Chapter 397: The Birth of Evil (14)

“Ah–”

A small egg.

The moment they saw it; the inhabitants of the Seventh Evil who had arrived at the Cotton Candy Castle instinctively bowed their heads.

“…!”

Even the spies of the Eight Evils, who had infiltrated in disguise, faltered. They were not ordinary residents, nor low-level mobs, but elites trusted with this mission. Yet just gazing upon the egg was enough to smother them with such overwhelming intimidation that they nearly bowed as well.

“…”

“…”

Their expressions stiffened.

The boss of the Seventh Evil was about to be born…

Everything about him was extraordinary even before his birth—more so than any of the other bosses of the Eight Evils. But what did that mean?

“Ah—ah—”
“Oh…!”

Amid cries and gasps, the mid-rank mobs of the Seventh Evil fully accepted the overwhelming presence that enveloped them.

The Cotton Candy Castle…

Those mid- and high-rank mobs, who had been frustrated by their inability to enter until now—

Boom! Thud!

They dropped to their knees and bowed their heads before the small egg.

“Finally, the true leader who will guide us has arrived—!”

And those among them—the stronger ones of the Seventh Evil—felt that presence even more keenly…

Around 120,000 living beings—all equally affected by that imposing presence.

Yet the force was not suffocating; it spread outward, like a wind that carried itself to every corner.

The egg.

The mere fact that something dwelled within it already radiated the authority of a ruler.

“Ah—”
“Uah…!”

The common inhabitants and mobs, uncertain how to respond to such intimidation, began to mimic the gestures of the other bosses. Some knelt, some bowed their heads, others clasped their hands and looked up at the egg.

And they were astonished—for the motions felt natural, as though they had always known to pay homage in this way.

The Seventh Evil had already seen two final bosses before, but never had anything like this occurred.

“!”

“!!”

At that precise moment, as they witnessed what followed, everyone held their breath.

Caw, caw!

The vast plains surrounding the Cotton Candy Castle—and the forest beyond—were suddenly filled with black crows rising in unison. After releasing a chorus of cries, they perched upon branches and soil alike, wings spread wide in a posture eerily reminiscent of a human bow.

Clatter, clatter.

The skeletons, mobilized from all corners of the continent, finally arrived upon the plain.

“They…”

Boom!

As if obeying a silent command, many dropped to one knee. Whether in monstrous form or human guise, they all prostrated themselves before the egg with the solemn dignity of knights.

“…What a sight…”

The envoys from various empires and kingdoms, hidden deep within the forest as they observed the plain from afar, could not suppress the chill that ran down their spines—even while cloaked in secrecy.

“…Truly… the Eight Evils. Among them, a new boss has appeared.”

Cornered by ominous premonitions, they had been urgently sent to this place. Infiltrated into one of the Eight Evils, their skill level was undoubtedly elite among the nations. And that was precisely what they were feeling.

An envoy from the Magic Tower, sent at the Emperor’s command, murmured softly,
“…Truly, it is the birth of an immense evil—”

Terrifying.

Beneath the dark crimson clouds, an egg radiated the aura of a sovereign.

What would emerge from that shell?

At first glance, it resembled a dragon’s egg. Since the previous final boss of the Seventh Evil had been a dragon, it was natural to assume this one would be the same.

But… was a dragon truly born in this way?

“…Demon King…”

The envoy who whispered that forbidden name silenced the other spies. They feigned indifference, yet none of them could erase the weight of that word.

An omen.

The egg itself seemed to sprout dread into the air around it.

Will this be the birth of an enemy that threatens the world?

If so…

At the very moment of its birth…

“Shouldn’t we eliminate it?”

Even if they lacked the power to succeed—better to strike before it grew beyond control.

Gulp.
Someone swallowed.

The same thought rippled through every envoy.
And they weren’t the only ones—the spies from the other Eight Evils shared the same notion.

“Ugh!”
“Eh—!”

But before the thought could take root, the situation shifted in an instant.

Everything surged forward in a blur.

Whooooosh—!

The wind rose with colossal force. Leaves were ripped from the trees, branches quivering as if ready to snap.

Plip, plip.
Raindrops began to fall. One, then two, then countless more—until a torrential downpour poured from the heavens.

Ahhhhh—!

The storm of wind and rain, so fierce it veiled the world, lashed out in fury.

“Krghhh!”
“Ugh!”

Those caught in the gale groaned, unable to steady themselves.

“…!”

“!”

Yet most—around 120,000 living beings—were left speechless, staring in silence, unable to utter a single word.

On the vast plain beneath the dark red sky, calm reigned. Everywhere else, wind and rain raged with violence, but here alone it was still.

“…”
“…”

No one dared to speak, until they understood: the force enveloping them carried neither fear nor despair. It was simply the manifestation of that being’s existence—like the hand of a king, ruling with imposing authority yet the certainty of causing no harm to his subjects.

