Chapter 21: The Hatchling Of Fate
By the time they reached the core chamber, the tunnels were collapsing. The last infected creature — a giant miner fused with drills and metal arms — roared and charged.
Mia took aim, but Lyra stepped forward, grinning. "My turn."
She dashed forward, touching the monster's chest with both hands. Purple light erupted and the creature suddenly froze, shaking violently. It began hitting itself, smashing its own metal arms apart while screaming in pure confusion.
Kelvin took the chance, jumping high and crashed down with a strike that split the monster in two.
The explosion that followed shook the whole mine.
[Level 12 Cleared]
[Reward: +700 🌕/ +400 💎]
They barely caught their breath before stepping through the next gate — Level 13.
[Level 13: The Sky Ruins]
[Objective: Defeat the Guardian Constructs]
The world around them opened up into floating ruins suspended in the sky — platforms of stone and light hovering endlessly. Mechanical golems patrolled every corner, glowing with ancient runes.
"Whoa," Mia whispered. "This is beautiful… and terrifying."
"Focus," Kelvin said. "They attack in sync."
The first guardian leaped from above, sword raised. Kelvin parried it mid-air with his fist!!, the shockwave shaking the platform. Lyra followed up by snapping her fingers. Purple shockwaves rippling out, making three other golems crash and started ****ing each other.
"See?" she laughed. "I'm helpful and fun!"
Mia covered the gaps with rapid-fire arrows, each glowing with silver light. The sky lit up with explosions and falling debris.
Kelvin shifted again —
[(Stat Swap – 40% Strength / 40% Intelligence → 80% Agility)]
He blurred between platforms, cutting through the guardians one after another like lightning.
" Lyra's powers is very dangerous" He thought in his mind. "It can easily take down a B ranker... I need to be careful, I don't even want to imagine what she could do to both Mia and me."
The final guardian, twice the size of the rest, appeared at the center platform. It raised its massive blade glowing blue.
Kelvin landed in front of it, silent.
Mia and Lyra stood behind him, ready.
"Together," Kelvin said.
"Finally," Lyra smirked.
"Let's end this," Mia added.
The battle that followed shook the entire ruin. Arrows streaked through the air, Lyra's energy waves distorted the guardian's mind, and Kelvin's fist pierced its chest in one final flash.
When the light faded, only silence remained.
[Level 13 Cleared]
[Reward: +900 🌕/ +600 💎]
[Team Synergy Bonus: +300 🌕]
Mia collapsed on the ground, laughing breathlessly. "We… actually did it."
Lyra flopped beside her, grinning like a maniac. "I like this group. We should kill things more often."
Kelvin sheathed leaned to the wall. "We're moving on soon. Rest while you can."
Lyra tilted her head, studying him. "You're not like most people, you know that?"
Kelvin didn't respond. He looked ahead at the next glowing portal — cold, focused, unshaken.
In his mind, he thought quietly:
"Two new allies. One with potential, one with chaos.
I honestly didn't expect this but I hope am not going to regret it."
Kelvin's blood-stained boots crunched on the crystalline floor as he exhaled, rolling his shoulders. He could feel it again — that tingling in his body, that familiar mechanical hum inside his mind. His Status Window flashed before his eyes.
A new sound followed — a sharp digital chime, like a god typing on a keyboard.
[STATUS WINDOW UPGRADED]
[STATUS WINDOW V. 2.1]
A bright white-blue window expanded before him, glowing symbols swirling like living code. Then the full message appeared in clean holographic text.
[STATUS WINDOW ]
[ NAME: KELVIN {( LEVEL 13)} ]
60,000🌕 | 9,114💎 | 5🏆
╔═══ BODY STAT DISTRIBUTION ═══╗
║ 😎 ║
║ / | \. ║
║ | ║
║ / \ ║
║. ║
║🧠 HEAD/MIND — 18%(INT, PER,WILL)║
║💪 UPPER BODY — 47% (STR, DUR,). ║
║🦵 LOWER BODY—35%(AGI, STA, VIT)║
║⚙️ Focus Shift Active: ║
║Can redirect up to 30% of any stat group║ ║to a chosen body zone in combat. ║
╚═════════════════════════╝
╠═════════ STATS ═════════╣
║ STR-202100. AGI-203289 STA-13299 ║
║ DUR-102105 INT-2166. PER-10388 ║
║ WILL-303494. VIT-1200. TALENT-(🔒) ║
╠═══════ ABILITIES 🌌 ══════╣
║ Stat Swap ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ . ║
║ Mind Action ☆☆☆☆☆☆ . ║
║ Space Walker ☆☆☆☆ . ║
║ Astra Link ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ . ║
╠═══════ TITLE 🏆 ═════════╣
║ Solo Hero🥇 Odds Breaker👑 . ║
║ Demon King👑 Monster Mind🎗️ ║
╠═══════ ARTIFACTS ⚔️ ══════╣
║ Scales of the Weak Mystic Egg ║
╚═════════════════════════╝
Kelvin's brows rose slightly. "Version 2.1, huh… finally upgraded."
