Chương 18: Chapter 17 – Temptation

For a millisecond, Cade couldn't move. But in an instant the invisible pressure forcing his body to freeze shattered like glass, and Cade surged forward. There was no time to question what just happened. The lord's jaw was already opening, and Cade saw the telltale ripple in its throat. It was charging up its acid spit. He had no time, no room for hesitation. He sprinted, pushing off with every ounce of strength. His muscles screamed but adrenaline drowned it out. In less than a second, Cade closed the distance.

Tegziran's eyes widened. The lord had clearly expected Cade to still be paralyzed from whatever strange force it had tried to exert. Instead, Cade struck. He raised the axe one-handed and brought it down in a diagonal slash. The obsidian flake sank as it bit deep into Tegziran's chest, slicing through the thick, scaled hide like it was nothing. Blood sprayed out in a fan, coating Cade's arm and face. The creature let out a choking hiss and tried to retreat.

But Cade stayed on it, hacking again and again with savage, relentless strikes. The lord scrambled back, dragging its mangled leg, but Cade stayed close, refusing to give it even a second to build space. Cade swung wildly, the obsidian edge carving through anything it touched. His aim wasn't perfect—he was tired and his muscles ached from his previous fight with N'zhal—but the sharpness of the blade made up for his flaws. Tegziran snarled, finally snapping out of its shock.

The lord shifted tactics and lashed forward with a front claw. Cade didn't dodge in time. The claw slammed into his ribs. His leather armor took the worst of it, but even with padding the strike landed hard. Cade felt the tearing scrape of talons nearly breaching the leather, followed by an explosion of pain and the sensation of being launched off his feet. He hit the muddy ground with a wet thump, air blasted from his lungs. His ribs screamed and his vision swam. But he still felt the axe in his hand.

Tegziran lunged, jaws open wide to bite down and finish him. Cade saw the shadow fall over him and twisted instinctively, swinging the axe from the ground up at the oncoming maw. The lizard saw the swing and tried to pull back—but it had already committed. The obsidian edge sheared through the lower jaw, cleaving off the front third in a spray of blood. The beast reeled, shrieking in pain. Cade rolled to his feet, his breath ragged and shallow. His ribs were definitely bruised—maybe cracked—but he could still move.

They locked eyes again. This time he felt no pressure and without hesitation Cade charged. He closed the distance and brought the axe down in a heavy swing toward the base of Tegziran's neck. The lord tried to dodge, but too slowly. The obsidian flake bit deep, severing muscle and tendon. Blood fountained from the wound. Cade didn't stop. He swung again and again and again. The axe rose and fell, each strike slamming into the same spot, digging deeper through flesh, cartilage, and bone.

Cade barely registered the blood splattering across his face and chest. He was focused only on the kill—on not giving this thing any chance to retaliate. Then finally, mid-swing— Ding! You have defeated [Tegziran, Burrow-Warden of the Bloom – Level 10]. You have gained additional experience for killing a creature above your level. Race: Human (G) has reached Level 7. +1 to all stats. Race: Human (G) has reached Level 8. +1 to all stats. Race: Human (G) has reached Level 9. +1 to all stats.

Cade staggered back, his blood-slick axe dangling from one hand. His body trembled—not just from exhaustion and adrenaline but from his own disbelief, and something deeper. Pride. He did it. He dropped to his knees in the torn petals and blood-soaked earth, breathing like a man who'd just sprinted through death itself.

"I did it," he murmured, voice hoarse and raw. His chest rose and fell, slower and slower. Three levels. That was three levels at once. He forced himself upright, closing the level-up messages. Another screen took their place. Tutorial Quest: Lords of the Swamp Progress: Lords Defeated: 2 of 8 Cores Obtained: 1 of 8 Cade stared at the notification, two Lords down. His breath was finally starting to slow when he mentally closed the glowing quest message. Cade stared down at Tegziran's enormous corpse.

The great lizard lord was slumped over the trampled flowers, blood still leaking from its half-severed neck, sheared off jaw, and stump where Cade had severed its tail. The sight should've repulsed him. Instead, he felt an odd sense of accomplishment. He pushed the feeling aside, got to his feet and moved toward the body, axe still in hand. The quest had reminded him what needed to be done. His ribs throbbed with every breath, but he wasn't finished yet. I need to make this quick.

Unlike with N'zhal, he didn't hesitate. Cade knelt beside the corpse and brought the obsidian blade down along the lizard's belly. There was no resistance. The edge slid cleanly through the thick, armored hide like it was freshly fallen snow. A sharp, wet tearing sound filled the air as he pulled the blade down. Flesh parted. Heat and steam spilled out from the split cavity, along with the thick, wet stench of blood and bile.

Cade grit his teeth and reached inside, using the butt of his axe to move coiled intestines aside. His hand was slick and he muttered a curse under his breath as his fingers slipped on something rubbery. That familiar sensation rose as he dug around in the corpse—a hum of pulling static, guiding him inward. But this time it was different. The feeling wasn't cold and dense like it had been with N'zhal's core. This sensation was warm and soothing. Almost inviting.

