Egg of a Great Devil
Lumian felt the Soul Tree use its mental power to enthrall him. However, his Flaw constantly erased its powers. Lumian forced a smile; he could sense that the Soul Tree was furious and frightened—for the first time, its powers were useless against another being.
"What do you think of that, you bastard tree?" he murmured under his breath.
Lumian began climbing the tree trunk. The tree—or the Sapling of what should have been a World Tree—was small and fragile, needing care.
Lumian smiled, but his Flaw crushed that internal monologue, leaving his mind clear.
He kept climbing, observing the juicy fruits, feeling hungry and thinking of their delicious flavor, yet he continued on his way.
The tree couldn't attack him; he knew that well. After all, this tree was a monster, one that Lumian guessed would be of a Tyrant class or a Terror.
Upon reaching the upper branches, Lumian began his search. His Aspect helped him perceive things more clearly. He ignored the sweet scent of the fruit and instead focused on detecting a different odor.
Lumian reached a barrier of twisted leaves and branches meant to conceal it. It would be quite easy to overlook due to the obstructing foliage.
Lumian cut through the leaves with his sword. Pushing his way in, he found what he had been seeking for hours: a large nest made of black branches, crafted with great detail.
"Eureka," he said, forcing a smile.
Lumian entered the nest after a bit more climbing. The nest was empty; some parts were already on the verge of collapse, as if thousands of years had passed since anyone had been in that secret place. The air was filled with loneliness and desolation.
Lumian looked down, seeing a thick mattress of white, silky spider silk. Time had made it brittle and flexible, like sand. There was so much it seemed like a huge cocoon.
Lumian lifted his gaze, finding a huge egg, as tall as he was, grey in color, its shell hardened like rock from not being incubated for millennia.
Lumian approached the egg, touching it. He felt it was warm and as if it was stealing his life force.
Lumian withdrew his hand from the shell.
Lumian summoned his sword. Using his Darkness attribute, he strengthened the sword, gripping it and swinging with all his might in a single motion.
The blade bit into the hard shell of the egg and split it in two.
Lumian grimaced at the sight of the black, viscous fluid that oozed from the egg. He noticed a crimson light shining through the cracks, then it vanished, leaving only darkness.
Lumian forced a smile. Soon, the Spell spoke.
[You Have Slain a Great Devil, Egg of the Vile Thief Bird.]
[Your Core Strengthens.]
[You Have Received a Memory...]
Lumian summoned the runes of his Monster Core.
Monster Core: [470/1000]
Lumian smiled at the number. He remembered that before fighting the demon, he had three hundred and thirty-two fragments. After killing the demon, he must have gained about forty fragments, making a total of three hundred and seventy-two.
Doing the math, Lumian had obtained around 98 fragments from slaying the Great Devil.
Lumian entered his Sea of Soul.
Soon, he found himself standing on the dark blue ocean. The familiar sight of stars and nebulae greeted him, along with his core, which was brighter than a week ago.
Lumian summoned the runes of his Memories.
Memories: [Fisherman's Attire], [Assassin's Sword], [Fiery Rock], [Blood Lance], [Aquatic Pearl], [Drop of Ichor].
Lumian examined the last Memory.
Memory: [Drop of Ichor]
Memory Rank: Unknown
Memory Type: Unknown
Memory Description: [The Thief Bird was hated by both gods and the -Unknown-. However, it cared only for shiny things. Smitten with the beautiful eyes of the Weaver, it stole one on a dark, starless night. Impatient, the vile creature gazed upon its prize while still flying. Yet, upon seeing the reflection of -Unknown- frozen forever in the depths of the Weaver's pupil, it went mad and shrieked, dropping the eye into the mortal realm. All that remained in its greedy beak was a drop of pure, golden ichor.]
Lumian sighed.
'So, the Unknown,' Lumian thought.
As far as he remembered, the Unknown was the name of the Forgotten God, the God of Dreams, a god who was sealed by the Six Gods, its history erased for mortals—or so Lumian recalled from his understanding of history at that moment.
If he had read Volume 6 of Ariel's Tomb, he might have found more information about the Unknown and other parts of the Weaver's lineage.
He had also read in online community forums that if the 'Unknown' were to awaken, it would cause the end of all existence.
Lumian snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing the voice of the Spell, which held a note close to emotion.
[You have acquired a Drop of Ichor. Do you wish to consume it?]
Lumian hesitated. If he consumed the Drop of Ichor, he would receive two possible boons. The first, the blessing of a dead god; the second, something related to the Weaver. If he did, he would inevitably cross paths with the protagonist destined to collect the Weaver's puzzle pieces.
As far as he recalled, there were two, one related to blood and another to bones.
