NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 5: Adapt and Overcome
I survived the second egg strike by sheer reflex. Barely.
This time, I caught it midair like a dodgeball champion with something to prove.
"Nope," I muttered, holding it at arm's length. "You are not concussing me twice before breakfast."
The egg vibrated angrily in my grip like a pissed-off marshmallow. I set it down gently beside a patch of moss, then stood and stretched with a groan.
My stomach growled loud enough to scare off a squirrel.
"Right. Breakfast."
I flicked open the system menu, still squinting against the morning sun.
> [System Store – Open]
[Balance: 523 Coins]
I scrolled past flashy weapons, overpriced boots, and something labeled "Romantic Fireworks Pack" (???) and tapped into the Essentials > Food tab.
Menu:
Mystery Meat Jerky – 10 Coins
Spicy Wyvern Sausage – 20 Coins
Basic Camp Skillet (Reusable) – 50 Coins
"Chef's Breakfast Box" – 100 Coins
Egg Recipes: Locked (Seriously.)
I paused.
"Wait—egg recipes are locked?"
The system chirped back with zero shame.
> [System: Out of respect for your bouncing companion.]
[System: Also, yes, that's a real setting. You're welcome.]
I snorted and bought the Chef's Breakfast Box. A small crate materialized beside me with a soft shimmer. Inside: toasted bread, buttery eggs (not my egg, presumably), grilled veggies, and some kind of lightly spiced meat.
It even came with a tiny packet of hot sauce.
I sat down, opened the box, and started eating.
The egg rolled closer and stared. Well—if it had eyes, I felt them.
"You had your shot," I said through a mouthful of toast. "You chose violence."
It pulsed.
Then hopped onto my lap like an oversized cat demanding forgiveness.
I sighed, half-amused, half-exhausted.
"Fine. You win. But headbutt me again and I'm taping you to a tree."
The egg purred in response.
No, really—it actually purred. Like a faint magical vibration that felt warm.
Comforting, even.
"...Weirdo."
I leaned back against the tree trunk, watching the morning mist drift through the forest canopy. The smell of sizzling meat and fresh bread lingered in the air. For a second, the world was quiet.
Just me. Breakfast. And my sentient omelet with mood swings.
Not the worst way to start the day.
I barely had time to finish my first bite of toast before the air shifted.
Thwip.
An arrow zipped past my face, grazing a strand of hair.
I sighed.
"Can't a man enjoy his burnt toast in peace?"
Four red-name players emerged from the trees like dollar-store villains. Cocky smirks. Bad stances. Worse fashion.
The one in front twirled a spear like he was trying out for a circus.
"Drop the loot and the egg," he said. "We won't kill you... maybe."
I dusted crumbs off my shirt. "Wow. You sound like every single scammer I've ever muted."
They spread out. Formation time.
I moved first.
Phoenix Step.
In a blink, I was behind the dual-wielding rogue. One slash—clean, efficient, flaming.
> [You have killed: Player "ShivvyKnife"]
[Skill not Eligible]
I snorted. "ShivvyKnife? Bro, you sound like a rejected kitchen utensil."
His body dropped. The archer cursed.
Another arrow came. I activated Flame Guard, the fire shielding me as it turned the shot into toast.
The big bruiser came in swinging.
Blazing Wrath.
I stomped, unleashing a ring of flame that roared out like a dragon on caffeine. He didn't stand a chance.
> [You have killed: Player "BrickSpine"]
[Skill not Eligible]
"BrickSpine? Who named you—Minecraft?"
I turned to the last two: Mr. Spear-twirler and Twitchy Archer.
The archer took a step back, eyes wide. "W-Wait. That move—you just used Blazing Wrath! That's... that's Valken's skill! A top ranker!"
I gave him a grin that said "oops, did I do that?"
"Yeah, I know. Pretty fire, right?" I cracked my knuckles. "Got it from his corpse. Still warm, too."
The spear guy looked like he'd swallowed a cactus. "You—you killed Valken?! You're lying!"
"Buddy, I don't lie.(I'm really lying rn aren't I?)
I just occasionally leave out traumatizing details."
They hesitated, clearly realizing they were in over their heads.
"I mean, come on," I added, pointing at them. "ShivvyKnife? BrickSpine? What's next, ForkFist and SpoonKnee? Do you all raid with a full cutlery set?"
The archer actually looked offended. "That was his legacy name!"
"And now he's legacy loot," I shot back.
> [System: Savage. Zero chill. 10/10 insult delivery.]
The spear guy roared and charged in like a man who hadn't processed a single red flag.