And yet, beneath the warmth, there was something else. Something subtler. A second impression Cade couldn't quite place. He followed the sensation deeper, parting tissue and shifting organs aside until his hand brushed against something smooth and hard. His fingers wrapped around the core—and as before, the moment he made contact, the System responded. Would you like to claim Lord Tegziran, Burrow-Warden of the Bloom's territory as your own? (Y/N) Cade didn't even bother pausing this time.

"Yes," he said aloud. The next screen appeared instantly. Error. A System Core is required to claim territory in the Tutorial. Claim attempt failed. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"Right," Cade muttered.

"I figured… but I had to try." The gentle warmth from the core dimmed, fading from his hand. The buzz vanished. Just like before. He sighed and mentally closed the message. Tutorial Quest: Lords of the Swamp Progress: Lords Defeated: 2 of 8 Cores Obtained: 2 of 8 He pulled the core free from the corpse. It came loose with a sick shlrrrk and Cade stepped back, cradling it carefully. Tegziran's core pulsed with a soft greenish light—almost white, like mint or pale jade under a sunbeam.

It glowed gently in his palm, casting his blood-covered fingers in green hues. It was beautiful. Nothing like N'zhal's. The snake's core had been pitch black, sucking in light around it like a shard of void. This was something else. With the core secured, Cade looked toward the center of the clearing—the trampled mound that had once been a protected burrow. Tegziran had fought to protect this place. Whatever was down there had to be important. Cade gripped the glowing core tighter and approached the entrance.

It was wide enough to crawl into comfortably—even for something Tegziran's size. But when Cade crouched down and peered inside, darkness greeted him. The last light of the day barely reached into the burrow, and everything beyond the slope was swallowed by black. He hesitated. Should I even go down there? There could be traps. Or worse—another beast. One just as strong, or stronger. Cade glanced down at the softly glowing core in his hand, at least he had a light source.

Curiosity got the better of him and he crouched low and entered the burrow, careful not to hit his head on the compacted dirt ceiling. The ground sloped steeply downward, the tunnel twisting and turning at sharp, irregular angles. He frowned. Tegziran looked too big to move through this very easily. Maybe it dug this out when it was smaller? The deeper he went, the warmer and narrower the tunnel became.

Cade crouched further, breathing slow and steady, his axe in his right hand and the glowing core held out like a lantern in his left. After five minutes of descending into the earth, the tunnel widened again just in time for Cade to see a faint glow ahead. Aquamarine light pulsed gently, illuminating the walls in dim, flickering waves. He stepped forward and the tunnel opened into a large chamber. And what he saw stopped him in his tracks.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were etched with thousands of lines, crudely scratched into the packed earth. They were glowing—faintly but steadily—with aquamarine light that pulsed outward in rhythmic waves coming from the center. It started from a single point on the floor. The light spread like a heartbeat—pushing out through the lines across the ground, along the walls, and up into the ceiling. A soft, eerie thrum seemed to rise with each pulse.

And at the center of the chamber—at the very origin point of all the glowing lines—sat an egg. It was the size of a chicken egg, resting on a small pedestal of compacted earth. Cade's breath caught. He didn't know what he was looking at. But he was absolutely sure that it wasn't just an egg. Cade stared at the egg for a long, breathless moment before using his [Identify]. Viscount of the Swamp (fetus) —?? Ding.

Hidden Tutorial Quest: Viscount of the Swamp By great effort—or dumb luck—you have found what should not yet be seen: the unhatched Viscount of the Swamp. If allowed to hatch, it will mature into an engine of hunger and ruin. Should you end it now you will spare countless lives and give humanity a much needed edge in this Tutorial. Objective: Disrupt the conduit-lines, then destroy the egg and kill the unhatched Viscount before it has a chance to hatch. Reward: Guaranteed System Core and Class (rare) assignment.

Cade froze as he began to read the unexpected quest. Then slowly—almost on instinct—he took a step back out of the pulsing chamber. His heartbeat felt loud in his ears. He had just gotten a hidden quest with the exact two things he wanted most in this entire damned Tutorial. A core. Guaranteed. A rare class. Guaranteed. His pulse hammered harder. Sasesh had bragged about getting a rare class. Everyone in the group had marveled at what he could do, the feats he could perform. Rare meant strong. Rare meant utility.

Rare meant power in every fight and more with every level. And this quest just offered one to him on a silver platter. But instead of exuberance, Cade felt a pang of apprehension deep in his gut.

"So… what's the catch?" he muttered out loud. Because of course there was a catch. A big one. He had to destroy what was essentially an unborn baby. His stomach twisted. It wasn't a foe. Not a monster trying to kill him. It wasn't even a creature that could run. It was an egg. A defenseless egg. His mind kicked back to the Siltscale Skinklets. The hollow feeling after killing them—after watching their tiny bodies explode under his makeshift club. And they could at least move. They could flee.

