal. Heat surged.
> [Activate: Skill – Minor Spiral Combustion]
My body lit up like a tiny fireball.
My spikes extended slowly (they only appear during activation), and the air around me trembled.
The basilisk stared… then grinned.
And swallowed me.
Dark. Hot. Sticky.
But I was ready.
For the baby monsters who relied on me...
For those little eggs who called me "Mom" without permission...
I would fight. From the inside.
With foul gas and the determination of a true egg.
> "You swallowed their mother. You'll regret that now."
---
To Be Continued...
And before this gets too serious…
Allow me to say just one thing:
> "Is it true what they say, that a mother's love knows no bounds...?
> But I'm a guy… and I'm literally just a rotten egg."