novellaaa Chapter 2 Dragon Egg Hatching
Chapter 2 Dragon Egg Hatching
The low growls and sobs from the depths of the alley were intermittent, mixed with the sticky sound of sharp teeth tearing flesh.
Will sat against the wall, the new life force deep within him fiercely battling against a surging hunger.
The dragon egg clung tightly to his abdomen through the scorching rag, the heat continuously radiating through him, as if urging him on, or perhaps supporting him.
He licked his chapped lips.
The smell of blood was faint, but it couldn't escape his exceptionally keen sense of smell at that moment.
Are those stray dogs sharing something?
Perhaps it was dead fish and rotten shrimp discarded in the port area, or perhaps it was bits of flesh torn from the body of some unfortunate drunkard.
Fresh meat.
The minimum standards required for the task.
Will lowered his head and looked at his outstretched palm.
Still thin and bony, covered in grime, but the outline of his fingers seemed clearer than I remembered, and I could even feel a faint strength surging beneath his veins at his knuckles.
It is a return from the Dragon Blood Pact; though subtle, it is real and true.
Can he do it?
Bare-handed, going to fight at least two or three wild dogs that would fight to the death for a bite of carrion?
The dragon egg pulsed strongly again, accompanied by a vague, anxious longing.
It wasn't a clear thought, but more like a pure, instinctive hunger that strangely resonated with his own hunger, burning away his reason.
The low growls in the alley suddenly rose to a threatening roar, as if the struggle had reached a fever pitch.
There was no time to hesitate.
With hatching imminent, the baby dragon's first meal is of utmost importance.
He also needed to fill his stomach before he could take it away from here to a safer place where he could find more food.
Will took a deep breath, the salty, fishy air filling his lungs.
He carefully wrapped the dragon egg again with the rag—the charred hole was just big enough for him to put his arm through and hold the egg firmly to his chest, like a heavy, hot vest.
The heat from the eggshell burned his skin through his thin, dirty undergarment. Strangely, the heat didn't make him uncomfortable; instead, it felt like a silent encouragement.
He stood up, stretched his limbs, and bent down to pick up a rusty half-finished iron shovel from the nearby pile of garbage—probably a fastener from some abandoned wooden crate.
It feels cold and rough to the touch, but it's still better than nothing.
He pressed himself against the wall, moving quietly, and glided deeper into the alley like a shadow.
Turning a corner littered with broken pottery jars and tattered fishing nets, the scene came into view.
Three stray dogs.
They were all common mongrels in the Braavos slums, skinny and bony, with filthy, matted fur and eyes that gleamed with a hungry green light in the dim light.
They were huddled around a small, bloody mass—it looked like half a skinned wildcat or a large rat with its entrails spilling out—baring their teeth, growling, tentatively lunging forward to bite, then retreating because of the threat from their companions.
A small patch of dark red blood had already splattered on the ground.
Will's appearance caused the three dogs to stop moving at the same time, and all six green eyes turned to him, letting out even louder, threatening growls.
The largest of them, with half of its left ear missing, took a step forward, revealing yellow teeth stained with blood, and stared intently at Will, especially at the "bundle" in his arms and the iron shovel in his hand.
Confrontation.
The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the wild dog's heavy panting and Will's own increasingly rapid heartbeat.
He could smell an even stronger stench of blood and the foul odor of wild dogs.
He could sense the three beasts' undisguised hostility and hunger—they saw him as a new competitor, or…
New prey.
Will gripped the iron shovel tightly, his palms sweating coldly. He did not back down.
His gaze swept quickly across the wreckage on the ground, estimating its size, and then swept over the positions of the three dogs.
The largest one blocks the way directly in front, while the other two, slightly smaller, are positioned to the left and right, forming a semi-encirclement.
We can't wait for them to move first.
Just as the earless dog tensed its hind leg muscles, seemingly about to pounce, Will moved.
Instead of rushing towards the food, he suddenly hurled the iron shovel in his hand at the smaller dog on his left!