They had instincts and panic and a fighting chance to escape. But this? This wasn't a fight. This was basically infanticide. Cade swallowed, throat tight. The System wanted him to do it. The wording of the quest was too convenient. The rewards are too tailored, too perfect. It was the ideal carrot dangling in front of him—what he wanted, what he needed, all bundled neatly as a "reward."

"But the class is assigned," he muttered.

"Meaning I don't get to choose." The others had said they got to pick their classes, they got to decide their roles. An assigned class meant he was giving up that choice. What if the System shoved him into a role he hated? What if it locked him into some path he despised, some flavor of magic or combat that didn't suit him? He'd escaped his old life—a job that had suffocated him, boxed him in, stolen years from him even though he had thought it was what he wanted.

He wasn't going to let the System stuff him into another box just because he felt desperate. His eyes drifted back to the egg. Aquamarine lines pulsed faintly across its surface.

"This seems too easy," he whispered. There was no danger. No fight. No risk of death. Just crush the egg. A simple but horrifying task and yet the reward was immense. So why is the System offering it so freely? That thought dug into him harder than anything else. He looked again at the quest window—longer this time. And the more he stared, the more his gut twisted. He realized what really bothered him: It wanted him to kill something helpless and it wanted to tempt him into doing so.

Cade closed his eyes and took a steady breath. He'd adapted quickly to this world. Killing monsters wasn't something he enjoyed, but the thrill of surviving, of pushing himself was. Fighting gave him something tangible to chase and the intense feeling of accomplishment he got after surviving his most recent battles was like nothing he's ever felt. But that was different. In those instances killing was a necessity for his survival. Killing whatever was in this egg wasn't necessary, at least not right now.

After a long, heavy moment, Cade opened his eyes.

"I won't do it," he whispered. But he also couldn't just leave it. The quest text made it painfully clear that if the egg hatched, a lot of people would die. He couldn't walk away knowing that. Doing nothing would be the same as killing every person the Viscount eventually tore apart. He ran a hand through his hair, breath unsteady. There has to be a third option. Something between murdering a helpless creature and letting it grow up to murder countless people.

His gaze drifted back to the glowing chamber, the pulsing lines with the egg at the center. Cade exhaled sharply and he knew what he had to do. He wasn't going to kill the creature but he wasn't going to abandon the problem either. He would find his own answer. Cade strode into the chamber and continued until he was just outside the glowing circle, staring down at the egg. He hated the box the System had tried to shove him into— to kill or be killed. But what if he made a different move?

He walked forward slowly, cautiously, past the inner circle. His boots echoed lightly on the compressed soil as he approached the egg. The glow from the aquamarine conduit-lines lit everything in a soft pulse of light. A static buzz in the air grew as he approached, tingling across his skin and fingertips. As he closed in on the egg he knelt to inspect it closer. He looked at the glowing shell—at the faint traces of aquamarine etched across its smooth, leathery surface.

Then he looked at the pulsing lines beneath it. That's when he realized something was off. The lines weren't feeding into the egg. They were flowing around it. He blinked and leaned closer. His eyes adjusted to the flickering glow. The epicenter wasn't the egg—it was below it. A point directly underneath, embedded in the tiny pedestal the egg sat on. The aquamarine light was radiating upward from that point, and the egg was merely resting atop it. Cade narrowed his eyes.

The quest had told him to disrupt the conduit-lines. He'd assumed that meant breaking them somewhere along the walls. But if the real source was below, then maybe he wouldn't have to break anything in here afterall. His curiosity flared and he reached forward, pressing his palm gently against the egg. It was warm and solid despite its leathery appearance. His fingers could feel the faint rhythm of power vibrating through it with every pulse of light.

That now-familiar buzz intensified instantly, humming along his nerves. His axe remained at the ready in his right hand but nothing attacked him. The egg didn't crack or react. It just pulsed. He pressed slightly harder, testing, and the egg easily shifted. Cade blinked in surprise. He had expected it to be anchored in place with some sort of magic. But it wasn't, it had just been set on top of whatever was emitting the light. He hesitated for a moment but then threw caution to the wind and lifted.

The egg came free easily but immediately afterwards the chamber exploded in light. An aquamarine pulse surged up from the floor so intense it blinded his sight and caused Cade to stagger back. The light vanished just as fast as it had come, leaving Cade blinking in near darkness. All of the conduit-lines around the walls, floor, and ceiling had gone out all at once. The pulse was gone and the chamber was dark. Except for one thing.

Underneath where the egg had rested was a small, perfectly smooth teardrop-shaped object no bigger than his thumbnail. It was crystalline and faintly translucent, glowing with a soft inner light the same aquamarine as the conduit-lines had been. Cade stared.

"Okay what the hell are you?" He used [Identify] on instinct. Primordial Bead Dewdrop —??