I sighed, sidestepped, and smacked the hilt of my sword into his temple. He dropped like a sack of potatoes.
> [You have killed: Player "SpearItUp"]
[Skill not Eligible]
I stared at the name. "SpearItUp? Really? Man, your parents must be proud."
Only the archer remained. He turned pale and bolted into the trees without a word.
"Run, ArrowBoi. Run before I copy your skill and rename it to 'Target Practice'."
The egg bounced once in approval.
> [System: Karma served hot. Just like your breakfast.]
I sat back down, picking up my ruined toast.
"Now… where were we?"
I barely took a bite of my cold toast when the bushes nearby rustled again.
"Don't tell me that archer's dumb enough to—"
ZWAAAAP!!
A sharp crackle of electricity tore through the air.
"WHAT THE—?!"
From the corner of my eye, the egg—my egg—was vibrating like a caffeine-drunk squirrel. Sparks danced around its smooth shell. And then, without warning...
BOOM!
A lightning arrow shot straight out of the egg like it was channeling Zeus himself. It zipped through the trees—
—and smacked the fleeing archer right in the butt.
> [Critical Hit!]
[Status Effect: Stunned]
[Status Effect: Exploded Emotionally & Physically]
A shocking explosion lit up the forest.
A moment of silence.
The egg landed in the grass with a happy little boing. It bounced once. Twice.
Then jumped again.
"...You WHAT?"
The egg spun in a circle, absolutely vibing.
> [System: New Skill Unlocked — "Thunder Arrow"]
[System: Egg has instinctively used stored mana. Success rate: 40%.]
I just stood there, toast hanging from my mouth like a forgotten thought.
"You—used magic. Thunder freakin' Arrow. And blew that guy up."
The egg pulsed again, glowing bright blue like it was flexing.
"I—am both proud and terrified."
The forest crackled with leftover static, smoke rising where the archer used to be.
> [You have killed: Player "ArrowBoi"]
[Skill not Eligible]
I glanced down at the egg. "Did you seriously just Thunder Arrow him into the afterlife?"
The egg jumped again. A little spark zapped my nose.
"OW—OKAY, YOU'RE GROUNDED!"
It bounced defiantly, clearly ungroundable.
> [System: Egg has achieved accidental MVP status.]
[System: Would you like to initiate a victory dance animation? Y/N?]
I sighed, toasted crust still in my hand.
"Next time I get ambushed, I'm just letting you handle it."
The egg pulsed again.
And that's when I realized.
I wasn't raising a pet.
I was raising a tiny, chaotic pikachu.
MC:
(picks up egg)
"Look at you… sittin' there like you're about to change the world. You ain't Pikachu, bro—you're Pikachewable at best."
Egg: vibrates aggressively
MC:
"Oh wow. It's mad. What you gonna do? Use Wiggle Attack? Level 1 tantrum unlocked!"
Egg: glows yellow for a second
MC:
"Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Discount Lightbulb. You light up like a fridge left open too long."
Egg: cracks slightly
MC:
"OH NO! HE'S HATCHING! QUICK—somebody call Ash Ketchum. Tell him his off-brand omelette's trying to cosplay."
Egg: lets out a low, ominous hum
MC:
"Is that a growl? Or are you buffering your personality? You sound like a dying laptop fan."
Egg: wobbles in place
MC:
"Bro thinks he's gonna unleash a storm. The only storm you're dropping is mood swings. I've seen spilled soup scarier than you."
Egg: suddenly jumps 2 inches
MC:
"Okay okay, relax, Jumpachu. You almost broke the sound barrier with that hop."
Egg: glows red for a split second
MC:
"You glow one more time, I'm strapping you to a stick and calling you Eggsaber. Congrats, you're now a melee weapon."
Egg: sits silently, offended
MC:
"Go ahead, stew in your yolk. Maybe if you concentrate hard enough, you'll hatch into a chicken with WiFi."
The forest was quiet again—too quiet, like the calm after a toddler flips the furniture and pretends nothing happened.
I sat on a log beside the scorched earth where that poor archer had been evaporated. The air still smelled like toasted regret.
The egg wobbled over to me and snuggled up against my boot, still warm from the Thunder Arrow incident.
I sighed and leaned forward, elbows on my knees.
"You know," I said, picking a bit of burnt bark off my sleeve, "most people find a cute pet. A wolf pup, maybe a slime. Something low-maintenance."
The egg pulsed gently. Listening.
"But no. I get you. A lightning-happy, face-smacking, emotionally unstable bowling ball."
It bounced once.
"You think this is funny?"
