Chapter 40: A Synchronized Heartbeat

Zishan returned toward the medical station.

His legs were beginning to feel unusually heavy, and the pain in his shoulder had become more noticeable now that he was no longer fighting for his life. Even his cheek hurt whenever he moved his mouth.

Perhaps it was finally time to take the System’s advice and find a healer.

He had barely entered the nearest treatment tent when a woman wearing a bloodstained medical uniform spotted him. "YOU!"

Zishan stopped.

The healer pointed toward an unoccupied bed. "Sit down."

"Miss, I’m actually—"

"Sit."

"YES, MISS!"

He sat.

The healer approached him with a basin of water and several treatment supplies before examining the cut across his cheek and the wound beneath his torn uniform. Her expression became increasingly unpleasant as she discovered more injuries that Zishan hadn’t even realized he had sustained.

"What were you doing out there?" she demanded.

"Fighting the enemy’s boss kind of..."

The healer gave him a long look.

Zishan smiled. The movement pulled at the cut on his cheek. "Fu—"

"Stop moving your face."

Zishan complained that he couldn’t stop moving his face. However, the healer ignored his complaints and began treating his injuries.

Zishan had experienced healing magic often enough by now to recognize the familiar sensation of Mana entering damaged tissue. The burning pain in his shoulder gradually subsided, and the shallow cut across his cheek began closing as the healer worked.

His abdomen still hurt from the blows he had received during his fight with Larper. Even sitting up was becoming a problem.

By the time she finished examining him, Zishan had developed an extraordinary amount of respect for the strength of Larper’s legs and an equally extraordinary desire never to encounter another Level 99 bastard who enjoyed kicking people.

"You need to rest," the healer told him as she put her supplies away. "Your body has endured substantial physical trauma, and I don’t want you getting up to fight something else the moment I turn around."

Zishan nodded as he said, "Miss, I assure you that fighting another Level 99 bastard is the very last thing I want to do right now."

"Hmm."

’Well, there are always exceptions to the general rule! In this one, I won’t fight unless the rewards are particularly generous! WAHAHAHA!’

The healer walked away to attend to another patient. Zishan watched her leave before reclining against the bed.

For the first time since the horde had appeared, he finally had an opportunity to examine everything he had acquired without worrying that somebody was about to cut his head off.

His mood improved considerably.

’Hehehe. My beautiful rewards!’

He opened the Tamed Beasts section.

[TAMED BEASTS]

[Ridgefang Hound ×3]

[Ironback Razorboar ×1]

[Dragon Egg of Unknown Origin ×1]

[Status: Unhatched]

The four Magic Beasts were now safely inside his Tamed Beast Space, although the Razorboar still needed treatment. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about the soldiers trying to kill his pets.

The Dragon Egg, however, was an entirely different matter.

Zishan selected its entry and examined the information available to him. He had already seen the reward notification during his confrontation with Larper, but he still found it difficult to believe that the System had given him an actual Dragon Egg.

A dragon! Imagine!

What kind of ridiculous creature would eventually hatch from this thing?!

’HAHAHAHA! I WONDER IF IT’LL BE ONE OF THOSE MASSIVE DRAGONS THAT CAN DESTROY ENTIRE CITIES!’

[The Dumb Host is reminded that the Dragon Egg remains unhatched.]

’I KNOW! CAN’T I FUCKING DREAM?!’

He focused on the egg’s entry and selected the option to retrieve it.

A greenish light gathered above his lap, gradually taking the shape of a large oval object. Zishan raised both hands to catch it as the light disappeared, nearly dropping the egg when he discovered that it was considerably heavier than he had expected.

"FUCK! DON’T YOU DARE FALL!"

He managed to secure it against his chest before carefully lowering it onto the bed.

For several seconds, Zishan did nothing except admire his newest acquisition.

The egg was larger than both his hands combined, with a dark shell covered in faint green markings. Its surface was surprisingly smooth despite its unusual appearance, and several thin lines running along the shell reminded him of the markings he had seen on some of the magical equipment used throughout the military station.

However, he couldn’t determine whether the patterns were naturally formed or something that had been placed there deliberately.

’Damn. You’re actually quite beautiful.’

He ran his fingers across the shell.

’I wonder if I can teach you how to breathe fire. Actually, that’s probably something dragons already know how to do, right? HAHAHA! I’LL HAVE MY OWN PERSONAL DRAGON!’

The thought was extremely satisfying.

If somebody had told him back on Earth that he would eventually acquire a Dragon Egg, he probably would have assumed they were referring to some ridiculously expensive gaming collectible.

Speaking of Earth...

