Chapter 90

Chapter 15. The Flame of Life (6)

Yeonwoo and Phoenix stared at the egg for a long time, hoping that the young Hwan would finally hatch, even if it was late.

However, the hatching did not happen. A slight frown appeared on Yeonwoo's forehead.

Chik-chik, the chick seemed delighted that it didn't have to part with its mother, sticking to the egg and chirping happily.

Chik! Chik!

"…This is the first time I've encountered such a case. It seemed like it was going to hatch, so why isn't it coming out?" Phoenix said, sounding puzzled.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"No, that's not it. If there was, I would have known by now." There was a hint of annoyance in Phoenix's voice.

The Sacred Flame he had given to Yeonwoo was also a part of his own soul. In a way, it could be seen as an insult.

Yeonwoo, realizing his mistake, bowed his head.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. After all, humans and Hwans are different species, so it's natural that our perspectives would differ."

Phoenix brushed it off and refocused on the egg.

"Still, something is off. It's definitely fully grown inside the egg, so why isn't it coming out?"

Yeonwoo couldn't offer any opinion on this matter.

The diary only contained the method to give birth to a Hwan with the desired attribute. It didn't mention anything else.

"Let's just observe it for a while longer. We don't know when the one inside might change its mind and come out."

Yeonwoo had no choice but to agree with Phoenix's suggestion.

* * *

After that, Yeonwoo had to make several trips to the 11th floor stage.

This was because Phoenix suggested that the egg might not have hatched due to a lack of the Flame of Life.

"Even if I can't give you a high-level Sacred Flame like the first time, it's not difficult to ignite an ordinary one. So, please bear with the extra effort."

Yeonwoo had to go through the trouble of gathering the materials needed to receive the Flame of Life.

As a result, the already scarce Hidden Pieces, which had become even rarer due to Yeonwoo's sweeps, were causing a commotion everywhere, but he had no time to worry about that.

As the egg absorbed more of the Flame of Life, it continued to grow, eventually reaching three meters in size.

Three meters.

It might sound like three meters, but in terms of size, it was as tall as a floor of an apartment building.

And considering that a young Hwan was curled up inside?

It was impossible to guess how big it would be when it hatched.

"…This is insane."

"…It's going to be a problem. Phew!"

Yeonwoo and Phoenix looked at the endlessly growing egg and let out small, exasperated laughs.

"I've never heard of a Hwan growing this much before it hatches. What's the problem? Is it planning to absorb all of my flames?"

Phoenix grumbled, sounding thoroughly frustrated.

Of course, even if he shared his flames, they wouldn't completely disappear, but it was still disheartening.

Chik! Chik!

Moreover, Chik-chik seemed to enjoy the egg's growth, chirping loudly.

It looked like a little kid proudly showing off, "Mom! Mom! Look! My friend is this big!"

Yeonwoo was deeply troubled.

'Continuing to infuse the Flame of Life seems like pouring water into a bottomless pot. What's the problem?'

The connection with the egg was getting stronger. The creature inside was growing rapidly, and its emotions and intelligence were becoming clearer.

The issue was that only the emotion of joy was being conveyed, but its thoughts were unknown.

It felt like it was hiding something from Yeonwoo, not out of suspicion, but because it wanted to play with him.

'Is it not hatching because of some prank?'

But it couldn't be that simple. Hwans seemed simple but were actually complex and difficult to understand.

It was like hitting an unexpected reef.

'If this continues, I'll be stuck on the 11th floor.'

While the first battlefield for the Red Dragon and Cheonghwa might be the 11th floor, it wasn't certain yet.

War was a jungle filled with countless variables.

'No, even if it happens on the 11th floor, I need to complete this trial first. The difference between completing and not completing the trial is too significant.'

As Yeonwoo's thoughts deepened, Phoenix, who had been lost in thought, suddenly spoke.

"Doing all this and it still not hatching suggests only one reason."

Yeonwoo's head snapped up.

"Do you have any idea?"

"A catalyst."

Yeonwoo's expression changed strangely.

A catalyst?

"Yes, a catalyst. Hwans are beings that live on dreams. They are born from dreams and pursue dreams. Without dreams, they don't feel the 'need' to be born."

Yeonwoo felt a sense of realization. His eyes, visible under the mask, hardened slightly.

"Everyone, human or not, has a dream, no matter how small. If memories are the pillars that support life, dreams are the driving force that moves life."

Yeonwoo felt as if Phoenix was looking at him with a calm gaze from beyond the darkness of the cave.

"Do you, by any chance, not have a dream?"

"…."

Seeing Yeonwoo's silence, Phoenix muttered.

"I see."

Yeonwoo felt as if he had been hit hard on the head by something blunt.

He laughed bitterly.

'A dream.'

Phoenix's deduction was correct. Yeonwoo didn't have a dream.

If he had one, it was just one: revenge.

But that wasn't a dream. It was a goal, not a hopeful desire.

The common dreams of players climbing the tower, such as "I want to become stronger" or "I want to become a god," didn't apply to Yeonwoo.

Becoming stronger was just a means to achieve his goal, and he had never even considered becoming a god.

