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Chapter 213 : Giant Egg
Chapter 213: Giant Egg
The Clay Converts faithfully carried out Gauss’s command, closely following the leading Monster Convert, merging into the trees and sneaking through the underground root network.
Along the way, more Converts continuously joined the advancing group, as though summoned by some special existence, all rushing in the same direction.
Through shared perception, Gauss faintly caught their position. Even though separated by some distance, he could still sketch out the approximate route in his mind.
The deeper they went, the taller and darker the surrounding trees became. Twisted bark and trunks occasionally revealed bizarre human-like faces.
W̌ е̊b̄n õ v е l̂ Е̊ň uḿ а
However, because the glowing fungi grew in greater numbers, the environment had instead become much brighter.
Gauss swung himself down from the Chocobo.
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He left Golden Ear and Slingshot behind, with Ulfen staying to protect them.
The area ahead was no longer suitable for them to continue forward.
After marking the location of their mounts on the mental map, Gauss, together with Arya and Serandur, carefully advanced deeper into the Black Forest.
“Chirp-chirp-chirp—”
W е̊ b̄nоv̆ ě l̀ Е̊ň u m̄ а
Other than the sound of insects, there was no noise at all.
But fearing to alert hidden dangers, Gauss did not release the Clay Spiders to “feast on a buffet.”
The three of them cautiously observed their surroundings as they continued deeper into the Black Forest.
On the way, they encountered several monsters.
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Even though they were under the effect of the Scaled Powder Butterfly’s invisibility, invisibility did not mean complete disappearance—there were still many ways to sense their presence.
Because of this, Gauss’s Monster Encyclopedia gained two new ordinary entries—Bladed Ant and Gem Beetle.
Е̃ǹ u m̃ а
This brought the total number of species recorded to thirty-five.
Bladed Ants were a large type of ant with forelimbs as sharp as blades.
Gem Beetles were insects that glittered brightly, but their sheen was not real gemstones. Instead, it was a kind of irritant glitter that, once detecting a target’s approach, would spray dust within several meters, launching an attack on the enemy.
However, such low-level monsters no longer posed any threat to Gauss.
He swiftly and cleanly dispatched them with his dagger, wiped off the slime, sprayed on odor concealer, and continued forward.
Using cold weapons in such close encounters was the simplest, most efficient, and quietest way.
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“The bugs are getting thicker.” Arya looked at the mass of writhing insects covering the tree trunks and ground, and she unconsciously shrank back.
For ordinary insects, Gauss had little interest and no intention of being distracted to clear them out.
Even if some of these insects might evolve into monsters in the future, for now they were just normal creatures.
The birth of monsters in nature was much more varied.
Some were born from the mating of male and female individuals within a monster race; some, like Goblins, were seeded inside the bodies of other creatures; and some even reproduced on their own.
Of course, how did monsters first appear?
Е̂n̄ u mа.іd̄_
Humans had actually conducted research on this question.
It was somewhat like Gauss’s previous life’s problem of “which came first, the chicken or the egg.”
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If most monsters were known to be born from the reproduction of other monsters, then how had the very first monsters been born? Where did they originate?
These questions, like a deep whirlpool, had attracted the thoughts of sages since ancient times, with scholars endlessly debating.
The mainstream theories were divided into several types.
The Chaos-Origin Theory suggested that monsters, like humans and other beings, condensed naturally from the disorderly chaos—entities that had always existed.
Е nũṁ_а̊. іd́
The Old Gods’ Creation Theory held that powerful and incomprehensible beings, whether for experiments, wars, or mere amusement, created the first monsters. From there, interbreeding between different monsters, as well as between monsters and ordinary creatures, gave birth to new bloodlines and ever more diverse races.
Another popular view was the Magical Distortion Theory. It proposed that the appearance of monsters leaned toward being a natural phenomenon. In environments rich with magical energy—or polluted by it—or in other special conditions, local creatures would gradually undergo induced mutations. Over generations, the effect deepened.
Ultimately, their forms, habits, and very essence became irreversibly changed, turning them into monsters utterly distinct from their original species.
There were also the Plane Theory, the Natural Evolution Theory, and others.
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In fact, many of these explanations could coexist.
The Black Forest itself lay near an abnormal magical energy node. Personally standing within it, Gauss felt the influence of the forest’s active magic more keenly, and the Magical Distortion Theory seemed especially reasonable to him.
Wе̊ b̌ n̂ ǒ v̆ е̃ l Е̂.n ūm а
The environment could indeed create monsters.
Suddenly, Gauss halted mid-step.
It was not that he had encountered an enemy on his side—
But the second stream of consciousness he was connected to finally showed a change.
