The Female Fire Dragon's vigilance lasted for several minutes.
Fortunately, while a Flying Wyvern's intelligence far surpasses that of common beasts, it doesn't reach the level of humans or Airou, who possess clear logical thought and intellect.
After some time, seeing no further movement, she lay down again to continue resting, and Gordon and Zhu Pa could only grimace and lie down with her.
It seemed they would have to wait until the Female Fire Dragon woke up and left her nest before considering their escape.
Time passed minute by minute as the Female Fire Dragon slept.
Even as night fell, the Female Fire Dragon showed no sign of waking. Gordon and Zhu Pa had no choice but to take turns standing guard, resting their eyes, yet not daring to truly fall asleep, lest they accidentally make a sound.
An entire night passed.
The stars in the sky faded as the sky turned a faint gray.
Gordon and Zhu Pa yawned silently together, constantly cursing the Female Fire Dragon's excessive sleepiness.
And just then, the Female Fire Dragon finally woke up!
She shook her head, as if to shake off her sleepiness, then slowly stood up.
The warmth from her breath throughout the night had made the Dragon Eggs warm. She used the tip of her wing to push the thick ash within the nest, covering the Dragon Eggs with the still-warm carbon ash to maintain their temperature.
After completing all of this, she spread her wings wide. Her strong muscles propelled her wing membranes, stirring the air and providing enough lift for her. Her massive, tens-of-tons body slowly ascended into the air.
She passed through the opening at the top of the cave and finally disappeared into the dawn light.
Gordon and Zhu Pa did not act immediately. Instead, they remained prone for a few more minutes, confirming that the Female Fire Dragon had flown far away before finally getting up from the ground where they had been lying all night.
He twisted his waist forcefully, and his stiff lower back and spine emitted a series of rapid crackling sounds. The soreness accumulated overnight seemed to dissipate with it, and Gordon couldn't help but let out a pleasant groan.
It was time to leave!
However, under the golden rays of the morning sun pouring in through the cave's ceiling opening, the three Dragon Eggs in the ash-filled nest, like legendary treasures, emitted an almost demonic allure.
Gordon and Zhu Pa exchanged glances.
The Female Fire Dragon had just left her nest to forage. No matter how fast she was, it would take at least half an hour to an hour, right?
If not now, when would be a better time to steal an egg?
The man and the cat chuckled eerily as they approached the Dragon Eggs. Gordon made a quick comparison and chose the smallest one.
Anyway, bigger or smaller, the reward was the same, so why bother himself? The big, strong babies should be left for their mother to take good care of.
He took out a light yellow potion from his satchel and gulped it down.
This was a special potion called "Invigorator." While its effects lasted, the user's stamina would become stronger; in short, they wouldn't tire as easily.
After all, carrying a round, slippery giant egg over several kilometers of mountains and valleys was hard work, and he had been hungry all night. Running out of energy halfway was not an option.
Due to the Female Fire Dragon's breath, the Dragon Eggs were quite hot, even to the point of being scalding.
However, this was not a problem. He was wearing a full set of armor, and this much heat would not scald him.
"Heave-ho!"
Embracing the Dragon Egg with both hands, Gordon lifted it and weighed it, feeling that the weight was manageable; at least it wasn't heavier than his Burst Blade.
It was just that its round shape made it difficult to grip, and the thick egg fluid inside the shell sloshed around, causing an unstable center of gravity and making it somewhat cumbersome to walk with.
"Let's go, let's go! Zhu Pa!"
Gordon didn't want to stay in this Dragon Nest for another second. Leaving a second earlier meant he could get a bit further away before the Female Fire Dragon returned. Now was not the time to dawdle!
Zhu Pa led the way, and Gordon jogged closely behind them. The two of them quickly slipped through the rock crevice, ran out of the Dragon Nest, and plunged into the dense, leafy mountain forest.
The moment he entered the forest, Gordon let out a deep sigh of relief.
Even with the Female Fire Dragon's excellent eyesight, it would be extremely difficult for her to see them from high in the sky through the layers of tree canopies. As long as they were careful and chose routes with dense vegetation, there should be no unexpected incidents.
Perhaps it was the effect of the Invigorator, or perhaps it was the excellent mood of completing this high-reward mission without incident, but Gordon felt as if his legs had wings, and he ran faster and faster.
Several kilometers of forest mountain path were left behind them in a flash. They just needed to cross the final stretch of pebble riverbed ahead, and they would reach the Hunting Camp at the bottom of the valley!
The riverbed was flat and much easier to walk on than the bumpy forest path filled with roots and vines, but unfortunately, there was no tree canopy for cover, which made him feel less secure.
Gordon sighed inwardly.
But it was fine; the Female Fire Dragon shouldn't have returned to her nest yet to discover the missing Dragon Egg, right?
It's a sure thing!
Just as the young hunter's face couldn't help but break into an excited smile, fantasizing about what to eat for the celebratory feast after returning, Zhu Pa's scream and the whistling of a strong wind simultaneously exploded in his ears.
"Watch out, meow!!"
Under the interplay of crisis awareness and muscle reaction, honed by years of traversing the Hunting Field, Gordon, without thinking, immediately threw the precious but cumbersome Dragon Egg aside.
At the same time, using the Reaction force from pushing the Dragon Egg, he threw himself with all his might to the other side.
"Crunch!"
The huge Dragon Egg shattered on the pebble riverbed, and thick, golden-yellow egg fluid splattered everywhere.
However, Gordon had no energy to care about any of that at the moment.
A massive, dark red figure, carrying an imposing aura that could tear everything apart, swooped down and swept past the spot where he had just been.
Giant claws, much larger than his entire body, savagely gripped the pebble riverbed, digging a conspicuous deep trench into it.
Gordon, who had hastily gotten to his feet, couldn't help but swallow.
If his reaction had been half a second slower, he would have been crushed into a pulp by those claws.
The Attack failed to hit its target. The dark red figure pulled up with an agility inconsistent with its size, turned halfway in the air, and hovered, looking down at him.
"Roar, ao ao ao ao ao!"
A terrifying roar, unlike anything he had ever experienced, transformed into a deafening sound wave that swept across the entire riverbed. Gordon and Zhu Pa instinctively covered their ears, unable to move.
This was a Flying Wyvern's roar!
"Rathalos! Damn it, there's not just one Female Fire Dragon?!" Gordon looked up at the huge Flying Wyvern soaring like a hawk in the sky and couldn't help but curse.
He finally understood why Zhu Pa, who had extremely sensitive hearing and smell, hadn't been able to give an earlier warning.
True to his title as the "King of the Skies," Rathalos had approached him at extreme speed in a diving posture, similar to a bird of prey hunting. Zhu Pa simply didn't have time to react!
His peripheral vision swept over the shattered Dragon Egg on the riverbed.
The mission was destined to fail, but he had no leisure to feel regret or sorrow for it now.
Looking at the clearly enraged Rathalos, who seemed to have realized that the mess on the ground was his unborn child, he hoped he wouldn't call the child's mother over as well...
Heh heh heh, will I even make it back to the village alive this time?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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