“Ah—”
Someone released a trembling sigh.

And so, even amid the ominous atmosphere, within the domain of the Seventh Evil, a strange sense of safety reigned.

“They’re spies!”
“There are infiltrators!”

Especially the boss-rank mobs, who had already sensed what was happening in the forest, could only bow with even greater reverence before that unscathed egg.

The previous dragon boss, Neo, never protected us. In the Eight Evils, most bosses are harsher, more cruel—except perhaps the Sixth Evil or the Third Evil, who at least show some attachment to their own ranks.

Rumble!
The earth suddenly shook with violent force.

Clatter!
At the same time, the skeletons collapsed to the ground, prostrating themselves fully.

Flap!
The crows, silencing even their cries, rose into the sky in unison. From the line where plain met forest, they spread outward, forming a vast circle.

On the ground, the skeletons.
In the sky, the crows.

And the moment the onlookers realized—they had formed a defensive barrier…

“…”

Cale was staring intently at something.

[Hatching Rate: 99.9999%]

Also, From the upper floor, his companions watched him closely.

Especially Heavenly Demon, who had managed to cover the vast plain with just his energy, looked at Cale, unharmed, with an enigmatic gaze.

In silence, Cale raised his hand.

[Hatching Rate: 100%]

The moment he lowered his hand; he walked towards the window.

Crack, crack—

The egg began to crack.

Eden Miru was being born.

“Let's go.”

Whoooosh—!
The wind swirled around Cale’s feet.

“It’s the beginning!”

Raon cast an invisibility spell over himself and Cale.

A human and a dragon slipped through the window, moving toward the egg.

The others could not see them—but that no longer mattered.

Crack, crack—

“Human! Eden Miru is being born!”

Someone had to be there for the newborn. However grand his birth might be, it was essential that someone receive him and care for him.

“Begin,” Cale murmured.

Raon lifted his head.

Dark red clouds.

The small shell of the egg.

An egg of a mysterious color, in which shades of black, gold and purple mixed, was enigmatically displayed before anyone who looked at it.

Crack, crack—

The fracture spread, growing deeper with each moment.

“Hee-hee!”

Raon, still invisible, watched everything and, flapping his wings, enthusiastically extended his chubby front legs to the side.

Wooooom—

Dark mana gathered around the reddish clouds, although the others couldn't distinguish it due to the density of the clouds.

Raon was overjoyed.

Blowing things up was always fun—but today, there was no danger, no need to fight, no one to protect.

Today, Raon had only one mission:

Celebrate!

Eden Miru…

It was enough to celebrate the new birth of the Dragon Half-Blood.

Feeling the mana gathering, Raon muttered unintentionally,

“…Mom…”

And he surprised himself.

Sheritt.

She, along with Eden Miru.

Although, as a family, Cale, On, Hong, Choi Han and the others were close in a similar way, these two dragons were close with a slightly different feeling.

Pat, pat.

Cale, still invisible, stroked his head.

“Yes, everything is fine now.”

“Hee-hee!”

Raon was happy; his wings flapped with more force in response.

Clap!

His two front legs smacked together.

At that precise moment—

Wooooooo—! Wooooooo—!

The sky began to cry.

That was how Raon, still invisible, celebrated the birth of Eden Miru—by displaying the newborn’s power.

Rumble—

Little by little, platinum rays of light broke through the darkened sky.

The Heavenly Demon raised his hand toward the heavens, and the crimson clouds split apart as though a blade of light were tearing them open.

At the very moment the egg cracked—at the instant a new life was about to emerge—after all the ominous darkness, a single ray of light made its presence known.

“It has begun.”

And on a distant mountain, the Ancient Dragon Eruhaben, watching it all unfold, raised his hand in silence.

Whoooosh—

Platinum mana swirled around him.

His gaze settled on the small egg.

He remembered that light—the light of a colossal dragon, who in the past had fought to protect everyone.

“That’s right.”

The dark clouds split apart, unveiling a stream of platinum radiance.

“You are light.”

No, Eden Miru.

He is light.

[Title: Bearer of light and time, half-human and half-dragon]

Does even this game recognize it that way?

“Then, it must be a birth in accordance with it.”

While wind and rain lashed from all sides, the clouds parted, and a ray of platinum light descended upon the earth.

“!”

“……!”

The inhabitants of the Seventh Evil, so astonished that they couldn't even scream and cowered, watched as the ray slowly faded before reaching the ground, transforming into platinum light dust.

Shhhhh—

That dust fell to the earth and settled on the inhabitants of the Seventh Evil.

Mobs, adults and elders, all watched as the light and that luminous dust fell on them, piercing the dark clouds.

They couldn't look away, as the largest percentage of that dust had spread across the sky, like an aurora, and in the center was the egg.