The vision of the Clay Construct, which had been following the Monster Converts, finally regained light as it emerged from the endless underground darkness.
This discovery made Gauss, who had been splitting his focus to monitor the Construct’s situation, let out a breath of relief.
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The Construct’s activity consumed magical energy.
That earlier stretch of tunneling underground had already used up much of the stored magic embedded in the clay. If it had continued much farther, Gauss feared it would have run out completely.
This was one of the great flaws of Clay Magic—its cost was too high.
As for Clay Constructs, every one of their actions consumed energy stored beforehand by Gauss.
And the magic he stored was not unlimited; how much he could imbue depended on himself, the clay’s spirituality, and the strength of the materials.
Without deep reserves of magical power, one could not truly master Clay Magic.
Е́ n̆ um̄ a
Through the Clay Convert’s perspective, Gauss finally saw where they had arrived.
Around them stood dense dark-colored trees, and within his vision Gauss spotted many moving Treants.
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Here, “small” was only relative—compared to the towering trees that reached dozens of meters high. To ordinary monsters, they were still colossal.
The Treants’ trunks bore the faces of aged old men—deep-set eyes formed from bark creases, lips shriveled and wrinkled.
Their branches waved like withered arms, while their roots pulled free of the soil, moving slowly and heavily.
“Yet another type of Elite Monster!”
Ẇ еb̆ n̄ ôv́ѐ ľ Е̇ n̆ü ḿа̀
Through the Construct’s vision, Gauss spotted them, and his heart leapt with joy.
He now possessed forty-three Elite Points.
Just one more kill of a new entry would give him enough to upgrade.
Gauss temporarily gave up on the idea of using the two Clay Constructs that had infiltrated this place to carry out an attack.
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Only because the surroundings were filled with countless Converts and Treants.
Those Converts, formed of living thorns, seemed to have developed a symbiotic state with the Treants. Some Converts even clung to the branches of the Treants, as if inhabiting a motherly host.
Е̂ n̆üṁ ā. ī.d̆
The two Clay Constructs obediently shrank into a corner, “clinging to each other for survival.”
If they launched an attack, the very next moment they would likely be swallowed by a tidal wave of counterattacks.
Of course, that in itself was not frightening. After all, they did not possess life in the true sense. But since Gauss had gone through so much trouble to send them in, letting them be destroyed for nothing would surely be a waste.
After commanding the Clay Converts to remain in the corner, Gauss continued to observe the environment through their perspective.
The place where they were located resembled an enclosed chamber. Several layers of Black Trees surrounded it tightly. From the outside, it appeared completely sealed, not a glimpse of the inside possible, as if it were a forbidden land under strict protection. The concentration of magical energy in the air was thicker here than elsewhere, carrying a sense of ancient and heavy oppression.
The noisy buzzing of insects was no longer heard. Instead, a solemn silence prevailed, as if all sound in the air had been swallowed up by the land itself.
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The Converts that entered no longer moved. Some stood upon Treants, others found their own places, and then prostrated themselves upon the ground like pilgrims, utterly motionless.
From their bodies stretched extremely fine roots, piercing into the earth, as if linking themselves directly to the land.
And all across the ground lay a thick carpet of glowing moss, radiating a soft yet undeniable green luminescence, like an immense mycelium blanket covering the entire earth.
Tiny insects quietly crawled upon the moss.
What appeared before the eyes was a contradictory sight—lively yet silent. Intelligent monsters and mindless bugs alike blended into one harmonious stillness.
Something was wrong.
Ĕn û m a
Even though Gauss and his companions had already arrived near the Clay Converts’ location—just a slight lift of the head would reveal the Black Trees surrounding that strange grove—he dared not rush in. Instead, he chose to hide behind the trunk of an ordinary tree.
The number of monsters inside was simply too many.
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Even Gauss could not claim that if he went in, he could escape unharmed.
He gestured to Arya and Serandur.
Then he continued to control the Clay Converts.
After all, as things had been so far, the other creatures did not seem to sense anything unusual about them.
Е n̄ ū ḿӑ . і̀ ḋ
The Clay Converts slowly shifted, inching their way toward the center of the grove.
There, three colossal Treants stood silently. Their height far surpassed the ordinary Treants around them, their vast crowns like dark-green canopies blotting out the sky.
From afar, they looked like black mountain ridges—majestic and awe-inspiring.
In his perception, the aura of the Treants was already far stronger than that of the ordinary Converts, while the fluctuations of these three towering ones were even more intense.
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He could not even determine their precise level.
All he knew was that the pressure they exuded was unbearably heavy.