He suddenly remembered the cupcake he had ordered before his death. The damned thing had even been decorated with a dragon!

’FUCK! I NEVER EVEN GOT TO TASTE THAT CUPCAKE! AHH! SO FRUSTRATING!!!’

Zishan looked down at the egg again, calming his thoughts down. ’Well, at least I have an actual dragon now. That’s probably a fair exchange, right?’

[The Dumb Host appears to have an unusual understanding of equivalent exchange.]

’SHUT UP! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW EXPENSIVE THAT CUPCAKE WAS!’ he replied through his thoughts. ’But I’d still choose cupcakes over a dragon. Just barely...’

He was about to continue arguing with the System when he remembered that he possessed Perfected Appraisal. Perhaps it could tell him something about the creature living inside the egg.

Zishan concentrated on the object resting in his lap.

[Dragon Egg of Unknown Origin]

[State: Unhatched]

[Species: UNKNOWN]

[Lineage: UNRESOLVED]

[Additional Information: UNAVAILABLE]

His expression collapsed. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

A wounded soldier resting on a nearby bed raised his head.

Zishan looked toward him and scratched his head with an awkward smile. "Hehehe. Sorry, brother! Something very important just happened!"

The soldier stared at the egg in his lap before deciding that he was better off pretending he hadn’t heard anything.

Zishan returned his attention to the System panel. ’PERFECTED APPRAISAL! PERFECTED! AND YOU CAN’T EVEN TELL ME WHAT KIND OF DRAGON I’M GETTING?!’

[The Dumb Host is advised to reconsider the assumption that every unknown object must belong to a category his current knowledge can identify. Moreover, the Appraisal Skill is only Form-Tier. It will not be able to appraise everything you want to appraise. You truly are one Dumb Host.]

’Tch!’

Zishan thought about it and went to his more powerful Skill. Perhaps Beast King’s Authority would prove more useful. The Skill was still at Beginner Mastery now that its Perfected Glimpse had disappeared, but he had already managed to steal four Magic Beasts from a Level 99 Beast Tamer while relying on it.

Surely establishing a connection with an unhatched dragon couldn’t be that difficult.

He rested one hand against the shell and attempted to guide his Taming Mana toward the creature inside.

The result was less impressive than he had anticipated.

His Mana gathered around the egg, but he couldn’t detect the kind of Taming connection he had encountered while examining Larper’s beasts. There was no weakened bond he could disrupt, no struggling creature attempting to resist his influence, and no familiar sensation of establishing control over another living being.

Instead, his Mana seemed to disappear whenever it reached a certain point within the shell.

Zishan frowned. ’Huh?’

He tried again, but still it produced nothing. The egg basically offered no response.

He stared at it for another moment before withdrawing his hand.

Perhaps the creature simply wasn’t developed enough to respond to Taming Mana yet. That would make considerably more sense than assuming he’d received a defective Dragon Egg after going through so much trouble to defeat Larper.

He certainly hoped so.

Zishan lifted the egg to examine the markings on its other side. As he turned it in his hands, one of the raised ridges scraped against a small cut on his thumb that the healer hadn’t noticed.

"Ow! Fuck!"

He adjusted his grip.

A small drop of blood rolled down his thumb and landed on the shell.

Zishan was about to wipe it away when something rather strange happened.

The blood disappeared.

He blinked. ’...What?’

He lowered his head and examined the spot where the blood had landed, wondering whether it had simply slipped into one of the thin markings running across the shell.

However, before he could investigate further, another drop fell from his thumb.

This time, he saw it happen.

The moment the blood touched the egg, the dark surface beneath it seemed to absorb the crimson liquid. A faint green light spread through one of the markings, traveling along the shell before disappearing somewhere near its center.

Zishan froze.

’HOLY SHIT! DID I JUST—’

A familiar chime interrupted him.

[DING!]

[Dragon Egg of Unknown Origin]

[Unidentified Resonance Detected!]

[Beast Taming Contract: NOT INITIATED]

[Origin of Resonance: UNDETERMINED]

Zishan stared at the notification. He was about to demand another explanation when the egg moved.

It was such a small movement that he almost mistook it for the trembling of his own hands. However, a moment later, he felt something pulsing from deep within the shell.

A heartbeat.

Zishan’s eyes widened.

Another pulse followed, and this time, something inside his chest seemed to answer it.

He pressed a hand against himself.

’What the fuck...?’

An unfamiliar sensation spread through his body. It wasn’t painful, and it didn’t resemble the arrival of a new Skill or the sudden increase in Stats he had experienced earlier. Nevertheless, he found himself gripping the egg with both hands as an inexplicable feeling of familiarity began overwhelming him.

