Chapter 84: Empire Quest (2)

TL: Haku

Editor: Hungry Panda

Sponsors: Crotty and B.G.

The very first thing that Ian did after returning home and logging onto Kailran was open his inventory.

'Keuheuheu it's a G.o.d Dragon, a G.o.d Dragon!'

Originally, he was going to try and hatch the G.o.d Dragon's Egg before he logged out yesterday, but he had crossbred an ancient monster and used the Hatching skill on the egg he gained from them instead as a test.

At the fault of that, he couldn't use it right away because of the cooldown time.

Ian, who pulled out the G.o.d Dragon's Egg as if he was holding a treasure box, grinned as he placed both his hands on top of the egg.

"This bright light! It will definitely be a Legendary-rank."

They said that the War Dragon Karceus had the strongest destructive power even amongst the G.o.d Dragons.

'If this isn't a Legendary-rank, what else would be?'

Ian hummed as he used the Hatching skill.

"Familiar Hatching!"

And a warm energy gushed out from Ian's hand.

Whoong-!

And the sparkle of the purple light that squirmed within the G.o.d Dragon's Egg shone out and began to twist around its surrounding and spin.

'Ooh, as expected, its hatching is somewhat different since it's a G.o.d Dragon!'

Out of excitement, Ian began to watch the transformation of the egg.

The Common-rank egg that Ian hatched yesterday cracked open as soon as he used the Hatching skill and a monster was born, but this G.o.d Dragon's egg didn't immediately hatch, suiting its name, and made Ian nervous.

After 5 minutes had pa.s.sed like that, Ian felt that something was weird.

'What the h.e.l.l? Why is it taking so long?'

A sparkle of purple light continued to violently rotate around the egg.

However, there wasn't any other change.

Ian carefully checked the information of the egg.

Level: 0

Cla.s.sification: Egg

Rank: Legendary (Inherent)

Personality: Unknown

Hatching (0%)

The egg that Karceus, a G.o.d Dragon that existed in ancient legends, left behind.

Karceus' Egg has begun to hatch.

For War Dragon Karceus to break out of the eggsh.e.l.l, it needs the strength of a powerful war.

Whenever the Summoner possessing the egg defeats a strong opponent, Karceus will gain a little bit of strength and eventually break out of the egg.

"Whew."

As soon as he checked the information of the egg, Ian firstly let out a sigh of relief.

He was anxious that there would be another quest or preparations needed in order to hatch the egg.

'I can't hatch the egg immediately, but it must mean that if I hunt comfortably, it will eventually hatch, right?'

And the word 'Legendary', which was very prominently embedded as the rank, was more pleasing than anything else.

'But what is the 'Inherent' thing that's written next to Legendary?'

He didn't have an idea about it right now, but based on the meaning of the word, he felt it would have a good meaning, not a bad one.

"Shall we go to Myuran now?"

Ian carefully put Karceus' Egg inside of his chest.

And he opened the quest information.

The reason he did so was to thoroughly look at the quest content once more before he went to the king.

However, while looking at the quest content, Ian's expression slightly twisted.

"Huh, what's this? Since when was there a time limit?"

The time limit of the Griffin Egg Hatching Quest, which was for sure 'Unknown' from what Ian remembered, had changed to about 3 weeks.

The moment that King Celias had given a command to Guard Leader h.e.l.laim, a time limit had appeared for the quest, but Ian wouldn't have known.

'Euh, I would have been in big trouble if I took any longer."

Ian hurriedly returned to the capital of Luspel Empire, Myuran.

If he just successfully cleared the Empire Quest now, her felt his heart would become completely relieved.

'I need to move as fast as possible.'

Truthfully, the quest that always troubled Ian was this Empire Quest.

This was because it was the quest that had the biggest damage if he were to fail it.

He relaxed the moment he received the Familiar Egg Hatching skill, but seeing that Karceus' Egg didn't hatch immediately, he realized that he didn't know what kind of requirement there would be for the Griffin Egg's hatching either.

If that was the case, the remaining 3 weeks or so may not be enough time.

Ian headed towards the Imperial Capital.

"Alright, Ian. Have you returned with the way to hatch the Griffin's Egg?"

The front of the king.

Ian broke out into a cold sweat while looking at the Guard Leader h.e.l.laim, who was glaring at him next to the king.

'No, why does it seem like that crazy monster has become stronger?'

The strength that could be felt from h.e.l.laim was indeed overwhelming.

Ian had no idea whether it was because he could sense h.e.l.laim's strength more as he was a higher level now or because h.e.l.laim had actually grown, but it was definite that he was so strong he wouldn't be overlooked.

Ian gulped before he responded to the words of the king.

"Yes, king. I have gained the ability to hatch the egg of a Familiar."

At the form of Ian, who confidently spoke, Celias wore a satisfied smile.

However, while speaking, Ian had made a loophole that he could escape from.

He had not exactly mentioned that he could hatch the Griffin on purpose.

'If I use the Hatching skill, there will be some sort of result, but in the rare case that it doesn't, I'll need at least one excuse…'

Ian, Celias and h.e.l.laim moved to the inner garden of the Royal Palace accompanied by a couple of the royal guards.

And after moving for about 5 minutes, Ian was able to discover the Griffin's Egg.

A whirlwind of powerful light wriggled within the Griffin's Egg just like the G.o.d Dragon's Egg.

h.e.l.laim opened his mouth.

"Alright, Ian. A Summoner like you probably knew as soon as you saw it, but that is precisely the Griffin's Egg."

Ian nodded his head.

"I see."

Without a word, Celias stared back and forth between Ian and the Griffin's Egg.

'He probably means he wants me to try.'

Ian, who understood his mind, slowly approached the egg.

