บท 5: Birth
บรรณาธิการ: Henyee Translations
This section was expansive, with remains and specimens of many different demons. At the moment, Cao Yan was at the corner of the section, away from the popular exhibits. Most people would only stop and look for a while when they passed by this area, so when Cao Yan pulled out the black crystal, no one discovered the change happening inside the amber.
Time was tight, and the mission was important.
Cao Yan was decisive. When he saw that no one was around, he quickly stepped over the fence and neared the amber.
He wanted to try putting the black crystal closer to the amber to see if there would be any other changes. Hence, he extended his hand with the black crystal toward the amber.
Just then, a faint web of golden lines materialized on the amber's surface. It flickered with a soft glow, as though it was resisting Cao Yan's approaching hand.
Understanding suddenly dawned on Cao Yan: this was not an amber. Rather, it was more like a kind of seal. The faint golden layer on the surface was sealing the organism within so that it could not come out…
The changes happened successively.
When lines started appearing on the surface, the black crystal in Cao Yan's hand cracked open silently. A wisp of black smoke escaped the crystal and landed on the surface of the amber.
Whoosh!
Under the corrosive black smoke, the glowing surface of the amber immediately dimmed. After that, it started to crack and disintegrate.
A huge hole was made on the surface of the amber!
The black smoke went through the hole and into the amber. Cao Yan could not control his hand as it was dragged into the amber with the crystal.
"That came without warning…"
Cao Yan was caught off guard. When he pulled the black crystal out, he did not foresee such mutations.
"Hey, that visitor! What are you doing? You're not allowed to touch the exhibits!"
However, a couple of staff members at the side noticed Cao Yan crossing over the fence, so they shouted with a frown while rushing over.
Luckily, Cao Yan was at the corner against the wall. Therefore, despite catching him in the act, they failed to notice that he had already reached into the amber because of the angle.
When Cao Yan heard the shout, he tried to pull his hand out. The force pulling him in disappeared at once, and he could easily retract his hand.
The black crystal was still in his hand. Cao Yan quickly put his hand and the black crystal into his pocket.
The faint golden amber was also very strange. After the black crystal was pulled out, the broken part on the surface was covered by a liquid, and the amber regained its original appearance. The mysterious organism sealed inside appeared just like before.
The amber filled the hole on its own.
When the staff members approached, the amber was already back to normal.
Cao Yan smiled and explained to the staff, "I was just curious about the organism inside the amber and wanted to take a closer look. That's how I unknowingly went over the fence."
The employees would naturally not be so nice. However, since everything seemed untouched, they let off Cao Yan with a warning and a stern glare.
Afterward, Cao Yan continued his stroll around the exhibition hall for a while, stealing a few glances at the amber every now and then. Only when he could not detect any changes to it did he leave, reassured.
Once he stepped out of the exhibition center, he let out a sigh of relief and was glad that he had ended this theft perfectly. Winner winner, chicken dinner.
Indeed, it was theft!
While he was pulling his hand out from the amber, he indistinctly sensed something else in his hand other than the black crystal. Of course, it was from the amber. He just did not have the time to check.
After leaving the exhibition center, Cao Yan quickly searched for a deserted place to check what exactly he had taken out from the amber.
However, he did not return to his boat. Instead, he walked in a particular direction—inwards, more precisely.
The body Cao Yan had transmigrated into was a resident of Magic Metropolis. Therefore, other than the boat, his parents had also left behind a shop selling seafood in town. After his parents passed away, the original body led a hard life. He supported himself by fishing out in the nearby sea, but he did not make much, so the shop closed down not long ago. However, the land was still his.
After around half an hour, Cao Yan arrived at a street on the southeastern side of Magic Metropolis.
It was the Magic Metropolis residential area all around, with many small businesses lining both sides of the streets. Cao Yan's family business was right here. It was a small shop of less than 500 square meters, which came with a little storeroom.
"Little Yan, you told me to help you rent your shop out. Someone came by to ask about it. Find some time to meet that person."
As Cao Yan arrived at the shop entrance, a plump lady stuck her head out from the neighboring shop and shouted toward him.
This plump lady knew the original body's parents, and "Little Yan" was his nickname. Thankfully, the original body was called Cao Yen. It had the same pronunciation as Cao Yan, just different spelling, so it was not awkward when he heard the name.
Since Cao Yan was in a rush to check out his loot, he simply acknowledged her and went into the shop.
He had not returned to the shop for a long time, hence the moldy smell. The shelf against the wall with all the sea products displayed inside was covered in dust, but Cao Yan could not be bothered with all that. After he closed the door, he pulled the black crystal out from his pocket and scrutinized it.
"So, it did change…"
It did not feel right when he pulled it out from his pocket. The black crystal seemed to have combined with something from the amber and turned into this. It appeared to be a black rubber ball that was soft to touch and was only the size of a fist. It moved slightly in a rhythmic way, as though it was breathing.
Cao Yan was uncertain about what exactly he had taken out from the amber because the thing in his hand was all black on the surface, making it tough to identify it.
"So, did I take the target demon pet out of the amber?"
"Yes."
The fake system's reply took Cao Yan aback. "This black ball in my hand is the demon pet? Did it absorb the black crystal?"
"Mm. There's a faint life within this black ball. It is certainly the organism sealed within the amber."
"What should I do now?"
Cao Yan had never incubated a demon pet, so he was not sure about his next step.
"It has not moved on to its next transformation because this is not the right location. It will never be born here. You need to go out of Magic Metropolis and find a quiet place. The demon pet will be born then," the voice in his head said slowly.
When Cao Yan left Magic Metropolis, it was already evening.
Old Wu's boat was not docked at the harbor. He had probably gone out to cast his net in the nearby sea.
Cao Yan returned to his boat, undid the rope, and left the harbor, cruising along the coast.
The boat did not sail for long when the sparse vegetation started appearing on land. Slowly, they entered the area called the Everlasting Forest at the fringe of Magic Metropolis.
As he sailed along, the trees by the coast got bigger and thicker, barely permitting any light to reach the soil. Cao Yan could sometimes see indistinct shadows moving and hear the sounds of insects and beasts.
According to the original body's memory, he would need to travel a little further to really enter the forest, a place teeming with danger.
This was Cao Yan's first time here, so he had to be prudent. He did not continue further and found a deserted area to dock his ship.
Cao Yan stood on the bow and gazed at the forest. He could faintly sense the mysterious vibes that got stronger deeper into the woods. The ancient trees covered the sun, raising an inexplicable sense of nervousness in one's heart.
Cao Yan scanned his surroundings to make sure there was no one else before taking out the black ball from his pocket. He rested it on his palm.
After he had left the city, this ball had been expanding and contracting vigorously, as though something within could not wait to come out…
The moment he pulled the black ball out, it suddenly contracted and the black gas it was emitting became thin. The organism within it had finally shown itself.
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