However, Lumian wasn't so sure. It wasn't that he was indecisive about taking the Ichor. He would consume it; that was a fact. But he wasn't certain he would obtain the Weaver's Blood Weave.
He lacked the 'Destined' attribute, and the possibility of obtaining the Blood attribute was low. Just as had happened with the Shell Demon.
Instead of obtaining the Midnight Sword, he had obtained the Monster's Echo instead. So, Lumian concluded that due to his actions, destiny was beginning to weave new scenarios and make changes as a consequence.
It was possible the protagonist would still obtain the Blood Weave. After all, if there was an egg of an entity like the Vile Thief Bird, there would be others.
Lumian pushed those thoughts aside. They were just his conclusions. If he obtained the Blood Weave, it would be excellent, but if he got something else, it would confirm his suspicions.
"Yes," he replied with a slightly anxious voice.
[As you wish.]
The golden sphere separated into two streams of beautiful, radiant liquid. The streams floated through the air, approaching Lumian with a gentle caress.
Then, the golden liquid reached his eyes and flowed through them, entering his soul through his pupils.
Soon, all the liquid disappeared.
Lumian blinked, not knowing what to expect. A few seconds passed, and then he felt it—an immeasurable pain that coursed through his entire body.
...
Lumian fell gracelessly onto the spider silk, screaming as his entire body convulsed in agonizing spasms of pain.
He felt as if every muscle, every fiber, every molecule of his body was being torn apart and reassembled only to be torn apart again. He felt his eyes burning as if two red-hot rods had been driven into them, making all the pain in his body pale in comparison.
Lumian kept screaming from the pain. At some point, his voice had completely given out.
After what seemed like an eternity, the pain finally began to subside. The tears streaming down his face slowly ceased. The agony he felt was gradually fading.
Lumian lay on his back with his arms outstretched, breathing with difficulty.
The only thing Lumian could hear was his own ragged breathing.
[You have acquired a new Attribute.]
[One of your Attributes is ready to evolve.]
Lumian opened his eyes. He noticed something interesting: his vision was somehow better, much sharper than before. His body was the same; he was still human.
Lumian entered his Sea of Soul. He looked around but saw nothing.
"Well, I guess there are no shadows in my soul," Lumian murmured.
Lumian summoned his Attributes, wanting to test something.
Attributes: [Hardened Skin], [Spark of Divinity], [Lightning], [Darkness], [New King's Mark]
Lumian felt like laughing, but he didn't. His Flaw immediately suppressed his emotions, preventing him from feeling anything.
Lumian sighed.
'As I suspected. I didn't get the Blood Weave,' Lumian thought.
However, he didn't feel disappointed. It was within his initial expectations. Moreover, it served to confirm his suspicions that some entity had ensured the protagonist would obtain the Weaver's pieces as if collecting an Exodia.
Though he still felt a bit annoyed.
He had gone through all that trouble, killed Awakened Beasts, his Aspect was of the highest rank, allowing him to command monsters, and yet, with all that, he hadn't gotten what he wanted.
So, his frustration was quite understandable. He didn't even feel angry or like cursing.
"I think this tree is playing with my emotions," Lumian murmured, yet he knew the truth: it was him, and nothing but himself.
Looking at his hands, he noticed they were still soft and clean, without a single callous despite training with the sword day after day without rest.
"Well, let's see what I got," he finally said, summoning his Runes and noticing a new Attribute.
Lumian raised an eyebrow.
"King's Mark?" he murmured, confused.
King's Mark Description: [Those blessed with the King's Mark receive a higher rate of growth and development. Through the Mark, the King obtains a portion of the power gained by his subordinates. The King is capable of deciding whom to grant and revoke his Mark from.]
Lumian was taken aback by the description of that Attribute. It was extremely powerful, though not for direct combat; it was an enhancer. And, being one of his Attributes, he could activate it passively without even having Awakened to use Essence.
He wanted to test it immediately.
Summoning his Echo, the Cannibal Dolphin, which manifested. Touching the dolphin, a rune appeared.
[Do you wish to convert the Echo into a Subordinate Beast?]
"Yes."
Lumian looked at his fragment counter, noting that a hundred of them had disappeared. However, he didn't mind. He looked at his subordinate beast.
It was larger, stronger, and more dangerous. Its previously grey skin turned a crimson red color; blue lines manifesting on its body in a lightning pattern. Its dorsal fins were sharper and deadlier, like extremely sharp swords.
Lumian summoned the runes of his subordinate beast.
---
Name: Cannibal Dolphin.
Beast Type: Subordinate.
Rank: Awakened Beast.
Beast Core: [0/1000]
Attributes: [Swift], [Water], [Strong]
Description: [A being that devours its kin upon birth.]
