Chương 9: Chapter 8

Legendary loot… fell from the sky. Mei had just been walking back toward their cave when a sudden gust of wind swept down from above. It slammed into the cliffside, knocking loose one of the massive eagle nests perched near the top. Something tumbled down with it. An egg. Said Legendary loot. The two of them stood there, staring at it. Neither spoke for several seconds. They simply reread the system panel over and over, as if expecting the words to change. They didn't. Roc Egg - Legendary An unhatched Roc egg.

Rocs are creatures with near-mythical power, far beyond what should appear in a beginner area. But this is Impossible difficulty. Anything is possible. Time until hatch: Unknown Adam blinked. Then blinked again.

"…For a legendary creature's egg, it's kinda small," he said. It fit neatly in his palm. Barely larger than a chicken egg. Mei, however, was already thinking ahead.

"How do we hatch it?" Adam frowned.

"Should we even hatch it? What if it turns into a boss and kills us?" She tilted her head.

"Then… you want to eat it?" Adam hesitated. Then immediately shook his head.

"No!" If its parents came back while they were in the process of cooking it the results would be devastating.

"Then what do we do with it?" she pressed.

"It's Legendary loot! Our first!" Adam pointed vaguely upward.

"We could… put it back. Before its mom comes back. And while we're at it, maybe we move far, far away from this cave. I don't really want to live under a mythical bird nest." Mei didn't even consider it.

"Nope. I'm hatching it." Before he could stop her, she tucked the egg into her cleavage. Adam froze. For a brief, very real moment, he felt jealous.

"Why… did you put it there?"

"It's an egg." He waited.

"And…?"

"It needs warmth," she said matter-of-factly, patting her chest.

"This is the warmest place. Plus it's soft and cushion-y, so it won't break." Adam slowly nodded. That… unfortunately made sense. It wasn't like they had an incubator on hand, and he knew from experience just how warm and soft that place was.

"…We should just cook it," he muttered. He couldn't help it. He was jealous. The egg had stolen his spot.

"No!" Mei shook her head so hard her hair swayed.

"You're not allowed to eat my baby!" She looked down at her chest, her expression softening instantly.

"Don't worry, baby," she said gently.

"I won't let the bad man eat you. Even if I have to give up my life in exchange!" Adam blinked. Somehow, in the span of five seconds, he had been cast as the villain trying to eat her child. And she was the tragic mother making the ultimate sacrifice. He considered correcting her. He did not. Actually… This wasn't a bad deal for him. Adam straightened slightly, slipping into the role of the big bad villain with surprising ease.

"If you wish to protect your baby …" he said, lowering his voice into something dark and dramatic, "then you must pay the price." Mei gasped softly, her acting just as committed.

"W-what price…?" Tears welled in her eyes. Adam paused for half a second. She was way too good at this.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, then continued, "the price is… your body." He gave her his best villainous grin. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Fine! But you must promise not to harm my baby!" He nodded solemnly, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"You're mine," he declared. And then, unable to help himself, he let out an exaggerated evil laugh, fully committing to the role. — — — Adam sat just outside the cave, staring blankly into the distance. He felt… conflicted. On one hand, he was satisfied. On the other, deeply unsatisfied. Mei had given him an ultimatum. Mouth or hand. She refused to put the egg down, so those were the only options she was willing to offer. Of course, staying true to his role as the villain, Adam had demanded both. Still…

He had hoped for something a little more fun. No matter how much he pushed or pleaded, she refused to part with the egg, which meant anything too… physical was off the table. He sighed, leaning back slightly as he looked up at the sky. For a fleeting moment, he found himself wishing the legendary Roc would come take its egg back so he could reclaim his rightful place. Then he paused. There was something in the sky. A small black speck hovered high above the mountain. At first, he didn't think much of it.

Then it grew larger. Fast. His eyes narrowed.

"… No way… right?" he muttered. There was no way the mother Roc would show up right as he was thinking about it. Right? He kept staring, hoping it was just a normal eagle. It wasn't. Before he could even stand, a massive shadow swallowed the cave entrance, blotting out the sunlight entirely. A thunderous boom followed as something landed in front of him, kicking up a dense cloud of dust that swallowed everything in sight. Adam raised an arm to shield his eyes, squinting through the swirling debris.

A towering silhouette loomed within the dust. It swayed slightly, massive enough to dwarf him by dozens of feet. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. His stomach dropped. Cold sweat spread across his back. There was no mistaking it. The mother had returned. And she knew her egg was gone.

"CAAW!!" A piercing cry exploded through the air, scattering the dust in every direction and nearly rupturing Adam's eardrums.

"Hand my child over or suffer my wrath!" The voice that followed was unmistakably female. Adam's mind went blank for a second. It can talk?! That was not a good sign. The system only translated the speech of powerful entities. Bosses. High-tier NPCs. This thing… Was way above their level.

