Shell Cracks, Six-Eyed Hatchling

Luo Lin nodded in satisfaction at the data on the panel.

His spiritual power had grown slowly but steadily, gradually approaching the threshold of a higher level.

Tempered through both real combat and research, his various spells had either entered or neared the mastery level, signifying that his control over these powers had reached new heights.

His self-created [Corrosive Orb] had also gradually become controllable after its initial instability. Although its consumption remained enormous, it had become a powerful trump card in critical moments.

The gray-patterned egg from the ruins had undergone even more obvious changes under his careful nurturing.

The spiritual glow within the eggshell had grown from a faint spark into a soft orb of light that flickered steadily like breathing.

Its rate of absorbing spiritual power and specific life energy had increased considerably, requiring Luo Lin to spend nearly an hour nourishing it every day.

The gray patterns on the eggshell seemed to have deepened in color. Occasionally, when it was filled with energy, they flashed with an almost imperceptible metallic sheen.

Through continuous spiritual communication, Luo Lin could vaguely sense the emotions transmitted from within the egg.

They had changed from weakness and confusion to dependence, closeness, and a curiosity and longing for the outside world.

An invisible bond had quietly formed between him and this life that had yet to hatch.

He consulted countless bestiaries but still could not find any record that perfectly matched it. He could only speculate that it was an extremely rare magical creature egg, perhaps even one that had mutated due to the ancient environment.

To provide the egg with more abundant hatching energy, Luo Lin began deliberately taking on higher-paying but more dangerous missions.

He no longer limited himself to routine patrols. Instead, he proactively joined extermination missions against particularly dangerous magical creatures or ventured deep into resource sites for exploration.

During a mission to clear out a nest of Shadowsteel Scorpions in Weeping Death Canyon, Luo Lin's squad ran into trouble.

Not only did the Shadowsteel Scorpions possess hard shells capable of weakening energy attacks, but their tail stingers could also fire rays that disrupted spiritual power.

The squad was temporarily suppressed, and their formation was thrown into disarray.

At the critical moment, Luo Lin displayed the all-around growth he had achieved over the past two years.

He used the optimized [Weak Force-Field Armor] to withstand two mental-disruption rays.

At the same time, [Corrosive Orb] erupted precisely in the area where the Shadowsteel Scorpions were most densely gathered. The intensely corrosive energy instantly heavily injured several of them, opening up the situation.

Afterward, he directed the squad members to focus their fire and pick off the weakened individuals. Meanwhile, he used [Acid Spray] and [Mage Hand] to precisely disrupt the remaining Shadowsteel Scorpions' attack rhythm, while also saving a squad member who had nearly been pierced by a scorpion tail.

The mission was successfully completed, yielding a batch of valuable Shadowsteel Scorpion shells and venom glands.

Thanks to his outstanding command and crucial contribution, Luo Lin received the largest share of the spoils.

He carefully stored away these materials rich in shadow and metal energy, feeling that they might help with the egg's hatching.

Aside from combat missions, he also began using the reputation and contribution points he had gradually accumulated to conduct small-scale trades within the outpost.

He exchanged his improved, longer-lasting [Stamina Recovery Potion] and several highly effective antidotes for common Black Forest toxins for rare minerals and plant samples containing special energy, hoping to aid the egg's hatching.

This proactive search for resources brought him into contact with deeper currents of information within the outpost.

From some experienced Third-Rank Apprentices who were likewise seeking breakthroughs, he vaguely heard fragmented discussions of "bloodline purification," "spiritual power crystallization," and "Spell Enlightenment."

These were all key milestones on the path to becoming an Official Wizard, giving Luo Lin a more concrete understanding of the road ahead.

Wizard Eric and Wizard Stone would occasionally use special communication stones to ask about his situation and offer guidance.

Wizard Eric was very interested in the egg Luo Lin described and reminded him to pay attention to the compatibility of its "life origin."

He suggested that Luo Lin try to find some gentle treasures capable of nourishing the origin of the soul.

Wizard Stone, on the other hand, was more concerned with his application of energy particles and expressed approval of his ideas for optimizing armor and developing new spells.

