The egg was completely unremarkable.
It was about the size of an ostrich egg, with a smooth, mottled grey shell that had no glow, no special patterns, and no energy fluctuations whatsoever. It looked more like a large, ordinary stone than a battle pet egg. It was placed in the most neglected corner of the vault, clearly considered the least valuable item in the entire collection.
Chief Proctor Magnus, noticing Lin Ke's gaze, walked over. "Ah, that one," he said with a slight sigh. "A bit of a sad story, that egg. It was recovered from an ancient ruin exploration mission about fifty years ago. According to our instruments, it once held a tremendous amount of life energy, but something went wrong. Its energy has been dormant for decades. We now classify it as a 'fossilized egg'—a dead egg. It is only kept here for historical and research purposes. I would advise against choosing it, son. It will never hatch."
Any other candidate would have immediately dismissed the egg based on the proctor's expert opinion. But Lin Ke's eyes were still locked on it, and the blue light within them was brighter than ever.
The Gene Editor was showing him something completely different.
[Specimen: Unknown Ancient Egg]
[Status: Dormant (Near-Death State)]
[Energy Level: 0.01%]
[Analysis: Subject's core life matrix is intact but suppressed by a critical genetic flaw. The 'Astral Energy Absorption' gene (A-01) is fractured, preventing the embryo from absorbing ambient energy to sustain its life and initiate hatching.]
Lin Ke's heart began to pound. It wasn't dead. It was just... broken. And he was the only person in the world who could see how to fix it.
His mind navigated deeper into the data stream, past the warning signs of the fractured gene. And then, he saw it. Buried deep within the dormant code, a sequence of such brilliance and power that it made every other egg in the vault seem like a dim candle next to a supernova.
[Hidden Bloodline Detected: Ancient Astral Spirit (Mythical Rank)]
[Potential Evolution Path (Dormant): Unreadable... Requires repair of A-01 gene fragment.]
A Mythical Rank bloodline.
In the modern world, S-rank potential pets were already considered legendary creatures, the kind that could become the guardian of an entire city. Mythical Rank was a classification that only existed in ancient texts and legends, creatures said to possess the power to move stars and bend reality.
This "useless" stone was not trash. It was the greatest treasure in this entire vault, hiding in plain sight.
The risk was enormous. The materials needed to repair a gene as complex as "Astral Energy Absorption" would be astronomical. It might take him years, or even decades, to gather them. And if he failed, he would have wasted his one and only champion's prize on a rock.
But the potential reward... it was intoxicating. It was a chance to nurture a true god from its very inception.
This was the ultimate gamble.
"Sir," Lin Ke said, his voice firm, breaking the silence. He turned to face the proctor, his decision made. "I have made my choice."
Magnus smiled. "Have you decided on the Volcanic Drake egg? Or perhaps the Storm Griffin? Both are excellent choices with A+ potential..."
Lin Ke shook his head. He walked past all the brilliant, glowing eggs, straight to the dusty corner, and pointed directly at the mottled grey stone.
"I choose this one."
Magnus's smile froze on his face. He stared at Lin Ke as if he had gone mad. "Son, did you not hear me? That egg is dead. It is a stone. You would be throwing away your future!"
The other staff members in the vault also looked at Lin Ke with expressions of shock and pity. They thought the pressure of the competition had finally broken the young champion's mind.
"I understand the risks, sir," Lin Ke said, his gaze unwavering. "But I feel a connection to this one. You said a Tamer should trust their instincts. My instincts are telling me that this is the partner meant for me."
He used the proctor's own words against him. Magnus was left speechless. He saw the absolute, unshakeable conviction in Lin Ke's eyes. It was the same look the boy had when he faced down the Flame-mane Cub and the Iron-shelled Beetle. The look of someone who saw a truth that no one else could.
After a long, heavy silence, Magnus let out a deep sigh of resignation. "The rules state the champion may choose any one item. I cannot stop you," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of disappointment and a strange, newfound curiosity. "But I hope, for your sake, that you do not come to regret this day."
"I won't," Lin Ke replied, his voice quiet but firm.
He carefully picked up the heavy, cold "stone" from its pedestal. To everyone else in the room, he was a fool, a tragic genius who had just made the worst decision of his life.
But Lin Ke knew better. As he held the egg, he could almost hear a faint, ancient whisper from the life sleeping within.
He wasn't just holding a stone. He was holding the stars.