Crack, crack—

Finally, the egg cracked enough to be seen by all.

“Ah—”

Sacred.

The ominous aura vanished.

The sight before them was so beautiful it stirred their hearts, as though a hero had just been born.

Whether they belonged to the Seventh Evil, the Eight Evils, or foreign nations, none could think of anything else before that festival of light.

On the contrary, those of higher rank shuddered at the sight, immediately understanding:

This is not an ordinary evil.

How could something so evil radiate such beautiful light?

And then they understood:
It is an immense evil.

Evil and good… in this moment, an entity so colossal it could move the hearts of all was being born.

Crack, crack—
At last, the egg shattered completely.

“Human! He has been born!”

Just when Raon exclaimed in that way…

“Ah!”
“Mmm!”

Both Cale and Raon froze in shock.

Flash!

A dazzling light burst from the egg.

– It is true light.

As Super Rock said, it wasn’t the radiance of Raon or Eruhaben, but a genuine light emanating from within the egg itself.

So intense that Cale, without realizing it, closed his eyes.

Yet even through the glow, he sensed something at its center—
and with his eyes still closed, he stretched out his hand.

Softness.

He felt something—and instantly realized it was another front leg.

Its texture was slightly softer than what he remembered from Raon’s childhood.

Cale took it delicately, and with a gentle pull, the small creature curled into his lap.

Still cloaked in invisibility, Cale knew exactly what he had to do before the radiance faded.

He stroked the smooth back once, then raised the tiny being high above his head with both hands.

And the light dispersed.

“Human! It’s Eden Miru!”

Cale and Raon, still invisible, gazed upon an aurora woven from dazzling platinum dust; at its center, they could see the form of a small dragon.

Though half-human and half-dragon, in that moment Eden Miru appeared as nothing more than a baby dragon.

So tiny he fit within Cale’s hands, secure in his grasp, the dragon slowly opened his eyes and tilted his head—
as if he already knew who was holding him.

“…”
“…”

Cale and Eden Miru locked eyes.

And then Cale froze. For within that gaze shone jet-black eyes, identical to his own.

A black body, like Raon’s, yet streaked with golden veins reminiscent of the Milky Way… and atop his head sprouted two small, purple horns.

The half-human, half-dragon who carried within him the power of light and time—

Eden Miru.

His round eyes, just like Raon's, drew a crescent moon-like smile in his gaze directed at Cale.

– Thank you.

A voice, transmitted by magic, sounded immediately.

Although it was a very childish voice, it was Eden Miru's.

– I like my name.

Belatedly, Eden Miru expressed his gratitude to Cale.

At that moment, the mission window appeared.

[Mission completed!]

Another side mission was completed.

[An amazing Legend has been created!]

Yes. It's amazing.

[Birth Ceremony Progress: 302%]

What would the reward level be?

If 300% had given SSS+++, then this had to be something beyond.

What would they receive?

Lost in thought, Cale pondered in silence.

[The legend “The birth of the sacred evil, the dragon of light” will be recorded in the world of New World!]

Eh?

Cale halted.

A dragon?
A dragon of light?
Did they mean dragon of light?

But… a dragon of light? The words stirred an odd unease within him.
Would it not be some kind of monstrous beast?

Of course, Eden Miru couldn’t be that.

Cale lifted his head, gazing at the tiny dragon that fit within both hands.

Eden Miru was… well… let’s just say—

“Human! Eden Miru is so adorable! He’s worthy of being the smallest!”

Even though he was over 900 years old, he was undeniably cute.

Eden Miru’s appearance was so adorable that even Cale had to admit it—though the little dragon himself seemed unaware.

“Waaahhh—!”

In that instant, a thunderous cheer erupted in their ears.

Cale lowered his head.

As Sheritt had commanded, countless beings—120,000 and more, beyond what could be counted—were crying out in celebration of Eden Miru’s birth, their faces lit with awe, reverence, and unrestrained joy.

“Hee-hee! We did it!”

Raon beamed.

“Well… fine.”

Cale, too, was quietly happy.

Neither he nor Raon noticed that Eden Miru’s expression was unusually serene.

And at that very moment—

“Heh-heh…”

Clopeh Sekka confirmed that every recording had been saved, then immediately began the second phase of his work.

“Spread this across the world.”

New World—Earth 3.

Let it echo everywhere.

Cale, lost in the thunderous cheers, failed to notice the changes appearing in the mission window:

[Birth Ceremony Progress: 307%]
[Birth Ceremony Progress: 308%]
[Birth Ceremony Progress: 309%]

The numbers continued to climb.

Even Clopeh Sekka had not fully explained this part to Cale…

 -----

P/R Thoughts: Eden Miru hatches as the dragon of light, his birth celebrated by 120,000, while the ceremony surges past 309% into uncharted territory.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Mayank]