Academy's Genius Swordmaster Chapter 20: Blood and Egg (3)

Chapter 20: Blood and Egg (3)

Ronans eyes widened as he witnessed a bizarre phenomenon. The blood that had still been lingering on the ground was squirming and moving somewhere.

What on earth is this now?

It resembled blood vessels torn and emerging from the skin. Upon closer inspection, he saw numerous veins wriggling and crawling through the ground. It was eerie yet captivating, stimulating his curiosity.

Ronan followed the matrix of blood as if entranced. Thousands of strands of blood vessels were all crawling in the same direction. Soon enough, what he was searching for came into view.

Stopping in his tracks, Ronan exclaimed in disbelief.

This is insane.

All the blood was gathering into a dark red puddle. The blood vessels Ronan had followed were doing the same.

Marpezs egg floated in the center of the puddle.

The level of the puddle was gradually decreasing. Ronan furrowed his brow as he realized the situation. That monstrous egg was absorbing the blood.

As Aselle caught up with Ronan, he shouted,

What, what is that?!

I dont know either, man.

With a determined stride, Ronan reached out and grabbed the egg. The pooled blood around it started bubbling and surging upward. It seemed to be protesting, as if asking for the egg to be returned.

Did you do this?

Of course not.

Ronan stared at the egg with a baffled expression. Mana wasnt enough, so now it was absorbing blood?

What kind of creature could have been influenced to give birth to something like this?

Thud!

At that moment, the egg moved slightly. Ronan leaped back in surprise and exclaimed,

It moved!

Really?!

Yeah, man! Its about to hatch!

Aselle rushed over. The eggshell was shaking little by little. The two boys, filled with excitement, clenched their fists.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Am I the only one hearing this sound?

No, I hear it too!

Sounds like tapping were coming from inside the egg. It was becoming increasingly frequent, indicating that something was trying to come out. Ronan knocked on the eggshell as if knocking on a door.

Dont be so impatient, come out already and show us what bizarre creature you are.

Thud!

Thud!

A response came from inside. However, after waiting for a few minutes, there was no further progress. Aselle, who was pondering something, spoke up.

Could it be lacking nutrients?

Hmm?

Its still absorbing mana like crazy.

It was visible in Aselles eyes. The egg was still greedily absorbing mana from its surroundings. If they werent careful, it might even steal their own mana.

People need to eat to gain energy, right? This egg might need more blood and mana to break out of its shell.

Ronan nodded in agreement. It was a plausible explanation. Ronan gently placed the egg back into the puddle. The puddle quickly dried up.

You truly have the mind of a wizard. If thats the case, then we need to give it more blood.

Exactly. In my opinion, maybe

Aselle was about to say something, but Ronan felt a slight vibration under his foot.

Crumbling

Aselle didnt notice. Sensing an unsettling energy, Ronan looked around.

Why are you acting like that, Ronan?

Its Whats that sound?

Why?

Listen I hear something.

Creak!

Aselle remained oblivious. Ronan sensed something ominous. He frowned and said, Whats going on?

Why?

Something is wrong. I can hear a sound.

The passage of time was marked by the creaking sounds that resonated through the air.

Really? I didnt hear anything Anyway, remember earlier when the animals were dead in the field? Lets check that place Ugh!

Hold on, Aselle. Something seems off.

Ronan covered Aselles mouth. The vibrations were getting stronger. He opened his eyes wide and looked around. A sound was persistently reaching his ears not quite like water and not like wind, more like a viscous, continuous sound.

Whats that?

At that moment, something red caught Ronans attention in the distance. It didnt take long for him to realize what it was as it undulated above the tall grass.

Aselle.

Yeah?

How do you think it feels to take a bath in blood?

Why are you suddenly asking something like that?

Aselle blinked his large eyes in confusion. Ronan reached out silently and pointed in the direction of the field where they had been before. Now, it was getting closer, visible even to Aselles eyes.

-Sua-sua-sua-sua!

A torrent of blood was rushing towards them, flattening the bushes and rapidly approaching.

Yaaah!

Aselle screamed like a startled girl at thunder. The crimson torrent writhed as if it had a mind of its own. All the blood from the animals that had died in the field earlier was converging into it.

Invisible Hand!

Aselles staff struck the ground urgently. Both of them were suddenly lifted into the air.

Whoooa!

Aselle felt queasy. Because the egg was continuously draining mana in real-time, their magic was becoming increasingly unstable. He struggled to concentrate to maintain their altitude.

-Sua-sua-sua-sua!

The swirling blood stream was now forming a spiral shape, shooting towards the egg. As the mana flowing from the egg pulled the blood, it seemed like a sentient force.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

This creature isnt in its right mind either.

The egg was shaking more violently than ever before. Ronan chuckled as if amused. For an unborn creature, its antics were excessively disruptive.

Alright, lets give it a taste.

Holding the egg in his hand, he gazed at it for a moment before dropping it into the middle of the blood current. The egg made a splashing sound as it disappeared into the blood. The spiral shape distorted as the absorption began.

Seriously, youre going to drink all of that?

Ronan and Aselle marveled at the sight as they hovered in the air. The gradually transforming spiral only took about five minutes to vanish completely. Once they confirmed that all the blood was gone, they landed on the ground.

Is is it over?

Seems like it.Aall west chptrs on n.o./vli/n/(.)cm

Despite consuming so much blood, the eggs exterior showed no change. Ronan picked up the egg lying on the ground and cursed.

Damn it, what the hell?

The object in Ronans grasp was an empty shell. A large hole seemed to have been punctured through it, leaving a perforated pattern on the eggs surface. Fragments of the shell were scattered like shrapnel.

Wheres the yolk?

As Ronan furrowed his brow and turned his head, something struck him forcefully at the back of his head.

Son of a bitch!