In fact, to him, dreams were just unnecessary and cumbersome things.

But.

'Is this what's hindering me?'

Yeonwoo laughed hollowly, feeling like he had hit an unexpected obstacle in a part he had never considered.

How was he supposed to solve this?

And whoever planned this trial, he felt a surge of anger towards them.

'This is a trial, after all.'

Not just physical hardships, but mental ones as well.

Yeonwoo frowned slightly as he looked at the Hwan's egg.

Through the connection, the creature's emotions were still being conveyed. Despite being in a deep sleep, it seemed very happy. What should he do now?

Yeonwoo looked up at Phoenix.

Without asking any questions, Phoenix could read the desperate urgency in Yeonwoo's eyes.

"First, clear your mind. Rushing won't change anything."

Yeonwoo nodded heavily.

* * *

'A dream.'

Yeonwoo sat quietly at the edge of a cliff, trying to organize his thoughts.

'It's difficult. It's not something you can easily obtain just by thinking about it.'

He had never considered anything other than his main goal of climbing the tower.

Moreover, he had a mountain of things to do.

He needed to climb the tower, and the war between the two giant clans was approaching. He couldn't afford to be held back by this.

Still.

The wind was soothing, and his tangled thoughts began to unravel.

Just as he was about to leave.

Chik? Chik-chik!

Chik-chik flew to him and perched on his knee.

Despite not being able to control its body properly, the small creature flapped its tiny wings continuously, looking adorable.

Chik-chik! Chik!

Chik-chik moved around on Yeonwoo's knee and thigh, chirping incessantly.

It seemed to be trying to say something.

"Did you come to comfort me?"

Chik! Chik!

"It's just sleeping, so don't worry too much?"

A deflated sound escaped Yeonwoo's lips.

Seeing this innocent creature always made him laugh, no matter how serious he was.

Chik!

"Alright, I understand."

Chik-chik!

Through the connection, Yeonwoo could read Chik-chik's thoughts to some extent, though not as deeply as with the Hwan's egg.

The little one was encouraging Yeonwoo while also saying that its friend had no ill intentions.

Its cuteness made Yeonwoo gently stroke its head.

Chik-chik felt good from Yeonwoo's touch but looked up at him with anxious eyes.

Yeonwoo, receiving this look, continued to stroke Chik-chik without a word.

Chik-chik didn't know that it was comforting Yeonwoo because it thought he was disheartened by the egg not hatching.

In fact, Yeonwoo's thoughts were heading in a completely different direction.

'If a catalyst is needed, perhaps I can make it so that no catalyst is needed at all.'

Yeonwoo's eyes shone calmly.

One thing he had learned from climbing the tower was that trials didn't have just one correct answer.

'If I keep feeding it until it bursts, or until the egg breaks from complete growth, will it still resist hatching?'

Yeonwoo decided to keep feeding the egg the Flame of Life until the end.

And if that didn't work, he had another plan.

'I can bring the energy of the other four divine beasts.'

Abyss Turtle, Void Dragon, Saber Tiger.

Like Phoenix, they had their own 'tests,' and passing them would grant rewards comparable to the Flame of Life.

So far, he had focused on Phoenix's test because he needed fire and wind attributes.

But now, he couldn't afford to stick to just one attribute.

'Maybe this is for the best.'

As far as Yeonwoo knew, there was almost no precedent for a Hwan being born after consuming the energy of all four divine beasts.

This could be an opportunity to confirm it.

The high contribution points he would earn from this were an added bonus.

'If even the energy of the four divine beasts doesn't work, I'll feed it even more. Let it eat as much as it wants.'

A sharp tooth flashed between Yeonwoo's slightly curled lips.

Did his thoughts somehow get conveyed?

Shiver—

The egg trembled slightly through the connection, as if thinking, "You're done for."

Chik-chik, not understanding what was happening, tilted its head cutely.

* * *

That night, Yeonwoo began preparing a new plan.

'Before I start feeding it various things, I want to clearly understand and proceed.'

He had thought of this in a fit of anger, but he still needed to proceed carefully, ensuring the egg's condition was accurately monitored.

If anything happened to the egg, it would be a big problem.

Moreover, using the Dragon Eye to assess the egg had its limits.

He needed Eudora's Insight, just like when he wanted to understand the Despair of the Black King in detail.

'Where are they?'

He checked the mark he had left in the 11th floor start zone. It was still there, so it was unlikely that Pant and Eudora had missed it.

Why hadn't they entered the 11th floor yet?

'Is it related to the war?'

While he was thinking about this, Phoenix's voice interrupted him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it seems you have a visitor."

"A visitor?"

Yeonwoo's head snapped up at Phoenix's sudden words.

At that moment, the scene Phoenix was seeing was shared in Yeonwoo's mind.

Yeonwoo flinched for a moment but soon accepted it.

A man was facing off against two Hwans blocking his path.

Through the wild hair, his firm gaze was visible. Yeonwoo didn't recognize the face, but there was something distinctive about him.

Purple eyes and a sharp horn protruding from his temple.

"Unicorn Tribe?"