---
Lumian blinked at the runes. They were different but similar to what he had seen the first time. It had ceased being an Echo—the remnant of essence left behind by that monster—and instead had directly become a monster, capable of developing its own core and taking the two paths: Ascension and Profanation.
Lumian knew the beast wouldn't attack him; his instinct told him so. He even felt that the monster... worshiped him?
"Weird," he murmured, puzzled.
Lumian summoned his second Echo.
The large golden sphere descended. Upon touching the ground, the sparks disappeared, revealing the terrifying Shell Demon, immobile. Its once-pristine armor had lost its luster, turning grey but no less resilient.
It possessed its two scythes and pincers; its entire body was in perfect condition, and the wound had vanished from its chest.
Lumian touched the demon, looking at its runes.
---
Echo: Shell Demon.
Echo Type: Demon.
Echo Core: Awakened.
Attributes: [Strong], [Lesser Steel Body], [Swift], [Unbreakable], [Lesser Earth Control]
Echo Description: A leader who was cursed after participating in an ancient ritual. Both his soul and essence were corrupted, along with his army, becoming a monster whose sole purpose was to protect the sacred tree.
[Do you wish to convert the Echo into a Subordinate Beast?]
Lumian nodded. Again, he consumed another 100 fragments. However, Lumian smiled as he observed the changes in the Echo.
Its body became more lifelike than before; its eyes gained a sinister gleam. Its skin, previously grey, turned pale; its armor darkened to black, retaining the seven stars in their original color.
The Awakened Demon stood immobile after undergoing the change. Without waiting, Lumian summoned the runes.
Subordinate: Shell Demon.
Beast Rank: Demon.
Monster Core: [0/3000]
Attributes: [Strong], [Lesser Steel Body], [Swift], [Unbreakable], [Lesser Earth Control]
Description: [A monster created from the King of Monsters.]
'There was no change beyond its appearance, although there's also the fragment counters, so it could evolve into a Titan over time,' Lumian thought.
The former Shell Demon had now become his second Echo, and the strongest he possessed, far surpassing the gap between it and its master.
However, like with the Cannibal Dolphin, Lumian felt a sort of connection with the monster, sensing the same feeling of respect and pride, very different from the dolphin's adoration.
His Aspect was undoubtedly remarkable. If he obtained any Echo, he could convert it into a beast, giving it a monster fragment counter to evolve to higher ranks.
Also, his new Attribute was undoubtedly powerful. Perhaps it was his reward for his actions or for his good karma. Or maybe one of the dead gods watched over him in their eternal slumber.
He just had to confirm what the King's Mark did. Based on its description, if his monsters killed many nightmare creatures, he would obtain a percentage of the kills without having to do it himself.
There was also his Aspect ability, 'Domination,' which allowed him to dominate monsters. This set of abilities made Lumian a kind of ruler, a true king whose existence stood above the monsters, meant to be ruled by him.
If he managed to advance and become a Saint, he would gain an ability allowing him to command monsters and even convert them into subordinates without needing to kill them and wait for Echoes.
[Do you wish to bestow the King's Mark?]
"Yes."
Lumian watched as a mark—a nearly demonic blue star—was engraved on the chest plate of the Devil's armor. It disappeared after a few seconds.
He then bestowed it upon the Awakened Monster.
Lumian didn't feel his strength increase. Instead, he felt the high loyalty of the demon and sensed the dolphin's increase in devotion towards him.
Lumian smiled emptily.
Now, he would have a better chance of surviving the Forgotten Shore, especially if he planned to take the Fragment of Dawn and the Fragment of Dusk beneath the Hollow Mountains.
For now, Lumian wasn't in a hurry; he still had plenty of time. Originally, he planned to complete all events of the Forgotten Shore by himself before the next winter solstice.
But now his plans had changed slightly. He would retrieve the Fragments of Dawn and Dusk, then begin preparations to assault the Crimson Spire.
Lumian looked at his two subordinate monsters. It would also be a good opportunity for his subordinates to grow stronger. The Dark City was filled with monsters everywhere, excellent for them to gain strength. He might even obtain new Memories and another Echo.
Furthermore, Lumian was certain that destiny would prevent him from achieving all this without the trio, who would begin the changes in the world, arriving.
From the stories he read in his old world, all of them said the same thing: destiny was hard to alter, especially in fixed events like the Forgotten Shore.
Something that became clear when he didn't receive the Midnight Fragment or the Blood Weave.
Lumian looked around. He was still inside the large nest, and the fetid smell of the egg's fluid was starting to disgust him.
Turning around, Lumian began descending the Soul Tree. Once he reached the ground after a few hours, he decided to experiment with the King's Mark, and he had an excellent candidate for it.