Another pulse.
I rubbed my eyes. "I'm not mad. I just…" I looked up at the stars peeking through the leaves. "I didn't sign up to be a dad, alright? I barely know how to take care of me. And here I am—buying you food, dodging your attacks, praising your first kill like it's a kindergarten art project."
The egg rolled into my lap.
I stared at it, then slowly rested my hand on its shell.
It was warm. Comforting, even.
"You're gonna be something crazy, aren't you?" I muttered. "I can feel it. There's power in you. Real, raw... terrifying power. And I don't know if I'm supposed to protect you... or the world from you."
It vibrated softly. A single, soothing hum.
"Yeah, yeah," I murmured. "I'll protect you either way."
Silence stretched. A peaceful one.
Then the egg jumped and headbutted my stomach again.
"GAH—okay, that's it, bedtime! You're getting carried in a sack from now on, you unpredictable omelette!"
It rolled away laughing—if pulsing violently counts as laughter.
I couldn't help but smile.
"Chaos with legs," I muttered. "Well. No legs. Yet."
The egg finally settled down, curling beside the fire like it hadn't just committed elemental war crimes minutes earlier.
I leaned back against the tree, closing my eyes for just a second—
And then froze.
That feeling.
A shift in the air.
Thick. Cold. Wrong.
Murderous intent lanced through the woods like a silent scream. My body reacted before my mind could catch up—I was on my feet, sword drawn, eyes scanning the treeline.
Something was watching me.
No… hunting me.
Leaves rustled to the left.
I stepped back just as a blur zipped past—twin daggers slicing the space where my neck had been a heartbeat ago.
She landed in a crouch—half-girl, half-snake, all menace.
Pale green scales coiled down her legs, fading into a long serpent tail. Her eyes glowed gold, slitted like a predator, and her arms moved with deadly grace, twin daggers spinning between her fingers.
"Well," I muttered, blade tightening in my grip, "someone skipped the 'hello' part."
She didn't answer.
Just smiled.
And lunged.
Her speed was inhuman. I activated Phoenix Step, barely dodging her flurry—one dagger grazing my ribs as I slid sideways and kicked off a tree.
Metal clashed. Sparks flew.
She twisted midair, her tail cracking like a whip, forcing me to block with the flat of my sword.
THWACK.
Pain flared up my arm. That tail had weight—like getting slammed by a steel cable.
I gritted my teeth and launched a Flame Guard, heat erupting around me in a fiery shield as she came in for another strike. Her blades hissed against the fire.
Still, she laughed.
A low, throaty chuckle that chilled my spine.
"She's enjoying this," I muttered, ducking another swipe. "Of course I'd attract a murder-snake dominatrix."
I slashed wide with Blazing Wrath—a burst of fire lashing out in an arc.
She darted back, but not fast enough—flames licked her arm, forcing her to hiss and recoil. One dagger dropped.
Advantage: Me.
I rushed in, swinging hard.
She blocked with her remaining blade, barely holding against the force. Her eyes locked onto mine—sharp, calculating.
Then she spat at me.
It sizzled on the ground.
Acid.
"Great," I muttered, circling her. "You're fast, toxic, and clearly need therapy."
She hissed again—then struck.
Fast. Brutal. Desperate.
I parried once, twice—her blade grazing my cheek—then pivoted low, using Phoenix Step to blur behind her.
"Not fast enough," I whispered.
My blade pierced through her back.
She stiffened. Then collapsed in my arms, twitching.
> [Target: Venoma – Deceased]
[Skill Copy Condition Fulfilled]
[Copying Skill: Serpent Reflex]
[Acquired Skill: Serpent Reflex]
A passive boost to reaction speed and fluid movement. Enhances agility in close combat and mid-air dodging.
I stumbled back, panting, watching her body dissolve into particles.
The egg bumped my leg. Again.
Still warm. Still pulsing.
"Yeah," I muttered. "That's the world, kid. Fire, blood, and psycho lizard women."
The egg hummed, almost approvingly.
[System Alert to All Players]
A powerful Boss will appear in 1 hour.
Prepare accordingly.
Survival is not guaranteed.
If you manage to defeat it, a rare reward awaits.
Best of luck to all challengers. (Chuwa~)
Bro. Did the system just chuwa~ me like it's flirting before murder?
MC Status
HP: 82%
MP: 100%
Copied Skills:
1. Flame Guard
2. Phoenix Step
3. Blazing Wrath
4. Bloodrush
5. Ironfang Slash
6. Quickstep
7. Focus Pulse
8. Serpent Reflex