Ĕnu mä
Most likely, they had already surpassed Tier 5, stepping into another realm altogether.
Exactly how far, Gauss could not be sure.
Should he continue to investigate—or withdraw for now?
Gauss hesitated for a moment.
Although he had confidence in his own strength, he estimated that at most he could escape alive from monsters of Tier 5. But if they surpassed Tier 5, that was an entirely different level altogether.
Moreover, this was not simply a matter of three suspected Tier 5 monsters. Surrounded as they were by countless Treants and Converts—let alone a small Tier 2–3 adventuring squad like theirs—even a full team of master-rank adventurers might not gain any advantage here.
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After all, rising through the ranks of professions was never easy. Each rank represented not only a leap in strength but also a marked change in social status.
Crossing from one stage to another was an enormous watershed. Once surpassed, the breakthrough would bring about a fundamental transformation.
Master-rank professionals could be considered the peak of power in a town-level setting.
Even in a large city like Barry, a master-rank professional would be given special treatment and entrusted with important positions.
This realization made Gauss all the more cautious.
If they retreated now, it would not be without gain. On the contrary, he had gathered extremely important information about a location. Once reported to President Rich, he would bring other high-ranking adventurers here to investigate.
Е̂num̂ а . їd
However…
“…Energy disturbance…”
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“…The Great One has been disturbed…”
“…Do not let the humans find it…”
“Expel the outsiders! Drive the humans… drive them all out!”
It was as if his ears once again echoed with the strange whispers he had heard two nights ago in the tavern at Canopy Town.
W̊ĕb̂n̈ о v̇е l Е̄ nù m ă
His instincts told him that some kind of opportunity lay hidden here.
But if he first reported the information to President Rich and the others, perhaps this opportunity would slip through their fingers.
Moreover, now that his true body had reached this vicinity—
He faintly sensed a strange voice calling him closer.
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“Gauss…”
“Gauss…”
Е̌n̈_u m̆ ӑ
How could it know his name?
“Gauss…” Arya leaned close and whispered.
“What should we do now?”
Her words pulled Gauss out of the strange whisper’s trance. He shook his head.
Only then did he realize that while he had been wholly focused on controlling the Clay Constructs, Arya and Serandur had been waiting at his side for quite a while. Neither of them possessed his ability to peer beyond the Black Trees, so they still had no idea what was happening within.
Gauss did not conceal anything. Especially since it concerned the safety of the team, he shared with them everything he had seen through the Clay Converts’ perspective.
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After a brief silence—
“Then continue controlling the clay to gather information,” Arya suggested. Though shocked by the presence of so many monsters beyond the Black Trees, she steadied herself and offered the plan.
On the one hand, they had accepted an investigation commission; on the other, they still hoped to find treasure.
Now that they had come this far, how could they simply turn back? At the very least, they needed to determine exactly what was there.
Her thoughts aligned with Gauss’s.
With Arya and Serandur on watch, Gauss kept directing the Clay Converts to crawl onward.
Wе bn̂ ŏv еl̆ Ë ṅ u mа
He dared not move them too quickly.
Since all the surrounding creatures remained so quiet, any sudden speed would make them stand out too much.
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And the nearer they crept to the center, the fewer Converts there were.
In this grove, ordinary Converts seemed to hold the lowest status, confined to the outermost ring. Next came the ordinary Treants. And then, within, the three giant Treants and the pure-white special Converts that coiled upon their branches.
A few Treants noticed the two small creeping creatures, prodded them with their withered limbs, but finding nothing amiss, ignored them.
At last, the Clay Constructs approached the grove’s center.
Ŵеb̆nо̄ v е̌l̆ Е̌ ñú m̄ ӓ
Between the three colossal Treants lay a sunken depression in the ground.
But the hollow was not filled with soil. Instead, a pool of green-clear water shimmered within.
The pool was utterly still, yet seemed to ceaselessly absorb the green glow emanating from the moss all around, as well as the energy circulating from every monster present.
In doing so, it radiated a special energy field.
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And in the very center of the pool, one thing floated quietly.
It stood about one meter tall. Because of distance and lighting, its details were unclear, but one could just make out a giant egg, pure white, radiating a strange brilliance.
W̊ ӗ b̊n̈о̊ v̌el̂ Е n̆ um а̃
Moreover… it was pulsing.
It was alive!
“What is that?” Gauss unconsciously murmured aloud.
Even though he only spied it through the clay’s vision and was not physically there himself, that sight still made his heart race uncontrollably.
It was as though his own heartbeat followed the pulse of that giant egg.
In that instant, the whole world seemed to fall silent.
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