Chapter 17 : Unlocking the Beast
[100x Critical Hit initiated! Your rewards have been upgraded]
[You have gained +2000 Exp!]
[You have gained a Grade 4 Aura Sword!]
[You have gained a Grade 5 beast egg, the Glittering Terra Dragon Egg!]
[Congratulations!]
[+2 Level up!]
[+10 stat points to distribute as you wish]
******
Instantly, two familiar lights burst out of Axton's body, enveloping him in a radiant glow.
His body surged with power as he leveled up twice in a row.
He clenched his fists, his heart pounding in excitement. "A Grade 5 beast egg? A Grade 4 weapon?!"
It was a monumental leap from where he had been just minutes ago.
His strength was skyrocketing, and for the first time since entering New Eden, he truly felt like he had stepped onto the path of greatness.
He quickly pulled up the details of his newest treasure.
[Aura Sword]
[Grade : 4]
[Level : 5]
[Perk : +50 Attack]
[Skill : Aura Sword Summon]
Axton's eyes lit up. "+50 attack?! That's more than my base attack!"
He scrolled down to read about the skill.
[Skill : Aura Sword Summon]
[Rank : 4-star (Lv. 1)]
[Description : Consumes 20 mana points to summon giant swords made of aura energy. A maximum of 3 swords can be summoned at once. Each +1 skill level increases sword length by +10 meters and reduces cooldown by 1 second until max level 15.
(Cooldown: 10 seconds)]
Axton's jaw dropped. "This… this is incredible."
The 4-star skill alone was worth more than most players in the newbie village could dream of owning.
With it, he could summon three massive swords of pure energy, each one dealing devastating damage.
"This covers my long-range weakness perfectly." Axton burst into laughter, his voice echoing in the empty space.
When he first arrived in New Eden, he had been terrified of every encounter, second-guessing his survival.
Now? Now he was armed to the teeth with weapons, skills, and a beast egg that could alter the course of his fate in this world.
Warriors were infamous for their short-range limitations.
They thrived on close combat, relying heavily on brute strength and resilience.
Long-range enemies often gave them trouble, but with [Aura Sword Summon], Axton had broken past one of the most frustrating weaknesses of his class.
"With the agility boost from my boots, this skill becomes even deadlier…" he muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But the mana cost… it's insane. I won't be able to sustain long-term battles with it yet."
Even so, he couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face. This weapon was already leagues above anything he had wielded before.
His attention then shifted to the second reward — the beast egg.
Axton carefully lifted it into his hands, his breath catching as he stared at the mesmerizing object.
The egg shimmered faintly, its shell covered in intricate, scale-like patterns that reflected light like glittering gems.
He traced his palm along the surface of the egg.
"Beautiful," he whispered.
His throat felt dry as he realized what he was holding. "A dragon egg… I'm actually holding a dragon egg."
[Glittering Terra Dragon Egg]
[Grade : 5]
[Description : The Terra Dragon, otherwise known as the Earth Dragon, carries the heritage of the Ancient Giant Earth Dragons, once among the ruling races of this world.]
As descendants of the Ancient Dragons, Terra Dragons may evolve into Earth Dragonets, Earth Wyverns, Wyrms, and potentially ascend the pinnacle of their lineage to become Ancient Giant Earth Dragons.
******
Axton felt like he was reading from a mythological tome rather than a game interface.
His heartbeat quickened with every word.
His veins pulsed with adrenaline.
His mind raced with visions of soaring through skies on a mighty dragon's back, laying waste to enemies with earth-shattering roars, commanding respect and fear alike.
"Heh… imagine me leading a dragon empire," he chuckled to himself. "Emperor Axton, the Dragon Overlord! Now that's sweet."
The thought made him giddy.
Even if the egg hatched into the tiniest dragonet, he didn't care.
Dragons were universally acknowledged across every lore as creatures of immense power, mystery, and destruction.
Having one by his side was the ultimate prize.
Axton, however, wasn't in a hurry.
He understood well that powerful beasts didn't grow overnight.
He could afford to wait.
New Eden was vast, and his journey had only just begun.
There was no need for impatience.
It also clicked why the Verdant Rock Serpent had struggled so hard to consume this egg.
An egg of such quality could transform any beast into a higher existence.
The snake wanted it for its own evolution.
"That only makes this even more valuable…" Axton murmured.
Taking a deep breath, he retrieved the contract tag that Jackal had given him earlier.
Following the instructions, he placed the glowing tag onto the surface of the egg.
A brilliant golden light flared to life, forcing him to squint.
*Ding*
[Do you wish to contract this beast?]
[Yes / No]
Axton let out a snort. "What kind of question is that? Of course yes!"
The instant he confirmed, the egg began to tremble violently.
Cracks spread rapidly across its glittering shell, growing wider and deeper until…
*Shing*
The egg shattered in a burst of radiant light.
A small creature emerged, its head crowned with stubby horns, its scales shimmering faintly like crystal stones.
It shook its body vigorously, shedding the sticky membrane that clung to it.
Axton crouched down, extending his hand slowly but cautiously.
His instincts told him that even if it was a newborn, this was still a Grade 5 beast.
*Squeak*
The dragonet raised its head, its bright eyes meeting Axton's.
For a few tense seconds, the two stared at one another and then, the little creature lowered its head toward his palm.
Axton expressed his own friendliness as he carefully placed his hand on its head, stroking it gently.
The moment their contact deepened, a surge of energy snapped through his arm, rushing through his veins like lightning.
He sucked in a sharp breath at the jolt.
*Ding*
[Congratulations!]
[You have contracted the Terra Dragonet. You will now receive 100% of its attributes.]
Axton's body instantly erupted with power as a torrent of energy flowed from the dragonet into him.
His muscles tightened.
His senses sharpened.
Even his mana seemed to resonate more strongly.
He quickly pulled up the beast's status screen.
[Terra Dragonet]
[Level: 1]
[Attack: 13]
[Defense: 55]
[Magic Power: 12]
[HP: 75/75]
[Mana: 30/30]
[Skills: Dragon's Roar, Whipping Dragon Tail, Earth Shield]
Axton blinked, staring at the numbers. "Wait… this thing's only level 1?"
His jaw nearly dropped. "And it's already this strong?! What kind of stats are these?!"
He rubbed his forehead in disbelief. "The Ancient Giant Dragon bloodline really isn't a joke…"
The newborn dragonet squeaked again, rubbing its head against his arm as though to reassure him.
Axton chuckled, patting it fondly.
He could already feel it.
This was only the beginning of a terrifying partnership.
And he was ready.