Clutching the back of his head, Ronan collapsed. The impact felt like a punch directly to his brain. Startled, Aselle rushed over, gripping his staff.

Ronan Are you okay?

No!!

What? what hit you?

As Aselle looked around, he was struck again by something that flew at him.

Aaah!

Aselle let out a scream of surprise and collapsed, his eyes rolling back. Ronan quickly got up and drew his sword.

Damn it! What the hell

Ronans words were cut short as he instinctively turned his head. A swift object grazed his cheek with incredible speed, faster than the arrows used by kaliborro hunters.

Dammit.

Blood trickled from the spot it had grazed. Ronans face lost all trace of ease. He felt that if he took any more hits like that, he might die.

Swoosh!

Seeing the indistinct presence, it was clear it wasnt a projectile but a creature. It couldnt be identified by sight alone.

This is such ugh

Ronan let out a sigh and focused his mind. His vision narrowed, and time seemed to elongate. The enigmatic creature was making a tearing sound as it flew towards them. Ronan swung his arm.

Thud!

Something soft landed in his hand.

I got it!

Turning the sword in his grip, Ronan aimed at the object he held. He was about to bring down his sword when

Whoa!

Huh?

Ronans pupils narrowed. The small life form in his hand was wagging its head, seemingly carefree. It looked nothing like he had imagined.

Could it be you came from here?

Huh?

Alternating between the shell and the mysterious creature in his hand, Ronan gradually realized that the creature had emerged from the egg. Its appearance was so bizarre that he couldnt believe it was a naturally existing animal.

What kind of creature looks like this?

It had feathers, but its skeletal structure wasnt that of a bird. It resembled something he might have seen before, yet he couldnt recall where. Just then, Aselle stirred awake, clutching his head.

Ugh What just happened?

A lump had risen on Aselles head. Ronan wordlessly pushed the grotesque creature into Aselles view. Aselle recoiled in horror.

Drag dragon?!

Huh?

Did you say dragon?

It was only now that Ronan conjured an image of a fantasy creature in his mind. The ichor of a dragon, similar to Hatchlings bodily fluids. He hadnt seen it directly, but the creature before him was uncannily similar to what he had seen in the guidebook.

Now that I think about it, it does seem somewhat similar. The only resemblance to Marpez is the feathers.

Though it had just been born, its four sturdy legs stood firmly. Two sets of wings were abnormally long compared to its body.

The only difference between it and Hatchling was the presence of feathers where scales should be. Except for its face. The soft, feathery plumes, reminiscent of Marpezs, were a deep, dark black, like the night.

But still I guess I should test it.

Scratching its neck, the creature made a growling sound. Ronan muttered to himself as he touched it.

Its face looks half and half.

The creature, its vine-like tail swaying, stared into Ronans eyes. Its large eye sockets were like mirrors reflecting Ronans face.

But this Nah, this isnt it.

Ronans head tilted, and the creature in his hand squeaked. When Ronan opened his hand slightly, the creature scuttled up his arm.

What? What are you doing?

The creature, nestled on Ronans shoulder, gazed at him. Aselles eyes widened as he observed this. The creatures eye, like a large cats, reflected Ronans face, shimmering.

But still, you little rascal. You nearly got me killed.

Huh?

Ronan turned his head to reveal a wound on his cheek. The creature that had been quietly sitting suddenly began to struggle. When Ronan relaxed his grip, it climbed onto his shoulder.

What? Whats going on?

The creature was looking at the wound on Ronans cheek. As Aselle watched, fascinated, a small magical circle formed in front of the creatures eyes. The wound on Ronans cheek began to heal.

Ro Ronan! Your wounds healed!

What?

Ronan wiped his cheek and chuckled dryly. His smooth skin didnt show any sign of the wound anymore. As the healed wound on Ronans cheek came into view, the dreamling nuzzled against it.

This thing is a life-saver.

Its cute. Ronan, it seems to like you.

There was no separate living being. At that moment, the dreambirds wings began to unfurl slowly. As the four wings, reminiscent of ravens, spread fully, nearby mana began to gather.

Huh?

But it wasnt just mana. The residual blood still present in the air floated up, seeping into the soft feathers. Stains on Aselle and Ronans clothes coalesced and fell in droplets as they converged.

What kind of magic is this, Aselle?

I I dont know either

Aselle shook his head left and right. Magic that used not only mana but also blood. It was something unheard of.

It seemed eerie and even potentially dangerous. But that wasnt particularly important. Ronan found himself rather fond of this strange creature.

Ronan extended his arm, and the dreambirds wings folded as it climbed onto his palm.

Facing the dreambird, Ronan spoke.

Do you want to come with me?

Beah!

The dreambird chirped briefly, as if answering. Ronan playfully swung his arm as a test, but the dreambire, who had grabbed his finger with its claws, didnt budge.

Alright then, lets consider that a yes.

Ronan reached out and scooped up the dreambird. The creature didnt resist, and its blinking eyes made it look quite endearing.

I should give you a name. What would be a good

Ronan stroked his chin, deep in thought. He didnt want to name it carelessly, after all, he had gone through the trouble of hatching it. Suddenly, a memory from the past surfaced in Ronans mind, and he nodded.

Yeah, lets go with Cita.

Beah!

The dreambird responded as if acknowledging the name. It was as if it understood the spoken word. As Ronan reached out to pat its head, the dreambird unexpectedly took flight.

Aaah!

Traumatized, Aselle screamed and clutched his head. But the dreambird wasnt targeting the boys heads.

Swoosh!

Cita, like a flying whip, shot towards the distant trees and vanished. Within seconds, a collision sound and a piercing scream echoed, as if the breath had been knocked out of someone.

Aaaah!

Ronan and Aselle looked at each other and ran in the direction of the sound.