The eerie silence of the storage realm was broken only by the wind that rustled through phantom trees and the quiet breaths of a lone boy and his companion.
Su Yang sat still, his eyes fixed on the colossal snake skeleton that dominated the land before him. Its bones, jagged and weathered, bore countless battle scars—a silent testament to its brutal past. It was clear: this beast had not died quietly.
> "So many wounds… it fought until its last breath," Su Yang murmured, awe and caution mixing in his voice.
But what caught his eye now wasn't just the skeletal titan sprawled across the ground—it was what lay nestled inside its skull.
---
Inside the snake's cavernous eye socket was an egg—larger than any Su Yang had ever seen. As he reached for it, he noticed something else: a sealed letter, yellowed and aged but preserved by spiritual energy.
With curiosity in his veins and Max on his lap, Su Yang carefully withdrew both the egg and the letter from the ring's storage. The egg was twice the size of a normal one, with a deep green shell striped with glowing purple lines, pulsing softly like a slumbering heartbeat.
> "This… doesn't belong to any ordinary beast," he muttered, holding it up to the light.
He turned the egg gently, inspecting it from every angle. Despite all his knowledge in alchemy, forging, and runes, Su Yang couldn't identify what species it might belong to.
> "Whose ring was this? Snake bones… a mysterious egg… and this letter…"
---
As he pondered, Max lifted his head. The fluffy dog stared intently at the egg as if a distant memory was awakening within him.
Then, suddenly—without warning—Max leapt up, snatched the egg in his mouth, and started running around Su Yang in circles, tail wagging wildly.
> "Max!? What are you doing?!" Su Yang shouted, baffled.
Max didn't stop. Instead, he dropped the egg at Su Yang's feet and—without hesitation—grabbed Su Yang's hand gently in his teeth, guiding it toward the egg.
Su Yang allowed it, albeit hesitantly, laying his palm on the cool surface of the mysterious shell.
> "Why… why are you putting my hand on it?" he whispered.
Max looked into his eyes. And then, with surprising swiftness, bit into Su Yang's palm.
> "Argh! Max!"
Blood welled up instantly, dripping onto the egg.
The reaction was immediate.
The purple stripes on the shell began to glow brighter, and the egg absorbed the blood, its surface shimmering as if awakening from an ancient dream.
Su Yang's eyes widened. He knew what this meant.
> "This is a… spirit beast egg…"
---
Su Yang's heart pounded as he recalled everything he'd learned.
> Spirit beasts—especially those powerful enough to lay eggs—hid them in death zones.
Their cubs were rare, vulnerable, and extremely valuable.
Whoever bonded with one through blood would become its master.
But this egg… he'd never seen one like it. No records, no scrolls, no alchemist teachings matched what lay in front of him.
Then, something changed.
As the purple glow faded, a new golden stripe formed on the egg—a mark of recognition.
The egg now bore three colors: deep green, royal purple, and glittering gold.
Su Yang waited in silence, watching, hoping. But… the egg didn't hatch.
> "Why isn't it coming out?" he asked, frustration rising in his chest.
---
Max, now sitting quietly, offered no answer. But after a moment, he picked the egg up again and, with a determined bark, jumped into the air.
To Su Yang's shock, a blue portal materialized in front of Max—swirling and humming with spatial energy.
> "MAX?! Where are you going?!"
But Max didn't turn back.
With t
he egg in his mouth, Max disappeared into the portal.
And the portal—like a dream—vanished behind him.