Cannon Fodder To Villainess

🏮79. Dragon Egg

Amber slipped deeper and deeper under the surface of the water. She felt a cool prickling sensation cover her entire body from head to toe. Then she felt the odd sensation of something sliding around her. It was unlike anything she had felt before, cold and slippery. Wrapping around her and trying to creep in through her pores. Amber shivered while trying to keep her mouth tightly closed. She was worried that whatever it was, would climb in through her mouth, if even a crack appeared between her lips.

After what felt like forever, her foot popped free from the liquid and she could feel warm air against it. Amber had almost given up all hope. She felt her heart jump when her foot was freed and glanced downwards. Below her, she saw a very dim light, almost imperceptible. Then she felt her other foot pop free and her legs slowly slip out, followed by the rest of her body. Although she didn't have any idea where she would pop out from, she was greatly relieved that she was getting out of this sludge.

As soon as Amber's hands were free, she felt around the room for anything that was metal. Feeling that she was right on top of a large metal room, Amber quickly liquefied the metal bands around her ankles, and made herself a thin metal bar. She created the bar just below her hand and attached it to the wall. She grabbed hold of the bar with her freed hands and wrapped both of her legs around it. Then she pulled herself the rest of the way out. Her head released from the strange liquid with a pop, pulling her hair straight up. Her hair looked as if she'd used far too much gel in it and then had gotten caught in hurricane winds.

She loudly gasped and coughed up strange black sludge. Looking back up, she saw that there was a thin magic barrier between the black sludge and the room below. It prevented the sludge from leaking out, but hadn't prevented her from escaping it.

Little bits of whatever the stuff was, had crusted onto her hair and skin. It looked like leeches. She watched as some of it slowly seeped into her skin, as if it were some kind of strange black colored lotion. Amber let out a small screech and viciously wiped at her arm. Rubbing at the liquid only caused it to enter through her skin faster. She screeched again when nearly fell, while accidentally swinging back side down.

Amber looked around the room while hanging backside down. She clung onto the thin metal pole, horizontally. She was in a large metal room, quite a ways above the floor. Along the walls were large stone slabs engraved with the same writing that Amber had seen in her dream. A set of double doors was covered in runes on the far wall. In the center of the room, was a clear pod that had the same writing on it. Inside that pod was a black egg, larger than Amber's head, with white swirls on its shell. It was leaking a steady stream of green smoke, which was slipping up through the clear dome, and into the black goop above Amber.

She carefully scooted across the pole and to the wall. Grabbing hold of one of the stone slabs, she climbed down its rough surface. She felt a huge rush of relief just as soon as her feet safely touched the floor. She immediately felt her muscles give out in exhaustion and she sat down with a plop. She leaned up against the stone slab behind her and took a deep breath and exhaled.

Then she pulled out some mana water and washed herself off. She changed her clothes and then had a quick lunch. If this trip taught her anything, it was that this forest, and its contents would never be simple. She should take a moment to recharge when it presents itself.

While she sat down eating her lunch, she started to read the stone tablets around the room. She continued to read tablet after tablet along the wall. Essentially the stone tablets told the story of the Mystics.

They were a proud kingdom of women who had strange and powerful magic. Some of the Mystics could control minds, some could change their appearance, some could create illusions, some could see and control ghosts, and some could fly through the sky and jump bodies.

They were matriarchal and had political marriages, in order to gain a daughter. Their daughters usually had purple eyes and gained the Mystic's magic. However, their sons would be born with a strong elemental magic blessing instead. This was how the royals of the different kingdoms originally gained strong magic.

Amber swallowed the lump in her throat along with her last bite of sandwich. All she could think about was purple eyes and how she'd accidentally floated through the clouds.

"What's going on?" Amber whispered to herself.

Once Amber felt well enough to go on, she put away her things, and stood up. A thick layer of dust had collected on the bottom of her black shorts, along with her matching tank top, and flats. This was definitely not normal attire in this world, but she couldn't give up her beloved shorts and tanks forever. The seamstress had been confused when she'd given her the designs and had ordered a few sets in different colors. However, the seamstress and her assistants quickly assumed that the clothes were a new form of bold lingerie. They had bright red faces while working on Amber's order. Amber didn't have the heart to tell those women that she'd planned to wear the 'shockingly revealing lingerie,' in the great outdoors, where anyone could be able to see her.

Amber walked over to the dragon's egg in the dome. She made sure to keep a strong vigilant for any hidden traps. She was tired of all these fun little surprises. She couldn't wait to get home and soak in a nice warm bath.

Amber looked at the words on the bubble and frowned. It read, "Here lies in wait, the Yin-Yang dragon. The Yin-Yang dragon has the power to even bring back the dead to life, but it comes at a cost. Whatever the Yin-Yang gives, it takes something that it deems of equal value. The Yin-Yang dragon is a celestial being that should never be awakened except in the most dire of need. A word of caution, if the Yin-Yang dragon egg emits green smoke without provocation, it has started to awaken on its own. Destruction is imminent, because the Emperor of the Celestial Realm is awakening. If the Yin-yang dragon won't accept you as its master, immediately destroy it. To open the bubble, insert your mana. If the dragon likes your mana, it will eat your mana until it's full. Be warned that if your mana runs out before the dragon is full, it won't accept you as its master."

"Destruction is imminent? I don't remember any Celestial Emperor or doomsday scenes in Duchess Dash! I need to get my book back and check it," Amber said.