Chapter 148: Incubation
Trying to leave?
Bati was not one to suffer a loss. He raised his staff, about to cast a spell, when a gray rat jumped onto him and bit down hard on his hand holding the Black Stone Egg.
His protective magic had just been broken, and Bati didn’t have time to reinforce it. The bite landed squarely on him, even tearing off a piece of flesh. With a pained howl, Bati instinctively let go.
The Leader of the Wolf Pack, having transformed into a rat, seized this opportunity to snatch the Black Stone Egg and run. He had considered biting off Bati’s throat, but his caution, as usual, made him fear triggering some sort of attack magic or curse. Thus, he only bit his hand.
Besides, who knew if the person standing here was Archmage Edward’s true body or just a flesh puppet?
Bati calmly watched the Leader of the Wolf Pack take the Black Stone Egg. At that moment, he lost his prior fervor and impatience.
He casually cast several spells to seal the Wolf Leader’s escape routes and was about to finish him off when Marymana took the opportunity to launch a magical sneak attack. Bati was forced to divert his attention to engage her. While he disdained human mages, he couldn’t underestimate a power at Stage Five.
Although he had been tricked by that knight in an inexplicable manner, Bati hadn’t actually suffered any damage. Instead, the Leader of the Wolf Pack snatching the Sage Ovum Sheath from his hand was a humiliation.
Bati let out a cold snort and controlled the members of White Studio to pursue the Wolf Leader, while he himself calmly exchanged blows with Marymana, wasting their mana. Even with multitasking, this level of split operation was child’s play for a mage.
With Bati’s direction and occasional magical support, the members of White Studio easily cornered the Leader of the Wolf Pack.
The Wolf Leader looked annoyed. Ever since descending into Edward’s body, every battle he faced had been frustrating. He lacked a proper weapon, and this body was in terrible condition—weak, heavily injured. He had to use mana to maintain the body’s structure and also conserve mana to avoid severing the weak connection to the wolf pack’s contract.
Now, even a few Transcendent beings of Tier One and Two were fighting him to a standstill. Of course, if Bati hadn’t provided occasional magical support, the Wolf Leader could have killed them all on sight, even with Bati’s magical control over them.
However, the Wolf Leader wasn’t without a solution. With a thought, he tossed the Black Stone Egg through the gaps in their formation.
As expected, they all chased after the stone egg. Seizing this chance, the Leader of the Wolf Pack dodged Bati’s magic and moved in the opposite direction. Of course, what he threw was a spell from the “False Prey” path of the Hunter, designed to deceive—a distraction and a desperate move that could fool even an Archmage.
The Leader of the Wolf Pack, holding the Black Stone Egg, sneered inwardly.
But while Bati might be fooled, Moria, who had been keeping a close watch on the Wolf Leader’s movements, would not be. He drew his sword and blocked the Wolf Leader’s path.
“With you?” the Leader of the Wolf Pack instinctively glanced at Victoria’s location, with Knight Lance still guarding her.
“With me.”
Moria stated calmly. That black-robed mage was a dangerous individual, and Marymana should be able to handle him, but the Leader of the Wolf Pack absolutely could not be allowed to escape, much less allowed to take the Sage Ovum Sheath with him.
The Wolf Leader sneered and tossed the bothersome Black Stone Egg high into the air. This time, he didn’t use a spell. While Moria’s attention was also drawn to the egg, the Leader of the Wolf Pack extended his claws and lunged viciously at the opponent.
*Clang!*
Moria parried the attack with his sword, his gaze calm.
“Not even using magic, you’re too arrogant!” The Wolf Leader was inwardly surprised by the opponent’s strength. In previous battles, he had guessed Moria’s class to be something like a magic swordsman.
“Using magic is arrogance.”
Moria said softly, then unleashed several sword strikes with刁钻 angles, powerful force, and speeds that were barely perceptible to the eyes. Although the Leader of the Wolf Pack blocked them consecutively, he didn’t gain any advantage.
*This guy is stronger than before, what’s going on?*
The Wolf Leader was astonished, clueless.
At this moment, the Black Stone Egg was about to hit the ground, but neither the Wolf Leader nor Moria diverted their attention to catch it, their focus entirely on their opponent.
A black shadow shot past the two of them with incredible speed, snatching the Black Stone Egg. It was Li Wen. Though the anti-flight magic still affected her, her speed under the triple buff surpassed many. After she obtained the egg, the weakened Agent finally reacted, not yet able to rush over.
At this moment, Bati realized he had been tricked by a crude ploy and immediately controlled the members of White Studio to chase after Li Wen.
As Li Wen ran, she pondered whether killing players controlled by natives yielded experience, and inadvertently glanced at her status. Her heart suddenly jolted.
Her Twilight Erosion progress had unexpectedly risen to 68% without her realizing it, and it continued to increase at a terrifying rate. She had used Witch Form in combat for a short time, but even with “Devotion to Light and Fire” constantly active, it hadn’t increased so rapidly.
Poison? Magic? Or a curse? Li Wen felt nothing abnormal, and crucially, there was no indication on her status panel. If there was anything problematic… she cast her gaze towards the Black Stone Egg in her hand.
With a tentative thought, Li Wen let go of the egg, and her rapidly increasing erosion progress indeed slowed down and even stopped.
*So that’s it.*
Li Wen understood instantly. However, another problem awaited her.
*What is this infernal thing?*
She knew this couldn’t be the fabled Sage Ovum Sheath. She had only vaguely guessed it to be some powerful artifact related to the Creation lineage. Now, it seemed… whether it was related to the Creation lineage was still a question mark.
The Twilight Erosion progress replaced her life and mana. Every loss of life or mana caused the erosion to increase. Since holding the egg caused the erosion progress to continuously increase, it meant that at least one of her life or mana was depleting, or perhaps both.
Metal, stone, eggshell, birth, transformation, rebirth, rejuvenation, alchemy, cauldron, sage, miracle… All concepts related to the Creation lineage surged through Li Wen’s mind. At a certain moment, as if a beam of light shot through a crack in the wall into the darkness, she suddenly understood.
*Is it possible this stone egg is actually alive? Is it an “egg” in the truest sense, possessing life and consciousness, even capable of absorbing others’ life or mana as its nourishment?*
Proving this idea was simple. Li Wen looked at the White Studio and the Agent who were catching up and kicked the stone egg lying on the ground towards them. She had lost interest in the stone egg itself. What mattered more now was whether this stone egg could, as she anticipated, “hatch” that great existence.