The iron shovel traced a crooked arc and missed its target, but it slammed into the broken wooden barrel next to it with a loud bang.
The stray dog on the left was startled and instinctively jumped aside, creating a gap in the encirclement.
Almost at the same time, Will roared out a hoarse, inhuman roar from his throat. It wasn't out of fear, but out of all the suppressed will to survive and the ferocity brought by the dragon blood!
He stopped looking at the wreckage on the ground and instead charged headlong towards the strongest, earless dog in front of him!
His small frame suddenly burst forth with astonishing speed and resolute momentum, his target clear—not the dog, but the dark alleyway behind it, filled with debris and garbage!
This was completely unexpected by the stray dog.
In their minds, a thief either pounces on the food or turns and runs away.
The small, thin but unusually fierce creature in front of them, radiating a strange heat source, charged directly at the strongest "leader," as if it wanted to take them down with it.
The large dog with the missing ear hesitated for half a second, its lowered body paused, and it did not immediately pounce and bite.
Just this half second!
Will flew past the earless dog like a small cannonball!
He could even smell the foul, hot breath coming from the dog's mouth and feel the dog's teeth almost brushing against his tattered trouser leg.
"Roar—!" The earless dog was completely enraged and turned to chase after it.
The other two frightened dogs also reacted, barking wildly and flanking from both sides.
Will didn't look back, and ran forward with all his might.
My lungs were burning with pain, but my legs, infused with the power of the dragon's blood, were far stronger than ever before.
He deftly skirted the overturned broken urn on the ground, jumped over a stinking puddle, and, relying on the last vestiges of his hazy memory of this maze-like alleyway, sprinted in the direction he had initially set his sights on.
There was a small, relatively open abandoned area, which may have once been a small warehouse, but now only a few half-collapsed brick walls and rubble scattered all over the ground remain.
The key issue is that there are two narrow gaps filled with broken bricks, barely enough for a small child to squeeze through, but too narrow for an adult stray dog.
The wild dogs barked and chased after them relentlessly, their claws digging rapidly into the stone slabs and mud, growing ever closer.
Faster! Faster!
Will gritted his teeth, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, resonating with the dragon egg.
He could feel the bloody wind swirling behind him.
Drive into the open space! Turn left!
The gap formed by the pile of broken bricks and the collapsed wooden beams was right in front of us!
He crouched down, ignoring the painful rubble, and squeezed desperately into the scalding hot dragon egg.
The rag got caught on the sharp edges of the bricks and stones, making a tearing sound.
The barking behind me was almost right next to my ear.
"Sizzle—!"
A searing pain shot through my back! It was a dog's paw!
Will grunted, and with his last bit of strength, he shoved himself and the dragon egg deep into the crevice, curling up his body and pressing his back tightly against the relatively stable brick wall inside.
"Woof! Awoof—!"
The angry roar of the earless dog echoed from outside the gap. Its massive head and forequarters tried to squeeze in, its fangs just inches from Will's hunched-over legs, and its foul-smelling saliva almost dripped onto his feet.
But the gap was too narrow, and its strong shoulders got stuck outside. It could only frantically pry with its claws, making a loud crashing sound as it hit the broken bricks.
The other two dogs circled anxiously and barked, but could not get close.
We're safe for now.
Will was breathing heavily, cold sweat pouring down his back, mixed with the stinging pain from the wound.
He looked down, his first instinct being to check the dragon egg in his arms.
The rag was even more tattered, but the eggshell remained intact, and the burning pulse was still steady, even seeming to be more active because of his violent heartbeat and the life-or-death struggle just now.
He breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing how exhausted and fearful he had been.
If I had been even half a step slower, or misjudged the situation, I would probably be a stray dog's dinner by now.
The stray dogs outside barked and scratched for a while, seemingly realizing they couldn't break through, and still thinking about the leftovers from earlier, their barking gradually subsided.
The earless dog bared its teeth menacingly into the gap, exhaled a puff of hot air, and finally retreated dejectedly.
