Having exhausted all his energy, he knelt on the floor.
Panting, he regained his composure and looked at the egg in front of him.
From the center of his palm, which served as the trigger, cracks began to form on the surface of the egg.
*I did it! As expected, my power is the strongest!*
The cracks gradually spread.
Imugi smiled and, sitting cross-legged, placed the egg between his legs.
*To withstand this. Even just an egg, itâs impressive.*
Shaking his head, Imugi tried to peel off the eggshell to replenish his spent energy.
The eggshell burst open, and a white birdâs head popped out, bumping into Imugiâs fingers.
âPee-yak. Pee-yak! Pee-yak.â
The soft, white down feathers rubbed against his front paw.
The bird lifted its white face and opened its eyes.
The yellow eyes embedded in the white feathers met Imugiâs red eyes.
The shell broke further, and tiny white wings fluttered.
*What is this? Why is there a bird here-!*
Staring blankly at the bird, he finally regained his senses.
*Wait a moment... Why is it alive? It was a roasted egg, right? And what is this aura Iâm sensing from it?*
Examining the bird, Imugi was even more bewildered and opened his mouth.
*Itâs infused with the power of fire, and even my own strength!*
He had felt that his efforts to break the egg were being nullified, but in fact, the egg had been absorbing all his power.
It was clear that the egg hadnât been burned by the red dragonâs fire because it had absorbed all the energy.
*So, all the power Iâve accumulated so far... went to this thing?*
Realizing the truth, he felt a sense of futility and all his energy drained away.
He could only support his slumped body with one front paw.
*What a waste... Really, itâs maddeningly wasteful.*
His small body trembled with anger.
Meanwhile, the baby bird had completely emerged from the shell and approached him, who was half-collapsed.
Lifting his heavy eyes, he saw a white chick-like creature rubbing its beak against the top of his front paw.
Seeing the chick approach so affectionately and lean against him, a thought crossed his mind.
*Could it be imprinting?*
Some creatures, upon hatching, blindly follow the first thing they see, considering it their mother.
Given that the chick had absorbed Imugiâs power, it wouldnât be strange for it to feel a kinship.
*Thinking about it, among those born as divine beasts, there were some with similar traits.*
He stood up and walked away from the chick.
The chick followed him, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Whether he went left or right, in a circle, the chick diligently chased after him with its thin legs.
Sighing in the air, he shook his head.
The small, white wings fluttered, and the bright eyes sparkled, as if asking for praise.
Exhausted and drained by the unexpected chick, he desperately needed rest.
Imugi spread his small wings and fluttered to the cradle.
âPee-ah-ah! Pee-yak! Pee-yak!â
*What? It canât fly yet.*
The desperate chirping grew fainter.
*Good. Iâm already tired; if I ignore it, it will figure it out on its own.*
He lay down with his face on the pillow.
âPee! Pee-yak! Pee...â
Hearing the gradually weakening cries, he felt a pang of guilt but pressed his ear against the pillow to block out the sound.
âPee... Pee-yak. Pee...oo. Pee-ru-ru.â
The sound grew sadder and eventually turned into a sob.
Glancing back, he saw the white chick shedding tears like a lost child.
Seeing Imugiâs face outside the cradle, the chick fluttered its small wings and hopped in place.
Feeling both annoyed and guilty, he finally got up.
He placed his foot on the cradleâs railing and glared at the chick with a fierce expression.
Meanwhile, Christina, unaware of the situation, hurried back to her lair.
*It took longer than expected to return.*
Her left wrist held a basket full of freshly baked phoenix eggs.
*I said Iâd bring them as quickly as possible... What if heâs hungry?*
Recalling his expression when she mentioned there was no milk, Christina chuckled.
His shocked face was unexpectedly cute, and his pouting face was amusing.
But she quickly dismissed her thoughts, worried about the child left alone.
Entering Imugiâs room, she sighed in relief upon hearing the gentle snoring.
Looking around, she saw broken eggshells scattered.
*Oh dear. He must have eaten the remaining eggs while waiting and fallen asleep.*
Approaching Imugi, she tilted her head when she saw a white fluff ball curled up on his head.
It wasnât there when she left.
Furrowing her brow, she alternated her gaze between the sleeping hatchling and the white chick with a black feather sticking out of its head, both snoring softly.
They were sleeping soundly, their bellies rising and falling, a heartwarming sight.
Chapter 8: Roasted Eggs and the Phoenix
Christina alternated her gaze between the broken eggshells and the chick, letting out a curious exclamation.
*Could it be a phoenix egg...?*
She cautiously extended her hand toward the sleeping bird.
A faint, pure fire magic emanated from it, intertwined with a dark aura.
At that moment, the chick woke up and opened its eyes wide.
Standing on the pillow with its thin black legs, the white bird was enveloped in flames, its yellow eyes filled with clear hostility.
The innocent baby bird Imugi had seen was nowhere to be seen.
The bird, sensing an intruder, fluffed its down feathers and glared at Christina with sharp, wary eyes.
Heat and light began to emanate from its white body.
Christina stopped extending her hand and took a slight step back, looking at the bird.
*Even though itâs just a newly hatched phoenix, it can stand up to me like this, despite the dragonâs aura.*
The sacred bird of fire, known as the bird of the divine garden, the phoenix, rarer than dragons, with only one existing per generation.
*But this generationâs phoenix is a child wrapped in darkness, not pure fire.*
She looked at the black hatchling, who was sleeping soundly.
*Itâs definitely due to this childâs influence.*
The birth of a black dragonâs child, once extinct in this world, and a phoenix chick protecting it, felt like a glimpse into the flow of destiny.
*Itâs a strange feeling, as if Iâm witnessing a predetermined current.*
Immersed in the mysterious and sacred atmosphere, the hatchling groaned and opened his sleepy eyes.
He alternated his gaze between Christina and the white bird, then poked the bird with his hand.
The phoenix chick, rolling to the side and chirping sadly, had returned to being a white fluff ball.
*Donât be rude to Christina. Sheâs my benefactor.*
âPee-ya-ya... Pee-yak.â
Seeming to understand his snort, the white chick straightened the black feather on its head like an antenna, then relaxed it, looking at Imugi.
Imugi nodded at the chickâs obedient eyes.
Rewards and punishments should be clear.
Imugi nodded and gently stroked the white chickâs head.
âPee-ya-ya! Pee-ya-ya!â
The chick, immediately happy, rubbed its head against him.
Then, it quickly climbed onto the hatchlingâs lap.
As if asking for more praise.