Then, without warning, the medical tent disappeared from his sight.

✦ ═〔 PRECEDENCE 〕═ ✦

[STATUS] (Updated)

Name: Zishan Walker

Race: Human

Level: 50

Ascent: Unascended

<anno data-annotation-id="d2cbb52f-dafd-675e-b41d-3c40bd2ef22d" data-title="Experience: 4,000 / 5,000">Experience: 4,000 / 5,000¹</anno>

<anno data-annotation-id="bc81981c-2172-25f7-7055-ef157e25989b" data-title="Mana: 100 / 590">Mana: 100 / 590¹</anno>

[BASIC STATS]

<anno data-annotation-id="b6b4f590-ddbf-d12b-8854-626000a0521c" data-title="STR: 101">STR: 101¹</anno>

<anno data-annotation-id="f755aa9e-dc06-be18-9d88-bfae9da11520" data-title="VIT: 81">VIT: 81¹</anno>

<anno data-annotation-id="07a414a2-8465-4105-512d-a7d4a5c516ad" data-title="AGI: 87">AGI: 87¹</anno>

<anno data-annotation-id="9e190923-7cfc-2ee5-d719-575ec734bcad" data-title="PER: 55">PER: 55¹</anno>

<anno data-annotation-id="e8b78def-53f7-062a-cbe6-3186bcf4e224" data-title="INT: 62">INT: 62¹</anno>

<anno data-annotation-id="0a352873-286f-8702-a7b2-9add93e8cd55" data-title="WIL: 65">WIL: 65¹</anno>

<anno data-annotation-id="24cd25a4-794e-2561-5884-ef3f7353e545" data-title="Distributable Stat Points: 0">Distributable Stat Points: 0¹</anno>

[MAGIC]

Mana Affinity(ies): Life, Wind, Shadow, Fire

Beast Taming Affinity: Awakened

Magic Profession(s): None

[BLOODLINES]

Main Bloodline: Unidentified

Grade: Unreadable

State: Dormant (Partially Active)

Other Bloodline(s):

(1) Ashen Banner Bloodline

(2) Eternal Wellspring Bloodline (Fragment)

[PHYSIQUE]

Main Physique: Unknown

Grade: Unreadable

Measurement: Failed

Other Physique(s):

(1) Insatiable Warbody

Grade: Mythical

Type: Combat / Adaptive Growth

Status: Permanent

[SKILLS]

Trace-Tier Skill(s):

(1) Rift Steps

Form-Tier Skill(s):

(1) Appraisal ℯℯ𝑙.

Mastery: Perfected

Status: Permanent

(2) Verdant Weave

<anno data-annotation-id="2ec4d82f-f497-a02e-198b-ec2d706f44e0" data-title="Mastery: Proficient">Mastery: Proficient¹</anno>

Status: Permanent

(3) Stormwing Rend

Mastery: Beginner

Grandform-Tier Skill(s):

(1) Shadow Severance

Mastery: Beginner

Status: Permanent

Sovereign-Tier Skill(s):

(1) Wildfire Requiem

Mastery: Beginner

Status: Permanent

(2) Beast King’s Authority

Mastery: Beginner

Status: Permanent

[TAMED BEASTS]

(1) Ridgefang Hound ×3

Level: 40

Status: Bonded

(2) Ironback Razorboar ×1

Level: 53

Condition: Severely Injured

Status: Bonded

(3) Dragon Egg of Unknown Origin ×1

Status: Unhatched

[TAMED BEAST SPACE]

Status: Unlocked

<anno data-annotation-id="bae8b274-3253-8092-c7c9-05648b8151a0" data-title="Stored Beasts: 5">Stored Beasts: 5¹</anno>

<annotations style="display: none;">Originally at Level 50: 2,000 / 5,000. With +2000 EXP from the Base Rewards, it becomes 4,000 / 5,000.Mana Capacity [+50] due to Unclaimed Base Rewards Stat Points.Base Rewards [+5]; Physique Assimilation Reward [+5]; Distributable Allocation Points [+40].Base Rewards [+5]; Physique Assimilation Reward [+5]; Distributable Allocation Points [+30].Base Rewards [+5]; Physique Assimilation Reward [+5]; Distributable Allocation Points [+45].Based Rewards [+5]; Distributable Allocation Points [+12]Base Rewards [+5]; Western Stampede Reward [+30]Base Rewards [+5]; Distributable Allocation Points [+20]All Distributable Stat Points were allocated.Beginner → PROFICIENT → Expert → Master → PerfectedIncludes unborn potential beasts, such as the Unhatched Dragon Egg.</annotations>