The footsteps and low whimpers gradually faded into the distance.
Will waited a while longer until he was sure there was no more noise outside before slowly relaxing his tense body.
Exhaustion washed over me like a tidal wave, but my spirits were unusually high.
He survived.
Moreover, he saved the dragon egg.
but……
The task was not completed.
He didn't get the meat.
The hunger returned fiercely, even more intensely than before.
The longing conveyed by the dragon egg became increasingly clear.
Will leaned against the brick wall, his breathing gradually calming down.
He carefully untied a bit of the rag, revealing part of the dragon egg.
Dark red and jet-black patterns flowed slightly in the dim light, as if lava was slowly surging beneath them.
The eggshell seemed to have gotten a little warmer, and it was a bit too hot to hold.
[Dragon egg hatching progress: 98%...99%...]
The numbers on the system interface were jumping slowly but steadily.
There's no time left.
Food must be found immediately.
Will's gaze fell on the small piece of something that had fallen in when the earless dog had scratched at the entrance of the crevice.
It was a dark red piece of skin, with fur and bits of flesh still attached. It was probably torn from the animal that had been eaten. It was covered in dirt and dog saliva and emitted an indescribable, foul, and rotten smell.
It's definitely not "fresh," let alone "high in energy."
But it is meat.
The dragon egg's pulse suddenly intensified, as if it had sensed a nearby, potentially consuming substance.
The longing that was being conveyed became incredibly sharp.
Will stared at the filthy piece of meat, his stomach churning.
Not just because of its filth and smell, but also because of an instinctive resistance?
Or perhaps it's pride?
The proud bloodline of the dragon, from the other end of the contract, seemed to disdain such inferior food, but its own survival instinct forced it to crave it.
And he, as the contractor, as its only reliance and bond at this moment, must make a decision.
Is it risking being discovered by wild dogs again to go out and find better food?
still is……
Will reached out his hand, so dirty that his original skin color was unrecognizable, and slowly, with trembling hands, picked up the piece of scrap of flesh.
A sticky texture.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes had vanished, leaving only a rock-hard look.
He used the relatively clean hem of his undergarment to vigorously wipe the most obvious dirt and bloodstains from the surface of his skin—although the effect was limited.
Then, he gently placed the foul-smelling object on the scorching shell of the dragon egg, right next to the burnt hole.
The eggshell jolted violently!
The dark red and black patterns suddenly lit up, especially the black patches, which seemed to instantly transform into miniature black holes that could absorb all light.
An invisible force field emanated from the dragon egg, carrying the subtle scents of sulfur and high temperature.
The bits of meat skin placed on the shell withered, shriveled, and quickly turned black at a visible speed.
It wasn't burning; it was more like all the moisture and that negligible amount of life energy were instantly drained and absorbed.
In just two or three seconds, the flesh turned into a small clump of ash-like residue, which slid off the eggshell.
At the same time, Will clearly felt a faint but real warm current flowing back through the connection of the contract. Although it was far less turbulent than the previous life-giving feedback, it was like a drop of sweet rain falling on extremely parched land, giving him a slight boost in spirits. The burning hunger inside the dragon egg also subsided a little, but it was far from satisfied.
Trace amounts of organic matter and energy were detected in the contracted dragon hatchling.
New player quest "First Meal" completion rate: Extremely low.
Quest Reward: Dragon Basic Care Knowledge Pack.
[Warning: Hatchlings have severely insufficient initial energy, which may affect their physical condition and development in the early stages after hatching.]
Please replenish your body with high-quality nutrition as soon as possible.
[Dragon egg hatching progress: 100%]
[Hatching, beginning.]
The system's notification tone announced coldly.
Will's heart clenched suddenly, all his thoughts instantly cleared, leaving only the dragon egg in front of him undergoing a dramatic change.
The shimmering light on the eggshell surface suddenly receded, and then, from the deepest, darkest patch of markings at the center, a clear sound rang out—
"Click."
Subtle, yet incredibly resolute.
A hair-thin crack appeared, meandering outwards.