[Phoenix Bloodline · Nifex]
Form: Dragon Egg Grade: Divine HP: Protected by Divine Blood Phoenix's Forbidden Curse—Near-Immortal Skill: Blood Baptism Incubation Passive Effect: Automatically absorbs the blood of slain monsters/NPCs/players within the host's range to nourish the phoenix egg. Current Incubation Progress: 0/100,000,000 souls' worth of blood.
"A divine beast?! Now this… this is something!"
Just as Orson had expected, this egg carried the bloodline of two divine creatures. There was no way it wouldn't hatch into a legendary beast.
But the incubation requirement…
It wasn't something as simple as spending a ton of gold.
No, it required pure, relentless grinding—absorbing the blood of one hundred million souls.
One. Hundred. Million.
Even if he only farmed low-level goblins, he'd probably grind himself into madness before he hatched this thing.
For any other top player, this would take years of non-stop grinding. The requirement was downright insane.
Luckily, the egg wasn't picky.
It could absorb not just monsters, but NPCs and players as well.
With Orson's current kill efficiency, he could realistically pull this off.
Besides, he needed to grind mobs to level up his Super God-grade Soul Seal, so he could kill two birds with one stone.
"Damn, this is amazing!"
Grinning, Orson patted the phoenix egg before stuffing it into his inventory, placing it next to the still-dormant Berenice.
"Hmm… Two eggs, huh? Let's see what the 'Two Egg Combo' can do."
His Crimson Lizard King already had unlimited growth potential, and now he had three super-tier beasts under his command.
Just imagining it felt glorious.
That said, Infinite Dimensions had a strict battle pet system.
Players could collect as many beasts as they wanted, but outside of the Beastmaster class, most players could only summon one at a time.
Orson was able to summon both Berenice and the Crimson Lizard King because Berenice's unique ability ignored normal summoning restrictions.
In that sense, Berenice wasn't really a beast—it was closer to a summon.
"How can I summon two beasts at once…?"
Orson narrowed his eyes, absentmindedly running his fingers over the Crimson Lizard King's saddle—[Will of the Battle Beast].
[Will of the Battle Beast]
Quality: Rare Description: When equipped on a battle beast, the residual aura of the Grey Dwarven King suppresses the beast's instincts, doubling the user's Beastmastery skill progression and removing beast-class restrictions.
This rare artifact was already being farmed by many players and was selling for over 50,000 gold.
Still, there were better saddles in the game—like the Holy Dragon Saddle, which significantly increased mount speed and HP regeneration.
Or the Beastmaster's Stirring Whip, which let players control battle pets as if they were extensions of their own body.
"Looks like I need to have a chat with the corgis in Ashen Lands."
Muttering to himself, Orson mounted the Crimson Lizard King and returned to Barrel Town.
The moment he arrived at the village entrance, Jenkins charged at him, gripping a small dagger, his face twisted with fury.
The dagger stabbed into the Crimson Lizard King's scales—only to produce a shower of sparks.
The Crimson Lizard King blinked in confusion, turning its head to look at him.
Jenkins, undeterred, continued to stab furiously—dealing pitifully low damage.
Orson could barely hold back a laugh.
Meanwhile, the Crimson Lizard King looked at him with genuine distress.
Why is this guy stabbing me?
Is he supposed to be strong?
Both of them had completely misjudged each other's power level.
Sighing, Orson casually tossed 1,000 gold coins onto the ground.
"...Oops. Dropped some gold."
His eyes immediately lit up at the sight of the shiny pile of gold.
Sure, his foster mother was great and all—but gold was gold.
"You have successfully cleared Jenkins' misunderstanding."
"Hostility reset to zero."
Jenkins straightened up instantly, his tone completely changing.
"Respected Adventurer! Barrel Town will always be your home!"
NPC hostility worked differently from major city hostility.
For regular NPCs, there were many ways to reset their hatred.
Throwing money at the problem? That was the most effective and convenient solution.
"So, about the drinks you gave me earlier. I'll take everything you have."
Jenkins beamed, eagerly leading him to the brewery.
To prepare for his next journey, Orson spent 5,000 gold, buying 1,000 bottles of Grevor Wine from Barrel Town's distillery.
With his inventory fully stocked, he immediately flew back to Pondenorlin City—heading straight for the Lord's underground vault.
By now, most NPCs had returned, except for the Archer and Priest Guilds, which had been wiped out by Godslayer.
If players of those classes wanted to do quests, they had to travel to Purple Thunder Fortress instead.
Meanwhile, on the world chat, players were talking non-stop.
"BREAKING NEWS! Assassin God Blank fought the Golden Dragon Knight for half an hour, dealing a monstrous 30 million damage, but was defeated!"
"Ice-Fire Saint Mage ShatteredCrown's Flame Dragon mount was almost killed, but that guy's escape skills are top-tier—he got teleported out just in time!"
"Golden Dragon Knight's HP dropped to 60%, but nobody dared finish him off. Now it's back to 70%, and the top players are all hesitating to make a move."
Despite the heated battles, fewer noble players were stepping into the arena after Blank and ShatteredCrown's defeats.
Bradley: "I added him as a friend. He just asked me why. What should I say?"
Orson, already deep in the underground tunnels, grinned mischievously.
"Tell him he has two options—either kill himself 100 times, or let you kill him 100 times. Otherwise, he won't be able to play the game properly."
Bradley: "LMAO. You want me to bully a guy who hasn't even awakened his class yet? Orson, you're ruthless."
"Every time you kill him, just tell him, 'Git gud, noob.' If you make him rage-quit, I'll reward you."
Bradley: "Deal! I'll camp his respawn point."
The two of them laughed wickedly.
After all, Bradley's target was none other than James—the guy who had nearly killed him.
"Kanting, don't worry. I'll take good care of your little buddy."
Just imagining Blank's older brother seething with rage was enough to make his day.
Finally, back at the abandoned blacksmith shop in the underground vault, Orson took a deep breath.
Stepping into the teleportation portal, a system notification flashed—
"You have discovered Ashen Lands!"
Orson blinked in confusion.
Instead of an underground mine, he found himself standing in a vast, overgrown forest.
The air was thick with falling leaves, the scent of damp earth filling his senses.
Checking his mini-map, he confirmed—
This place wasn't even on Infinite Dimensions' continent.
A distant rustling caught his attention.
A violent gust of wind tore through the trees.
A massive, living tree stepped forward.
[Secret Realm Guardian · War Treant (Lv. 70)]
Elite Monster HP: 5,000,000 Attack: 6,000 Crit Rate: 50% Skills: Trample, Stealth, Curse Removal, Root Bind
Orson's eyes gleamed.
"A damn War Treant? Let's go!"