'Please, I wish it would happen in one go without a hitch…'

Ian placed both of his hands on top of the Griffin's Egg.

And Ian invoked the skill.

Whoong-

Just like when he awakened the G.o.d Dragon's Egg, a warm energy flowed from Ian's hands.

And the bright yellow energy that was within the Griffin's Egg began to gush outwards.

Celias, who watched that, let out a small exclamation.

"Ooh… The Griffin must be hatching."

h.e.l.laim also watched the scene with a reserved expression.

It was due to the fact that the hatching of the Griffin's Egg was being accomplished by Ian, who h.e.l.laim wasn't able to trust up until now, when there had been no one else that was able to within the imperial family, so he saw Ian differently now.

Whoosh-!

As the skill was finished casting, Ian took a step back.

A yellow energy was raging around the egg, but just like the G.o.d Dragon's Egg, it didn't look like it would hatch immediately.

'As expected, it's not hatching right away. Shall we check the information of the egg?'

Ian opened the information window of the Griffin's Egg.

Level: 0

Cla.s.sification: Egg

Rank: Legendary

Personality: Unknown

Hatching (0%)

The egg of a Griffin, a legendary fortune.

The Griffin's Egg has begun to hatch.

In order for the Griffin to break out of its egg, it needs the strength of a powerful wind.

If it absorbs the strength of the wind from the place with the strongest winds in Colonar Continent, the Griffin will be able to hatch.

The rank that was written as Legendary caught his eyes first.

'As expected, the Griffin is also Legendary… But although the Griffin is a Legendary-rank, it doesn't have the Inherent option. I wonder what the difference is.'

Ian, who had read through all of the information shortly after, let out a low sound.

"Hmm…"

'The place with the strongest winds in Colonar Continent? Where is that?'

And Celias asked Ian, who was pondering.

"Ian, how is the Griffin's hatching going? Is the hatching happening right now?"

Ian slightly bowed his head and responded.

He didn't forget to be careful so that his tongue didn't slip.

He felt that if his tongue accidentally slipped, h.e.l.laim's sword would come flying towards him.

"Yes, king. I have lit the embers for the hatching."

"Ooh, I see."

While looking at Celias, who wore a pleased expression, Ian momentarily thought.

He needed to wrack through his brain to find a way to tell the king the truth that the egg couldn't immediately be hatched without offending him.

'I can't be fl.u.s.tered. Naturally, as if it was content I knew from the beginning.'

Ian quickly finished his thoughts.

'Since it's an Empire Quest anyways, it will probably be a good idea to use the strength of the king properly, right?'

And he slowly opened his mouth.

It was a fact that he learned after checking the information window of the Griffin's Egg, but there was a need to act as if it was information that he in fact knew from before.

"But there is a requirement in order to hatch the Griffin's Egg."

"Requirement? What is the requirement?"

"The Griffin is a fortune born with wind properties. In order to completely hatch the Griffin's Egg, it needs to absorb the energy of the place with the strongest winds in Colonar Continent."

Ian slightly glanced at the king.

Fortunately, it seemed as if Celias understood the situation as Ian intended for.

"Ha… as expected, as it's a legendary fortune…"

Celias turned his attention to h.e.l.laim.

"h.e.l.laim, do you happen to know the place with the strongest winds that Ian is talking about?"

Ian also stared at h.e.l.laim with expectant eyes.

If it was someone that was the guard leader of the imperial palace, he would have certainly gone around Colonar Continent, suppressing areas here and there, so there were enough chances that it was a place he would know of.

And h.e.l.laim's mouth slowly opened.

"If it's the place with the strongest winds…"

All eyes were focused on his mouth, and h.e.l.laim's mouth opened again.

"I believe he is talking about the Sky Highlands, Your Majesty. If it's the Sky Altar towering in the centre of Sky Highlands, the energy of the wind there will be stronger than any other place."

And as soon as he heard those words, the person that was most surprised was Ian.

'What? Sky Highlands?'

Sky Highlands was a place that Ian knew well of as well.

This was because, although he had never been there, if the Colonar Continent map was opened, it was a place that was marked in the middle of the continent.

However, the reason that Ian was surprised was not because of the familiar name.

The problem was the Wasteland that surrounded Sky Highlands.

'No, this crazy, how are you supposed to go there? From what I've heard, the level of the field monsters of the Wasteland are the same as s.h.i.+kar Desert!'

The Wasteland was a field where the level of the monsters at least started from lv 130, while the maximum level was unpredictable.

For Ian to go through this Wasteland alone was simply suicidal.

No, not just Ian, but no user or even guild had abilities that could go through the Wastelands and reach Sky Highlands.

Ian's eyes immediately turned towards Celias.

'This requires the strength of the royal guards no matter what.'

To use the strength of the king was no longer an option but a necessity.

Ian opened his mouth towards Celias.

"Your Majesty. I don't have the strength to go to Sky Highlands with the Griffin's Egg yet."

Ian considered it a time to speak honestly rather than to pointlessly bluff.

"The strength Your Majesty has is required."

And his choice was right.

"I also think that way. To be honest, even if it wasn't for that reason, I cannot leave the Griffin's Egg with just you and have you leave the imperial city."

Along with the words that he would help Ian, he also meant that he couldn't fully trust him yet.

However, for Ian, they were words that were more welcoming than anything else.

Celias turned his attention towards h.e.l.laim.

"h.e.l.laim."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The king's words slowly continued.

"Go and help Ian. For Ian and the Griffin's Egg to reach Sky Highlands safely."

And h.e.l.laim bowed his head without an inch of hesitation and submitted to the king.

Clunk-.

"Your command will be honoured, Your Majesty."