He waved his hand through the screen, pulling up the details of the Focus Shift and Stat Swap. A small grin tugged at his lips.
"So now I can shift power to any part of my body mid-fight…" he muttered. "Meaning if I'm fighting a speed-type, I can dump everything into Agility on only my legs. Or if I'm cornered… full Strength to my wrist and Durability to my skin."
His fingers flexed, feeling the slight vibration of energy ripple through his veins. The Status Window flickered again, showing a message:
[RECOMMENDATION: ARTIFACT "Mystic Egg" IS BEGINNING TO CRACK]
[ESTIMATED HATCH TIME: IMMINENT]
Kelvin towards Mia. "You're not going back?"
Mia scratched the back of her neck, looking a little shy. "I… was supposed to. Actually, by Level 11, I could've gone back. But I didn't want to… you know… disturb you."
Kelvin tilted his head. "Disturb me?"
She nodded quickly, embarrassed. "You've been focused and have been helping me . I didn't want to mess it up."
He gave a faint laugh. "Mia… you're not disturbing me." His tone softened slightly, a rare warmth in his voice. "You can go to Earth anytime you want. Just… if you're ever inside a dungeon again, use the Astra Link. It'll connect directly to me, no matter what floor or realm you're in."
Her face lit up slightly at that. "Really?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Just think of me, focus the link, and say my name. It'll open a channel."
Then he turned his gaze to Lyra, who'd been standing quietly, arms crossed, pretending not to care; though her ears were clearly listening.
"You too, Lyra," Kelvin said. "If you're ever trapped or want to talk, just buy an Astra Link in your Shop. You'll be able to reach me instantly."
Lyra raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Oh? You giving it's like your giving me your number ?"
Kelvin rolled his eyes. "Only to the ones who can survive long enough to use it."
She chuckled under her breath. "Fair."
Then she looked at him more seriously. "Are you going back to Earth?"
Kelvin shook his head. "No. Not yet." His expression turned distant. "There's still something I have to do."
He reached into his Status Window, pulled out a small wrapped object — the Mystic Egg. A faint light pulsed beneath the fabric, like something alive was breathing inside. He scribbled a note on a metal tablet, then handed both to Lyra.
"I need you to take this egg," he said, his voice calm but heavy. "To this location."
He pointed at the glowing coordinates on the note. "Just drop it anywhere there, or bury it in the ground. Don't open it. Don't touch it after it starts to glow red."
Lyra frowned. "What is it?" she asked, carefully holding the warm object.
Kelvin didn't reply. His eyes were already shifting toward the next gate — the one that led deeper into the dungeon.
"Kelvin...." she started, but he cut her off.
"You'll understand later," he said. "Just… do it exactly as I said."
And with that, he turned away.
The dungeon portal rippled open in front of him, the air bending with violet energy. He stepped through without another word.
Lyra stood there for a moment, clutching the wrapped egg.
Mia watched him disappear, sighing softly. "He's always like that."
"Yeah," Lyra said quietly. "But… something about this doesn't feel normal... I like it"
Still, they decided to obey.
Mia returned home to see her brother again , finally free from the chaos of the last missions , while Lyra traveled to the coordinates Kelvin had given her.
The location was strange: a quiet valley surrounded by twisted crystal trees. The air shimmered faintly, like the atmosphere was watching her. She dug a small hole and placed the wrapped egg inside, whispering to herself, "Whatever you are, don't explode."
Then she covered it and left.
Meanwhile, inside the Level 11 Special Dungeon, Kelvin reappeared in total darkness. He looked around, scanning the walls as his Perception auto-adjusted, making the dark look clearer than daylight.
His voice echoed quietly in his mind.
"I would've liked to see what it hatches into…"
He stopped walking for a moment, letting out a slow breath. "But if that creature smells me — if it recognizes my scent — it'll go wild. It was meant for Max, not me."
He sighed, remembering Max — his closest friend from the first life. The one who'd died trying to protect humanity from the alien Admins.
"If it senses anyone without Max's scent," Kelvin continued in thought, "it'll reject or attack . Especially Lyra. That's why I had her bury it far away."
He closed his eyes briefly, focusing on the link between him and the egg — faint, like a heartbeat across worlds. He could feel the aura growing, thick and hungry.
"The hatchling," he murmured, "isn't a normal creature."
He remembered the text from the artifact's analysis — the ancient lines engraved inside the System when he first acquired it:
"The Mystic Egg — Origin Unknown.
Contains a devourer species born from cosmic residue.
Once hatched, it consumes everything — matter, mana, and memory — to evolve endlessly."
Kelvin clenched his fist. "It eats artifacts, monsters, even souls… and adapts to what it consumes. If it grows like I think it will…"
He smirked faintly. "It's the perfect way to help max without putting his life in danger."
His steps echoed deeper into the dungeon as glowing blue runes flared around him, forming the shape of a massive door. His Status Window flickered again.
[OBJECTIVE: CLEAR SPECIAL DUNGEON — 'THE HUNGER OF VOID']