Chapter 86: The Hidden Egg

The twin sorceresses trailed behind FreshwindElara, and seeing them up close was a genuine spectacle. They moved with a natural, effortless grace, every slight motion hinting at a captivating energy. Their faces, flawless and finely sculpted, were the kind that made you wonder if the game’s character creation was less of a tool and more of an art form.

The real kicker was how they were perfect mirror images of each other, yet their vibes couldn’t have been more different. One was all cool reserve, a quiet intensity, while the other radiated a fiery, live-wire energy. Just looking at them was a trip.

’Did they max out the sliders in character creation?’ Marcus wondered. How else could they be so ridiculously stunning? Even a guy with a decent amount of experience felt a little off-balance.

"Mythic Artifacts! For real? You two just hit the jackpot right out of the gate."

FreshwindElara took the two Ironwood Staves from Marcus, gave them a quick once-over, and offered them to the twins.

"We owe you, FreshwindElara. If you hadn’t shown up, we’d be respawning right now." Icefall’s voice was cool and level. She didn’t even glance at the staves. "But we can’t take these. We didn’t earn them."

’Hold on a second,’ Marcus thought, his brow furrowing. ’Why is the thank-you card only addressed to her? I was the one eating tree-root attacks to the face. Did they miss the part where I was the world’s most handsome punching bag? A little recognition would be nice.’

"Don’t be silly. Stonehaven and I just helped with the kill. The drops are yours by right."

Before Marcus could voice his protest, FreshwindElara, hearing the refusal, tried to press the Mythic artifacts into Icefall’s hands.

"Seriously, we can’t," Firebrand chimed in, linking her arm with FreshwindElara’s. Her smile was sweet, but her tone was firm. "You two did the work. We’re not taking your loot."

"Come on, you have to," FreshwindElara insisted, flustered. "Otherwise, it looks like we’re trying to steal from you."

’You’ve got to be kidding me,’ Marcus thought, stifling a groan. ’Last time it was a tug-of-war over a Pet Egg. Now we’re playing hot potato with Mythic gear? From the outside, this must look completely insane.’

"Tell you what," Firebrand said, her eyes flicking toward Marcus with undisguised scorn. "We split it. One staff for us, one for you. That way, it’s fair and square." Her look made it clear that if it weren’t for FreshwindElara, the ’detestable Knight’ wouldn’t be allowed within ten feet of them. If she wasn’t worried about making a scene in front of their new friend, she wouldn’t take a single piece of gear he’d even looked at.

’Oh. So that’s it,’ Marcus realized. The ’politeness’ was just a front. They’re still pissed about that stupid joke. He’d already forgotten what he’d said, but they’d clearly filed it away for future reference. It figured. Never underestimate a grudge.

"Look, that was a misunderstanding. Just a dumb joke. The loot is still yours."

The twins stood their ground, unmoved. Marcus wanted to argue, but FreshwindElara was shooting him these pointed ’shut up and play nice’ looks. He had no choice but to backpedal. "Yeah, my bad. It was just a joke."

"Icefall, Firebrand, he’s harmless, I promise. He Just acts a bit silly sometimes. Don’t hold it against him." FreshwindElara again proffered the two staves.

"We’re really glad we met you, FreshwindElara," Firebrand said, taking one staff from her. "And we’ll take this one. But only one. We don’t want a certain someone thinking we owe him anything."

She tucked the staff away. "We have to head back. Find us when you’re free, yeah? Thanks for everything."

With that, she and Icefall left the party. Firebrand shot a final, searing glare at Marcus, let out a contemptuous "Hmph," and in a flash of light from a Town Portal Scroll, the twins were gone.

’Wow,’ Marcus thought, a bit stunned. He had the cheerful one pegged all wrong. She was just as fierce as her sister. The dismissal was absolute. ’A certain someone.’ He was utterly invisible. After all the work he’d done, after being the one on the front line... he was nothing but air to them.

’Am I really that much of a jerk?’ He was the one who’d tanked the damn thing!

’Unbelievable.’

"See what you did?" FreshwindElara scolded lightly, handing him the remaining Ironwood Staff. "You need to take this to them and apologize properly."

"Yeah, I’ll get right on that," Marcus muttered. He had a pretty good idea of the reception he’d get if he went looking for them. A spell slammed in his face, most likely. He wasn’t a glutton for punishment.

"I’m serious. You have to go. I’ll put in a good word."

"And if they tell me to get lost? You should just do it."

"If you’re actually sincere, they’ll listen. Trust me."

She shoved the staff into his hands, then tapped him lightly. "You can’t make jokes like that when things are that tense. What if they had died because you were late?"

’With me here? Not a chance. She’s doubting my skills,’ he thought, but he knew better than to argue. He just nodded along, playing the part of the chastised knight.

He had absolutely zero intention of seeking out those two prideful sorceresses. Apologize? That was a one-way ticket to humiliation. If they didn’t want the staff, fine by him. Merchant Reginald would give him a small fortune for a Mythic artifact.

"Come on, let’s go grind some levels."

"Sure."

"Wait, hold up. The King’s corpse is ripe for the picking. I might get some decent materials out of it."

He knelt and activated his Gathering skill on the Ironwood King’s massive form.

"Ding! Congratulations, player Stonehaven. You have obtained a Shadow-Stained Gryphon King Pet Egg. Gathering skill proficiency increased."

"What did you get?" FreshwindElara asked, leaning in with curiosity. "You’ve got a weird look on your face."

"A pet egg? That can’t be right. I’ve never heard of anyone gathering one of these."

Marcus stared at the item in his inventory, completely baffled.

"Really? Let me see!"

Shadow-Stained Gryphon King Pet Egg: An egg laid by the Shadow-Stained Gryphon King within the Millennium Ironwood. Can be hatched into a Level 9 Pet: Shadow-Stained Gryphon King.

"Stonehaven, a Level 9 pet! Hatch it, now!"

"Ding Stonehaven, do you wish to hatch the Pet Egg?"

"Hell yes, hatch."

A Level 9 pet. This was the kind of game-breaking luck you heard about in rumors. He couldn’t believe it had just fallen into his lap.

He didn’t know it was a hidden prize, a one-time-only drop from the first kill of the Ironwood King, and only obtainable by someone with an Advanced Gathering skill. If any other player had landed the killing blow, this egg would have been lost forever.

"Ding! Congratulations, player Stonehaven. Your Pet Egg has successfully hatched. You have obtained the Level 9 Pet, Shadow-Stained Gryphon King."

"Whoa, Stonehaven! It’s gorgeous!"

A massive gryphon materialized before them, its feathers a deep, burnished gold. They shimmered with a soft, metallic light, so vivid he felt an urge to reach out and touch them.

"Screee!"

The Shadow-Stained Gryphon King let out a piercing cry, shaking out its powerful wings as if ready to take to the skies. The raw power and majesty rolling off it was palpable, a feeling of pure, untamed strength.

’Hell yeah,’ Marcus thought, a grin spreading across his face. ’A Level 9 Pet. This changes everything.’