Life was busy yet fulfilling.

Every day, Luo Lin could feel his own progress, whether in the growth of his strength, the accumulation of knowledge, or his increasingly close connection with the egg.

Luo Lin was like a master craftsman, patiently honing himself while carefully nurturing that gift from ancient times.

He had a premonition that the day the egg truly hatched might not be far away.

Time passed silently amid his focus.

In Luo Lin's third year at Gray Tower Outpost, on a fog-shrouded morning, he encountered a crucial turning point.

He had just finished his routine meditation and was preparing to begin his daily spiritual nurturing of the egg.

The moment his fingers touched the warm, smooth shell, a palpitation entirely unlike anything before spread through his body.

The stable spiritual glow within the eggshell, which had remained unchanged for so long, now pulsed violently at an unprecedented frequency, like a heart about to break through the earth.

A crystal-clear thought, filled with urgency and longing, passed through the eggshell and imprinted itself directly in Luo Lin's sea of consciousness.

It was coming out!

Luo Lin's heart jolted, and he immediately gathered all stray thoughts.

He swiftly adjusted his state, tuning his spiritual power to its calmest, most accepting frequency. Like a warm tide, it slowly enveloped the entire wooden box, conveying reassurance and encouragement.

At the same time, he carefully guided the gentle life energy in the surrounding environment, forming a miniature energy vortex around the eggshell to provide the strength it needed to break free.

Crack!

An extremely faint yet incomparably clear sound of breaking rang out.

At the top of the eggshell, a hair-thin crack silently appeared.

Then, as if alive, the crack rapidly spread downward and branched apart, producing a series of fine cracking sounds.

The eggshell shook more and more violently, and the light from within shone through the gaps, carrying the vitality of new life.

Luo Lin held his breath, maintaining the supply of spiritual power and energy with his full attention, not daring to cause the slightest disturbance.

He could feel that the little life was using every ounce of its strength to fight against the final barrier binding it.

Pop!

A small piece of eggshell was pushed open from within and fell away.

A tiny wet head, coated with a little mucus, struggled out through the opening.

Its appearance was rather unusual.

It was about the size of an ordinary crow chick, covered from head to toe in sparse, wet black down, and looked somewhat frail.

Moreover, on either side of its bare head, there were not merely two eyes, but three pairs of tightly shut eye-slits arranged symmetrically!

Six eyes!

This was precisely the trait of the rare magical creature recorded in the bestiary—the Six-Eyed Crow!

However, Luo Lin keenly noticed that at the roots of the chick's black down was a faint metallic gray luster similar to the patterns on the eggshell. It differed slightly from the description of a purebred Six-Eyed Crow and had most likely undergone a subtle mutation from prolonged exposure to the ruins' stasis field.

The little fellow seemed to have exhausted all its strength. Its head drooped over the opening as it panted weakly, its six eyes still tightly shut.

Luo Lin immediately increased the flow of spiritual power, sending warmth and support.

Encouraged by him, the chick rested for a moment before beginning to struggle again.

Using its tender beak and claws, it worked hard to widen the opening bit by bit, painfully freeing its entire wet body from the eggshell.

The chick collapsed in the wooden box lined with soft moss, trembling all over. Its six eye-slits strained to open, but it was too weak to manage it.

Without the slightest hesitation, Luo Lin immediately acted according to the methods from the General Treatise on Familiar Contracts, which he knew by heart.

He bit his fingertip and squeezed out a drop of blood containing his spiritual imprint.

At the same time, he focused his spiritual power to its utmost and traced a complex, profound equal-contract rune in the air.

This was the gentlest form of equal contract. It had the highest chance of success when signed while the chick was at its weakest, and it was also a contract that would not waste its potential.

Of course, under normal circumstances, some wizards would wait until their familiars had grown enough to withstand other contracts before changing the contract type.

Some would change an equal contract into a master-servant contract or even one of enslavement.

Luo Lin merged that drop of blood into the center of the rune, then guided the faintly glowing symbol as it slowly drifted toward the utterly exhausted chick.