Chapter 87: Just An Old Book
The cracks slowly spread, the gaps in the eggs’ shells widening as the little monsters began to poke their heads out.
Eager to speed up the process, they began jabbing at the shells with their beaks, fracturing them further.
Unlike their fearsome mother, who struck fear into the hearts of every human who saw her towering size, the little Griffins didn’t look nearly as alarming. Their heads tilted to the side, their innocent golden eyes blinking curiously as they stared at Elizabeth and Leonard.
Elizabeth and Leonard exchanged glances, unsure how to proceed.
She extended her hand forward, her eyes peering coldly into them.
"Ice Sp—"
"Whoa! Wait! Stop right there!"
Just as Elizabeth prepared to blow them to bits, Leonard grabbed her hand, preventing her from committing a massive mistake.
Instantly, the calm rhythm of her breathing turned ragged, and her eyes narrowed in unease. She quickly pulled away from him, pushing his arm aside.
Leonard wasn’t sure why Elizabeth reacted so intensely. He hadn’t had any ill intent in mind.
"Did I spook you? I am sorry." He said, trying to keep his voice calm. "But you were about to kill them, and there would be no going back from that."
"..."
Elizabeth remained silent, her eyes darting between him and her arm.
"No, it’s just... my father... Never mind. I am sorry I overreacted." She apologized, getting her breathing under control.
The two gazed at the freshly hatched Griffins.
Although the little creatures didn’t attack them outright, it was still unsettling to be near beings that were so close to their size.
"Don’t tell me you find them too adorable to slay them... At the end of the day, they are still monsters." Elizabeth probed Leonard, wondering if she had misjudged him.
He shook his head.
"Think about this logically. Rather than killing us, the Griffin captured us and threw us in her nest, most likely intending to use us as nourishment for her chicks." Leonard explained.
"We can still escape, and I doubt it will pursue us for long. However, if we strike now, we become people who have slaughtered her own offspring... Call me crazy, but I don’t want a furious mother who can kill us in a blink, hunting us seeking revenge."
Elizabeth had to admit there was merit to his words. She hadn’t thought about it from that angle.
"Though, I still struggle to understand how the Griffin sensed us from so far and why it targeted us instead of the others in the Elite grade." Leonard mused, watching the baby monsters tumble over one another.
"Actually, the fault may lie with me." She answered.
"How so?" He raised an eyebrow.
"My arm. It was wounded during the battle with the Dire Eagles." Elizabeth met his gaze. "The Griffin must have sensed the potency of my Mythical Bloodline and believed me to be worthy prey... It must have also caught you because we were in close proximity."
Leonard frowned. Guilt washed over him as he touched his injured cheek.
’If that creature is really led by blood, then I am the one responsible. No doubt the Griffin went for my Primordial Bloodline, while in reality, Elizabeth was merely collateral damage...’
Regardless of where the fault lay, they had to escape the nest swiftly. For some reason, the baby Griffins didn’t recognize them as food and didn’t attack, but who knew when their mother would return?
[Primordial Bloodline stirs in your veins.]
"Hm?"
Leonard remembered that, before he was captured, his pendant had shone in response. Right now, his blood ran so hot that he knew there was an item of interest hidden nearby.
His eyes fixed on a pile of remains tucked away at the end of the nest. Bones and equipment were piled on top of one another in a small hill, like a trophy of the Griffin’s previous hunts.
’There must be something there...’
He followed the guidance of his pendant.
Intrigued by what could have caught his interest, Elizabeth drew near the pile and watched from the side.
"Just a book? Strange..."
Leonard managed to dig up an old book so worn down that it looked moments away from crumbling into dust.
Honestly, the discovery felt underwhelming. Compared to the soul axe and the haunted blade he had found previously, the book paled in comparison.
[Primordial Bloodline stirs in your veins.]
Just then, the embedded gem in the cover shone in the same crimson color as his pendant and vanished from his hand.
[You have absorbed the Bestiary of a deceased monster hunter!]
[You have gained a new Skill, Bestiary!]
[Bestiary]
[Rank: Legendary]
[Creates a library in your mind where every monster you have encountered is recorded for ease of access. The more creatures of a particular type you defeat, the deeper your inherent understanding of them becomes, gradually revealing their behaviors and traits. Additionally, it also increases your ability to form bonds with creatures and acquire them as familiars.]
Leonard gasped. The Skill functioned similarly to his Sigil Library, though the Bestiary didn’t have the option to be upgraded any further.
’The Skill also creates an image of the monster in my mind. This will synergize well with Joker’s ability to assume any form, as it would give him a reliable reference, improving the end result.’ He thought.
Sadly, he was left with no time to rejoice. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
"Mother Griffin is returning! Quick, hide in the pile!" He urged.
"But won’t the beast smell us?" Elizabeth countered.
"Even if she does, she would just glance at the remains and think the scent is coming from her past prey."
Left with no other choice, the two hurriedly hid inside.
Thud!
A few seconds later, Mother Griffin arrived and dropped a bulky body into the nest.
’This is an ogre. How did she slay such a monster so fast?’ Leonard wondered, making sure to hold his breath.
The beast glanced around, searching for Elizabeth and Leonard. When she realized they had most likely escaped, she didn’t go looking for them. Instead, she gazed at her three chicks, who had just hatched from their shells.
With a loud screech, she struck the head of the slain ogre, causing it to split open.
The sudden rush of blood activated the instincts of the three baby Griffins, and they rushed toward the corpse.
Two of them reached it and began to peck at it with their beaks.
However, one lagged behind. Its body was smaller than its siblings, and it was having trouble standing up.
Mother Griffin watched the chick struggle for a while before walking over to her offspring and using her beak to lift it up.
She walked to the edge of the nest and dropped her child by the mountain cliff, dooming it to death.
’Cruel...’
The sight reminded Leonard of himself and how he had been discarded when it was believed he wouldn’t inherit his father’s talent.
Soon enough, the Griffin flew away in search of more food, leaving the two chicks behind.
"Would she really care if someone killed her children?" Elizabeth pondered aloud. "She really is a monster through and through."
"I don’t know." Leonard heaved a sigh. "Come on, let’s get out of here while we still can."