"Eh? What was that noise?" Mei stepped out of the cave, rubbing her eyes, still half-asleep. She had been clutching her newfound baby egg while sleeping peacefully when an explosion woke her up.

"Bring me my child!" the Roc demanded again. By now, the dust had settled enough to see through. Adam blinked. Then squinted. There was… nothing there. The massive, mythical bird he expected was nowhere in sight. Just drifting dust and falling leaves. He glanced around, confused.

"Down here!" Both of them looked down at the same time. There, standing between them, was a… Black chicken with sparse golden feathers. They stared. Then slowly focused on the floating name tag. Roc - Lv. 67 ☠ A skull icon pulsed ominously in red beside the name. The system was telling them that this creature was far beyond their level to put up a fight against. A guaranteed death encounter. And yet… It was tiny. And kind of cute. Mei's lips trembled as she struggled to hold back a laugh.

"Hand. Over. My. Child," the Roc said, enunciating each word.

"Um…" Mei hesitated.

"Are you really a Roc?" The Roc let out a long, tired sigh.

"I will not ask again. Give me my child and I will let you live. Refuse… well, I suggest you do not refuse." She tilted her head slightly.

"Unless you would like to know what it feels like to have your brain pecked out through your eye sockets." Both of them paled instantly. That mental image was far too vivid.

"H-here," Mei said quickly, pulling the egg from her cleavage and holding it out. The Roc blinked.

"…Why was my child placed there?" Mei answered without hesitation.

"It's warm, soft, and cushion-y. Perfect for raising my baby—I mean, your child." The Roc opened her beak to respond. Paused. Then slowly nodded.

"…Yes. I suppose it is." A brief silence passed before her eyes narrowed.

"Did you two knock my nest over and steal my child?" They both shook their heads so fast it was almost comical.

"No!" Adam said immediately.

"It fell from the nest and we caught it before it hit the ground!" The Roc studied them for a moment.

"Really?"

"Yes!" Adam answered, a little too quickly.

"Hmm…" She glanced at Mei's chest again, her expression unreadable.

"…I will believe you. Since it appears you were taking… good care of my child." There was the faintest hint of envy in her eyes.

"What are you two humans doing here?" she continued.

"What happened to the Cave Bear I placed here as a guard?" Both of them froze. A thin layer of cold sweat spread across their backs. Adam let out a strained laugh.

"T-that bear was your guard…?" The Roc nodded.

"…We, uh… killed it."

"Oh." She blinked. Then nodded again.

"I see. That's fine." Adam stared.

"It's fine?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"It was weak. Strong enough to keep the goblins away, nothing more. Its life or death is irrelevant as long as my child is safe." Adam and Mei exchanged a glance, then nodded. That… made sense. It wasn't like the bear meant anything to her. Just a guard. Nothing more.

"Um…" Mei mumbled, still holding the egg out awkwardly in her outstretched hand.

"Oh, right." The Roc gave a small nod, then flapped her wings and lifted off the ground. She hovered just above them, stretching one clawed foot forward to take the egg. Then she paused midair.

"You two killed my guard…" Both of them stiffened. That image she had described earlier replayed in their minds with perfect clarity. Their faces went pale.

"Will you remain here?" the Roc asked.

"We were just leaving!" Adam answered immediately. The Roc hummed softly, hovering in place as she considered something.

"I will need new guards," she said.

"And… she could keep my child warm while I am away." Her gaze drifted meaningfully toward Mei's chest.

"So, I would prefer it if you stayed."

"Uh…" Adam hesitated. Every instinct in his body screamed no. Run. Leave. Never come back. Her words replayed in his mind. Brain pecked out through your eye sockets.

"Okay!" Mei answered brightly before he could decide, smiling as if she had just been offered a high-end job with a ridiculous salary. Adam flinched and turned to stare at her. She agreed?! Just like that?!

"But," Mei added, raising a finger, "we want payment." Adam's soul nearly left his body. He looked at her like she had just signed their death warrants. She was negotiating… With a being that could probably kill them with a single feather?! The Roc tilted her head.

"Hm? What kind of payment? I do not keep coins."

"Not coins," Mei said, shaking her head.

"Loot."

"Loot?" the Roc repeated, unfamiliar with the term.

"What is loot?"

"Like… legendary equipment," Mei explained.

"Ah." Understanding dawned in the Roc's eyes. She fell silent for a moment, clearly thinking. Then she nodded.

"I see." Without warning, she lowered her head and bit down on one of her own feathers. Rip. Then another. Rip. She tore them free with a clean motion and extended her wing toward them, offering one feather each.

"These should qualify as your… legendary loot." Adam and Mei stared. Slowly, almost mechanically, they reached out and took the feathers. The moment they did, system panels appeared. They froze. Then looked at each other. Then back at the feathers. Shock spread across both of their faces.